Rewritten and Translated Version

We spent two weeks in Yosemite, and in this guide, I will show you all the must-see attractions during a short visit to the park!

Contents Show

About This Itinerary
Here's a brief overview of all the locations included in this itinerary:

• Swinging Bridge Viewpoint

• Mist Trail

• Sentinel/Cook's Meadow Loop Trail

• Lower Yosemite Fall

• Cathedral Rocks Viewpoint

• Chief's Meadow

• Yosemite Valley View

• Tunnel View

• Washburn Point

• Glacier Point

• Mariposa Grove Loop Trail

I will elaborate on each place and then share an itinerary map and schedule that you can follow.

One-Day Yosemite Falls Reflection Itinerary in National Park
Yosemite Falls Reflection During Spring Floods

Top Attractions and Activities

• Swinging Bridge Viewpoint
As your first stop in Yosemite, you can quickly visit the Swinging Bridge Picnic Area. It's one of the best spots in the park to admire Yosemite Falls.

Even better, when we went in June, we were lucky to see stunning reflections in the water, as the flood was historic. The Merced River had turned into a lake!

You may not see this scenery in most months, but it's still worth stopping here briefly to catch your first glimpse of Yosemite Falls. It's the tallest waterfall in the park and one of the world's tallest, standing at 2,425 feet (739 meters).

Yosemite Falls One-Day Itinerary in National Park
Another photo taken at noon from the same spot.

• Mist Trail
Next, drive to the Mist Trail Parking Lot. This is one of the busiest hiking trails in Yosemite, so you need to arrive early to avoid crowds and secure a parking spot.

You can park at Curry Village or Yosemite Valley Trailhead Parking. The latter is closer, saving you a 10-minute walk, but if you want to grab a bite before or after your hike, the former has a café.

The Mist Trail is an excellent hiking route with two major falls: Vernal Fall and Nevada Fall. If you're a fit hiker, it's worth hiking up to the top of Vernal Fall. Otherwise, you can admire the beautiful rainbow below the fall.

Rainbow in Spring and Autumn
Rainbow above Vernal Fall. There's a safety railing here, so you can safely take such photos.

The Mist Trail is a moderately difficult hiking route, with a significant elevation gain even if you stop at Nevada Fall. If you don't want to do that, you can modify this route to Mirror Lake, which is flat and easy to walk.

When you reach the top of Vernal Fall, if you continue a short distance, you'll enjoy views of Nevada Fall and Liberty Cap without much effort.

Alternatively, you can hike to Clark's Point for a higher-angle view of Vernal Fall and then loop back to the starting point, descending along the John Muir Trail. Either way, you'll enjoy various scenic views in a 2 to 3-hour hike.

Remember to bring water, snacks, and sturdy hiking shoes. A rain poncho is also convenient so you won't get too wet from the falls. Hence the name Mist Trail!

Nevada Fall on the Mist Trail, Yosemite National Park One-Day Itinerary
Liberty Cap and Nevada Fall

Vernal Fall from Clark's Point, John Muir Trail, Yosemite National Park One-Day Itinerary
Overlooking Vernal Fall near Clark's Point. See those tiny figures?

• Sentinel/Cook's Meadow Loop Trail
After completing the Mist Trail, it's time to enjoy more valley views. Drive to the Yosemite Falls Viewpoint and find parking. Here's a map.

From here, you can walk the Cook's Meadow Loop Trail, which is flat, easy, and mostly paved or boardwalked, suitable for strollers and wheelchairs.

Everyone can and should take this trail because it's very relaxing and offers the best views of Yosemite Falls and the valley!

If you complete the entire path, it will take up to an hour, but you'll see some fantastic scenery even if you return after 15 minutes. If you're lucky, you might spot deer or other animals along the way, just like we did.

Sentinel/Cook's Meadow Loop

• Lower Yosemite Fall
It's time to get up close to another fall! Drive to the Lower Yosemite Fall Trailhead, park, and hike to the fall.

