Yellowstone & Grand Teton Itinerary for 2, 3, 4, or 5 days (+Info & Tips)
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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)
If you found this post helpful, don’t forget to bookmark it and share it with your friends. Are you on Pinterest? Pin these images!
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.
Hello.
We referred your itinerary for Iceland and just wanted to let you know that it was extremely helpful especially with the infant. I love your itinerary break down that provide all the details. Now we are planning a trip to yellowstone and grand teton for 5-6 days in June and have a question regarding the airport selection and travel distance.
I was thinking to get two separate airport ticket like landing to Bozeman and flying back from Jackson hole to cut down the travel time. Would it be feasible with this itinerary? how can we organize the days if we start from Yellowstone and end our trip in Teton and get back through Jackson hole airport?
I appreciate all the tips and recommendation you could provide.
Thank You
Hi Khushbu, thank you for your feedback regarding Iceland. Glad to hear that you found it helpful.
Planning a trip to Yellowstone is a bit different since pretty much everything will depend on the location of your accommodation. But yes, you can easily start in Bozeman and end in Jackson Hole. The rest really depends on which hotel/s you can find and on what you want to see and do. You may want to check our guide on where to stay in Yellowstone for more information.
I would try to find accommodation at Canyon Lodge inside a park for a few days, but it’s likely sold out by now. Alternatively, West Yellowstone or Gardiner are both good places for a few nights. The same with Tetons. If you can, stay inside the park for a night or two and otherwise, in Jackson Hole. Talking of which, you may want to check this article too: Best things to do in Jackson Hole.
Hope this helps. Have a great trip!
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.
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.
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!
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!).
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!
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!
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.
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.
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?
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!
Hi Jurga,
Very informative blog. We are planning a trip to Yellowstone and Grand Teton this May and we’ll be flying into and out of Bozeman (for flight connections etc it works out better). We have 3 days total and would like to cover 2 days in yellowstone and one in grand teton. Can you suggest an itinerary and place of stay (West Yellowstone or Gardiner) (we prefer to just stay in one place instead of two different places) and an optimal plan to cover important points from both places?
Thank you
Hi Ram, as much as I’d like to help, unfortunately, I really have no time to help with individual itineraries. You could take a look at our 2-day Yellowstone itinerary and adjust it to start from Gardiner or West Yellowstone (and even just stay in one place). However, visiting Grand Teton from any of these towns is really quite far (at least 2.5-3.5 hours drive one way); West Yellowstone is somewhat closer than Gardiner.
So, ideally, you would do Bozeman – Yellowstone – Grand Teton – Yellowstone – Bozeman (staying in either Gardiner or West Yellowstone on the first and the last night and somewhere closer to Grand Teton on the second night, if you can still find accommodation in that area).
Hope this helps a bit. Good luck with the planning!
@Jurga, Thank you Jurga. Appreciate your response. Yes, I was thinking on similar lines.
We would like to stay at a Jackson Hole RV park (maybe the Virginian) for 4 nights. During that time, we want to see the highlights of Yellowstone and the Highlights of Grand Tetons. If we made Jackson Hole our base camp, is it possible to do this with 1 day for Yellowstone and 1 day for Grand Tetons, and then have time to do some fun things with the kids in Jackson Hole?
We will have kids aged 15,14,12,12,9,8,3.
Hi Amy, if you are visiting in the summer, then yes, it should be possible. However, keep in mind that Yellowstone is really quite far from Jackson Hole and with just a day, start VERY early and concentrate on the highlights on the South Loop of Yellowstone. Take a look also at our 1-day Yellowstone itinerary and also 1-day Grand Teton itinerary for some ideas. See here for things to do in Jackson Hole.
Quite frankly, 4 nights/3 days are really short for this area and you could spend that much time in any of these places alone. If you can, see if you can add a night or two (maybe camp closer to Yellowstone for a few nights too). But if 4 nights is all you have, plan well, and just make the most of the time that you have!
Enjoy your trip!
I am so happy I found your site! I did want to ask if you could recommend RV campgrounds outside of the park? We are looking for full hookup campgrounds that are located in areas the match your 5 day.
Thank you
Hi Penny, unfortunately, I have no experience with camping sites. You can find more info about the campsites inside the park here. Outside the park, I’d look at the West Yellowstone area. If you just google this, you’ll see a few of them on the map.
Good luck!
