South Dakota to Yellowstone Parks Explorer
South Dakota to Yellowstone Parks Explorer
South Dakota to Yellowstone Parks Explorer
7 Days Starting in Rapid City and ending in Bozeman
Visiting: Rapid City / Custer, Custer, Sherridan , Cody, West Yellowstone, Yellowstone National Park, Yellowstone Wolf Tracking / Bozeman
Tour operator:
Tour code:
SSED
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Group size:
1 - 12
Age range:
15-99 years
Interests:
Tour Overview
See natural wonders in South Dakota and Yellowstone National Park on this seven-day small group adventure that packs plenty of wonders into a short amount of time. Uncover the beauty of Badlands National Park before you travel to Mount Rushmore, spot buffalo in Custer State Park and continue to Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument. Get a taste of the Wild West with a stop in Deadwood and an overnight stay in Cody. Then, spend two nights at Yellowstone National Park, where you’ll spot wildlife, watch Old Faithful spray water into the air and join a wolf-tracking expedition. With easy to moderate walks, comfortable accommodation and a knowledgeable leader, this nature focussed adventure is big on beauty.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1: Rapid City / Custer
Location: Rapid City / Custer
Accommodation: Cabin
Meals Included: dinner
Welcome to South Dakota! Your adventure starts at 10 am with a welcome meeting in Rapid City. After, take a short drive to the iconic Wall Drug Store – drawing millions of visitors every year, it’s hard to believe this store won over customers in its early days by offering something as simple as free ice water. Take some time to wander around and grab some lunch before heading to Badlands National Park. Have your camera handy to capture the sweeping prairie grass plains and dramatic rocky pinnacles. If you’re lucky, you’ll spot bighorn sheep, pronghorn antelope, chirping prairie dogs and American bison. Take a short hike on one of the scenic trails before continuing to your lodge in Custer. Your home for the next two nights will be a cabin where you can immerse yourself in the Western feel of this historic-style accommodation. Tonight, you’ll have a group dinner at the lodge to settle in and get to know your fellow travellers.
Included Activities:
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Day 2: Custer
Location: Custer
Accommodation: Cabin
Meals Included: breaksfast
Enjoy breakfast at the lodge, then it’s time to jump in a jeep and go wild on a buffalo safari. Trek through the Custer State Park in an open-air jeep as your expert guide shares historical and educational facts and helps you spot pronghorns, elk and buffalo. After, you’ll visit the Crazy Horse Memorial – the largest mountain carving in the Black Hills (widely considered the Eighth Wonder of the World in progress). Then continue to the famous Mount Rushmore to walk the Presidential Trail – this is a great spot to grab a photo! Tonight, you’re free to grab dinner at your accommodation or a nearby local restaurant.
Included Activities:
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Day 3: Sherridan
Location: Sherridan
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch
Have a final breakfast in Custer, and then drive north to the city of Deadwood. Made famous for playing host to Wild West names like Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickok, many of its Gold Rush-era buildings are preserved to this day. Your leader will take you on an orientation walk, and then you’ll have free time to do some exploring of your own – why not get fitted out in a new cowboy hat? Regroup for an included lunch, and then head back out on the road heading to Sherridan. It’s a long afternoon of driving, so sit back, relax and enjoy the rolling prairie views. Check into your accommodation, and then settling in for the evening.
Included Activities:
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Day 4: Cody
Location: Cody
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch
After breakfast, drive to the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument. There, you’ll join a Crow Nation Guide for a tour that provides an Apsaalooke perspective on the conflict. With a tribal historian at your side, you’ll traverse the battlefield and learn how Lakota, Cheyenne and Arapaho warriors defeated the US Army on the Greasy Grass at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. Grab lunch after your visit, and then make your way to Cody, Wyoming. Join an orientation walk with your leader around the quintessentially western town, scoping out the best spots for a BBQ dinner or your own pair of cowboy boots.
Included Activities:
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Day 5: West Yellowstone
Location: West Yellowstone
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: breaksfast
Depart Cody and drive west towards Yellowstone National Park – one of the country's most popular, expansive, and beautiful national parks. When you arrive at Yellowstone, you’ll head straight for a visit to the Old Faithful Geyser – a must-see for any trip to the park, Old Faithful is a cone geyser with striking colours and a predictable geothermal eruption (hence the name). Watch as it sprays over 4000 gallons (14,000 litres) of boiling water into the air, then be hypnotised by the startling colours of the Grand Prismatic Spring. After, you’ll check into your hotel in West Yellowstone.
Included Activities:
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Day 6: Yellowstone National Park
Location: Yellowstone National Park
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: breaksfast
Today after breakfast, you’ll continue to explore the gorgeous Yellowstone National Park, looking out for grizzly bears, wolves, buffalo and elk roaming free. Visit The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone (a great spot for photos) and then explore the Norris Geyser Basin – the hottest and oldest geyser in the park. Tonight, you’re free for dinner, so maybe get your group together and say a pre-final day goodbye over a couple of drinks.
Included Activities:
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Day 7: Yellowstone Wolf Tracking / Bozeman
Location: Yellowstone Wolf Tracking / Bozeman
Meals Included: breaksfast
You'll be up before the sun this morning, but it's for a good reason! You’ll head back into Yellowstone to join a wolf-tracking expedition with an experienced naturalist guide. There's no better place than Yellowstone to see these magnificent animals in the wild. Your guide tracks the movements and behaviour of Yellowstone wildlife almost daily and knows the best places to find the animals. There will be top-of-the-line binoculars for everyone and high-powered spotting scopes, so no one will miss out. Afterward, travel to Bozeman, where your adventure ends at around 4 pm this afternoon. If you’d like to stay in the area for longer, just speak to your booking agent.
