T
Perfect
We had a great day in Yellowstone! Mike was a fantastic guide and was very knowledgeable about the park and everything in it. We saw lots of wildlife and beautiful landscapes.
Yellowstone Upper Loop Wildlife Safari | Lamar Valley | PRIVATE
+23 photos
At a glance
- Duration
- 8 hours
- Price from
- $450 / person
- Location
- West Yellowstone
- Rating
- 4.9 / 5 · 113 reviews
- Languages
- EN
- Group
- Private
- Cancellation
- Free cancellation
- Confirmation
- Instant
- Ticket
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Operator
- Sky's the Limit Tours
- Meeting point
- Plan to meet your guide in West Yellowstone at a convenient meeting spot with safe/free parking for the entire day.
Description
Join Sky’s the Limit Tours for an unforgettable journey through the stunning landscapes and wildlife-rich terrain of Yellowstone’s Upper Loop. This fully private, customizable safari is ideal for nature enthusiasts & photographers, guided by expert storytellers who bring the park’s wonders to life. From your hotel pickup in West Yellowstone, our passionate guides lead you through Yellowstone’s most iconic areas—including the renowned Lamar Valley, a hotspot for wolves, bears, bison, and more. With high-end Vortex optics, you’ll enjoy close-up views of wildlife, and may even cross paths with renowned researchers like Rick McIntyre for unique, real-time insights. Throughout the day, we provide catered lunches with options for every diet, plus healthy snacks and bottled water to keep you energized. Experience Yellowstone’s remarkable ecosystems while learning about our commitment to conservation, ecology, and responsible ecotourism in a comfortable tour vehicle, Toyota Sienna mini-van.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Lamar Valley
Lamar Valley "the Serengeti of North America" is located in the northeastern region of Yellowstone National Park and is well known for its incredible landscape, flora, fauna, and abundance of wildlife. Our safari makes several stops here in search of wildlife. Your guide will educate you on its historical or geological significance.
Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
The canyon is 800 to 1,200 feet deep and 1,500 to 4,000 feet wide. Enjoy the awe-inspiring view of Yellowstone River raging through the canyon and dropping as a 308-foot waterfall.
Slough Creek
Slough Creek is a tributary of the Lamar River and originates in the Absaroka Range. The watershed supports a variety of flora and fauna. Our wildlife safari makes multiple stops in the Slough Creek area to track and spot wildlife. Your guide will educate you on its historical or geological significance.
Tower Fall
Located in the northeastern part of the Upper Loop near Tower Junction, this fall features a 132 foot drop. The unusual rock columns north of the fall (columnar basalt) were created by lava cracking as it cooled.
Mammoth Hot Springs
Mammoth Hot Springs is a collection of thermal features at the north entrance of Yellowstone National Park near Gardiner, MT. It is known for the travertine terraces that form from mineral deposits. The algae living in the pools creates the distinct brownish and reddish colors.
Gibbon Falls
Gibbon Falls is a 84 foot high drop of the Gibbon River along the rim of the Yellowstone caldera.
Norris Geyser Basin
Here, you can take an amazing walk through the most geothermically active area in Yellowstone. You will have the opportunity to see the famous Steamboat Geyser and the Porcelain Basin Hot Springs. There are a variety of trails here ranging from 0.2 miles to 3 miles.
Mount Washburn
We have several favorite pull offs around Mount Washburn that are wildlife viewing hotspots! Enjoy having your professional guide help you spot animals with binoculars and spotting scopes.
Undine Falls
This easy to view waterfall is a must see three step fall! Once called the "Cascade Falls of the East Gardiner," it was renamed to Undine by geologist Arnold Hague. He named it Undine after the wise, female water goddess from German mythology who was said to live around waterfalls and who could gain souls by marrying mortal men. Sound familiar? Think Little Mermaid.
