2 days · 1 night (≈10h tour day)
Overnight Amtrak Yosemite Tour with Hotel
Take the train from San Francisco or Los Angeles, sleep over in Fresno, and tour Yosemite the next day — no driving required.
$479/adult round trip (double occupancy). From SF, $299/child under 12; from LA, $199/child under 12. Solo travelers are usually charged $100 extra. Add $150 per additional night in the Fresno hotel. Includes all Amtrak travel, one hotel night, personal guide, picnic lunch, water, park fees, small gratuity, and private A/C coach.
A two-day tour built around Amtrak. Ride the train from San Francisco or Los Angeles to Fresno, stay overnight, and join our Yosemite tour the next morning — Glacier Point, Tunnel View, and Yosemite Valley — before the train home. All train travel and one hotel night included.
What's included
- Round-trip Amtrak travel
- One night of hotel accommodation in Fresno
- Personal guide
- Picnic lunch
- Bottled water
- Park entrance fees
- Private A/C coach
Not included
- Meals beyond the included picnic lunch
- Driver gratuity
- Park entry fee for non-U.S. residents — $100 per person, paid in cash to your guide
Pickup locations
- San Francisco (Transbay Terminal → Emeryville Amtrak)
- Sacramento (on request)
- Los Angeles (Amtrak bus → Bakersfield → train)
- San Diego (coordinated via Los Angeles)
- Fresno (hotel + tour start)
Itinerary
Where we'll be, and when.
- 01
Day 1
Amtrak to Fresno
From San Francisco, take the Amtrak Shuttle bus at the Transbay Terminal to Emeryville, then the train to Fresno. From Los Angeles, board an Amtrak bus and connect in Bakersfield to the train to Fresno. Arrive in Fresno that evening and check into your overnight hotel.
- 02
Day 2 · 5:15–5:45 AM (summer) / 7–8 AM (winter)
Depart Fresno for Yosemite
Through Madera County, Coarsegold, and Oakhurst, then into the park via the South Gate or the Merced River scenic route.
- 03
Glacier Point
30–45 minutes at the overlook — Half Dome, Yosemite Falls, Vernal and Nevada Falls, the High Country. Accessible by smaller vehicles late May through October or November.
- 04
Tunnel View
The iconic view as we come out of the Tunnel — Clouds Rest, El Capitan, Half Dome, Bridalveil Falls.
- 05
Yosemite Valley
Bridalveil Falls, El Capitan, Sentinel Bridge and the Half Dome reflection, Yosemite Lodge, the base of Yosemite Falls, Valley View.
- 06
Day 2 · evening
Return train from Fresno
We drive you back to the Fresno station in time for your return train to San Francisco or Los Angeles.
Yosemite between two great cities — by train
Travel from San Francisco round trip, or go from SF to LA (or LA to SF) and visit Yosemite between these two great cities on Amtrak. Your tour includes all train travel and one night of hotel accommodations. Upon booking, we will send you your exact Amtrak train schedule.
$479/adult (double occupancy). From San Francisco, children under 12 are $299; from Los Angeles, children under 12 are $199. Guests traveling alone are usually charged $100 extra. Additional nights in the Fresno hotel are $150/night.
Day 1 — Amtrak train to Fresno
On Day 1, board an Amtrak train for a relaxing ride to Fresno the day before your tour. If you are in San Francisco, you may get on an Amtrak Shuttle bus at the Transbay Terminal to get to Emeryville, which is just across the Bay Bridge from San Francisco. If you are in Los Angeles, board an Amtrak bus and connect in Bakersfield to the train to Fresno. Once you arrive in Fresno, you will be driven to your overnight hotel, and picked up for your Yosemite tour the next day. If you are coming from Sacramento, let us know and we can book your train travel from Sacramento instead; from San Diego, we can help coordinate via Los Angeles.
An example itinerary: take the train on a Monday, arrive in Fresno Monday night, overnight in Fresno, take the Yosemite tour on Tuesday, and return on Tuesday night.
Day 2 — Glacier Point and Yosemite Valley
We depart Fresno between 5:15 AM and 5:45 AM in Summer and between 7:00 AM and 8:00 AM in Winter. As soon as we leave Fresno, we view the beautiful landscapes of Madera County as we climb the foothills and pass through Coarsegold and arrive in Oakhurst. From Oakhurst we have the option to enter the Park from the South Gate via Bass Lake / Fish Camp (the Mountain View Drive), or go around via Mariposa / Midpines on the River View Drive — California State’s Scenic Highway along the Merced River into Yosemite Valley through the Arch Rock Entrance Station.
