Day toursYosemite day tripComing soon

Yosemite Valleyand back, in a day.

Four hours of driving each way for five or six hours on the valley floor. It is a long day and we will not pretend otherwise — but it is the only way to see Yosemite from SFO without renting a car or booking a hotel.

13 hours5:00 AM – 6:00 PM, door to door
190 miCA-120 each way, park entry included
$1090Per car, per day — 6 cars to pick from
8 stopsRearrange them from the car
The day

A plan, not a schedule.

Every stop below is a suggestion your driver will happily rearrange from the front seat. Times are what the day looks like when nothing changes — and something usually does.

5:00 AM
Pickup, city or SFOEarly is not optional — leaving late means the valley in the afternoon glare and traffic home. Sleep in the car.
7:30 AM
Coffee stop, OakdaleThe last real town before the foothills. Twenty minutes, restrooms, breakfast if you want it.
9:15 AM
Big Oak Flat entrancePark entry is on us — the $35 vehicle fee is in the day rate, including the reservation when the park requires one.
10:00 AM
Tunnel ViewThe postcard: El Capitan, Bridalveil, Half Dome in one frame. Fifteen minutes, and worth every one of them.
10:45 AM
Valley floorBridalveil Fall, El Capitan meadow, Yosemite Falls, the Ahwahnee. Your driver moves the car between trailheads while you walk.
1:00 PM
Lunch and free timeVillage grill, a packed lunch on the meadow, or a longer hike — you have four hours and a car that waits.
3:30 PM
Out through the foothillsLast light on the way down CA-120. Most people sleep from Groveland onward.
6:00 PM
Back at the doorHotel or SFO. We do not put a Yosemite day in front of an evening flight — leave the morning free.
Price this day

From $1090 per car per day.

$1090per car per day

Extra hours $50, agreed before we run them. Two cars for a bigger group — send an inquiry. Or text (650) 456-9999 and say "Yosemite day trip".

What the day rate covers

One car, one price.

Your driver stays with you for the whole block — no re-booking between stops, no waiting for a car in a parking lot, no meter running while you decide.

Included
  • Private vehicle and driver for the hours you book
  • Door pickup — SFO curb, hotel, or home
  • Fuel, tolls, parking and driver hours
  • Bottled water; child seats on request
  • Itinerary changes en route, at no charge
Not included
  • Meals for your party
  • Tasting fees, entry and attraction tickets
  • Guided commentary inside venues
  • Hours past the listed day — $50–$110 each
  • Gratuity, appreciated but never assumed
Who books this day

One shot at the park.

International visitors on a short Bay Area stay, families who do not want to drive mountain roads, and travellers between conferences who have exactly one free day. Yosemite draws millions of visitors a year and SFO is the gate many of them arrive through.

Winter runs on CA-140 instead, chains are our problem, and Tioga Pass is closed roughly November to May — Glacier Point and Tuolumne Meadows are summer-only additions.

The honest version

A night in the park is better.

Thirteen hours is a real day, and sunrise on the valley floor is the thing people remember. We run a two-day version — the car and driver stay with you, you book a room in Oakhurst or Groveland. If you can spare the night, spare it. If you cannot, this day still beats never seeing it. The two-day version is quoted by hand: send the dates and we price it.

Frequently asked

Is park entry really included?

Yes — the vehicle entry fee and any timed-entry reservation the park requires are handled and priced in. You do not queue at the gate window.

What if it snows?

We reroute to CA-140, the all-season entrance, and carry chains. If the park closes the valley outright we move your date or refund the day — you will not pay to look at a closed gate.

Can we hike?

Yes. Mist Trail to the footbridge, Lower Yosemite Fall, Cook's Meadow loop all fit. Tell the driver your plan and where to be; the car waits at the trailhead, not the hotel.

Is there a guide?

Your driver knows the roads, the viewpoints and the timing, and will happily point things out — but this is a private car, not a narrated bus tour. Ranger programs in the valley are free.

Other day tours

All nine day tours

Ready when you are.

Tell us the date and the party size and we come back with a plan and a fixed price for the car — usually within the hour, any day of the week.

Ten languages by phone, text or WeChat (yakaainc) — and ask for a driver who speaks yours when you book.