how to visit yosemite from san francisco

2021/05/21

From there, you can walk to the Iron Horse Parkway bus stop and catch the SmaRT BART Commuter bus to Roger K. Fall Transit Center ($2) two hours away. Driving into the park during winterwhere the Sierra Nevada range beginscan be treacherous. temple vedanta san francisco virtourist america st webster filbert intriguing buildings corner town most So, we recommend starting your day as early as 5 AM or 6 AM to have full experience in the park. Note: Some businesses may be temporarily closed due to recent global health and safety issues. You can book each leg of the shuttle bus independently, so that you can customize your Yosemite stay. This is a great place to stop and stretch your legs either before or after a trip to Yosemite National Park. Briefly, youll merge onto I-5 North; shortly thereafter, youll merge onto CA-120, which will take you all the way to the Yosemite area. Then, youll go from Emeryville through the scenic San Joaquin Valley for several hours. Typically, these are very well timed and you will have to wait no more than 10 minutes between your bus and your train. The best time to travel to Yosemite is during May and September, when most things in the park are open (not all things: Tioga Pass sometimes isn't clear enough to open until July and closes in November), but summer crowds aren't at their peak. To make getting there half the fun, you can stop at tourist attractions along the way. Plus, youll have about 3-4 hours in Yosemite Valley to explore at your own pace, enjoying a picnic and seeing the valley floor sights such as the Yosemite Valley Chapel or the Ansel Adams Gallery. The San Francisco to Yosemite shuttle bus departs once a day, leaving from San Francisco at 5:40 AM. Book The #1 San Francisco Combo Alcatraz Tour, 5 Unique Ways to Enjoy San Francisco at Night. Blue connects Merced to Mariposa, Midpines, and El Portal before reaching the Valley Visitor Center. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.

Here are 4 ways to get to Yosemite from San Francisco that involve a car rental or transportation and tour by a local operator. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); California Crossroads is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. However, organized tours make it possible to visit Yosemite from San Francisco in just one day. Use this link to Google Maps for directions from your exact point of departure in San Francisco. Dubai Discover destinations, find outdoor adventures, follow the journeys of our travel writers around the world, and be inspired. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. However, if you are visiting Yosemite on a day trip with the shuttle bus, you wont be able to see it all. dont forget to check out our popular San Francisco tours while you are in town! Getting from San Francisco to Yosemite by train requires the willingness to go on a public transportation adventure involving multiple legs of travel: a BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) train ride, then an Amtrak train trip, and finally a bus ride. If you take Hwy 120, consider stopping at Oakdale, which is a bit more than halfway between the city and the park. Half Dome and El Capitan are the two world-recognized granite walls that make up that iconic Yosemite scene. The Yosemite National Park and Giant Sequoias Day Trip allows you to get the most out of your limited time in the Sierra Nevada mountains. The tour includes hotel pick up at hotels in Downtown San Francisco and the Fishermans Wharf area. Sometimes, you can snag a cheap return flight to Merced from Oakland International Airport, but the drive from Merced to Yosemite Valley is two hours long (on top of the 45-minute flight). As an Airbnb Associate, I earn when you book through my links. Explore the best of San Francisco with one of our top-rated tours. One of the most eco-friendly ways to get from San Francisco to Yosemite National Park is via public transportation. While having your own transport is handy when zipping around to the different viewpoints in Yosemite (some hours away from each other), sticking exclusively to public transportation is also an option with the park's free shuttle. It returns daily from Yosemite Valley to San Francisco at 3 PM. The Ultimate Southern California Road Trip: Coastal Cities, National Parks + Beyond. This tour includes round-trip transportation to the park with pick-up/drop-off service from most hotels in Downtown San Francisco and Fisherman's Wharf. New Orleans Highway 140as opposed to the most direct route, 120is by far the most scenic drive into the park and the best way to go if youre visiting for the first time. We've updated our Privacy Policy, which will go in to effect on September 1, 2022. In that case, taking a rental car or driving in your own car if youre local can be more economical than taking guided tour. Lisbon London Here the Stanislaus River Parks in the Knights Ferry Recreation Area beckon outdoor lovers, hikers, kayaking enthusiasts, and white water rafting thrill seekers. In the summer, gasoline is available at Tuolumne Meadows on Tioga Road, too. The drive is too long for any ride share or taxi service, so we would recommend nixing Uber or Lyft right off the bat. Philadelphia

