Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks are both amazing destinations for outdoor lovers. If you love wildlife, vast landscapes, and incredible natural wonders, then you cannot go wrong with this combo of two of the most popular National Parks in the U.S.
But how to best plan your time and see the best of Yellowstone and Grand Teton in one trip?
In this article, we share the suggested Grand Teton and Yellowstone itinerary for any trip from 2 to 5 days. If you have time for a longer visit, it’s easy to expand on these itineraries as well. Take a look!
Good to know: One day is really too short to see both parks. That’s why our ‘combo’ itineraries foresee at least 2 days for Grand Teton and Yellowstone. So if you only have a day in the area, you’ll have to choose just one park. If you wonder which is better – Grand Teton or Yellowstone, our personal recommendation is to visit Yellowstone. It’s more diverse and the sights are truly unique.
Where to start your trip: For the sake of simplicity and because this is the most popular option, we assume that you start and end your trip to Grand Teton and Yellowstone from the Jackson Hole area. So book a stay in Jackson, WY or Teton Village hotels for the first and the last nights of your trip. But you can easily adapt these itineraries depending on where you are arriving from.
TIP: Using the map below, you can also compare hotels and vacation rentals in the area and find the best deals for your travel dates. The map now shows Jackson accommodations and you can also zoom it out to see other places nearby. Check it out!
These accommodations are for the beginning/end of your trip. In the itinerary below, you’ll find our specific suggestions for where to stay every day during the road trip itself.
Important! This Yellowstone and Grand Teton itinerary is for summer only, when the roads are open (from around mid-May to mid-October). It’s also essential to check road conditions and closures on the official website, to be sure that the roads you are planning to take are open.
Entrance fee. Yellowstone NP and Grand Teton NP both have an entrance fee. It costs 35 USD for one park, per private vehicle, and is valid for 7 days. So it will cost your family 70 USD to visit both parks. TIP: If you are planning to visit several U.S. National Parks over a period of one year, it’s better to get America the Beautiful Pass. It costs 80 USD for the whole family traveling in the same vehicle and is valid in all National Parks and 2,000 federal recreation sites across the United States for 12 months from the month of purchase.
Without a car: Staying in Jackson Hole also makes it possible to visit Grand Teton and Yellowstone with organized tours. In our itineraries below, you can find the best tour recommendations that cover the same places as we describe in the same amount of time. Alternatively, check our detailed guide to the best Yellowstone tours.
TIP: We recommend packing a picnic lunch for every day of your trip. This will give you more flexibility during the day and you’ll be able to explore more without having to waste your time looking for a place to eat.
Without further ado, here are our suggested itineraries for Yellowstone and Grand Teton:
Grand Teton & Yellowstone: 2 Days Itinerary
If you have a total of 2 days for Yellowstone and Grand Teton, we recommend spending a day in each park.
Here is the 2-day organized tour that you could join – it covers the highlights of both parks. And here is what your self-drive Yellowstone Grand Teton road trip itinerary could look like:
Day 1 – Grand Teton National Park
Start your day very early and drive to the Kelly area. One of the main highlights here is the Mormon Row Historic District with its picturesque historic barns and homesteads. Another place not to be missed is the scenic Antelope Flats Road.
This is a beautiful scenic area with amazing views of the entire Teton Range. It’s also one of the best places to see wildlife in Grand Teton. Coming here in the morning will highly increase your chances to see animals as they are most active at dawn and at dusk. If you can’t make it here first thing in the morning, come in the late afternoon!
A must for any Grand Teton visitor is a scenic boat ride on Jenny Lake. The scenery you get to see from the boat is worth a short trip in itself, but we highly recommend to also do some hiking on the other side of the lake. Boats run very frequently and you can easily take another boat back after your hike. Just try to come here early in the morning or it gets crowded!
The easiest and the most popular hike is that to Hidden Falls. This family-friendly walk is just 1.3 miles round trip from the boat. After that, continue to Inspiration Point. This hike is about 2.2 miles round trip and requires some uphill climbing, but the views from the top are truly worth it. Our 5-year-old kids could do this hike without any problems, so it’s really not as difficult as it might look at first sight.
Afterwards, take the boat back to Jenny Lake Visitor Center and explore more of the Grand Teton National Park. Here are some scenic spots that are worth checking out: Jackson Lake, String Lake, Oxbow Bend, and Schwabacher’s Landing.
