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Summer Private Rocky Mountain National Park Driving Tour
5.0
104 Ratings
Estes Park
Embark on a 4-5 hour guided tour through Rocky Mountain National Park in a 3-row Subaru Ascent. Experience breathtaking mountain views, waterfalls, and the highest visitor center in the US National Park System.
Embark on a 4-5 hour guided tour through Rocky Mountain National Park in a 3-row Subaru Ascent. Experience breathtaking mountain views, waterfalls, and the highest visitor center in the US National Park System.
Duration:
6 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Stanley Hotel - Visit the historic and famously haunted Stanley Hotel on your journey towards Rocky Mountain National Park, and discover the rich history and captivating stories of this iconic site.
- Rocky Mountain National Park - The tour in Estes Park focuses on a scenic drive into the Rocky Mountain National Park. Ascend the mountain as…
- Stanley Hotel - Visit the historic and famously haunted Stanley Hotel on your journey towards Rocky Mountain National Park, and discover the rich history and captivating stories of this iconic site.
- Rocky Mountain National Park - The tour in Estes Park focuses on a scenic drive into the Rocky Mountain National Park. Ascend the mountain as high as the weather permits, passing through stunning mountain passes. Enjoy views of Estes Park from above, along with beautiful lakes, meadows, waterfalls, and wildlife. No need to worry about the timed entry permit, as your entrance and permit to the Rocky Mountain National Park are included!
- Alluvial Fan - On the way to the tundra, take a guided walk around the Alluvial Fan to see Horseshoe Falls and learn about the history of this unique feature in the National Park.
- Old Fall River Road - When open (typically July through September), guide Riley will lead you up Old Fall River Road, a one-way dirt road leading to the Alpine Visitor Center. Experience exhilarating cliff-side mountain driving, and enjoy sightings of beautiful wildlife, flowing waterfalls, and more! If Old Fall River Road is closed, you will travel up Trail Ridge Road as far as it is open for the season.
- Alpine Visitor Center - Stop briefly at the highest Visitor Center in the entire US National Park System! Your guide will allow 20 minutes for shopping. Enjoy a snack, take photos, or get your National Park Passport stamped before returning to Estes Park.
- Trail Ridge Road - On the return drive to Estes Park, your guide will take you down Trail Ridge Road, the highest continuous paved road in the United States (typically June through September). Observe the changing beauty of the ecosystems within the Rocky Mountain National Park, from the upper tundra to the lower montane.
What's Included
- Timed Entry Permit
- Private transportation
- Bottled water
- Binoculars / Spotting Scope
- All Fees and Taxes
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- Timed Entry Permit
- Private transportation
- Bottled water
- Binoculars / Spotting Scope
- All Fees and Taxes
- In-vehicle air conditioning
What's Not Included
- Government fees
- Lunch
- Infant Car Seat
- Government fees
- Lunch
- Infant Car Seat
Additional Information
Join us for an unforgettable adventure in our spacious 3-row Subaru Ascent! Embark on a private 5 to 6-hour tour through the stunning Rocky Mountain National Park, exclusively with your group and guide. Our Summer Rocky Mountain Tour begins in the picturesque lower valley meadows and takes you along iconic roads open for your visit (Trail Ridge Road…
Join us for an unforgettable adventure in our spacious 3-row Subaru Ascent! Embark on a private 5 to 6-hour tour through the stunning Rocky Mountain National Park, exclusively with your group and guide. Our Summer Rocky Mountain Tour begins in the picturesque lower valley meadows and takes you along iconic roads open for your visit (Trail Ridge Road from June to September, or off-road on Old Fall River Road from July to September). Enjoy breathtaking mountain vistas and waterfalls, with a brief stop at the highest visitor center in the US National Park system. Experience the thrill of descending the highest continuous paved road in the United States, Trail Ridge Road, as we return to Estes Park. This tour is not a hiking tour, focusing instead on driving through the National Park with short strolls along the way.
Pickup is available only for guests staying in Estes Park. For those staying outside of Estes Park, we can arrange to meet at the free parking garage at the Estes Park Visitor Center for pickup.
- Please note that you need to bring your own infant seats if you are with an infant during the tour.
