Private Yellowstone tour: Hidden gems with family hikes and lunch

Walk to hidden waterfalls and secluded hot springs while the crowds stay at Old Faithful.

A private tour of Yellowstone National Park that skips the main attractions and instead reaches hidden waterfalls, secluded lakes, geysers, mud pots and hot springs across seven to nine hours. The guide positions your group safely for wildlife viewing. Lunch is a picnic-style meal from a local bakery at a scenic spot inside the park. Live guides speak English, French or German, and hotel pickup is included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore hidden Yellowstone gems

• Visit hidden waterfalls
• Walk to secluded lakes
• See scenic vistas
• Explore hidden geysers and mud pots
• View hot springs
• Safely observe wildlife
• Enjoy picnic lunch at scenic spot

The experience

How do you see Yellowstone without spending the day in line at Old Faithful? This tour takes your group to areas inside the park that are off the beaten path: hidden geysers, scenic vistas, mud pots and the waterfalls and lakes most visitors never find. Because you're avoiding the popular destinations, you get more time to explore and walk without running into crowds. The route changes based on conditions and what's moving that day, so the guide can chase wildlife sightings and take you to the spots where animals actually are.

You'll make several walks to different sites, each one chosen for what you can see there and how safely you can see it. The guide carries spotting scopes and binoculars so you can watch from a distance without disturbing the animals. Lunch happens at a secluded location inside the park: a picnic-style meal with fresh-baked bread from a local bakery, garden salad with hucklebrry vinaigrette, organic apples, chips, cookies and your choice of drinks. The vehicle is air-conditioned, and the guide brings bottled water for the whole group.

The tour runs seven to nine hours depending on what you find and where the wildlife takes you. Hotel pickup is included, and the guide speaks English, French or German. If you want to add one or two of the famous sites to the itinerary (to round out the day or see something specific), the guide can build a hybrid route that mixes hidden gems with the landmarks you came for.

What’s included

• Private transportation with hotel pickup.
• air-conditioned vehicle.
• spotting scopes and binoculars for wildlife viewing.
• picnic-style lunch from a local bakery with fresh-baked bread, garden salad, organic apples, chips and cookies.
• bottled water and your choice of sparkling water, soft drinks, LaCroix or juice.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 6 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendly

Operated by Yellowstone Adventure Tours

Is this one for you?The guide speaks English, French or German, so choose the language that fits your group. This tour works for families with small children (infants and toddlers can ride in a stroller), and for anyone at any fitness level who wants to walk at their own pace to hidden sites instead of standing in crowds at the famous ones.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English, French and German.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24h before the start.

What kind of wildlife will we see on this Yellowstone tour?

The tour positions your group to safely view whatever animals are active that day: elk, bison, bears and birds are common. The guide uses spotting scopes and binoculars so you can watch from a distance without disturbing them. Because the route avoids crowded spots, you often have better sightings than you would at the main attractions.

How much walking is involved in this private Yellowstone tour?

You'll make several walks to different hidden sites: waterfalls, lakes, geysers and hot springs. The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels, and infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller, so you can choose how much ground you cover on foot.

What's included in the picnic lunch?

Lunch is a picnic-style meal at a secluded spot inside the park, with fresh-baked bread from a local bakery, garden salad with huckleberry vinaigrette, organic apples, chips, fresh-baked cookies and drinks. You can request a garden salad without the vinaigrette, and sparkling water, Coca-Cola, Sprite, diet drinks, LaCroix and juice for kids are all available.

Do we need to arrange our own transportation to the park?

Hotel pickup is included, so the guide picks up your group and handles all the driving inside Yellowstone. The vehicle is air-conditioned and carries spotting scopes, binoculars and bottled water for the whole group.

Can we add Old Faithful or other famous sites to this tour?

Yes. The tour focuses on hidden gems by default, but the guide can easily build a hybrid itinerary that mixes off-the-beaten-path sites with one or a few popular attractions if you want to see both.