Accommodation: There are several lodging options between Grand Teton and Yellowstone. Hotels near Moran have the best location for both parks and would fit this itinerary best. We recommend Jenny Lake Lodge, Jackson Lake Lodge, or Headwaters Lodge – all perfectly located for this itinerary. You could stay here for two nights, so also for exploring Yellowstone on the next day.
However, accommodation here is really limited and often booked-up months in advance. In that case, you may have to return to Jackson Hole where you started your trip, stay in Yellowstone, or drive all the way to West Yellowstone where you can find more accommodation options (it’s also closer to Yellowstone for the next day).
Tour suggestion: You can also visit Grand Teton National Park with this organized tour from Jackson Hole. The itinerary of this day tour is very similar to our recommendations above.
READ ALSO: One Day in Grand Teton National Park
Day 2 – Yellowstone Lower Loop
Yellowstone National Park is huge and one day is not even enough to cover all the main landmarks of Yellowstone. However, if you plan well, you can see the most famous places in one day.
With just one day in Yellowstone, we recommend that you focus on the Lower Loop instead of trying to see it all. Even then, your day will be packed and you will only have the time to quickly check out most places.
Here is what your day in Yellowstone could look like:
- Visit the Old Faithful Area
- See the Grand Prismatic Spring
- Visit the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
- Drive through Hayden Valley (great for wildlife)
- Stop at West Thumb Geyser Basin at the Yellowstone Lake
MORE DETAILS FOR THIS DAY: One Day in Yellowstone & Best Places to See on Yellowstone South Loop
Accommodation: Same as the previous night or back to Jackson Hole.
Tour suggestion: You can also visit Yellowstone for a day with an organized tour from Jackson Hole.
Yellowstone & Grand Teton Itinerary for 3 Days
If you have three days for Yellowstone and Grand Teton, we recommend spending one day in Grand Teton National Park and two days in Yellowstone. Here is what your trip could look like:
Day 1 – Grand Teton
See all the main highlights of Grand Teton National Park following our suggestions from the first day of the 2-day itinerary above.
Day 2 – Yellowstone West
Arriving from the south, we suggest that you concentrate on the west side of the Yellowstone Grand Loop on this day. So drive through the park all the way from south to the north, on the western side.
Here’s what your day could look like:
- Visit Old Faithful Geyser and the Upper Geyser Basin.
- Visit Grand Prismatic Spring and – potentially – hike to the Grand Prismatic Overlook.
- Explore part of the Norris Geyser Basin.
- Visit Mammoth Hot Springs.
Accommodation: Stay in Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel (inside the park) or in Gardiner (just outside the park).
READ ALSO: Best Hotels to Stay Near Yellowstone National Park
Day 3 – Yellowstone North & East
On your second day in Yellowstone, we recommend exploring North Yellowstone and the eastern side of the park. Here’s what your day could look like:
- Short stop at Undine Falls.
- Drive through Lamar Valley (wildlife).
- Short stop at Tower Fall.
- Drive via Dunraven Pass.
- Visit the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.
- Drive through Hayden Valley (wildlife).
- Short stop at Mud Volcano (optional).
- Yellowstone Lake – West Thumb Geyser Basin.
Accommodation: Drive back to Jackson Hole.
MORE DETAILS: Two Days in Yellowstone
Yellowstone and Grand Teton: 4 Days Itinerary
With four days for Grand Teton and Yellowstone, we recommend spending one day in Grand Teton and three in Yellowstone National Park. With 3 days in Yellowstone, you can devote more time to each of the main areas of the park and explore them deeper.
If you find all the planning overwhelming, you can consider this highly-rated 4-day tour that covers both parks. Alternatively, here is our suggested itinerary for a self-drive Yellowstone and Grand Teton road trip in four days:
Day 1 – Grand Teton National Park
See the best places in Grand Teton National Park following our suggestions from day 1 of the 2-day itinerary above.
Day 2 – Yellowstone West Side
- Visit the Old Faithful and explore the entire Upper Geyser Basin.
- Visit Grand Prismatic and hike to the overlook
- Explore both parts of the Norris Geyser Basin
Accommodation: Stay in Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel (inside the park) or in Gardiner (just outside the park). Alternatively, see if you can find accommodation at the Old Faithful Inn or in the town of West Yellowstone, which could both be ok for the next night as well.
Day 3 – Yellowstone North Side
- Visit Mammoth Hot Springs.
- Undine Falls.
- Short easy hike to Wraith Falls.
