YELLOWSTONE TRAVEL PACKAGES ANNOUNCED

XANTERRA'S SUMMER SPECIALS ANNOUNCED

I find that half the fun of a national park trip is in the planning, but many travelers don't agree. And for me the adventure is seeing if my plan worked! There are lots of national park service programs at Yellowstone that are free, and if you want to do that, check out the NPS website, http://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/index.htm where you can download a 2010 Trip Planner or click on your interest (hiking, fishing, etc..)

But if you want the planning done, the following may fill the bill. 

My disclaimer: I have not taken these tours, but I am familiar with the activities and locations. Make sure to ask how many will be in the tour with you, or if they can be done for just your group. This is a massive park (2.2 million acres), so tours would help with the logistics.

So, here you go:

Yellowstone concessioner Xanterra Parks & Resorts will offer a series of 11 multi-day vacation packages this summer. All packages include between four and six nights of lodging, in-park transportation, a variety of adventures and activities and a driver/guide. Several of the adventures include three meals a day for each person, and the remaining adventures include breakfast and lunch each day plus dinner one evening.

The lineup includes three Summer Adventure Packages, four- or five-night vacations featuring driver/guides from Xanterra. The driver/guides have completed intensive training and share extensive information and stories about the park’s colorful human history, geology and wildlife with program participants. The guides enhance the visitor experience as they provide interpretive information as they drive through the park. Guides also help with other logistics to ensure the comfort of all participants.

One of the three all-inclusive Summer Adventure packages is the Total Yellowstone Package. This five-night vacation includes lodging at three different hotels; breakfast, lunch and dinner each day; in-park transportation; Scenic cruise on Yellowstone Lake; choice of a horseback or stagecoach ride; and daily baggage handling. Each day of the vacation has a different theme. For example, the first day is “Great Geysers.” Participants walk the Upper Geyser Basin, take a walking tour of the Old Faithful Inn and explore the area. Another day is “Critters and Cowboys.” Guests participate in a morning wildlife watching excursion to Lamar Valley, known as the American Serengeti because of the abundance of wildlife. During the afternoon guests participate in their Western activity of choice at Roosevelt Lodge. For the complete Check out the Yellowstone Adventure Package itinerary. The Total Yellowstone package is priced at $1,139 per person double occupancy and $1,576 per person single occupancy.  The rate does not include taxes, gratuities or utility fee.

The Classic Yellowstone Adventure Package is also a good choice for travelers who want to pack a lot into their vacation. This five-day, four-night itinerary includes many of the park’s classic experiences such as wildlife watching in Lamar Valley; the Roosevelt Cookout, a family-pleasing Western adventure with fun transportation, food and entertainment; a scenic cruise of Yellowstone Lake; and a guided walking tour of the Upper Geyser Basin. The package also includes breakfast, lunch and dinner each day; accommodations in four different park lodges; all baggage handling; and a driver/guide with extensive knowledge of the human history, geology and wildlife of the park. The Classic Yellowstone Summer Adventure package is priced at $1,199 per person double occupancy and $1,513 per person single occupancy. Taxes, utility fees and gratuities are not included.


For more information about in park accommodations, restaurants and activities in Yellowstone visit www.YellowstoneNationalParkLodges or call toll-free (1) 866-GEYSERLAND (1-866-439-7375) or (1) 307-344-7311.

YELLOWSTONE ASSOCIATION INSTITUTE: In addition to Summer Adventure Packages Xanterra also offers eight Lodging Camp Learning programs. Offered in partnership with the non-profit Yellowstone Association Institute (YAI), these programs include lodging, in-park transportation, all breakfasts and lunches, one dinner per person and expert instruction provided by a Yellowstone Association Institute naturalist guide. Xanterra and YAI have created Lodging Camp Learning programs for groups with specific interests. Programs include “Yellowstone for Families,” “Trails through Yellowstone,” “Old Times on the Grand Tour” and “Spring Wolf and Bear Discovery.” 


In addition, the YAI has other summer programs. Their new facility (pictured) just outside of Gardiner offers a base for families and groups on Yellowstone vacations.


 At this point in the year lodging in Yellowstone can be hard to find because most facilities are already booked for the summer season. However because they’re new, the Institute’s educational packages still have dates available at rates starting at $90 per person per day.  

Summer and fall packages available now include:

Yellowstone Sampler: Spend four days seeing the best of Yellowstone. Learn about Yellowstone’s colorful history, abundant wildlife, and active volcano while visiting most of the major park highlights including Mammoth Hot Springs, Lamar Valley, Old Faithful, and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. One flat package rate includes 3 days of activities and 5 nights lodging 1-5 people $2,485, 6-12 people $3,950, 13-24 people $7,900.

Wildlife Adventure: Learn about Yellowstone’s bears, wolves, and other animals during driving tours and short hikes in various wildlife hotspots. Locate and observe animals using high-power scopes, and understand their behavior, ecology, and management. Take advantage of seasonal wildlife watching opportunities from baby bison in the spring to bugling elk in the fall. One flat package rate includes 3 days of wildlife watching and 4 nights lodging 1-5 people $2,285, 6-12 people $3,550, 13-24 people $7,100.

Happy Trails: Venture off the beaten path with interpretive hikes throughout the park designed to showcase the best of Yellowstone’s backcountry. Hikers can learn about wolves, bears, elk and more, get up close and personal with the supervolcano, and be a part of the park’s colorful history on carefully chosen hikes in the northern range, Old Faithful, and Mammoth Hot Springs areas. One flat package rate includes 3 days hiking and 5 nights lodging 1-5 people $2,485, 6-12 people $3,950, 13-24 people $7,900.

For more information, see package information on their website  Yellowstone Association Institute Private Tours.

Contact information for YAI:

Angela Stewart 406-848-2400 or registrar@yellowstoneassociation.org.

For more information about in park accommodations, restaurants and activities in Yellowstone visit www.YellowstoneNationalParkLodges or call toll-free (1) 866-GEYSERLAND (1-866-439-7375) or (1) 307-344-7311.


From the Lodge Lady:
To read and see more about these national park lodges, check out my post Yellowstone's Great Lodges and Great Lodges of the National Parks (2002) for Old Faithful Inn and Great Lodges of the National Parks, Volume Two for Lake Yellowstone Hotel