United StatesJourneys: Iconic Wildlife of Yellowstone and Grand Teton
Arrive at any time.
Arrival Day and Welcome Meeting
The adventure begins tonight. Feel free to explore before your welcome meeting, but make sure you’re back in time to meet the group. Check for the meeting time on the welcome note at the hotel. After introductions, your Expedition Leader will review the details of your tour. Please note that normal check-in times apply at our start hotels, but you can usually store your luggage for the day if you arrive early.
Accommodation
Below is an example of the hotel we may use in this city. For the actual hotel your specific departure will be using, please check your voucher.
Elk Country Inn
After breakfast, travel to Grand Teton National Park, where you’ll board a boat and cruise across the tranquil waters of Jenny Lake, which carved out Cascade Canyon approximately 12,000 years ago. Enjoy a self-guided walk to Hidden Falls along a trail that slopes up 200 ft (60 m) in elevation and ends at a magnificent waterfall that cascades 100 ft (30 m) below. Continue along the trail to Inspiration Point, where you’ll find spectacular views of Jenny Lake and Jackson Hole beyond. You can choose to return by either hiking along the lake or taking the ferry across. From there, you’ll drive to the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center, where you’ll examine the exhibits that tell the story of the region’s cultural and geological histories, as well as current preservation efforts. Next, set off on a half-mile stroll to the Murie Ranch homestead, where you will learn about the Murie family’s contribution to the 1964 Wilderness Act. Return to Jackson Hole in the evening for dinner in town with your fellow travelers.
Jenny Lake and Cascade Canyon Hike
Take a shuttle boat across Jenny Lake; then set out on a self-guided hike through the stunning Cascade Canyon carved out by retreating glaciers some 15,000 years ago. Choose to sontinue on to Hidden Falls - plummeting almost a hundred feet into the gorge - and perhaps make a final ascent up to Inspiration Point for views of the lake below. Total Elevation Gain: 450 ft (138m).
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center
The Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center orients, educates, and inspires visitors to make their own discoveries within the park. Spend time enjoying the various exhibits at the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center. Afterwards, walk the 1/2 mile to the Murie Ranch homestead. The Murie Ranch was a base camp for conservation leaders who advocated for the protection of American wilderness.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Accommodation
Elk Country Inn Breakfast
Begin the day with a guided wildlife float along the Snake River and bask in the morning sun as it casts a glow on the Tetons. This is the perfect time to spot wildlife, so be on the lookout for mule deer, pronghorns, elk and moose in the surrounding woodlands and meadows. In the afternoon, travel to the Teton Raptor Center for an exclusive 1-hour private raptor experience. Led by a naturalist and staff member of the center, your tour includes a visit to the newly restored historic barn, where you will learn all about the region’s raptors (birds of prey) and their role in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem. Discover more about the center’s field work and clinic, where injured, ill or orphaned raptors are cared for. Later, return to the hotel and enjoy a delicious dinner on your own.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Grand Teton Scenic River Float
Enjoy a 16km (10 mile) guided scenic raft trip on the Snake River in Grand Teton National Park. Learn from local guides about the history of the region, as well as the plant and wildlife against a backdrop of majestic peaks. Keep your eyes peeled for moose, bald eagles, osprey, bears, beavers, and more.
Your Journeys Highlight Moment: Teton Raptor Center
The Teton Raptor Center was established in 1991 when Roger Smith and Margaret Creel began caring for injured raptors—better known as birds of prey—in their home. As field biologists working in Grand Teton National Park, the couple was very interested in the environmental importance of raptors. Over the course of several years they saved dozens of birds and provided hundreds of educational programs to reach students of all ages. In 2017, Teton Raptor Center purchased the Hardeman Barns as a permanent home for raptor conservation. Visit the center for your exclusive, behind-the-scenes tour, learn about caring for these magnificent birds, and gain a sense of their invaluable place in the area’s ecosystem.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Accommodation
Elk Country Inn Breakfast
This morning, your journey takes you along Yellowstone’s Mormon Row, where you’ll make a stop at West Thumb Geyser Basin. Wander along the 1-mile loop, search for birds and get to know the environment of Yellowstone. The next stop is at Old Faithful, where you’ll watch the famed geyser erupt. Enjoy a picnic lunch, then visit the Tribal Heritage Center, which opened in 2022 as a way to recognize the many Tribal Nations that called Yellowstone their home before it was named a national park in 1872. You’ll engage with indigenous artists, scholars and presenters from the 27 associated Tribes of Yellowstone through the center’s educational programs, which include photography, beadwork, moccasin making, quilt work and more. After your visit, stroll along the boardwalks that wind between the gurgling hot springs and geysers of the Upper Geyser Basin.