Included Activities:
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What's Included
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Accommodation
Cabin (2 nights), Hotel (4 nights) -
Badlands National Park – Hiking
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Badlands National Park – Scenic Drive
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Black Hills - Mount Rushmore
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Custer State Park - Buffalo Safari
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Black Hills - Crazy Horse Memorial
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Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument -guided tour with a Crow Nation Guide
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Yellowstone National Park - Southern Loop Featuring Old Faithful Geyser & Grand Prismatic Spring
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Yellowstone National Park - Northern Loop Featuring Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone & Norris Geyser Basin
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Yellowstone - Wolf Tracking Expedition
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Meals
5 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 1 dinners
Transport
AIRPORT TRANSFERS IN THE USA & CANADAWe recommend taxis and rideshare services like Lyft and Uber when traveling to and from hotels in the USA and Canada. These services are widely available across North America, offering convenient and accessible transportation options. Private transfers in North America incur high costs and present an increased risk of missed connections due to their fixed schedules. In contrast, taxis and rideshares offer both cost-effectiveness and flexibility, ensuring a smoother journey. With transparent pricing, GPS tracking, and on-demand availability, we believe that taxis and rideshare apps not only offer a reliable alternative to private transfers but also provide a secure, trustworthy, and budget-friendly transportation option for our customers.NORTH AMERICA VEHICLESOur large fleet of 15-passenger vans are fully equipped with air-conditioning system, V8 engines and any camping or cooking equipment needed for your trip. Most have cloth-upholstered seats and carpeted interior with radio or CD players. Your luggage is typically transported in a trailer which is towed behind the van.The vans are regularly serviced by a well-established network of maintenance and service facilities throughout the continent. However, unforeseen maintenance problems can still occur while on the road and we appreciate the patience of our travellers as we make necessary repairs as quickly as possible.While your group will have a van for all included activities on the trip, the services of the van and leader may not be available for your use during free time, or after you have arrived for the day. If you need a special trip into town you may need to arrange transport or a taxi.
Accommodation
The style of accommodation indicated in the day-to-day itinerary is a guideline only and may change. On some occasions, alternative arrangements may need to be made due to the lack of availability of rooms in our preferred accommodation. In these cases, we will use a similar standard of accommodation.Throughout the trip, we request that our properties prepare rooms in time for our arrival, especially if we're arriving prior to normal check-in time. However, this isn't always possible which means we won't be able to check-in immediately on arrival at some hotels. Instead, we can store our luggage and explore our new destination or on some trips, have use of shared day rooms until all rooms are available.
Important Information
1. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 10 am on Day 1 in Rapid City. Please make your own way to the Joining Point listed in the Essential Trip Information for this itinerary.2. This trip finishes at approximately 4pm in Bozeman, Montana. No accommodation is booked for this evening. If departing this day, please do not book any flights before 7pm. if you would like to spend more time in Bozeman, we can request additional accommodation for you post tour. Please speak to your booking agent.3. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement applies to all nights on your trip and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.
Mode of Transport
NORTH AMERICA VEHICLESOur large fleet of 15-passenger vans are fully equipped with air-conditioning system, V8 engines and any camping or cooking equipment needed for your trip. Most have cloth-upholstered seats and carpeted interior with radio or CD players. Your luggage is typically transported in a trailer which is towed behind the van.The vans are regularly serviced by a well-established network of maintenance and service facilities throughout the continent. However, unforeseen maintenance problems can still occur while on the road and we appreciate the patience of our travellers as we make necessary repairs as quickly as possible.While your group will have a van for all included activities on the trip, the services of the van and leader may not be available for your use during free time, or after you have arrived for the day. If you need a special trip into town you may need to arrange transport or a taxi.
Check out our Q&As
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Is this trip right for you
There are walking opportunities throughout this trip. We recommend you bring good quality walking shoes if you're keen to enjoy a hike - or two!
This trip includes time spent travelling in a private vehicle with your group. Extra space can be tight, and conditions may feel a little cramped. It’s all part of the adventure and a great way to get to know your fellow travellers. Please read the itinerary carefully for travel time estimates.
You may also want to check out our Great American West trip if you have a longer time to explore the region:
https://www.intrepidtravel.com/united-states/great-american-west-150416 -
What policies are in place for Covid-19?
Please contact us for latest COVID-19 policies
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How long has the tour company been trading?
Intrepid Travel has been taking travellers around the world for over 30 years
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Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?
Yes
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What Ethical Travel credentials does the tour company have?
Since 2002, The Intrepid Foundation has supported over 130 organisations across the world. We’re creating positive impact through the joy of travel, community and connection.
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Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?
Over 50% of traveller travel solo with Intrepid. You can choose to share a room with another solo travelle of the same sex for no additional charge, or choose to pay a single supplement if you’d like your own room. Please request this when booking, and we will secure you a single supplement wherever possible. Please note, if you are booking a last-minute trip, it may be harder for us to secure a single room
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Free Date Changes
Intrepid Travel allows you to make 10 free date changes, as long as the change is made at least 56 days before the start of the tour.
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Transfer as credit to Future Tours
Intrepid Travel allows you to transfer existing payments to a future tour to avoid cancellation fees if you can't travel and inform intrepid travel, 56 days before departure.
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Low Deposit
Intrepid Travel requires a minimum deposit of 400 USD per person or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 56 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of intrepid travel charges.
Up to 56 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 55 days before tour starts: Forfeit 30% of booking price.
At 30 days before tour starts: Forfeit 60% of booking price.
At 14 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.
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