Yosemite National Park travel guide: tips, itinerary & must-see highlights
- Jul 17
- 3 min read
Updated: Jul 17
Located in California, Yosemite National Park is around 3 to 6 hours by car from major cities such as San Francisco, Los Angeles and Las Vegas. This makes it an easy addition to a California road trip or a longer journey through the western United States.
Covering more than 3,000 square kilometers (1,200 square miles), Yosemite National Park is enormous. The best way to explore it is by car, so we highly recommend renting one if you don't have your own. Driving allows you to easily travel between the park's highlights, with plenty of parking areas providing access to scenic viewpoints, short walks and longer hiking trails.
Where to stay near Yosemite National Park
We drove from Los Angeles to Oakhurst in about 4.5 hours. This small town is located just outside Yosemite National Park and makes an excellent base for exploring the park over several days. Oakhurst is a typical American town with a selection of hotels, restaurants and souvenir shops. Although we didn't spend much time exploring the town itself, it was a comfortable place to stay after long days in the park. From Oakhurst, it's approximately 25 minutes to Yosemite's South Entrance, making it a convenient location for day trips into the park.
It's also possible to stay inside Yosemite National Park, either at one of the lodges or campgrounds. However, accommodation inside the park often sells out months in advance, so booking early is essential. For us, staying in Oakhurst was the perfect choice.
Yosemite National Park opening hours
Although accommodation inside Yosemite needs to be booked well in advance, advance reservations are no longer required to enter Yosemite National Park. This policy changed in January 2026. The park is open 24 hours a day, year-round. Keep in mind that some roads may close during winter because of snow, so it's always a good idea to check the latest conditions on the park's official website before your visit.
America the Beautiful Pass
Entrance to Yosemite National Park costs approximately $35 per vehicle. If you're planning to visit several national parks during your trip, purchasing the America the Beautiful Pass can save you money. The pass provides access to many national parks and federally managed recreation areas across the United States. It's valid for one vehicle and all its passengers, or up to four people entering on foot. With this pass, you won't need to pay separate entrance fees at each park, making it an excellent investment for a national park road trip. Click here for more information about this pass and the costs as foreigners pay more.
Things to do in Yosemite National Park
There's so much to see in Yosemite National Park that we recommend spending at least two full days exploring its main highlights. If you'd also like to tackle some of the park's longer hikes, consider adding another one or two days to your itinerary.
The first day we left early in the morning so we could arrive in Yosemite around 5:00 AM.
Our first stop was Yosemite Valley, where we watched the sunrise with views of the impressive El Capitan. Afterwards, we took the short walk to Lower Yosemite Falls. Next, we visited Bridalveil Fall, Valley View and the famous Tunnel View, one of the park's most iconic viewpoints. After lunch in Yosemite Village, we continued to Glacier Point, where we enjoyed spectacular views of Half Dome and much of Yosemite Valley.
On our second day, we once again started early and headed to Mariposa Grove. This beautiful grove is home to hundreds of giant giant sequoias, including some of the oldest and largest trees on Earth. We spent several hours hiking through the forest before returning to Yosemite Village later that afternoon to browse the souvenir shops.
