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Peregrine Travel Centre

South Dakota to Yellowstone Parks Explorer

South Dakota to Yellowstone Parks Explorer

From $ 4,930 AUD

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Description

See natural wonders in South Dakota and Yellowstone National Park on this six-day small group adventure that packs plenty of wonders into a short amount of time. Uncover the beauty of Badlands National Park before you travel to Mount Rushmore, spot buffalo in Custer State Park and continue to Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument. With two nights at Yellowstone National Park, you’ll have time to spot wildlife and watch Old Faithful spray water into the air before joining a wolf-tracking expedition. With easy to moderate walks, comfortable accommodation and a knowledgeable leader, this nature focussed adventure is big on beauty.

Trip Name
South Dakota to Yellowstone Parks Explorer
Last Updated
2024-07-25
Days
6
Capacity
12
Highlights
  • Enjoy the changing landscape of Badlands National Park as you explore the scenic loop drive, looking out for bighorn sheep and antelope.
  • Visit Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument and join your Crow Nation Guide to learn about the area’s history from an Apsaalooke perspective.
  • Jump in a jeep to safari with an expert guide and see buffalo up close, along with pronghorns and elk, in Custer State Park.
  • Marvel at the iconic monument of Mount Rushmore, where a short walk will take you up close to this famous mountain sculpture.
  • Join an expert naturalist guide on a wolf-tracking expedition at Yellowstone National Park in the wee hours of the morning – home to Old Faithful Geyser and the Grand Prismatic Spring.
  • By travelling on this trip, you’ll learn about our Intrepid Foundation partner, the Cultural Heritage Economic Alliance. Donations help them create inclusive and equitable opportunities for Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC) tourism businesses. Intrepid will double the impact by dollar-matching all post-trip donations made to The Intrepid Foundation.

Itinerary

ITINERARY CHANGES Our itineraries are updated regularly throughout the year based on customer feedback and to reflect the current situation in each destination. The information included in this Essential Trip Information may therefore differ from when you first booked your trip. It's important that you review this information prior to travel so that you have the latest updates. Due to weather, local conditions, transport schedules, public holidays, political unrest or other factors, further changes may be necessary to your itinerary once in-country. Your group leader or local representative will keep you up to date with any such changes once your trip is underway. OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES A selection of optional activities that have been popular with past travellers are listed in the day-to-day itinerary. This isn't an exhaustive list and should be used as a guide only for some of what might be available. Prices are approximate, are for entrance fees only, and don’t include transport to and from the sites or local guides unless indicated. All activities are subject to availability, and maybe on a join-in basis. It may not be possible to do all the activities listed in the time available at each destination, so some pre-planning for what you are most interested in is advised. When it's recommended that travellers pre-book these activities, look for a note in the Special Information section of the day-to-day itinerary. For most, they can either be organised independently on the day, or let your group leader or local representative know you are interested at the Welcome Meeting and they can assist. Where activities are considered medium or high risk, we work with operators whose safety and credentials we have sighted and assessed. Although it is possible that you may find the same activity cheaper with another operator on the ground, we cannot vouch for the safety or quality of that operator. Medium and high-risk activities not listed above have not been assessed by us and as such our staff and group leader or local representative are unable to assist you with organising these activities. Activities that contravene our Responsible Travel policies are also not listed. Please remember that the decision to partake in any activity not listed is at your own discretion and risk.

