Yosemite Day Tour from San Francisco: Half-Dome & El Capitan

I recently joined Extranomical Tours for a full-day trip to Yosemite, and it was an incredible experience. Our tour guide, Andy Howse, was truly exceptional. From the early morning pickup at 5:30 AM to the late finish around 9 PM, Andy consistently impressed us with his knowledge, enthusiasm, and dedication. Driving, sharing fascinating insights about Yosemite, and keeping the group entertained throughout the long day was no easy feat, yet he handled it all with grace and professionalism. Andy's passion for Yosemite was evident in every interaction. He went above and beyond, assisting us with photos at stunning viewpoints and even dedicating his own lunch break to guiding us around. This was a demanding tour, but Andy made it an unforgettable journey. I highly recommend this tour especially if you have the opportunity to experience it with Andy Howse as your guide.

Well organised! Andy is hilarious!

Rob was our awesome driver and tour guide. We encountered a couple of issues with the non-functional door and tyre chains, but Rob was optimistic and determined in ensuring they get resolved along the way. What i actually loved most about him was his kind and fatherlike figure as he constantly asked if we wanted to stop by for pictures, and even offered to drop us back at different destinations from our original pickup point for our convenience. Will be sure to bring my partner again with rob being our trusty guide!

A day with a passionate and caring driver+tour guide. He introduced tourists to one another when we got on the bus and started to talk about the history, fun facts and itinerary of the day throughout the ride. The stories related to El Capitan were exciting. Our tour guide DIY a map for us to follow during the free time. He also brought along several binoculars to show us waterfalls and adventurous people who were doing rock climbing. He took good photos with professional camera as well. Though the journey was long and tough, I enjoyed the day in the nature with knowledgeable tour guide and friendly tourists. During our return trip, we watched a movie to end the day. It was a fruitful one!

I really have a good time in Yosemite, the weather is perfect for walking around. Our tour guide Roman is funny, nice and telling many about Yosemite. Since not much traffic when we going in, so he brought us to some spots which not included in the itinerary... So we all took some amazing pictures.

The service as well as the tour guide is good. I have a good time with this trip.

Yosemite has always been on my travel bucket list, and I finally had the chance to go. A day trip really wasn't enough~ However, the bus stopped at the main attractions for everyone to take photos. On the way to Yosemite, the tour guide also stopped at a supermarket for everyone to buy lunch. A day trip really requires a certain level of English proficiency. If you have difficulty communicating in English, I suggest not to participate~ The signal in Yosemite is also not good, so you may not be able to use your phone for instant translation!

I will definitely participate again next time! The experience was very good. I was a solo tour guide and driver. He would confirm several times that everyone was on the bus before leaving. He would also stop at a rest stop about an hour to let everyone go to the toilet and buy things. There was also enough time for taking photos.

The tour guide was very nice and familiar with Yosemite. He took us to many photo spots.

wish to spend more time there