Lower Loop All Day Tour (mid-September). What an excellent experience! So nice to have someone…read moreelse do the driving and take us places that are the best places to stop! Highly recommend doing a tour with Yellowstone Vacation Tours! We have a second one booked in a few days for the Upper Loop. Our Tour Guide was Gypsy. Excellent and very safe driver! Wealth of knowledge and he shared so much! He took us to many of his favorite spots along with the usuals the most go to. We hit Old Faithful at the perfect time, short wait and one of the tallest eruptions, 170 ft! Just wow! So many great photo op stops. Some wild life including Bison. We saw falls and cascades. Learned so much history of the park including the background behind a lot of the names. Definitely recommend doing a tour vs Self-tour! Thank you Gypsy!

We booked the All-Day Lower Loop Summer Tour and had a fantastic experience. Our tour guide, Rue,…read morewas incredibly friendly and very knowledgeable about Yellowstone. We visited on a Sunday and were pleasantly surprised that the park wasn't too crowded. Because of this, we had extra time for a few additional stops along the route, which was a great bonus. All of the stops were amazing, especially Old Faithful and Artist Point. We were also lucky enough to see an incredible variety of wildlife, including a grizzly bear, black bear, bison, elk, and more. One thing to note is that most stops are about 20-50 minutes long, so there isn't a lot of time to fully explore each area or purchase food. Our group chose to include lunch through the company, and it was more than enough for lunch. I would suggest to bring some snacks if you're a snacker. I loved the water bottle design they provided and ended up bringing it home as a souvenir. Overall, I would highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Yellowstone!

I hesitated to spend the money for a guided tour of Yellowstone, but I'm so glad I did, and…read moreespecially glad that we used Experience Yellowstone Tours. Dale's knowledge of the park - its history, its wildlife and its geology - was worth every penny. The van was comfortable and allowed for easy viewing of the park. We never felt rushed at any of the stops. Even the breakfast and lunch were good! Dale is very friendly and an easy person to spend the day with. He treated us as if we were long-time friends. I have zero complaints but lots of great memories of our day touring Yellowstone.

My wife and I are extremely glad that we decided to take this tour. We did the North Loop with a…read morewildlife emphasis. Dale is a rock star. He's been a geologist and professional wildlife photographer for 30-40 years. His wealth of knowledge about everything in Yellowstone is what takes this tour to the next level that other National Park tours don't even come close to touching. This tour is worth EVERY penny. Along our tour, we saw a bald eagle, many buffalo, mountain goats that were right next to the road, elk and deer. Dale was shocked that we didn't see any bears that particular day because they are so common. We saw waterfalls, canyons, geysers and way more. The only downside is that we wish we had more time to tour the rest of the park.

Wow what an awesome experience. Our guide Sariah was fantastic. The facts, history and stories she…read moretold made all the difference. Lunch was great and the animals were epic.

A group of 8 of us went on the wildlife tour and our guide Brian was fantastic. It was great…read morehaving the van pick us up (very clean and comfortable) from our cabin and they had plenty of snacks and drinks and the lunch sandwiches were thick with deli meat. Brian was very informative and ensured we were comfortable and safe and went at our pace. He gave plenty of options and customized the tour to what we wanted to see and experience. He had all the right equipment (binoculars for everyone and his scope could pickup I ages far away and he videoed the animals so we could have them for later). We saw black bear, mountain goats, grizzly bears (w/cubs), grey wolf and a black wolf pack (and of course tons of bison). If you are wanting to see wildlife we highly recommend Tied to Nature.

