Yosemite Guide Service - Groveland, California

Colleen Niegel

Yosemite Valley in Yosemite National Park came to life thanks to our wonderful Tour Guide, Austin. He was very knowledgeable, fun, kind, professional and shared great history points of this majestic place. We had a large group and only one day to visit the park. We appreciated Austin’s vast knowledge of Yosemite’s history and places that are off the beaten path. We will return so we can visit Glacier Point.

Ron Alberts

Friday evening the 21st of April 2023 we arrived at the cottage Little Haven of Yosemite from John and Vivien, the owners of Yosemite Guide Service. They own a tiny house and have it available for rent.

The tiny house is about 21m2 in size and built in 2022, so brand new. It is fully equiped and has room for two adults in the lower section of the cabin en maybe one or two adults in the loft section but it is better suitable for children, given the height of it.
There is a kitchen, shower and a special eco toilet you realy must see and use. The dog Cedar is a brave companion and the compound and he loves to play with a ball.

On Saturday the 22nd of April, we were taken on a guided tour by Brandon. He took us in a car to a large number of great spots in Yosemite Park, The Bridal Fall, Tunnel View, the visitor center and great viewings on Half Dome and El Capitan, pointing to climbers on that rock.

Brandon was a great host in supporting us the entire day.
We can absolutely advise you to book a tour with Yosemite Guided Service or book a stay at the tiny house.

Regards,
Ron, Diny & Ellen from The Netherlands

James Pugh

Our three-day hike (my daughter and me) was initially planned for part of the High Sierra in Yosemite Park. Because of the lingering snowpack and flooded trails this summer (2023), Yosemite Guide Service suggested moving the hike to Hoover Wilderness National Forest, on the northeast edge of Yosemite. Our trip was wonderful. We camped for two nights on a lovely (and cold) lake, listening to the wind in the trees and a waterfall across the lake. The mountain vistas changed with every bend of the trail. Each lake was more spectacular than the last. Our YGS guide, David, helped us when we needed it. I am a rusty camper who hasn’t carried an overnight pack for three decades. David and I discussed where to site a tent, improvements in water purification since my day, and whether to bushwhack around a swollen stream crossing. David has the experience and wisdom to meet each hiker at their level of experience. He has a good touch with people. The whole three-day trip was well executed. We would not change a thing.

Donna Bollenbach

Six of our family members took a private tour of Yosemite Valley with Yosemite Guide Service on June 19, 2023. We planned to return to the park several times during our weeklong stay in the area and wanted an introduction to the park and suggestions for longer hikes. Our Guided Tour provided us with all that and more. The Econ Van we rode in was very roomy and comfortable, with big windows perfect for sightseeing when on the move.

Our tour Guide, John, was excellent. He was very friendly and accommodating. We made lots of stops, and John shared fascinating facts and myths about Yosemite at each one. He tailored the tour to the interests and physical ability of the group and ensured we saw as much as possible during our full-day tour, including stops at “hidden gems.”

My husband and I riddled John with questions about the flora and fauna of the valley. He was very knowledgeable about the trees, wildflowers, and wildlife. We enjoyed our conversations with him.

When we stopped in the meadow under El Capitan for a delicious lunch of turkey sandwiches and kale salad, John provided binoculars so we could view the rock climbers on the cliffside. Even with the binoculars, they looked like ants on the huge granite rock.

I highly recommend Yosemite Guide Service for your next adventure.

Adam Khachaturian

This was our family's second trip with YGS, and it was just as amazing as the first. Our guide planned a sensational route through pristine wilderness, which was completely different from our first trip three years ago. I would highly recommend this trip to families with teenage or college-aged kids. It not only exposes them to nature but also serves as a great technology detox, which is almost impossible to obtain these days. After our first experience in 2021 my kids could not wait to get back to Yosemite and turn off their phones for a week. Our guide was very experienced and flexible, which allowed us to modify parts of the trip to suit our needs. Five Stars!!

Paula Conn

A friend and I recently took our first trip to Yosemite Nat’l Park. It was the 2nd week of October and we had beautiful sunny, warm days to enjoy our 2 days of sightseeing. We chose Yosemite Guide Service to help us see the most and best of what Yosemite has to offer in a fairly short timeframe, and they did not disappoint. Our guide, Tommy, was a fountain of knowledge about the many amazing geological features, as well as the flora and fauna, in Yosemite Valley and the history of human occupation. We visited all the most well known sights and also some lovely lesser known areas. On day 2 we drove up into the alpine meadows to explore an area of the Park at higher elevations far from the more crowded places. We are both seniors and Tommy kept all of our adventures within our capabilities. The only disappointment was, after a very dry summer, the waterfalls and streams were very low in flow. I would heartily recommend Yosemite Guide Service, especially for a first time visitor to Yosemite.

Lauri Slyman

We had a wonderful hike to mono pass through the high country in Yosemite. Beautiful hike and our guide Austen was amazing! Full of interesting facts anout the area and he packed us a delicious picnic lunch. It was the highlight of our trip! John the owner helped me book the best hike to meet our needs and was readily available for any questions leading up to our trip!

Paul Atkinson

As part of our 2 week holiday to California last year, we had booked a guided tour of Yosemite with YGS. I can honestly say that our day with John and his team was by far the best and most memorable day of our entire holiday. First thing in the morning, we were collected from Yosemite Park Lodge by Vivian and Kirsten, who drove us to an amazing number of superb vantage points around the Park, whilst managing to avoid the worst of the traffic. The piece de resistance was the trip to the foot of Yosemite Falls where the guys led us via a “Secret Path” to the base of the waterfall, where we all got a thorough soaking from the spray! As it also happened to be our youngest son’s 16th birthday that day, we met up with John and his group and enjoyed a very memorable birthday picnic in the shadow of El Capitain. So much was packed into our day that we didn’t get back to the lodge until much later than planned, which was an added bonus for us and I have to say that Vivian and Kirsten didn’t seem too phased that they were probably 3 or 4 hours late getting home! If you want to get the most out of a day in Yosemite, I would wholeheartedly recommend YGS, as nothing was too much trouble for the guys and their local knowledge was amazing. We even managed to spot a bear... Thank you again. Paul, Mary, Ed and George.