Yellowstone Lower Loop tour: Private guide, Old Faithful

Watch Old Faithful erupt, then track bison and elk through Hayden Valley on the Lower Loop.

A private full-day tour of Yellowstone's Lower Loop departing from Jackson Hole, with an experienced guide who tailors the route to your interests and shows you Old Faithful, Upper Falls, Hayden Valley and Fountain Paint Pot. Pickup from Jackson is included. Park entry fees, binoculars, breakfast and lunch are provided. Children from age 2 are welcome, and the tour runs 11 to 13 hours depending on wildlife sightings and conditions.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Old Faithful Geyser45m
2. Hayden Valley45m
3. Yellowstone Upper Falls15m
4. Fountain Paint Pot30m
5. Oxbow Bend15m

Full day tour of Yellowstone Lower Loop

• Enter Yellowstone National Park
• Visit Old Faithful Geyser
• Explore Hayden Valley wildlife habitat
• View Upper Yellowstone Falls
• See Fountain Paint Pot geothermal features
• Stop at Oxbow Bend for scenic views
• Overlook Lower Yellowstone Falls and canyon

The experience

The guide picks you up in Jackson and drives you into Yellowstone's most visited section, where the Lower Loop concentrates the park's signature geysers, waterfalls and wildlife habitat into a single route. Old Faithful erupts on a predictable schedule (you'll watch it shoot water and steam into the air with full force), then move through the Lower Geyser Basin to Fountain Paint Pot, where all four types of active geothermal features (geysers, mud pots, hot springs and steam vents) sit in one volcanic landscape. The guide carries binoculars and knows where to find animals. Hayden Valley between Yellowstone Lake and Upper Falls is prime habitat for bison, elk, grizzly bears, bald eagles and wolves, and the guide will stop to watch and explain what you're seeing.

Yellowstone Upper Falls drops 109 feet over the canyon rim, and the guide positions you on the south rim overlook where you see both the falls and the rhyolite canyon walls. Before May 14, the South Entrance is closed, so the route runs through West Yellowstone instead of Grand Teton. After mid-May, the tour can include Oxbow Bend, a bend in the Snake River where Mt. Moran reflects in still water and white pelicans, trumpeter swans and occasionally grizzly bears appear. Breakfast and lunch are included. Choose from sandwiches (turkey and provolone, ham and Swiss, roast beef and cheddar, or veggie) or breakfast items like sausage egg and cheese burritos, bacon egg and cheese burritos, egg and cheese muffins, or yogurt and fruit.

The guide speaks English or Spanish and shapes the day around what interests you most, so the pace and stops shift based on wildlife activity and your questions. The full tour runs between 11 and 13 hours, and the guide handles all driving and navigation from Jackson.

What’s included

• Private transportation from Jackson.
• Yellowstone park entry fees.
• use of binoculars.
• breakfast (choice of burrito, muffin or yogurt and fruit).
• lunch (choice of sandwich).
• expertise of a live guide in English or Spanish.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 06:30

Book up to12h before

AgesAdult (18 to 64 years) · Senior (65 and older) · Youth (13 to 17 years) · Child (2 to 12 years)

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.You can choose from 40 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendly

Operated by Yellowstone Day Tours

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want a guide who knows where to find wildlife and can adjust the route to what interests you most. The private format means the pace and stops shift based on animal activity and your questions, rather than following a fixed itinerary for a group.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (13 to 17 years); Child (2 to 12 years).

What is Old Faithful and when does it erupt?

Old Faithful is the world's most iconic geyser and the centerpiece of the Lower Loop tour. It erupts on a predictable schedule throughout the day, shooting water and steam high into the air with explosive force, and your guide times the route to catch an eruption.

Will I see wildlife on this tour?

Hayden Valley is prime habitat for bison, elk, grizzly bears, bald eagles and wolves. The guide knows where animals congregate and stops to watch and explain behavior. Sightings depend on the season and time of day, but the valley is one of the park's most reliable spots for seeing multiple species.

What happens if the South Entrance is closed?

Before May 14, the South Entrance to Yellowstone is closed, so the tour enters through the West Gate near West Yellowstone instead and does not pass through Grand Teton. After mid-May, when the South Entrance reopens, the route can include Oxbow Bend on the way.

Is lunch included, and can I choose what I eat?

Breakfast and lunch are both included. You choose from several sandwich options (turkey and provolone, ham and Swiss, roast beef and cheddar, or veggie on wheat or gluten-free bread) or breakfast items like burritos, muffins, yogurt and fruit.

How long does the full tour take?

The tour runs 11 to 13 hours depending on wildlife sightings, how long you spend at each stop, and conditions on the day. The guide drives from Jackson, so the total time includes pickup and the drive to and from the park.