I toured Yellowstone National Park on three separate days (12/17-12/19/2018) in snowcoaches…read moreprovided by Alpen Guides. Since the cost of the tours was included in a vacation package provided by a travel company, I'm not sure about Alpen Guides' specific prices. This review is based on how much I appreciated the tour itself. I went on two tours to Old Faithful & one to the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. The Grand Canyon tour included a box lunch. The Old Faithful tour didn't include a meal but you could purchase something to eat at the Old Faithful visitor's center restaurant if you wanted to. I was so excited about riding the snowcoaches! In Yellowstone, snowcoaches are a normal mode of transportation during the winter but I'd never ridden one or even seen one in person before. In lieu of regular tires, the back portion of a snowcoach has tracks like a tank & the front part has something that resembles skis so it can plow through the snow. The reason why I was so anxious to ride one is because the kid in me remembered the old "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" animation special where the narrator rode one. For each tour, I was picked up just before 8:30 am near the front of the motel where I was staying. We normally returned back from the tour around 4:30 pm. The tour groups are usually small (the ones I went on ranged from 4 to 8 tourists with either one or a couple of driver/tour guides). On the three days I went, I rode with customers from Ohio, Alabama, Maryland, Canada, Utah, and the Phillipines (among other places). We were told not to throw gum or candy wrappers on the ground inside the park because they want to keep Yellowstone as natural as possible. During the winter season when there's lots of snow, they only allow snowcoaches & snowmobiles in Yellowstone. Snowcoaches have a speed limit of 25 mph while snowmobiles have a speed limit of 35 mph. Because snowmobiles are allowed to go faster, snowcoach drivers are supposed to pull over to the side and let them pass. Snowmobile drivers usually travel in groups & from my observation behaved like groups of people in a motorcycle club; like they owned the road even though most of them were riding snowmobiles for the first time. The crowds in Yellowstone are small & spread out in December so even with the snowmobilers we felt like we almost had the park to ourselves. The worst thing about the snowmobilers is when we're quietly taking pictures of wildlife & then they drive up en masse & unintentionally scare the animals off. Our drivers/tour guides were excellent at their job. They had eyes like hawks, pointing out such sights as bald eagles nesting in the trees that most of us would've missed. They knew everything about the various types of trees and wildlife. My favorite part was other than seeing the wildlife was listening to the guides tell stories about their experiences in Yellowstone. One tour guide told us about when he was by himself in the park & a grizzly began approaching him. He had to use bear spray to temporarily slow it down so he could get in his vehicle & drive away. Another guide told us about how bald eagles mate for life & how they sometimes test the worthiness of a mate during courtship by doing a death spiral. A death spiral is when they lock talons high in the air, tumble towards the earth & then let go just before hitting the ground. That's how they decide whether their mate is a ride or die. If you're trying to decide which tour to choose, I'd recommend that you go on both. The Old Faithful tour has the best opportunity for souvenirs due to the two gift shops near the geyser. Also, there's a restaurant beside one of the souvenir shops. The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone tour is popular too because tourists love taking selfies with the canyon waterfall in the distant background. The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone tour includes a boxed lunch that consists of a cold sandwich (roast beef, turkey, etc.), small bag of chips & Oreo cookies. We ate the boxed lunch inside the Canyon Visitor Education Center (where you can see animal skulls & pelts). You'll see wildlife on both tours but I saw more bison on the Old Faithful tour. Every time you venture into Yellowstone it's likely you'll notice something you didn't see the day before. I enjoyed riding the snowcoaches but my favorite was the maroon bombardier that has been running since the 1950s that's nicknamed Chip. It also had a roof that the driver sometimes opened when Chip was parked. You could stand up, stick your head out & take pictures. The other snowcoaches were nice too, although they looked more modern. All of them were toasty inside but during the winter you should wear warm clothing because you will get out of the ride & walk some. The weather fluctuated from single digits to the twenties later in the afternoon. Alpen Guides is as good as it gets when it comes to sightseeing tours. Five stars!

The good: Van was heated, lunch was good, everyone was safe…read more The bad: Don was like listening to Fox News. He talked over us (on a microphone blasting the van) while we were trying to have family time and a family conversation. He was the main attraction at the park that day! We asked him not to talk about politics because we weren't interested in his arm chair quarterbacking. He declined. He didn't ask much about our opinions about where to tour that day. We are locals from Wyoming. Last year a tour operator (at a different company) laid out options and she encouraged us to make our own decisions. If you like not making decisions or having input, listening to Yellowstone facts (sprinkled with politics) blasted into your ears while you drive through pristine Yellowstone, Don is for you!

Laura was so helpful with the booking of our Yellowstone scenic tour. We are so happy we decided…read moreto see Yellowstone with a tour guide! For a big group this is the best way to see the first national park. Corey was our guide and he was awesome! He was professional, educational, and attentive to everyone in our family. We learned so much more about Yellowstone and the history of the park then if we tried to visit the park on our own. I highly recommend Yellowstone Scenic Tours.

We had the pleasure of traveling through Yellowstone with Yellowstone Scenic tours this past week…read more Not only was our guide knowledgeable and I mean KNOWLEDGEABLE she was very personable! I would HIGHLY recommend them! Can't wait to tour with them the next time we are in town!

Definitely a must see! There is a new wonder around every turn. We entered from the Northeast using…read morethe Chief Joseph Scenic highway into the Lamar valley- beautiful grasslands where herds of Bison roam and even lay in the road in front of your car! We stayed at the Yellowstone lake inn and cabins which was an excellent location. The park has a loop road in a figure eight, very easy to navigate through the signage could use improvement. We were able to see a lot in 2 days but you need to be able to hike to some of the features. A lot can be seen from your car or a short walk. Be prepared to wait! We were there after Labor Day and it wasn't quite as busy as usual but you still had to wait for a parking place. I downloaded a narrated self tour from Viator that was downloaded to my phone. There is no cell service in all of the park but calls by satellite can be made from your phone in case of emergency. GPS does work well but is slow at times. The tour started from any entrance and picked up your location to continue. It also gave you good directions. With so many geysers and geothermal sites to see, pick what you really want the see as much as you can fit in! Almost 500 miles of roadway in the main loop. 1200 geysers, thousands of steam vents, mud pots, thermal pools- you can't possibly see it all! Enjoyed every minute!

