An Epic 1-Week Glacier, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton Itinerary (2024)

Are you planning a road trip itinerary to Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Glacier National Parks? Lucky you! These parks are absolutely breathtaking and have so much to offer.

Whether you enjoy hiking, wildlife, natural and geothermal wonders, waterfalls, lakes, or just driving through beautiful scenery, you will get all of that and more at these national parks.

This 7-day national parks road trip itinerary is perfect for first-timers as this is very close to the actual road trip I took with my husband Sam and two of our friends in August 2020. It will give you enough time to see the highlights and still leave plenty to explore for any future trips. I’m already dreaming up our next visit!

1 Week Glacier, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton Itinerary

This itinerary is going to work best if you have 7 full days to explore and 2 travel days. If you have less time, I will have some suggestions on how to adjust your itinerary further down in this post.

Since this road trip is a point-to-point journey – meaning, you’ll start in one location and end at a different one – it will work best if you fly into Kalispell outside of Glacier the day before and then fly out of Jackson Hole in Grand Teton the day after.

However, if you’d rather drive back to your starting location to catch a flight, you’ll need an additional travel day to make your way back. This will be a very long driving day (about 500 miles and 8 hours of driving) so keep that in mind while planning.

I recommend comparing the costs of the one-way car rental and the open-jaw flights with a round-trip flight and car rental. This might help you make your decision on what itinerary will work best for you.

Day 1 – Glacier National Park

Get up early and make the most of your one full day in Glacier. You’ll spend most of your day driving Going to the Sun Road and exploring the areas along this route.

2024 Update: Glacier National Park is operating on a ticketed system for several areas of the park, including Going-to-the-Sun Road, from late May to mid-September. Visit the Glacier NPS website for details and to get tickets. You will need to have a ticket in order to do this itinerary.

Here is what your day will look like:

Wake up early

The earlier you can be in the park, the better. I’d suggest aiming to be there no later than 8:00 am, but if you can manage before that, you’ll probably have better luck getting a parking space for a hike (see more info on that below).

Drive Going-To-The-Sun Road

If you can only do one thing in Glacier, make it this. The views on this road are probably the most gorgeous I have ever seen in my life.

There are so many stops you can make along this road. Since you will be driving this both ways, see some of the viewpoints on your way there and then save some for your drive back.

Some of the highlights include Logan Pass, Big Bend, Jackson Glacier Overlook, and Wild Goose Island Lookout.

Take a hike

There are so many incredible hikes in Glacier that you could be here for a week and not hike them all. For this one-day itinerary, I recommend Trail of the Cedars and Avalanche Lake, but any several-hour hike should fit into your day.

Just make sure you head directly to the hike’s parking lot as soon as you enter the park. These lots get very full very early, and if you don’t arrive soon enough, they will fill up and you’ll have to choose another one.

have a picnic with a view

With so many incredible overlooks, you’ll have your pick of stunning locations to eat a picnic. I definitely recommend packing your lunch today since there aren’t really any places to grab a bite to eat while driving Going To The Sun Road.

Stop and enjoy the scenery

Drive slow, stop at every place that strikes your fancy, and just soak in the amazing views.

Dip your toes in glacial water

If you want to experience the insanely cold glacial lake water, I recommend heading down to the beach at Saint Mary Lake and discovering if you have the guts to take the plunge.

You can find more information on how to find this beach in my comprehensive guide to one day in Glacier.

Spend some time in or on the water at Lake McDonald

After you’ve driven the entirety of Going-To-The-Sun Road, end your day at Apgar Village and spend some time at Lake McDonald. You could go swimming, paddleboarding, kayaking, or just relax on the beach.

If you happen to be staying at Lake McDonald Lodge, you could also opt to spend your evening there and take advantage of the onsite amenities.

Go stargazing

Glacier National Park is a wonderful place to see the night sky. If you aren’t too tired, consider spending some time stargazing at any of the beautiful lookouts in the park.

For more details on this itinerary as well as lodging and food suggestions, check out my blog post on one full day in Glacier National Park.

