Tours/West Yellowstone/Yellowstone Upper Loop Safari Tour - West Yellowstone, MT

Yellowstone Upper Loop Safari Tour - West Yellowstone, MT

4.6(26)West Yellowstone9–10 hours
VIATOR3.8(8)TRIPADVISOR5.0(18)
Yellowstone Upper Loop Safari Tour - West Yellowstone, MT
Yellowstone Upper Loop Safari Tour - West Yellowstone, MT
Yellowstone Upper Loop Safari Tour - West Yellowstone, MT
Yellowstone Upper Loop Safari Tour - West Yellowstone, MT
Yellowstone Upper Loop Safari Tour - West Yellowstone, MT
Yellowstone Upper Loop Safari Tour - West Yellowstone, MT
Yellowstone Upper Loop Safari Tour - West Yellowstone, MT
Yellowstone Upper Loop Safari Tour - West Yellowstone, MT
Yellowstone Upper Loop Safari Tour - West Yellowstone, MT
Yellowstone Upper Loop Safari Tour - West Yellowstone, MT
Yellowstone Upper Loop Safari Tour - West Yellowstone, MT
Yellowstone Upper Loop Safari Tour - West Yellowstone, MT
Yellowstone Upper Loop Safari Tour - West Yellowstone, MT

At a glance

Duration
9–10 hours
Price from
$275 / person
Location
West Yellowstone
Rating
4.6 / 5 · 26 reviews
Languages
EN
Group
Small group, up to 11
Cancellation
Free cancellation
Confirmation
Instant
Ticket
Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Operator
CoveredGround Tours
Meeting point
We meet at The Wilson Hotel at 6am in Big Sky MT

Description

This is a tour of the northern range of Yellowstone National Park and the 'Upper Loop' of Yellowstone. We call this the Wildlife and Nature Safari because it highlights the opportunity for abundant wildlife viewing and stunning landscapes. This tour will give you all of the best opportunities to see wildlife in Yellowstone and you will be able to sit back and take in the sights with us, with an extended focus on wildlife spotting with scopes and binoculars.

Tour Options

West Yellowstone, MT
  • Duration: 9 hours Lunch + Bottled Water: Each guest will get the option of Turkey, Ham, Roast Beef, Veggie or PB&J sandwiches. Lunches include chips and a cookie. Pickup included

Itinerary

Yellowstone National Park
15 min

Experience Yellowstone National Park! The Grand Loop road was designed to encapsulate as much of the hydrothermal features in Yellowstone as possible.

Lamar Valley
Admission included90 min

Watch out for extreme wildlife viewing in the 'Serengeti of the West' in Lamar Valley. Common wildlife sightings include Black Bear, Grizzly Bear, Grey Wolves, Moose, Pronghorn, Mountain Goat, Mule Deer and more.

Tower Fall
Admission included50 min

See the Iconic Tower Fall waterfall, one of the many sights painted by 19th century artists that helped make Yellowstone the first National Park in the World. This is also a good stop for restrooms, gift shopping and a place to eat outdoors.

Mount Washburn
Admission included50 min

Drive over Dunraven Pass from Tower junction to Canyon Village. Stop on the way up in search of plentiful Black Bear, and at the top for Bighorn Sheep sightings. This is also one of the best places in the park for Wildflowers!

Mammoth Hot Springs
45 min

We will view both the lower terraces and upper terraces of Mammoth Hot Springs and have lunch nearby in Fort Yellowstone

Fort Yellowstone Historic District
45 min

We will have lunch in Fort Yellowstone with time for light gift shopping at the general store, ice cream, and a walk through the first building in Yellowstone National park. Here, we will see ranger housing and the federal district courthouse

Norris Geyser Basin
45 min

View the area that has measured the hottest measurements in Yellowstone and home to the largest geyser in the world, Steamboat Geyser! We will walk the porcelain basin and see some of the wonders of the most dynamic and acidic location in Yellowstone

Gibbon Falls
25 min

See the trickling cascade waterfall of Gibbon Falls and get some great photos for your camera roll!

Virginia Cascade Drive
20 min

Drive through Virginia Cascade when it is open and see a waterfall with an opportunity for wildlife

Slough Creek
30 min

Drive down a dirt road to Slough Creek, home of one of the Junction Butte wolf pack dens

What's included

Included
Each guest will get an option of Ham, Turkey, Roast Beef or Veggie sandwich
Bottled water
Binoculars and Spotting Scope
Snacks
Air-conditioned vehicle
Not included
Park Entry Fees(included with your National Park Pass)
Gratuities

Pickup Locations & Times

We pick up at all hotels in West Yellowstone, MT at 7am and at a central meeting point (The Wilson Hotel) in Big Sky at 6am. If you are coming from outside city limits you can meet us at The Wilson Hotel or West Yellowstone Visitor Center at 7am.

Traveller Ratings

4.6
26 reviews
5
22
4
0
3
3
2
0
1
1

Important Information

  • Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
  • Service animals allowed
  • Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Cancellation

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

1+ days before100% refund
0–1 days before0% refund

Frequently asked questions

How long does Yellowstone Upper Loop Safari Tour - West Yellowstone, MT take?

