Mt. Rainier National Park Highlights Tour
Description
On this full-day tour of Washington State’s Mt Rainier, you’ll visit the majestic 14,411-foot (4,392-m) volcano and learn about the area from your informative guide. You’ll also explore local treasures like lakes, old growth forest and waterfalls en-route from Seattle to Mt Rainier. Nature lovers won’t want to miss this! In winter and spring snowshoeing and sledding are included at no extra charge. Hiking will be offered as well PLEASE WEAR appropriate clothes and shoes. Our company picks up at hotels and spends more time in the park than others. a photographers paradise.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Scenic lake on the way to the Mountain
Stop is made here only when roads are unexpectedly closed in the park. In this small town there are several points of interest: The Hobo Inn, historic Lutheran Church, Mt. Rainier scenic railroad and the biggest sasquatch you have ever seen.
Base camp for mountain climbers
animal exhibits, native American history and stories, pioneer information, volcanology info. Transportation exibit.
2nd growth forest, hot springs, hike, history (subject to change based on weather and road conditions).
Where we offer optional hikes, take in viewpoints, gift shop. Trail of Shadows, suspension bridge. Lodge.
A popular waterfall off of the road that is framed by a stone bridge. (subject to change based on weather and road conditions).
One of the most scenic waterfalls to see in the park. (subject to change based on weather and road conditions).
*** PLEASE NOTE ACCESS TO PARADISE DURING THE WINTER MONTHS IS DICTATED DAILY BY THE PARK based on road conditions. PLEASE PLAN YOUR TRIP ACCORDINGLY IF THIS IS A STOP YOU ARE DESIRING**** Alpine meadow where in wintertime we offer snowshoeing and hiking. There's a visitor's center, gift shops, food Generally considered the highlight of the day the amount of time spent here can vary depending on weather conditions and visibility. (subject to change based on weather and road conditions).
A tree huggers dream: We walk a quarter mile loop trail through old growth forest-giants many hundreds of years old.
Small Alpine Lakes available only to see in season excluding winter time. When there is no breeze the reflection of the mountain looks like a mirror and pictures taken look fake. (subject to change based on weather and road conditions).
Only available during summer months. This stop would replace the stop at Paradise. NOT all guides offer this itinerary. Stops here are rare and special and may not be available on your tour date. Road is bumpy
Only available during summer months a stop here would change the regular itinerary. Not a guaranteed stop. Determined by the tour guide.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Please contact Customized Tours to confirm your selected hotel location is within our pickup zone to receive a accurate pickup time.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- It is recommended to dress in layers and wear comfortable walking shoes (waterproof hiking shoes preferred, in winter boots are best). In Nov – Jun, please dress for snowy conditions. Bring a pair of extra socks
- PLEASE NOTE: You are taking a risk during the winter months. The tour route and itinerary will vary depending on the weather conditions and road closures. No refunds will be offered unless the park is closed.
- Minimum numbers apply. There is a possibility of cancellation after confirmation if there is not enough passengers to meet requirements. In the event of this occurring, you will be offered an alternative or full refund
- The seasons, weather, and elevation partially determine what you’ll see on your tour. During the weekdays, mid October-April, there are limited food services available in the National Park. Customers will have an opportunity to purchase food en route. Also, the Henry M Jackson Visitor Center located at Paradise, has limited hours during these months. *** PLEASE NOTE STARTING ACCESS TO PARADISE IS DICTATED DAILY BY THE PARK DURING THE WINTER MONTHS based on road conditions**** PLEASE PLAN YOUR TRIP ACCORDINGLY IF THIS IS A STOP YOU ARE DESIRING. No refunds will be offered unless the park is closed
- Each tour guide provides a unique experience. NO tour is the same. The day's itinerary is dictated by the guide. The schedule is based off the guide's experience with weather conditions and what is accessible in the park the day of your tour. Your tour guide will provide you with an outline of the day upon pick up.
- ****PLEASE check out the Mt. Rainier National Parks direct website for updated weather forecast and road closures - https://www.nps.gov/mora/index.htm ****
Reviews(3,533)
What a great tour! It was a long, 12 hour day, but it never dragged, and we really lucked out with gorgeous weather and full, clear views of Mt. Rainier, the rest of the national park and the surrounding area! Our driver/guide, John, was very informative, and was very thoughtful in providing passengers with plenty of free bottled water, Washington apples, and chocolate chip cookies along the way, which is not necessarily standard for these tours. There were several strategic stops along the way for bathroom breaks and shopping, as well. Hiking is optional with short but steep trails to see the picturesque waterfalls. It would have been a totally different experience with overcast or rainy weather, but it was amazing in sunshine!
