A 2-Day Yellowstone Itinerary From Jackson Hole to Lamar Valley and Back
Two days in Yellowstone, planned around the animals, with a guide who knows where to look.
Picked up at your Jackson hotel before dawn, two full days of wildlife with a naturalist guide and spotting scopes, a night in Cooke City at the edge of Lamar Valley, and back in Jackson by late afternoon. No car, no planning.
“I’ve requested to book a Chain Lakes Loop guide on ExplorOFF, and it was the best idea ever! I highly recommend going with their guided option since you get a real human connection on the trail and don’t have to worry about a thing. Yulia was great to talk to!”
10 stops on a real mapEvery stop pinned in order→Yellowstone: every stop pinned in order.
Jackson → Lamar Valley → Cooke City → Old Faithful → Jackson
Every stop on this trip, in order, opens as one driving route in the Google Maps app. No copying addresses across one at a time.
Yellowstone in photos: 4 of the stops.
Plan and book your 2 days in Yellowstone, one step at a time
- Dunraven Pass, the road from Canyon to Tower Fall that day one uses to reach Lamar Valley, is projected to close for the season on October 12, 2026, so later tours go around by Norris and Mammoth. Most other Yellowstone roads close to cars on October 31, 2026. Source
- Visitors who live outside the US pay an extra $100 per person (16 and over) at each park in 2026, on top of the standard entry. The tour covers park entry for US residents only. Source
How 2 days in Yellowstone split up
Plan 2 days for Yellowstone. Starts: Jackson, WY. Price: $5,495. Group: Up to 10. This 2-day Yellowstone itinerary starts and ends in Jackson Hole. Go with a guide and it is private, just your group and a naturalist guide in an enclosed tour vehicle. You are picked up at your hotel in Jackson early in the morning and dropped back in town in the late afternoon of day two, so there is no car to rent and no route to plan.
Day 1: Grand Teton, the Yellowstone falls and Lamar Valley
5 stops · Day one
Day 2: Lamar Valley at dawn, Mammoth and Old Faithful
5 stops · Day two
Grand Teton, the Yellowstone falls and Lamar Valley
Pickup is at your Jackson hotel at about 6:30 AM, early enough to catch the morning wildlife in Grand Teton: moose, elk, bison, and with luck a bear, a wolf or a coyote. Bald eagles are common along the rivers.
Hotel pickup in JacksonAbout 6:30 AM · DriveYour guide picks you up at your hotel in Jackson early in the morning. The exact time is confirmed the evening before.
- Grand Teton wildlife
Moose, elk and bison · ViewpointThe first hours of light in Grand Teton, around the rivers and meadows where moose, elk and bison feed. Bears, wolves and coyotes are possible too.
Upper and Lower FallsGrand Canyon of the Yellowstone · ViewpointThe two great waterfalls of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, the Lower Falls dropping 308 feet between yellow canyon walls.
- Lamar Valley
America's Serengeti · mtnThe wide valley in Yellowstone's northeast where wolves were reintroduced in 1995 and bison were brought back from near extinction. Evening is prime time.
Night in Cooke CityThe Alpine, included · lodgeA small mountain town just outside Yellowstone's northeast entrance, minutes from Lamar Valley. The tour includes your room.
Lamar Valley at dawn, Mammoth and Old Faithful
The second day starts in Lamar Valley again at about 6:30 AM, when wolves and bears are most active. Breakfast is included.
- Lamar Valley at dawn
Wolves and bears · mtnBack into Lamar at first light, the best chance of the trip for wolves and bears. Breakfast is included.
Mammoth Hot SpringsTravertine terraces · WaterTerraces of travertine built by hot water, walked on boardwalks. Elk often graze nearby.
Fountain Paint PotsMud pots and fumaroles · WaterA short boardwalk loop past bubbling mud pots, steam vents and small geysers.
Old FaithfulEruption times posted daily · ViewpointThe park's most famous geyser, erupting about every 90 minutes. The guide times the stop to catch it.
Back to JacksonDrop-off 4:30–5:30 PM · DriveSouth through Grand Teton with stops for wildlife, and drop-off at your hotel in Jackson in the late afternoon. Book your own Jackson hotel for tonight.