Day 2 – Drive from Glacier to Yellowstone

On your second day, you’ll be driving from Glacier to West Yellowstone.

Depending on what route you take, it will probably be around 6.5 to 7 hours without stops. If you plan to take some detours or additional stops, it will take you longer.

When we visited we didn’t stop to see anything because we wanted to get there as fast as we could, but you have a few options if you want to take your time and break up your drive.

Bozeman

Bozeman is a great place to stop for a few hours if you want a break from driving. You can do some shopping, visit the Museum of the Rockies, take a hike around Hyalite Reservoir or to Palisade Falls, or get something to eat in town.

Norris Hot Springs

If you are looking for a little relaxation, consider spending some time at Norris Hot Springs. The public soaking pool is open all year round and there is also a restaurant, drinks, and live music on the weekends.

Virginia City & Nevada City

In their heyday, Virginia City and Nevada City were some of the biggest places for mining gold. Now they are open-air museums that make for a fun place for a pit stop and a self-guided walking tour.

Once you arrive in West Yellowstone, check into your accommodation and get a good night’s sleep. You’ll be out exploring the stunning Yellowstone National Park for the next 3 days!

If you want to see some of the best budget lodging options around Yellowstone, check out this post.

Day 3 – Yellowstone National Park

Today you’ll head north on Grand Loop Road and explore the upper section of Yellowstone. 

• Drive along Blacktail Plateau Drive to Lamar Valley for wildlife viewing
• Hike to Trout Lake
• Optional: hike along Lamar River Valley or Specimen Ridge Trails
• Visit Tower Fall
• Explore Mammoth Hot Springs

Get more details about this day and the other two days in the park in my comprehensive Yellowstone National Park post.

Day 4 – Yellowstone National Park

Today you will be exploring geysers and waterfalls in the middle section of the park.

• Optional: hike up Mount Washburn
• Visit the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone and see Upper and Lower Falls around Canyon Village
• Look for wildlife in Hayden Valley
• Visit the Mud Volcano and Norris Geyser Basin

Day 5 – Yellowstone National Park

On your final day in Yellowstone, you’ll head south on Grand Loop Road to see the most famous attractions. We’ve saved the best for last!

• Walk around the Fountain Paint Pots
• Marvel at the Grand Prismatic Spring and the Midway Geyser Basin
• Take a hike to the beautiful Fairy Falls
• Visit the Morning Glory pools
• Catch the eruption of Old Faithful and explore Upper Geyser Basin
• If you have more time, you can head over to Yellowstone Lake and West Thumb Geyser Basin

Day 7 – Grand Teton National Park

Spend your last day going for a hike or two and enjoying the beauty of the Grand Tetons.

There are so many hikes you can choose from, all with different lengths and difficulties. We did the Jenny Lake Trail to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point. 

This is about a 6-mile out-and-back hike that’s moderate in difficulty. The hardest part is at the end when you have to hike uphill for a while to get to Inspiration Point. But the views are so worth it!

Some other good hiking choices are Cascade Canyon Trail, Leigh Lake Trail, Taggart & Bradley Lakes, Death Canyon Trail, and Phelps Lake.

You could also spend some time swimming, paddle boarding, or relaxing at Jenny Lake or one of the other lakes in Grand Teton National Park afterward.

Take one last look at the mountains before you head home tomorrow!

Things to Know When Planning your trip to Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Glacier National Parks

When to visit Glacier, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton

To do this itinerary in its entirety, you’ll need to visit when all the park roads are fully open. When the snow arrives, usually mid to late October, many of the roads close down and you can’t access all the areas of the parks.

The roads start opening up again anywhere from late May into June. Glacier’s Going-to-the-Sun Road can occasionally be closed until late June, so keep all this in mind when planning your trip.

If you want to be sure you can do everything on this road trip itinerary, plan to do this trip between late June and September.

Start and end locations

As I mentioned earlier, you’ll be starting this road trip in Glacier National Park and ending in Grand Teton National Park.

You could also reverse this itinerary if you wanted and switch the start and end locations.

To save time and be able to do this entire itinerary in 7 days, you’ll need to fly into one airport and out of another if you are not driving to and from.