Hello! I have enjoyed reading your blog. Lots of wonderful information! We are flying into Bozeman at noon on 6/20. Where is a good place to stay between there and Jackson? We have a 10am Snake River rafting trip that next day. Thanks in advance!
Hi Kelsie, if your rafting trip starts in Jackson Hole itself, then I’d try to stay there. The drive from Bozeman to Jackson Hole is about 4.5 hours, so I think it’s the best you can do. See our guide to Jackson Hole – it has some accommodation suggestions as well.
If your tour starts somewhere in the Grand Teton park, you could try and find accommodation in that area. However, lodging there is very scarce, and booking for June at this moment might be difficult already. On the other hand, if you just need a place to stay for one night, you might get lucky and find something in the Moran area. Also, driving from Bozeman straight to Jackson Hole is probably quicker than taking the road through Yellowstone and Grand Teton anyway.
Hope this helps.
Have a great trip!
Hi,
Your blog is amazingly informative and helping to plan my bucket list trip
This question might have been asked and answered but here it goes. we are planning a trip yellow stone from 9/25-9/30 and I have already booked Canyon lodge for all the days. Is it possible to go from Canyon lodge to Grnad Teton park and come back by night on one of the days? Possibly doing only key attractions of Teton-Jenny lake etc
Thank you!
Sandhya
Hi Sandhya, Canyon Lodge is a wonderful place to stay for exploring Yellowstone. It’s very centrally located so you can easily visit all the parts of the park from there without having to spend half a day in the car.
However, visiting Grand Teton from there for just a day means that you’ll have to drive at least 5 hours that day (it’s a 95 miles drive between Canyon Village and e.g. Jenny Lake in Grand Teton, and it typically takes about 2.5 hrs one-way, not even taking into account busy traffic or any stops). So yes, it is possible, but not ideal if you also have to do the same road back in the evening again. If you decide to do it this way, leave VERY early.
An alternative – depending on where you’re flying to/from – is to visit Grand Teton on your way to/from Yellowstone.
And if you decide not to go, don’t worry – you’ll find plenty to do in Yellowstone, and there will be no time to get bored. Please see our Yellowstone itinerary as well – the 4-5 days options will give you plenty of ideas of what to see/do.
Hope this helps.
Interested in coming Nov1-7 knowing some roads and places are closed for season. Will I have enough access to make it worth the trip. Interested in some hiking even in the cold.
Hi Brenda, according to the official website, not all the roads will be closed at that time yet. They all are planned to close on November 8.
Here’s what they say:
2021 Fall: The following roads will close to regular vehicles on October 12: Cooke City to Chief Joseph Scenic Byway, Beartooth Highway (US 212 to Red Lodge, Montana). All roads will close on November 8 at 8 am except the road between the North Entrance and the Northeast Entrance.
So, in principle and weather permitting, you should still be able to visit all the main areas of Yellowstone in the first week of November.
As to what exactly you’ll be able to do, will depend on the weather. Keep an eye on the NPS website for any official updates before and during your trip. Enjoy it!
We are planning on a full 3 days in the Yellowstone/Grand Teton area – a day of driving on both sides. I like the 3 day itineary – looks really good – question…..we were told that you need a hikers pass for some areas – do we get this at park entrance or can we apply for one before arriving? we are coming Sept. 15 – Sept. 19.
Hi Jackie, there’s a fee to enter Yellowstone National Park and you can get the 7-day pass at any entrance. You also have to pay for entering Grand Teton. If you have an annual NPs pass (America the Beautiful Pass), it’s also valid in both parks and is quite a good deal if you visit more than two National Parks in 12 months.
I have never heard of any special hiker’s pass in Yellowstone. The only permit that you have to apply for that I know of is the backcountry camping permit. If you are planning to hike/camp in the wild in Yellowstone, then you should apply for it no more than 3 days before your trip. More info here. But if you are just visiting the main highlights and doing a few short hikes here or there, you don’t need anything special.
The same for Grand Teton. You need a permit if you are planning to camp in the backcountry or taking a motorboat on one of the lakes (more info here), but I have never heard of any hiking permits there either.
Hope this helps.
Hi, we are going to follow your 5 day plan for Yellowstone and Teton. We are going for a week starting on August 21, 2021. We are renting a 30 foot driving camper. Will we have a problem getting to any of the destinations on the 5 day tour?
Hi Cindy, in all honesty, I really don’t know since we never paid attention to this. But most roads in Yellowstone were quite simple and wide enough, and we saw lots of campers of all sizes during our trip. So I think you should be fine, but it doesn’t harm to check the official website. Also, there are roadworks between Canyon and Roosevelt area, so you won’t be able to do that road at all this year.