What's included
Included
Bottled water
Lunch
Snacks
Air-conditioned vehicle
Spotting Scope & Binoculars
Not included
Gratuities
Park Entrance Fees
Pickup Locations & Times
Front-door pickup is included for guests staying within 2 miles of the West Yellowstone Visitor Information Center. If you are staying outside of town (such as Under Canvas, Island Park, Big Sky, Bozeman, etc), please plan to meet your guide in West Yellowstone. Guests staying inside Yellowstone National Park, in Gardiner, the Tetons, or Jackson may meet us at a central meeting location inside Yellowstone. Please call to inquire. Your guide will contact you by 7:00 PM the evening before your tour to confirm pickup or meeting details. If you have not heard from your guide by that time, please call or text us to confirm your pickup. Please remember to dress in layers (hat and sunglasses recommended) and eat breakfast before or bring it with you. Your guide will have drinks and an assortment of healthy snacks to hold you over until lunch if you would like, but please keep in mind that we do not provide breakfast.
Traveller Ratings
4.9
113 reviews
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Total duration of the tour includes the travel time
- Please call with any clarifying questions if you are staying outside of our pickup zone
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 this tour take?
Yellowstone Upper Loop Wildlife Safari | Lamar Valley | PRIVATE lasts about 8 hours. The itinerary has 9 stops.
How much does this tour cost?
Prices start at $450 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 this tour 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. Front-door pickup is included for guests staying within 2 miles of the West Yellowstone Visitor Information Center. If you are staying outside of town (such as Under Canvas, Island Park, Big Sky, Bozeman, etc), please plan to meet your guide in West Yellowstone. Guests staying inside Yellowstone National Park, in Gardiner, the Tetons, or Jackson may meet us at a central meeting location inside Yellowstone. Please call to inquire. Your guide will contact you by 7:00 PM the evening before your tour to confirm pickup or meeting details. If you have not heard from your guide by that time, please call or text us to confirm your pickup. Please remember to dress in layers (hat and sunglasses recommended) and eat breakfast before or bring it with you. Your guide will have drinks and an assortment of healthy snacks to hold you over until lunch if you would like, but please keep in mind that we do not provide breakfast. Pickup points include Tao's Inn.
What languages is this tour offered in?
The experience is available in EN.
Is this a private or a group tour?
It is a private experience: only your party takes part. Up to 15 travellers can book together.
Is the tour suitable for children?
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Will my booking be confirmed immediately?
Yes, bookings are confirmed instantly.
Reviews(113)
L
Great!
Very fun experience. Lisa great guide.
J
Fantastic tour of park and animals
Tour guide, Randy, was awesome. He tooks us to most of the park highlights in addition to locating Bison, Elk, Pronghorn, Mule deer, Sheep, Wolves and Coyotes. Incredible experience.
K
Best way to see Yellowstone!
Lisa and Randy really offered such a wonderful tour. We started bright and early and got into the park right away. They were very knowledgeable about where to find the animals of the park and came prepared with a scope, tripod and camera. They set up a nice picnic lunch for us and made sure to get me gluten free options. If you want an excellent tour-this is it!
C
A Great Tour of Yellowstone
Randy was our guide and he was wonderful! Very knowledgeable, fun, and kind. He made sure we had everything we needed and was always on the lookout for wildlife for us (since that’s what we were most excited to see). He deserves a 10/10. We were a group of 3 and none of us are outdoorsy types. It was all of our first time to a national park and while we absolutely appreciate the natural beauty and wonders, we were out of our element a bit in spending 8 hours touring. We would have been good with a half day (but obviously wouldn’t have seen as much). We saw tons of buffalo, a female elk, and cranes, Old Faithful, and the canyon. All so so cool! The bagged lunches could use some improvement, especially at the price point for the private tour. Overall, this wasn’t the best fit for our group, but that had nothing to do with Randy and what we saw. We are grateful to have seen everything and spend the day together in a beautiful place!
H
Breathtaking sites
Mike was our tour guide and what an awesome tour! He has the knowledge and the greatest stories, we saw so many beautiful and breathtaking things, lots to see in one day. We recommend it!
