Yosemite 3 Day Itinerary: Best Hikes & Views (With Beginner-Friendly Options)

Yosemite National Park is a must-visit for every person who ever visits California. It is one of the most stunning and beautiful National Parks in America. Over 4 million people visit Yosemite National Park each year which is not surprising at all given everything that the park has to offer. Located in California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains, Yosemite is known for its towering waterfalls, deep granite walls and valleys, incredible tunnel views and iconic domes.

Most people only visit the Yosemite Valley and skip a lot of amazing places in the park. So in this blog post, I am sharing some of the best hikes, views and things to do in a Yosemite 3 Day Itinerary. As someone who has visited the park countless times, I want you to have the best adventure packed trip to Yosemite National Park and this guide is all that you need to plan your next epic trip to this park! With Summer just around the corner, all the places in this blog post will be accessible soon as the roads open.

Best time to visit Yosemite National Park

• Spring – Spring is the best time for waterfalls, there is less crowd on the trails and wildflowers start blooming in the meadows. Some places might still have snow due to sudden snowstorms and not all roads are open during this season.
• Summer – Summer is the best time to visit for warm weather. The park is most crowded in the summer but for good reason since the waterfalls are gorgeous in the summer and the roads are open to access several areas of Yosemite.
• Fall – Yosemite is absolutely gorgeous in the Fall and if this is not your first time, I highly recommend a Fall visit. This is not the best time for waterfalls.
• Winter – Winter brings lots of snow turning Yosemite into a gorgeous Winter Wonderland. February is a popular time for seeing the famous Firefall in the Valley as well.

If you are visiting for the waterfalls, late Spring to early Summer is the best shoulder season to beat the summer crowds.

Yosemite Park Reservations

Over the past few years, Yosemite Park reservations have been an additional constraint to plan around but the good news is there are no reservations needed for 2026. More details here.

Where to stay in Yosemite National Park?

1. Camping – Visit www.recreation.gov to make campground reservations. Some of them require reservations to be made 5 months in advance. Campgrounds like Upper Pines requires a reservation throughout the year.
2. Half Dome Village – aka Curry Village ($) – This has many options like tent cabins, wooden cabins and some standard rooms. There are stays with private or shared bath. This is a great budget-friendly pick.
3. Yosemite Valley Lodge ($$) – This lodge is located right at the center of Yosemite Valley. There are many restaurants and stores with essentials in the Lodge area.
4. Ahwanee Hotel ($$$) – Beautiful 4-star hotel with a perfect location in the valley close to all the major attractions in Yosemite. Make sure to book this hotel in advance to get the best prices. Hotel rooms can be upwards of 300 USD per night or more.
5. If you are looking to stay outside the Valley, check for accommodations in the following areas. El Portal is my personal favorite since the accommodations are reasonable and it takes only 15 to 20 minutes to drive to the Valley. Yosemite View Lodge is just 5 mins to the El Portal side entrance of the Park.
   • El Portal (15+ miles from Valley)
   • Yosemite West (17+ miles from Valley)
   • Wawona (27+ miles from Valley)
   • Fish Camp (35+ miles from Valley)
   • Groveland (45+ miles from Valley)
   • Oakhurst (48+ miles from Valley)

Yosemite 3 Day Itinerary

Let’s dive straight into an epic Yosemite 3 Day Itinerary to visit some of the best places!

Day 1 – Yosemite Valley, Waterfalls and Tunnel View

Start your trip at the Yosemite Valley which is home to some of the most famous places in Yosemite National Park. You can make a stop at the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center for any info you need and park maps. Here are some of my favorite hikes and things to do in Yosemite Valley.

Lower Yosemite Falls

The Lower Yosemite Falls is an easy mile long hike to a towering set of waterfalls. While the hike offers an amazing view of both the Lower and Upper Fall, people often climb on boulders to get closer to the 320 ft Lower waterfall. Please exercise caution as rocks can be slippery when wet. The best time to visit would be late Spring and Summer when the waterfalls reach peak volume. The Lower Yosemite Falls hike is easy and perfect for families with kids. It is also a pet-friendly hike.

• Lower Yosemite Falls Trail
• Distance: 1.2 mi
• Elevation gain: 59 ft

Lunch at Yosemite Valley

After the hike, stop for a quick lunch at one of the many restaurants in Yosemite Valley. We usually make a quick stop at Base Camp Eatery after a mid morning hike in the Valley. You can find the full list of restaurants here. There is a Starbucks in the building as well if you want to grab a drink. The outdoor seating area is super nice and the gift store has lots of cute souvenirs. My toddler loved watching the huge Ravens who keep coming in search of left over food.

Cook’s Meadow

After lunch head to Cook’s Meadow at the heart of Yosemite Valley. This hike takes you through beautiful boardwalks with vast open views of Yosemite Falls, Half Dome, Glacier Point and Sentinel Rock. The Cook’s Meadow trail is open year-round making it a nice hike to observe the changing seasons at Yosemite National Park.

