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Yellowstone Upper & Lower Loop: 2-Day Jackson Tour

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/13

Duration2d

GroupUp to 9

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Two Days, Both Loops, One Overnight: Yellowstone from Jackson

You spend two full days seeing both the Upper and Lower Loops of Yellowstone without arranging your own transport, park entry, or timing. Day one takes you from Jackson through Grand Teton to Old Faithful, the Grand Prismatic Spring, and Mammoth Hot Springs, with an overnight in Gardiner or at Chico Hot Springs. Day two covers Lamar Valley, the Petrified Tree, Tower Falls, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, and Hayden Valley before returning you to Jackson. Your guide provides binoculars and spotting scope, handles all the stops, and you return by late afternoon.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Explore Yellowstone Upper Loop

Travel through Grand Teton National Park
Stop for photos along the way
Enter Yellowstone South Entrance
Stop at Old Faithful Geyser
Explore Midway Geyser Basin
Visit Lower Geyser Basin
Explore Firehole Canyon
View waterfall on Gibbon River
Enjoy wildlife and scenery
Optional stop at Norris Geyser Basin
Descend Yellowstone Plateau
Explore Mammoth Hot Springs terraces
Descend Gardiner River Canyon

Day 2 — Explore Yellowstone Lower Loop

Explore Mammoth Hot Springs (if missed)
Stop at a beautiful waterfall
Travel through Blacktail area
Stop at Yellowstone Petrified Tree
View wildlife in Lamar Valley
Explore Tower Falls area
Travel over Dunraven Pass
View Lower Falls and Grand Canyon
Stop at Brink of Upper Falls
Travel through Hayden Valley
Optional stop at Mud Volcano area
Travel past Yellowstone Lake
Head south to Jackson, WY

The Experience

So you're thinking about Yellowstone but don't want to rush it—that's the whole point of this two-day format. You leave Jackson heading north through Grand Teton, cross into Yellowstone at the south entrance, and by afternoon you're standing in front of Old Faithful watching it erupt. Then comes the Lower Loop: Midway Geyser Basin with the Grand Prismatic Spring (that impossible blue-green color is real, by the way), Fountain Paint Pot, Firehole Canyon with its waterfall, and if timing works out, Norris Geyser Basin. The pace is deliberate enough that you're not just checking boxes—you actually get to walk the boardwalks, spot wildlife in Hayden Valley, and breathe.

Day two starts from your overnight in Gardiner, Montana or at Chico Hot Springs Resort, and you head back through the Upper Loop. Lamar Valley is where the wildlife happens: bison, wolves, grizzly bears if you're lucky. Your guide carries binoculars and a spotting scope, so you're not squinting at distant shapes. You'll stop at the Petrified Tree, Tower Falls, and then the real showstopper—the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River. The Lower Falls and Upper Falls viewpoints are short walks from the road, and the canyon itself is carved deep enough that you understand why people drove out here in the first place. Then it's south through Hayden Valley again, past Yellowstone Lake, and back to Jackson by late afternoon.

The two-day structure means you're not doing this in a blur. Your guide handles the route, the timing, the knowledge of where animals tend to be and why the geysers do what they do. Hotel pickup and drop-off in Jackson saves you the logistics of getting to the trailhead. You get water and granola bars during the day, which sounds small until you're six hours in and grateful for it. The only real constraint is that this isn't a leisurely stroll—there are short hikes and boardwalks throughout, and you're covering a lot of ground, so comfortable shoes and layers matter.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel pickup and drop-off from Jackson, professional guide for both days, entrance fees to Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks, water and granola bars throughout the tour, binoculars and spotting scope for wildlife viewing, and an overnight stay in either Gardiner, Montana or Chico Hot Springs Resort. All stops at Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic Spring, Mammoth Hot Springs, Lamar Valley, Tower Falls, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, and Hayden Valley are included, along with short walks and boardwalk access at each location.

Good to know

Easy physical levelNot for heart conditions

Operated by Teton Scenic Floats and Fly Fishing

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to see both loops of Yellowstone without arranging your own transport and timing—the two-day format is what makes it possible to actually stop and look instead of just driving through.