California Yosemite National Park Hiking Adventure Tour
Sierra Nevada Wonders & Majestic Granite Peaks
- Available: July, August, September
- Activity: Level 3
- Accommodations: Luxury Hotels
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Group Size:
5-12 Guests
Min Age: 14
Highlights
- Hike among thundering waterfalls, pristine alpine meadows, and ancient giant sequoias
- Enjoy sky-topping scenery including El Capitan, Half Dome, and Sentinel Rock
- Relax at The Ahwahnee-an iconic historic hotel designed to showcase its dramatic natural surroundings
Itinerary
Hike Mariposa Grove & Transfer to Yosemite Valley
Day 1
Welcome to Fresno, California. An MT Sobek representative will pick you up this morning from your pre-trip hotel. After an orientation meeting at a local park, transfer to Mariposa Grove for a stunning hike among a grove of more than 500 giant sequoias trees. Marvel at the most famous trees, including the 3,000-year-old Grizzly Giant. After a picnic lunch, continue to Yosemite Valley with a stop at Tunnel View. Settle into your home for the next 2 nights and meet for dinner.
Accommodation: The Ahwahnee Hotel
Activity: 1.5-2 hours/3 miles hiking with 50' elevation gain and loss
Transportation: 1.5-hour private van transfer
Meals: Lunch, Dinner
Explore Yosemite Valley
Day 2
Embark on a rewarding, mostly flat hike on the valley floor today, through lesser-traveled meadows, forests, and paths along the Merced River, past icons such as El Capitan, Sentinel Rock, Three Brothers, and Bridalveil Falls. Break for a trailside lunch along the way. There will be an opportunity to swim in the Merced River during an afternoon break. Return to the lodge in the late afternoon.
Accommodation: The Ahwahnee Hotel
Activity: 4-6 hours/8 miles hiking with 100' gain and loss
Transportation: 1.5-hour private van transfer
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Walk Among Yosemite's Waterfalls & Giant Sequoias
Day 3
Check out early and climb 2,000 feet alongside Vernal Falls to admire the vista from the top of neighboring Nevada Falls. Return to Yosemite Valley in the early afternoon, then travel to your lodge, situated on the northern boundary of the park. En route, enjoy a late afternoon walk to gaze up at giant sequoias, among the oldest and largest living organisms on the planet! Check in to your room this evening and enjoy dinner at the lodge.
Accommodation: Rush Creek Lodge
Activity: 7-8 hours/5.4 miles hiking with 2,000' elevation gain/loss; 3 miles with 520' gain/loss
Transportation: 1.5-hour private van transfer
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Hike to Yosemite Valley's North Rim
Day 4
Spend the day in Yosemite's high country. Begin your hike at 8,800 feet and enjoy a gradual descent through ponderosa pines, meadows, and along granite bluffs to marvel at the park's only intact arch. After a trailside lunch, hike to the top of North Dome (7,543') on the North Rim of Yosemite Valley and delight in the eye-popping views of its most famous landmark, Half Dome, along with the valley floor 3,500 feet below. Return to the lodge in the late afternoon.
Accommodation: Rush Creek Lodge
Activity: 4-6 hours / 9.5 miles hiking with 1,000' gain and loss
Transportation: 1.5-hour private van transfer
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Hike Trails from Tuolumne Meadows
Day 5
Admire the beauty of Tuolumne Meadows (8,600'), one of the highest meadows in the Sierra Nevada range, on a day hike among its famous granite domes. Depending on conditions, the group will either follow an out-and-back trail to Cathedral Lakes (8 miles) or Mono Pass (7.4 miles). Both routes offer breathtaking mountain and meadow views, and are among the best hikes in the park. Return to your hillside lodge this evening.
Accommodation: Rush Creek Lodge
Activity: 6-7 hours/7-9 miles hiking with 800'-900' elevation gain
Transportation: Two 2.5-hour private van transfers
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Return to Fresno & Depart
Day 6
Following breakfast at the hotel, take a 2.5-hour transfer to the airport and depart.