Yellowstone Upper Loop Safari Tour - West Yellowstone, MT lasts about 9–10 hours. The itinerary has 10 stops.

How much does Yellowstone Upper Loop Safari Tour - West Yellowstone, MT cost?

Prices start at $275 per person for this West Yellowstone experience, booked through Viator with the price shown before checkout. There is 1 booking option, so the final price depends on the option you choose.

Can I cancel Yellowstone Upper Loop Safari Tour - West Yellowstone, MT for free?

Yes. Cancel at least 1 day before the start for a full refund. Later cancellations are non-refundable.

Is hotel pickup included?

Yes, pickup is offered. We pick up at all hotels in West Yellowstone, MT at 7am and at a central meeting point (The Wilson Hotel) in Big Sky at 6am. If you are coming from outside city limits you can meet us at The Wilson Hotel or West Yellowstone Visitor Center at 7am. Pickup points include Arrowhead Lodge by Arrowhead Properties.

What languages is Yellowstone Upper Loop Safari Tour - West Yellowstone, MT offered in?

The experience is available in EN.

Is this a private or a group tour?

It is a small-group experience with a maximum of 11 participants.

Is the tour suitable for children?

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap

Will my booking be confirmed immediately?

Yes, bookings are confirmed instantly.

Reviews(26)

R
Robert_D
September 15, 2026
Good, not great.

This tour would be better done on your own unless you can guarantee a great guide. It’s about of riding and the guide’s knowledge base and communication skills are critical to the days success.

L
LindaB51620
May 20, 2026
Great tour of Northern Yellowstone

This was a great tour and exceeded our expectations. Wonderful tour with many animals seen on our tour of Northern Yellowstone including Lamar and Hayden Valleys. Our tour guides were very knowledgeable and experienced. We saw different animals including, elk, grizzly bears, black bear, black wolves, bison, white tail deer, mule deer, and big horn sheep. It was also a great sightseeing tour. It was a learning experience for both of us. we would consider doing this tour again.

P
Paradise34348306177
September 24, 2025
A great Yellowstone tour!

Had a great trip. Saw pronghorn, bison, elk, back bear and our hilight was a grizzly! Darin was a fun and informative guide. I'd highly recommend this trip.

6
671owena
September 21, 2025
Cover ground & See Key Animals

The guided van tour was great. So much great information about the park and anecdotes. The Yellowstone roads are dotted with hubs of excitement as visitors spy key species and gather. The guides were excellent at anticipating the plains animals and engaging with other ‘spotters’ to get great views. It was a great way to cover a lot of ground.

J
Jenny_J
June 22, 2025
Yellowstone tour

The tour was wonderful! The guide was extremely knowledgeable and found lots of wildlife for us to view! We loved it so much we booked a second tour of a different loop for the next day!

L
Lisa_D
June 20, 2025
Waste of money

Don’t waist your money. We had the Covered Ground Tours. First our pick up time was for 7am, received text was changed to 6 am. Thank them for text that’s all. No wildlife persay bison if you see one that’s enough. Our guide was not great (Jack) My husband was not happy I understood but was nerve racking and stressful. We had upper loop on our itinerary copy he was not doing the whole loop. In fact 25% we never saw. For $600 we should get what is on the itinerary. The day before we did a tour with Cody tours Lowe Loop. Was Amazing very Informational, took time to show everything and cost $120 LESS. This was a joke and waste of our time and money.

Operator response

Lisa and Len. We've talked about this and I've told you how out of line you guys are being. Just so you know I called the other people on your tour and they said you guys were unnecessarily harassing Jack and it really makes me mad. Jack is a great guy and an extremely knowledgeable guide and you guys were harassing him non stop trying to get him to do a route we have never ever ever done. You can't just find a mini-loop on a map and demand we do that when it's not the itinerary. Everybody else on board knew what they were signing up for and had a great time. You guys are way out of line here and it's sad to see you like this. Sorry, I stand behind Jack. Goodbye

C
chriskelly849
May 24, 2025
Pleasant and interesting

Guide admitted to be a newbie. But, he was very knowledgeable about Yellowstone. He even picked us up on the way, saving an hour of travel time. Thanks you very much.

E
ericas606
May 21, 2025
Amazing Animal Adventure

Emma was amazing! Her passion for the park and the animals really stood out. She was friendly and knowledgeable. We saw grizzlies, wolves, moose, bison (of course), elk, pronghorn, and so much more. I could not recommend this enough. It was a great day and fantastic tour!

I
Ivona_D
May 20, 2025
Wonderful tour

The tour was well organized, Kody was a wonderful guide, very informative, took pictures of us, gave us all the best photo opportunities. Special plus for wonderful sandwiches and company :) We highly recommend taking this tour!!!

G
Gramsx2
September 15, 2024
Excellent!

Terrific! Our guide, Adam, was excellent. He was constantly telling us about the park and the sites we were seeing. Plenty of restroom stops. I highly recommend this tour...request Adam if you can.

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