The closest airport to Glacier National Park is Glacier Park International Airport, right outside Kalispell. For time’s sake, this will be your best option.

To get home, your best bet is to fly out of Jackson Hole Airport which is right in Grand Teton National Park.

America the Beautiful Pass

Since you are visiting three national parks, you should buy the America the Beautiful pass, which gets you into all the national parks and more than 2,000 federal recreation sites for one year.

A one-year pass costs $80. If you were to buy an individual pass at each park, you’d be paying $105 ($35 at each park). So it’s a no-brainer!

If you don’t buy a pass ahead of time, you can sometimes purchase them at the parks, but I would make sure to purchase one beforehand just in case. This will also save you time entering the parks too.

Renting a car

If you are flying in for this road trip, you’ll need to rent a car. It will be incredibly difficult to attempt this trip without one.

I recommend using Discover Cars to book your car rental. You always get free cancellation, they have great prices, and also have 24/7 support if you need it.

If you have less than one week

If you don’t have a full seven days for this national park road trip itinerary, here are some ways to modify this trip.

1-3 days

If you only have a long weekend, pick one national park and explore as much of it as you can. The hassle of trying to see more than one in such a short amount of time will mean you will be traveling between parks when you could be using that time to experience them.

4 days

You can either spend the entire trip in Yellowstone (check out this 4-day Yellowstone itinerary on how to make the most of it) or you could explore both Yellowstone and Grand Teton and spend two days at each. These parks are close enough together to make it doable.

5-6 days

With 5 or 6 days, skip Glacier National Park and do just Yellowstone and Grand Teton. I’d recommend 3 days in Yellowstone and the remaining days in the Grand Tetons.

If you have more than one week

Woo hoo! You get even more time to explore these amazing parks! If you’re lucky enough to get more than a week, here is what I would add to your itinerary.

8-9 days

I would add the extra days in Glacier National Park. There is so much more to do there, and with all the amazing hiking trails, you could easily fill up the extra days here and still want more.

10+ days

With 10 days, I would structure my trip like this:

• Day 1 – Glacier
• Day 2 – Glacier
• Day 3 – Glacier
• Day 4 – drive from Glacier to Yellowstone
• Day 5 – Yellowstone
• Day 6 – Yellowstone
• Day 7 – Yellowstone
• Day 8 – Yellowstone
• Day 9 – Grand Teton
• Day 10 – Grand Teton

Any additional days could either be spent exploring some cities from Grand Tetons to Glacier National Park, such as Bozeman or Helena, or you could even add another destination like the Sawtooth Mountains in Idaho.

While I haven’t been yet, I’ve heard that Waterton Lakes National Park just over the border of Montana into Canada is beautiful. This could also be a great option if you have extra days to fill.

Best time to visit Glacier, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton National Parks

The best time for this road trip itinerary is late June to early October when all of the roads in all the parks are open.

Once the snow starts in October, the Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier, the interior roads in Yellowstone, and the scenic drives in Grand Teton start closing.

These roads don’t open up again until the snow season is over, anywhere from April to May in Yellowstone and Grand Teton, and often not until late June in Glacier.

To make sure you can see everything in this itinerary, you should visit when everything will be open.

That’s not to say that the other times of the year aren’t worth visiting! But you’ll probably have to tweak this itinerary a bit to account for potential closures.

What to pack for your National Park road trip

To make the most of your national parks itinerary, here are some things you should not forget to pack along.

National Park Pass

If you have the National Park Pass, make sure you don’t forget it! They come with a rearview mirror holder so you can hang it up and not have to dig around for it when you enter the park.

Camera

This is a given, but you are going to be so amazed by all the beauty everywhere, you’ll be kicking yourself if you don’t have a good camera to capture it all.

A good phone camera would work well for most landscapes, but if you want to get some awesome wildlife pictures, you might want something with a zoom lens.

Binoculars

Is that a moose or just a stump? If you have binoculars, you won’t have to guess!