Location
Stanley Hotel
East Wonderview Avenue
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(104 Ratings)
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Practicing
Sep 27, 2025
Delightful Postcard Worthy Tour - A wonderful tour, well worth the fee! Three senior friends loved the experience, packed with information, history and science, and engaging stories. Riley had to adapt this tour to the top of the park as it had snowed and the road was closed; he smoothly took us to the alluvial site, Bear Lake, both with beautiful walks. We encountered a gathering of elk close up and stopped at many viewing spots. We were entranced with the Rocky Mountains and became a fan of the tour guide! I’ve already booked a tour for my family!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sharon_k
Aug 27, 2025
Riley was a a very... - Riley was a a very knowledgeable and informative guide! He has embraced Rocky Mountain National Park and is quick to point out and name animals, points of interest and fauna. Extremely knowledgeable of everything Rocky Mountain National Park and all of its folklore. Previously did another small group tour…but it did not compare. We visited areas of the park we would not of ever done on our own. Book this tour today!
Review provided by Viator
913kathrynu
Aug 24, 2025
Perfect Park Tour - Riley gave us an awesome experience on our Rocky Mountain Park tour. We saw so many amazing animals and Riley was knowledgeable about the Park’s flora and fauna. A perfect day spent in the Park with a guide who shared stories and history as well. Would recommend this tour for anyone.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
James_h
Aug 18, 2025
Explore Estes - Our tour with Explore Estes was wonderful. Riley met us exactly on time, the vehicle was immaculately clean and comfortable. From start to finish we were treated respectfully and our safety was Riley’s priority. His knowledge of Rocky Mountain National Park is immense and his way of communicating his knowledge was easy to follow being alternately serious and entertaining. The tour was the best part of our trip to Estes Park and RMNP.
Review provided by Viator
Pickles123a
Aug 16, 2025
Consistently amazing and accommodates individual needs - This was my second tour with Riley. My fiancé and his mother were with me last year. Riley was a great guide, very informative and adaptable to an 80+ year olds limitations while still helping ensure she was able to get some amazing views. When Mom and I decided to come to Estes Park this year, I told her we were definitely making the trip when Riley was available. We planned the entire trip around ensuring we had a RMNP tour with Riley. Mom agreed, he is an amazing tour guide. It’s worth every penny. I’m both occasions, I felt like he went above and beyond and a generous tip was well deserved.
When we return, I won’t even bother searching other options, I’ll be booking Riley.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dominique_m
Aug 11, 2025
Amazing tour! - This tour was amazing!! Riley was extremely knowledgeable and shared the history of Estes Park as well as shared stories about the National Park and its wildlife. Riley helped us spot wildlife that we wouldn’t have seen otherwise. He is a friendly and knowledgeable person. Highly recommend!!
Review provided by Viator
Donna_s
Aug 5, 2025
Riley was an exceptional... - Riley was an exceptional tour guide. On time and very informative. Stopped at places along the tour that we would not have even thought to stop at. Definitely would recommend!
Review provided by Viator
Mhuettenmueller
Aug 2, 2025
Great experience for seniors - Riley was so good with my mom and aunt in their 70s. They got to see a lot of RMNP including several wildlife sightings. They felt safe and comfortable in the car with Riley.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Exploration285057
Aug 1, 2025
Awesome Adventure in Rocky Mountain National Park - We are so happy we chose the Explore Estes company to book a “Summer Rocky Mountain” private tour. We wanted to just sit back, relax, explore, and let someone else do all the driving. The private tour allowed us to have that one-on-one experience and be able to just pull off the road when we wanted to take in the spectacular views as well as photos. Explore Estes picks you up wherever you are staying, which is super convenient.
Riley was a wonderful tour guide, and the AWD Subaru was a comfortable safe ride. Riley knew where to find wildlife well before we did! What was even more fun was how fast he could pull over the car and set up the scope so we could see the wildlife closeup. He even spotted a moose for me before it quickly disappeared back into the thicket while the other tour groups were just looking at all the elk! You won’t get that on group tours. Riley has a wealth of historical facts, geological facts, and the “best stories” while exploring Estes & the Rocky Mountain National Forest. The tour lasted 5 ½ hours but only seemed like two – we had that much fun. We can’t express how much we thoroughly enjoyed the tour with Riley! Thanks for the memories! Mike & Laura
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jennifer_c
Jul 27, 2025
We saw SO much in 4 hours. Excellent Tour! - I’m so glad that I decided to book this tour instead of driving myself. While I could have stopped at all of the popular spots myself, I would have missed out on enjoying the incredible views all of the way up to Alpine Visitor Center.
Riley was a great tour guide. He taught us about the climate, wildlife and trees… also answered a lot of my 12 yr old’s questions. He also pulled off for photos many times, to ensure we got to see everything.
We saw tons of Elk, a few deer, small creatures and a Moose! This tour packed in so much.
I would definitely recommend this for anyone that wants to learn while they explore and take in the beauty of Rocky Mountain National Park.
Review provided by Viator