Transportation: 2.5-hour private van transfer
Meals: Breakfast
Dates & Prices
- 2023
- Go Private
- Go Custom
- Inclusions
2023
Scheduled Dates
The earlier you book, the more choice of available dates you’ll have and once you book, your price is guaranteed.
- $4,695 price per person dbl occ+$1,150 single supplementAvailable
- $4,695 price per person dbl occ+$1,150 single supplementAvailableConfirmed
- $4,695 price per person dbl occ+$1,150 single supplementAvailable
- $4,695 price per person dbl occ+$1,150 single supplementAvailable
- $4,695 price per person dbl occ+$1,150 single supplementAvailable
- $4,695 price per person dbl occ+$1,150 single supplementAvailableConfirmed
Go Private
Go Private
Gather your favorite travel companions to share an MT Sobek adventure on an easy-to-book Private departure.
Call or email us to get the ball rolling.
*Private trips require a 25% non-refundable deposit.
Private Trip Pricing:
2023 Pricing
3 guests from $8,695 per person double occupancy
4 guests from $6,895 per person double occupancy
5 guests from $6,095 per person double occupancy
6 guests from $5,495 per person double occupancy
7 to 8 guests from $4,995 per person double occupancy
Additional Costs:
Private pricing excludes potential additional costs such as internal airfare, single supplement, or any park fees that may be required for the trip.
*Private trips require a 25% non-refundable deposit.
Take Over One of These Dates
- Aug 06 - 11, 2023
- Aug 13 - 18, 2023
Make Your Own Dates in These Months
- July, August, September
Go Custom
Create Your Very Own Adventure
Dreaming of an adventure designed exclusively for you? With insider access and decades of experience, our travel experts create custom tailored adventures that are perfect for families, couples, and large groups. MT Sobek's custom adventures are designed to our exacting standards and led by our award-winning adventure guides.
When to start planning? Earlier is always better when designing a custom trip. More time allows for better availability of preferred accommodations, guides and your desired activities. Ideally, start the conversation with us at least 6 months before you want to travel. If you are looking for a custom trip that departs within three months, chances are greatly diminished in securing requested accommodations and the best guides.
*Custom trips require a 25% non-refundable deposit once an itinerary is agreed upon.
Start PlanningInclusions
Price Includes
- Expertise and services of our experienced adventure guides
- All accommodations as noted in the itinerary
- All breakfasts, almost all lunches and dinners as noted in the itinerary
- Snacks and water between meals
- Additional regional guides and experts on many trips
- Comprehensive Trip Planner with detailed pre-trip information
- Private guided tours at historic sites, museums, wineries and other select attractions as noted in the itinerary
- Special events and other select attractions as mentioned in the itinerary
- All gratuities at hotels and restaurants
- Equipment and experienced guides for activities as described in the itinerary
- Park and other entry fees (unless otherwise noted)
- Fares for trains, ferries and other modes of travel as listed in the itinerary
- Select transfers as mentioned in the itinerary
- Baggage transfers and porterage
Price Does Not Include
- International airfare, airport taxes, and excess baggage fees
- Alcoholic beverages (MT Sobek provides wine at select events)
- Gratuities for MT Sobek guides and guide-drivers
- Travel Protection Program
- Personal expenses
Need help picking your next adventure? Call us to answer your questions.
Your Guides
The best people to immerse you in a destination are the ones who live there, which is why we feature local Adventure Guides on our trips. Here are a few that you might meet on this adventure.
Joel Clark
Never without his old battered hat, given to him by his grandfather, Joel Clark has an addiction to the wide open spaces of the West. He has hiked the Pacific Crest Trail, the Continental Divide Trail, the Appalachian Trail, and charted his own cross-country trek across the Mojave Desert totaling some 8,000 miles. Joel is an experienced guide, leading adventure tours and horse riding expeditions through the canyon lands of Southern Utah for nearly 10 years. When he gets out his guitar around the campfire, bring a handkerchief because you're going to hear some soulful old cowboy songs.
