Whenever I need to get out of the city and commune with nature after a long month of guiding tours, I'm always so thankful to live near this incredible area filled with natural beauty.
Even if you're not a local, this post is designed to explain how to get to Yosemite National Park from San Francisco by car, by taking a bus tour, or by using public transportation.
I'll also include details about guided tours that last multiple days, giving you plenty of time to explore as much of Yosemite as possible.
- Where is Yosemite
- Public Transportation
- Bus Tours + By Car
- Multi-Day Tours
- Other Day Trips
- Things to Do in Yosemite
- Is Yosemite Worth the Day Trip?
WHERE IS YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK
Yosemite National Park is approximately 167 miles east of San Francisco.
Depending on how you choose to get there, travel time will take an average of 3 ½ - 4 ½ hours.
Use this link to Google Maps for specific directions and routes that you can take from your point of departure anywhere in San Francisco.
SAN FRANCISCO TO YOSEMITE BUS
Unfortunately, there isn’t any public transport that goes the entire way to Yosemite from San Francisco.
But you can take either an Amtrak train or a Greyhound bus to the town of Merced.
From Merced, you transfer to the YARTS system which takes you to Yosemite.
See below for instructions on how to use the YARTS system from Merced to Yosemite.
Via Amtrak train:
The San Joaquins line goes to Merced making several stops along the way.
The average ticket price in coach class is $30.
The first train departs at 6:55 AM and the last one departs at 04:40 PM. The journey takes approximately 3.5 hours.
Book your Amtrak tickets here.
Via Greyhound bus:
The average bus price to Merced from San Francisco via Greyhound ranges from $23.50 (the 11 AM bus only) up to $40.
The first bus departs at 9:05 AM and the last bus departs at 06:00 PM.
While the journey time is usually between 5-7 hours, the 11 AM bus takes only 3 hours and 45 minutes making it the fastest bus trip available.
As the 11 AM bus is also the least expensive, we recommend you take it if it works with your schedule. But book in advance.
Book your Greyhound bus tickets here.
YARTS (Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System)
As noted above, YARTS (Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System) offers public transportation between Merced and Yosemite.
The YARTS bus takes you into the park to the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center in Yosemite Valley.
Some great news is that all YARTS tickets include the entrance fee to Yosemite!
It's very easy to transfer from Merced to the YARTS bus stop (map).
From Amtrak, the YARTS station is around the corner. The Greyhound Station is a 12-minute walk to the YARTS stop.
Tickets
One-way fare in either direction:
- Adult (18 years +) $ 22.00
- Child (6 - 17) $ 11.00
- One Child (6-12) Free when accompanying one paid fare
- Child (5 & under) Free
- Seniors 62 years and older w/ID $11.00
- Military/Disability - w/ID $ 11.00
There are three ways to purchase a ticket:
1) Make your reservation and purchase online in advance (highly recommended).
2) Wak-ups are allowed on a first-come, first-serve basis. Walk-ups can pay with cash (exact change only) or credit card (Visa, Mastercard, and Discover only)
3) At the YARTS Administration office located at 357 W. 18th Street, Merced
See the YARTS website for detailed information and to reserve your tickets.
TIP: If you want to save money on hotel costs or break your travel time into two days, consider staying at a hotel in one of the towns along the route like Mariposa or El Portal.
Yosemite Valley Shuttle System
Once inside Yosemite, you can use this free shuttle service to get around the park.
Read more about this shuttle service in our post on things to do in Yosemite National Park.
BUS TOURS TO YOSEMITE
Several tour companies offer day trips from San Francisco to Yosemite National Park.
Prices typically range from about $175 to $210 for a full-day outing (in peak season). In the off-season, like winter, ticket prices may be on sale for less.
However, depending on the tour company, services may be limited during the winter.
Tours typically include round-trip bus service between San Francisco and Yosemite, a park entrance fee, and a live guide and/or audio guide.
You will have a few hours of free time inside the park for you to explore. See our post on things to do at Yosemite National Park to plan your free time.
Below we go into detail about two companies, Skyline Sightseeing, and Extranomical Tours.
