Yosemite Valley Itinerary
Yosemite National Park is known for having incredible waterfalls, impressive cliffs, rock formations, and beautiful meadows. Amazingly, all of these can be seen in one small area of the park – the Yosemite Valley.
The Yosemite Valley is the most visited location within the park. This blog covers everything you need to know to visit and all the best sights.
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Where is Yosemite Valley at in the Yosemite National Park?
The Yosemite Valley is centered on the western side of the park. The nearest park entrance is the Arch Rock Entrance, located off Highway 140 West. Merced and Mariposa are the nearest towns. From the park entrance, your drive will follow the Merced River, leading you into the valley floor after less than 15 minutes.
Source: Yosemite Valley National Park
Driving yourself
It is possible to drive yourself into Yosemite National Park and the Yosemite Valley throughout the year. However, traffic is redirected when the valley’s parking lots are full, which happens often between spring and fall. If you plan on driving yourself during these months, the national park recommends visiting on weekdays and arriving before 8 a.m.
Our recommendation? Visit during winter and arrive at sunrise to beat the crowds.
Source: Yosemite National Park
Yosemite Valley shuttles
If you’d rather not drive yourself, there are paid shuttles you can take into the park that operate year-round, as well as free shuttles inside the park.
YARTS (Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System)
The YARTS shuttle operates on Highway 140 year-round for a fee. It shuttles people into the park – picking up in Merced, Mariposa, Midpines, and El Portal – before ending the route near the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center. All other routes, shown in the image below, typically operate from May to September.
Source: YARTS
Yosemite Valley Shuttle System
Once in the valley, you can choose to drive throughout the park or take the park shuttle for free. In the winter, especially after 11 a.m., the valley is busy enough that taking the shuttle is a less stressful way to travel throughout the valley and visit popular stops.
The shuttles run between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m., although only the Valleywide Shuttle (the green route shown in the map below) runs throughout winter. These buses come every 12 to 22 minutes, and it takes 50 minutes to ride the entire route. The East Valley Shuttle (the purple route) operates between spring and fall, with buses arriving every 8 to 12 minutes.
The buses were never too crowded during our trip in December, but we heard that there are long lines in the summer months and it’s common to have to wait for two to three buses before getting on one.
Source: Yosemite National Park
Badger Pass Ski Area Shuttle
Yosemite provides a free shuttle service between Yosemite Valley and Badger Pass when the ski area is open – typically between mid-December through March. Find the shuttle schedule at the bottom of this page.
Biking
Biking throughout Yosemite Valley is a great way to work around the crowded parking areas. The park offers seasonal bike rentals, and the YART shuttle has storage options in case you’d like to bring your own bikes.
Once inside the park you’ll find bike racks at most popular trailheads and shops, although bikes are not allowed on the Yosemite Valley Shuttle System.
With large shuttles and lots of traffic on the roads, it’s best to stay on the bike trails located throughout the park. Bikes are not allowed on dirt trails (mountain biking is not allowed), and e-bikes have a speed limit of 15 mph.
The bike trails through the valley
Source: Yosemite National Park
Yosemite Valley Itinerary
Since the Yosemite Valley is accessible year-round, this itinerary can be used for any season. For the rest of our winter park itinerary, check out this blog here.
No matter what time of year you plan on visiting, aim to arrive at the park at sunrise. This will help you beat crowds, lines at the park entrance, and give you a few peaceful hours of exploration to yourselves.
Navigating the valley roads, beautiful sights, and traffic can be intimidating for first-time visitors. Most roads here are one-way, with a few different loops throughout the park. We’ve organized this itinerary so you’ll loop through the park twice to see all the best sights with the fewest crowds.
Loop one: Best viewpoints
Arch Rock Entrance
As soon as you enter the park, be ready to see the first fun sight of the day – driving through Arch Rock. There isn’t a good place to pull over for photos, so take your time driving through it.
Tunnel View
Although it’s slightly out of the way, make Tunnel View your first stop inside the park. It’s by far the most crowded viewpoint and has limited parking, so visiting it early while there are few others in the park is ideal. This was one of our favorite views!
Bridalveil Falls
Stop by Bridalveil Falls on your way back into the valley. This was our favorite waterfall to hike to in the park, although we thought the shorter walk to view the trail below the falls (here) was just as great.
The view from the bridge
Hanging Valley Viewpoint
From Bridalveil Falls, continue on Southside Drive and pull over to see the park's best view of El Capitan here.
