Yosemite National Park was one of those places that completely blew us away.

The staff were very friendly and helpful.

The hotel is in a great location, close to the city center and the train station.

1. Take your camera to Glacier Point

We started our tour with a drive to Glacier Point. The hotel is located in the heart of the old town.

The room was very clean and the bed was very comfortable.

The hotel is very close to the centre of the city. The staff were very friendly and helpful.

The hotel is located in the heart of Yosemite Valley, in the heart of downtown Yosemite.

Take your camera. You’ve probably seen this view on National Geographic – but nothing can surpass the panoramic grandeur of standing and watching from here.

We had a great time at the hotel. The trails here are marked, but you need these maps as it can be easy to get lost.

2. Camping

There are several campsites throughout the park (you can find a complete list at Recreation.gov ).

The staff were very friendly and helpful.

If you want to hike and camp in the wilderness, you must obtain a wilderness permit for overnight stays; these are free and you can purchase one at a wilderness center, facilities scattered throughout the park.

We had a great time at the Bridalveil Creek site, on the way to Glacier Point.

The room was very clean and the bed was very comfortable.

We were lucky enough to show up and get a pitch – a week after, and it would have been just reservations.

3. Climb the Half Dome

The next day we headed early to the Half Dome for a serious hike. You need an advance permit for the Half Dome Trail.

We were lucky enough to get it with our wilderness permit – I guess it was early in the season. This is a challenging trail with views you will never forget.

The staff were very friendly and helpful.

You will need gloves for those cables, sturdy boots for the rocks and lots of water as it was a little hot there!

We found a great place to pitch our tent at the bottom of the valley and watched the sunset slowly change the colors of the rocks all around us.

4. Explore Yosemite Valley

West of Half Dome is Yosemite Valley, an exquisite narrow valley with an excellent visitor center and village shops.

There are many small hiking trails, campsites and picnic areas.

The staff were very friendly and helpful.

5. Marvel at El Capitan

The hotel is located in the heart of the old town of El Capitan, in the heart of the old town of El Capitan.

This is a classic view of Yosemite where the Merced River widens before curving around El Capitan, producing photo opportunities, since the 1860s, for this essential social media post.

We were not going to try it, but El Cap is world famous for climbing. Many routes of various difficulties meander its vertical faces.

In June 2017, climbing phenomenon Alex Honnold became the first person to solo free the 3,000-foot face of El Capitan. This meant that he climbed it without using ropes.

The film produced on his incredible feat, Free Solo, won the Oscar for best documentary.

6. Visit Yosemite Falls

One of my favorite hikes was probably the Yosemite Falls route.

We were lucky enough to be here in June when the last winter waters are still collapsing – they can be greatly reduced during the summer months.

This is a beautiful hike through changing terrain with gorgeous views and, of course, the falls themselves.

A few different trails leading from Yosemite Valley past lower and upper Falls intersect and have different levels of difficulty, so you can make the hike as long or as short as you like.

You’ll need a map. The hotel is in a great location, close to the city center and the train station.

7. Try to spot bears

I think, like all visitors, part of me desperately wanted to meet a black bear, and part of me also felt a little uncomfortable about it!

The staff were very friendly and helpful.The room was very clean and the bed was very comfortable.

The hotel was very clean and the staff were very friendly and helpful.

Yosemite National Park is 750,000 acres; I think we saw less than 4,000 acres when we visited Yosemite Valley, so maybe those bears were hiding elsewhere!

8. Hiking the four Mile Trail

The four-mile trail runs from Sentinel Beach on the Yosemite Valley floor up about 3,500 feet to Glacier Point.

We saw the trailhead at Glacier Point on the first day and took a map of the route. It is close to 4.5 miles each way and took us just under 8 hours for the round trip.

This is a great place to stay in the heart of the valley. You will need a lot of water and energy to reach the top.

The hotel is in a great location, close to the city centre and the train station.

The room was very clean and the bed was very comfortable.

Tags: Glacier Point, Grandeur, Yosemite National Park