Have a great trip!
Hello Jurga, your blogs are so informative and helpful. My daughter and I are planning a 4 night trip to Grand Teton and Yellowstone (Saturday, 9/11 – Wednesday, 9/15) from New York. I know it is short notice – this is how we operate because she seldom finds time to take off work working at the Veterans Hospital. I am not able to find any lodging inside Grand Teton except for Jackson Hole Lodge (a one bedroom suite). Outside the park, there are some vrbos available and the Teton Springs Lodge & Spa (Victor, Idaho) that has very high ratings but is 28.5 miles to Grand Teton – so approximately a 30 min ride. Are there restaurants available for breakfast inside the park. I did not see any mention at the Jackson Hole Lodge that they are a full service hotel. You made mention of packing a box lunch – where typically would you get that from? I didn’t think there was a grocery store near the park. Thank you.
Oh I now see that it is your recommendation that if you are doing the 3 day itinerary (Grand Teton/Yellowstone) that you stay the first night in Jackson. After seeing Grand Teton, for the 2nd night stay Monmouth Springs ( 🙁 hotel not available) or Gardiner or West Yellowstone would be next best choices to visit West Yellowstone and North Yellowstone. After visit to North Yellowstone, return to Jackson for evening – and in our cases the following morning to Jackson Hole Airport. Staying in Victor, ID is quite a distance – and it is a 2 hour ride. I was mistaken earlier that Jackson Hole Lodge was available on my dates. Do I have that right, Jurga? Finding accommodations is atrocious and knowing where to stay since you are jumping around. If I was able to secure accommodatoins at Jackson Hole Lodge – would you recommend then staying there for only for first and last night? Sorry for the confusion.
Hi Anna, yes, indeed, it’s not easy to find accommodation in that area on short notice…
First, for the places to eat, just type ‘grand teton national park restaurants’ on Google Maps and you get a good overview of what’s available (see here – hope the link shows what I’m seeing). Ideally, you have breakfast at your accommodation and ask them to pack you a picnic lunch or get something at one of the deli stores along the way. There are quite a few places to eat in Yellowstone (also small deli shops), so normally, it’s not a problem to find something, but it can take you quite some time especially if you have to queue at the peak lunch time.
Now for places to stay, we normally book all our accommodations via Booking.com and they have hotels and private short-term rentals, so it’s a good place to see what’s available for your stay. Or using one of the handy maps we have in our articles.
It’s hard for me to look for accommodations for you not knowing when exactly you arrive or when you leave, but assuming that you spend the first and the last night in Jackson, here’s what I found (book asap!):
9/11 (1n): Heart Six Ranch in Grand Teton (great location and would allow you to see more of Grand Teton NP, potentially already on the day you arrive) or Super 8 by Wyndham in Jackson (a bit cheaper). These are literally the only options with regular rooms with bathrooms, the rest are all tents and dorms.
9/12 (1n): The Roosevelt Hotel Yellowstone in Gardiner. There are a few other options here and you could potentially spend 2 nights here.
9/13 (1n): Yellowstone Park Hotel in West Yellowstone. There are quite a few other options here too. You could also opt to stay here for two nights, instead of Gardiner. It’s really your choice and either way, you’ll have quite some driving to do. But spending 2 nights in one place has its advantages too.
9/14 (1n): Mountain Modern Hotel or the earlier-mentioned Super 8 by Wyndham (more budget-friendly) in Jackson Hole (and – for these dates – there are a few other options, but most very expensive).
Hope this helps. Once again, book asap! There is not much available anymore…
PS I also checked the Jackson Hole Lodge that you mention, but it’s crazy expensive on 9/14 (and not available on 9/11) and has some of the worst reviews in town (mostly for being not worth the money they charge), so it doesn’t look like the best choice.
Good luck and have a great trip!
I could not print the itinerary- the right click option is disabled.
Hi Gail, you can print it or save to pdf without having to copy, straight from your browser. Ctrl+P and then either choose print or save as a pdf file and print just the parts you need.
Have a good trip!
These look very helpful! The link to the “easy rafting tour” says the experience is no longer available. Is there another similar one you would recommend?
