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Tonijim's avatar
Tonijim
Explorer
Jun 30, 2017

Tetons-Yellowstone tours

Our family (15 in all - youngest is 13) are renting a house in Victor ID the first week in August. I'm wondering about day tours of the two NPs from Jackson that could accommodate the family comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Jim

10 Replies

  • We actually just returned from there this past week and had a wonderful time! This was the last stop on our 3 week vacation and realized I didn't allow enough time to look at everything there! It is gorgeous! Seeing you're from Massachusetts and you're close, go for it! No kidding, it's going to be a long day of driving but if the driver doesn't mind then do it! There are two loop drives in the park and we drove both and each one to complete takes hours but the scenery is breath taking! The northern drive, in my opinion, has the best scenery from the mountains (scary sometimes!) to Yellowstone Lake and the southern drive definitely has the most geysers. Like I said before, if everyone is up to the drive time and distance then go for it! We loved it and will definitely some day go back! :B
  • I would rent a 15 passenger van (or something accommodating) and tour Yellowstone and the Tetons on your own schedule.
    Good idea. Or rent 2 large vehicles and caravan together - again, on your own schedule. Saw some folks in the Tetons doing just that, a couple weeks ago.
  • I would rent a 15 passenger van (or something accommodating) and tour Yellowstone and the Tetons on your own schedule.
  • GyPSy Guide sounds pretty useful!

    You'd have a drive of just under 2 hours from Victor to West Yellowstone via Idaho highways. That would let you see features on that side of the park. If you go that way, consider the following detour: at Island Park, when the Island Park Village Clubhouse is to your east, turn west onto road 024 (Sawtell Rd) and drive to the top of Sawtell Mountain. It's a nice view.
  • Community Alumni's avatar
    Community Alumni
    We were in Grand Teton and Yellowstone recently and were thinking about taking tour buses until I came across a handy tour app of Yellowstone and Grand Teton combined for $9. No way I'll ever get in a crowded bus with strangers and be subject to a rigorous bus schedule when I can tour in my own vehicle and at my own leisure.

    The I app I used is from a company called GyPSy Guide and it can be downloaded from either the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.

    You download the app on your mobile device and you can connect the audio to your vehicle's sound system via Bluetooth or audio cable. The app does not need data or wifi to operate once is downloaded in your device. It uses the GPS in your device to know where you're located.

    This is not some cut rate app developed by some kid in his mother's basement. The tour is narrated by a professional tour guide full of information about the specific area you're traveling through. I highly recommend using this app and ditching the tour buses.

    GyPSy Guide
  • as stated, Victor, ID is not the best place for sightseeing Yellowstone, but it isn't bad for seeing and doing the Tetons. I don't know about commercial tours for the Tetons, but it's fairly easy to do it yourself, in cars, not large rvs.
    For yellowstone, it would be better if you can find a place up in or near West Yellowstone. There are tours available out of there and it's right on the west edge of the park.
  • I should have said - some of us have seen the NPs, some have not. I realize that a tour from Jackson would be limited to the southern part of YS, but it would given an overview to the first timers. Thanks for the thoughts.

    Jim
  • :? :h Are you wanting a commercial tour guide for the party of 15? If so, you can find one in Jackson. Tripadvisor lists some.
    Either way you go from Victor to Yellowstone is going to be time consuming. One bear jam or any other delay will wreck havoc on the day trip.

    You really need to look at your travel plans. As planed, I don't think your group is going to enjoy the Tetons and Yellowstone.
  • Google Jackson wy Yellowstone tours. Lots of info to start researching there. Keep in mind it is about 1 1/2 hours from Jackson to the south entrance of YNP, or 3 hrs round trip. That pretty much limits tours to the south loop. And would require a separate tour for Teton. And not cheap for that many people.
  • sorry I can't help .....but I can comment



    I fear when we go back to Yellowstone we can't see it in a week.


    not sure a day tour from Jackson will do much but get you in the gate.



    90 miles from jackson to old faithful and those are not fast miles, I guess you could drive up and go to old faithful and drive back.