Skyline Sightseeing Tours (formerly City Sightseeing)
Skyline Sightseeing Tours offers many bus tours in and beyond San Francisco, including classic hop-off-hop-on bus tours that take visitors to different tourist destinations in the city.
You may have seen their orange, open-top double-decker buses around San Francisco.
This reputable company offers a highly-rated day trip to Yosemite National Park. It operates daily (except Christmas Day & Thanksgiving).
The tour price includes round-trip transportation with hotel pick-up/drop-off, the park entrance fee and live commentary from a professional guide during the bus trip.
This tour includes a visit to several notable sites such as Half Dome, Yosemite Falls, and Bridal Veil Falls.
Once at the park, you will have a few hours on your own to explore. If you like, you can purchase food and beverages inside the park.
Tour Information:
Tickets: $207.99/Adults (age 12+) | $184.99/Children (age11 and under)
- Save $10 when you order online
- Yosemite entrance fee included
- Tour Start Time: approx. 5:20 am-6 am (depending on your specific hotel pick-up time)
- Duration: 15 hours (including travel time)
- Purchase tickets or learn more.
NOTE: Skyline Sightseeing also offers day trips to Muir Woods, Sausalito, Sonoma Valley, and other locations. Read about their other bus tours.
Extranomical Tours
Extranomical Tours runs several bus tours to Yosemite, including a highly-rated one-day tour from San Francisco.
This tour includes round-trip transportation to the park with pick-up/drop-off service from most hotels in Downtown San Francisco and Fisherman's Wharf.
You will have a live guide providing commentary in English. Once at Yosemite, you have 5- 6 hours of free time to explore the park.
You will be given a free map and an audio tour of the park offered in several languages.
You’ll be able to visit Inspiration Point, Bridal Veil Falls, Yosemite Falls, and other notable spots.
Weather permitting, you will be able to take a one-mile Giant Sequoia Walk.
Tour information:
- Tickets: $209/Adults | $197/Children
- The tour departs at 5:20 am
- Duration: 15 hours
- Yosemite entrance fee included
- Yosemite audio guide and map included
- Food and beverages are not included
- Purchase tickets or learn more.
Extranomical offers an array of services, including San Francisco bus tours, wine tasting tours, and more. See their full selection of tours.
TIP: See our post on things to do at Yosemite National Park to plan your free time.
Best Bay Area Tours
Best Bay Area Tours offers several tours in and around San Francisco.
Their "Yosemite in a Day Tour" brings guests directly from their hotel to Yosemite National Park.
The tour includes a guided walk among the giant redwood trees, followed by a scenic drive to Tunnel View Vista Point photo stop (pictured above) which offers one of the best views of the area.
Along the way, guests can expect their tour guide to offer commentary and point out highlights such as Yosemite Falls and other waterfalls, Half Dome, El Capitan, and more.
Lunch is not included, but there is free time for guests to purchase food.
- Length of Tour: Approximately 14 hours
- When: Daily @ 6 am from Fisherman's Wharf
- Cost: $209 - Adult | $179 - Child (ages 0-12)
- More info and to book.
Reviews: This company receives excellent reviews for all of their day trips, especially their tour to Yosemite National Park.
Several of the reviewers praise the knowledgeable guides and ease of transportation. Read reviews here.
Guests also comment on the beauty of the park and complement this company for allowing adequate free time to explore on their own. TripAdvisor Rating: 5 stars.
Gray Line San Francisco Tours
Gray Line Tours offers a day trip to Yosemite that features a 1 hour guided bus tour of Yosemite Valley and 3 hours of free time to explore on your own.
Door-to-door pick-up from most hotels in San Francisco is included as is the entrance fee to Yosemite National Park.
Food and drinks are not provided. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the tour.
Note that they use buses that seat from 28-56 people, so the size of the group can vary immensely depending on the season.
Gray Line offers a complete line of tours inside and outside of the Bay Area.
- Length of the Tour: 13.5 hours
- When: Daily @ 7 am
- Cost:
- Off-Peak season through March $169 - Adult | $119 - Child (5-11) | Free - children under 5
- Peak Season April through September $199 - Adult | $146 - Child (5-11) | Free - children under 5
- More info and to book.
