Know Before You Go: Yellowstone National Park
The Tour at a Glance
Shaka Guide's Yellowstone National Park Tour is a multi-day, multi-directional driving tour with 37 stops, five starting points and flexible routing throughout the park.
Weather, road construction, seasonal closures and other conditions can affect your Yellowstone trip. Check the National Park Service website for current alerts and road conditions before entering the park.
Check Yellowstone Alerts & Conditions →Starting the Tour
Where Does the Yellowstone Tour Start?
Shaka Guide's Yellowstone National Park Tour has five starting points near Yellowstone's five entrances: West, North, Northeast, East and South.
Which Yellowstone Entrance Should I Use?
Choose the entrance that makes the most sense based on where you're staying and where you're traveling from.
Can I Enter Through One Yellowstone Entrance and Leave Through Another?
Each entrance has unique tour content depending on whether you're entering or leaving the park.
Can I Drive Yellowstone Clockwise or Counterclockwise?
You can even change direction during your trip. The tour will continue to guide you along the route.
Plan Your Day
How Much Time Do I Need for the Yellowstone Tour?
We recommend treating Yellowstone as a multi-day experience. You can drive through portions of the tour in one day, but you'll need several days if you want time to explore the park's major geyser basins, wildlife areas, overlooks, hikes and visitor centers.
Can I See Yellowstone in One Day?
Yes, but think of one day as an express Yellowstone experience. You'll need to prioritize a small number of major stops and expect a lot of driving.
Can I Take the Yellowstone Tour Over Multiple Days?
See more of Yellowstone without trying to fit everything into two packed days.
View 3-Day Itinerary →Break the Shaka Guide tour into manageable sections and explore at a relaxed pace.
View 7-Day Itinerary →What Stops Can I Skip if I'm Short on Time?
If you're short on time, prioritize the attractions that matter most to you and skip smaller pullouts, minor overlooks and longer hikes. Yellowstone is too large to see everything during a rushed visit.
What Time Should I Start the Yellowstone Tour?
Start early. Popular parking lots and boardwalk areas can fill by mid-morning, and early morning is also a great time for wildlife viewing.
Do I Need Advance Reservations?
You don't need a reservation simply to enter Yellowstone, but reservations are highly recommended for lodging and campgrounds, especially during the busy summer season.
If you're planning any guided activities, tours or other bookable experiences, check availability and make reservations before your trip.
How Much Does It Cost to Enter Yellowstone National Park?
Yellowstone charges an entrance fee. Standard entrance passes are valid for seven consecutive days.
Fees and pass rules can change. Check current Yellowstone entrance fees on the National Park Service website. Fees were updated on August 13, 2026.
Note: Non-U.S. residents age 16 and older may be subject to an additional $100 per-person fee. The $70 Yellowstone Annual Pass is available to U.S. citizens and residents.
When Are Yellowstone's Roads Open?
Yellowstone National Park is open year-round, but many park roads and services are seasonal. Weather can also cause temporary closures, even during the main visitor season.
Check Yellowstone's current road status with the National Park Service before you begin your tour.
How Can I Make the Most of My Day?
Some Yellowstone stops can take several hours, especially if you're hiking or waiting for a geyser eruption. If you're planning to visit any of the stops below, budget your day accordingly.
If you're adding one of the longer hikes, choose fewer major attractions that day. Yellowstone is much more enjoyable when you leave room for wildlife jams, parking delays and unexpected stops.
What Are Yellowstone's Two Main Loops?
Most of Yellowstone's major attractions sit along two large driving loops.
Northern Loop
Explore areas like Mammoth Hot Springs, Tower-Roosevelt and Lamar Valley.
Southern Loop
Explore areas like Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone Lake and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.
Norris Canyon Road connects the northern and southern portions of the tour, giving you flexibility to customize your route.
What Are Common Mistakes to Avoid in Yellowstone?
