Excellent tour with Grant and worth the $! As Yosemite gets busier, this is really worth your time…read moreand $! You don't have to navigate traffic, you're driven by and given ample time off this small bus to see everything and take tons of photos, lunch and a fantastic history lesson. $220.00 per person. Pick up 7:05 am and dropped back off at 5:00 pm. Lunch is quite good. Sandwiches from Deli Delicious in Oakhurst. Lunch is taken in the middle of the park where you can sit and enjoy it, use the facilities, grab a Starbucks if needed and take a short walk over to one of the waterfalls. You're picked back up after an hour and 1/2 and this wonderful tour continues. You see loads of wildlife, more amazing waterfalls and this famous sites you've seen all over the place in pictures, movies, paintings, etc and if your lucky, so rock climbers on 1/2 Dome or El Capitan. Incredible scenery and so much to learn about this incredible place, the indigenous peoples and tribes that lived here and the incredible amount of history all in one day. Do yourself a favor and take the tour. Hopefully you'll get Grant. He's fun, is an excellent driver, has lots of bottled water and snacks, really takes care of his fares, knows an enormous amount of info from here and makes the tour really fun. There's so much to see and if you don't know where you're going, you can really get turned around and hung up in traffic.

Get your camera ready and bring your curiosity. PREPARE:…read moreThis is no time for fashionable garb; Dress warmly and wear comfortable clothing and footwear. SERVICE: Our guide, Jarret from Discover Yosemite was passionate, friendly, and knowledgeable about every nook and cranny. ORGANIZED AND INFORMATIVE: The tour was well organized and visually appealing even though several of the passes were closed. TIP: silence your phones and texts, Ready your camera. 360' visuals require your attention. ( You will thank us later.) IS IT STRENUOUS? It can be, depending on your health. In my case, I've been dealing with some medical issues but Jarret made sure to identify places where I could sit out the more physically demanding walks and hikes while taking in incredible views from comfortable benches carved from hundreds of year old logs. Jarret found unique ways to cater to all levels of interest and physical ability. NOTE: if two of the roads were open, you would expect significant walking on flat and uneven surfaces. This is a special way to fully engage and immerse in nature. THE FOOD: The sandwich provided in the included picnic lunch did not meet the standards of the your. Ample snacks and bottled beverages and water were available throughout the adventure. TIP:PACK SOME PROVISIONS OR EAT A HEARTY BREAKFAST. SHOPPING: Several stops to do tourist shopping ( We found some luscious sweets and surprised Jarrett with hand dipped chocolate- He seemed to appreciate it,) ADVICE; leave young children in the care of others so you can focus on the serenity of the environment and take in the majesty of 150-3,000 year old trees and million year landscapes. This is an activity for serious nature lovers. PLEASE REMEMBER TO TIP GENEROUSLY.

Dave is AMAZING! We had the best day with him on our private tour of Yosemite. He is so fun,…read moreknowledgeable, a great conversationalist and made the day fabulous. I had the best time and felt like we got to really see Yosemite and get to know the park. I would 100% recommend booking with him and his company. Hands down the BEST!!

I cannot say enough about David and the two days he spent with us in the park. It was our first…read moretrip to Yosemite and David planned two great days that really gave us a feel for the incredible natural beauty that surrounds you in the Valley. While you can only see so much in two days, his skillful guiding made the most of that time covering the multiple waterfalls in the valley, the Sequoia Grove, Hatch Hatchy and many others. He is a self taught naturalist and gave us just the right mix of park history and insights into the floral and fauna. He also balanced our hiking so it was challenging enough to keep me interested but not to difficult that Thelma could not enjoy it as well. He was also terrific about assisting her through some of the more difficult and rocky sections so she was never uncomfortable. His planning was simply impeccable and more than worth every penny as we could never have enjoyed as much as we did on our own. There is just no substitute for having a professional guide a Dave was as professional as it gets. Simply cannot thank him enough and more highly recommend him to anyone who wants an extraordinary experience.

It was a fantastic experience. Sean was also an incredible…read morestory teller in the caboose and we learned a lot. The landscape is breathtaking. The whole team make you feel very very welcome! We will be back with more family!