Reviews: The reviews for this tour were also very mixed, with many saying that they felt rushed at Yosemite and that the company seemed very disorganized.
There were several complaints regarding the attitudes of the bus drivers, many of whom were criticized for being rude and unprofessional.
On the other hand, several commenters noted that this was a highlight of their trip to the Bay Area and that they learned a lot during the tour. Read the reviews. TripAdvisor: 4 stars.
Incredible Adventures
Incredible Adventures' day tour to Yosemite includes a professional guide, an in-coach narrated tour of Yosemite (1.5 hrs), 3 hours of free time in the Valley, and the Yosemite Park entrance fee.
Free pick-up from most San Francisco hotels is included. Refreshments are not included, but there is plenty of time for guests to purchase their own along the way.
Incredible Adventures also operates tours on behalf of Tower Tours. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the tour.
- Length of Tour: 14-15 hours
- When: Daily @ 6 am
- Cost: $199 - Adult | $162 - Child (under 12 years of age)
- More info and to book.
Reviews: Reviews for Incredible Adventures are quite good, with guests consistently praising the guides as knowledgeable, entertaining, and engaging.
Though reviewers note that it is a long day, they felt that the guides kept the trip interesting. Read reviews here.
There are a few complaints that the website isn't accurate about time allowance on the website.
One must take into account that weather conditions and traffic can cause changes in the amount of time allotted for each part of the trip.
Regardless, the reviews are excellent across the board. TripAdvisor Rating: 4.5 stars.
BY CAR
There are a few ways to drive to Yosemite National Park. The two routes we suggest below are a scenic route via Highway 140 or a faster route via Highway 120.
Use this link to Google Maps for directions from your exact point of departure in San Francisco.
Note that some roads may be closed during certain times of the year, so before you depart for Yosemite, check the National Park Service’s Current Conditions page.
Scenic Route
If you want to enjoy the best views on your way to Yosemite National Park, this is the best option.
- Drive east on I-80 and merge onto I-580
- Keep driving on I-580 and merge onto I-205
- Continue on I-205 and merge onto I-5 for a short while
- From I-5, merge onto Hwy 120
- Drive past Manteca on Hwy 120 and merge onto Hwy 99
- Drive on Hwy 99 until you reach Merced
- After driving past Merced, merge onto Hwy 140
- Take Hwy 140 all the way to Yosemite National Park
The main scenic part of this drive starts once you reach Hwy 140. This road will take you directly to Yosemite, and there are a lot of historic sites along the way.
You may want to consider a stop in Mariposa, an old mining town with a classic old-fashioned main street and several interesting shops to see.
This is a great place to stop and stretch your legs either before or after a trip to Yosemite National Park.
Quick Route
This is usually the route that most GPS services will suggest.
The main concern with taking Hwy 120 is that landslides can occur and this means frequent road closures.
- Drive east on I-880 and merge onto I-580
- Keep driving on I-580 and merge onto I-205
- Continue on I-205 and merge onto I-5 for a short while
- From I-5, merge onto Hwy 120
- Take Hwy 120 all the way to Yosemite National Park
Directions from San Francisco International Airport to Yosemite
This is the fastest route available to reach from SFO airport to Yosemite National Park by car.
- Start at SFO and get on the US-101 S from Airport Access Rd.
- Merge onto CA-92 E and take exit 414B from US-101 S.
- Take I-880 N and exit onto I-238 S toward I-580 E.
- Continue on I-580 E and then merge onto I-205 E toward Tracy/Stockton.
- Merge onto I-5 N and take exit 461 for CA-120 E.
- Continue on CA-120 E to reach Yosemite National Park.
Entry Fee for Vehicles
Here are the basic prices you can expect to pay:
- Car/Pickup Truck/RV/Van (up to 15 seats)
- $35 per vehicle | No per-person fee
- Motorcycle
- $30 per vehicle | No per-person fee
Where to Get Gas?
Gas is pretty pricey in and around San Francisco, and the price may rise the closer you get to Yosemite National Park.
Your best bet is to fill your tank at gas stations outside of the city and before you get too close to the park.
If you take Hwy 120, consider stopping at Oakdale, which is a bit more than halfway between the city and the park.
