Yellowstone Private Tour: Customize Your Day, Skip the Driving

Design your own route through Yellowstone's geysers and canyons, with a guide who takes you where you want to go.

A fully customized private tour of Yellowstone National Park with your own National Park Service-approved guide and air-conditioned vehicle, departing from your choice of West Yellowstone, Big Sky, Cody or inside the park. You decide which attractions matter most (Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic Spring, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Hayden Valley wildlife, Norris Geyser Basin), and the guide builds the day around them. Pickup is included. Bottled water and a 12-hour itinerary are standard.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Yellowstone National Parkpass by
2. Hayden Valley30m · entry included
3. Norris Geyser Basin45m · entry included
4. Grand Prismatic Spring45m · entry included
5. Old Faithful Geyser1h 30m · entry included
6. Old Trail Town10m

Explore Yellowstone National Park

• See Yellowstone Lake waters
• Walk on Fishing Bridge
• Visit Mud Volcano and Dragon's Mouth Springs
• Wildlife viewing in Hayden Valley
• View Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
• Break at Canyon Visitor Center
• See Gibbon River cascade
• Explore Norris Geyser Basin
• Visit Firehole Falls
• Walk to Grand Prismatic Spring
• Watch Old Faithful eruption
• Stop at West Thumb Geyser Basin
• Experience Cody, WY attractions

The experience

The reason most people book a private tour here is simple: Yellowstone is vast, you're only coming once, and you don't want to spend the day driving yourself. A National Park Service-approved guide handles the route and the vehicle (an air-conditioned van that fits your group), while you watch for bison herds in Hayden Valley, walk out to Fishing Bridge to see native Cutthroat Trout spawning, and stand in front of whatever draws you most. Old Faithful erupts on a schedule; Grand Prismatic Spring sits in the hottest, most acidic part of the park; the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone runs 20 miles long and up to 1,000 feet deep. You pick which ones anchor your day, and the guide fills in the rest with stops like Mud Volcano, Dragon's Mouth Springs, Norris Geyser Basin, and West Thumb Geyser Basin: the only geyser area right on the shore of Yellowstone Lake.

The tour runs 12 hours, which gives you time to move through the park without rushing and to linger where something catches your eye. Two built-in breaks (one at the Canyon Visitor Center and another at Old Faithful) let you eat, shop and rest. The guide gives you tips for each stop, tells you where to stand for the best light, and points out wildlife: herds of elk and bison are common. Grizzly bears, gray wolves and moose show up less often but happen. Yellowstone Lake sits at the highest elevation of any large alpine lake in the world and draws bald eagles and grizzlies to its shores. The Gibbon River flows slow and steady. Firehole Falls and Firehole Canyon sit in natural surroundings you can photograph or, if the water is right, wade into.

Your starting point matters for the day's shape. Pickup from West Yellowstone, Big Sky, Cody or inside the park changes which direction you head first and which attractions fit most naturally into the route. Choose the option that matches where you're staying, and the guide will build the itinerary from there.

What’s included

• Private transportation in an air-conditioned vehicle.
• bottled water.
• a National Park Service-approved guide who customizes the route to your group's interests.
• stops at major attractions including Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic Spring, Norris Geyser Basin, Hayden Valley, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, and West Thumb Geyser Basin.
• two rest and meal breaks at visitor centers.
• pickup from West Yellowstone, Big Sky, Cody, or inside the park (your choice at checkout).

Options for this experience

2 options

Guide in EnglishAvailable from 2 May 2027

Guide in EnglishAvailable from 7 May 2027

Options with the same name differ in details you'll see when you pick a date.

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesNext departure: 2 May 2027

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 45 pickup points.

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 today

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by CoveredGround Tours

Is this one for you?Choose your starting point based on where you're staying (West Yellowstone, Big Sky, Cody, or inside the park), and the guide will shape the 12-hour route to begin there. A private vehicle and guide mean you move at your own pace and stop where your group wants to linger, rather than following a fixed itinerary that works for strangers.

Traveler reviews

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Top questions

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's the best time of year to see wildlife in Hayden Valley?

Hayden Valley is your best early-day chance to spot herds of bison and elk. Grizzly bears, gray wolves and the occasional moose also roam there. Spring and early summer bring animals down to lower elevations as snow melts, and the valley's open grassland makes them easier to see than in forested areas.

Can we stop at Old Faithful and wait for it to erupt?

Old Faithful is the world's largest predictable geyser and a major stop on the tour. You'll have time to walk around, get food and gifts, and position yourself to watch an eruption. The guide will give you the best tips for timing and placement.

Is Grand Prismatic Spring always included?

Grand Prismatic Spring is the most trafficked spot in Yellowstone, and the guide will work to get you there and walk you up to it. If it's a must-see for your group, the guide makes it happen as part of the customized route.

How many people can fit in the vehicle?

The private vehicle is air-conditioned and sized for your group. Infants can ride in a pram or stroller, and service animals are allowed. Infants must sit on an adult's lap.

What if we want to do a picnic lunch instead of stopping at a visitor center?

The guide can stop at the Gibbon River for a picnic if you'd like, or you can eat at one of the two built-in breaks at the Canyon Visitor Center and Old Faithful. The route is flexible based on what your group prefers.

Do we need to arrange anything before the tour, or is everything set up?

Pickup is included from your chosen starting point. Bring or pack what you need for a 12-hour day outdoors. The guide provides bottled water, and you'll have time at visitor centers to buy food and supplies.