DAY 1:
Bike Rentals
Once you arrive in the park, leave the car in the parking lot, and explore Yosemite Valley on two wheels! Bike rentals are offered at Yosemite Valley Lodge and in Curry Village. The Valley has 12 miles of designated bike paths, giving you the freedom to tour the valley at your leisure.
Lunch
After returning your bikes, head over to Degnan’s Kitchen (shuttle stop #4), offering personal pizza, sandwiches, salads, and soup. On weekends The Loft at Degnan's (upstairs of Degnan’s Kitchen) offers BBQ items and a selection of beers and wine. Don't miss the local root beer on tap!
Hike
Take the path less traveled with a half-day (4-hour) custom guided hike! A private hiking guide will design a hike tailored specifically to your preferences and hiking experience level. Along the way you’ll have the option to learn about Yosemite’s geology, flora, fauna, and incredible Native American history!
If you're looking for some self-guided hike options that are best in autumn some recommendations include:
- Easy: Sentinel Dome or Taft Point Trail (2.2 miles, 2 hours round trip to either Sentinel Dome or Taft Point)
- Moderate: Mist Trail to Vernal Fall footbridge (1.6 miles, 1-1.5 hours round trip)
- Strenuous: Mist Trail to top of Vernal Fall (2.4 miles, 3 hours round trip); Four Mile Trail (4.8 miles, 3-4 hours one way to Glacier Point or 9.6 miles, 6-8 hours round trip); Panorama Trail (8.4 miles, 4.5-7 hours)
Dinner
Consider an exquisite fine dining experience at The Ahwahnee Dining Room. Featuring 34-foot, floor-to-ceiling windows that take in the surrounding views and wrought iron chandeliers suspended from the sugar pine timbers, this timeless dining room is fit for royalty and is a must see for visitors. We strongly recommend you make reservations in advance to secure a table for your party.
Evening Programs
End your day with a walk through the woods with the Yosemite After Dark tour where you will learn about animals, such as bats, owls, or bears and those nocturnal animals’ adaptions for living at night. The walk will be easy, flat, and one mile or less.
DAY 2:
Breakfast
Degnan's Kitchen and Basecamp Eatery (shuttle stop #8) are some convenient breakfast options to kick-start your day. Degnan’s Kitchen serves hot breakfast sandwiches, pastries, freshly baked donuts, handcrafted coffee/espresso drinks and a variety of grab & go options. Basecamp Eatery has a wide variety of breakfast items. Items include breakfast burritos, French toast or tasty grab & go options such as muffins or pastries. Basecamp Eatery also provides a Starbucks coffee bar to enjoy your favorite drink.
Walk Among Giants!
The Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias was reopened June 15, 2018 after a three-year restoration project to preserve the giant sequoias and associated wetland habitat and provide a great visitor experience. These giants are among the rarest, oldest, and largest living organisms in the world today, travel Highway 41 to the south entrance of the park to walk among these giants.
From the parking lot just inside the park’s south entrance, take the free shuttle service to the Mariposa Grove Arrival Area. One hiking option is the Grizzly Giant Loop Trail (moderate: 2.1 miles, 2 hours round trip), which guides you past the most notable trees, such as the California Tunnel Tree and the Grizzly Giant. Another option is the relatively flat, wheelchair accessible, Big Trees Loop Trail (easy: 0.3 miles, 30-45 minutes round trip), which winds through a forest of giant sequoias featuring the Fallen Monarch and interpretive panels on the life and ecology of the giant sequoias.
Lunch at Wawona Hotel
Enjoy lunch at the charming, Victorian-era Wawona Hotel Dining Room. The dining room has expansive windows, which allow you take in the surrounding fall colors, towering trees, and wrap-around porch. The menu features salads, soups, sandwiches, burgers, and other delicious lunch entrees.
Pioneer History Center
Before leaving the south side of the park, stop at the Pioneer History Center. The center features horse-drawn wagons, a covered bridge, and historic buildings from Yosemite's past. The Pioneer History Center has a plethora of unique and beautiful photo opportunities with lots of fall colors, especially around the covered bridge, have your camera ready!
Sunset at Glacier Point
Along the drive back to the Valley, turn off at Glacier Point Road and take the must-see scenic drive to Glacier Point and catch a beautiful sunset overlooking Yosemite Valley, Vernal and Nevada Fall, the high country, the Sierra Nevada mountains, including Half Dome and El Capitan. While you’re there, visit the Glacier Point Gift Shop & Snack Stand to enjoy a hot chocolate and a tasty treat!
Dinner & Dessert
Once you get back into the Valley head to Basecamp Eatery at the Yosemite Valley Lodge for dinner. The eatery has something for everyone with Italian, classic American, and International menus.
After dinner walk next door to the Mountain Room Lounge and cheers to your trip to Yosemite over a sweet treat and some cocktails.