Hiking shoes & good socks

If you plan on doing any kind of hiking, I’d recommend hiking shoes or boots rather than sneakers. The socks you wear with your boots will also make a huge difference in how your feet feel. I like Cloudline wool socks, but there are lots of great brands out there.

Layers

While the national parks can get very hot in the summer, you should make sure you pack a variety of clothing, including clothes you can layer. If you head out early or stay out late, it might be a bit chilly and I’m sure you’d rather be prepared than be cold.

Glacier overall will be chillier than Yellowstone and Grand Teton and have more fickle weather, so it will be most important there to have different clothing options.

It would also be a good idea to pack a raincoat or poncho so that if you do get some rain, your day won’t be ruined and you can still get out and explore.

Water

More than likely, you’ll be out and about in the parks all day and may not have quick access to a store. Plus it can get VERY hot in the summer and you will want to stay hydrated.

While the visitor centers do sell water, it will be much easier to just bring lots of water with you so you don’t have to worry about running out or changing your plan to go find some.

Water filter

If you are doing some longer hikes, this is a great option to carry with you in case you run out of water.

We use this water filter when we go backpacking and love it. It’s lightweight and filters water directly from the source into your water bottle or bladder very quickly.

Hiking pack + the 10 essentials

While many of the trails in the parks are well-traveled and you’ll see people frequently, you still want to be prepared. Bring along a hiking backpack or something with good back support and keep it stocked with the 10 essentials for hiking and you’ll be set.

Sunglasses, sunscreen, and a hat

Nothing can ruin a trip faster than sunburn, am I right? Make sure you protect your skin and your eyes from the sun. A hat would be a good idea as well.

Bug spray

Certain areas of the parks can get buggy, so just be prepared and carry some with you.

Bear Spray

Spotting bears is one of the big things on people’s national parks to-do list, but make sure it’s from a safe distance!

If you plan to do some hiking, just make sure you hike with at least one other person and carry bear spray (and have it easily accessible and know how to use it). Pay attention to your surroundings, make plenty of noise, and you’ll be fine!

NOTE: You can’t fly with bear spray so I’d recommend purchasing it once you arrive if you are traveling by plane.

You should also give any other animals that you encounter plenty of space too. Any wildlife can be unpredictable, and you want to keep yourself and the critters safe!

Swimsuit & Towel

If you plan to spend some time at any of the lakes or hot springs, you’ll want to make sure you have a swimsuit and towel along.

Walkie Talkies

If you are traveling in a group or even have just one extra car, walkie-talkies are a great item to have, especially in places like these national parks where cell service is spotty or non-existent.

Here are the best walkie-talkie options for road trips.

Optional: Hiking poles

While not a necessity, I thought I’d include this one since a lot of people find them useful. I tend to use hiking poles more when I’m backpacking than just day hiking, but some of the hikes in the parks can be long and challenging and hiking poles might come in handy.

For a complete road trip packing list, read this blog post.

Wildlife Safety in Glacier, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton National Parks

There is so much wildlife in all 3 national parks which is one of the things that makes them so special. But this also means there are certain precautions you should take when you are out hiking and driving in the parks.

Here are a few things you should know to keep yourself and the animals safe.

Keep alert for animals while driving

You’ll see stunning views everywhere you drive in the national parks, but you have to make sure you are paying attention and watching the road for stopped vehicles, pedestrians, and wildlife. A running animal could come out of nowhere, so drive the speed limit and always be alert.

Pull off the road to view wildlife

It’s always exciting to see animals while you are driving around, and if they are crossing the road, you should stop and wait for them to move, but you should always pull off the road as soon as you can to view wildlife and take pictures.

It is much safer for the animals and also for the rest of the vehicles on the road to pull over when you want to look at the wildlife. This also keeps traffic flowing for those who wish to continue driving.

Do not approach wildlife & keep a safe distance

If you are out hiking and see any animals, do not approach them. Keep a safe distance from them, even if that means backing up to give them space.

You should be at least 25 yards away from any wildlife, and even farther, up to 100 yards, from a bear. Even animals like bison and moose who may not seem threatening or fast can be unpredictable. You never want to give them a reason to charge you.