Although the park was great, there were a lot of closed areas of interest. Not much in the way of…read morefood or decent shops around the area either. Also, it's not entirely pet-friendly. Most of the sights require a small walk in areas that are pet-restricted. If you're bringing a furry.... Consider throwing them in a stroller or something.

Mike was amazing and so accommodating to my family. He was extremely knowledgeable and we felt like…read morewe saw/experienced things that others without him did not. His wife's muffins and cookies were delicious and the experience was 5 star. Not only did he help me before our trip there to make sure we were going to get the experience we wanted but he was a wonderful tour guide for two full days. I am so happy we chose Yellowstone Wonders!!

We decided in January that we were going to Yellowstone park. I started searching places to stay,…read moreetc. Social media said here's some suggestions! I clicked on something that led me to Yellowstone Wonders. I called the number and left a message for the dates we would be in the area in July. Mike called me back and I knew from the phone call that he was special. I booked 2 days with him. He used an "off" day to accommodate my family. We went on Wednesday and Friday because he had Thursday already booked. Over the next few months, he gave me suggestions at my request on places to stay and fishing guides. If I asked, he knew someone. I will say we witnessed his kindness to the park rangers and other locals. He was greeted with smiles and hugs and he even had treats for them! He picked us up at our rental at 5:30 in a Yukon XL. Of course he was early! We had 4 adults and a baby. He knew where the car seat would go so we could exit on the safety of the passenger side when getting out from the 3rd row. We never had to think because he was thinking for us. He was so prepared. He says his head is on a swivel!!! He is just amazing and he and his wife are the perfect team. No we didn't meet her but she is amazing! She made us muffins. Cinnamon was our flavor both mornings. Probably because we raved so much on Wednesday morning on them he couldn't dare bring anything else on Friday! She also made our family Snickerdoodle cookies which were equally delicious! Trust me you just have to bring your absolute necessities. He has waters. Snacks. Breakfast with coffee and hot chocolate. Have you home by 12:30-1:00 for lunch. He has the binoculars and a very nice scope for you to look at the animals. He is great at spotting the animals in the distance. Of course his knowledge as a guide he knows where the animals are most active. Yes we went to spots that others were at, but people pulled up without guides asking "what are y'all looking at?" Without the binoculars or the scope we would not have gotten the wonderful experience we had! We used Wednesday as a wildlife tour and it did not disappoint. Friday we went to the geysers and The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. When I first contacted Mike I told him the price was worth it to not argue with my husband on where to turn reading a map! I stand behind the fact that if my husband was driving he would have missed out on so much of the adventure!!! He loved watching the bison on the side of the road as Mike drove us around. Yes there is an app that gives you the tour through your radio. Mike has as much knowledge and more. We felt like he was our best friend those 2 days! He addressed each of us by our names all day even the first day! He answered all our questions. This is his business. He is your one and only contact person. He loves what he does. Let him be your friend too. Book with him and I promise you will not regret it!

Ben was the greatest tour guide! What a wonderful morning touring West Thumb Geyser Basin by kayak…read more He managed to balance safety, fun and facts. His true love and respect for the park, the animals, the people and the history were obvious. And the kayaking itself was great-- beautiful! A highlight of an already awesome trip.

This is a difficult review to write because our guide was very knowledgeable and excellent…read more However, we booked the full-day tour, advertised as lasting 5-6 hours, specifically because it was supposed to include more than the half-day tour. Instead, we were initially grouped with guests who had booked the half-day tour, and we visited the same sites they did. Our tour also ended after only about 4.5 hours. We contacted the company afterward to request a partial refund, since we had specifically paid extra for the full-day experience and did not receive the additional time or itinerary advertised. Unfortunately, they refused to offer any refund or adjustment. While we had a great guide, the tour itself did not match what was advertised, and the company's response when we raised the issue was disappointing. Based on this experience, I would not book this tour again.

Highly recommended tour. We took the evening tour with Nick and saw a newborn deer fawn born…read moreminutes before we arrived, 2 newborn elk calfs born. We saw lots of Wildlife. He provided several videos from the tour taken from a 50 mm scope with an iPhone attached to it. My 400mm lens did not capture the same quality shots. He also provided locations for astro photography. An experience one should consider.

We met at the tourist information center before boarding the van. A telescope was provided for each…read moreseat, making it easy to observe wildlife from the moment we got in. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable, sharing interesting facts about the Teton area and explaining wildlife behavior in detail. During the 4-hour tour, we visited 6 to 7 different locations. The guide knew all the shortcuts and the best spots to find animals, which gave us great opportunities to observe them up close. The tour also provided water, drinks, and snacks in case we got hungry. We took so many amazing wildlife photos and enjoyed the entire experience.