Then once youre ready to head back to the city, you can catch the Grayline bus from Yosemite to San Francisco. And it definitely leaves no time for seeing the giant sequoias, which are located outside of Yosemite Valley in Tuolumne Grove, Mariposa Grove, and Merced Grove. Planning Your Visit to Yosemite: To ensure a fabulous visit to Yosemite National Park, read up about Yosemite's top attractions such as Yosemite Falls, Half Dome, and El Capitan. It's also possible to get to Yosemite by taking Highway 140 east via Merced (instead of Highway 120) after starting out on Highway I-580 east to I-205 east. Many hiking trails, roads, viewpoints, and campgrounds are closed for the season and there aren't many people around. If you are leaving for Yosemite from the Bay Area, and you have a short amount of time and a packed itinerary, leave early. Once you cross into Oakland, take I-580 E for about 70 miles. How to Get from San Francisco to Yosemite. This way you can spread your trip from San Francisco to Yosemite National Park over 2 or 3 days. Youll have about six hours to independently explore the Yosemite Valley, which will give you time to snap photos of El Capitan, Half Dome, Yosemite Falls (seasonal), etc. Shes obsessed with bouldering, houseplants, other peoples pets, and anywhere she can see the ocean. In terms of public transportation to Yosemite from San Francisco, its definitely possible but takes a long time and requires a whole lot of patience. After your Yosemite bus tour, youll break for lunch and have free time to hike on your own. When deciding how to get from San Francisco to Yosemite, choose the option that suits your travel style, budget, and vacation itinerary. Your best bet is to fill your tank at gas stations outside of the city and before you get too close to the park. This guided tour stops at Gold Rush towns on the way to Yosemite and then covers the highlights of Yosemite National Park, including a hike through Tuolumne Grove and a photo-op at Tunnel View with Half Dome in the background. This departs from downtown San Francisco to the Emeryville train station. The Knights Ferry Recreation Area is only a slight detour from the Highway 120 route to Yosemite, on a scenic portion of the drive in the Sierra Nevada foothills. He has traveled to over 30 countries, and has never found a place he loves as much as this one! Her work has appeared in Travel + Leisure, USA Today, Michelin Guides, Hemispheres, DuJour, and Forbes. At Merced Regional Airport, you can take the YARTS bus all the way into Yosemite Valley. Prague If you don't already have a BART ticket or Clipper card, use one of the station's vending machines to purchase a ticket (the fare is about $11 round-trip from San Francisco to Richmond). The Best Time to Visit Yosemite National Park, The 7 Best Things to Do in Yosemite National Park in the Spring, Yosemite Lodging: Everything You Need to Know, Yosemite National Park: The Complete Guide, How to Plan Your Unforgettable Trip to Yosemite National Park, How to Get From San Francisco to New York, California Scenic Drives: 7 Routes That Will Make You Swoon, How to Plan a Yosemite National Park Weekend Getaway, How to Get from San Jose to San Francisco, Guide to Yosemite Hotels Along Highway 140, How to Travel From Seattle to San Francisco, How to Spend One Awesome Day in Yosemite National Park, How to Get From San Francisco to Lake Tahoe. Ticket prices typically range from about $140-$150 for a full-day outing and services are usually limited during the winter. Interstate 80 will lead you into Oakland, where you can merge onto 580 East for 45 miles (72 kilometers), then State Route 120. Travelers can choose from stopping at the Yosemite Valley Lodge or the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center. Copyright 2022 PlanetWare Inc. All rights reserved. The entire journey takes six and a half hours, not including bus wait times. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. If youre trying to save some money on hotels, consider staying in one of those towns and using YARTS to travel to Yosemite National Park. Continuing uphill through Midpines, the road parallels the Merced River for about 30 miles (48 kilometers). Start planning your trip to Yosemite with our list of transportation options. Weather-permitting, you will be able to take a one-mile Giant Sequoia Walk. Dylan changed the way tourists see San Francisco by weaving them through the sites and culture through the lens of a local. Their minibuses are comfortable and the small groups create an intimate experience that bigger bus tours just cant recreate. Altogether, the trip requires three transfers, takes about seven hours (not including waiting times for buses), and costs between $13 and $23. See their full selection of tours. Even in a single day, this will give you enough time in Yosemite to get a taste of it barely. That way, youll arrive at the northern gate (Big Oak Flat Entrance) at 7 AM or 8 AM, and you will have missed any traffic. She has spent time living in New York, Prague, and Sofia, but has returned to live in the East Bay. First, you can take the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) train from Civic Center/UN PlazaStation to Dublin/Pleasanton Station, a 50-minute ride that costs about $7.10. Yosemite in a Day Tour From San Francisco, 3 Day Yosemite Camping Adventure From San Francisco, Yosemite and Glacier Point Tour from San Francisco by Train, Yosemite and Giant Sequoias 1-Day Tour from San Francisco, Hike to Giant Sequoias (conditions permitting), Stunning views of Half-Dome, El Capitan and Yosemite Falls, Free time to explore the valley floor and meadows.