America's national parks contain some of the most beautiful sights and nature in the world, and Mt Rainier National Park is a very worthy addition at the very top of that category.. Our guide Cory was fantastic. Full of stories about the park, anecdotes, great humour and always making sure everyone on the tour was comfortable, happy and safe. Pickup from the hotel was prompt, there was a stop on the way to the park for coffee/tea and a chance to pick up any supplies/food required for lunch or snacks throughout the day. Stops in park vary from waterbeds, waterfall hikes, high bridge walks and even a pit-stop for some quality ice cream on the way home. Small piece of advice: if going on an August day, dress for a cool morning in Seattle but also potentially bring some shorts/lighter clothing as the day warms up. Worth every cent, and hopefully the photos attached speak for themselves about the natural beauty of the environment.
Thank you so much for this wonderful and detailed review! We’re thrilled to hear that you found Mount Rainier National Park worthy of its place among America’s most beautiful natural destinations. It’s especially great to hear that Cory made your day so enjoyable with his stories, humor, and attention to everyone’s comfort and safety. We’ll be sure to share your kind words with him! We’re also glad you enjoyed the variety of stops throughout the day, from waterfalls and scenic walks to the ice cream stop on the way home. Your practical advice about dressing in layers for an August visit is also very helpful for future guests. Thank you for choosing us and for sharing your experience and beautiful photos. We’re delighted to hear you felt the tour was worth every cent, and we hope to have the pleasure of showing you more of the Pacific Northwest in the future!
Lucas was an amazing guide who made the trip worthwhile despite the wildfire on the northeastern side of the park! The route was planned meticulously such that we experienced minimal traffic jams even during a Saturday.
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re thrilled to hear that Lucas made your trip such a memorable experience, especially with the challenges caused by the wildfire on the northeastern side of the park. We’re also glad you appreciated the carefully planned route and that we were able to minimize traffic delays, even on a busy Saturday. Our guides work hard to adjust the itinerary when conditions change so our guests can still enjoy as much of the park as possible. We truly appreciate your kind words and hope to welcome you back for another adventure!
We had a good visit with perfect weather. Great views, short albeit steep walks to waterfalls. Drive out and back is 2 hours each way a bit boring and minimal info from guide except at each stop. Would be nice to have some basic park history, some basic mountain geology (most did not know it is an active volcano). But otherwise worth the cost.
Thank you for sharing your experience! We’re happy to hear you had a good visit, enjoyed the perfect weather, beautiful views, and the waterfalls. We also appreciate your feedback about the drive and the amount of information provided by the guide along the way. You make a great point about adding more information during the drive, including the history of the park and some of the geology of Mount Rainier. We agree that learning about the mountain’s volcanic history and the area’s unique landscape can make the journey even more interesting and meaningful. We’ll certainly take your suggestions into consideration as we continue improving how our guides run the tours. We’re glad you felt the experience was worth the cost, and we hope to have the opportunity to show you even more of what makes Mount Rainier special on a future visit!
The driver Andy /tour guide is detailed and patient, we had great time!
Thank you so much for your kind review! We’re delighted to hear that you had a great time and appreciated the patience and attention to detail from your driver and guide. We did notice that you mentioned your guide’s name as Andy. We don’t currently have a guide by that name, so there may have been a little mix-up with the name. Regardless, we’re happy to hear you had such a positive experience, and we’ll be sure to share your kind words with our team. Thank you for choosing us, and we hope to see you again on another adventure!
The tour itself was nice. However the bus broke down as soon as we entered the park. It was over two hours before a different bus picked us up so we could continue the tour. We lost two stops. Guide did his best to take us to as many stops with time available. We didn’t get back to our hotel until 8:30 so it was a long day. Just beware as the company does not seem to do proper maintenance on mini buses.
