Have you done the guided tour of Yosemite National Park?

Question

My husband and I are visiting Yosemite and we are wondering if it is advisable to take the guided tour or just explore the park on our own via their free shuttle service. Has anyone done this tour? Please let us know you views to make our trip more memorable. Serious reply highly appreciated. Thanks!

Answer 1

I've been going to Yosemite for 35 years now and my grandparents (both sides) and parents have been going since the 1920s. So you'd think I know a lot about the place and I do.

But when I took MA friends to the park one time, we all took the guided tour bus (open-sided green buses with roofs, a tour guide using a speaker system).

I enjoyed it, I learned a few things. A very good introduction if you haven't been been a lot. A nice way to started, get your bearings, and think about what hikes and sights you'd like to return to on your own.

Then, take the free (unguided) shuttle buses to get around. Better yet, rent a bike at Yosemite Lodge or pack a lunch and water and take a hike around the valley to the sights you want to see.

All the hikes on the valley floor are mellow, very flat. And you can get to the park road within 1/2 mile and catch a shuttle bus back to your car or lodging.

Bring a pair of small binoculars. Not for the wildlife, which you can walk right up to, but for watching the big-wall rock climbers.

My pet peeve: There are so many spectacular views, some people experience Yosemite through the viewfinder of their camera/video. Kodak has made a lot of money on this place. Let me assure you that better photographers than you or I have already done this (Ansel Adams comes to mind) and the postcards are cheap. LOOK with your eyes. Smell the ponderosa, fir and cedar. Listen to the wind and water. Delight in the "ooohs" and "ahhhhs" of the other tourists.

Have fun. Also, consider some of the many spectacular hikes up to the top of Yosemite Falls or Half Dome or Glacier Point if you are pretty good shape.