If you take the scenic route, Merced or Mariposa are good places to stop for gas.
MULTI-DAY TOURS OF YOSEMITE
For those looking to spend ample time in Yosemite, a multi-day tour of the park is your best option. Tours typically range from 2-5 days and can include accommodation or not.
The cost of multi-day tours tends to be significantly higher than any day tours, regardless of whether or not the accommodation is part of the package.
However, the most significant benefit of opting for a multi-day tour is having adequate time to explore Yosemite, as that is the most common criticism of all-day tours across the board.
If you're interested in hiking or bike rentals, this type of tour will give you more time to really experience several different parts of the park in the heart of Yosemite Valley at your own pace.
Extranomical Tours
In addition to their 1-day tour (see above), Extranomical Tours also usually run several multi-day tours to Yosemite National Park.
Tours typically range from 2-5 days, each of which can be paired with or without accommodation. Unfortunately, as of Feb 2025, they are only offering 2-day outings.
Those that don't include accommodation include San Francisco hotel pick-up, transportation to Yosemite National Park, a tour of Yosemite Valley, and a drop-off at Yosemite Lodge.
For those who select a tour that does include accommodation, there are several different types of accommodation with different price tags to choose from. Many consider the Ahwahnee Hotel to be one of the best in the area.
Prices will vary based on the location of the lodge and the number of people in your party.
- Length of Tour: 2 days, with daily departures back to San Francisco available.
- When: Departures daily @ 5:40 am
- Cost without accommodation included:
- 2 day tour $279 - Adult | $249 - Child
- Learn more or to book.
Reviews: As noted above, reviews for Extranomical Tours' Yosemite Tour are generally very positive, with many guests referring to their experience as "wonderful" and something that "should not be missed."
The company's guides also receive high praise for being "knowledgeable, humorous, and well organized."
Many also compliment the buses themselves for being clean and quaint, making the experience all the more intimate.
Though some guests complain that the microphone on the bus was inadequate, the infrequency of these comments suggests that this issue has been fixed. TripAdvisor Rating: 4.5 stars.
Incredible Adventures
Incredible Adventures also offers several multi-day tours of Yosemite, including a 3-day camping tour and a 2-day hotel tour.
Each of these tours features the same inclusions as the day tours but included the cost of accommodation.
San Francisco hotel pick-up, transportation to Yosemite National Park, a narrated tour of the area, and drop off at Yosemite lodging is all part of the overall cost.
Food and drink are not included.
They also offer a combination tour with the Tahoe Sierras.
- Length of Tour: 2-4 days
- Cost:
- 2 day Yosemite tour with hotel - $519 per person
- 3 day Yosemite tour with camping - $629/Adults | $485/Children
- 4 day Yosemite and Tahoe Sierras tour with hotel - $1,209 per person
Reviews: Similar to Extranomical Tours, nearly all of the Incredible Adventures' negative reviews are critical of the short amount of time allotted for exploring Yosemite.
Multi-day tours allow guests to avoid this issue and make the most of their time in the park.
Those who didn't experience this rated the tour very highly, praising the high quality of the guides. TripAdvisor Rating: 4.5 stars.
DEALS AND DISCOUNTS
For the budget-conscious traveler, there are several websites that regularly offer discounts on tours of Yosemite. Here are some of the best websites to browse through in search of a deal:
Get Your Guide
Get Your Guide is a booking platform that curates lists of handpicked tours to sell directly to guests. They promote several different tours of Yosemite, each of which varies immensely in price.
This is a good place to browse through a wide selection of tours so that you can compare prices and itineraries. Learn more.
Groupon, Living Social, and GoldStar
Additionally, there are several other discount websites such as Groupon, LivingSocial, GoldStar, and Tripadvisor that periodically offer discounted tours of Yosemite.
These companies update their deals on a regular basis, so be sure to check each website to learn more about what special discounts are on offer.
Is Yosemite Worth the Day Trip?
This question gets asked a lot, and while I obviously have my own opinions about that, I'm also entirely capable of bias. That's why I found this interesting Reddit post with comments focusing on answering this question in greater depth.
RELATED POSTS