Yellowstone National Park Visit
Make several stops throughout the day. Today the journey is the destination. Cross the Continental Divide and get a taste of just some of the 10,000+ hydrothermal features, 500+ active geysers (more than half the world's geysers), and almost 300 waterfalls. Stay on the lookout for the 67 species of mammals and 285 species of birds that call this place home.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle. The drive time listed includes all stops within Yellowstone National Park.
Yellowstone South Loop Excursion
Travel through the Southern Loop of Yellowstone National Park, which features some of the most breathtaking and diverse natural scenery. Watch Old Faithful erupt and take in the geysers in West Thumb with Yellowstone Lake as the backdrop.
Accommodation
Elk Country Inn Breakfast
Get an early start to your day as you travel to the Lamar Valley with a Yellowstone National Park specialist for a private wildlife-spotting tour. Known as the “Serengeti of North America,” the Lamar Valley has a high concentration of wildlife, including bison, elk, and elusive wolves and grizzly bears. You will be equipped with binoculars to keep an eye out for fauna and flora as you learn about the region’s fascinating history. In the afternoon, enjoy some leisure time at the hotel, where you can take advantage of its many amenities or stroll through its serene surroundings. This evening, dinner will be on your own.
Your Journeys Highlight Moment: Wildlife Spotting in Lamar Valley
Enjoy a private, guided wildlife viewing tour in the Lamar Valley with a Yellowstone Park specialist as your guide. Listen to educational content about the Valley’s wildlife, flora, fauna, and history as you search for animals on this six hour viewing opportunity. Equipped with binoculars and a telescope, you will discover the natural wonders around you while your guide explains in depth the wildlife found within this small piece of Yellowstone. Breakfast and lunch will be provided. Search for wolves, herds of bison, pronghorn, badgers, grizzly bears, bald eagles, osprey, deer, and coyotes as you bump along in this mesmerizing landscape.
Yellowstone National Park Visit
Today the journey is the destination. Cross the Continental Divide and get a taste of just some of the 10,000+ hydrothermal features, 500+ active geysers (more than half the world's geysers), and almost 300 waterfalls. Stay on the lookout for the 67 species of mammals and 285 species of birds that call this place home.
Accommodation
Yellowstone Park Hotel
After breakfast, you’ll continue to explore the many wonders of Yellowstone National Park. Peer into the rainbow-hued Grand Prismatic Spring to admire where the thermophilic bacteria generate vivid shades of yellow, blue and red. Stand in awe while overlooking the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, formed as a result of a volcanic eruption about 630,000 years ago. Set out on a Expedition Leader-led trail walk along the southern rim—from Artist Point Overlook to the Point Sublime Overlook—high above the Yellowstone River. In the afternoon, visit the Mud Pots, then continue to Yellowstone Lake for a Expedition Leader-guided hike up the Storm Point Trail. In the evening, gather with your fellow travelers for a final dinner together and share stories from your unforgettable adventure.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Yellowstone Northern Loop Excursion
Visit other magnificent sites of Yellowstone during your final day in the national park. Stand overlooking the breathtaking Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, walk along the southern rim to Artist Point Overlook and Point Sublime Overlook with your Expedition Leader. See the Mud Pots and enjoy one final Expedition Leader-led hike along the Storm Point Trail.
Grand Canyon of Yellowstone Visit
Visit the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. Take a there-and-back Expedition Leader-led trail walk from the majestic Artist Point overlook to the Point Sublime Overlook along the southern rim of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River.
Mud Pots Visit Yellowstone
Visit the Yellowstone Mud Pots. See where hot water is limited, where hydrogen sulfide gas is present, and where sulfuric acid is generated leaving the rotten egg smell so familiar to geothermal areas.
Storm Point Trail Hike
Set off on a guided hike up the Storm Point Trail. Begin in open meadows overlooking Indian Pond and Yellowstone Lake. Then pass further alongside the pond before turning west into the forest.
Accommodation
Yellowstone Park Hotel
In the morning, depart for the start hotel in Jackson, where your tour comes to end. From there, you must make your own way to the airport as only permitted airport vehicles can access the drop off area.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Departure Day
Not ready to leave? Your Expedition Leader can help with travel arrangements to extend your adventure.
