U.S. National Parks Full schedule Tours & Trip Packages

U.S. National Parks Full schedule Tours & Trips

105 U.S. National Parks trips. Tours from 59 tour companies. 25 reviews. 4.8/5 avg rating.

21 trips exactly matchall of the the filters you selected.
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Best of Utah & Arizona National Parks
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4.8/5 Excellent
100+ reviews
Small Group Tour
Why we love them
They’ve partnered with well-known names like National Geographic and the Jane Goodall Institute to offer unique experiences unavailable elsewhere.
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Moderate
Trip pace
Full schedule

Visits

Bryce Canyon, Bryce Canyon National Park, Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Monument Valley, Zion National Park

Highlights

  • Spend a whole day hiking in zion national park
  • Explore the hoodoos of bryce canyon national park
  • Take in the view of the colorado river from above at horseshoe bend
  • Wander through antelope canyon
  • Enjoy a navajo guided jeep tour of monument valley
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Themes

Cultural

What travelers are saying

"We spent two wonderful weeks touring several of the best destinations in Portugal & Spain with a group of 16 people. Our guide (Fredy) was from Spain and intimately familiar with the region, including its rich history, attractions, and food/beverages. The tour was well-paced using a combinations of private vehicles (small buses and cabs), trains, and an airplane ride as well as a fair amount of walking to get around these two beautiful countries. We extended our stay in Lisbon to see more attractions and took a side trip to Fatima, Obidos, and Nazare that was also excellent. Would have liked to have a bit more time in a couple of the cities, but we'll just have to plan another trip!"

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Hiking Washington's Olympic National Park and Mt Rainier
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4.5/5 Excellent
100+ reviews
Small Group Tour
Why we love them
They’re very committed to sustainable and responsible tourism and contribute to important initiatives like climate action.
Lodging level
Premium - 4 star
Physical level
Strenuous
Trip pace
Full schedule

Visits

Washington

Highlights

  • Spend each night at historic lodges filled with charm and history, where a comfortable bed awaits, as well as opportunities for shorter hikes just outside the back door.
  • Explore the shimmering alpine lakes, fields of wildflowers, and tumbling waterfalls of North America’s most famous volcano, Mount Rainier.
  • Walk through coastal forests to Shi Shi Beach where pounding waves, rugged cliffs, tidal pools, and towering sea stacks create a memorable nature experience.
  • Join your guide at the famous Makah Museum and learn more about the cultural history of the local Makah people.
  • Hike up the wild Hoh River and explore everything this rainforest has to offer while you watch for sightings of the local wildlife like elk, deer, bald eagles, and more.

Themes

Hiking & Walking, Trekking & Expeditions

What travelers are saying

"We joined the Intrepid “Real Italy Food Tour” and enjoyed it thoroughly. Our tour guide, Micol, was very knowledgeable and provided us with lots of good information. It seems Micol knew many of the staff of the venues we visited, including the pasta making class we attended. Our group of 11 travelers was extremely compatible, which greatly added to the fun and enjoyment."

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Outdoor Alaska
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4/5 Great
100+ reviews
Small Group Tour
Why we love them
They explore a place beyond the typical tourist traps and offer exciting activities that bring the “wow factor” intrepid travelers want.
Lodging level
Premium - 4 star
Physical level
Moderate
Trip pace
Full schedule

Visits

Alaska, Anchorage, Chugach Mountains, Denali, Denali National Park, Kenai Fjords National Park, Seward, Valdez, Wrangell

Highlights

  • Exploration of Alaska's dramatic wilderness
  • Sea kayak to giant glaciers and explore alpine tundra
  • Wildlife spotting; from grizzly bears to whales

Themes

Cultural, Hiking & Walking

What travelers are saying

"This tour was virtually perfect, due largely to the curating skill, personality, regional knowledge & appreciation, dining choices, guiding & FUN capability of our marvelous guide Rocio! And of course, the eye-popping scenery of the western Algarve, Portugal!"

