A 5-Day Yellowstone Itinerary From Salt Lake City Wolves, Geysers and the Tetons, a Real Bed Every Night
Five days, two parks, and a guide who knows where the wolves are, with a real bed every night.
No car to rent and nothing to drive. You meet the guides in downtown Salt Lake City, ride in their 15-passenger van to Yellowstone and Grand Teton and back, and sleep in hotels every night.
“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!”
15 stops on a real mapEvery stop pinned in order→Yellowstone: every stop pinned in order.
Salt Lake City → Yellowstone → 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: 5 of the stops.
Plan and book your 5 days in Yellowstone, one step at a time
- Yellowstone closes its roads to regular cars on October 31, 2026, except the North Entrance to Northeast Entrance road, so this loop cannot be driven again until the roads reopen in spring (South Entrance to West Thumb opens around May 8). Source
- Dunraven Pass, the short road from Tower to Canyon, closes October 12, 2026. After that, Gardiner to Hayden Valley and the canyon goes the longer way through Norris. Source
- The Gardner River High Bridge between Gardiner and Mammoth is one lane with waits of up to 15 minutes, day and night, through late October 2026. You cross it every day of the Gardiner stay. Source
- In Grand Teton, US 26/89/191 near Moran Junction has a temporary stoplight with 20-minute delays each way from October to December 2026, and the Moose-Wilson Road is closed between the LSR Preserve and Moose through November 15. Source
How 5 days in Yellowstone split up
Plan 5 days for Yellowstone. Transport: Van included. Starts: Salt Lake City. Price: On request. This 5-day Yellowstone itinerary from Salt Lake City runs as a guided trip, and the transport is part of it. You don't rent a car or drive at all. Be in the main lobby of the AC Marriott Salt Lake City Downtown by 7:15 AM on day one, and the guides take you to Yellowstone and Grand Teton and back in a new 15-passenger van, with you back at the same hotel around 7 PM on day five.
Day 1: Salt Lake City to Yellowstone, and the first boardwalk
3 stops · Day one
Day 2: Wolf tracking at dawn and Mammoth Hot Springs
3 stops · Day two
Day 3: Hayden Valley and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
3 stops · Day three
Day 4: Grand Prismatic, Old Faithful, and south to Jackson
3 stops · Day four
Day 5: Moose in Grand Teton, Mormon Row, and back to Salt Lake City
3 stops · Day five
Salt Lake City to Yellowstone, and the first boardwalk
Be in the main lobby of the AC Marriott Salt Lake City Downtown by 7:15 AM. From there the guides drive you north through Utah, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, about 4.5 hours of driving, and introduce the park on the way: its plants, its animals and the volcanic geology underneath it.
Meet the van in Salt Lake CityAC Marriott Downtown · 7:15 AM · DriveThe trip leaves from the AC Marriott Salt Lake City Downtown, 225 West 200 South, at 7:15 in the morning. Salt Lake City airport is about 15 minutes away, so most people fly in the day before.
Geothermal boardwalk1–2 mi, almost flat · ViewpointThe first walk in the park: a boardwalk loop through a geyser basin on the way north to Gardiner, with steaming vents and hot pools on both sides. One to two miles and almost no climbing.
Gardiner, night 1Ridgeline Hotel or similar · 3 nights · lodgeGardiner sits at Yellowstone's north entrance on the Yellowstone River, about an hour from Lamar Valley. The guided trip stays three nights at the Ridgeline Hotel or similar, on the Yellowstone River.
Wolf tracking at dawn and Mammoth Hot Springs
Today is a half-day wolf tracking trip with the trip's partners, the Yellowstone Wildlife Guide Company. You meet their guide before dawn, when the animals are most active, and head into Lamar Valley or Hayden Valley with high-powered spotting scopes. Wolves and grizzlies are what most people hope for, and the trackers also watch for bison, elk, moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goats and pronghorn.
Wolf tracking in Lamar ValleyHalf day from dawn · mtnA half-day trip with the Yellowstone Wildlife Guide Company, starting before sunrise in Lamar or Hayden Valley depending on where the packs have been. Telemetry and spotting scopes do the finding.
Mammoth Hot Springs1–3 mi of boardwalk · WaterTravertine terraces built by hot water carrying dissolved limestone, always changing as vents open and close. The boardwalks climb up to about 500 feet, and elk often graze around the old fort buildings.
Gardiner, night 2Dinner on your own · lodgeBack to Gardiner. Dinner tonight is on your own, and the town has a handful of places along the main street.
Hayden Valley and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
The morning goes back into the park for more wildlife, most likely in Hayden Valley, depending on where the wolf tracking went the day before. Expect bison herds and a good chance of elk and bears.
- Hayden Valley
Bison, and bears at a distance · mtnThe open river valley in the middle of the park, between the canyon and the lake. Bison herds are close to certain, and grizzlies sometimes work the far slopes early in the day.
Grand Canyon rim hike and Artist Point3–5 mi · ~400 ft · HikeA rim walk along the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, past Artist Point and the overlooks of the Lower Falls, which drop 308 feet into a canyon of yellow rhyolite. Three to five miles with about 400 feet of climbing.
Gardiner, night 3Dinner included · lodgeThe last of three nights at the north entrance. All three meals are included on the guided trip today.
Grand Prismatic, Old Faithful, and south to Jackson
Leaving Gardiner, the van heads south through the park to the geyser basins: Grand Prismatic Spring in its rings of colour and an eruption of Old Faithful. On cool mornings bison often gather near the steam here for the warmth.
