Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
South Dakota to Wyoming: the Badlands, Black Hills, Yellowstone and Grand Teton
10 days from Rapid City to Jackson: a Badlands sunset, Mount Rushmore early, Custer State Park and Crazy Horse, Devils Tower and the Bighorns, three nights inside Yellowstone and two in Jackson for Grand Teton.
10 days · Rapid City to Jackson · up to 12 guests
The Cascade Canyon trail in Grand Teton National Park, a short way beyond Hidden Falls Photo: G. Edward Johnson, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cascade_canyon_trail_teton_20190713_095423_1.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 10 days, 9 nights
- Start and end
- Rapid City to Jackson
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Longest drive
- 6.5 h on day 4
- Activity level
Moderate
Walks of 1 to 7 km a day, mostly on boardwalks, paved paths and level trails, at about 750 m in the Badlands rising to 1,600 to 2,500 m in the Black Hills, Yellowstone and Grand Teton, where you may feel short of breath at first. The steepest are the 422 steps of the Presidential Trail at Mount Rushmore and the rocky 1.5 km climb from the Jenny Lake boat dock to Inspiration Point, about 125 m up; both have a shorter version. Most days have up to about four hours in the van; days 4 and 5, which cross from the Black Hills to Yellowstone, have about six and a half and six, broken by stops every 90 minutes or so. You can stay with the vehicle at any stop.
- Meals included
- 9 breakfasts, 8 lunches, 2 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 1,575 (estimated price)
- Season
- June to September
Highlights
Why this trip
- The Badlands Loop Road in evening light, with a welcome dinner at the park's edge
- Mount Rushmore at 7:45 am, before the coaches, after its lighting ceremony the night before
- Bison, pronghorn and prairie dogs on the Wildlife Loop in Custer State Park
- Devils Tower, the first US national monument, walked all the way round on the Tower Trail
- Over the Bighorn Mountains to Cody and in through the East Entrance to Hayden Valley at dusk
- Lamar Valley at first light, the one pre-dawn start, with a local wildlife guide, spotting scopes and breakfast in the field
- Grand Prismatic early from the boardwalk, then Old Faithful erupting
- A morning on Jenny Lake: the shuttle boat, Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point
What makes this trip different
Short drives, all published
Every drive is listed day by day. The longest is 6.5 h, on day 4.
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 1,575 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
The longest drive is 6.5 h, on day 4.
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Rapid City to the Badlands
Rapid City Regional Airport to Wall and the Pinnacles entrance, then the Sage Creek Rim Road and the Badlands Loop Road to Cedar Pass
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Badlands
- Drive about 2.5 h
Fly into Rapid City Regional Airport (RAP) and land by about 1 pm; most flights connect through Denver or Minneapolis, and we confirm the group pick-up time with your final itinerary. Your See Sight Tours guide meets you in arrivals, and we drive about an hour east across the prairie on I-90 to Wall, then south into Badlands National Park at the Pinnacles entrance. The Lakota called this country mako sica, land that is bad: hard to cross, short of water, hot in summer. We start on the gravel Sage Creek Rim Road, where bison graze and the prairie dogs of Roberts Prairie Dog Town stand guard over their burrows, then turn back and drive the Badlands Loop Road east as the sun drops, stopping at overlooks where the striped buttes turn gold and pink.
Evening
Lodging at the park's edge is simpler than in the towns, and evening choices are few, so we sit down to a welcome dinner near Cedar Pass, then step out for the last of the light.
Included
- Pick-up at Rapid City Regional Airport (RAP)
- Badlands National Park entry
- The Sage Creek Rim Road and Roberts Prairie Dog Town
- The Badlands Loop Road overlooks in evening light
- Welcome briefing and welcome dinner near Cedar Pass
Activity: Short walks from the van to the overlooks. Bring water and a sun hat: the Badlands can be very hot on summer afternoons.
