Yellowstone & Grand Teton National Parks: Small Group 5-Day Tour

The tour guide, Zach, is super thoughtful and kind! He was super responsive and helpful whenever we got questions. We got along very well. His recommendation on food and trip tips are very helpful as well! More importantly, he was very flexible in between the schedules and was able to pick up the best updated travel plan for us. I definitely recommend you to go!

The tour operator (Nomad Unlimited Adventures/Horizon Travel Group) botched this tour badly. It was filled with conflict, stress and anxiety, and I regret booking it. On Day 1 our guide picked up my wife and I in a minivan in the morning. We toured the Great Salt Lake and several sites in Salt Lake City. Then we went to the airport to pick up three more people (a man, his wife and son from San Diego) and squeezed them in. The selection of a minivan for this tour was not a correct one. We had the water as promised but according to our Guide there was no room for "unlimited snacks" (big problem later on). After touring Temple Square and the Capitol it became very apparent that the San Diego family was confused and upset over something. They expected to be taken directly to Yellowstone on Day 1 not stay in Salt Lake that night. They show us that they booked an itinerary which is very different from ours and want to spend the whole tour in Yellowstone. It's late now so we go to our Salt Lake hotel for the night (Crystal Hotel). Day 2 starts with the San Diego family still very upset. They have been arguing with the tour operator by phone all morning. The tour operator made a mistake and were now trying to force them to go with us. They refuse to get in the vehicle because they want the tour they paid for. My wife and I wait in the minivan for over one hour as the argument continues. The tour operator will not provide a 2nd driver to do their itinerary, nor will they give a refund. Meanwhile our tour guide stands by not knowing how to proceed until around 10:30 when he brings just the two of us to nearby Antelope State Park. The San Diego family stays behind to continue the battle. Our guide keeps receiving conflicting instructions by phone about how we are going to proceed. First, he suggests the other family will be touring on their own. Eventually he informs us that the other family is coming to join us but now we are skipping the scenic road to Bear Lake, Jackson and Grand Teton and going directly to Yellowstone tonight without any touring along the way to please them. He assures us that we will still be doing our itinerary but just in reverse. I don't see how that is possible, but we have already lost half of a day but if I start a protest now, we will lose the whole day. The other family joins us, and we start a long very tense ride (no one speaks - we are all stressed and anxious) from about 2PM to 7PM. We only stop once for gas and the toilet on the way. We buy gas station snacks at our own expense to keep the hunger at bay. It's too late when we get to West Yellowstone to do anything, so we just have dinner and go to an old, outdated Brandin Iron Inn. We are informed we will be here for 3 nights. Overall Day 2 was a waste - neither family got to what they wanted and had to suffer for the tour operator's mistake. We don't even get an apology. On Day 3 we are informed of another change after breakfast. We have to vacate the room this morning as tonight we are moving to a different hotel 2 blocks away. We rush up to the room and pack as quickly as possible (more stress). When we finally get going, we do the lower loop of Yellowstone - the rest of the day goes well. We see Old Faithful. This is the first tour our tour guide has ever done but he performed satisfactorily - he knew which highlights to hit but not always where to turn or where to park. We get back to West Yellowstone and check into the Yellowstone Lodge (much more modern compared with the previous night but with a lousy Continental breakfast). I confirm with the tour guide that we will be here two nights but only now does he confess that this is the last night in West Yellowstone, and he has no idea where we are spending the last night. On Day 4 after the lousy breakfast at Yellowstone Lodge, we are told that we have to catch the 2PM boat ride at Jenny Lake. The San Diego family paid extra for it on their itinerary, and it was already included in ours. We started out at 9AM and took the congested route through the West Gate of the park past Old Faithful again and down through the South Gate. We are in bumper-to-bumper traffic for the first 90 minutes which leaves us with only 10 minutes to spare for the rest of the trip. There is no time to stop to sightsee or eat as we race to make the 2PM boat. Since the tour operator omitted the "unlimited snack" and the breakfast was lousy we are starving by the time we arrive. The San Diego family is so hungry they don't even try to get on the boat choosing to look for food instead. My wife and I take the 60-minute boat ride on Jenny Lake without them - the various features of the Tetons are pointed out. We return at 3PM and find the San Diego family are missing. Our tour guide has looked everywhere but can't find them. There is no cell phone service here. Eventually they return at 4PM - they took a shuttle boat across the lake and had trouble getting another shuttle back in time. They felt abused and were too annoyed to bother telling the tour guide what they were doing. From Jenny Lake we go to Jackson, look around for a few minutes and take a 10-minute carriage ride followed by the only real meal we will get today. We are told we will be staying in Idaho Falls (Yuck - why are we going 2 hours west now starting at 7 PM?). Our tour guide's phone is nearly dead, and he has no charger, so I put the hotel address into my phone. The drive is 3 hours, and the ETA is 10PM!! Turns out the hotel (Home2 Suites Hilton) is NOT in Idaho Falls but 50 miles south of that in Pocatella. We arrive at the hotel exhausted and disgusted by two long anxiety filled car rides. Day 5 starts with the tour guide suggesting we go back 50 miles north to visit Idaho Falls before heading south to Salt Lake Airport. That means 100 miles of extra driving so we ask him to skip it. Instead, he takes us to the Hot Springs so we can take a dip. When we get there the tour guide says we have to pay to get in - for some reason he doesn't know the list of inclusions for this tour. I have to show it to him on my phone then he has to go call the tour operator to confirm it. He comes back saying he will only pay for me and my wife but not the other family because it was not on their original list. We have another impasse because they won't pay to get in. The tour guide gives in and pays for them but now everyone feels humiliated yet again. After the Springs, we visit the Aviation Museum (admission is free) without controversy. The tour guide drops the San Diego family at the airport and my wife and I back to the Cystal Hotel. Taking the tour out of sequence was a disastrous decision which ruined most Day 2 and Day 4 and caused awkward changes to Day 5. I only enjoyed Day 1 and Day 3. When booked this tour, the tour company sent me a confirmation message thanking me for giving them this opportunity "to earn my trust and support " - they failed miserably. After making a huge mistake, the tour operator chose to maintain a profit margin rather than pay for their error and provide the customer satisfaction.

If you love experiencing nature in all forms - you can't beat yellowstone and Grand Tenton National Park Tours! It was an experience I'll always cherish. Michael was an EXCELLENT guide - catering to us and every whim and providing engaging and informative commentary.