Day 1 - Rapid City to Custer
Welcome to South Dakota! Your adventure starts at 10 am with a welcome meeting in Rapid City. After, take a short drive to the iconic Wall Drug Store – drawing millions of visitors every year, it’s hard to believe this store won over customers in its early days by offering something as simple as free ice water. Take some time to wander around and grab some lunch before heading to Badlands National Park. Have your camera handy to capture the sweeping prairie grass plains and dramatic rocky pinnacles. If you’re lucky, you’ll spot bighorn sheep, pronghorn antelope, chirping prairie dogs and American bison. Take a short hike on one of the scenic trails before continuing to your lodge in Custer. Your home for the next two nights will be a game lodge, established in 1920, where you can see bison wandering the property grounds and immerse yourself in the Western feel of this historic-style accommodation. Tonight, you’ll have a group dinner at the lodge to settle in and get to know your fellow travellers.
Day 2 - Custer
Enjoy breakfast at State Game Lodge – your residence has played host to several presidents – then it’s time to jump in a jeep and go wild on a buffalo safari. Trek through the Custer State Park in an open-air jeep as your expert guide shares historical and educational facts and helps you spot pronghorns, elk and buffalo. After, you’ll visit the Crazy Horse Memorial – the largest mountain carving in the Black Hills (widely considered the Eighth Wonder of the World in progress). Then continue to the famous Mount Rushmore to walk the Presidential Trail – a bucket list location, this is a great spot to grab a photo! Tonight, you’re free to grab dinner at your accommodation or a nearby local restaurant.
Day 3 - Billings
It's an early start this morning as after breakfast you’ll drive to the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument. After a stop along the way for lunch, join your Crow Nation Guide for a tour that provides an Apsaalooke perspective on the conflict. With a tribal historian at your side, you’ll traverse the battlefield and learn how Lakota, Cheyenne and Arapaho warriors defeated the US Army on the Greasy Grass at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. After, head to Billings, where you’ll spend the night.
Day 4 - Yellowstone National Park
This morning after breakfast, depart Billings and drive west towards Yellowstone National Park – one of the country's most popular, expansive, and beautiful national parks. Stop in Cody along the way – a western town in Wyoming famously named after Buffalo Bill Cody. Enjoy some free time for lunch and to explore Cody, and then carry on to the park. When you arrive at Yellowstone, you’ll head straight for a visit to the Old Faithful Geyser – a must-see for any trip to the park, Old Faithful is a cone geyser with striking colours and a predictable geothermal eruption (hence the name). Watch as it sprays over 4000 gallons (14,000 litres) of boiling water into the air, then be hypnotised by the startling colours of the Grand Prismatic Spring. After, you’ll check into your hotel in West Yellowstone.
Day 5 - Yellowstone National Park
Today after breakfast, you’ll continue to explore the gorgeous Yellowstone National Park, looking out for grizzly bears, wolves, buffalo and elk roaming free. Visit The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone (a great spot for photos) and then explore the Norris Geyser Basin – the hottest and oldest geyser in the park. Along the way, you’ll enjoy a picnic lunch with your group, giving you some free time to sit down and relax or wander and take photos. Tonight, you’re free for dinner, so maybe get your group together and say a pre-final day goodbye over a couple of drinks.
Day 6 - Yellowstone Wolf Tracking / Bozeman
You'll be up before the sun this morning, but it's for a good reason! After breakfast, you’ll head back into Yellowstone to join a wolf-tracking expedition with an experienced naturalist guide. There's no better place than Yellowstone to see these magnificent animals in the wild. Your guide tracks the movements and behaviour of Yellowstone wildlife almost daily and knows the best places to find the animals. There will be top-of-the-line binoculars for everyone and high-powered spotting scopes, so no one will miss out. After an included lunch, travel to Bozeman, where your adventure ends at around 4 pm this afternoon. If you’d like to stay in the area for longer, just speak to your booking agent.

Trip Dates

StartEndPrice FromRoom Type
18-08-202423-08-2024AUD $ 4,985-
25-08-202430-08-2024AUD $ 4,935-
01-09-202406-09-2024AUD $ 4,935-
15-09-202420-09-2024AUD $ 4,930-
24-05-202529-05-2025AUD $ 5,430-
31-05-202505-06-2025AUD $ 5,430-
07-06-202512-06-2025AUD $ 5,430-
14-06-202519-06-2025AUD $ 5,430-
21-06-202526-06-2025AUD $ 5,645-
28-06-202503-07-2025AUD $ 5,645-
05-07-202510-07-2025AUD $ 5,865-
12-07-202517-07-2025AUD $ 5,865-
19-07-202524-07-2025AUD $ 5,865-
26-07-202531-07-2025AUD $ 5,865-
16-08-202521-08-2025AUD $ 5,865-
23-08-202528-08-2025AUD $ 5,645-
30-08-202504-09-2025AUD $ 5,645-
06-09-202511-09-2025AUD $ 5,645-
13-09-202518-09-2025AUD $ 5,430-
23-05-202628-05-2026AUD $ 5,430-
30-05-202604-06-2026AUD $ 5,430-
06-06-202611-06-2026AUD $ 5,430-
13-06-202618-06-2026AUD $ 5,430-
20-06-202625-06-2026AUD $ 5,430-
27-06-202602-07-2026AUD $ 5,430-
04-07-202609-07-2026AUD $ 5,430-
11-07-202616-07-2026AUD $ 5,430-
18-07-202623-07-2026AUD $ 5,430-
25-07-202630-07-2026AUD $ 5,430-
15-08-202620-08-2026AUD $ 5,430-
22-08-202627-08-2026AUD $ 5,430-
29-08-202603-09-2026AUD $ 5,430-
05-09-202610-09-2026AUD $ 5,430-
12-09-202617-09-2026AUD $ 5,430-

Accommodation

Lodge (2 nights),Hotel (3 nights)

Transport

Private vehicle

Map

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