Nicole Stratman
When Nicole was introduced to the world of guiding, she finally knew she had found her tribe. After spending time working in New Zealand and Australia, she returned home with a new world perspective and spent the next five years guiding internationally clients around North America. It brings her great joy to educate guests about geology, history and to find intriguing new spots along the journey. When she's not guiding, you can find her living on the road full-time with her fellow guide and partner, Jack, in their converted Dodge Promater, working with United By Blue national waterway cleanups, and skydiving with whoever cares to take the plunge.
Brad Indy Holmes
Growing up in the Adirondack region of upstate New York, Indy was embedded with the love of the outdoors and desire for exploration. Now married for over 30 years with two adult children out doing their own thing for nearly 5 years, he decided to change life plans and travel the country to look, learn, explore, and enjoy life on a new level. And level up he did! Indy has been able to hike all over the US including tackling the Appalachian Trail, take on class 5 whitewater rapids, and throws in marathons when he's able to. So far, he's completed marathons in 30 different states. Even with all these adventures, his desire to explore and journey to new places is continuously growing. Adding guests to his ventures only heightens the travel experience where he can share in his knowledge and love of the outdoors.
Activity Level
This trip is rated activity level 3. Moderate to difficult hiking on high-altitude mountain terrain between 4,000 and 9,000 feet for 5-7 hours per day. There is a mix of undulating terrain with some steep switchbacks and rocky sections.
Learn more about activity levels here.
Activity Snapshot
Day 1
1.5-2 hours/3 miles hiking with 50' elevation gain and loss
Day 2
4-6 hours/8 miles hiking with 100' gain and loss
Day 3
7-8 hours/5.4 miles hiking with 2,000' elevation gain/loss; 3 miles with 520' gain/loss
Day 4
4-6 hours / 9.5 miles hiking with 1,000' gain and loss
Day 5
6-7 hours/7-9 miles hiking with 800'-900' elevation gain
Accommodations
Comfortable three-star, lodge-style accommodation in a five-star alpine setting. Includes the historic Ahwahnee Hotel.
Rush Creek Lodge
Rush Creek Lodge is a superbly designed property located at the West Entrance of Yosemite National Park. The décor is inspired by the breathtaking expanse of nature surrounding its 20-acre wooded hillside setting. All rooms have been thoughtfully designed and tastefully appointed with modern amenities like comfy beds, feather pillows, gourmet coffee brewers, games, and books. Relax after the day's adventures in the outdoor pool and hot tubs or cozy up around the fire pit for stargazing and s'mores.
The Ahwahnee Hotel
The historic Ahwahnee Hotel (formerly known as the Majestic Yosemite Hotel) is located in the heart of the stunning Yosemite Valley. Constructed from steel, stone, concrete, wood and glass, the hotel was specifically designed to highlight its natural surroundings - featuring Yosemite Falls, Half Dome and Glacier Point. The Ahwahnee is a premier example of National Park architecture and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a National Historic Landmark. The accommodations are comfortably appointed while still providing an authentic National Park Lodge experience.
Weather
Expect sunny days in July, August, and September with temps in the 70s to 90s; morning and nighttime temps can drop into the 40s. Be prepared for rain showers.
FAQs
How should I train for my Yosemite hiking trip?
The best training for hiking is hiking. Work up to hiking similar distances with your daypack loaded with the same weight you will be carrying each day during your trip.
Will we encounter any bears on this trip?
Black bears are the only bear here in Yosemite and they are quite docile. On most trips, you will never see a bear.
Can I drink the water from streams or lakes?
Purified water is available at the lodge. It is important that you do not drink unfiltered water from streams or lakes along the trail. You may need up to two liters each day.
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Guest Reviews
"Great experience every time with some of the most knowledgeable guides in their fields. We always come home with wonderful memories of the people we meet and things we see."
Bob J.
MT Sobek Guest
"We have traveled throughout the world, but never experienced a level of service and attention to detail as we did with MT Sobek."
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MT Sobek Guest