Yellowstone's Old Faithful Self-Guided Walking Tour
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September 2026
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Adults
Age 13 and over
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Age 12 and under
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Traveler rating
5.0/5
Based on 1 traveler reviews. Ratings and reviews provided by Viator and Tripadvisor.
Quick answer
Is Yellowstone's Old Faithful Self-Guided Walking Tour worth booking?
Yellowstone's Old Faithful Self-Guided Walking Tour is a 1-hour experience in Yellowstone National Park, United States, from $2 per person. It scores 61 out of 100 on the Outty Ranking, which we label “Solid Choice”, based on a 5/5 rating across 1 reviews. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before the start time. Same-day spots are currently showing.
- Outty Ranking
- 61 / 100
- Rating
- 5/5 (1)
- Duration
- 1 hours
- From
- $2 per person
This isn't an entrance ticket. Check opening hours before your visit. Witness the power of Old Faithful and explore the surrounding geyser basin with this self-guided walking tour! As one of the most densely-packed gey
What you get
About this experience
This isn't an entrance ticket. Check opening hours before your visit. Witness the power of Old Faithful and explore the surrounding geyser basin with this self-guided walking tour! As one of the most densely-packed geyser regions in the park, there’s no shortage of explosive wonders on display here. Watch huge geysers like Old Faithful, Castle Geyser, and Grand Geyser erupt. Stroll past smaller, bubbling pools. Find out how geysers form and work, and uncover the hidden systems underlying the whole basin. This walking tour makes for the perfect addition to any Yellowstone visit! After booking, check your email/text to download the separate Audio Tour Guide App by Action while connected to WiFi or mobile data. Enter the password, download the tour, and enjoy it offline. Follow the audio instructions and route from the designated starting point. New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want.
What's included
Included
- Support is available via chat, email, or phone if you need help.
- Planning tools, route maps, scenic stops, and area previews included.
- Just bring your phone and headphones; the app guides your walk.
- Lifetime access: use the tour anytime and keep it for future trips.
- Works offline with GPS route guidance and automatic audio stories.
- Flexible tour: start, stop, and pause anytime during your trip.
- Private walking tour experience for your family or group.
- Self-guided audio tour through our easy-to-use mobile app.
- Hidden gems and local stories included along the route.
Not included
- Self-guided tour — no live guide. Entrance fees, parking, food, and transport are separate.
What you'll see and do
We’re walking along the Old Faithful Observation Deck. But the benches and boardwalk here are just part of the 14 miles of boardwalk that snake through this part of Yellowstone. Thousands of visitors trek through this park every year. New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want. This isn't an entrance ticket. Check opening hours before your visit. The tour is over 2.5 miles long, with more than 35+ audio stories, and takes about 1-2 hours to complete.
5 minutes here
You’ll see a sign for Observation Point Trail. If you’d like an elevated view of Old Faithful erupting, this path will take you to the perfect spot for it. It’s an uphill trek of about a mile out and back, and should take around 30 minutes.
5 minutes here
It gets its name from geologist Arnold Hague, who thought the vents looked like the petals of the anemone flower.
5 minutes here
Beehive Geyser
It looks like a big innocuous beehive just sitting on the ground. That is, until it sends boiling water shooting 100 feet into the air! The Beehive spews water for 5 minutes every 10 to 20 hours.
5 minutes here
This area is called “Marmot Cave Geyser.” A yellow-bellied marmot used to live in that little cave, but it moved out years ago. I can only assume spewing water heated by magma isn’t ideal for marmot dens!
5 minutes here
Lion Geyser
Off to our left, do see a lion, a lioness, and two cubs. Okay you got me—they’re not real lions. They’re cone geysers! To make things more confusing, they’re not actually named because they look like lions at all!
5 minutes here
It looks a lot like a bluish hot spring, but it erupts! And when it does, it sounds like a whirring sawmill. It’s connected underground to a whole complex of thermal features, which makes its eruptions very hard to predict.
5 minutes here
Grand Geyser
Off to your right is a geyser that puts on quite a show. It’s called “Grand Geyser,” and it’s the single most powerful predictable geyser in the world! It’s a fountain-type, so no cones to see—just a pool. And if you think Old Faithful has impressive eruptions, just wait until you see one of these.
5 minutes here
On our right is a hydrothermal feature so beautiful people named it “Beauty Pool”! It’s that blue-green hot spring with a thick ring of orange heat-loving microbes—known as thermophiles—around it.
