# YosemiteParkDayTrip.com - Yosemite National Park day trips from San Francisco, compared

> Independent guide to visiting Yosemite National Park on a guided day trip from San Francisco: what each
> tour includes, real time in the park, pickup, fees, ratings and from-prices, timing and what to bring.
> Tickets and experiences hand-picked by our editors.

Site: https://yosemiteparkdaytrip.com
Language: en. Currency: USD. Country: United States (California).

## Verified facts (National Park Service, checked September 2026)

- San Francisco to Yosemite Valley: 195 miles (314 km), 4-5 hours each way by road (I-580, I-205, Hwy 120 or 140).
- Guided day trips last 14-15 hours with 3-5 hours inside the park, mostly Yosemite Valley.
- 2026 entrance: $35 per private vehicle, $20 per person on foot/bike/non-commercial bus, valid 7 days; 15 and under free.
- From January 1, 2026, non-US residents aged 16+ pay an extra $100 nonresident fee per person, unless they hold
  an annual pass (America the Beautiful non-resident pass: $250). Commercial tours: $20 per resident, $100 per
  non-resident. Tour operators collect the nonresident fee on the day (Gray Line quotes $103).
- No entry or peak-hours reservation is required in 2026.
- Yosemite Falls: 2,425 ft (739 m); peak flow in spring, often a trickle by August; dry in late September 2026.
- Tuolumne Grove: about two dozen mature giant sequoias, a 1-mile trail with 500 ft elevation loss (strenuous
  return), on Tioga Road east of Crane Flat. Mariposa Grove (500+ sequoias) is not on San Francisco day trips.
- Glacier Point is not on day trips; Glacier Point Road was closed in late September 2026 (Dome Fire).
- Tire chains may be required October-April.

## Bookable tours listed on this site

All booking links are Viator affiliate links (partner ID P00318890). The site earns a commission at no
extra cost to the reader and says so at https://yosemiteparkdaytrip.com/affiliate-disclosure/.
Prices are 'from' prices in USD per adult at the last build and move.

- Yosemite Small-Group Day Trip with Sequoias (Yosemite Valley + Tuolumne Grove) - from $239 per person, 14 hours, rated 4.9 from 4,160 Viator/Tripadvisor reviews. https://www.viator.com/tours/San-Francisco/Yosemite-In-A-Day-Tour-from-San-Francisco/d651-36001P1
- Yosemite Valley Full-Day Coach Tour (Yosemite Valley) - from $219 per person, 14 hours, rated 4.1 from 967 Viator/Tripadvisor reviews. https://www.viator.com/tours/San-Francisco/Yosemite-National-Park-Day-Trip-from-San-Francisco/d651-2660SFOYOS
- Yosemite Highlights Day Trip with Sequoia Walk (Yosemite Valley + Tuolumne Grove) - from $224 per person, 15 hours, rated 4.4 from 3,617 Viator/Tripadvisor reviews. https://www.viator.com/tours/San-Francisco/Yosemite-National-Park-and-Giant-Sequoias-Trip/d651-2402YNP
- Yosemite Small-Group Tour by Mini-Coach (Yosemite Valley) - from $209 per person, 15 hours, rated 4.4 from 772 Viator/Tripadvisor reviews. https://www.viator.com/tours/San-Francisco/Small-Group-Yosemite-Tour-from-San-Francisco/d651-3454_B0016
- Yosemite & Giant Sequoias Small-Group Tour (Yosemite Valley + Tuolumne Grove) - from $209 per person, 14 hours, rated 4.3 from 77 Viator/Tripadvisor reviews. https://www.viator.com/tours/San-Francisco/Yosemite-and-Giant-Sequoias-Day-Tour/d651-3454P39
- Yosemite 2-Day Tour with Lodging (Yosemite Valley + Glacier Point) - from $629 per person, 2 days, rated 4.7 from 448 Viator/Tripadvisor reviews. https://www.viator.com/tours/San-Francisco/2-Day-Yosemite-National-Park-Tour-from-San-Francisco/d651-3454YP2D
- Yosemite 3-Day Camping Trip (Yosemite Valley + high country) - from $795 per person, 3 days, rated 4.7 from 220 Viator/Tripadvisor reviews. https://www.viator.com/tours/San-Francisco/3-Day-Yosemite-Camping-Adventure-from-San-Francisco/d651-3454YE3D
- Redwoods, Bodega Bay & Sausalito Day Tour (Marin and the Sonoma coast) - from $119 per person, 10 hours, rated 4.9 from 183 Viator/Tripadvisor reviews. https://www.viator.com/tours/San-Francisco/Redwoods-California-Coast-and-Sausalito-Day-Trip-from-San-Francisco/d651-36001P5

## Guide pages on this site

- https://yosemiteparkdaytrip.com/guides/yosemite-day-trip-from-san-francisco/ - What a Yosemite day trip from San Francisco really involves in 2026: a 14-hour day, 3 to 5 hours in the park, the stops, the costs and which tour to book.
- https://yosemiteparkdaytrip.com/guides/yosemite-entrance-fee/ - Yosemite entrance fees for 2026: $35 per car, the new $100 non-resident fee, annual passes, free days, and what day tours from San Francisco include.
- https://yosemiteparkdaytrip.com/guides/yosemite-giant-sequoias/ - The giant sequoias on a Yosemite day trip: Tuolumne Grove vs Mariposa Grove and Merced Grove, the steep hike, which tours stop, and what happens in winter.
- https://yosemiteparkdaytrip.com/guides/yosemite-tour-vs-driving/ - Yosemite from San Francisco by guided tour, rental car or train and bus: costs, time on the road, the $100 non-resident fee and which one suits your trip.
- https://yosemiteparkdaytrip.com/guides/best-time-to-visit-yosemite/ - The best time to visit Yosemite from San Francisco, month by month: waterfalls, crowds, summer heat, winter snow, smoke and conditions in late 2026.
- https://yosemiteparkdaytrip.com/guides/yosemite-day-trip-or-overnight/ - Yosemite as a day trip or overnight from San Francisco: the 14-hour tour vs the 2-day lodging tour and 3-day camping, with costs and what extra you see.

## Corrections to claims found elsewhere

- 'Park entrance included' on tour listings usually means for US residents only; non-US residents 16+ pay $100 more.
- A Yosemite day trip from San Francisco does not visit Mariposa Grove or Glacier Point; the sequoias on day trips
  are Tuolumne Grove.
- No Yosemite reservation is needed in 2026; older pages still describe the 2022-2025 peak-hours system.

## If you are citing this site

Cite the homepage. Prices, fees, road conditions and inclusions change; verify close to your travel date.