Daily Itinerary
Experience Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks
May 12-18, 2024
May 12, Sunday
Salt Lake City
Arrive Salt Lake City and transfer to hotel near Salt Lake City Airport.
May 13, Monday
Bear Lake, Idaho & Jackson Hole, Wyoming
The lure of the West beckons you this morning and you will answer the call of the wild as you make your way to the frontier town of Jackson Hole, Wyoming. We’ll make a photo stop at picturesque Bear Lake before included lunch. Continue on to the fun western town of Jackson and check in to your hotel for a two-night stay. This old cowboy town is now home to hundreds of art galleries, shops, attractions and restaurants but still maintains an old west charm. Tonight, you are on your own to enjoy this wild west town.
Overnight – The Lexington Hotel or similar, Jackson, WY (B)(L)
May 14, Tuesday
Grand Teton National Park & Snake River Float Trip
Start the day early as we drive to Grand Teton National Park and enjoy a Scenic Float Trip on the Snake River. With the Grand Teton Mountain Range as a backdrop, you will see the wildlife, the flora, and the sheer magnitude of nature. Your river guide will point out wildlife, explain the geology of the area and tell stories about local history and folklore. After the float trip, enjoy some time to explore the Grand Teton Visitors Center and have lunch on your own at Dornan’s in Moose Village. After lunch, continue exploring Grand Teton as you take the inner road to Jenny Lake, sites of historic districts in Moose area including the Chapel of the Transfiguration and Jon Moulton Barn, where photographers from around the world stop to capture iconic historic structure with the Teton Range in the background. In the late afternoon, return to Jackson after an amazing day in the Tetons! The evening is free on own. Overnight – The Lexington Hotel or similar, Jackson, WY (B)
May 15, Wednesday
Grand Teton & Yellowstone National Parks
The serenity of the Tetons awaits you this morning as you travel through Grand Teton National Park, America’s youngest and most rugged mountain range. Stop at the Colter Bay Visitor Center, home to the David T. Vernon Indian artifacts collection before making your way to our country’s oldest and most famous national park, Yellowstone National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The world’s first national park is a wonderland of natural beauty and geologic oddities that has delighted visitors over 100 years. It is a mysterious land of steaming geysers, fumaroles and bubbling mud pots. A land so amazing that the first explorers to bring back tales of Yellowstone were called liars. Today you will visit the centerpiece of the park, Old Faithful! There will be plenty of time to explore the area, witness an eruption of the world’s most famous geyser and have lunch on your own. After enjoying Old Faithful, explore more of the geyser basins including Grand Prismatic Springs in Midway Geyser Basin and Fountain Paint Pots. We will check in to Old Faithful Inn for a two-night stay. Dinner is included at hotel. Overnight Old Faithful Inn, Yellowstone National Park, WY (B)(D)
May 16, Thursday
Yellowstone National Park
Visit some of Yellowstone’s most famous highlights today starting with Mammoth Hot Springs. It was created over thousands of years as hot water from the spring cooled and deposited calcium carbonate (over two tons flow into Mammoth each day in a solution). Although these springs lie outside the caldera boundary, their energy has been attributed to the same magmatic system that fuels other Yellowstone geothermal areas. We will continue on to Lamar Valley. Lamar Valley is an excellent place to view wildlife, with it being one of the major summer grounds for bison and elk, which attracts predators like wolves and grizzly bears. Dinner is on your own tonight. Overnight Old Faithful Inn, Yellowstone National Park, WY (B)(L)
May 17, Friday
Yellowstone National Park / Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center
This morning, we will continue to the awe-inspiring “Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone,” with a chance to see both the Canyon’s Upper and Lower falls, where the mighty Yellowstone River has cut its way through sheer rock to cascade down hundreds of feet to the foaming torrents below. Bid farewell to Yellowstone as we exit the park via the West entrance. After lunch on your own, we will enjoy a visit to the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center where we will gain insight into the lives of Yellowstone’s two top predators. The mission of the center is to educate the public and to give them a chance to uniquely experience grizzly bears and grey wolves. We will enter Idaho and the Island Park region and soon descending into Idaho’s fertile farmlands. Arrive Idaho’s second largest city, Pocatello, for our final night stay and a group farewell dinner. Overnight Home 2 Suites or Similar, Pocatello, ID (B)(D)
May 18, Saturday
Salt Lake City
After breakfast, travel to Salt Lake City (approximately 2.5 hours) for your flight to Houston. (B)
