Best sight to see here just make sure you go early and find the right time for the waterfall which…read moreis in spring which is when the snow caps are melting. Hikes can range with difficulties but there are simple trails for kids

I never expected to love Yosemite. I've been fortunate enough to travel to different places and…read morehave seen some truly breathtaking natural wonders. And so when I stepped off the Yosemite Close Up Tours van as Ken (our guide and the tour owner) parked it beside a few rocks to test our climbing/walking ability, I wasn't expecting much. But it's pretty appropriate that this tour group has this name, because Ken gave us a close up and intimate glimpse into the beauty of Yosemite. They say mountaineering is a lonely experience and so it is a very close/tight-knit community. They also say that there is something about Yosemite that brings people together. We were fortunate enough to have Ken bring both these things to us, as he shared his decades of experience scaling Yosemite's mountains and hiking its trails; imparted his knowledge about the delicacy and power of the nature around us; and allowed us to experience his lifelong love story with this national park. In our one day tour on a bright spring day, Ken taught us: - Balance: He started the tour by asking our group of 10 to walk up and down a few rocks, just so he could see what level we were each at. The 5 year olds in our group loved this 'playtime' while the 60+ year olds in our group loved this proactive calibration of how much (or little) help was needed throughout the day. - To look up, out and inward: While Ken was great at picking spots for photo opportunities, I loved it most when he picked spots that were set-ups for stories. He would ask us to look up at specific sections on the mountains and talk about how climbers would tackle this crevice or that ridge. So as we looked up at El Capitan or the Half Dome, we not only saw the beautiful shots seen in pictures and screensavers, but also the solitary suffering and the exhilarating exhaustion of challenging oneself, of being one with that challenge, and of finally and triumphantly scaling the top (and getting down afterwards). - Respect for the danger/risk: Ken lightly but seriously talked about this book he had that detailed different ways people had died in Yosemite (e.g., there's a whole chapter on rivers). It wasn't meant to be morbid or macabre, but matter-of-fact. And it made us aware and respectful about what was around us. - Conservationism without the hard sell: In between the more tour guide-y stories, Ken made sure to drop some geological/biological knowledge on us. For example, he explained what meadows were and how they came to be (which was his thesis if I remember correctly) and talked about the regular volunteer work that climbers do to clean up the park. - The evolution of climbing: Mid-tour, Ken brought out his different hooks and clamps to show us how climbing gear has changed and become more sophisticated over the years. And this may sound like a boring history lesson but it actually helped us appreciate Yosemite's mountains - and the people who dream/do climb them - even more. - Picnics are the best: I'm not sure whether it was because we had been walking a lot, or because Ken's tour provides locally sourced food, but that picnic lunch of sandwich+chips+cookie+apple absolutely hit the spot. Ken ended our tour with a funny/folksy song about 2 climbers at Yosemite. And in a way, I thought that was a kinda perfect way to end the day. Because it was only later on when, through good ol' Google, that we found out Ken was a sort of mountaineering legend, with many initial ascents (i.e., first time anyone ever scales a mountain) credited to him. But at that moment, as he was singing his folksy song to bid us goodbye, he wasn't Ken Bouche, a known mountaineer. He was just another guy who was completely in love, and wanted to playfully share that love with the people he was entrusted with that day. 5 stars. Highly recommended.

It was a great family experience. Everybody is very kind, and inform you about everything, a good…read morelearning experience.

We were excited for this little train excursion. We arrived at about 10:45am. The next train was…read moredisembarking at 11am. We were able to get tickets fairly quickly. They also give a Senior discount if you are 55 years young and or older. Luckily they helped us find 2 seats as all of the trains looked at capacity. The right is a little herky and jerky when it brakes and takes off on the first half of the ride. The ride itself was just amazing. Being in the middle of the forest was awesome. The scenery was fantastic. We came across many "Perfect" Christmas trees. We are used to seeing the Douglas Furs about 6 feet tall at the Christmas Tree lots where we are from. But these beauts were super tall. Like up to 50 feet tall and taller. The train horn sounds amazing especially when the Steam Engine is working as it climbs. If you have kids or grandkids they will really like it. The train stops about half way through to fill up the Steam Engine with water. The steam engine itself runs on recycled motor oil. We had a great time.

David from Yosemite Outfitters was an excellent guide. My wife and I were brand new to fly fishing,…read moreand he made everything simple and fun. He had us catching fish right away and made the whole trip a great experience. Highly recommend!

We did a family fishing tour with Rick (the owner) who met us in Yosemite. Rick was great and right…read moreoff the bat asked if we're ok driving a little longer, but he said it would be worth it because of the weather, but more importantly so we could have a better chance at actually catching fish. We went north to just outside Yosemite to a nice calm and quiet river where we spent the next 4 hours learning to fly fish. We were a family of 4, with two girls ages 13 and 10 and none of us had fly-fished before, but after about 45 minutes of Rick we were experts and having a blast. I had told the family to not get hopes up before we went out and didn't think we'd even see a fish, forget about actually catching one. Well...i was wrong! 3 of us all caught fish and we caught 4 total! Amazing! Rick is super knowledgeable, friendly and very patient. He helped us with everything and we ended up even running later than we were supposed to as he was trying to make sure each of us caught a fish. Really recommend Rick, it's worth the $$$ and we're already looking forward to being able to go back out again.