This was such a great experience for my husband and I; and if we had children, this is the spot for…read morechildren! They had a cute kids depot which offered a variety of awesome toys - Knick knacks - to buy. There was also a gift shop that offered products at a lower price than other places (Tenaya). There's an area to do some gold mining haha such a cool spot - definitely worth the visit! Tip: arrive early so you get a good seat. If you arrive late, you may be separated from your group and will seat in the open spots available.

Our tour guides were absolutely amazing (John and Mia) and they were very knowledgeable and helped…read moreanswer all of our questions (about Yosemite in general, specific famous features on our hike, and even random questions about birds and plant life). The hike is as advertised (in terms of ratings and what features you will see). They always put safety first and even offered to help carry our back packs when we got tired or were crossing a small stream! They treated us like close family/friends, were encouraging us along the way, and adapted to our pace and schedule. Our group ranged from age 6 to adult and we couldn't have made it to the end of the hike without them! Book them for your tours and have fun on your Yosemite Vacation!

Will definitely be booking again with John and Y Explore!!! Honestly when we booked the guided half…read moredome hike I went into it thinking we were just utilizing the purchased permits as hadn't won the lottery ourselves but as the day progressed I became more and more grateful for the wisdom and knowledge of our guide. From breathing techniques and tips for ascending and descending the cables to the order of of our group and perfectly timed rest breaks this was worth every penny as we had not only a successful summit but an overwhelming positive experience! Hubby and I are excited to travel again to more destination with Y Explore in the near future!

Right around the corner from where I live, Sierra cider is surrounded by the apple orchards, they…read moreused to make their sliders. A wide variety of sliders. You can have a flight of five and she's your favorite. There are lots of special events there. And they have an animal farm with goats and chickens and a potbelly pig and a beautiful white dog named Bella.

We stopped by Sierra Cider right at opening (12pm) as part of our day trip before heading into…read moreYosemite for my birthday, and it was such a fun and refreshing visit! The owner and staff were super welcoming and walked us through all their offerings, which made the experience even better. We kicked things off with a cider flight--our favorites were Early Harvest and Graveyard. Early Harvest was simple, crisp, and just sweet enough, while Graveyard reminded me of a Scottish smoky cider aged in whiskey barrels. I do wish there were a few more sweet options overall and possibly a current up to date list of what's on tap somewhere online, but everything was well-crafted and flavorful! To cool off, we grabbed a cider slushy (highly recommend!) and wandered the property. We visited the goats, strolled through the apple trees, and made friends with their big fluffy Pyrenees who was living his best life napping in the shade. I picked up a bottle of Early Harvest and a t-shirt to bring back to DFW. It was the perfect stop--relaxed, local, and a great way to start the afternoon before heading into Yosemite. After our tasting, we walked through some of the apple trees, visited the cutest goats, and made friends with their big, lazy Pyrenees dog who was living his best life soaking up attention. I picked up a bottle of Early Harvest and a t-shirt to bring back to DFW--both worth it! Such a charming little spot--relaxed, scenic, and just the right detour before Yosemite!

This was the BEST experience and I highly recommend! We could tell the horses are well taken care…read moreof, respected and trained. Chloe took us on our ride and she was so friendly and knowledgeable. She made our ride so fun hopefully when we go again, we would want Chloe on our ride!

I cannot thank Yosemite Trails Horseback Adventures for the incredible experience and memories I…read morewill never forget. I had a camping trip to Yosemite National Park planned in September and knew I wanted to propose to my Fiancé while on the trip and didn't know exactly how I would plan this. We are avid outdoor/hikers and love horses. When I found Yosemite Trails Horseback Adventures, I knew that this was the PERFECT place for me to propose to the love of my life. I wasn't quite sure how the proposal would go down to begin with, but Cami and the entire team made the experience unbelievable. I felt like part of the family and cannot thank them enough. They scouted out various different locations along the route for the spot prior to my arrival and communicated with me every step of the way. Jolene found the location on the trail, and was our guide. We did a private trial ride as I wanted the experience to be intimate. Jolene was INCREDIBLE and we cannot thank her enough. She was an expert guide and made the entire experience a memory we will never forget. Jolene took pictures for us and planned the entire proposal location, she was fantastic in every regard. The horses were beautiful and looked extremely well taken care off and loved. The trail ride itself was the best we have been on, and we have done quite a few. It was beautiful, fun going through the creeks and riding up/down the mountainsides. We cannot thank Cami, Jolene and the entire Yosemite Trails Horseback Adventure Team for the memory and experience of a lifetime, and we cannot wait to do it again!