There are several small group tours that go from San Francisco to Yosemite. The nearest gas pumps to Yosemite Valley are open year-round inside the park at Wawona (45 minutes south of the valley on Wawona Road) and Crane Flat (30 minutes northwest on Big Oak Flat Road). Taking a rented vehicle means you can break up the drive however you like! Learning about Yosemite's incredible landscape before you go only adds to the sense of amazement when seeing the iconic sites in person. As far as waterfalls, the park is home to dozens, including one of the world's tallest: Yosemite Falls. Once you arrive at the park, your local driver-guide will shuttle you through Yosemites popular sites for photos before stopping for lunch. However, if you have a large group, a guided tour may be expensive for your entire party. Yosemite's nearest commercial airports are in Fresno (Fresno Yosemite International Airport) and Merced (Merced Regional Airportthe closest to the park), but both are small. Book your Yosemite day trip from San Francisco here! Dylan continues to train every local guide with his passionate, knowledgeable and gracious touch. We also recommend this service instead of taking public transportation on your own, if you don't want to deal with a complicated, time-consuming journey from San Francisco to Yosemite.

lodging groveland stay exoviajes Betsy has been writing about California for nearly more than two decades as TripSavvy's expert on the state. If thats the case, I suggest you refer to my Northern California road trip itinerary as well as this post with several suggested California road trip itineraries. Several tour companies offer day trips from San Francisco to Yosemite National Park. The quickest driving route between San Francisco and Yosemite takes about four hours. Once you arrive in Yosemite, youll have an endless amount of unique Yosemite tours to choose from. Yosemite is about 170 miles away from San Francisco and about a 4-hour drive. YARTSis a regional transit system that connects a few major destinations in Central California and the Eastern Sierras to Yosemite. More frequent flight schedules are available for airports in Sacramento and Reno, Nevada, but during the winterwhen Tioga Pass is blocked with snow for monthsthe park entrance that's nearest to Reno is closed.