Badlands trails, then into the Black Hills
Cedar Pass to the Door, Window and Fossil Exhibit trails, then Rapid City and Keystone, with Mount Rushmore in the evening
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Keystone
- Drive about 2 h
Early risers can watch the sun come up over the buttes from the Door Trail, a few minutes from the hotel.
Morning
After breakfast we walk it properly: a short boardwalk through a gap in the Badlands Wall onto a maze of eroded ridges. The Window Trail is next door, and at the Fossil Exhibit Trail a boardwalk passes casts of the animals found in these rocks, among them early horses, rhinos and sabre-toothed cats. At the Ben Reifel Visitor Center, named for a Lakota congressman born on the Rosebud Reservation, the park's story comes together before we leave the heat behind.
Afternoon
It is about an hour and a half west to Rapid City for a sit-down lunch downtown, where bronze statues of past presidents stand on the street corners, then half an hour up into the pines to Keystone. The afternoon is free.
Evening
In the evening we drive five minutes to Mount Rushmore for the lighting ceremony, when it runs, as the faces are lit against the dark.
Included
- The Door, Window and Fossil Exhibit trails with your guide
- The Ben Reifel Visitor Center
- Sit-down lunch in downtown Rapid City and the City of Presidents statues
- The Mount Rushmore evening lighting ceremony (about late May to late September)
Easier option: Keep to the boardwalk sections of the Door and Fossil Exhibit trails, both level and short.
More active option: The Notch Trail, about 2.4 km round trip with a log ladder up a gully to a ledge over the White River valley.
Free time: Afternoon free in Keystone
Activity: About 2 to 4 km of walking, much of it on boardwalks. Start early: there is little shade in the Badlands.
Mount Rushmore early, Custer State Park and Crazy Horse
Keystone to Mount Rushmore, the Iron Mountain Road and the Wildlife Loop in Custer State Park, then the Crazy Horse Memorial and back by Hill City
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Keystone
- Drive about 3 h
Morning
We are back at Mount Rushmore by about 7:45 am, ahead of the tour coaches, with the faces in clear morning light. Gutzon Borglum and nearly 400 workers carved them between 1927 and 1941, each about 18 m high. Walk the Presidential Trail to stand below the granite, and hear the older story of the mountain, which the Lakota call the Six Grandfathers, and of the Black Hills, promised to the Lakota by the 1868 Fort Laramie treaty and taken after gold was found. The Iron Mountain Road winds south over wooden pigtail bridges and through tunnels that frame the faces behind us, into Custer State Park.
Afternoon
On the Wildlife Loop we look for bison, pronghorn, prairie dogs and the burros that wander up to cars, then sit down to lunch in the park.
Evening
In the afternoon we visit the Crazy Horse Memorial, a carving begun in 1948 and still unfinished, where Lakota opinion on the project is divided, and return to Keystone by Hill City for a free evening.
Included
- Mount Rushmore at about 7:45 am and the Presidential Trail
- The Iron Mountain Road
- Custer State Park entry and the Wildlife Loop Road
- Sit-down lunch in Custer State Park
- Crazy Horse Memorial entry and the visitor complex
Optional experiences
- Buffalo safari jeep ride in Custer State Park (price shown at booking)
- The bus to the base of the Crazy Horse carving (price shown at booking)
Easier option: Watch from the Grand View Terrace at Mount Rushmore instead of the trail, and stay in the van on the Wildlife Loop, where most animals are seen from the road.
More active option: The full Presidential Trail loop, about 1 km with 422 steps, and the sculptor's studio.
Free time: Evening free in Keystone
Activity: About 2 to 3 km of walking on paved paths and steps. Bison are wild and fast: stay in or beside the van when they are close.