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Hiking Sequoia, Kings Canyon, and Yosemite
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4.8/5 Excellent
100+ reviews
Small Group Tour
Why we love them
They’ve partnered with well-known names like National Geographic and the Jane Goodall Institute to offer unique experiences unavailable elsewhere.
Lodging level
Camping
Physical level
Strenuous
Trip pace
Full schedule

Visits

Kings Canyon National Park, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Sequoia National Park, Sierra Nevada, Yosemite National Park

Highlights

  • Stand in awe of giant trees in sequoia national park
  • Hike past granite cliffs and cascading rivers in kings canyon national park
  • Watch climbers ascend the sheer rockface of el capitan in yosemite national park
  • Hike up challenging switchbacks for stunning views

Themes

High Adventure, Trekking & Expeditions

What travelers are saying

"We spent two wonderful weeks touring several of the best destinations in Portugal & Spain with a group of 16 people. Our guide (Fredy) was from Spain and intimately familiar with the region, including its rich history, attractions, and food/beverages. The tour was well-paced using a combinations of private vehicles (small buses and cabs), trains, and an airplane ride as well as a fair amount of walking to get around these two beautiful countries. We extended our stay in Lisbon to see more attractions and took a side trip to Fatima, Obidos, and Nazare that was also excellent. Would have liked to have a bit more time in a couple of the cities, but we'll just have to plan another trip!"

Trip dates & details
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National Parks Family Journey: Yellowstone and Grand Teton
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4.8/5 Excellent
100+ reviews
Small Group Tour
Why we love them
They’ve partnered with well-known names like National Geographic and the Jane Goodall Institute to offer unique experiences unavailable elsewhere.
Lodging level
Premium - 4 star
Physical level
Moderate
Trip pace
Full schedule

Visits

Jackson, Yellowstone National Park

Highlights

  • Set out on a wildlife safari through yellowstone’s lamar valley
  • Where wolves prowl
  • Buffalo roam
  • And grizzly bears gather
  • Raft down the snake river in grand teton national park
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What travelers are saying

"We spent two wonderful weeks touring several of the best destinations in Portugal & Spain with a group of 16 people. Our guide (Fredy) was from Spain and intimately familiar with the region, including its rich history, attractions, and food/beverages. The tour was well-paced using a combinations of private vehicles (small buses and cabs), trains, and an airplane ride as well as a fair amount of walking to get around these two beautiful countries. We extended our stay in Lisbon to see more attractions and took a side trip to Fatima, Obidos, and Nazare that was also excellent. Would have liked to have a bit more time in a couple of the cities, but we'll just have to plan another trip!"

Trip dates & details
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Mountains of Colorado & Utah Self-Drive
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4.9/5 Excellent
100+ reviews
Private Guided
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Very Easy
Trip pace
Full schedule

Visits

Arches National Park, Denver, Mesa Verde, Moab

Themes

Cultural, Local Immersion & Homestays, National Parks, Nature & Wildlife

What travelers are saying

"It's hard to describe how lucky we are to have been able to work with Stephanie in planning our honeymoon to Japan. From the very beginning, Stephanie was friendly, flexible, and an absolute wealth of knowledge. We had several meetings with her leading up to our trip to come up with the perfect itinerary. Throughout this, Stephanie was mindful of our budget, without sacrificing anything. During our trip, Audley was available at all hours to help with anything and everything which was such a relief to know we had that resource available to us. I truly cannot imagine having planned this trip without all of Stephanie's guidance and knowledge- and cannot imagine taking another big trip like this without the help of Audley. Thank you again!"

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Celebrate Christmas in Yellowstone's Winter Wonderland
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4.4/5 Great
100+ reviews
Group Tour
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Very Easy
Trip pace
Full schedule

Visits

Yellowstone National Park

Highlights

  • On naturalist-led field trips, discover Yellowstone’s volcano, winter adaptions of local fauna, the travertine terraces of Mammoth and the Upper Geyser Basin’s spouting, steaming glory
  • Make holiday memories you’ll treasure forever, reveling in the joy of the season amid the quiet majesty and natural ambiance of a Yellowstone winter
  • Journey to Yellowstone’s Northern Range by snow coach to observe a vital habitat and the bison, elk, eagles, bighorn sheep and other wildlife that live in it