From Chinquapin, we climb up to Glacier Point and stop for 30–45 minutes. Glacier Point is an overlook with a commanding view of Yosemite Valley, Half Dome, Yosemite Falls, Vernal Falls, Nevada Falls, and the Yosemite High Country, accessible by smaller vehicles from approximately late May through October or November. We are among the very few companies that can visit Glacier Point — big buses are not allowed here.
When we reach Yosemite Valley, we stop at Tunnel View for the jaw-dropping view as we come out of the Tunnel — Clouds Rest, El Capitan, Half Dome, and Bridalveil Falls. We continue to El Capitan and Bridalveil Falls, then Sentinel Bridge for the iconic Half Dome reflection in the Merced River, and on to Yosemite Lodge, where you’ll have time to walk to the base of Yosemite Falls, visit the souvenir shop, and use the restrooms. We stop in front of El Capitan — “The Captain,” rising over 3,000 feet — and at Valley View before heading back.
Optional Four Mile Trail hike
At Glacier Point, guests looking for hiking time have the option to hike down the Four Mile Trail, ending on Southside Drive, where they can cross Swinging Bridge and follow the trail to meet us at Yosemite Valley Lodge. The trail is about 5 miles; the elevation at Glacier Point is 7,200 ft and Yosemite Valley is at 4,000 ft. In 2016 President Obama and his family hiked this spectacular trail and only Crossroads Tours offers this option to you.
Crossroads Tours is not offering a personal guided hike. By accepting to hike on the Four Mile Trail or any other trails you are releasing Crossroads Tours from any liability. This hike is strenuous — be prepared with appropriate clothing, shoes, walking stick, and water. It takes 2–3 hours hiking downhill. We allow 4 hours maximum to reach Yosemite Valley Lodge; beyond 4 hours we may not be able to stand by, and the cost will be $95 an hour calculated after 4 hours.
Our guides
Our guides are all local and going to Yosemite is their passion. Each one brings their own personal experiences, stories, and secret spots to share with you. They are delighted to meet you and wish to show you why this area of the world is a very special place.
Disclaimer
The total time of the tour is approximately 10 hours from Fresno. In this tour people will see more of Yosemite National Park in one day than most other tours of Yosemite. Sometimes due to scheduling issues, the hiking portion may be changed to go in the uphill direction. The duration of the tour can vary due to weather, traffic, and how much fun we are having.
From the road
A few looks at this trip.
Questions we hear a lot
FAQ.
- Where does the train leave from?
- From San Francisco, you take an Amtrak Shuttle bus from the Transbay Terminal to Emeryville (just across the Bay Bridge), then the train to Fresno. From Los Angeles, you board an Amtrak bus and connect in Bakersfield to the train to Fresno. We send your exact Amtrak schedule when you book.
- Can I travel one way between SF and LA?
- Yes. Travel round trip from SF or LA, or go from SF to LA (or LA to SF) and visit Yosemite between the two cities on Amtrak.
- What about Sacramento or San Diego?
- If you're coming from Sacramento, let us know and we can book your train travel from there instead. From San Diego, we can help coordinate your travel via Los Angeles.
- What's included in the price?
- All train travel, one night of hotel accommodation in Fresno, your personal guide, picnic lunch, water, park fees, a small gratuity, and the private A/C coach. $479/adult is based on double occupancy; solo travelers are usually charged $100 extra.
- How long is the tour day?
- Approximately 10 hours from Fresno. We get you back to the Fresno station in time for your return train.
- Is the Four Mile Trail hike available?
- Yes. At Glacier Point you can hike down the strenuous Four Mile Trail (~3,200 ft elevation change) to meet us at Yosemite Valley Lodge. By accepting to hike you release Crossroads Tours from liability; if we must wait beyond a 4-hour cutoff, the cost is $95 per hour.
- I'm not a U.S. resident — is there an extra park fee?
- Yes. The national park charges non-U.S. residents a $100-per-person entry fee that is not included in any tour price. Please bring it in cash — your guide collects it at the start of the tour. Guests without the fee cannot enter the park, and the tour might be canceled without refund.