9 days in Yellowstone Country Itinerary

Gardiner serves as the gateway to Yellowstone National Park's northern entrance, marked by an iconic stone arch.

Kids will appreciate attractions like Upper Geyser Basin and Roaring Mountain. Step out of Gardiner with an excursion to Biscuit Basin in Yellowstone National Park--about 1h 25 min away. There's still lots to do: witness a stunning natural landmark at Mammoth Hot Springs, identify plant and animal life at Old Gardiner Road, delve into the mystery of Palette Spring, and relax and rejuvenate at Boiling River.

To see other places to visit, reviews, ratings, and other tourist information, read our Gardiner trip itinerary builder site.

Atlanta to Gardiner is an approximately 9.5-hour flight. You can also drive; or do a combination of bus and car. The time zone difference when traveling from Atlanta to Gardiner is minus 2 hours. Prepare for cooler weather when traveling from Atlanta in December: high temperatures in Gardiner hover around 21°F and lows are around -1°F. Finish up your sightseeing early on the 27th (Sun) so you can go by car to West Yellowstone.

The town of West Yellowstone has served as a gateway to Yellowstone National Park since the early 1900s.

You'll visit kid-friendly attractions like Old Faithful and Bridge Bay Marina. Venture out of the city with trips to Yellowstone National Park (Elephant Back Mountain, The 45th Parallel, &more). There's lots more to do: get in on the family fun at Yellowstone Big Gun Fun, get outside with Madison River Outfitters, and look for all kinds of wild species at Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center.

For photos, traveler tips, other places to visit, and more tourist information, use the West Yellowstone vacation planner.

Traveling by car from Gardiner to West Yellowstone takes 2 hours. Alternatively, you can take a bus. December in West Yellowstone sees daily highs of 21°F and lows of -1°F at night. Finish your sightseeing early on the 30th (Wed) to allow enough time to drive to Big Sky.

Big Sky is a census-designated place (CDP) in Gallatin and Madison counties in southwestern Montana. Kick off your visit on the 31st (Thu): trek along Ousel Falls Trail, then take your sightseeing to a higher altitude at Lone Peak, then fly down the slopes at Big Sky Resort, and finally get outside with Grizzly Outfitters Ski & Backcountry Sports.

For where to stay, photos, ratings, and tourist information, use the Big Sky online trip itinerary maker.

Traveling by car from West Yellowstone to Big Sky takes an hour. Alternatively, you can take a shuttle. In December, daytime highs in Big Sky are 21°F, while nighttime lows are -1°F. Cap off your sightseeing on the 31st (Thu) early enough to go by car to Bozeman.

Bozeman is a city in and the county seat of Gallatin County, Montana, United States, in the southwestern part of the state. On the 1st (Fri), get to know the fascinating history of Downtown Bozeman, get interesting insight from Yellowstone Safari Company, and then soothe aching muscles at Spire Climbing Center. Keep things going the next day: engage your brain at Museum of the Rockies.

For ratings, photos, more things to do, and tourist information, you can read our Bozeman day trip planning app.

You can drive from Big Sky to Bozeman in an hour. Prepare for somewhat warmer weather when traveling from Big Sky in December: high temperatures in Bozeman hover around 30°F and lows are around 8°F. Wrap up your sightseeing by early afternoon on the 2nd (Sat) to allow time for travel back home.