Deadwood and Devils Tower to Sheridan
Keystone to Hill City and Deadwood, then Spearfish, Sundance and Devils Tower, and west on I-90 by Gillette to Sheridan
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Sheridan
- Drive about 6.5 h
The first of two long days that carry us from the Black Hills to Yellowstone, and the longest of the trip: about 540 km and six and a half hours of driving, over the cap because it is the price of not driving back to Rapid City. It runs in four legs, each ending somewhere worth stopping. We leave Keystone at 7:30 am and drive north through the hills to Deadwood, a gold-rush town of 1876 whose brick Main Street is a National Historic Landmark. Wild Bill Hickok was shot at a poker table here that August, and he lies near Calamity Jane in Mount Moriah Cemetery above the town.
Afternoon
A short run down to Spearfish brings a sit-down lunch, then we cross into Wyoming to Devils Tower, a column of grey rock rising about 265 m above the Belle Fourche River, sacred to the Lakota and other Plains nations as Bear Lodge and made the first US national monument in 1906. The paved Tower Trail circles its base. The last leg is about three hours by Gillette and I-90, with a coffee stop halfway, and we reach Sheridan, below the Bighorn Mountains, by about 6:30 pm.
Included
- Deadwood's Main Street and Mount Moriah Cemetery with your guide
- Sit-down lunch in Spearfish
- Devils Tower National Monument entry
- The Tower Trail round the base of Devils Tower
Easier option: Walk the first part of the Tower Trail to the boulder field and wait at the visitor centre, or skip Mount Moriah's hill and stay on Main Street.
More active option: Add the Red Beds Trail at Devils Tower, about 4.5 km in all, down to the Belle Fourche River and back up.
Free time: Evening free in Sheridan
Activity: The longest drive of the trip, about 6.5 hours, broken by stops at Deadwood, Spearfish, Devils Tower and Gillette, never more than about 90 minutes apart. About 3 km of walking, mostly paved.
Over the Bighorns to Cody and into Yellowstone
Sheridan over the Bighorn Mountains by Granite Pass and Shell Canyon to Cody, then the Wapiti Valley, the East Entrance and Sylvan Pass to Hayden Valley and Canyon Village
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Canyon Village, Yellowstone
- Drive about 6 h
The second long day, about 405 km and six hours of driving, and the reward is arriving inside Yellowstone. We leave Sheridan at 7:30 am and climb US 14 into the Bighorn Mountains, over Granite Pass at about 2,740 m, then down Shell Canyon, stopping at Shell Falls as the creek drops through a granite gorge.
Afternoon
Across the Bighorn Basin we reach Cody, the town Buffalo Bill Cody founded in the 1890s, for a sit-down lunch and an hour at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, five museums under one roof; most guests pick the Plains Indian Museum or the Draper natural history galleries. Then west up the Wapiti Valley beside the Shoshone River, through the East Entrance and over Sylvan Pass to Yellowstone Lake.
Evening
We stop at Lake Butte for the view across the water, and come through Hayden Valley in the early evening, when bison gather on the flats along the Yellowstone River. Dinner is waiting at Canyon Village, our base for three nights.
Included
- The Bighorn Scenic Byway over Granite Pass
- Shell Falls in Shell Canyon
- Sit-down lunch in Cody
- Buffalo Bill Center of the West entry
- Yellowstone National Park entry by the East Entrance and Sylvan Pass
- Lake Butte overlook and Hayden Valley in the evening
- Dinner at Canyon Village
Activity: The second long drive, about 6 hours including time for wildlife jams, broken by stops at Shell Falls, Cody, the Wapiti Valley, Lake Butte and Hayden Valley about every 90 minutes. Short walks only.
Lamar Valley at dawn and Mammoth
Canyon Village over Dunraven Pass to Tower Junction and Lamar Valley, then Mammoth Hot Springs, Norris and Artist Point
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Canyon Village, Yellowstone
- Drive about 3.5 h
Morning
This is the one pre-dawn start of the trip, and it is worth it. We leave Canyon about an hour and a half before sunrise (about 4 am in late June, nearer 5:30 am in mid-September) and drive over Dunraven Pass and past Tower Junction into Lamar Valley, about 55 km, arriving as the light comes up. Wolves, bison, pronghorn, elk and sometimes grizzly bears are most active at dawn, and a local wildlife guide joins us with spotting scopes and news of which packs and herds have been seen that week. Nothing is promised, but the valley at first light, bison spread across the flats and the river below, is the Yellowstone most visitors miss. Breakfast is in the field, with hot drinks.
