Best 1 Week in Yosemite National Park, California

Yosemite National Park, California Yosemite National Park is a great travel destination both for the backpacker and the entire family. Weather you love to backpack for days or you just enjoy day hikes with your family, Yosemite National Park has something for everyone. I have visited Yosemite many times and each time I have done something completely different and fun. However, if you’re visiting for the first time there are some things you must see.

Even a short visit to Yosemite is amazing, but having an entire week to explore this beautiful place will be an amazing experience. Here is my favorite way to spend 1 week in Yosemite National Park.

What to Expect for Your 1 Week in Yosemite

Yosemite is a hiker’s paradise so plan to hike. Yosemite is all about natural beauty, so just planning to come and relax by the river is a waste of effort. If you come ready to walk and hike you will be amazed at this beautiful and unique place.

Map of best things to do in Yosemite Valley

See my photos from Yosemite

I will describe my perfect 1 week in Yosemite as you drive in the park from the southern end on Highway 41 and stopping along the way. These days are packed with hiking and spots along the main road, so feel free to mix and match them to fit your schedule and fitness level.

If however, you have fewer days available read Best 2 Days in Yosemite, where I group all the best Yosemite attractions for fewer days.

With our map in hand let’s put on pur hiking boots on and start pur 1 week in Yosemite.

DAY 1: Mariposa Grove, Tunnel View and Bridalveil Falls

Yosemite National Park, California – Large sequoia trees in the Sequoia Grove at Yosemite National Park
See my travel photos from Yosemite

Driving into Yosemite National Park from the south on Highway 41, right after passing the park entrance you will see signs towards the Mariposa grove of large sequoia trees. This is a must see attraction in the park because of the very old trees present there. The trail is very well kept and level. Kids will enjoy walking through the grove just as much as the adults.

Yosemite National Park, California – The Yosemite Valley seen from Tunnel View in the summer
See my travel photos from Yosemite

Driving further north, passing through a short tunnel you will come to the famous Tunnel View that shows you the Yosemite Valley surrounded by towering granite walls. You will see the mighty El Capitan, the iconic Half Dome and Bridalveil Falls. It is well worth your time to stop and admire the view.

At this time you might have time to see the sunset in the Yosemite Valley and prepare to head to where you are staying the night. This is the perfect start to your 1 week in Yosemite.

DAY 2: The Mist Trail and Half Dome with return on the John Muir Trail

Nevada Falls seen from the John Muir Trail
See my travel photos from Yosemite

This is by far the most popular trail in Yosemite. You get to see two of the most spectacular waterfalls (Vernal and Nevada) and if you’re strong enough you can hike to the top of Half Dome.
If you’re going in early Spring (April, May) make sure you take some rain gear on the trail. At least some large trash bag that can cover you head to toe is necessary. This is why they call it the Mist Trail…because there is a constant mist from the waterfalls. Believe it or not, you will get soaked especially until you reach the top of Vernal Fall.

Hiking to the Vernal Fall bridge lookout would take about 1 hour and then another hour to get to the top of Vernal Fall. It takes about 6 hours of strenuous hiking to get to the top of Half Dome…but it’s well worth it.

You can take small kids to the Vernal Fall bridge overlook, but not further. If your kids are older they will definitely enjoy to hike further, but they’ll be very tired once they get to the top of Vernal Fall. Make sure you bring plenty of food and water with you. Continuing further on the trail you will come to Nevada Falls which is just as impressive as Vernal.

If you have a Half Dome hiking permit and are at Nevada Falls still early in the day (no later than 11 am), you can continue up the trail all the way to the iconic Half Dome.

Yosemite National Park, California – Half Dome shadow seen from on top of Half Dome
See my travel photos from Yosemite

On your way back to the Yosemite Valley floor, when you reach Nevada Falls again, take a left go across the waterfall, and follow the John Muir trail which will give you beautiful views of the falls on your way down.

This will be an exhausting but exhilarating second day during your 1 week in Yosemite.

DAY 3: Upper & Lower Yosemite Falls

Yosemite National Park, California – Beautiful summer panorama of Yosemite Valley from the top of Yosemite Falls
See my photos from Yosemite

Hiking Yosemite Falls is more strenuous than hiking Mist Trail, even though it’s not as long. The hiker zig-zags parallel with the waterfall itself all the way to the top. It takes a good 3 hours to reach the top of Upper Yosemite Falls but again like most hikes in Yosemite, you will definitely say WOW once you see the views from the top.

Once on top of Upper Yosemite Falls there is a ledge that was built so that people can walk right next to the point where the water starts dropping down. If you’re there in the spring, the sound of the water going down is deafening.

This is a very hard hike for children. I would say that children would have to be at least 10 to 12 years old to do it. Make sure you bring plenty of food and water with you.

