Discover the Lofty Grandeur of California's Crown Jewel with Expert Naturalist Guides
Yosemite’s granite cathedrals, roaring waterfalls and ancient sequoia groves inspired early conservationists to protect its wonders for all time. In 1864, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Yosemite Land Grant, the first national act to conserve an American landscape for public enjoyment. In 1901, the Sierra Club’s first outing was a hike from Yosemite Valley to Tuolumne Meadows. The club was integral in lobbying for the protection of these grand landscapes in a national park. Experience Yosemite’s enduring marvels as we retrace that early journey and more, viewing the edifice of Half Dome and the 3,000-foot wall of El Capitan, flower-strewn alpine heights, and the silver ribbon of the Merced River, inspiring so many painters. In the Mariposa Grove, stand among the largest trees on Earth, and discover hidden spots most visitors miss.
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Trip Highlights
- A Richer Encounter with YosemiteIn our small group, with flexibility to rise early, linger later and tap our naturalist guides' insider knowledge, you'll have a more meaningful experience
- Stay in Coveted Park LodgingsIt can be next to impossible to get Yosemite's most in-demand hotels on your own—count on us to stay at the historic Ahwahnee Hotel and Tenaya Lodge
- Experience the Eastern Sierra, TooFew tours cross Tioga Pass, but we also stay on the east side of the Sierra to watch the sunrise over Mono Lake, followed by a morning canoe ride
WWF In Action
How You See Yosemite Makes a Big Difference
Yosemite is one of America’s best-known and best-loved national parks. As such, it sees more than 4 million visitors per year—which is precisely why you should visit the park with us. Let us handle the logistics, and tap our deep local knowledge to achieve a richer, easier and less commercialized experience of this legendary terrain.
- Don't Go It on Your Own—Let Us Take the Hassle Out!
When you travel independently, you spend a lot of time researching, planning, asking questions, competing for reservations, or driving around trying to figure out where to go and what to do. As a result, you lose precious time and miss the special spots known only to locals. We’ve taken out the legwork and guesswork: because we’ve already researched everything, and we coordinate essential reservations far in advance, you'll experience much more than most people can accomplish on their own. - Travel in a Very Small Group
Now more than ever, you’ll find advantages in our intimate group size. While we cap our groups at 14, we further divide them into two smaller groups of no more than seven guests per vehicle, each with its own Expedition Leader. You won’t find a better guide-to-guest ratio! - Immerse Yourself in a Full Week of Exploration
Most visitors to Yosemite pass through for a night or two. In contrast, our adventure gives you a deep dive into the park—we include a whole host of features that showcase Yosemite’s diversity and grandeur, because we know you don’t want to miss a single highlight. - Meet Local Experts
While our Nat Hab Expedition Leader is an expert in his or her own right, you'll also gain in-depth knowledge from special visits we have arranged with local experts, including a fire ecologist, a speaker from the Yosemite Conservancy, and significant Yosemite climbers. - Spend Three Nights Inside the Park at The Ahwahnee
The Ahwahnee Hotel is one of those iconic national park lodges where everyone covets a stay but few are lucky enough to land one. With us, you’ll get three nights in this matchless spot! Located on the valley floor in view of landmarks like Half Dome and Yosemite Falls, The Ahwahnee is an exemplar of national park rustic style, as grand now as when it opened in 1927. Staying inside the park means we have access to highlights in the early morning and late into the evening, allowing us to enjoy special sights after crowds have left. - Travel Tioga Road Over Two Days
Famous Tioga Road, one of the highest drives in California, offers access to Yosemite's high alpine terrain, including Tuolumne Meadows. Our itinerary travels both east and west on this classic route, giving us varied vantage points and time to stop at more of the highlights along the way than a typical one-way, one-day traverse. - Visit the Eastern Sierra & Stay at Mono Lake
Most Yosemite trips don’t include a visit to the east side of the range. But we take you all the way to Mono Lake, and we spend the night so you can enjoy the lake at its most magical hours, sunset and sunrise, when the light is optimal for photography. - Private Canoe Trip on Mono Lake
Mono Lake is an alkaline environment with no natural outlet, fostering the formation of whimsical limestone pinnacles called tufa. On a private morning canoeing excursion when temperatures are cooler, observe these fascinating phenomena up close as you enjoy the early morning quiet amid the abundant birdlife. - Expert Naturalist Guides Add Immeasurably to Your Experience
Our Expedition Leaders are professional naturalists who know the Sierras like few others. With in-depth knowledge of Yosemite, they know where and when to be to maximize your experience of nature over crowds. They also have their own "secret" spots to share, which are off the most heavily touristed tracks. And they are intimately familiar with Yosemite's geology, flora, wildlife and history, enriching your experience in myriad ways. We can't emphasize enough how much difference their expertise makes to your overall experience. See Expedition Leader bios with traveler comments regarding the quality of our leaders. - Our Quality-Value Guarantee Ensures Your Yosemite Adventure
With Natural Habitat Adventures, you receive our exclusive guarantee, stating clearly that we will meet the lofty expectations we set forth in our promotional materials. We think this is the most ambitious guarantee made by any adventure travel company. Read our important promise. - Feel Good About Your Carbon-Neutral Journey
We care deeply about our planet, as we know you do. When you travel with us, the carbon emissions from your trip are 100% offset—including your round-trip flights from home. Natural Habitat Adventures has been the world’s first carbon-neutral travel company since 2007. - Natural Habitat Adventures is WWF's Travel Partner
Because of our commitment to environmentally friendly travel, as well as the exceptional quality of our adventures, World Wildlife Fund—the world's leading environmental conservation organization—has named Natural Habitat Adventures as its worldwide travel partner, a designation that makes us exceedingly proud!