On this tour, youll get the chance to see El Capitan, Half Dome, Bridalveil Falls, and Sentinel Dome, Inspiration Point, and so many more wonderful sites. Britt is a San Francisco Bay Area native, and has spent 25 years in this magical city. Youll disembark in Fresno, where you will be shuttled to sleeping accommodations. You'll get impressive views ofLake Don Pedro,the Stanislaus National Forest, and the Tuolumne River Canyon, too. Purchase an Amtrak train ticket to Merced, unless you have already purchased a ticket online. Best Bay Area Tours is our top pick for anyone looking to do a one-day bus tour from San Francisco to Yosemite National Park. What Is the Cheapest Way to Get From San Francisco to Yosemite National Park? This is one of the most well-known bus tour companies in the world and they offer an excellent day trip to Yosemite National Park. Plus, this tour offers the convenience of hotel pickup in addition to interesting commentary shared by a knowledgable guide along the way. Amsterdam The train is very peaceful, with beautiful scenery and WiFi along the way to enjoy. Another good place to break up the journey is just over a two-hour drive east of San Francisco in Knights Ferry. Thrill-seekers will be happy to know there are also Yosemite zipline tours, just south of the park! Privacy Policy Return Policy Sitemap, 782 Columbus Avenue, There are a handful of different ways to get to Yosemite National Park from San Francisco, but some require more effort than others. The length of your trip to Yosemite is an important factor in figuring outhowto get from San Francisco to Yosemite. Driving from San Francisco to Yosemite also has the benefit of you having your own personal car for transit within the park, which allows you to visit all the far-flung areas of the park and get out of the clusterf*** that can be the Yosemite Valleyfloor. It eventually becomes I-205 E around Tracy, until you reach Manteca. The Greyhound bus journey takes over nine hours and includes several stops plus a transfer in Merced. These Yosemite tours begin in the heart of San Francisco, near Union Square and Fishermans Wharf. First, youll take the Amtrak Thruway bus. For the most enjoyable experience of Yosemite, we suggest getting there in one of two ways: 1) renting a car or 2) catching a Yosemite bus tour from San Francisco. It's always a good idea to check the CalTrans website (or national park alerts) for current road conditions, seeing as many roads in the area are closed during winter. With several rental car services, youll also have the option to reserve a car rental that you can drop off near Yosemite. This road will take you directly to Yosemite, and there are a lot of historic sites along the way. It's also easy to travel from San Francisco to Yosemite by car, and it's feasible to get there by train or bus. Sometimes, the best option is the easiest one. Yosemite is at least a four-hour drive from San Francisco (and can take longer with traffic), so it is not usually recommended as a day trip. Photographers angling for the perfect shots of Half Dome. cliff 1900 1980 victorian francisco note san card historical unique Yosemite National Park can inspire you to find your new, favorite hangout spot..photo @brianwun #bestbayareatours #yosemitevalley #glacierpoint #halfdome #natgeotravelpic #wildernesssociety #hike #exploretheworld #yosemiteconservancy #peoplewhodofunstuff #menofoutdoors #yosemitenation #naturelovers #ourwild #gopro_epic #goprophotography #goprohero4 #seetheearth #wander #vertigoclub #goprorealm #goprouniverse, A post shared by Best Bay Area Tours (@bestbayareatours) on May 8, 2017 at 10:07pm PDT. Camping equipment and fees for tents are included,except for sleeping bags. Maybe you want to visit other Northern California destinations like Sacramento and Lake Tahoe, or maybe you want to see other Sierra Nevada national parks (Sequoia NP, Kings Canyon NP) along the way perhaps you even want to make your way down to Southern California and Los Angeles and see some of the SoCal national parks as well! Once inside Yosemite, you can use this free shuttle service to get around the park. During lunch, youll have free time to explore on your own before driving back from Yosemite to San Francisco. Book your Yosemite shuttle bus from San Francisco here! June through August, you can expect major crowds on the trails and in the campsites, not to mention traffic coming into the park. Nashville Climbers scaling the impossibly vertical El Capitan. However, I only recommend this if you have 3 or more days in Yosemite as the travel time required for this type of trip is definitely longer than other ways of reaching Yosemite National Park from SF. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. See below where we explain YARTS. The next morning youll join a small shuttle bus to explore parts of Yosemite normally closed off to bigger tour buses. This tour includes a visit to several notable sites such as Half Dome, Yosemite Falls, and Bridal Veil Falls. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Consider the time of year you will be visiting Yosemite because some roads in the park are seasonal. Rome Note that some roads may be closed during certain times of the year, so before you depart for Yosemite, check the National Park Services Current Conditions page. Read more about this shuttle service in our post onthings to do in Yosemite National Park. If you take the scenic route, Merced or Mariposa are good places to stop for gas. You can even take a quick digital photography class in Yosemite Valley. If you are only visiting Yosemite on a day trip, I really recommend going with a guided tour. We recommend five of the best ways to get from San Francisco to Yosemite, along with the considerations you should keep in mind with each option. Besides private bus tour companiessuch as Gray Line and Viatorthat offer day trips to the park from San Francisco, there's no single bus that runs the route directly. Next, take the Amtrak train from Richmond to Merced. I want them all PLUS general travel tips. At the end of the second day, youll be dropped off to meet your train back to San Francisco. The entire journey is about six hours but is stress-free because the service coordinates everything for you and even includes the Yosemite National Park entrance fee. However, if you werent planning on traveling with a sleeping bag, one can be rented for $20. However, in doing that, you skip the opportunity to see the giant sequoias, so keep that trade-off in mind. Exit the BART train at the Richmond station and walk over to the adjoining Amtrak train station (a few steps away). One thing to consider when planning your Yosemite trip is whether or not you want to do a Yosemite day trip, a weekend in Yosemite, or plan a longer trip where you will do several hikes in different parts of the park (such as Yosemite Valley and Tuolumne Meadows). Taking public transit to Yosemite will require several steps. Tickets: $189.99/Adults | $164.99/Children.

