How to Spend an Epic 3 Days in Yosemite National Park

Yosemite is easily one of the most beautiful national parks in the USA, but planning your first trip can feel a little overwhelming, especially when you’re trying to figure out how many days you need in Yosemite and what to prioritize while you’re there.

I’d always heard people say Yosemite was their favourite national park and honestly, I never fully understood the hype until I visited for myself. But believe me when I say… it really is that good. With towering granite cliffs, flowing waterfalls, giant pine trees, and a river winding through the valley, Yosemite genuinely feels like paradise.

After exploring the park ourselves, I truly think 3 days in Yosemite is the perfect amount of time to experience the highlights without feeling too rushed. You’ll have enough time to visit the iconic viewpoints, tackle a few incredible hikes, and soak up the magic of the park.

This 3 day Yosemite itinerary is perfect for people who enjoy photography, hiking and a mix of easy to get to viewpoints. The guide includes exactly how to spend your time in the park, along with where to stay, where to eat, the best time to visit Yosemite, what to pack, and other helpful tips for planning your trip.

A Quick Summary & Map of Your 3 Day Yosemite Itinerary

Don’t have time to read the entire blog post? I’ve got you! Here is a quick summary of your 3 day Yosemite Itinerary, including a map with pins of all of the spots in the itinerary.

Click here to open the map in Google Maps!

Day 1

• Arrive in Yosemite
• Hike Lower Yosemite Falls
• See the Viewpoints in Yosemite Valley
• Tunnel View for sunset

Day 2

• Hike to Vernal Falls
• Go for a swim or river rafting
• Washburn Overlook
• Taft Point for sunset

Day 3

• Sunrise at Glacier Point
• Hike to Mirror Lake
• Hike to Bridalveil Falls
• Get a photo on the Cooks Meadow Trail for sunset

An Incredible 3 Day Yosemite Itinerary

This itinerary covers all of the must do things in Yosemite and you will also have time to do a hike or 2. I have provided suggestions on where to eat in Yosemite as there are a few restaurants but you could also get your groceries on the way to the park and make your own breakfast, lunch and dinner each day. This is what we chose to do so that we didn’t have to waste our time figuring out where to eat.

Day 1

Arrive in Yosemite

On day 1, I have allowed a bit of time for you to get to Yosemite. Once you are there, if you are hungry, you might want to grab some food from one of the restaurants in Yosemite Valley such as Starbucks, Base Camp Eatery (right next to Starbucks) or Degnan’s Kitchen. There is also a gift shop across the courtyard from Starbucks that sells snacks, sandwiches, icecreams etc.

Hike Lower Yosemite Falls (5 minute walk from Yosemite Lodge Food Court)

Distance: 1.9km / 1.2 miles | Elevation: 17m / 55 ft | Time: 25-30 minutes

If you grabbed some food from the Yosemite Lodge Food Court, you will not need to move your car to go check out Lower Yosemite Falls.

Lower Yosemite Falls is an easy and flat hike that is great for the whole family. It was extremely crowded when we went (in the middle of the day). If you are looking to avoid the crowds, I recommend going first thing in the morning (before 8am).

See the Viewpoints in Yosemite Valley

Yosemite is really great in the way that it has something for everyone! If you don’t feel like doing a crazy hike but would prefer to take it easy but still see the views, you can drive around Yosemite Valley and check out a bunch of the best view points.

• El Capitan Meadow
• Yosemite Valley View
• El Capitan Viewpoint
• Sentinel Bridge
• El Capitan Picnic Area where you will see Horsetail Fall from (FireFall)

Tunnel View for sunset (20 minutes drive from Yosemite Valley)

Tunnel View is the best viewpoint in Yosemite National Park that you can drive to so you definitely are not allowed to miss it! It’s also the first thing that you see when you enter the “valley section” of the park through a tunnel.

There are a couple of small parking lots at Tunnel View and although it is always packed, you should be able to get a parking spot. Most people stop for a quick photo and then move on so it’s a fast turnover viewpoint.

Day 2

Hike to Vernal Falls

Distance: 5km / 3.1 miles | Elevation: 345m / 1,131 ft | Time: 2-2.5 hours

Vernal Falls was really high on my list of things to do in Yosemite when we were there but we missed out and I’m devastated. But also, now we have a really great reason to go back! We couldn’t get a parking spot because we got to Yosemite Valley too late in the morning.

Instead, we did the Upper Falls Trail which was way too steep and too hot and we actually didn’t even finish it. I have seen photos of Vernal Falls and it just looks so dreamy! Look up photos for yourself and then decide if you want to do it or not but I think you should do it. 😉

Go for a swim or river rafting

There was a heatwave in Yosemite when we were there so we spent a lot of time swimming in the Merced River which was gloriously refreshing. There are tons of beautiful swimming spots in Yosemite for you to chill out at.

Not only can you go swimming in the river, but you can also rent a raft from the Curry Village Raft Rental and float down the Merced River!

Washburn Overlook (1 hour drive from Yosemite Valley)

Washburn Overlook is a great quick viewpoint to stop at if you are going to Taft Point or Glacier Point. It is a little bit past the Taft Point Trailhead towards Glacier Point. There is not hiking involved for this one. The viewpoint is literally right where the parking lot is. The views from Washburn Overlook are awesome so don’t miss it! You can see Vernal Falls, Nevada Falls and Half Dome.