• Cook’s Meadow Trail
• Distance: 1.1 mi
• Elevation Gain: 29 ft

Sunset at Tunnel View

End your day with a relaxing sunset at Yosemite’s iconic Tunnel View. This easy access location offers a panoramic view of the Valley, El Capitan, Half Dome and Bridalveil Falls. Ensure clear skies for the best sunset views.

Day 2 – Mirror Lake, Granite Dome and the Best Sunset

On day 2, we will venture a little further from the Valley. Did you know that most people visiting Yosemite National Park never leave the valley? There is so much that the park has to offer so I’m covering some of those places in this post.

Mirror Lake

In Spring and early summer, as the snow melts, Tenaya Creek flows into Mirror Lake making it a perfect time to visit. If you can get there early in the morning when the water is the calmest, you can catch gorgeous reflections of the surrounding mountains on the lake.

• Mirror Lake via Valley Loop Trail
• Distance: 4.4 mi
• Elevation gain: 305 ft

You can also hike to the lake and back for a shorter hike instead of the full loop.

Sentinel Dome and Taft Point

Sentinel Dome and Taft Point loop is one of the hikes with the best views in Yosemite for the short distance. You get 360 views of El Capitan, Yosemite Falls and the Yosemite Valley area. You can also see Half Dome, Clouds Rest and the high Sierra peaks on the East. The full hike is quite steep so if you want a shorter one you can hike the 2.2 mile Sentinel Dome Trail. Sentinel Dome is also home to the one of the most famous trees in the world – the fallen Jeffrey Pine.

• Sentinel Dome and Taft Point Loop
• Distance: 5.2 mi
• Elevation Gain: 1108 ft

Glacier Point Sunset

End your second day at Yosemite National Park with another incredible sunset at Glacier Point. This is a wheelchair accessible spot too! If you prefer to hike a longer trail instead, you can check out the famous Four mile trail which starts in the valley and ends at Glacier Point. The Four mile trail has a deceiving name but the actual hike is almost 10 miles and quite strenuous. It continues to be a favorite for seasoned hikers. My husband took me and our friends on this hike and we were completely surprised by the elevation and distance. The views were absolutely worth the tough hike though so in retrospect I am so glad that we hiked this trail!

• Four Mile Trail
• Distance: 10.3 mi
• Elevation Gain: 3418 ft

Day 3 – Hikes and Viewpoints along Tioga Pass Road

On day 3, let us explore an underrated side of Yosemite National Park. The Tioga Road refers to the famous Highway 120 which takes you through beautiful Sequoia groves and beautiful lakes. This road is not open year round so visitors are often thrilled when the road opens since it provides access to many seasonally visited places in Yosemite. The road definitely stays open in the summer.

May Lake

May Lake is a less visited hidden gem in Yosemite National Park. May Lake rests right below Mt. Hoffman which is the geographic center of Yosemite. How cool is that? And the hike is beginner-friendly. Backpackers love this trail and it’s a great option for new backpackers too because the trail is a short 2.3 miles hike. The trailhead is set at an elevation of 8700ft and the lake is at 9270 ft. I have an entire blog post on the May Lake hike in Yosemite National Park if you’d like to check it out.

• May Lake Trail
• Distance: 2.4 mi
• Elevation Gain: 488 ft

Olmstead Point

Olmstead Point is a quick 0.25 miles hike from the parking lot to incredible close up views of Clouds Rest and Half Dome. You can also see Tenaya lake and the other high Sierra peaks from here.

Tenaya Lake

Tenaya lake is a stunning easily accessible lake along Tioga Pass Road. It is located between the Valley and Tuolumne Meadows. Many people love to go for a swim here in the summer after a long hike even though the water is cold year-round. Summer is the best time to go since the snow clears up and the trails are perfect for hiking.

You can also check out some really nice hikes in the area like Cathedral Lakes, Sunrise Lakes trail etc.

Tuolumne Grove

Tuolumne Grove is a beautiful grove of mature Giant Sequoia Trees. This is a perfect trail to visit year round and it is a quieter alternative to the Mariposa Grove. It is pet-friendly as well so we really enjoyed hiking here with our dog. Fall at this grove is incredibly colorful. It’s a short hike to the grove but the initial portion is a hike down so it is a slightly steep climb coming back up.

There are some cool fallen Giant Sequoias and you can even walk through one of them. You also get to walk through a Giant Sequoia tree since the trail is carved right through the trunk of the tree. We absolutely enjoyed exploring the grove during our visit and I highly recommend adding this spot to your list if you are driving along Tioga Pass road.

• Tuolumne Grove Trail
• Distance: 2.7 mi
• Elevation Gain: 616 ft

I hope you enjoyed this Yosemite 3 Day Itinerary which includes some of the most iconic as well as underrated places. Subscribe to my newsletter below for more such blog posts and travel information!

Check out my other blog post on the Best Views and Hikes in Yosemite National Park!