Photo by max pruvost on Unsplash
The 5-day plan, rearranged for 2 days: the best-ranked places stay, and each day keeps to one part of town.
From average weather, 2021 to 2025: days that are warm but not hot, with few rainy days, score highest. Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
The classic first look at the valley, from a viewpoint at the end of a tunnel on the road in. El Capitan, Bridalveil Fall and Half Dome sit in one frame, and the view works in any weather.
Go when Morning, or late afternoon when the light slants across the valley (about 7:06 PM).
Local tip It is a short stop at a car park, and it is busy at midday. Fog or cloud can hide the view for a while, so wait ten minutes before you decide.
By volume the largest known living single-stem tree on Earth, in the Giant Forest. A paved path leads to it, with benches and signs that show its size. Come early, before the groups arrive.
Go when Morning, before the groups arrive.
Local tip A paved path leads to the tree, with a steep staircase back up. Check ahead on parking and shuttles.
Sandwiches and fruit eaten at a picnic table in the forest.
Local tip Keep all food in a bear box or locked in the car.
A famous viewpoint high on the south wall, looking down on the valley floor and across to Half Dome and the high peaks. The road to it closes with the snow, so check ahead on when it is open.
Go when Midday for the full view, or sunrise or sunset for the light (about 7:06 PM).
Local tip The road is shut by snow for part of the year, so check ahead. The view is the same as from Tunnel View but much higher, so it is worth the drive.
The largest grove of giant sequoias in the park, with a few hundred mature trees on easy, shaded paths. The trees are very old, and walking among them is the point. Check ahead on parking and shuttles.
Go when Afternoon, in the shade of the trees.
Local tip The paths are gentle but long, so choose a loop that fits your time. Stay on the paths to protect the tree roots, and check ahead on parking and shuttles.
A warm meal in a small mountain town, such as a pie, a plate of chicken or a bowl of chili.
Local tip Choices are few, and many places close early.
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
A roadside viewing area on the high road, with a look down a glacial canyon to the back of Half Dome. Loose boulders left by the ice sit on the granite slopes, and a short path leads out among them.
Go when Morning, when the cliffs are lit and the light is clear.
Local tip The path out among the boulders is short but the rock is smooth, so take it slowly. The road is shut by snow for much of the year, so check ahead.
A big alpine lake ringed by bare granite domes beside the road. A good place for a picnic and a paddle. The water is very cold and the lake is high, so the wind and the weather change fast.
Go when Midday, when the water is blue.
Local tip The lake is high and cold, and thunderstorms build fast in summer afternoons. Get off the water and the domes if you hear thunder.
Sandwiches, nuts and fruit eaten on a warm slab beside the lake.
Local tip The lake is cold and the weather changes fast, so keep a layer in the bag.
A wide sub-alpine meadow set among granite domes and a river, high in the park. Walk a short stretch of the meadow trail in the quiet, and watch for bears and keep your food locked away.
Go when Afternoon, when the light softens on the domes.
Local tip Mosquitoes can be bad in early summer, so bring repellent. Keep food locked in a bear box, and give any bear plenty of room.
The foot of the highest waterfall in the park, reached by an easy loop path. It is at its strongest in late spring and can be a trickle or dry by late summer, so the visit depends on the season.
Go when Evening, in late spring when the water is strongest (about 7:06 PM).
Local tip The loop is easy and paved. The fall can be a trickle or dry in late summer, so check the season. Keep off the wet rock near the pool.
A hearty bowl of soup, a burger or grilled fish, once the cliffs have gone dark.
Local tip Kitchens in the park close early, so check ahead.
By average weather from 2021 to 2025, April to June and September to November are the most comfortable months for walking around Yosemite Valley. This plan is built for late September, which is one of the best months. Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
It covers 2 days in Yosemite Valley, planned for late September. Each day is built around a small number of stops, with room to rest.
It was planned for most travelers. The pace and the places reflect that, so check it fits how you travel.
No. Places marked "book ahead" need a reservation. Hours, prices and availability change, so confirm before you go.
Yes. Archie drafts a day by day plan for your dates and takes your pace, the weather and who is travelling into account. You can start one from the Archie app.
Yes. It is a starting point you can change to fit your own trip: swap a place, add a day or move the pace.
Each day has about 24.6 to 199.9 miles between its stops, and 224.5 miles in all across 2 days. A short hop is a walk and a longer one a ride. Distances are straight-line estimates, so allow extra for the streets.
4 days around Lake TahoeAbout 130 miles awayAn easy add-on
5 days in Big Sur and MontereyAbout 150 miles away
4 days in San FranciscoAbout 170 miles awayMake it yours in a minute, then move days around and add what you want.
A trip idea · Updated November 2026
Want your own days planned like this? Plan your own trip on the web or get the Archie app.
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