Bus tours to Yellowstone National Park give you a chance to enjoy the scenery and wildlife without worrying about driving. Most bus tours provide narration about the sights you're seeing and point out any wildlife along the road. Yellowstone is busy in July and August, so trips in May, June, September or October give you the best chance to experience fewer people and more wilderness.


Several tour companies show you the sights of Yellowstone from May through October. Bus tours do not run in the winter due to the snowy conditions in the park. For day trips, buses usually pick you up at campgrounds or motels in West Yellowstone, Livingston or Bozeman in Montana. Most tours start in the morning and take all day, returning you to your accommodations in the early evening.

Upper Loop

Tours to Yellowstone's Upper Loop include visits and stops at the Norris Geyser Basin and the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, a spectacular deep canyon as colorful as the famous Arizona canyon by the same name. The Upper Loop usually includes travel over Dunraven Pass to Tower Falls. You'll also visit Gibbon Falls and Mammoth Hot Springs Terrace, where you can stretch and take the boardwalk to view the multicolored, terraced springs up close.

Lower Loop

If you want to see Old Faithful, reserve a seat on a bus tour that heads to Yellowstone's Lower Loop. Most tour companies allow a couple of hours for you to watch the well-known geyser erupt and enjoy a snack or a meal at Old Faithful Village. Most tour companies also take you through Hayden Valley, an area of gentle rolling hills teeming with wildlife.

Wildlife Tours

Several companies offer bus tours focused on viewing and photographing the park's wildlife. Hayden Valley or Lamar Valley offer plenty of wildlife sightings, depending on the season. Most bus tour guides keeps track of where sightings occur so you're bound to see some of the park's animals, such as bears, wolves, moose, elk, deer, foxes and coyotes. Evening bus tours work best because wildlife tends to be more active in the early evening hours.

Overnight Tours

Some bus tours start in cities such as Salt Lake City, Utah, Jackson Hole, Wyoming, or cities further away. The buses often include nearby Grand Teton National Park in the itinerary. Tour companies book overnight accommodations, meals and tours of the park. Along the way, you'll get out to take photos and enjoy short, guided walks to see Yellowstone's unique volcanic features.

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