Afternoon
Mid-morning we head west by the Tower Fall overlook to Mammoth Hot Springs for lunch and a walk on the travertine terraces, where elk often graze the lawns of old Fort Yellowstone. We return by Norris and end at Artist Point, with the Lower Falls dropping 94 m into the yellow and rose walls of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.
Included
- Lamar Valley at dawn with a local wildlife guide and spotting scopes
- Field breakfast in the valley
- Tower Fall overlook
- Sit-down lunch at Mammoth
- Mammoth Hot Springs terraces with your guide
- Artist Point and the Lower Falls of the Yellowstone
Easier option: Stay by the van at each Lamar pullout and watch through the spotting scopes, and keep to the Lower Terrace boardwalks at Mammoth.
More active option: The Brink of the Lower Falls trail from the North Rim, about 1.3 km round trip with a steep climb of about 180 m back up.
Free time: Late afternoon free at Canyon Village
Activity: Dress for near-freezing temperatures at dawn, even in July. Wildlife jams can add 30 minutes or more. About 3 km of walking, with stairs at Mammoth.
Grand Prismatic and Old Faithful
Canyon Village to Norris, Madison and Midway Geyser Basin, then Old Faithful and the Grand Prismatic overlook, and back to Canyon
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Canyon Village, Yellowstone
- Drive about 4 h
We leave Canyon at 6:15 am and drive about an hour and a quarter by Norris and Madison to Midway Geyser Basin, to walk the boardwalk around Grand Prismatic Spring at about 7:30, before the small car park fills. Early on it steams heavily, so we come back for the colour later. Old Faithful is about 10 km on.
Morning
Rangers post a predicted time for each eruption, so we time our arrival and watch from the benches, then walk the Upper Geyser Basin along the Firehole River, past Castle and Grand geysers, to the deep blue of Morning Glory Pool, about 2.5 km each way.
Afternoon
Lunch is at Old Faithful, with a look inside the Old Faithful Inn, the log hotel opened in 1904. In the early afternoon, when the steam has thinned, the van drops us at the Fairy Falls trailhead for the 1.9 km round trip to the Grand Prismatic overlook, about 30 m above the basin.
Evening
We are back at Canyon by about 5 pm for a free evening.
Included
- Grand Prismatic Spring from the Midway Geyser Basin boardwalk at about 7:30 am
- An Old Faithful eruption
- The Upper Geyser Basin to Morning Glory Pool with your guide
- Sit-down lunch at Old Faithful
- The Old Faithful Inn lobby
- The Grand Prismatic overlook in the early afternoon
Easier option: Walk only the first part of the Upper Geyser Basin and watch a second Old Faithful eruption from the benches, then wait in the van at the overlook trailhead if you prefer.
More active option: Carry on past the overlook to Fairy Falls, 61 m high, about 8 km round trip on a flat trail from the trailhead.
Free time: Evening free at Canyon Village
Activity: About 6 to 7 km of walking on boardwalks and level trails, plus a climb of about 30 m to the overlook. Stay on the boardwalks: the ground in the basins is thin and scalding.