You'll discover that Yosemite Falls is actually a three-part waterfall, including the Upper Fall, Middle Fall, and Lower Fall. This hike allows you to admire the magnificent view of the bottom fall.

This is another short, flat, easy, and convenient hiking trail, taking about 30 minutes round trip. Anyone can do it.

Along the way, you can glimpse Upper Yosemite Fall through the trees, and the end of the hike is Lower Fall, which you can view up close.

Lower Yosemite Fall and Upper Yosemite Fall Through the Trees
Lower Yosemite Fall

• Yosemite Valley Lodge
If you need lunch at this stage of your itinerary, you can grab a bite at the Yosemite Lodge Food Court nearby, just a 2-minute drive or 5-minute walk from where you parked for Lower Fall.

Additionally, there's a gift shop and Starbucks where you can buy shirts, mugs, magnets, or other souvenirs from the park.

If you brought a picnic lunch for the day, there are many spots in the valley to enjoy your meal while admiring the scenery. The next place you'll pass as you drive west is the El Capitan Picnic Area.

• Cathedral Rocks Viewpoint
This is an unmarked and unnamed viewpoint, but I must mention it because it's worth stopping for a photo.

As you continue driving west along the Valley Loop Road, past the El Capitan Picnic Area and before reaching the river bend known as "Devil's Elbow," there's a place to park and admire the stunning view of Cathedral Rocks.

I've marked the coordinates here on the map. There's a small parking lot that can fit a few cars.

Cathedral Rocks Viewpoint, Yosemite National Park One-Day Itinerary
Cathedral Rocks Viewpoint

Cathedral Rocks Viewpoint, Yosemite National Park One-Day Itinerary
Incredible cliffs

• Chief's Meadow
Chief's Meadow is right by the roadside and one of my favorite spots in the entire park.

Here, you can admire the view of Cathedral Rocks across the meadow and gaze directly at El Capitan, the steep granite monolith that Alex Honnold climbed without any equipment in the documentary "Free Solo."

People love bringing lawn chairs here so they can sit and watch climbers scale the side of El Capitan. It's a great spot for an afternoon visit.

El Capitan Meadow, Yosemite National Park One-Day Itinerary
Chief's Meadow

El Capitan

• Yosemite Valley View
This is another viewpoint by the roadside and one of your last stops in the valley.

The scenery here is breathtaking, offering views of the Merced River, El Capitan, Cathedral Rocks, and Bridalveil Fall. In the afternoon, we even saw a big rainbow at Bridalveil Fall.

Yosemite Valley View
Bridalveil Fall Rainbow

• Tunnel View
Tunnel View is one of the most iconic views in Yosemite because you can see straight across the valley to Half Dome.

So why wait until later? The reason is simple: early in the morning, the light is completely backlight, making it difficult to take photos. The afternoon is the best time to view it.

Yes, it will be crowded, but parking is usually easy to find because of the high traffic volume. People snap their photos and leave quickly.

Tunnel View

• Washburn Point
Now that you've seen Yosemite Valley from below, it's time to admire it from above!

Drive out of the valley towards Glacier Point, the best viewpoint in the park. It takes about 45 minutes to get to Glacier Point from Tunnel View.

Along the way, you'll pass Washburn Point, which is also worth visiting. From here, you can see a similar view of the park but with slight variations, and you can see the entire Mist Trail from above, including Vernal Fall and Nevada Fall.

Panoramic Trail One-Day Itinerary in Yosemite National Park
Enjoying the view of Yosemite on the way to Glacier Point

• Glacier Point
Next is Glacier Point, where you can see more famous Yosemite landmarks from above!

From here, you'll enjoy breathtaking views of Yosemite Falls and Half Dome, almost within arm's reach. You won't see hikers climbing the cables on Half Dome's summit because those cables are on the other side of the peak.

If you want to explore more at Glacier Point, there are some great hiking trails here, such as Taft Point or Panorama Trail.