- Drive to Lamar Valley.
- Tower Fall.
- Dunraven Pass.
Accommodation: The best place to stay would be Canyon Lodge. However, if it’s not available (it’s usually booked up a year in advance), it might be better to stay in West Yellowstone or in the above-mentioned Old Faithful area.
Day 4 – Yellowstone East Side
- Explore the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone River. Visit all the lookout points and do some hiking.
- Hayden Valley.
- Mud Volcano area.
- Storm Point hike at Yellowstone Lake.
- West Thumb area.
5 Days in Yellowstone and Grand Teton
If you have five days for Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, you could follow the 4-day itinerary above and add an extra day in Grand Teton. You can add this extra day either at the beginning or at the end of your trip, depending on what works best for you.
Grand Teton National Park has lots of hiking trails. Kayaking or rafting are also popular options. And – if you want to see more wildlife – there are lots of popular wildlife safari tours.
So with an extra day in the park, you could go for a safari ride in the morning and go for a nice hike in the afternoon. For example, the popular Taggart & Bradley Lakes loop hike takes just 2-3 hours (more info here). Or you could head to one of the lakes for some kayaking. Colter Bay Marina is a good place to rent a kayak.
Otherwise, book one of the scenic rafting trips on the Snake River from Jackson. The river here is not too wild (class 2-3 rapids), but wild enough for a fun adventure. For most tours, kids from 6-7 years old can participate, but there is also a very popular easy rafting tour that can be done with a bit younger kids as well. And if that tour is unavailable, take a look at this easy floating trip on the Snake River.
And – if you are looking for something truly special to end your Yellowstone Grand Teton trip, go for a hot air balloon ride!
So, these are just some ideas on what your Yellowstone and Grand Teton itinerary could look like. If you have a week for this area, please check our Yellowstone itinerary for even more inspiration on places to see and how to plan your time. Also in Grand Teton and Jackson Hole you can find plenty of things to do (see activities and tours here).
For practical information and travel tips to the area, please check our Yellowstone travel guide. It contains an overview of all our articles about the area, such as the best time to visit Yellowstone, Yellowstone packing list, or Yellowstone tips that will help you make the most of your trip!
TIP: If your trip continues further north, please check our suggested itineraries for Glacier National Park.
READ ALSO: Best Things to Do in Jackson Hole
Yellowstone – Grand Teton FAQ
Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks are both very different and each is worth a trip. However, if you only have time to visit one park, then definitely go to Yellowstone! With active geysers and colorful geothermal areas, Yellowstone National Park offers a truly unique experience that can’t be compared to any other place on the planet.
Grand Teton and Yellowstone almost border each other. The two parks are connected by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway. The distance between the two parks is a bit less than 7 miles, although the parkway itself extends into both parks for a total distance of 27 miles (43 km).
Yes, you can easily drive from Yellowstone to Grand Teton. In summer season, when all the roads are open, simply take US Hwy 191 which stretches through both parks.
If you want to see two parks in one trip – Yellowstone and Grand Teton – two days is an absolute minimum. This will allow you to see just the main highlights of each National Park. We recommend at least 4-6 days in the area: 3-4 days in Yellowstone and 1-2 days in Grand Teton. But you can easily spend a week or two here and you’ll find plenty to do.
The best time to visit Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks is in summer, from around mid-May to October. That’s when all the roads are open in the area and you can explore both parks to the fullest.
READ ALSO: Yellowstone in Summer (What It’s Really Like & Essential Tips)
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More travel inspiration for National Parks all over the USA:
- Best U.S. National Parks with Kids
- Lesser-known National Parks for Families
- Zion – Bryce Canyon Itinerary
- Grand Canyon Day Trip
- Glacier National Park Itinerary
- Rocky Mountain National Park Itinerary
- Acadia National Park Itinerary
- Grand Canyon – Antelope Canyon Itinerary
- Yosemite Travel Tips
- Best Places to See in Death Valley National Park
- Olympic National Park Itinerary
- Grand Canyon in Winter
- … for many more destinations, please see our USA travel guide.
Pedro F
Wednesday 5th of June 2024
Hi, I’m visiting YNP and GTNP in early September. My flight arrives in Bozeman at 11am. I was planning to pick up my rental car, stop to have something to eat, purchase bear spay and then head to YNP. I assume I would arrive at Mammoth area by 2pm. In that day I wish to visit Mammoth Hot Springs, Undine Falls, Wraith Falls, Lamar Valley, Tower Fall and Dunraven Pass. I was able to book my stay at canyon lodge. Do you think that would be feasible.