Grand Prismatic SpringThe largest hot spring in the US · ViewpointRings of orange and blue around a spring about 370 feet across, seen from the Midway Geyser Basin boardwalk. On a cold morning it is mostly steam, so timing matters.
Old FaithfulEruption times posted daily · ViewpointThe most predictable big geyser in the park. The visitor centre posts the next eruption window, and the Upper Geyser Basin around it has the densest cluster of geysers on Earth.
Jackson, night 4The Lodge at Jackson Hole or similar · lodgeAbout three hours south past Yellowstone Lake and the Tetons. The guided trip stays at The Lodge at Jackson Hole or similar, with a heated pool and sauna, and the evening in Jackson is free.
Moose in Grand Teton, Mormon Row, and back to Salt Lake City
After breakfast you go back into Grand Teton looking for moose and other wildlife, then take a self-guided hike of 3 to 4 miles with about 400 feet of climbing, through spring wildflowers or fall colour depending on your departure.
Moose and wildlife in Grand TetonAfter breakfast · mtnThe river bottoms of Grand Teton are moose country, and early morning is when they feed in the willows. Elk, pronghorn and bald eagles are common here too.
Mormon RowThe barns below the Tetons · ViewpointHomestead barns from the early 1900s with the whole Teton range behind them. The T.A. Moulton Barn is one of the most photographed buildings in the West.
Back to Salt Lake City~4–5 hr · back 6–7 PM · DriveAbout four and a half hours back to the AC Marriott in downtown Salt Lake City, arriving around 6 to 7 PM depending on wildlife stops. Book a flight for the next morning.
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
On your feet
Because you are sleeping indoors
For the driving days
Specific to Yellowstone
What makes a Yellowstone wildlife trip work.
The animals keep dawn hours
Wolves, bears and moose are most active in the first and last light. That is why day two starts in the dark, and why it is worth it.
Spring and fall, on purpose
May brings newborn bison calves and snow on the peaks. September and October bring fall colour and bugling elk, and far fewer people than summer.
Distance is the rule
The park rule is 100 yards from bears and wolves and 25 yards from everything else. The scopes and binoculars on the trip let you see them close without getting close.
Fly in the day before
The van leaves at 7:15 AM from downtown Salt Lake City, so arrive the night before and stay near the AC Marriott.
This Yellowstone itinerary, answered.
Yellowstone trip from salt lake city: the questions people ask most.
No. Transport is included. The guides drive you from downtown Salt Lake City to Yellowstone and Grand Teton and back in a new 15-passenger van, and handle every drive in between. You only need to get yourself to the AC Marriott Salt Lake City Downtown by 7:15 AM on day one.
In the main lobby of the AC Marriott Hotel Salt Lake City Downtown, 225 West 200 South, Salt Lake City, Utah 84101. Arrive by 7:15 AM on day one. You're back at the same lobby at about 7 PM on day five.
The guided price comes back by email after you Request to Book, for your dates and group. Included are the van transport from Salt Lake City and back, experienced professional guides, 4 nights of lodging, a half-day professional wolf tracking trip, 4 breakfasts, 5 lunches and 2 dinners, all national park fees, spotting scopes and binoculars shared by the group, and emergency equipment with a first-aid kit. Not included are 2 dinners and the guide tip, for which 15 to 20 percent of the trip cost is recommended.
Nights 1 to 3 at the Ridgeline Hotel or similar in Gardiner, Montana, on the Yellowstone River near the north entrance. Night 4 at The Lodge at Jackson Hole or similar in Jackson, Wyoming, which has fireplaces in the rooms, a year-round heated indoor and outdoor pool and a sauna. Hotels can change with availability.
Activity level 2 to 3. Day 1 is 1 to 2 miles with almost no climbing, day 2 is 1 to 3 miles with about 500 feet, day 3 is 3 to 5 miles with about 400 feet, day 4 is 2 to 5 miles with almost no climbing, and day 5 is a self-guided 3 to 4 miles with about 400 feet. The minimum age is 13.
Spring departures in May and June bring newborn bison calves, bear cubs, wildflowers and snow on the peaks. Fall departures in September and October bring golden aspens and bugling elk. Groups are 6 to 12 people at most. Groups of 6 or more can also book a private trip.
Wild animals are never guaranteed, but day 2 is a half-day trip with dedicated wolf trackers from the Yellowstone Wildlife Guide Company, who use high-powered spotting scopes in Lamar or Hayden Valley. That gives you the best odds there are.
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 5-day route. Same 9 stops.
- 3 nights, a campsite near Gardiner
- $75
- 1 night, a campsite near Jackson
- $59
- Rental car from Salt Lake City, 5 days
- $325
- Gas, about 1,000 miles
- $190
- Park entry, Yellowstone and Grand Teton, one car
- $70
- Private wolf-watching guide, Lamar Valley, 8 hours, your group
- $950
- 3 nights, a room in Gardiner
- from $900
- 1 night, a room in Jackson
- from $500
- Rental car from Salt Lake City, 5 days
- $325
- Gas, about 1,000 miles
- $190
- Park entry, Yellowstone and Grand Teton, one car
- $70
- Private wolf-watching guide, Lamar Valley, 8 hours, your group
- $950
- Round trip from Salt Lake City in a 15-passenger van
- Included
- 4 nights in hotels: Gardiner, then Jackson
- Included
- Half-day wolf tracking with a wildlife guide
- Included
- 4 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 2 dinners and all park fees
- 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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