We think that 7-9 days is just right. Yosemite for 3-4 days, Sequoia 1-3 days, and Kings 1-2 days. 

Travelers who don’t like to hike can see all 3 parks in less time.

Just be aware that all 3 of these parks can require an hour or more drive into the park everyday if you don’t stay within the park.

Trying to cram into a few days will result in most of your time in the car.

No, that is the beauty of this itinerary. You can start in Yosemite or the Sequoia/Kings Canyon area. 

Common cities to fly into include Fresno, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.

This guide works for travel from May through October. We think that June is the ultimate sweet spot because the waterfalls are in full force at Yosemite and you can usually float the Merced River at that time.

September is a nice month to beat the crowds.

Something important to know is that this area gets a lot of snow that can close down roads from November through early June (depending on the year).

We visit these parks multiple times and try to do every hike, drive, visitor center/museum, and activity. 

We try the public transportation, eat in the restaurants, and scope out all the places to stay.

We recommend what we believe are the absolute best spots in the park and give backup options for longer hikes or things that cost. 

We give activity descriptions and approximate prices to help you decide which activities are the best value for you!

As a side note, We travel with both sets of our retired parents and our 4 kids (who are now teens), so we have a pretty good radar on the interests of most types of travelers.

We are of the mindset that you have a plan, so you can be flexible.  

We lay out what we believe are the best activities for your time and money, but we all have different preferences. 

Because each activity listed has a star rating, energy level, time required, and cost, you’ll  easily be able to make this plan your own.

We surveyed our customers and they reported that our guides saved them 10-20 hours of trip planning research, on average. 

Although much of the information included in this guide can be found with significant research, this guide combines what you need to know into one place and it is from a source committed to giving you the best information.

This guide cost us over $14,306 to create when you combine travel expenses, map creation, and formatting. In addition, we have spent hundreds of hours visiting this park and doing additional research. 

Honestly, if you are making the effort to go to Yosemite, it’s worth it to add a few more days to your trip to visit Sequoia and Kings Canyon because they are only a couple of hours away and are such wonderful parks. 

The itineraries in the bundle are the same as the itineraries you receive if you buy them individually. The benefits of the bundle are that it also includes an overview guide for how to piece this whole trip together and you receive a discounted price.

Remember that all guides come with lifetime updates so even if you don’t visit all the parks in the same trip, you’ll be able to use these guides later. Create a free account or email when you are ready to travel and we’ll send you the most current version of the guide.

If you still have questions, email us at mattandcheryl@wereintherockies.com and tell us where you want to go. A real human will get back to you within one business day.

Many of our travelers enjoy the confirmation that they have already created a good plan and may even find a thing or two to add to it.

Other travelers may find that our plan is similar to what they had already pieced together on their own.  

If you’ve already spent hours planning, you may not find maximum value in this guide.

Yes! We travel with our 4 children and both sets of our parents. Although not every activity is for everyone, there are always backup suggestions.

We write these guides so all the work you should need to do is obtain your lodging and reservations. We include maps, the time needed to complete drives and activities, and lodging recommendations. We put boxes throughout the guide indicating it’s an item that you will need to take care of before you leave. We also give links to websites we think you should check before you leave.

If you are visiting all 3 parks, you will need your own vehicle.

However, both Yosemite and Sequoia have free shuttle systems that service the main areas of the park. 

There are also paid buses that transport guests from gateway towns into the parks. 

There is no public transportation for Kings Canyon.

Yes. We give approximate time frames that are needed to complete an activity.  The schedule is generally not so packed that you have to be a quick traveler. But if you know you generally need more time, you can make adjustments. If you are quick, there are suggestions for additional activities

This is a digital download, so it will be EMAILED to you. That way, you can have access immediately and have the option to download it to any device you want. 

Many travelers, including us, prefer to print the itinerary and take it with us as we travel.

The guides are beautiful in color but will work in black and white. If you need a cheap option to print your guide, try your local library. They will often print black and what copies for free or for a minimal cost.

The guides are available immediately upon purchase, right on this webpage. You will also receive an email within 30 minutes with download links in case you need to revisit the links and download the items later. If you don’t receive your email, check your junk mail folder. If it’s not there, contact mattandcheryl@wereintherockies.com, and we’ll be in touch with you within 1 business day. Also, the guides will be available in your account if you choose to establish one (we highly encourage it and creating an account is free). 

National parks constantly change, including timed-entry requirements, construction, fires, and closures. To keep you updated on the most current things going on, we have a Parks Updates page that we update every week with important information. We recommend you look at this as soon as you begin planning your trip, as well as a few days before you leave.

Guides are automatically updated to the latest version when you create an account. 

In addition to that, we also send an email notification out when a guide is updated. Just make sure to stay subscribed to our email list so we can reach you. 

Because the download is a PDF file, you can do it on any device: computer, iPhone, Android, tablet, etc.

Stuff like this happens. We get it. 

If you created an account, just log in again and download your guides.

If you didn’t create an account or forgot your password, just email us and we can resend your links. 

For step-by-step instructions (including pictures) check out our Help With Downloads page.

If you still need help, reach out to us at mattandcheryl@wereintherockies.com. We’ll get back to you as soon as possible to help. We’re even happy to jump on a phone call with you if needed. 

No. Yosemite, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon are completely different in the winter. 

These parks receive alot of snow so many of the roads are closed.

Yes!! Unlike printed guidebooks, we update our guides yearly and offer free updates for life! We encourage you to purchase the guide as soon as you know you will be traveling. It will help you determine which areas to stay and how many days to obtain lodging. Upon purchase, you’ll be guided to create an account on our website. If we update the guide, it will automatically show in your account.

It is not required, but is HIGHLY recommended. We encourage you to create an account when purchasing the guides because you’ll have access to the links at any time. Plus, it’s totally free.

You will have access to the updated guide for life. Just create a free account when you check out. We also generally send an email announcement when we do an update.

We believe that once you buy a guide from us, you should be able to use it to visit a 2nd, 3rd, or 4th time. 

If you created an account, just log in and download your guide again.

If you didn’t create an account, just email mattandcheryl@wereintherockies.com and let us know you want us to resend your guide links.

We put approximate price ranges on all our activities so you know what to expect. The good news is that most things in this guide are free once you pay for entrance into the national park! Note: Lodging and food in these parks can be expensive. Make sure to plan for that. The campgrounds are wonderful and a great way to save money. 

Although we do suggest some hikes, we offer plenty of alternatives if hiking is not desirable, including viewpoints, drives, and activities.

One of our favorite things about these parks is that the drives are amazing! 

We also like that there are several flat, short walks.