Two National Parks, Historic Western Towns,
A Handful of Hot Springs and A Dinosaur Dig.
Our private group experiences are like no other.

 
 
 
 
  EXCELLENT  
  
 Based on 31 reviews 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 Posted on Tripadvisor  
 
  
 
 
 Steven S 
 
 
 
 Verified 
The Trip of a Lifetime Our tour was 5 days and was led by our guide, David Buth. David was a sensational guide prioritizing every wish/ask that we had and we had many. We toured all over Yellowstone, Grand Teton and points outside the park including Cody and Chico. His knowledge of the region from species spotting (which was world class) to species (animal and plant) identification was just stellar. He interacted with each of my family members in a very personable way and when he wasn’t spotting or teaching, he was making sure our hotels, breakfasts, lunches, dinners and restroom stops were always easy and good for all of us. If you get a chance to book a tour with GWE and can get David Buth as your guide, DO IT! You will not be disappointed!
  
 
  
 
 
 
 Posted on Tripadvisor  
 
  
 
 
 Spencer S 
 
 
 
 Verified 
David Buth gave us a trip of a lifetime! David Buth is the best tour guide I have ever had for any trip. Without him, this trip would have been nothing. He is so genuinely passionate about what he does that each day made me more and more excited. His expertise led us to see over 40 different animal species (including the Big 13) as well as countless spectacular nature sites. He willingly and excitedly answered every one of our questions and shared knowledge at every turn on our trip. There is no one I would recommend more than David if you want to see Yellowstone and the surrounding area. Thank you for creating a trip of a lifetime for me and my my family. I will truly never forget this experience.
  
 
  
 
 
 
 Posted on Tripadvisor  
 
  
 
 
 Lorie S 
 
 
 
 Verified 
Amazing trip We had a great time. Our best family trip ever. David knew exactly where to go to show us the things we wanted to see. He was extremely knowledgable and very kind. He is the reason we had such a great time . I would 110% recommend David and this tour group.
  
 
  
 
 
 
 Posted on Tripadvisor  
 
  
 
 
 Kayla S 
 
 
 
 Verified 
Best Yellowstone and Grand Tetons Trip! Wow! What a phenomenal experience. David, our guide, knew all the ins and outs of all things Yellowstone and Grand Tetons. He knew all the best spots to get pictures, helped us find wildlife (which we saw all of the big 13 and 30+ species in total), and answered any and all questions we had. We asked to see waterfalls and we got to see basically all of them. David got just as excited as us to see all animals and his enthusiasm was infectious. This was a trip of a lifetime and without David, I don’t think it would’ve been as magical as it was. Highly recommend! And also, Otters rule!
  
 
  
 
 
 
 Posted on Tripadvisor  
 
  
 
 
 roy d 
 
 
 
 Verified 
David Buth is a fantastic guide, knowledgeable, enthusiastic and knows Yellowstone. I am 83 years old and going to Yellowstone has been my dream since I was a child. I took my son and my two teen age grandsons 16 & 18. Our guide David Buth was fantastic he exceeded all of my expectations which were very high after waiting so many years. He knew all the secret spots and relationships with other guides, which helped make sure we saw every animal possible. To make this extra special since it was spring time most of them had babies - a super treat. The negative was that we did not think Great Western listened to our requirements. As a result, David basically had to disregarded much of the schedule so we could see the animals and the sits of Yellowstone. Since they had set up our hotels we drove 10 plus hours each day, very tiring. To get to Lamar Valley from our hotel so we would be there in the early morning we had to leave our hotel in the dark at 5 AM and didn't get to the valley until near 8 am. As a a result we got to see wolves. The tour Western set up for us had us visiting Lamar Valley our last morning, David had us in the valley 2.5 days to see wolves with babies, baby coyotes, herds of Buffalo with calves, antelope with new born babies racing around, and Elk with calves. it was fantastic and the highlight of our trip. Western said we could not stay in hotels in the park because they are booked out more than a year. However, on our last day we stopped at Lake Yellowstone Hotel and I checked about availability of rooms and they said they had rooms for that night. We ask for upgraded hotels, which didn't happen. The lodging was satisfactory but I would give it an average of 2 stars rating. One hotel didn't have air conditioning and had a communal restroom in the hallway. This hotel also caused us to drive an extra 2 hours for two days. We ask not to go to Cody, WY but that was still on the schedule and where our hotel was for that night. The Trip to Cody added over an hour of extra driving each way. Since my wife and I have traveled around the world and all of our tour guides have always been good to adjust the schedule to comply with what we wanted to see. David saved the week and provided us a fantastic tour of Yellowstone and all the animals. All in all, I would recommend Great Western only if you can get David as your guide and you are more forceful in your wants. Now that we have been there we could put a good schedule together. Also recommend double checking the hotels and drive time for the itinerary.
  