Tour 1/15/23 Ramji went out of his way to book a very last minute tour for us. We were a party of 6…read moreadults and 1 child. The weather was unpredictable the day of our tour so I felt more comfortable going in with a guide that could drive in snowy conditions. Laura was our guide. She was very knowledgeable and catered the tour around what we wanted which was sightseeing but also lots of snow play for our 6 year old. She engaged with our son many times during the car ride to keep him interested in the tour. She also offered to take pictures of us. She was very comfortable driving the van and we didn't feel unsafe at anytime. We got to see more than we thought we would see. She made stops along the way when we needed bathroom breaks. Lunch was good - sandwich, cookie, chips, and water. We were missing 1 sandwich. I would check at pick up to ensure all lunches are there. We would use this company again. Thank you Ramji + Laura for making my son's birthday wonderful.

I wish that my words can adequately express my gratitude for having the most enjoyable tour of…read moreYosemite. It was a very emotional experience for me. I am still mourning the loss of my parents from the pandemic. Seeing the sites and beauty of Yosemite had me in tears. Our tour guide, Daniel, was so informative and most of all - inspiring. He captivated me with his Yosemite stories and his war stories. My two kids received a year's worth of history education in the span of less than a day. Daniel gave me and my family new wonderful memories in this new chapter of our lives. Most especially, I seriously respect the owner. My son left his iphone in the tour van and I completely flipped out. The owner luckily was able to arrange a driver to drive from Yosemite to our hotel in Fresno to return the phone to us to save our vacation. As a business owner myself, I don't know if I would have done the same. This act of kindness speaks volumes about the business and how dedicated the owner is at giving visitors truly memorable experiences. We will be back!

Lisa and Phil are wonderful hosts. They had great advice about activities and dining. They are…read morevery accommodating and friendly. Helpful but create space for a relaxing time on their oasis of a property. Lush, well kept gardens and clean, comfortable - just what you need accommodations. Highly recommend their options! Was a great base camp for exploring Bass Lake, southern Yosemite and area surrounding Oakhurst. We stayed in the Garden Suite but they also have an airstream and garden cottage.

One of the best vacation rental experiences my family has had. The beautiful Yosemite Dreams…read moreGarden Suite felt like home with its thoughtfully stocked library, beautiful patio, landscaped grounds and the perfect on-site hosts to make sure we saw everything we wanted to see and had the scoop on the best restaurants and hikes. Tip that off with a truly rejuvenating yoga experience and you have the perfect getaway. We will definitely be back next year!

If you're visiting Sequoia, book the Big Trees Telescope Tour with Scott. It was one of the…read morehighlights of our trip. Scott is a former park ranger, and his knowledge is incredible. He shared fascinating stories and facts about the park (including black bears!), and you can tell he genuinely loves what he does. He's kind, patient, and made the whole experience feel personal and special. The telescope tour was amazing -- seeing the planets under Sequoia's dark skies was unforgettable. He explained everything in a way that was engaging and easy to understand. His company may be new, but it won't stay a hidden gem for long. Highly recommend.

I had the pleasure of two private tours with Scott, one focused on hiking in the Sequoias and one…read morefocused on his astronomy tours. Both experiences far exceeded what I thought we were going to experience! On the hike, Scott was so knowledgeable about the park, its history, the trees, and the unique facts + areas that most don't know about. We also booked a photography session with him that was the PERFECT way to capture our time there! We'll be framing a few of the shots for our home. We also had the astronomy tour at night, where Scott walked us through the different constellations in the sky and the varying origin stories for them - from Greek, to Roman, to Viking. It was so mind-blowing to really stare at the stars and learn their stories. Thank you, Scott, for such a great first experience out in Sequoia National Park!! We can't wait to come back.