Hi Jennifer, thanks for letting me know. Here are some of the best rafting tours from Jackson. The Snake River scenic raft trip is the easiest option. This ‘Classic whitewater rafting tour’ is better if you are looking for some more action as it includes several rapids, class I – III. They allow kids from 6 years, so it’s not too ‘wild’ either. I read some comments where people complained that it was too easy, so it really depends on what you are looking for.
Hope this helps. Have a great trip!
Thanks a million for this comprehensive itinerary!
Glad to hear that you found it useful, Sesh. Have a great trip!
We are making plans to visit CO, WY, MT in Jun, with plans to arrive Denver Sat am, including plans to spend the day at Colorado Springs, then heading to RMNP on Sun/Mon, and Grand Teton/Yellowstone on Tue-Fri, before heading back to Denver to catch a return flight Sat am. Curious if there is a suggested best route, maximizing sites, including suggested communities in which to find lodging, meals, etc.
Hi Jeff, it’s about 500 miles drive from Denver to the Yellowstone/ Grand Teton area. It’s the whole day driving just to get there and a day to get back to Denver, so you already lose two days out of 7. So if you are planning to see all these places in a week, I don’t think I’d do much sightseeing on the way and better try to maximize your time in the parks. The way it looks, if you spend 1 day in Colorado Springs and 2 at the Rocky Mountain NP, you’ll only have 2 days for Grand Teton AND Yellowstone together (+ 2 days driving).
I think I’d opt for 1 day in Rocky Mountain NP instead and spend 1 extra day in Yellowstone.
For the Rocky Mountains, you can find some suggestions in this Rocky Mountain National Park itinerary.
If you really want to maximize your time, you could consider flying from Denver to Jackson Hole instead of driving, but I don’t know how the flight availability is and what the prices are.
Hope this helps. Enjoy your trip!
Hi Jurga! Thank you for providing such a detailed itinerary! It’s exactly what I’ve been looking for. We are planning to visit Grand Teton, Yellowstone, and Glacier over a 10 day period. I’ve read your suggested itinerary for all three parks and I cannot wait to visit. Due to flight prices (and rental car increases to return a car to a different airport) we will most likely be flying in and out of SLC. Jackson Hole was our first choice but not sure the price difference is worth it. Anyway, I was wondering if you had a route that you would recommend that accommodates all 3 parks and potentially any other cities or must-see places along the way. Not sure if it would make sense to visits west Yellowstone on the way up and east Yellowstone on the way back down? We open to any and all suggestions. Thanks again for an extremely helpful blog. Happy travels!
Hi Anna, before you decide on the flights and the itinerary, consider the driving distance from SLC to Grand Teton, Yellowstone, to Glacier NP, and back to Salt Lake City. See the route on Google Maps – it’s a drive of about 1500 miles and at least 24 hours of pure driving time, no sightseeing or any stops included.
I think that if you count all the extra time you loose on the road, plus fuel and accommodations en-route, that it will still be wiser to pay a bit more for a flight from another airport…
Did you consider starting in SLC and ending in Glacier Park International Airport in Kalispell (or vice versa)? This alone would save you a day of driving (about 10hrs minimum between Glacier and SLC) and would give you more time for sightseeing. Another option would be Bozeman airport, north of Yellowstone. Even Billings, MT, would be less driving than Salt Lake City.
With 10 days and if flying to and from SLC, you’ll spend at least 3 days driving. Add to that the fact that your flight times might not be ideal, and you can lose 4-5 days of your trip on the road…
So I highly recommend that you try to look if you can fly in/out of Glacier, in combination with flying in/out of one of the airports closer to Yellowstone (or SLC).
As for car rental, we also rented a car one-way and if I recall well, the one-way fee was just 100-150$. It was more than worth it for us.
Good luck!
We will arrive 6/3 and stay in Victor,ID for 2 days to explore the Tetons. Any suggestions & how long does it take to get to Tetons from Victor? Then leave Victor and stay at Island Park for 4 days for Yellowstone. I hope this will work think it is 45 min drive to west Entrance. Going to try and do you 4 day suggestions. Will this work with where we are coming from? Also we would like to do 1-2 mile hikes to see some of the sites. Any suggestions?
Thank you.
Hi Bevely, I didn’t see this comment before I answered your previous ones. You can use Google Maps to check approximate driving times and distances. Grand Teton is big and so is Yellowstone, so you should check specific destinations when trying to plan your trip – that way you can better estimate how much time you need. Also, because many roads are closed now, you have to change ‘leave now’ to ‘depart at’ when using Google Maps and choose summer dates in order to see the correct routes and driving times.