Jurga
Thursday 6th of June 2024
Hi Pedro, if everything goes very smoothly, it should be doable. And if not, you can always decide to skip a few stops along the way to your hotel. Try not to drive in the dark though.
Alex C
Thursday 22nd of February 2024
Hi! I'm starting to plan a trip to Grand Teton and Yellowstone for September 2024, is this too short notice to find close places to stay? I'm getting overwhelmed with the planning and where to stay and for how long...we're thinking of a week long trip to see both parks. This is such an informative post, thank you for putting it together!
Jurga
Friday 23rd of February 2024
Hi Alex, you just have to check accommodation availability for your travel dates and you'll quickly see what's still possible. The chances of finding something inside the national parks are probably pretty slim by now, unless you are very flexible to adjust your plans if you find a night or two free at some loges. But there should still be plenty of options in the Jackson Hole area as well as West Yellowstone and Gardiner. With a week for two parks, you could spend 2-3 days in Grand Teton and the rest in Yellowstone. How exactly to plan your trip will indeed depend on where you base yourself. So look for hotels first and then make more precise plans based on that. Good luck (and don't wait too long!).
Jordan
Thursday 13th of July 2023
I happened to stumble across your website and I wish I would've found it years ago. I'll never plan another trip without looking at your website first. Thank you for all this incredibly helpful information!
We plan on staying July 30-August 3 in Yellowstone and August 3-August 6 in Grand Teton. From my understanding, we should stay at separate hotels for both parks because of the distance in between, right? There's not one hotel that's conveniently located in between both places?
We're going to follow your four day itinerary. Where it says Yellowstone north, south, east sides, do you have to enter from those respective entrances or can you enter from say the west side every day and just drive to those places on the itinerary for that day?
My elderly grandparents may only want to do the parks one or two days due to all the walking. Are there things for them to do outside of Yellowstone or Grand Teton while my son and I are in the park? Thank you!
Jurga
Friday 14th of July 2023
Hi Jordan, thank you for the kind feedback. As for your trip, it's really last-minute, so you'll probably struggle to find hotels in that area, let alone find something that would be ideally located for both parks. For Yellowstone, you should probably look at the West Yellowstone area - it has a lot of accommodations, so you may find something there. For Grand Teton, Jackson Hole is probably your best shot. In both cases, you'll have quite some driving to do to get to the main places in these parks. And yes, you can enter the park anywhere you like and drive to the other areas. Just keep in mind that it will be VERY busy everywhere, so try to start your days early. See also our article with Yellowstone summer tips for more info. Both - West Yellowstone and Jackson Hole are nice little towns with good facilities, so they are good places for your parents to stay if they are not going into the parks with you. But - at least in Yellowstone - most of the top landmarks are easily accessible, so take your parents with you. Hope this helps. Book your hotels ASAP and enjoy your trip!
Hazel Ledesma
Friday 30th of June 2023
What is the best hotel to stay in Yellowstone in terms of distance to the place? We are planning for 5 to 6 days trip both Grand Theton and Yellowstone. Then we want to go to Mt. Rushmore. We are from Southern California. Thanks.
Jurga
Saturday 1st of July 2023
Hi Hazel, Yellowstone is so big that there is no one 'best' hotel. Plus, by now, all the hotels inside the park are long booked up for the summer season. So if you are traveling this summer, it's really a matter of finding something that is available for your travel dates and suits your itinerary. The places where you'll find most accommodation options are West Yellowstone and Gardiner. Both are just outside the park. Please take a look at our guide on where to stay in Yellowstone for more information and accommodation suggestions just near the park. Hope this helps.
Andrea
Wednesday 8th of March 2023
We are planning a trip to see Yellowstone, Grand Tetons and Jackson Hole in July for about 8 days. We will be driving from Texas. What itinerary and route do you recommend?
Jurga
Wednesday 8th of March 2023
Hi Andrea, I recommend spending as much time as you can in the area; so take a look at the 4-5 days itinerary suggestions in the article. The rest really depends on how long it takes you to get there and which accommodations you will be able to find. If you are traveling in the summer, you may have difficulties finding accommodation in the best locations in Yellowstone and Grand Teton, so your itinerary will depend on that too. Good luck with the planning, book asap, and have a great trip!