Day trip
San Francisco / Merced to Yosemite Group Tour via Amtrak
A day trip to Yosemite Valley by train — board in Emeryville, tour, ride home by evening.
San Francisco: $279/adult, $259/senior, $149/child under 12. Merced: $229/adult, $209/senior, $99/child under 12. Minimum 5 people or the tour may be cancelled.
A single-day group tour to Yosemite Valley by Amtrak. Board the train in Emeryville (or take the Amtrak shuttle bus from San Francisco's Transbay Terminal) for a relaxing ride to Merced, where you're picked up for a motorcoach tour of Yosemite Valley, then returned to the Merced station for the train home, arriving late in the evening. Includes all train travel and the tour. Minimum 5 people.
What's included
- All train travel (Amtrak)
- Motorcoach tour of Yosemite
- Exact Amtrak train schedule sent upon booking
Not included
- Lunch in the Valley
- Park souvenirs and gift-shop purchases
- Park entry fee for non-U.S. residents — $100 per person, paid in cash to your guide
Pickup locations
- San Francisco (Amtrak shuttle bus from Transbay Terminal to Emeryville)
- Emeryville (Amtrak train to Merced)
- Merced (tour pickup at the train station)
Itinerary
Where we'll be, and when.
- 01
Amtrak train from Emeryville to Merced
Board in Emeryville for a relaxing ride to Merced the day of your tour. From San Francisco, take the Amtrak shuttle bus from the Transbay Terminal to Emeryville, just across the Bay Bridge. You're picked up in Merced for the tour.
- 02
Yosemite Valley
Tunnel View, Bridalveil Fall, El Capitan, Yosemite Chapel, Sentinel Bridge for Half Dome, the Ahwahnee Hotel, Yosemite Village, and Yosemite Falls, with a lunch break.
- 03
El Capitan Meadows & Valley View
After lunch, the meadows in front of El Capitan to watch rock climbers, then Valley View and the Roosevelt–Muir campsite.
- 04
Return to Merced & train home
Head out of the park, drive back to Merced, and board a relaxing Amtrak train to San Francisco, arriving late in the evening.
A day in Yosemite Valley by train
San Francisco to Yosemite Group Tour: $279/adult, $259/senior, $149/child under 12. Travel via Amtrak.
Merced to Yosemite Group Tour: $229/adult, $209/senior, $99/child under 12.
Itinerary
Board an Amtrak train in Emeryville for a relaxing ride to Merced the day of 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. Once you arrive in Merced, you will be picked up for your Yosemite tour. When the tour is completed, you will be taken to the Merced train station to begin your travel back to San Francisco. Your tour includes all train travel and a motorcoach tour of Yosemite. Upon booking, we will send you your exact Amtrak train schedule. If you are coming from Sacramento, let us know, and we can book your train travel from Sacramento instead.
We visit Yosemite Valley, starting from Tunnel View, Bridalveil Fall, El Capitan, Yosemite Chapel, Sentinel Bridge to view Half Dome, the Ahwahnee Hotel, Yosemite Village, and Yosemite Falls. We take a break here for lunch. Upon resuming, we visit the meadows in front of El Capitan to see rock climbers. From there we make a couple more stops to see Valley View, and then President Roosevelt’s and John Muir’s campsite. We then start heading out of the park and drive back to Merced. You will board a relaxing Amtrak train to San Francisco, arriving late in the evening.
Note: We need a minimum of 5 people in order to run the tour, or it may be cancelled.
Questions we hear a lot
FAQ.
- How do I reach the train if I'm in San Francisco?
- Take an Amtrak shuttle bus at the Transbay Terminal to Emeryville, just across the Bay Bridge from San Francisco, then board the Amtrak train to Merced. Once you arrive in Merced, you're picked up for your Yosemite tour.
- What does the price include?
- Your tour includes all train travel and the motorcoach tour of Yosemite. San Francisco runs $279/adult, $259/senior, and $149/child under 12; from Merced it's $229/adult, $209/senior, and $99/child under 12. We send your exact Amtrak schedule when you book.
- Is there a minimum group size?
- Yes. We need a minimum of 5 people in order to run the tour, or it may be cancelled.
- I'm coming from Sacramento — can you help?
- Yes. Let us know and we can book your train travel from Sacramento instead.
- 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.