Escape the bustling cities on this 5-day hiking tour in the High Sierra
This magnificent 5-day journey into the High Sierra will allow you to reconnect with nature. Your gear will be carried by pack animals—all you have to carry is a day-pack with your clothes, water, and camera—so you can enjoy the hike and admire the surrounding without the burden of bearing weight. Appreciate nature, unburdened.
For the first night, you will stay in a gorgeous lakeside resort near pristine natural areas. The bulk of the tour immerses you in the protected Ansel Adams Wilderness, full of glassy high-mountain lakes, granite peaks, and fields of fragrant wildflowers. Set up base camp next to a lake, falling asleep and waking up to the sounds of the water gently lapping at the shore. During the day in the backcountry, your guide and group will hike specific routes tailored to your preferences, including the option to summit a 3,000-metre peak. Your five days in the High Sierra will refill your nature cup, leaving you rejuvenated to face whatever comes next.
Highlights of the Hiking in the High Sierra Tour
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Hiking in the High Sierra Tour Itinerary
Day 1 Arrival in Bass Lake
Welcome to California! Find your way to the resort in Bass Lake to check-in after 4pm. Your guide will meet you and the group in the lobby at 6pm to brief you on the adventure ahead and sort out any gear needs. Have a delicious dinner at one of the restaurants in the village before hitting the hay.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Bass Lake
Distance: None
Meals: None
Day 2 Hike to Campsite in Ansel Adams Wilderness
Find some breakfast in the village (there’s a delicious bakery), then meet your guide in the parking lot at 7am, from where you’ll drive to the pack station to unload your gear before heading to the trailhead. The group will hike for about 10 km to a gorgeous lake where the guides will set up camp. Enjoy the area filled with wildflowers, fragrant pines, and small cascading streams. Admire the sunset over the lake, then get comfy in your tent for the night.
Overnight Location: Camping
Distance: 6 mi, 1709 ft of ascent, 321 ft of descent
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 3 Explore Upper Lakes Basin
After breakfast prepared by your guide, you’ll embark on a hike suited to your group’s preferences, as several trail options connect in this area. No matter which route you take, you’re in for some incredible views of the granite peaks and lakes comprising the Ansel Adams Wilderness. Return to your lakeside campsite for an afternoon dip and enjoy another night under the stars.
Overnight Location: Camping
Distance: 1-6 mi (depending), elevation varies depending on group choice
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4 Hike Surrounding Area + Optional Summit (3,000 m / 10,000 ft)
Enjoy a mountain morning with crisp air and sunrise glow. Have a hearty breakfast, then set out to explore the surrounding area. Your guide will discuss trail options to determine which hike is best suited to the group. If you’re feeling up for the challenge, you can summit a nearby peak reaching 3,000 m / 10,000 ft—get your heart pumping and your camera ready for some epic panoramic photos. Return to camp to enjoy lakeside life on your final evening living in nature.
Overnight Location: Camping
Distance: 1-6 mi (depending), elevation varies depending on group choice
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5 Return to Bass Lake + Farewell
Take your time appreciating the last moments of the backcountry. Pack up and descend to the trailhead, where you’ll bid farewell to your group and guide. Continue to the next adventure, whether that’s another tour, camping on your own, or heading home.
Overnight Location: None
Distance: 6 mi, 321 ft of ascent, 1709 ft of descent
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Hiking in the High Sierra Tour Price and Dates
This guided tour in the Sierra Nevada is always run as a fixed-departure tour where you would be joining a group, therefore the price is fixed and only depends on the number of people sharing the room or a tent.
The prices below are per person:
Accommodation on the Hiking in the High Sierra Tour
The hotel on this trip is 3-star. You will also camp in the wilderness for 3 nights in a high-quality tent with gear like sleeping bags and pads provided. Rooms are double occupancy, and single travelers will pay a supplement.
In some cases, the accommodation listed below may need to be substituted for other comparable accommodations.
Single Rooms and Solo Travelers
You can pay a supplement of $240 USD to have a private room in a hotel on the first night of the tour. We can match the single travellers up, however, in case there aren’t any matches, you’ll have to pay a supplement of $120 USD.
Hotels on Standard Tour
Pines Resort in Bass Lake
This charming hotel offers the right amenities to propel the comfort of your stay: a pool, mountain view, restaurant, bar, and a picnic area!
Camping in Sierra Nevada
Spend the night in a high-quality tent with comfy sleeping pads. Fall asleep under the stars and wake up amid pristine nature.
What’s included in the Hiking in the High Sierra Tour?
Meals
4 breakfasts, 4 lunches, and 3 dinners are included.
Accommodations
Accommodation for 4 nights is included in the tour.
Transportation during the Tour
You are responsible for your own transportation to the hotel, and to and from the trailhead.
Also Included
- English-speaking guide services
- Group gear: stove, cookware, water filters, first aid kit
- Personal gear available: backpack, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, trekking poles
- Tent
- Backcountry camping permits
- Trail snacks
Not included
- Transportation to and from trailhead and hotel
- Personal expenses + gratuities (recommended 10-20% for excellent service for guides and 3-5% for packers)
- Trip insurance
- Flights
- Voluntary or involuntary evacuations
- Anything not mentioned as “Included”
Optional Extras
- Extra nights in Bass Lake
Frequently Asked Questions about Hiking in the High Sierra Tour
SYMG was started in 1991 by three friends offering hiking trips into California's mountains in hopes of more closely meshing lifestyle with work. The combination proved successful and SYMG has become a leader in the active travel and mountain guiding world, providing carefully planned and executed trips in the most spectacular wilderness areas of California and beyond. Now, 30 years later, we've shown thousands of people the beauty of Yosemite and the High Sierra and have been named one of the "Best Outfitters on Earth" by National Geographic Adventure Magazine.
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