Themes

50 plus, Education / Learning

What travelers are saying

"Our family of four, including two adult children, took the Bicycling: Day Trips to Paradise in Canada. This trip is entirely outsourced to the owners of the inn, there are no Road Scholar employees involved in the trip. Two of us have taken bicycle trips all over the world and the bicycling component of this trip was disorganized, haphazard and almost unsafe. We all filled out forms giving details regarding our bicycle fitting months before the trip. On the first day, the leader Stephen, went around the room and asked the same questions and said everyone would get fitted in the morning before we began the first ride. The morning brought a rack of bikes, all different types in various levels of readiness. There were road bikes, hybrid bikes, mountain bikes and e-bikes. The rides were all on paved surfaces and the mountain bikes were heavy and the additional suspension added weight. The bike I received had rust on the chain and rear sprocket. When I asked about it, was told they were waiting for another van to show up with tools and equipment. Once it arrived, they gave me the lubricant to spray on the rust. My wife’s bike would not shift into the high gear on the front sprocket. Instead of adjusting the derailleur, they suggested spraying it with lubricant. Our one son is over six feet and needed a larger frame bike, even though he detailed it in the bike form months ago, there was no bike to fit him. One of the guides, then went home and brought a larger bike that was a full suspension mountain bike for him. The bike was very heavy, hard to control on the road and he felt unsafe. After two days, one of the guides convinced Stephen that they could adjust a hybrid bike to fit him. Clearly there was no work done to prepare the bikes for the trip. Many of the bikes needed adjusting and all needed lubricant to function easily. For every day, there was a tray of snacks placed out for us to take along the ride. None of the bikes had any baskets or attached bags, so if you didn’t bring a small day pack, there was no way to carry the snacks. For lunch on the rides, they brought exactly one sandwich for each rider. Since most of us get hungry while doing a day of exercise, it would have been helpful to have a few extras. On one day, they ran out of sandwiches and one of the leaders that were riding with us did not get lunch. Do NOT take this trip if you are expecting it to be a bicycling trip. We have used VBT and Discovery Bicycle Tours many times over the past 25 years and they are excellent bike tour companies. Lastly, after sharing these details with Road Scholar after the trip, their response was weak at best. After doing the full reviews and having to call them, their response was to give us $200 credit after spending $8000 on this trip. Not only was that insulting, they assumed that I would take another trip with their organization."

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Choose Your Pace: Hiking in Grand Teton and Yellowstone
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4.4/5 Great
100+ reviews
Small Group Tour
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Wheelchair Accessible
Trip pace
Full schedule

Visits

Grand Canyon, Yellowstone National Park

Highlights

  • Experience the Old Faithful Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park and its many geysers and other thermal features
  • Discover the diversity of animals in this ecosystem that contains one of the highest concentrations of large mammals in the country
  • Evening programs will highlight wildlife biology, issues and controversies taking place in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

Themes

50 plus, Education / Learning

What travelers are saying

"Our family of four, including two adult children, took the Bicycling: Day Trips to Paradise in Canada. This trip is entirely outsourced to the owners of the inn, there are no Road Scholar employees involved in the trip. Two of us have taken bicycle trips all over the world and the bicycling component of this trip was disorganized, haphazard and almost unsafe. We all filled out forms giving details regarding our bicycle fitting months before the trip. On the first day, the leader Stephen, went around the room and asked the same questions and said everyone would get fitted in the morning before we began the first ride. The morning brought a rack of bikes, all different types in various levels of readiness. There were road bikes, hybrid bikes, mountain bikes and e-bikes. The rides were all on paved surfaces and the mountain bikes were heavy and the additional suspension added weight. The bike I received had rust on the chain and rear sprocket. When I asked about it, was told they were waiting for another van to show up with tools and equipment. Once it arrived, they gave me the lubricant to spray on the rust. My wife’s bike would not shift into the high gear on the front sprocket. Instead of adjusting the derailleur, they suggested spraying it with lubricant. Our one son is over six feet and needed a larger frame bike, even though he detailed it in the bike form months ago, there was no bike to fit him. One of the guides, then went home and brought a larger bike that was a full suspension mountain bike for him. The bike was very heavy, hard to control on the road and he felt unsafe. After two days, one of the guides convinced Stephen that they could adjust a hybrid bike to fit him. Clearly there was no work done to prepare the bikes for the trip. Many of the bikes needed adjusting and all needed lubricant to function easily. For every day, there was a tray of snacks placed out for us to take along the ride. None of the bikes had any baskets or attached bags, so if you didn’t bring a small day pack, there was no way to carry the snacks. For lunch on the rides, they brought exactly one sandwich for each rider. Since most of us get hungry while doing a day of exercise, it would have been helpful to have a few extras. On one day, they ran out of sandwiches and one of the leaders that were riding with us did not get lunch. Do NOT take this trip if you are expecting it to be a bicycling trip. We have used VBT and Discovery Bicycle Tours many times over the past 25 years and they are excellent bike tour companies. Lastly, after sharing these details with Road Scholar after the trip, their response was weak at best. After doing the full reviews and having to call them, their response was to give us $200 credit after spending $8000 on this trip. Not only was that insulting, they assumed that I would take another trip with their organization."

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U.S. National Parks Reviews & Ratings

4.8/5  Excellent
25  Reviews
See all U.S. National Parks tour reviews
Excellent
55
Great
6
Average
1
Disappointing
1
Terrible
0
J

Julie

Sep 2019

Written on

This is an amazing trip.

This is an amazing trip. There is a lot of traveling but it is very much worth it, to get the opportunity to see the very best of Alaska. The scenery is spectacular,...