Yellowstone Lake and south to Jackson
Canyon Village to Hayden Valley, Mud Volcano and Lake Village, then West Thumb and the South Entrance to Oxbow Bend and Jackson
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Jackson
- Drive about 4.5 h
Morning
We leave Canyon at 8 am and drive slowly south through Hayden Valley, where bison, elk and sometimes grizzlies feed in the morning, to Mud Volcano, whose boardwalk passes the churning grey pools and the steaming cave of Dragon's Mouth Spring.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal by Yellowstone Lake, the largest lake above 2,100 m in North America. After lunch we walk with your guide from Bridge Bay to the Natural Bridge, a rock arch about 15 m high cut by Bridge Creek, about 4 km round trip on a level path through the pines. At West Thumb Geyser Basin hot pools run right to the edge of the cold lake, and we give the boardwalk about 45 minutes before following the Lewis River south out of the park by the South Entrance. The John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway carries us into Grand Teton National Park and along Jackson Lake to Oxbow Bend, where the Snake River curls below Mount Moran and moose and white pelicans use the shallows. About 210 km and a little over four hours of driving at park speed limits, broken by four stops and lunch; we reach Jackson by about 6 pm.
Included
- Hayden Valley in the morning
- Mud Volcano and Dragon's Mouth Spring
- Sit-down lunch by Yellowstone Lake
- The Natural Bridge walk from Bridge Bay with your guide
- West Thumb Geyser Basin
- Grand Teton National Park entry and Oxbow Bend
Easier option: Stay on the lower, level loop at Mud Volcano, and wait by the lake shore at Bridge Bay instead of walking to the Natural Bridge.
Free time: Evening free in Jackson
Activity: About 5 to 7 km of walking on boardwalks and a level forest path, with some stairs at Mud Volcano.
A lake morning in Grand Teton
Jackson to Schwabacher Landing and Jenny Lake, then Moose and back to Jackson
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Jackson
- Drive about 1.5 h
Morning
This morning is spent at the water below the range. We leave Jackson at about 6:30 am for Schwabacher Landing, where beaver ponds beside the Snake River reflect the peaks in the still early air, then drive on to Jenny Lake to be on one of the first shuttle boats across. The crossing takes about 12 minutes, and from the west shore dock a rocky trail climbs to Hidden Falls and on to Inspiration Point, about 125 m above the lake, with the view east across the water to the valley. The boat brings us back by late morning.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal at Moose, then we visit the log Chapel of the Transfiguration, whose window frames the Grand Teton, at 4,199 m the highest peak in the range, and Menor's Ferry, a rebuilt Snake River crossing from the 1890s. We are back in Jackson by about 2:30 pm.
Evening
The afternoon is free for the Town Square and its elk antler arches, the National Museum of Wildlife Art or a rest, and in the evening we meet for a farewell dinner.
Included
- Schwabacher Landing in the early morning
- Jenny Lake shuttle boat across and back
- Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point with your guide
- Sit-down lunch at Moose
- The Chapel of the Transfiguration and Menor's Ferry
- Farewell dinner in Jackson
Optional experiences
- Scenic float trip on the Snake River in the afternoon (price shown at booking)
Easier option: Walk only the short way to Hidden Falls, or stay on the east shore and walk the level lakeside path while the others climb.
More active option: Carry on past Inspiration Point into Cascade Canyon for an hour or so before turning back, about 6 to 8 km round trip from the dock.
Free time: Afternoon free in Jackson
Activity: About 3 km round trip from the dock to Inspiration Point on a rocky trail with steps, climbing about 125 m.
Mormon Row and home from Jackson Hole
Jackson to the Gros Ventre River, Antelope Flats and Mormon Row, then Jackson Hole Airport
- Breakfast
- Drive about 1.5 h
Morning
A last morning in the valley before your flight. We leave Jackson at about 7:30 am, when the sun is full on the east face of the Tetons, and drive north to the Gros Ventre River, where moose browse the willows in the early hours. Antelope Flats is just beyond, wide sagebrush where bison and pronghorn graze. On Mormon Row the weathered barns of homesteads settled by Mormon families from the 1890s stand in front of the range, and we give it time for pictures without a crowd of coaches. Jackson Hole Airport (JAC) is a short drive away on the valley floor, inside Grand Teton National Park, and we drop you there by about 11 am. Book a flight leaving after about 1 pm. If you are staying on in Jackson, we take you back to town instead, and your guide says goodbye there.