Make your presence known

You never want to sneak up and surprise an animal. Make noise by talking and clomping around. Some people even wear bells (which I have heard conflicting advice about), but as long as you are making your presence known, any wildlife should know you are coming and be able to avoid you.

Hike in groups

Hiking with at least one other person is always the safest option. Animals like bears and moose are less likely to mess with a group than with one person. In fact, almost all bear attacks happen to individuals who are alone.

If you do go hiking alone, make sure you are loud, stay on the paths, carry bear spray, and be very alert and aware of your surroundings.

Carry & know how to use bear spray

You never want to use it, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. Carry bear spray with you and make sure everyone in your party knows how it works.

It’s also important to make the spray easily accessible. There’s no point in having it if you can’t get to it quickly.

Store and dispose of food properly

When you are camping or having a picnic, never leave food or anything that smells like food lying around. This could attract animals and cause them to be bolder and approach people and get into things they shouldn’t.

If you are camping, make sure all food is stored properly, either in a vehicle or a tightly sealed box, and never leave anything out when you are not at the campsite. Clean up all food and dishes immediately, and dispose of all trash properly.

If you are out for a hike and eating a meal or having a snack, take everything, even food remnants, back out with you.

Don’t feed the animals

I feel like this one is pretty self-explanatory, but lots of people try to do this anyway. Don’t feed the wildlife. They are wild and should have a healthy fear of people to keep them and you safe. Don’t tempt them with food.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kinds of animals will I see in the national parks?

Yellowstone National Park has the biggest concentration of mammals in the lower 48 states, which means you have the potential to see over 15 kinds! Some of those include bears, wolves, moose, elk, bighorn sheep, bison, mountain goats, coyotes, and many more.

Glacier and Grand Teton have similar wildlife but not as many types. There are also many kinds of birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish you can see.

How many days do I need for this road trip?

This national park road trip itinerary is 7 days, which is the minimum amount of time I suggest if you want to hit all 3 parks.

The more time you have the better, but if you have less than a full week I’d suggest cutting out Glacier National Park and focusing on Yellowstone and/or Grand Teton.

How far is it from Glacier to the Grand Tetons?

If you drove from Glacier National Park directly to Grand Teton National Park it would be about 500 miles, which would take you approximately 8 hours without stops.

The drive from the Grand Tetons to Yellowstone is only about 45 miles if you drive along the John D. Rockefeller, Jr Memorial Highway.

What is the most scenic route from Glacier to Yellowstone?

The most scenic route on the one-day road trip to Yellowstone from Glacier is going to vary depending on who you ask. There are plenty of drives through the gorgeous Montana countryside and you really can’t go wrong no matter which way you go.

That being said, you can check out this website which gives several great choices of routes to take depending on what you want to see and experience the most.

Where should I stop between Glacier and Yellowstone?

There are lots of great things to see along the route from Glacier to Yellowstone depending on which way you go, but a few great choices include the city of Bozeman, Norris Hot Springs, and Virginia City & Nevada City.

Where should I stay in the national parks?

You have plenty of options for accommodations in all the national parks.

All the parks have lodges where you can stay inside the park. You can check out the options for each of them on their NPS websites here:

• Glacier National Park lodges
• Yellowstone National Park lodges
• Grand Teton National Park lodges

There are also lots of hotels, RV, and camping options outside the parks and the surrounding areas. If you’d like to stay outside of the park or would like to camp, here are the websites I use to find accommodations:

Recreation.gov – the site to book all camping, tours, passes, and more at federal recreation sites in the United States.

Hipcamp – the Airbnb of camping. They have everything from tent sites to glamping, RV parks, cabins, and more.

Airbnb & VRBO – these two sites are my preferred way to find places to stay when I’m not camping (or traveling in our friends’ RV!). Not only can it be cheaper than a hotel, but I love getting to know the locals, and you can’t beat the knowledge and recommendations from the people who live there!

Hotels.com – my preferred website for finding and booking hotels.

I’ve also written an entire post about cheap places to stay near Yellowstone which you can read here.