Anyway, I checked the distance between Victor and Jenny Lake in Grand Teton, and it tells me that it’s just 45 miles, but typically takes 1.5-2 hours for this route (see map here).
From Island Park to the entrance of Yellowstone isn’t that far, but Yellowstone is huge. It takes about 1h40 to get to the Old Faithful from Island Park and over 2 hours to get to Hayden Valley or 3 hours to get to Lamar Valley (not counting traffic). So keep this in mind – you’ll be driving A LOT every day if you stay at these locations. You can see our guide to Yellowstone accommodation for some suggestions on where to stay.
As for the hikes, I already answered in my previous reply.
I love the Tetons and want to do the Jenny Lake boat ride w/Inspiration Point hike, plus a mellow scenic river trip, at minimum. For Yellowstone, we especially want Hayden Valley for wildlife (unless Lamar is better?) + Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone + one of the thermal areas. Can we do these things in 4 days — two in each park? What is the best Yellowstone itinerary to make sure we get some wildlife? Assuming we fly to Jackson, I assume this means 3 nights there, 2 nights in Yellowstone, and the last night back in Jackson before flying out, yes?
One more question – accomodations are already looking hard to get in Yellowstone. Is it possible to stay in the Tetons somewhere and do two daytrips into Yellowstone, and have 2 days to explore the Tetons, without having to overnight in Yellowstone?
Hi Holly, indeed, your itinerary will depend A LOT on the location of your accommodation. If you haven’t booked anything yet, it’s more a matter of taking of what’s still available for your travel dates. Please take a look at day 1 of the 2-day itinerary above – it has the best suggestions where to stay between Grand Teton and Yellowstone. Or simply see this accommodation map on Booking.com – as you can see, not a lot of choice in this area.
TIP: You can also use the accommodation map at the top of this article to see what’s still available in the area for the days when you travel – it shows hotels and also short-term rentals. If you zoom it out, you can check the areas that are closer to Yellowstone – the map now shows Jackson Hole.
Otherwise, yes, you can make it work with two days in each park. Normally, you should be able to do everything you want at Grand Teton in just 1 day as well, but – once again – it will depend on where you are staying. In Yellowstone, in two days you can see the main landmarks, but it will be rushed. Having three days would give you more time to enjoy it all. You can find some suggestions on how to do it in our 2 days in Yellowstone guide.
As for wildlife, it remains wild so you never know where and when you’ll see animals. We saw just as many bison in Hayden Valley as in Lamar. Other animals are more of a gamble and you really can’t plan for that. The best way to maximize your chances to see wildlife is by going to the park very early in the morning. Also at around sunset, many animals are more active.
Hope this helps and try to secure your accommodations asap. Once you have that, it’s easier to plan your itinerary.
@Jurga, This is super helpful! Thank you.
We are thinking about flying into Bozeman. The rental car companies at the airport are unreasonable. Any suggestions. It is 6 of us if needed we can rent two cars but I don’t want to pay $4000.00 a week based on the companies I have seen. Any recommendations?
Hi Cindy, did you try this website? They usually have great deals for car hire for pretty much anywhere in the world.
I don’t know your travel dates, but I just checked some random dates in July this summer, and I get rates from about 330$ for a regular car for 7 days, and up to about 950$ for the biggest cars (I checked for Bozeman airport). However, on some days, it shows no available cars at all which is strange and makes me think there’s some glitch on their site today. However, I also didn’t see any cars for more than 5 people for the dates when I looked. It might be different for your travel dates and otherwise, indeed, rent two cars at the lower rates. Give it a try and hope you find something suitable!
TIP – be sure to also search car hire locations in the city and not just at the airport. Sometimes, you get better deals if you pick up your car in the city office. Always worth checking.
My husband, myself (early 70’s) are planning to take our 9 yr grandson the last week of June and would like to visit Yellowstone and Grand Teton. I do have some knee problems so not lots of hiking for me. I’m not sure where to even start on planning (air flights, accommodations, which park first, etc..) Can you make suggestions. Sincerely appreciated.
Hi Karen, if you want to visit this June, you should make your travel arrangements asap. It’s the peak season in that area.
For hiking, in Yellowstone, it’s not an issue at all since most of the main landmarks don’t require any hiking at all. There are many boardwalks and it’s mostly easy walks close to the car parking. You can see a lot without walking much. In Grand Teton, you can take a boat on Jenny Lake, a wildlife safari ride to see animals, or simply drive around and enjoy the scenery.