Included
- The Gros Ventre River and Antelope Flats
- Mormon Row and its homestead barns
- Drop-off at Jackson Hole Airport (JAC), or in Jackson
Easier option: For a morning flight we go straight from the hotel to the airport, about 15 minutes.
Activity: Book a flight leaving Jackson Hole Airport after about 1 pm to join the morning drive.
- Rapid Citystart
- Badlands1 night
- Keystone2 nights
- Sheridan1 night
- Canyon Village, Yellowstone3 nights
- Jackson2 nights
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: June brings bison calves in Custer State Park and Yellowstone, green prairie and snow on the high peaks, with cold mornings in the mountains. July and August are hot on the plains and in the Badlands, often over 30 C, warm in the parks, with afternoon thunderstorms and the bison rut in Lamar and Hayden valleys. September brings the elk rut at Mammoth, first frosts and thinner crowds. Late-summer wildfire smoke can haze the views. Wildlife sightings are never guaranteed.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who want the Black Hills and Yellowstone in one trip without driving it themselves
- First visits to the West who want monuments, wildlife and geysers, with the timing worked out for you
- People happy with two long road days in exchange for not doubling back
- Wildlife watchers who will get up early once for Lamar Valley
- Solo travellers who want a fair single price
Not for you if you want
- Anyone who dislikes long days in a vehicle; days 4 and 5 have about six and a half and six hours of driving
- Late risers: there are three early starts, Lamar Valley before dawn and departures at about 6:15 and 6:30 am on days 7 and 9
- Serious hikers looking for long daily trails or backcountry nights
- Travellers who want luxury hotels; the lodges and town hotels are comfortable, not grand
- Winter visits; this trip runs June to September only
- Travellers short of time: the single-park trips cover the Black Hills in 6 days and Yellowstone and Grand Teton in 7
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
9 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Badlands1 night
- Keystone2 nights
- Sheridan1 night
- Canyon Village, Yellowstone3 nights
- Jackson2 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 9 nights: 1 at the edge of Badlands National Park, 2 in Keystone in the Black Hills, 1 in Sheridan, 3 inside Yellowstone at Canyon Village and 2 in Jackson
- Hotels of a 3-star-plus standard with private bathrooms, walkable to the town centre where there is one, and a lodge inside Yellowstone; lodging at the Badlands edge is simpler; we name each hotel when we confirm your dates
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Pick-up at Rapid City Regional Airport (RAP) on day 1 and drop-off at Jackson Hole Airport (JAC) on day 10, at set group times
- A private van and professional driver for the group from day 1 to day 10, with spare seats
- The Jenny Lake shuttle boat across and back
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group from the day 1 pick-up to the day 10 drop-off
- A local wildlife guide with spotting scopes for the dawn morning in Lamar Valley
Activities
- Entrance to Badlands, Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks, including the per-person fee Yellowstone and Grand Teton charge visitors who are not US residents
- The Sage Creek Rim Road, the Badlands Loop Road and the Door, Window and Fossil Exhibit trails
- The City of Presidents statues in Rapid City
- Mount Rushmore: the evening lighting ceremony and an early-morning visit with the Presidential Trail
- The Iron Mountain Road, Custer State Park entry and the Wildlife Loop Road
- Crazy Horse Memorial entry
- Deadwood's Main Street and Mount Moriah Cemetery
- Devils Tower National Monument entry and the Tower Trail
- The Bighorn Scenic Byway and Shell Falls
- Buffalo Bill Center of the West entry in Cody
- Hayden Valley, Lamar Valley at dawn and the Tower Fall overlook
- Mammoth Hot Springs terraces and Artist Point at the Lower Falls
- Grand Prismatic Spring from the boardwalk and from the overlook
- Old Faithful, the Upper Geyser Basin and the Old Faithful Inn
- Mud Volcano, West Thumb Geyser Basin and Lewis Falls
- Oxbow Bend, Schwabacher Landing, Jenny Lake, Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point
- The Chapel of the Transfiguration and Menor's Ferry at Moose
- The Gros Ventre River, Antelope Flats and Mormon Row
- A can of bear spray for each guest for the Yellowstone and Grand Teton walks
Meals
