Yellowstone Winter Wildlife Walks (8 Days / 7 Nights)

$ 3,245.00 per person based on 2 people sharing.

$ 4,135.00 for single supplement

**Due to the limited capacity of this tour, Please inquire for live availability.

This tour can be booked with a 10% Deposit, with the balance payable 8 weeks prior to departure.

Hiking Grade: 3 (Introductory)

Description:

Explore the renowned Yellowstone National Park by snowshoe, on winter wildlife walks. This massive park protects half of the world's geysers and some of the largest herds of mega fauna in the northern hemisphere. Yellowstone is teeming with wildlife, such as bison, wolf, elk, deer and antelope. While busy in summer, winter is a season of quiet solitude and an ideal time to experience its wilderness. Discover the wonders of Yellowstone and Grand Teton far away from the crowds. Marvel at the amazing phenomenon of "fire and ice" - exploding geysers in a winter wonderland of snow. Many of the park's animals spend winter in the valleys and can be found close to the roads and trails, making this an incredible time to observe wildlife up close. Along the northern entrance look for wolves and on snowshoes, walk over the calcite terraces of Mammoth Hot Springs. From the West Entrance, on a snow coach explore the Upper Geyser Basin - the world's largest geothermal area. Witness the explosion of Old Faithful, as it shoots up to 32,000 litres of boiling water up to 56 metres into the ice-cold air. Winter makes this experience particularly spectacular, as the hot water reacts with the winter air. Next explore the National Elk Refuge by sleigh, gliding through a herd of 7,000 wintering elk. Finally, snowshoe through the silent winter wilderness below the stunning peaks of Grand Teton National Park, before this memorable trip concludes at the famed cowboy town of Jackson, Wyoming.

Trip Highlights:

• Discover Yellowstone National Park on snowshoe hikes and spot wildlife
• Avoid the crowds in this stunning national park during winter
• Go wolf watching with a naturalist and learn all about these incredible creatures
• Option of spotting bison, wolf, elk, deer and antelope
• Marvel at the punctuality of Old Faithful geyser
• Take in the stunning views of Grand Teton National Park
• Sleigh ride in the National Elk Refuge
• Amazing photo opportunities in a winter wonderland

Inclusions:

• 7 breakfasts and 6 picnic lunches (self-made)
• Accommodation in 3 star tourist class hotels
• Private transport throughout
• The use of snow shoes and hiking poles
• Services of an experienced driver-guide
• Snow Coach Tour to Old Faithful
• Wolf watching with a naturalist
• Elk refuge sleigh ride
• National park entry fees, trekking permits & sightseeing as specified

Exclusions:

• Flight and airport taxes
• Meals not included in the itinerary
• Travel insurance (compulsory)
• Visas
• Medical treatment
• Personal expenses
• Optional excursions
• Tour leader tip (USD$15-20 per day)
• Cost of laundry, soft drinks, and alcoholic beverages

Departure Dates:

2026: 

12th December - 19th December

Day 1: Arrive in Bozeman, Montana

Welcome to Bozeman, Montana! Arrive at your hotel via airport shuttle or local taxi and settle in after your long journey. Take time to relax this evening in preparation for the great adventures ahead.

Meals Included: N/A

Overnight:  Days Inn - Bozeman

Day 2: Yellowstone National Park´s Mammoth Hot Springs

At 8:00am your guide welcomes you at the hotel and we drive to nearby Yellowstone National Park. We settle into our hotel near the Yellowstone River before exploring the park and the amazing travertine terraces at Mammoth Hot Springs. Then a remote trail takes us through the wildlife rich valley of Gardiner towards the Boiling River. We have a great chance to see elk, bison, antelope and deer.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch 

Overnight: Super 8 Gardiner

Drive time: 80 mi / 130 km or 1.5 hrs

Mammoth Hot Springs: 4-5 mi / 4-8km, 3-4 hrs, +/- 200m

Day 3: The Wolves of Yellowstone

After an absence of 100 years, wolves were reintroduced into Yellowstone National Park in 1995. Reintroducing the top predator to this complex ecosystem has been an incredible experiment. Today, we join a naturalist looking for wolves in the Lamar Valley. For sure we will see herds of bison that spend the winter here. On snowshoes we explore trails among the herds of bison and antelope. After a wintery day of adventure, grab a swimsuit and take a dip in the nearby hot springs this evening.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch 

Overnight: Super 8 Gardiner

Drive Time: 50 mi / 80 km, or 1-2 hrs

Lamar Valley: 3-5 mi / 5-8 km, 2-3 hrs, +/-200 m

Day 4: Snowshoeing in Grand Canyon of Yellowstone

Yellowstone National Park is the world’s oldest National Park. It protects the world’s most impressive geothermal area, along with one of the densest collections of mega fauna outside of Africa which includes bison, wolf, elk and moose. The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is a deep canyon carved into soft rock and basalt cliffs. We walk along the flat surface of the snow packed road with amazing views of the canyon and Calcite Springs. Elk, bison, mule deer and big horn sheep are our companions today. Tower Falls is one of the highlights of any snowshoe trip in Yellowstone. In the afternoon we depart to the West Entrance of Yellowstone.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch 

Overnight: Gray Wolf Inn

Drive time: 165 mi / 260 km or 3 hrs

Tower Falls: 5 mi / 8 km, 3-4 hrs, +/-200 m

Day 5: Snow Coach Tour to Old Faithful

Today, we head out on snow covered park roads to famous Old Faithful. Most of Yellowstone’s roads are closed in the winter and only accessible via snow coach. Our excursion takes us to multi-coloured boiling mud pots and fumaroles before arriving at the steaming Upper Geyser Basin. Here we enjoy a walk through the very active geysers and geothermal features while waiting for the explosion of Old Faithful. There is a chance at seeing frost covered bison, elk and bald eagles.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Overnight: Gray Wolf Inn

Day 6: Madison River Trails

Hidden trails take us along the Madison River into the park. We have a chance at close wildlife encounters, such as bison and bald eagle. With luck we may see trumpeter swan and river otter as well! In the afternoon we continue our journey towards the historic cowboy town of Jackson, Wyoming. This charming mountain town is nestled in the heart of the Tetons and renown for its world-class ski resorts and vibrant arts. Take the evening to explore this iconic Wild West destination and its mix of Western culture, and luxury amenities.The evening is free to explore the town on your own. A visit to the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar is a must!

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Overnight: 49´er Inn & Suites

Drive time: 130 mi / 200 km, or 2-3 hrs

Madison River: 4 mi / 6 km, 3 hrs, +/-100 m

Day 7: Grand Teton National Park and Elk Refuge

*Grand Teton National Park adjoins Yellowstone National Park on the southern boundary. This popular park is blissfully quiet in the winter months, as most park roads are closed to cars. We spend the day here in the shadow of the mighty 4198 meter Grand Tetons. Then, we enjoy a ranger led sleigh ride through the National Elk Refuge, the winter range of 7000 elk. *authorized permittee of Grand Teton National Park

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Overnight: 49´er Inn & Suites

Grand Teton NP: 4 mi / 6 km, 3 hrs, +/-100 m

Day 8: Depart from Jackson Hole, Wyoming

The trip concludes this morning in the town of Jackson. The hotel offers a free airport shuttle for your onward flights.

Meals Included: Breakfast 

About Your Leader

All of our tour leaders are certified in First Aid and CPR and registered as official guides with the national parks. Most are bilingual and many of our departures are conducted in English as well as one other language (typically German or Spanish). Your tour leader is from the USA and may have grown up here or may have moved here from another country - As many Americans do!