Our tour guides were absolutely amazing (John and Mia) and they were very knowledgeable and helped…read moreanswer all of our questions (about Yosemite in general, specific famous features on our hike, and even random questions about birds and plant life). The hike is as advertised (in terms of ratings and what features you will see). They always put safety first and even offered to help carry our back packs when we got tired or were crossing a small stream! They treated us like close family/friends, were encouraging us along the way, and adapted to our pace and schedule. Our group ranged from age 6 to adult and we couldn't have made it to the end of the hike without them! Book them for your tours and have fun on your Yosemite Vacation!

Will definitely be booking again with John and Y Explore!!! Honestly when we booked the guided half…read moredome hike I went into it thinking we were just utilizing the purchased permits as hadn't won the lottery ourselves but as the day progressed I became more and more grateful for the wisdom and knowledge of our guide. From breathing techniques and tips for ascending and descending the cables to the order of of our group and perfectly timed rest breaks this was worth every penny as we had not only a successful summit but an overwhelming positive experience! Hubby and I are excited to travel again to more destination with Y Explore in the near future!

We had an excellent day with David. We booked a private tour for my wife and me. We are not so…read moreyoung so David tailored it to our pace and abilities (still made it to the top of Sentinel Dome- well worth the effort!). Literally went from the valley floor to the peak of sentinel dome. His knowledge of the park is outstanding. He picked us up at our lodge and dropped us there at the end of the day- even gave us the picnic we couldn't eat during the trip because clouds blocked the astrophotography portion. He even apologized for the clouds! An all day adventure; we were happily exhausted when we got back to Evergreen Lodge. Highly recommend.

Dave is AMAZING! We had the best day with him on our private tour of Yosemite. He is so fun,…read moreknowledgeable, a great conversationalist and made the day fabulous. I had the best time and felt like we got to really see Yosemite and get to know the park. I would 100% recommend booking with him and his company. Hands down the BEST!!

Did the 3 hour excursion. Owner/Operator Paul was very informative, helpful, & patient. We drove 4…read morehours & will definitely do it again! We'll definitely make it an overnight trip as to enjoy the beautiful scenery longer. There are nearby campgrounds that are 1st come 1st serve.

Paul and John gave the family a great gold panning experience today! We meet at a beautiful spot on…read morethe Merced River. They had equipment for us to shovel dirt into a sifter topped bucket. We had our Mom at the sluice box at edge of the river using the sifted dirt. The rest of the family got to pan the dirt in the river looking for the gold at bottom of our pans. Then each of us also took turns at the sluice box. The 2hr adventure was perfect amount of time.

We stopped by Sierra Cider right at opening (12pm) as part of our day trip before heading into…read moreYosemite for my birthday, and it was such a fun and refreshing visit! The owner and staff were super welcoming and walked us through all their offerings, which made the experience even better. We kicked things off with a cider flight--our favorites were Early Harvest and Graveyard. Early Harvest was simple, crisp, and just sweet enough, while Graveyard reminded me of a Scottish smoky cider aged in whiskey barrels. I do wish there were a few more sweet options overall and possibly a current up to date list of what's on tap somewhere online, but everything was well-crafted and flavorful! To cool off, we grabbed a cider slushy (highly recommend!) and wandered the property. We visited the goats, strolled through the apple trees, and made friends with their big fluffy Pyrenees who was living his best life napping in the shade. I picked up a bottle of Early Harvest and a t-shirt to bring back to DFW. It was the perfect stop--relaxed, local, and a great way to start the afternoon before heading into Yosemite. After our tasting, we walked through some of the apple trees, visited the cutest goats, and made friends with their big, lazy Pyrenees dog who was living his best life soaking up attention. I picked up a bottle of Early Harvest and a t-shirt to bring back to DFW--both worth it! Such a charming little spot--relaxed, scenic, and just the right detour before Yosemite!

Great cider, great vibes, great place for the family…read more The cider they have is very good. The tasting flight I got was primarily focused on the drier varieties and they did a great job of making well balanced, delicious ciders that let the quality of the apples shine through. The grounds are very cute. They have a petting zoo and "ghost town" area that are perfect for small children or photo ops. All of the animals were very well behaved and friendly. You can also pick apples or flowers for a very reasonable fee. They have an area of food trucks and today Yosemite Pizza was there. The pizza was great and went well with the cider. The staff was kind and helpful. If you are in the area and want a cold cider, or a place to let the little one explore a bit this is an excellent choice.

This was such an amazing adventure. The staff is super friendly, social, and accommodating. Shout…read moreout to Michelle, Tessa, and Hillary! The site and the trails are so beautiful, and the horses are so well behaved. I highly recommend this to anyone in the area looking for a fun adventure.

So so fun! Amazing views, water crossings, and the horses were so so well behaved. I would…read moredefinitely recommend this place! We did the 2 hour tour and walked in with out a reservation luckily they had 2 spots left!

Cullen was our instructor and we couldn't have asked for a better experience. He was extremely…read morefriendly and knowledgeable and a delight as a guide and pilot. He took care to make sure the three of us all saw the sights as best as possible and the flight was the highlight of our trip to Yosemite. I highly recommend the firm and especially Cullen as a pilot and guide. Will definitely do this again, given the chance.

I took a solo flight with the delightful Cullen O'Conner. It was in May 2026 and I've been…read moretraveling and working a great deal since. I wanted to be sure to review Cullen because this was the best tour I've taken in years. Read the other reviews for what all you will see. Cullen is a fount of information and at the same time paid a lot of attention to safety and my comfort. He not only told me all about Yosemite, he told me about Mariposa. Where to eat, drink, etc. It was a short trip but I promise to return with more family and take this tour again. It's well worth the price.