The biggest mistake is trying to see too much in too little time. Yellowstone is enormous, and drive times can grow quickly because of traffic, wildlife jams and parking delays.
- Trying to see the entire park in one day.
- Underestimating driving times between major areas.
- Entering the park without checking current road conditions.
- Running low on gas between fuel stations.
- Not packing enough food, water or layers.
- Getting too close to wildlife.
- Walking off designated boardwalks around thermal features.
- Relying on cell service inside the park.
Yellowstone National Park Tour Highlights
What Are the Must-See Stops in Yellowstone?
Some of our favorite stops on the Yellowstone National Park Tour include:
Where Are the Best Places to See Wildlife in Yellowstone?
Lamar Valley and Hayden Valley are two of the best wildlife-viewing areas on the tour. Early morning and evening often provide great opportunities to spot bison, elk and other wildlife.
Is There Food Along the Route?
Yes, but food options are spread throughout a very large park and can be crowded. Packing a picnic lunch and snacks gives you more flexibility and can save time during your tour.
Are There Gas Stations Along the Route?
Yes, but fuel stops can be far apart. Fill up whenever you have the opportunity, especially before driving between major areas of the park.
Are There Bathrooms Along the Tour?
Yes. Restrooms are available at major attractions, visitor centers, picnic areas and developed areas throughout the park. The tour regularly passes restroom opportunities as you travel.
What Safety Information Do I Need to Know?
Yellowstone is wild. Give animals plenty of space, carry bear spray when hiking and always stay on designated boardwalks around thermal features.
Stay at least 100 yards from bears, wolves and cougars and at least 25 yards from other wildlife, including bison and elk. All of Yellowstone is bear country, so carry bear spray when hiking, know how to use it and follow current National Park Service bear-safety guidance. If an animal moves closer, back away.
Read Yellowstone's current safety guidance →Yellowstone's hot springs and geysers can be dangerous. The ground around thermal features can be thin and unstable with scalding water underneath. Stay on designated boardwalks and trails, keep children close and never touch thermal water or runoff.
Read NPS thermal-area safety guidance →What to Bring
What Should I Pack for Yellowstone National Park?
Yellowstone's weather, wildlife and long driving distances make preparation especially important. Here's what we recommend bringing:
Essentials
Hiking & Weather
Wildlife Safety
What Should I Wear?
Dress in layers and wear comfortable shoes with good traction. Yellowstone weather can change quickly, so bring a rain jacket or poncho even if the forecast looks clear.
Final Tour Checklist
App Questions
What Should I Download Before Starting the Tour?
You'll want to make sure you have the Shaka Guide app and Yellowstone National Park Tour completely downloaded before you enter the park. We recommend downloading the tour over Wi-Fi before you start. Cell service is limited throughout Yellowstone, so make sure the download is complete before you go.
Will the Tour Work Without Cell Service or Wi-Fi?
Even in remote parts of Yellowstone, you'll have access to the tour, offline map and audio narration.
Does the App Use GPS Without Internet?
Yes! The app uses GPS and offline maps, so no internet is required to use the tour.
Should I Bring a Car Charger or Power Bank?
Yes. Yellowstone involves long days of driving, and GPS use can drain your phone battery. Pack a car charger or power bank so you can keep the tour playing throughout the day.
How Do I Connect the Tour Audio to My Car?
For help connecting the tour audio to your car, check out our step-by-step car audio tutorial.
Does the App Work With Android Auto and Apple CarPlay?
The app is not compatible with Android Auto. It is compatible with Apple CarPlay.
What Should I Do if the Tour Isn't Playing Correctly?
Please don't hesitate to reach out! You can contact us at aloha@shakaguide.com or give us a call at (808) 201-8138.
Whether you have two days, three days or a full week, use our Yellowstone itineraries to decide how to break up the tour and make the most of your time in the park.
Always check current National Park Service alerts, road conditions, weather and seasonal closures before visiting Yellowstone National Park.