T

Tina

Sep 2018

Written on

Alaska was an amazing experience and was one of the loveliest places we have seen

Alaska was an amazing experience and was one of the loveliest places we have seen so far. It was made all the better by our fellow travellers and our guide. Travelli...

G

Gail

Jul 2023

Written on

Outdoor Alaska

Seeing the wonderful scenery of Alaska, particularly the Wrangell and St Elias National Park.

T

Trusted Customer

Jul 2023

Written on

Outdoor Alaska

Really liked our guide Ken, He was full of knowledge, friendly and helpful. The highlight of our trip was either seeing three types of whales or walking a glacier. B...

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U.S. National Parks Tour Selection Trips

  • Since America’s National Parks are so spread out, it’s best to focus on tours that take in a few parks in one region or perhaps one park in conjunction with a broader regional tour.
  • Consider spending an entire week touring one major park, such as Yosemite or Yellowstone.
  • A two-week tour might include the Grand Canyon along with Utah’s Arches, Bryce Canyon, and Zion national parks, as well as Yellowstone and Grand Teton.
  • Yosemite can easily be combined in a week’s tour with Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks in north-central California, along with perhaps Lake Tahoe, San Francisco and Monterey.
  • Look for tours that spend nights in some of the national parks’ classic lodges, such as Yellowstone’s Old Faithful Inn or Yosemite’s Ahwahnee.
  • Camping in many National Parks is also very popular for budget tourists.
  • Land tours to Denali National Park, home to North America’s tallest peak, are a frequent extension following Alaska small ship cruises.
  • Since U.S. national parks can get very crowded during high season, consider an off-season visit – Yellowstone in winter or Death Valley in summer aren’t for everyone, but spring or fall can be beautiful.

Additional details

How Many National Parks Are There in the U.S.?

  • There are 60 National Parks in the United States.

What US state has the most National Parks? 

  • California, with 9 total, has the most national parks in the United States
  • Hawaii comes in at a close second with 8 national parks.

waterfall-in-yosemite-valley

Californias National Parks:

1) Yosemite National Park

2) Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park

3) Joshua Tree National Park

4) Lassen Volcanic National Park

5) Channel Islands National Park

6) Point Reyes National Seashore

7) Pinnacles National Park

8) Death Valley National Park

9) Redwood National Park

havasu-falls-in-grand-canyon

Best Time to Travel

U.S. National Parks are top travel destinations and as you can imagine, particularly for young children and adults. This means that summer travel to national parks can be downright crowded. Summer is also a time of abundance in wildlife and of course, good weather. 

The Great Smoky Mountains saw over 12 million visitors in 2019. You can also expect especially heavy summer crowds in the Grand Canyon, Rocky Mountain, Zion, Yellowstone, and Yosemite among others.

So when is the best time to visit national parks?

If you’re looking for a quieter experience and an easier hit to the wallet, October through February are the best times to visit U.S. national parks. The exception is in parks where fall foliage is at its prime in September and October.   

There are other considerations you might keep in mind as you plan your national park visit. If you enjoy winter wonderlands consider traveling to these areas in December through March although some parks, like Glacier National Park, will have limited to no accessibility.

Glacier’s iconic Going to the Sun Road doesn’t open until mid-June, sometimes later depending on snow. In Hawaii where there are 8 national parks, snow is usually not a problem unless trying to get to the top of Mauna Kea on the Big Island but the low season falls during the spring and fall.

Expect more rain and fog on some islands. And speaking of rain, July is a stunning time to be in the Rocky Mountain high country when blooms are at their peak after the spring rains. You’ll also have a better chance of getting away from crowds with back country hiking.

man-hiking-in-death-valley

Physical Level Requirements. Will There be Hiking? 

National parks call out for discovery beyond park roads. There’s more to see of course if you’re willing and able to hike but this doesn’t necessarily mean that all trips are geared toward hiking.

For sure, they tend to be given the nature of the destination. There are  over 100 U.S. National Parks tours with a few dozen of them falling in the physically “very easy” and “easy” category. And even the strenuous ones don’t always mean strenuous hiking but rather, a packed itinerary. Read the trip descriptions to learn the details.

Packing Suggestions 

One of the benefits of booking a guided tour is that the company will provide a packing list which will depend on what type of travel you’ll be doing.

If camping, while much of the gear is provided, you’ll likely be asked to bring some items like water bottles, good hiking shoes and head lamps. If you’ll be headed to Death Valley, sun gear is critical and if you’ll be on a rafting trip in the Grand Canyon, water gear will be an important part of your comfort and safety. In some locations, you’ll need insect repellent. Of course, don’t forget any medications and your camera!

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