5 minutes here
This is Beauty Pool’s sister, Chromatic Pool. It’s a smaller hot spring at only 30 feet in diameter, but the colors are still so vivid! This pool is around 133.1 degrees—too hot for a shower, too cold for a cup of coffee.
5 minutes here
Giant’s cone is geyserite or sinter, and it’s about 12-feet tall. Some say it even looks a bit like the Coliseum in Rome! This is one of the tallest geysers in Yellowstone, but it’s far from the only geyser in this cluster.
5 minutes here
Grotto Geyser
Dead ahead is Grotto Geyser. This was almost the site of disaster during the 1870 expedition!
5 minutes here
Morning Glory Pool
The Morning Glory Pool gets its name thanks to the passing resemblance to morning glory flowers. Green ones like it hot. Yellow ones like it pretty hot. Orange like it warm. And red like it kinda warm.
5 minutes here
Daisy Geyser
Daisy Geyser is one of Yellowstone’s most predictable geysers. It erupts every 2 to 4 hours for about 4 minutes. And this one is unique because its fountain streams out at an angle to the ground!
5 minutes here
Crested Pool is 42 feet deep and has an average temperature of 191 degrees! That’s just about as hot as your hottest cup of coffee.
5 minutes here
Castle Geyser
Castle Geyser stands out thanks to the massive calcified cone that surrounds it. This one erupts every 10 to 12 hours. Eruptions last about 20 minutes, and the spray can reach 90 feet high. After the main eruption ends, steam hisses out of Castle Geyser for around 35 minutes.
5 minutes here
Old Faithful Inn
This is no ordinary inn. The building’s designer, Robert Reamer, wanted it to be part of the park. So he used rhyolite for the inn’s foundation. Rhyolite is formed in Yellowstone’s caldera! And for the inn’s walls, he used local lodgepole pine trees!
5 minutes here
Where it starts and ends
Meeting point
Yellowstone National Park
Start just outside the Old Faithful Visitor Center, with the Old Faithful Geyser sign ahead on your left. This is the suggested starting point. We’re not affiliated with the Visitor Center. The audio starts automatically as you pass—check your email/text for setup details.
Hotel pickup
No pickup: everyone meets at the start point.
Ends at
The Self-Guided Tour would end here.
Before you book
- Cancellation
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
- Languages
- en
- Ticket
- Mobile Only
- Runs on
- Every day
- Group size
- Up to 15 travelers per booking
- Operated by
- Travel with Action
Know before you go
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Winter Season Notice Most Yellowstone park roads are now closed to regular vehicles for the winter, with limited access until late April. Please check Road Status & Closures and Park Roads Overview before your trip and consider our Yellowstone Winter Tour for cold-season travel.
- Easy to use: GPS-triggered audio plays automatically along the route for a hands-free experience.
- Private tour: Follow the route on your phone without an in-person guide or crowded group.
- At your own pace: Start anytime and pause for hikes, picnics, photos, or scenic stops.
- Works offline: Once downloaded, the tour works using GPS without Wi-Fi or cellular service.
- Multi-device access: Use the same password on one device for each traveler included in your booking.
- More ways to save: Choose a single tour, a nearby bundle, or access to 200+ tours.
- Download in advance: Download the Tour Guide app by Action and tour while connected to Wi-Fi or a strong cellular signal.
- Follow the route: Begin at the suggested starting point or join anywhere along the route shown in the app.
- Lifetime access: Preview the tour before your trip and revisit the stories, photos, and details afterward.
- Supported devices: iPhone with iOS 15+, Android with version 9+, or a GPS-enabled iPad/tablet with cellular capability.
Photos
Traveler reviews
1 verified traveler reviews for Yellowstone's Old Faithful Self-Guided Walking Tour. Ratings and reviews provided by Viator and Tripadvisor.
Solo Travel
Loved being able to use the map offline since nothing else was working! As I was visiting solo, I really enjoyed the narration as I walked - it made the trek significantly better. A couple of suggestions would be to add distances if not already included - it was longer than I anticipated and I did not see the distance noted, add the frequency of Old Faithful eruptions and a little description of what to expect (I initially thought the steam coming out was the big event until I overheard a park ranger giving a presentation), and I'd love if Morning Glory were added as an optional route. All in all though, fantastic presentation, great directions, and wonderful tour. I absolutely recommend it and would use it if I visit again!