Cathedral Beach Picnic Area
This road is closed in the winter, but you’ll find a few pullouts along the road just after it. Walk down the road to see a beautiful view of the Three Brothers.
Swinging Bridge Picnic Area
You’ll find a small parking area for the Swinging Bridge Picnic Area. The bridge is right off the parking area and has a great view of Yosemite Falls.
Yosemite Falls Vantage Point
You can pull over near the Yosemite Valley Chapel to view it quickly or pass by it and take the left lane across a bridge to the Yosemite Falls Vantage Point. From that parking area, take the trail going into the meadow to see wide-open views of Yosemite Falls.
Keep walking and check out Superintendent’s Bridge next, following that trail to the Yosemite Valley Chapel if you skipped it on the way by. Then, head back to the parking area the same way you came.
Yosemite Valley Falls
From Sentinel Drive, you’ll drive east on the Northside Drive. You’ll pass by the Lower Yosemite Fall Trailhead, but the nearest day parking is at the far east end of the Yosemite Valley Lodge in this lot. From there, you can hike to Upper Yosemite Falls and Lower Yosemite Falls viewpoints.
El Capitan Picnic Area
If you’re visiting between January and April, stop here for a view of Horsetail Falls. Horsetail Falls is seasonal, so it won’t be flowing throughout the rest of the year.
Yosemite Valley View
This will be your last stop before turning back into the valley to check out the more developed areas of the park. This viewpoint has a small parking area, often causing backups to get out of the park, so visiting here early is crucial. Do so and you’ll be rewarded with a dramatic view of the valley reflected in the Merced River.
Loop two: Park and explore
If you started your visit at sunrise, then by now the park will be starting to fill. Loop back into the valley by taking the Southside Drive shortly after pulling out of the parking area for the Yosemite Valley View.
Along the way, stop at any viewpoints you may have missed on your first loop if the park isn’t too busy. Otherwise, head to Curry Village or the Yosemite Valley Welcome Center depending on your choice of activities.
We’d recommend shuttling between the two areas in the summer. During our winter trip, we found parking at each location in the early afternoon.
Curry Village
Park here at Curry Village. From there, you can hike to Mirror Lake, and/or Vernal Falls. You’ll also find an ice-skating rink here throughout the winter, the Mountain Shop with hiking gear, and a few restaurants.
Mirror Lake
The Pizza Deck and Taqueria @ Meadow Grill were closed for the winter, but our shuttle driver said the smash burgers at Bar 1899 were fantastic – although we never braved the line for them to confirm this ourselves. Find all of Curry Village’s dining options, hours, and menus here.
Before you leave the area, check out the Curry Village Gift and Grocery store. It’s the best gift shop in the park.
The Ahwanhnee
Whether you’re taking the shuttle or driving, the Ahwanhee is located between Curry Village and Yosemite Village. Pop in to check out the grand dining room and see the “crown jewel” of the park’s lodges. Unfortunately, there is no free parking near the Ahwanhee, so it’s best to shuttle here.
Yosemite Village
This parking lot is the nearest to the Yosemite Valley Welcome Center. Here you’ll find Degnan’s Deli and the Village Grill (dining details here) among museums and shops. Be aware of museum and shop hours here – some open as late as 10 a.m. and close as early as 4 p.m.
Yosemite Valley Welcome Center
This is where you’ll find helpful park rangers, park maps, and national park paraphernalia.
Yosemite Wilderness Center
Stop by Wilderness Center if you need to pick up wilderness permits. You’ll find a great selection of maps here too.
Ansel Adams Gallery
If you’ve seen awe-inspiring black and white photos featuring Yosemite National Park, they were likely taken by Ansel Adams. This is a family-run shop featuring Ansel’s original photographs, guest artists, books, and prints. We think stopping by should be a must on anyone’s visit!
Yosemite Valley Visitor Center
This family-friendly visitor center is full of great exhibits on the park’s history, landscape, and climbing. We surprised ourselves by spending an hour here and learned a ton. This would be an ideal spot to wait out foul weather as well.
Indian Village of Ahwahnee
Located just outside the visitor center, you’ll find a walking path featuring bark homes and cabins built in the style of the Miwok people who once inhabited the Yosemite Valley.
Yosemite Museum
Check out this museum if you’re interested in seeing how the Indigenous Tribes lived in the valley before the park was established. You’ll find artifacts, including baskets, tools, weapons, and ornate pieces of wardrobes.
More information on Yosemite
Yosemite National Park’s Winter Packing List
Where to Stay near Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park’s Best Winter Campgrounds
Best Winter Hikes in Yosemite National Park
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