 
  
 
 
 
 Posted on Tripadvisor  
 
  
 
 
 Karen A 
 
 
 
 Verified 
Anniversary trip We visited Grand Teton and Yellowstone. Ana with Great Western was our guide - she was incredible. Her vehicle was clean and well stocked with snacks, drinks, etc. she had 3 D maps and other visuals to explain how everything was formed. She was super knowledgeable about both areas and so pleasant and patient with our questions. It was definitely one of our favorite trips of all that we’ve done. I would definitely recommend using Great Western and ask for Ana.
  
 
  
 
 
 
 Posted on Tripadvisor  
 
  
 
 
 Climber07010864679 
 
 
 
 Verified 
Great experience We took the four day through the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone, and our guide Ana made it an experience to remember. Her knowledge of the area and history was very rewarding. She went out of her way to accommodate us in every way from making sure we had breakfast, lunch and snacks throughout the trip to checking us in to the hotels, getting our bags to our rooms without our assistance. One of our friends is blind and she made every effort to explain where we were and the topographical area we were in and how it was formed. I would highly recommend Great Western for any tour they might provide. Jim K
  
 
  
 
 
 
 Posted on Tripadvisor  
 
  
 
 
 Jackie R 
 
 
 
 Verified 
Private Yellowstone 12-Hour Group Tour Wow! What an awesome early summer experience of Yellowstone. Our group of 11 met in Jackson for a small business meeting and we finished our week with a 12+ hour private charter tour of Yellowstone's lower loop. Randy (our driver) and David (our guide) picked us up at our hotel in JH and had hot breakfast waiting for us on our 27 passenger mini coach. The coach was very comfortable and Randy and David were super hospitable. The day was beautiful and we visited so many spots (Old Faithful basin, Grand Prismatic, Canyon Falls and more) and we saw much wildlife (including the famous Grizzly Bear 399 !!). We had opportunities to walk a bit as we checked out all of the important spots within Yellowstone's lower loop. We had a lovely picnic lunch (even with fresh-cut flowers on the picnic tables) but the field dinner was so much more than I expected. First, the backdrop of Jackson Lake mirroring the reflection of the Grand Tetons was hard to beat, but the dinner that was grilled on site (salmon, beef and chicken) AND the excellent service were the best we had all week. Laurie worked with me to plan this adventure and she was so easy to work with and very helpful. I can't say enough about our guide, David. He was so kind and so full of knowledge. We may have drilled him with questions and he had so much information to share. I highly recommend this tour group and if you can, I would try to request David. When I come back, I will definitely call Laurie.
  