Depending on how you choose to get there, travel time will take an average of 3 - 4 hours. That way you dont have to worry about rushing back from Yosemite National Park to San Francisco on the same day. Depending on how long you are planning to stay in Yosemite National Park, you may want to get a really early start if you drive your own car into Yosemite. There are infinite itineraries you could choose for this many of which Ive already written about rather in-depth. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Yosemite National Park is a nature lover's paradise. The Big Oak Flat Entranceone of fiveis open year-round. You may want to consider a stop in Mariposa, an old mining town with a classic old-fashioned main street and several interesting shops to see. However, when you consider the time it takes to actually commute to the airport, check a bag, go through security, and travel by ground on the other side, flying is about as time-consuming as driving the entire distance. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

12 Best Yosemite Valley Hikes for All Levels, Where to Find Giant Sequoias in Yosemite: 3 Serene Sequoia Groves, 30 Useful Things to Know Before Visiting Yosemite in Winter & Best Things to Do. Book your sequoia hike + tour of Yosemite Valley from San Francisco here! Book your semi-independent small group tour of the Yosemite Valley from San Francisco here! However, if you are staying in Yosemite for a few days, a shuttle bus becomes a better and better option, since you have less of a time crunch. Add a few of these together, and you can come up with a pretty epic California road trip that includes San Francisco, Yosemite, and so much more! In fact, you can travel all the way from San Francisco on planes, buses, and trains without ever having to get behind a wheel yourself. Youll enjoy a scenic train ride through Californias Central Valley. Its open most of the time and passes through the towns of Mariposa and Fish Camp. This route is ideal if you are staying at the Tenaya Lodge, which is accessible by taking Highway 140 to the southern entrance of Yosemite National Park. Yellow connects Fresno with Coarsegold, Oakhurst, Fish Camp, Mariposa Grove, and the Visitor Center. Youll get to see Tuolumne Grove, Tunnel View, Half Dome, the Yosemite Valleyfloor (where you can take a break to hop in the Merced River if the weather allows! 17 Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in California, 21 Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Los Angeles, 23 Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in San Francisco, 1. Washington DC. Boston This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. 2. You can also enjoy the scenic drive to Yosemite from the comfort and privacy of a rental car. From start to finish, you should allow at least six hours for the journey, or more depending on the timing of connections. Below we go into detail about two companies, City Sightseeing and Extranomical Tours. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. If you prefer to sleep in while on vacation, something were all guilty of, you can easily book ahotel. Be sure to book your campsite well ahead of your visit. Families with kids will have a great time at Manteca Waterslides (reopening in 2020) located about a 90-minute drive from San Francisco and directly on the Highway 120 route to Yosemite. Once at the park, you will have a few hours on your own to explore. Chicago The Yosemite Valley Shuttle (operating year-round) takes tourists to the park's main attractions and stopping points near all Yosemite National Park hotels, as well as some campsites including Upper Pines Campground and Housekeeping Camp. Cross Roads Tours & Limos helps arrange your San Francisco to Yosemite train and reserves your overnight lodging. San Francisco, CA 94133.