What to pack for Yellowstone
Built from this route, not a generic list. Every line says why it is here.
On every day of this trip
Because you are sleeping indoors
For the driving days
Specific to Yellowstone
Before you book.
No car needed
Pickup and drop-off are in Jackson, and the guide drives the whole way in an enclosed tour vehicle.
Live dates and prices
The calendar shows real availability and the exact price for your group size. Private tours cost more for bigger groups.
Early starts
Wildlife is most active at dawn and dusk, so days start early. The guide confirms pickup times the day before.
Keep your distance
Park rules keep you 100 yards from bears and wolves and 25 yards from other animals. Scopes and binoculars bring them close.
This itinerary, answered.
2 days in Yellowstone: the questions people ask most.
No. Your guide picks you up where you are staying in Jackson or Teton Village at about 6:30 AM on day one, drives the whole trip in an enclosed tour vehicle, and drops you back in Jackson at about 4:30 to 5:30 PM on day two.
It is private, so it is priced by group: $5,495 for 1 to 4 people, then more for larger groups (for example $7,693 for 6). The live calendar shows the exact price for your group and date.
A private naturalist guide, 1 night of lodging in Cooke City, a picnic lunch on day 1, breakfast on day 2, snacks and drinks, binoculars for everyone, a spotting scope and park entry for US residents. Other meals, personal purchases and airport transfers are not included. The listing gives two answers on the guide's tip, so check whether it's already in your price when you book.
At The Alpine in Cooke City, Montana, right outside Yellowstone's northeast entrance near Lamar Valley. Book your own hotel in Jackson for the night before and the night after.
Moose, elk, bison, pronghorn, bald eagles and coyotes are common. Lamar Valley gives the best chance of wolves and grizzly bears, especially at dawn and dusk. Wild animals are never guaranteed.
Yes. The tour is private and welcomes all ages, for groups of up to 10.
The operator keeps 50% of the price if you cancel more than 60 days out, and the full price within 60 days, so travel insurance is worth a look. Online booking closes 13 days before the start date.
Yes. Tell us your dates and we check what is still open for the plan on this page, then send it back with a booking link for each night and the total. Nothing is charged and nothing is held, and you pay the normal rate.
Pick how you want to go.
Same 2-day route. Same 7 stops.
- 1 night, a campsite near Cooke City
- $20
- Rental car in Jackson, 2 days
- $240
- Gas, about 370 miles
- $70
- Park entry, Grand Teton and Yellowstone, one car
- $70
- 1 night, a room in Cooke City
- from $265
- Rental car in Jackson, 2 days
- $240
- Gas, about 370 miles
- $70
- Park entry, Grand Teton and Yellowstone, one car
- $70
- A private naturalist guide for just your group
- Included
- 1 night in Cooke City, at the edge of Lamar Valley
- Included
- Lunch on day 1, breakfast on day 2, snacks and drinks
- Included
- Park entry included for US residents
- Included
Written and walked by Yulia Vasilyeva · Co-founder · Lead planner and guide
Three years leading guided hikes in the Pacific Northwest, rated 5.0 by 20+ verified guests, and she builds every custom itinerary herself. Based in Seattle.
Last checked October 2026
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What adventurers say about us.
All reviews are from verified guests. ★★★★★ 5.0 average from 20+ bookings.
"Felt like going out with a really knowledgeable friend who just happens to know everything about the area. No awkward tour-guide energy, just a magnificent day."
"Yulia is an incredible guide. She knew every trail, every viewpoint, and exactly how to pace the day for our group. The photos she took of us were stunning. 100% booking again."
"I was visiting Seattle solo and this was the best decision I made on the trip. Yulia picked me up, had snacks, and took us to a trail I never would have found on my own. Absolute must-do."
"We did this as a couple's trip and it was perfect. Yulia adapted everything to us, our pace, our interests, our photo obsession. The mountain views were unreal."
"Phenomenal experience. Yulia has deep local knowledge and a real passion for the outdoors. She went out of her way to show us the hidden gems tourists never see. Will remember this forever."
"I've done a few guided hikes and this was by far the best. Yulia is warm, funny, and genuinely expert. The trail she chose had the most insane wildflower bloom, we got so lucky."
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