How to Get from Los Angeles to Yosemite National Park

Yosemite National Park is a place with breathtaking mountain scenery, giant sequoia forests, waterfalls and valleys. It is also home to a great diversity of fauna and flora. Without a doubt, a visit to this natural space, considered one of the oldest parks in the United States, is one of the best things to do in Los Angeles and disconnect from the hustle and bustle of the city.

The park is located in the Sierra Nevada mountain range of California and is about 500 kilometers from Los Angeles. There are several options for getting there : join an organized tour, rent a car and drive at your own pace, use public transportation or fly. Here are the details.

The organized tour stands out as one of the most practical ways to get from Los Angeles to Yosemite National Park. You will not have to worry about anything, since this type of activity includes transportation, lodging and an expert guide, who will tell you the history of the place visited. You will only have to enjoy the experience.

Some of the best tours and excursions from Los Angeles that will allow you to discover this imposing park and even other nearby destinations are the following:

2-day tour from Los Angeles to Yosemite and Glacier Point.

This is an excursion that will allow you to see the most emblematic destinations in Yosemite National Park. In addition, you will enjoy a comfortable and safe trip both by train and bus, discovering beautiful natural and urban landscapes in the company of an expert guide.

The 2-day excursion to Yosemite and Glacier Point from Los Angeles begins with a train ride to the City of Fresno in California (San Joaquin Valley). It is a route of about 332 kilometers, about 4 hours and 40 minutes. There, you will have time to explore on your own and overnight accommodations are available.

The next morning, you will depart for Yosemite National Park, about 90 minutes away by private bus. You will tour every corner of the park with your guide. In addition, you will climb Glacier Point, about 2 kilometers above Yosemite Valley. You will get an impressive panoramic view of the waterfalls and a series of rock formations.

• Price: the price of the excursion is approximately 536€ per person.
• Travel time: the intercity train (Amtrak) route takes about 4 hours and 40 minutes. The private bus transfer from Fresno to the park takes about 90 minutes, but you must take into consideration the traffic conditions.
• Advantages: You will have access to Glacier Point, a very popular natural viewpoint with a breathtaking panoramic view of the park.
• Disadvantages: This adventure may not include transportation from the hotel to the Los Angeles train terminal and vice versa, so you will have to make your own arrangements.

3-day tour to Yosemite and other places on the West Coast of the United States

If the timing of your itinerary allows it, do not hesitate to allocate about 3 days in Los Angeles to take a trip to Yosemite National Park. Not only will you enjoy the wonderful natural environment of the park, but you will also discover part of the West Coast of the United States: Santa Barbara and San Francisco.

You will travel by bus with a driver-guide on a route of just over 2 hours to the first stop in Santa Barbara, which has the Pacific Ocean and the Santa Ynez Mountains as a backdrop. There, you will stroll through the historic downtown, the city's harbor with its dozens of restaurants, bars and stores, among other places.

The next morning, you will depart for San Francisco, a journey of just over 5 hours. In this city, you will visit great attractions such as the Golden Gate Bridge, Chinatown, Twin Peaks, the Silicon Valley complex, among others. In addition, you can take a cruise on the bay.

After discovering the culture of this pair of California cities, you will go to Yosemite National Park, in a journey of 3 hours and 30 minutes to 4 hours. You will be amazed by this idyllic natural environment: cliffs, lakes, waterfalls, native wildlife and much more. Then you will return to the starting point of the activity, ending this 3 day tour to Santa Barbara, San Francisco and Yosemite from Los Angeles.

• Price: the value of this tour starts at about 34€ per person.
• Travel time: just over 2 hours (Los Angeles to Santa Barbara), about 5 hours (Santa Barbara to San Francisco) and 3 hours and 30 minutes to 4 hours (San Francisco to Yosemite National Park).
• Advantages: Not only will you enjoy the incredible Yosemite National Park, but you will also explore the culture of two important cities on the west coast of the United States.
• Disadvantages: Generally this type of excursion does not include lunch on any of the days, so you will have to pay for it yourself.

In case you want to go from Los Angeles to Yosemite National Park following your itinerary, then it is a good idea to rent a car and drive yourself. This is the most flexible option, allowing you to make as many stops as you wish along the way to enjoy the scenery, eat, take pictures, etc.

In the city of Los Angeles you will find a wide range of car rental companies to connect with. For example, Hertz car rental and Aco renta car, among others. You can select the model that best suits your needs according to the number of people and even the season of the year.

Once you have the car, you can drive from downtown towards the 2 N freeway from N Hill St and Stadium Way, continue on I-5 N and Highway 99 N towards Fresno and then Highway 41, which will take you to the park. It is about 500 kilometers which takes about 5 hours to travel.

