A long weekend in the Yellowstone and the Grand Teton National Park, Itinerary!

I had been planning a trip to Yellowstone National Park since 2013 when I moved to the USA. Unfortunately something always came in the way. After moving to Seattle and settling down I made sure that I went this year at least. This time I started planning three months in advance (that is a major improvement on my part considering I always plan my trips at the eleventh hour :p) We had the best time exploring the peculiar National Parks of Wyoming. I thought of writing an itinerary covering Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Teton National Park, so you could get an idea on how to plan one if you are flying to Bozeman from anywhere.

Here is all you need to know to plan a kickass weekend in the Yellowstone and the Grand Teton National Park!

1) Flight

I booked my flight 3 months in advance and got a good deal on Skyscanner for $250 to Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport in Montana from Seattle. Other airports like Yellowstone Regional Airport in Cody (COD) and Jackson hole (JAC) were more expensive. COD is on the East side of the National Park, where as JAC is near The Grand Teton National Park to the South of Wyoming.

2) Car Rental

Bozeman International Airport is a small airport. The car rentals are located right by the Baggage Claim. We rented our car from Budget for around $240 for 4 days, excluding the insurance.

3) Stay

Staying in Montana and Idaho were the best decisions ever, I would have never explored the two states the way I did on this trip. You can read more about it on my blog here.

– Emigrant, Montana

We booked our stay in Emigrant, Montana which is closer from the Bozeman International Airport and the North Entrance of the Yellowstone National Park. We found a very pretty stay amidst the mountains on Airbnb. The view from our Airbnb was exemplary. We were welcomed by the clear moonlit sky which was soon painted by clouds with the reflection of the moonlight looking surreal on it. I had never seen the sky look so beautiful under the moonlight before. We took a time-lapse of the moon hiding behind the cloud. Emigrant gave us an uncanny experience. You can also stay in Gardiner which is only 15 minutes away from the park. To be able to find an accommodation inside the park, you need to book and plan a year in advance!

– A Glamping tent in Teton Valley Resort, Idaho

We decided to stay in Idaho which is close to the Grand Teton National Park. Teton Valley Resort has this pretty looking glamping tent that caught my attention. The tent had all sort of amenities like clean towels, toiletries, a good mattress bed, heater etc. This place is a campsite and has common bathrooms which is the only inconvenient part as you need to go out to pee/poo every time. It was rainy and cold one night we ended up driving to the restroom :-p The resort also has cute little teepee, cabins and RV parking area. You can also stay in the Jackson hole town area, Teton Village, Moulton Barn area that are much closer to the park.

Staying in Emigrant and Victor exposed us to an undiscovered part of the states of Montana and Idaho and we were glad that we stayed here instead. Check out my previous blog  on the scenic drives in the three states here .

4) Places to Eat

Finding a decent place to eat was a task in this trip. If you are taking the North Entrance, Gardiner is one of your options. However, all the places open only after 8:00AM or 9AM. If you leave early morning your only option is a gas station. Tumbleweed coffee shop is a decent place for a good coffee and small bites.

Inside the National Park you will find a couple of restaurants near Old Faithful area. The cafeteria inside the Old Faithful Lodge opens at 11:00 AM. They do have a small coffee shop that also serves some filling breakfast sandwiches and bagels.

Canyon Village has two good options for food, Canyon village Lodge Cafeteria and Soda Fountain Cafeteria. We tried Soda Fountain cafeteria, their grilled cheese sandwich and burgers were amazing.

While exploring the park, we were tired and hungry and a bit away from Old Faithful but closer to the west entrance. There are tons of great options for food here at the Boundary street. The Buffalo Bar has great burgers and bar food.

Day 1: West side of the Yellowstone National Park

1. Try Leaving early morning around 6:00AM to avoid the rush at Old Faithful and the Grand Prismatic Springs. It starts flooding with tour buses by afternoon.
2. Explore the West side of the National Park which is filled with a variety of Geysers, drives through waterfalls, Hot springs, Rivers and much more.

More details on things to do here

Tip:

• Make sure you take loads of water and food with you before you enter the park.
• There is absolutely no network once you enter Gardiner. So make sure you download the offline map which worked wonders for us or use the map provided at the entrance of the park.
• Drive slow inside the park, you will come across bison and deer crossing the road frequently.
• Try to avoid West entrance by evening, it gets jam-packed due to the view of the herd of Bison on the side. So people usually stop and take pictures and traffic moves slowly.

Day 2: East Side of the Park

1. Explore the East side of the park which is more picturesque in terms of wildlife, canyons and scenic drives.
2. Lamar Valley, Slough creek are some good spots for wildlife spotting.
3. This part of the Park feels very different from the West side. It is calmer and more beautiful. Canyon Village area is comparatively crowded, boasting majestic falls in The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.

More details on things to do here.

We left around 6:00PM from the park to our Airbnb in Idaho. The drive from the West Entrance is around 2 hours. We took ID-32 scenic drive which was one dreamy drive. Once you get on ID-33 you will start seeing the small towns of Tetonia, Driggs and Victor. The sunset from this highway is one of a kind. The restaurants close early around 9:00PM. Big BBQ hole in Victor was the only restaurant open until late (10:00PM).

Day 3: Grand Teton National Park

1. Start your day with some good coffee from Local Joes in Victor. Try their huckleberry latte and mocha <3
2. Take Teton Pass Road from Idaho towards The Grand Teton National Park.

You can find more details on things to do in Teton here.

Day 4: Flight back to Seattle

1. Get some breakfast at Provisions restaurant in Driggs. This was the best restaurant around the area in my opinion. They serve both American and Mexican breakfast.
2. Get your feet dirty in St Anthony’s Sand dunes park in the small city of St Anthony, ID. We had a lot of time to kill before we had our flight to catch, so we decided to make a stop here. It is a small sand dune park, you can even drive ATV’s here. There are a couple of rentals nearby. This place is less crowed and a perfect detour!
3. Grab some lunch in Bozeman and fly back!

Idaho, Wyoming and Montana have a different charm of their own, embracing is the key to truly enjoying these places. This trip exposed us to the true essence of the abundance of the landscape, wildlife and sweeping vistas thus soaring the love for road trips, travel and experiences to a different level!