Its also a popular route for people driving to Yosemite from the San Jose area. Going on this organized tour is much easier than renting a car and driving to Yosemite yourself. San Francisco The UNESCO-listed Yosemite National Park is a place of awe-inspiring natural wonders: a majestic glacier-sculpted valley blanketed in flowering meadows and festooned with rushing waterfalls that plunge from granite cliffs. Perhaps you want to visitYosemite National Park from San Francisco as part of a larger California road trip. Extranomical Tours runs several bus tours to Yosemite, including a highly rated one-day tour from San Francisco. Allison Green is a travel blogger, writer, and podcasterwho grew up in the Bay Area of California. The fastest route from San Francisco to Yosemite is via Highway 120. spot airport terminal Her writing and podcast have been featured in Forbes, CBC Canada, National Geographic, the Huffington Post, and CNN Arabic, amongst others. There are four branches of YARTS, two of which are relevant for those arriving on Amtrak. All of the extra windows on the Observation Car will offer incredible views as the Yosemite train chugs along past Glacier Point. Budget provides rental cars from a location in downtown San Francisco. Use this link to Google Maps for specific directions and routes that you can take from your point of departure anywhere in San Francisco. Rise and shine! This shuttle bus only brings you to the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center, but from there, you can take YARTS to Tuolumne Meadows and Mariposa and other places along the outskirts of the park. Add on Alcatraz at checkout. You will have a few hours of free time inside the park for you to explore. For once, it gives you very little time for hiking. If you like, you can purchase food and beverages inside the park. After exiting Merced station, take the Yosemite Area Regional Transit System (YARTS) Bus to Yosemite National Park. Sign up to receive our monthly newsletter filled with San Francisco travel tips and occasional discounts on tours and rentals. (If you do not choose a "Richmond line" BART train from San Francisco, then you must transfer to a "Richmond line" train at the 19th Street/Oakland station). One thing to keep in mind: Because the drive takes a minimum of four hours each way, you should plan to spend at least two or three nights for a leisurely experience and to fully appreciate the place. Yosemite also has a shuttle bus system for tourists to get around the park, free of charge. It includes stops at Tuolumne Grove to see the giant sequoias with your own eyes, El Capitan, Half Dome, Bridalveil Fall, Tunnel View, and some time in Yosemite Valley, including a lunch break. This is usually the route that most GPS services will suggest. Duration: 15 hours (including travel time), Tickets: $189/Adults | $175/Children *Discounts in winter months, Keep driving on I-580 and merge onto I-205, Continue on I-205 and merge onto I-5 for a short while, Drive past Manteca on Hwy 120 and merge onto Hwy 99, After driving past Merced, merge onto Hwy 140, Take Hwy 140 all the way to Yosemite National Park, Take Hwy 120 all the way to Yosemite National Park. The BART train ride from San Francisco to Richmond takes about 35 minutes. Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System offers public transport to and from locations such as Groveland, Mariposa, and Merced. New York City On the way to Yosemite, it also makes a stop at the Dublin BART station, in case that is more convenient for you. P.S.

Whats the Most Scenic Route to Yosemite National Park? YOSEMITE VALLEY|Thissmall group tour focuses on Yosemite Valleywith ample free time to explore Yosemite Valley at your own pace. Every year, the 1,200-square-mile park attracts millions of visitors who come here to go camping, hiking, climbing, or just to admire the scenery.