As for where to fly and how to plan the trip, you can find a lot of info in our Yellowstone travel guide.
You could, for example, fly to Bozeman and out of Jackson Hole Airport, or vice versa, or in and out of one of these airports. Depending on that, you can then create an itinerary that makes the most sense and saves you driving. At this point, it’s very unlikely to find any accommodation inside Yellowstone or Grand Teton, so you could potentially stay in Jackson Hole for visiting Grand Teton and in West Yellowstone and/or in Gardiner for visiting Yellowstone.
With a week in the area, you could spend 3 nights in Jackson Hole, and 3-4 in West Yellowstone (or spilt this stay to also include Gardiner if you don’t mind changing hotels as it will be a bit easier to visit north Yellowstone from there).
Hope this helps. Once again, be sure to book everything asap if you want to make it happen this summer. All the best!
This is so helpful! Amazing parks that should be in everyone’s bucket list.
Agree, Josephine. Have a great trip!
My family is planning a vacation to Yellowstone in August 6 to 7 nights. I think we will start in Teton for 3 nights and then to the West side of Yellowstone. Any suggestions for the best place to go horseback riding and white water rafting. We will b going the last week of August what type of weather should be expect?
Hi Cindy, if you are looking for those types of activities, I suggest that you stay in Jackson, WY for at least 2 full days. In fact, if you haven’t yet booked your accommodations, it’s unlikely that you’ll find much in Grand Teton anyway, so staying in Jackson is the best option. In our guide of the best things to do in Jackson Hole you can find more information about rafting, horseback riding, and other fun things to do.
Afterward, make your way to Yellowstone. Please see this guide for where to stay in and near Yellowstone (also there, accommodations inside the park will likely be booked-up long ago already).
As for the weather, the last week of August should be great for the outdoors. In any case, always pack a sweater and a rain jacket as the weather can change very quickly. See our guide on what to pack for Yellowstone for more information.
Have a great trip!
My wife and I have 5 days this summer to explore Yellowstone and Grand Teton parks in a rented RV. We live in FL. Does it make sense to fly into Salt Lake City and drive from there? Is there a resource that would help plan the trip to include other interesting points along the way?
Hi Mike, yes, flying to SLC is one of the best options, unless you can make a connection and fly to Bozeman or to Jackson Hole. That would save you a long drive (twice).
Anyway, after visiting Yellowstone and Grand Teton, we also drove to Salt Lake City as our flight was departing from there. We just did that part in one go and it was about 5 hours drive if I recall. But there are some nice places and you could make it into a longer trip if you wish. We chose the more scenic road to Salt Lake City, the US-89 via Bear Lake, but we didn’t really do any sightseeing along the way. We did some sightseeing in Salt Lake City itself since we had half a day there and it was really nice.
We chose to spend more time in Yellowstone and Grand Teton, but I suppose this all depends on your interests and how much time you have. In all honesty, with 5 days, I’d just focus on Yellowstone and Grand Teton and just drive from SLC without too many stops, but depending on your flight times, you may want to stay close to the airport upon arrival and/or before departure.
Good luck with the planning!
We are thinking about traveling to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons this April with our children. We know it is not the optimal time to go weather wise but want to make a trip out there with our school vacation time. Do you have any thoughts or recommendations on travel there during late April. Thank you!
Hi Taryn, I know how it is when you have to travel during the school holidays and try to make the best of it…
That being said, April is really not the best time for Yellowstone or Grand Teton, because most of the roads are still closed. Here you can find information about the road conditions in Grand Teton and here – for the road conditions in Yellowstone.
We haven’t been there at that time of the year, so I have no personal experience. But from everything I read, you won’t be able to see the main highlights. Maybe you can go skiing in Grand Teton, but I’m not sure about that and I guess it’s not really the purpose of your trip…
So if you can, try to plan a trip in summer instead. Yes, it’s busy, but it’s totally worth it. And it’s not impossible to avoid the crowds. You can find some tips in our guide to visiting Yellowstone in summer. Most of it applies to Grand Teton as well.
And for your school holidays in April, you can find quite some ideas in our inspirational guide with spring break destinations in the USA. I’d highly recommend the Moab Arches National Park area at that time of the year. It’s a very nice destination with kids and you can also combine it with quite a few other places in the region (Grand Canyon, Zion, Monument Valley, to mention just a few) if you have more time.
Hope this helps.