Yosemite National Park in 3 Days: Easy, No Fail Itinerary
Welcome to an easy and stress-free three day itinerary exploring Yosemite National Park.
Looking for a complete guide to Yosemite? Our quick read guide for everything in Yosemite can be found here.
Day 1
Arrival
From the southern entrance near Oakhurst, you will immediately see Mariposa Grove, to the right, as you enter the park gates. If coming from a different entrance, the drive from Yosemite Valley to Mariposa Grove can take from 1-2 hours each way because of the windy mountain roads.
Hikes:
- Big Trees Loop Trail. An easy .3 mile walk to the Fallen Monarch tree in the forest of Giant Sequoias
- Grizzly Giant Loop Trail: 2 miles/3.2 km, 1.5-2 hours. A moderately easy trail through the Bachelor and Three Graces, Grizzly Giant, and California Tunnel tree.
Continue in the valley and the first point of interest will be Tunnel View.
2. Tunnel View Lookout
Looking to hike to Inspiration Point? The trailhead is behind the parking area.
Next, you will see the Bridal Veil Falls parking area.
3. Bridalveil falls
- 0.5m/0.8km (roundtrip) walk to the base of the waterfall
Continue driving and you will see Cathedral beach and Sentinel beach. These are quick spots to get to as they have a dirt road that you can drive down and park at.
Next, you will see the swinging bridge stop.
4. Swinging Bridge
Swinging Bridge is a truly beautiful area. After crossing the bridge, turn to the right of the bridge and public restrooms to a beautiful lookout point of the falls. Continue to the path to the right, through the redwoods, to an open meadow with a path. The path leads to another lookout of the falls reflected in a lake. This area has a lot of parking. Across the street is the 4 mile trailhead.
Park at Yosemite Valley Lodge and eat at Basecamp Eatery for a quick meal. Looking to eat later? This restaurant stays open later than most with a closing time at 9 pm. (See dining guide below for all restaurants).
Across the street from Yosemite Valley Lodge is the entrance to Yosemite Falls.
5. Yosemite Falls
- Lower Yosemite Falls: 1 mile/1.6 km (roundtrip)
Day 2
Note: Bring lunch and snacks because the Mist Trail takes much longer than expected due to its steep incline and the area of Mist Trail and Mirror Lake is far from restaurants.
Hiking Half Dome? This hike will take the entire day and starts at the Mist Trail.
- Take shuttle to Mist Trail (Stop #16). During summer, the road to Mist Trail trailhead is closed to cars.
Mist Trail
Distance and time to the points of interest:
- Vernal Falls Footbridge: 1.6 mile/2.6 km (roundtrip), 1-2 hours, 400 ft elevation gain
- Top of Vernal Falls: 3 miles/4.8km roundtrip, 3-4 hours, 1000 foot elevation gain
- Top of Nevada Falls: 5 miles/8km roundtrip, 5-6 hours, 1900 foot elevation gain
Next, go to the Mirror Lake trailhead near the beginning of the Mist Trail trailhead.
- Mirror Lake: 2 mile/3.2km (lake and back), flat
Relax at Mirror Lake and go for a swim.
Day 3
Note: Check if Glacier Point Road is open. It is usually open May-October.
Drive along Glacier Point Road (Highway 41). Approximately 6 miles from the beginning of Glacier Road, the Taft Point and the Fissures trailhead will be at the left. If you come to Glacier Point, you have gone too far.
The drive to Glacier Point usually takes around 1-1.5 hours each way.
- Taft Point hike
- 2.2 miles/3.5 km (roundtrip), 200ft/60 meters elevation change
- Glacier Point lookout
Head back to the valley.
3. El Capitan Meadow
Stop at El Capitan Meadow to watch the rock climbers make their ascent. It is easier to spot the rock climbers in the evening when the lights from their headlamps reflect on the granite.
4. Ahwahnee Bar at sunset
After, head to the Ahwahnee Bar at sunset for views of Half Dome and Yosemite Falls. It is a great place to relax with comfortable seating and firepits.
Extra Time Ideas
Take a bus tour
Yosemite Valley Bus Tour teaches you about the natural history, indigenous people, and wildlife of the valley.
Drive Tioga Road
A scenic drive that takes around 2 hours to complete.
Explore the valley by bike
Bike Rental locations can be found here.
Take a stargazing tour
More information can be found here.
Extra Day Ideas
Sugar Pine Railroad
Take a ride through the forest in a historic steam engine train from the 1900’s right outside of Oakhurst. Lunch is provided.
Go for more hikes
A list of easy, moderate, and hard hikes can be found here.
Explore Wawona
Wawona is a town close to Oakhurst where you can golf, take a horseback riding tour, and hike.
Explore the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir
A 1 hour drive from the valley to Hetch Hetchy is great for views and hikes.
Extra 2 days
Drive 4 hours to nearby Sequoia National Park to see the General Sherman Tree, the largest tree in the world, standing at 275 ft/83 meters tall and 36 ft/11 meters in diameter.
Dining Guide
Yosemite Valley Lodge
A casual food court serving pizza, hamburgers, bowls, salads, and Poke bowls. Vegan friendly.
Hours: Breakfast: 6:30 am- 10:45 am, Lunch and Dinner: 11:00 am- 9:00 pm
An upscale steakhouse restaurant.
Hours: 5:00 pm- 10:00 pm
Village Grill
An outdoor food stand next to the Village Store serving hamburgers, hotdogs, and sandwiches.
Hours: 11:00 am- 6:00 pm
The Loft at Degnan’s
A casual BBQ eatery.
(Temporarily closed in summer 2023)
Looking for a quick coffee and breakfast? Try Degnan’s kitchen located next to the Loft at Degnan’s.
The Ahwahnee
An upscale restaurant that is perfect for special occasions.
2. Bar
Offers outdoor seating and views.
Hours: 11:00 am- 9:00 pm
We hope this itinerary is helpful to you.
Our quick read Yosemite guide can be found here.
Comment any questions, tips, or recommendations you have for Yosemite down below.