Once you come back down to the valley floor, follow the trail back to the Lower Yosemite Falls loop trail. This is a very easy and flat trail, which you will appreciate very much after the strenuous climb to Upper Yosemite Falls. This loop trail takes about 30 minutes round trip and especially in the late spring, you will be rewarded with lots of water in the falls.

Yes, this is another tiring day during your 1 week in Yosemite, but you should feel amazingly rewarded by the beautiful vistas and experience.

DAY 4: Mirror Lake loop trail, Merced River and Yosemite Valley

Yosemite mountain peaks are seen reflected in the still waters of Mirror Lake.

See my travel photos from Yosemite

Normally, after 2 days of hard hiking in Yosemite , your 3rd day is relaxing but still beautiful. Mirror Lake trail is the easiest hike in Yosemite. I wouldn’t even call it a hike…it’s a nice stroll, mostly on a paved road. Mirror Lake is great for small children as well, but might be a bit boring for older children. The lake is not that exciting but on a sunny day, provided there is enough water in the lake, you can see the mountains being reflected in the face of the lake. It is a mirror indeed ! This hike would take about 1 hour at the most.

Read More: Hiking Mirror Lake Loop Trail .

Mirror Lake loop trail is another great hike for families with children. It is best to do this trail in early summer so that the lake would be filled with water. During early winter and late fall, the lake can be actually completely dry and not very interesting.

DAY 5 & 6: Tuolumne Meadows to the Valley Floor

When backpacking from Tuolumne Meadows in early spring you can still find plenty of snow in Yosemite National Park, California.
See my travel photos from Yosemite

If you are up for another great but longer hike, Tuolumne Meadows will be the highlight of your one week in Yosemite. Yes, you can also drive the Tioga Pass road to Tuolumne Meadows and just hike to Cathedral Lakes just for the day.

However, backpacking from Tuolumne Meadows all the way to the Yosemite Valley floor is a long moderate hike but extremely beautiful even though it’s mostly downhill.

If you want to backpack, plan for two days with an overnight stay at Merced Lake. Backpacking from Tuolumne Meadows to the Valley floor requires quite a bit of preparation because the beginning and ending points are very far in distance and elevation. Many people use two separate cars, parking each car at each end of the trail: one at Tuolumne Meadows and one in the Yosemite Valley floor.

This is a moderate hike and you need to get started very early in order to make it to Merced Lake by sunset. You need to be prepared and ready to go very early in the morning, with plenty of food, water and some layered clothing as the weather can change dramatically during one day.

Read more details about hiking from Tuolumne Meadows to the valley floor.

DAY 7: Glacier Point

Yosemite National Park, California – Half Dome with Vernal and Nevada falls seen from Glacier Point
See my travel photos from Yosemite

It’s time to finish your 1 week in Yosemite with a more relaxing trip. The road to Glacier Point takes about one hour from the Yosemite Valley floor and it is very windy and steep. However, the views from on top are simply amazing and they are well worth the effort.

This is a great spot for catching a summer sunset as the evening light is simply gorgeous. Pay attention to wildlife as you drive as you can encounter quite a few creatures along the road.

Directions to Yosemite National Park

It is very easy to find directions to Yosemite…they’re everywhere on the internet including on the park’s official website. It takes about 5 to 6 hours from Southern California depending where you’re coming from. Holidays are very, very, very busy and if you can avoid holidays it’s well worth going another time.

Plan Your 1 Week in Yosemite National Park

Finding good places to stay close to Yosemite is becoming more and more difficult as the park keeps getting busier. The best budget place close enough to Yosemite Valley is Yosemite Bug which is located in Midpines.

If you want to stay closest to the park entrance, then I recommend staying at Yosemite View Lodge. You have to book in advance if you want to find a room. Another good option a little further away is Cedar Lodge in nearby El Portal.

Having a light and roomy day pack will go a long way to helping you enjoy hiking in Yosemite. You must have enough room for enough water, snacks and a thicker jacket. I love the Osprey Daylite Daypack as it ticks all the boxes on my list.

What is the best time to visit Yosemite? The main attractions of Yosemite National Park are the many amazing waterfalls. So, the best times to visit are when there is plenty of water in the waterfalls. Water is plentiful in the early spring, and early summer.

However, if you visit towards the end of summer or early fall you might be surprised to find many of the waterfalls dry as a rock.

Visit the official website for Yosemite National Park. The website has maps and lots of very helpful suggestions. Make sure you check the park alerts as many trails can be closed as well as the Mariposa Grove. For a list of day hikes check out the park’s website at: Yosemite Day Hikes

California’s National Parks

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2 Comments

Ida Romano
We are going for a week in May. Should we have 1 base lodging or more?
We will be flying into Fresno renting a car. Hiking is our main reason for this visit
- Vlad
  Ida…most of the hiking can be done as day hikes. Having one lodging base close to Yosemite Valley usually works great for most people. If you want to backpack it is a different story as you might need different lodgings depending on your route.