Information of interest

• Price: the cost of renting a car in Los Angeles to go to Yosemite National Park starts at about 60€ per day.
• Travel time: the trip from Los Angeles to Yosemite National Park takes approximately 5 hours. However, you must take into consideration the traffic conditions.
• Advantages: You will have total control of your trip, being able to travel directly from Los Angeles or stop as many times as you wish along the way.
• Disadvantages: Because Yosemite National Park is a very busy destination, finding a place to park your car can be a bit of a chore.

Another alternative available to go to Yosemite National Park from Los Angeles is by plane. This is a fast, safe and very comfortable means of transportation , which will allow you to save a significant amount of time in your itinerary.

You will have to go to Los Angeles International Airport, about 30 minutes by car from downtown Los Angeles. You can take a cab, bus or connect with one of the LAX airport shuttles in Los Angeles. Once at the air terminal, you will board a flight to the city of Fresno.

You will arrive at Fresno Yosemite International Airport in about an hour. From there, you can take a cab or use the YARTS public transportation service to Yosemite National Park. This operates from May through September, making it ideal if you are traveling from Los Angeles in the summer.

Information of interest

• Price: from 158€ per person. You must take into consideration that the cost of the flight may vary according to the season of the year.
• Travel time: the flight between Los Angeles and Fresno takes about 1 hour, while the transfer from Fresno Yosemite International Airport to the park takes about 2 hours and 30 minutes.
• Advantages: You will arrive in the shortest time possible to Yosemite National Park.
• Disadvantages: This transfer is one of the most expensive, so it is not suitable if you are on a limited budget.

Public bus service is another way to get from Los Angeles to Yosemite National Park. This is a time-consuming and adventurous option. You'll feel like a local.

From downtown Los Angeles, you'll head to the Greyhound Bus Station at 1716 E 7th St. There, you'll board the route to the city of Fresno. It offers regular service from approximately 5:30 a.m. to 11:10 p.m. and makes an average of three stops along the way.

When you arrive at the bus terminal in the city of Fresno, you must board another bus, belonging to the local line YARTS (Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System), which operates from 6:23 a.m. to 2:45 p.m., approximately. This way, you will travel at least a couple of hours to Yosemite National Park, depending on traffic conditions.

Information of interest

• Price: the average price for each of the trips (Los Angeles-Fresno and Fresno-Yosemite National Park) by public bus starts at about 20€ per person.
• Travel time: the bus takes about 5 hours to cover the Los Angeles-Fresno route. The other bus from Fresno can take at least 2 hours to get to Yosemite National Park.
• Advantages: You'll get a different perspective of the trail by traveling like a local.
• Disadvantages: There is no direct route, so you will have to transfer in the city of Fresno to get to the park, which requires more time.

Another way to get to Yosemite National Park from Los Angeles is with the combined train and bus service. You will experience a scenic and sustainable journey to the train station in La Merced, California and, there, you will board one of the buses to the park.

In the city of Los Angeles you will head to Union Station, located at 800 N Alameda St., where you will board the San Joaquins Amtrak train and travel to Yosemite National Park. There, you will board the San Joaquins Amtrak train and travel about 5 hours to Merced, considered by many to be the gateway to Yosemite.

Once you get off the train, you will board one of the buses operated by the local transportation company, YARTS. This will take you directly to Yosemite National Park in approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes.

Useful information

• Price: the cost of the train ride (Los Angeles-Merced) is about $35 per person and the bus transfer (Merced-Yosemite National Park) is about $20 per person.
• Travel time: the train transfer can take approximately 5 hours from Los Angeles to Merced. The public bus route from La Merced to Yosemite National Park, on the other hand, usually takes about 2 hours and 30 minutes.
• Advantages: The train generates less carbon emissions than cars or airplanes, making it an environmentally responsible means of transportation.
• Disadvantages: The train from Los Angeles to Yosemite National Park is not direct, which could be a bit of a hassle as you have to board a bus in Merced to complete the route.

Any time of the year is the best time to go to Los Angeles and make a trip to Yosemite National Park, to enjoy a true natural spectacle. In fact, in the city you will find several ways to make this route. However, you will find some tips to avoid complications.

• If you plan to travel by rental car, make sure your driver's license is valid. Also, have a map at hand or activate the GPS along the way.
• Check road restrictions; this will save you time and hassle while driving.
• When joining an excursion, you should not only book in advance, but also check what the activity offers (lodging, meals, transportation, entrance to attractions, etc). This way, you will be prepared to assume some extra expenses during the trip.
• In caseyou use the bus or train service, don't forget to book tickets for these means of transportation.