 
  
 
 
 
 Posted on Tripadvisor  
 
  
 
 
 Maritalblitz08 
 
 
 
 Verified 
A Wonderful Five Day Tour of Grand Teton And Yellowstone National Parks I'm piggy-backing on my wife's review of Great Western Expeditions (Dorothy K, October, 2023 - she got the month wrong). I agree with D, our tour was an exceptional tour. We were met by Ana (great, great tour guide) before sunrise on Monday, September 25th in Jackson, Wyoming. From there it was non-stop experiences until after sunset on Friday September 29th. Day one started by photographing the Tetons at Oxbow Bend as the sun rose. Then, it was off to West Thumb, Old Faithful And Midway Geyser Basin ion Yellowstone. We got to see Old Faithful blow its stack twice. Then we hiked to the world's largest hot spring, Grand Prismatic (not to be missed). Along the way, we had a picnic lunch and a fun geology lesson given by Ana at the Old Faithful Lodge. We spent the night in West Yellowstone, Montana, just outside of the park. The next day, we traveled up the west side of the park to Mammoth Hot Springs where we saw at least fifty elk. Two bull elk were bulging at each other. The park rangers were constantly on their bull horns, keeping we tourists out of harms way. Truthfully, we refer all hoping for a battle of elk but the dominant elk kept the challenger at bay and things calmed down. The next day our son climbed the nearby Bunsen Peak (a four mile hike with an elevation change of 1,000 feet). We two septuagenarians stayed back, had breakfast and kept sight of the elk - the challenge wasn't quite over, I guess, but no battle ensued. Oh well, we left the elk behind and headed east to the Lamar Valley, another not to be missed experience (at least not the day we were there). When we got to the valley, we stumbled upon a herd of at least a 100 bison. The next morning, at sunrise, we headed back to Lamer Valley. In addition to the bison in the valley, we used Ana's spotter (a telescope-like thingy) to view a couple of wolves and bear across the valley. Afterwards, we left the park and drove the scenic ChiefJoseph (lotsa blazing yellow aspens) and the Bigtooth Highways. We stumbled across a cattle roundup along the way which was very cool. The we headed to Canyon Village to do a little hiking and finish the day by viewing the Lower Yellowstone Falls at sunset. For dinner, we ate at the Canyon Village cafeteria. I don't recommend eating there because the place is a chaotic, human zoo. On the final day, we took a leisurely drive past Yellowstone Lake and down to Tetons. Our fabulous five days were sadly over. Before I finish, I just want to say that Great Western Expeditions really knows how to run a multi-day tour - highly recommended.
  
 
  
 
 
 
 Posted on Tripadvisor  
 
  
 
 
 Dorothy K 
 
 
 
 Verified 
Best of Yellowstone! Natural wonders, animal sightings and the best tour guides! Best Western Explorations. Great Western gave our family the trip of a lifetime! This is the best tour we have ever take - in the US or Europe. Best Western Explorations made sure we saw everything that we wanted to see. (Lower and upper loop of Yellowstone in a 5 day activity packed tour. There are shorter tours, too.) Laurie the planner and Ana our tour guide took care of everything we needed! The first morning, we arrived at Old Faithful with minutes to spare and stayed for the second eruption an hour later. Laurie, from Best Western, had suggestions for the entire trip and my husband was able to give his input. Hot springs, geysers, mud pots, waterfalls and animal sightings were at the top of our list. Our guide, Ana, did not disappoint! Ana had educational materials and maps to show us and answers to all of our questions. Riding from one highlight to another in a comfortable oversized van was seamless. We are seniors. Great Western and Ana, our guide, made sure the vistas were for us. Our adult son was with us and Ana made sure he had challenging walks with his ability in mind. This was a customized tour. We had wonderful picnic lunches ordered in advance, (a checkered tablecloth and linen napkins!) snacks and drinks that we suggested for daytime and reservations for overnight hotels. You will not find a more accommodating company than Great Western. Our guide was continually checking to see if we were wanting to see more, make a rest stop, stop for a picture opportunity, or take our picture. Sunrise views ? Sunset? Whatever we wanted was provided. Ana would open the window and ask other tourists “ what are you seeing?” to make sure that we did not miss any animal sightings. Ana was absolutely the nicest, most knowledgeable guide we could imagine. She was tireless and resourceful. I would not hesitate to recommend Ana as a tour guide and/or Laurie and Beat Western Expeditions as a tour company. You will not be disappointed!