- 9 breakfasts, including a field breakfast in Lamar Valley
- 8 sit-down lunches, on days 2 to 9
- 3 dinners: a welcome dinner at the Badlands, dinner at Canyon Village on day 5 and a farewell dinner in Jackson
Not included
- International flights to Rapid City and from Jackson
- Travel insurance
- Passport, and an ESTA or US visa where needed
- Dinners on days 2, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 8
- Drinks
- Tips for your guide, driver and wildlife guide
- Optional activities, such as the Custer State Park jeep safari, the Crazy Horse bus and a Snake River float
- Personal expenses
- Hotel nights before day 1 or after day 10
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 1,575 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Nine nights in 3-star-plus hotels and a Yellowstone lodge, 9 breakfasts, 8 sit-down lunches and 3 dinners, both airport transfers, a private van and driver, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, a local wildlife guide in Lamar Valley, entry to every park, monument and museum on the route including the non-resident park fee, the Jenny Lake boat and bear spray.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests in one van with spare seats. Everyone gets a window, a turn at the spotting scope in Lamar Valley, and a van that can pull over for a bison or a view when a 40-seat coach cannot.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with you from the Rapid City pick-up to the Jackson drop-off, with a professional driver at the wheel. On the dawn morning in Lamar Valley a local wildlife guide joins us with spotting scopes and the latest sightings.
How much driving is there?
Most days have up to about four hours in the van. Days 4 and 5 cover about 945 km from the Black Hills to Canyon Village by Devils Tower and Cody, with about six and a half and six hours of driving, broken by Deadwood, Devils Tower, the Bighorn Mountains and Cody, a stop at least every 90 minutes and a sit-down lunch both days.
How fit do I need to be?
Moderately. Most days are 1 to 7 km of walking on boardwalks and paths, but much of the route sits at about 1,600 to 2,500 m, so you may tire sooner than at home. The hardest walks, the Presidential Trail steps and Inspiration Point, both have a shorter version.
I am travelling solo. What is the single supplement?
A room of your own is from CAD 1,575 more, about 17 percent of the trip price, and we show it next to the shared price before you book. If you would rather share a room, ask us about sharing when you send your request.
When is the best time to go?
June to September. June has bison calves and snow on the peaks; July and August are hot on the plains and warm in the parks, with afternoon storms; September brings the elk rut and fewer people. We avoid the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally week in early August, when Black Hills rooms run out.
How does booking work?
Choose your start date and send a request to book. We confirm your place within 24 hours, and no payment is taken until we do. The small group starts from CAD 9,305 per person sharing, with taxes and park fees included.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. The trip also runs as a private trip for your party only, with your own guide and van, on a date you choose, from CAD 16,750 per person. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section for a separate quote.
Do I need a visa?
Canadian citizens need a valid passport and no visa for a visit to the United States. Most other travellers need an approved ESTA or a US visa before they fly. Check your own entry rules when you book; we cannot arrange US entry for you.
Why stay inside Yellowstone at Canyon Village?
Canyon sits in the middle of the park, about an hour and a quarter from both Lamar Valley and the geyser basins. Three nights there mean no packing between park days and early starts without a gateway-town commute. July is busy, so we reach Grand Prismatic by 7:30 am, time Old Faithful to the prediction and see the Canyon rims late in the day.
How is this different from your shorter Black Hills and Yellowstone trips?
It joins them by road. The 6-day Black Hills trip and the 7-day Yellowstone and Grand Teton trip stay longer in each place; this one trims each part, adds Devils Tower, the Bighorn Mountains and Cody, and bases you inside Yellowstone, for travellers who want the whole sweep in ten days.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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