Response from the operator: I’m glad you enjoyed my Yellowstone's Old Faithful Self-Guided Walking Tour. I appreciate your feedback on adding distances, eruption info, and Morning Glory as an option—these are things I’ll keep in mind for future updates. To dive deeper into Yellowstone, check out my full Yellowstone National Park Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour, including West Thumb Geyser Basin and more. Happy travels!
via Tripadvisor
Good to know
- Duration
- 1 hours
- Free cancellation
- Up to 24h before
- Minimum age to book
- All ages
- Availability
- Bookable today
- Runs on
- Every day
- Price range
- $2 to $10
- Hotel pickup
- No pickup, meet at start point
- Booked in 30 days
- 0
- Verdict
- Solid Choice
Why this scores 61
The Outty Ranking is a weighted composite. Here is how this experience performed on each component.
Yellowstone's Old Faithful Self-Guided Walking Tour: questions travelers ask
Practical detail on this experience, plus the wider planning questions for Yellowstone National Park.
How much does Yellowstone's Old Faithful Self-Guided Walking Tour cost?
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Prices start at $2 per person. The final price depends on the date, the time slot and the number of travelers, and peak weekends in Yellowstone National Park usually price higher than midweek mornings. Live pricing and remaining availability are confirmed on the booking screen before you pay.
How long does Yellowstone's Old Faithful Self-Guided Walking Tour take?
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Plan for about 1 hour from start to finish, not counting travel to the meeting point. Most travelers leave another 30 minutes on either side so the rest of the day in Yellowstone National Park is not rushed.
Is Yellowstone's Old Faithful Self-Guided Walking Tour worth it?
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It holds an Outty Ranking of 61 out of 100, which we label "Solid Choice". That score blends traveler sentiment (5/5 across 1 reviews), the depth of that review evidence, recent booking momentum, value for money against comparable last minute in Yellowstone National Park, and how flexible the cancellation terms are.
Can I cancel or reschedule Yellowstone's Old Faithful Self-Guided Walking Tour?
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Yes. Cancel free up to 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Inside that window the booking is non-refundable, and no-shows are not refunded.
Is Yellowstone's Old Faithful Self-Guided Walking Tour suitable for kids and families?
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Yes, all ages are welcome. Families should still weigh the 1-hour running time, and strollers are easier on the earlier, quieter departures.
How far in advance should I book Yellowstone's Old Faithful Self-Guided Walking Tour?
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Around 0 people booked this in the last 30 days, so popular slots go early. Two to three weeks ahead is comfortable in shoulder season, while summer weekends and holidays in Yellowstone National Park can sell out a month out. Same-day spots do open up when other travelers cancel, so it is worth checking if you are already in town.
What should I bring or wear?
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Bring photo ID, your booking confirmation on your phone, a refillable water bottle and comfortable shoes. Dress for the weather in Yellowstone National Park and add a light layer if any part of the 1-hour experience runs outdoors or after sunset.
Where does Yellowstone's Old Faithful Self-Guided Walking Tour start and how do I get there?
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The exact meeting point and directions are on your voucher once you book, and they sit in central Yellowstone National Park within reach of public transport. Arrive 15 minutes early: late arrivals are treated as no-shows by most operators.
What are the best things to do in Yellowstone National Park?
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Yellowstone tours run geyser basins and Grand Prismatic, Lamar Valley wolf and bison watching at dawn, photography workshops and winter snowcoach trips. Distances inside the park are enormous, so itinerary honesty matters more than anything else. On Outty we rank every Yellowstone National Park experience on the same 0 to 100 scale, and alongside this one the highest scorers right now include Full-Day Guided Yellowstone Day Tour, Lower Loop Van Tour from West Yellowstone: Grand Prismatic and Old Faithful, Lake Yellowstone Half Day Kayak Tours Past Geothermal Features. The city page groups everything into most popular, highest reviewed, last minute and family-friendly so you can build a day around what actually delivers.
When is the best time to visit Yellowstone National Park?
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May to September, plus December to March for snowcoach tours. Booking patterns follow the same curve: prices and queues climb in peak weeks, while shoulder season gives you better availability on the top-ranked experiences and more room to change plans.
How many days do you need in Yellowstone National Park?
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Three full days covers the headline sights without sprinting. A workable rhythm is one anchor experience each morning, such as this one, an unhurried afternoon in a single neighborhood, then a food or nightlife booking in the evening. Five days lets you add a day trip outside the city.
Do I book through Outty or through the operator?
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Outty ranks and explains the experiences, then hands you to Viator to complete the booking with the operator directly. The price is the same as booking on Viator yourself, and Outty earns an affiliate commission on the referral, which is how the rankings stay free to read.
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