Operator response
Thank you so much! We’re thrilled to hear you had such an awesome Yellowstone tour with Mike. He has a wonderful way of bringing the park to life through his knowledge, stories, and love for the incredible places you’re seeing along the way. It sounds like you packed in a full day of beautiful, breathtaking Yellowstone moments, and we’re so glad Mike helped make it memorable. Thank you for choosing Sky’s the Limit Tours and for recommending us so kindly.
M
Upper Loop Wildlife Safari with Wolf Sighting!
We had a wonderful day doing the upper loop of Yellowstone with Lisa. She was so knowledgable and we learned so much! Since we were from Colorado, many of us had already had seen much of the wildlife in the park before, but the one animal we all wanted to see was a wolf and boy, did she deliver! We got to watch a pack of wolves! She brought the scope, recorded videos and shared them with us! It was a great experience. Thank you!!
Operator response
Shirley, thank you so much for sharing your experience here too. It means a lot that you took the time to support us again, and we truly appreciate it. We’re so glad Lisa helped make your Upper Loop tour such a wonderful Yellowstone day. We love that your group came hoping to see a wolf, and Lisa was able to help you watch a whole pack through the scope — what a special moment! Thank you again for choosing Sky’s the Limit Tours and for your kind words about Lisa. We’re so happy your group had such a memorable day in the park!
5
Private wildlife and nature photography tour
Randy was our guide for our private tour. He made the day great - knowledgeable, fun and shared our love of photography. He took us to great spots for wildlife and landscape photography. The tour company was professional and reliable. Would highly recommend!
Operator response
Phyllis, thank you so much for this wonderful review! We’re so happy Randy made your private Yellowstone tour such a great day. We love hearing that he was able to share not only his knowledge and fun spirit, but also your love of photography. Finding those special spots for both wildlife and landscape shots is such a meaningful part of the experience, and we’re glad the day felt personal, professional, and reliable from start to finish. Thank you for choosing Sky’s the Limit Tours and for recommending us so kindly. We’ll make sure Randy sees your thoughtful words!
M
Newbie to Yellowstone a must tour!
Amazing experience. Randy was awesome and so knowledgeable. We packed a ton into one day. Highly recommend!
Operator response
“Newbie to Yellowstone a must tour!” — we love that! Thank you so much for sharing such a fun review. We’re so happy your first Yellowstone experience felt amazing with Randy. Packing a ton into one day is part of the magic, and we’re glad his knowledge helped make the park feel approachable, exciting, and memorable. Thank you for choosing Sky’s the Limit Tours and for recommending us so kindly. We’re thrilled Randy helped make your Yellowstone introduction such a great one!
G
Randy was amazing
We spent a full day on a wildlife safari on the upper loop with Randy as our guide, and it was one of the highlights of our trip. He was extremely easygoing, flexible, and personable, and we genuinely enjoyed spending the day in his company. What impressed us most was his depth of knowledge (not just of the wildlife, but the park’s geology, geothermal features, and history) paired with a clear, genuine passion for the park and everything in it. We saw a great range of animals over the course of the day (bears, wolves, bison, coyote, elk, pronghorn, Osprey). If you’re booking a safari in Yellowstone, Randy is a great guide to have.
Operator response
Gen, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for taking the time to share your experience in more than one place. Your repeated support means so much to our small business, and we truly do not take it for granted. We’re so happy your Upper Loop wildlife safari with Randy was such a highlight of your Yellowstone trip. He brings such an easygoing, thoughtful presence to a full day in the park, and we love hearing that his knowledge of wildlife, geology, geothermal features, and history helped make the experience feel even richer. Bears, wolves, bison, coyote, elk, pronghorn, and osprey make for an incredible wildlife day. Thank you again for continuing to show up for Sky’s the Limit Tours and for sharing such kind words about Randy and your time in Yellowstone!
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from$450
4.9(113) Free cancellation