The Most Amazing Grand Tetons Itinerary (for 1-4 Days)

No matter how much time you have, we’re here to help you plan the most amazing Grand Tetons Itinerary. These stunning mountains rise dramatically from the surrounding land with peaks that jut into the clouds and rivers that wind through deep valleys full of deer and moose. Hiking and exploring these mountains makes an amazing family vacation. Plan the best Grand Teton National Park itinerary for you and your friends and family.

If you’re trying to decide between Yellowstone vs Grand Teton NP, a great option is to combine these two parks into one itinerary and plan a full week with a 4 or 3 day Yellowstone itinerary and a 2 or 3 day Grand Teton Itinerary. The distance from Yellowstone to Grand Tetons is only about 31 miles, making these parks easy to combine into an epic National Park experience.

If you’re looking for ideas of a Yellowstone Itinerary, check out my article here: 4 Day Yellowstone Itinerary

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What is the Perfect Time for Your Grand Tetons Itinerary?

Can you spend one day in Grand Teton and still see everything in the National Park, or do you need a week?

In our opinion, you can see the Grand Tetons in one day, but you will likely spend the day driving through and doing a short hike. To really appreciate the Grand Tetons and take advantage of a longer hike and other activities, you should plan a Grand Teton 3 day itinerary. If you have more time, there is also plenty to do with 4 days or more.

The Grant Tetons Itinerary options listed below are for summer and fall. If you’re planning to visit the Tetons in winter, you will want to check for road closures before planning your trip.

If you want to create your own Grand Tetons Itinerary, see a List of Activities in Grand Tetons National Park.

Grand Tetons Itinerary Map

Click on this map to explore more of the places on the Grand Tetons in the itinerary suggestions below. You can use the suggestions below for your Grand Teton’s Itinerary or put together your own itinerary using the places on the map.

One Day Grand Teton Itinerary

If you just have one day in Grand Teton National Park, you will want to choose 1-2 activities and plan to drive the loop road to see a few of the overlooks. For your Grand Teton itinerary 1 day option, I would start the morning at Jenny Lake and take the ferry across and take the hike up to Inspiration Point. Make sure you check out Hidden Falls and if you have time you can walk up Cascade Canyon a bit. Take the ferry back across the lake.

Another option if you don’t make it to Jenny Lake early enough to take the ferry is to hike to Taggart Lake.

Grab some food here and then hop in your car to drive the loop road. The drive is just over 40 miles but you will want to stop at some of the overlooks. You can do it in either direction, but if you start in Moose and drive on 26/89/191 and finish on Teton Park Road. You can drive up Signal Mountain and make sure you stop for photos at some of the overlooks including Oxbow Bend, Snake River Overlook, and Schwabacker Landing.

If this is the end of your day, it’s time to head off, otherwise find a swimming hole to finish the day or head into Jackson Hole for dinner. We also ate right outside the park in Dornan’s Chuckwagon which was a fun place with kids.

On this Grand Teton one day itinerary you’ve gotten to see the highlights and get in one hike. If you have longer to spend in Grand Tetons, read below for more itinerary options.

Pro Tip: Parking lots can fill up early in the summer months and your best bet for seeing wildlife is at dawn or dusk, so it's always a good idea to start your days early.  The Grand Tetons also can get cloud roll in during the afternoons making the mornings the best for views.  The last time we were in the Grand Tetons in the summer, it thundered every afternoon.

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Grand Teton Itinerary 2 Days

This Grand Teton National Park 2 day itinerary gives you enough time to see the park and do some hiking and exploring. If you are staying at least 2 days in Grand Tetons, you will need a place to stay. Your best option for lodging is staying in Jackson Hole, Jackson Village, or within the park at one of the campsites or cabins. You can see some of our favorite places to stay at the bottom of this post.

If you have two days in Grand Tetons, you will want to plan at least one of Teton’s hikes. You can do these two days in whichever order works based on the weather.

Day 1 on your Grand Tetons 2 day Itinerary

Start the day early with an drive of the park loop to get an overview of the park. You can see some details of the drive in the Grand Teton National Park 1 day itinerary in the section above. If you start early, you’ll have great light for taking some photos at some of the different overlooks. You will want to include driving up Signal Mountain on this drive. Stop at one of the visitor centers along the way to learn more about the park.

Grab some lunch, and then head off for an afternoon activity. Based on your families interest I have 3 suggestions for this afternoon. You can hike to Taggart Lake, rent bikes and ride to Jenny Lake, or rent a kayak or canoe on Jenny Lake.

Taggart Lake: This is a 4 mile relatively easy hike to a beautiful lake. You can hike the trail in just a short time and since it doesn’t have a lot of elevation change, it’s a relatively easy and popular hike.

Bike Ride to Jenny Lake: Rent bikes in Moose at Dornans and bike the trail for 8 miles to Jenny Lake. You will have amazing views of the Tetons the entire way.

Kayak or Canoe on Jenny Lake: You can rent 4tjm,.a boat right near the ferry on Jenny Lake and head out on the water for a paddle.

If you are travelling during the busy season, you may want to consider switching this day around and doing one of the activities in the morning before parking lots get too crowded and save the drive for the end of the day.

Day 2 Grand Tetons 2 Day Itinerary

On day 2 it’s time to get into the heart of the mountains with a longer hike. There are several options for hiking, but I recommend hiking Cascade Canyon (other good options include Leigh Lake, or Phelps Lake).

To hike Cascade Canyon, take the ferry across Jenny Lake (you will want to get here early as the ferry can get crowded). Hike up to Inspiration Point and continue up the Canyon. You can make this hike as long as you want since it’s an out and back. We did about 10 miles total and went right to the end of the Canyon. This hike is beautiful and the hardest part is up to Inspiration Point. Once you’re in the Canyon the trail is mostly flat. We saw a bear and moose on our hike in July.

You can see our families experience hiking Cascade Canyon here:

After your hike, find a swimming hole and grab some food in Jackson .

Grand Teton Itinerary 3 Days

Three days is a perfect amount of time to enjoy Grand Tetons National Park. You will have enough time to do several of the best day hikes in Grand Tetons, drive to the scenic overlooks, explore Jackson and have time to relax. If you are spending 3 days in the Grand Tetons, start off with the 2 day itinerary above. For your 3rd day in the Grand Tetons, choose one of the other hikes to start your day, or if you didn’t get out on the water or a bike ride start your day with one of these activities.

In the afternoon, explore Teton Village and take the Gondola Ride. You can also explore Jackson and walk around the town center.

Grand Teton Itinerary 4 Days

If you have 4 days to spend in the Grand Tetons, I recommend starting with the 3 days Grand Tetons Itinerary listed above. For your final day, select from one of the guided tours in the area. This could include a wildlife tour, a river float, or a horseback ride. You can also use this time to do another of the areas best hikes.

Other excellent hiking options for your 4 day Grand Tetons Itinerary include Paintbrush Canyon, Death Canyon Trail, and Hermitage Point Trail.

Tags: one day in Teton National Park, Grand Tetons Itinerary