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. We’re glad to hear that you enjoyed the tour, and we truly appreciate your understanding regarding the unexpected bus issue. We sincerely apologize for the delay and the inconvenience it caused. Our buses are regularly inspected and maintained, but unfortunately, mechanical issues such as a radiator problem can happen unexpectedly, even with a properly maintained vehicle. Our guide did his best to make the most of the situation. He extended the tour to give you as much of the day as possible and worked to include as many stops as time allowed. Unfortunately, due to the delay, we were unable to visit Silver Falls and Reflection Lake. We understand that missing these two stops was disappointing, and we’re sorry the day became much longer than expected. We appreciate your patience and hope that, despite the unexpected setback, you were able to enjoy the rest of your experience with us.
Mt. Rainier is a beautiful destination and I highly recommend anyone visiting Seattle to go see this national park. However, very long day on this tour. Unfortunately, our guide, Randy had a hard time figuring out the speaker headset and was screaming his narration very loudly the entire duration of the tour. It was very uncomfortable and we dreaded being inside the van. Also, the guide would repeat the same thing 3,4,5 times through the length of the tour and repeatedly asked for tips to be given- which made the tour unpleasant. I’ve taken many tours and it’s customary to tip your driver but when they are consistently asking for tips over and over, it creates an uncomfortable situation for everyone. Having said that, he did get us to every destination safely and because we were grateful, we gladly tipped him.
Thank you for taking the time to share such detailed feedback. We’re glad you enjoyed the beauty of Mount Rainier and that our guide got you safely to all of the destinations throughout the day. We sincerely apologize that the narration and headset issues made the experience uncomfortable for you. We understand that having the narration at an excessive volume for an extended period, along with repeated information, can take away from the enjoyment of such a long tour. We will review your feedback with our team so we can improve both the use of our audio equipment and the overall pacing and delivery of the narration. We also appreciate your honest feedback regarding the repeated requests for tips. Gratuity should always be the guest’s choice, and we’re sorry if you felt uncomfortable or pressured in any way. We’re grateful that you still recognized the effort to get you safely to each destination and appreciate the tip you chose to leave. Your feedback is valuable to us, and we hope we have the opportunity to provide you with a more comfortable and enjoyable experience in the future.
The tour was an incredible. We flew from way of out town and would have never been able to navigate & drive the hilly roads to get to the site. Mt. Rainier was beautiful and our tour guide, Kevin, was incredible. Learned a lot and was able to see so much in so little time. Thank you, once in a lifetime experience!
Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful experience! We’re thrilled that you were able to see so much of Mt. Rainier in such a short time and that Kevin made your tour special with his knowledge and guidance. We know traveling from out of town can make navigating the mountain roads challenging, so we’re especially glad we could make the experience easy and enjoyable for you. Mt. Rainier truly is an incredible place, and we’re honored to have been part of your once-in-a-lifetime experience. We’ll be sure to share your kind words with Kevin. Thank you for joining us, and we hope to see you again someday!
It’s a very good tour, very convenient with easy timely pick up at our hotel. Mt Rainier been very close to Seattle afforded more time at the park. We had a stop at a local supermarket so that we could buy our lunch, snacks and drinks for our time at the park. Tour company provided coolers to keep our drinks and lunch sandwiches. Tour company provided water to make sure we stayed hydrated trough our day and hikes. Our tour guide Lucas was excellent well informed and very patient in answering all our questions which made for a very pleasant day.
Thank you for taking the time to share such a detailed review! We’re delighted to hear that you found the tour convenient and enjoyed the easy hotel pickup and the extra time at Mt. Rainier. We’re also glad the grocery stop, coolers, and complimentary water helped make your day more comfortable and enjoyable. Lucas will be especially happy to hear your kind words. We’re proud of his knowledge and patience, and it’s wonderful to know that he took the time to answer all your questions and help make your day at Mt. Rainier so pleasant. Thank you again for choosing us. We hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back for another adventure in the Pacific Northwest.
Very flexible based on personal preference. I had a blast and felt like I made the most of my day. Cory was a great guide! Full of knowledge and super personable. As a solo traveler I never felt left out/behind.
Thank you for sharing your experience! We’re so glad to hear that you had a great time and felt you were able to make the most of your day. Cory will be happy to know that his knowledge and personable approach made you feel comfortable and included throughout the tour. We especially appreciate you mentioning your experience as a solo traveler, as we want every guest to feel welcome and part of the group. Thank you for choosing us, and we hope to see you again on another adventure!