Taft Point for sunset (5 minute drive from Washburn Overlook)

Distance: 3.7km / 2.3 miles | Elevation: 108m / 354 ft | Time: 1-1.5 hours

Taft Point was my favourite hike that we did in Yosemite! We actually did it twice because we fell in love with the sunsets there! 😍 It is a fairly short hike through the forest. Make sure you cover up and wear mozzie repellent if you hike this at sunset because the mozzies are BRUTAL! As much as we wanted to stop and take a heap of photos in the forest, we couldn’t because as soon as we stopped they came for us.

Once you reach the viewpoint, the forest opens up into large granite slabs overlooking Yosemite Valley. It really is such a stunning view!

👉 Read about our experience hiking to Taft Point for sunset not once but TWICE!

Day 3

Sunrise at Glacier Point (1 hour drive from Yosemite Valley)

Glacier Point is a must see viewpoint in Yosemite! Getting to Glacier Point for sunrise is tough but I highly recommend it because it is stunning! If you don’t think that you can make it there for sunrise, try switching this around with Cooks Meadow and spend sunset at Glacier Point instead.

We went at sunrise and were surprised to find it totally packed! I don’t think I’ve ever seen a place more packed for sunrise! Believe me, it’s for good reason. 😉

Hike to Mirror Lake (1 hour drive from Glacier Point)

Distance: 7.1km / 4.4 miles | Elevation: 92m / 301 ft | Time: 1.5 – 2 hours

Mirror Lake is a must do hike / photo spot in Yosemite. We missed out on Mirror Lake and I’m devastated but it’s a great reason to go back again soon. Once you reach the lake, you will have amazing reflections on a still day of Mount Watkins in the distance.

Hike to Bridalveil Falls (20-30 minutes drive from Mirror Lake)

Distance: 1.3km / 0.8 miles | Elevation: 35m / 114 ft | Time: 20-30 minutes

Bridalveil Falls is an easy and short hike which is also one of the few dog friendly trails in Yosemite. The waterfall itself is stunning and there are a couple of different viewpoints that you can see it from. You can also see Bridalveil Falls when driving around the Yosemite Valley Loop, heading into the valley.

Get a photo on the Cooks Meadow Trail for sunset (10-20 minutes drive from Bridalveil Falls)

Distance: 1.6km / 1 mile | Elevation: Flat | Time: 30 minutes

Things to Know About Spending 3 Days in Yosemite

Is 3 days enough for Yosemite?

3 days is a good amount of time to see some of the best viewpoints in Yosemite and do 1 or 2 hikes but you could always spend more time there. We spent 4 days in Yosemite and still could have stayed longer because there is so much to do there.

Where to stay

For a 3 day trip to Yosemite, I highly recommend staying inside the park to optimise your time there. If you stay outside the park, it ends up being at least a 1 hour drive each way to get to the main viewpoints and hiking trails. Trust me, pay that little bit extra to stay in Yosemite Valley. You will also end up on saving a lot of money on petrol so the cost evens itself out.

Inside the park, you could stay at Yosemite Valley Lodge, which is a great more affordable option or if you are looking to splurge on your Yosemite trip, The Ahwahnee Lodge is absolutely gorgeous. Both of these hotels are within walking distance to viewpoints and trails and shuttle stops in Yosemite.

You will still need to drive around 50 minutes to get to the other side of the park along Glacier Point Road, but you would need to do this no matter if you stayed inside or outside the park.

There are more options for accommodation outside the park but it is definitely less convenient. Check out the hotel map above to find accommodation options outside Yosemite National Park.

Camping in Yosemite National Park

If you have a campervan or are tent camping, you can camp at one of the campground in Yosemite such as the Upper Pines or Lower Pines campgrounds.

To book any Yosemite campgrounds, head to recreation.gov website.

The best time to visit Yosemite

There is no real bad time to visit Yosemite. It is absolutely stunning all-year-round. I recommend choosing a time of year to visit based on what you want to do and see.

For example, the waterfalls are at their strongest in Spring. If you visit during Spring, I recommend waiting until late Spring so that you don’t get stuck with Winter road closures.

Spring, Summer and Fall are great times to visit to go hiking in Yosemite. Summer is always the busiest time of the year and of course the hottest, but this also means it is a great time to go swimming in Yosemite.

Yosemite transforms into a Winter Wonderland in the Winter months and parts of the park close down but you can do Winter activities such as ice skating. We have only visited in Summer so far but to me Winter sounds absolutely magical so we might need to plan a return trip!

National Parks Pass

You will need a National Parks Pass to visit Yosemite. If you are planning on visiting other parks during a period of 1 year, getting an America the Beautiful Pass will save you money in the long run. It is $80 for US residents and $250 for non-residents which gives you entry to loads of national parks throughout the USA for 1 year.

Yosemite National Park Packing List

Our Thoughts

My biggest tip on planning your trip (no matter how long) to Yosemite is to start every day around 7am. There is a lot of ground to cover and the later it gets the busier it gets and also the hotter is gets (in Summer).

Otherwise, have the best time ever in one of the most beautiful national parks in the USA!

We spent 2 weeks in California so have a few more guides that you might find helpful when planning your trip:

• An Incredible 4 Day Yosemite Itinerary
• The Ultimate 15 Day California Road Trip Itinerary
• The Best 2 Day Lake Tahoe Summer Itinerary
• Where to go Swimming in Yosemite
• Best Things to Do in Yosemite National Park
• Best Photo Spots in Yosemite
• Where to Stay in Sequoia National Park
• Hiking to Taft Point at Sunset
• Yosemite Vs Sequoia: Which Park Should You Visit?
• Yosemite to Sequoia National Park: An EPIC 5 Day Itinerary
• How to Spend 1 Unforgettable Day in Yosemite

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