Yellowstone in Winter Photo Workshop
- 8 Days
From $8,250 - Interests
- Landscape, National Parks, Wildlife
- Activity Level
- Moderate
- Group Size
- 6
Spectacular winter wildlife and scenery in America’s first national park
Yellowstone in winter feels like a completely different place.
Deep snow simplifies the landscape. Bison move through geothermal steam, coyotes hunt across open valleys, and frost settles across wildlife and trees. Famous locations sit beneath snow with far fewer visitors than during the warmer months.
For photographers, winter creates opportunities that simply do not exist at other times of year.
Our eight-day Yellowstone Winter Photography Workshop combines four days exploring the snowbound interior by private snowcoach with dedicated wildlife photography in Lamar Valley, Blacktail Plateau and the northern range.
With most interior roads closed to regular vehicles, our private snowcoach gives us access to Hayden Valley, Old Faithful, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and several geothermal areas, all with photography as the priority.
In the northern range, our focus shifts to wildlife, including bison, elk, pronghorn, coyotes and the chance to observe wild wolves.
This is not a sightseeing tour with photography added in. Our days are built around light, weather and wildlife activity, giving us time to work good subjects and help you make stronger images in the field.
With only six photographers, there is room for long lenses, winter gear and meaningful hands-on instruction throughout the workshop.
Akari Photo Tours is an authorized permittee of the National Park Service.
Highlights
- Four full days aboard our privately chartered snowcoach, giving us access to Yellowstone’s snowbound interior when most roads are closed to regular vehicles.
- Photograph iconic winter locations including Hayden Valley, Old Faithful, geothermal basins, frozen waterfalls and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.
- Spend dedicated time searching for wildlife in Lamar Valley, Blacktail Plateau and Yellowstone’s northern range with a knowledgeable local wildlife guide.
- Photograph winter wildlife including bison, wolves, coyotes, foxes, bighorn sheep, elk, moose, river otters and bald eagles, depending on sightings and conditions.
- Travel with a small group of only six photographers, with hands-on instruction, room for long lenses and an itinerary built around photography rather than sightseeing
What You'll Learn
- How to expose correctly in snow, protecting bright highlights while maintaining detail in wildlife and winter landscapes.
- How to choose shutter speeds and autofocus settings for walking, running, hunting, and other wildlife behavior.
- How to create stronger wildlife compositions, from intimate portraits to environmental images that show animals within Yellowstone’s winter landscape.
- How to use snow, falling weather, frost, fog and geothermal steam creatively rather than treating difficult conditions as obstacles.
- How to anticipate wildlife behavior and react quickly, helping you move beyond simply documenting an animal toward capturing stronger moments and more complete stories.
Your Guides
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Kevin Lisota
Jan 23–30, 2027Jan 15–22, 2028
Activity Level
Most of our wildlife photography will be from snowbanks alongside the road, close to the vehicle. When visiting geothermal features, we will walk up to one mile (1.6 km) along snow-covered boardwalks. You should be comfortable walking on slippery, uneven snow. We will be in the vehicles from early morning until evening and pack a lunch to maximize our time in the park.
Winter temperatures in Yellowstone can vary from extremely cold to reasonably mild. We will prepare you before the trip to ensure you have the proper winter clothing to stay warm, and you will always be close to the warm vehicle.
This tour has an activity level of Moderate. Read more about the Activity Levels for our trips.
Itinerary
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This tour offers opportunities to photograph wildlife. We'll maximize our chances of encountering wildlife, but we want to remind you that we don't control wildlife and cannot guarantee encounters with particular species. Itineraries for wildlife trips are subject to change based on wildlife activity.
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Day 1: Arrive in Bozeman
Arrive at Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN) before 2:00 PM on this day. Air travel delays are possible, so please consider arriving early, possibly the day prior. We don't want you to miss out on trip activities. Airport transfer is included on arrival.
You will be picked up at the Bozeman airport and transferred to our hotel in West Yellowstone. We will meet for a welcome dinner and introductory briefing. We'll get to know one another and discuss wildlife camera settings, our itinerary, and park rules to set the stage for the adventure ahead.
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Day 2–4: Interior of the park via snow coach
Some of the best geothermal and wildlife areas are in the park's interior, a snowbound area inaccessible to regular vehicles in the winter. We will travel in a privately chartered snow coach to access these areas.
Our itinerary is packed with scenic geothermal areas, including the Norris, Upper, and Middle Geyser Basins, Old Faithful, West Thumb, and Fountain Paint Pots. We'll also have the opportunity to marvel at the beauty of waterfalls at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Firehole Falls, and Gibbon Falls.
Our daily drives will be guided by wildlife reports, allowing us to be in the right place at the right time to observe animal activity. We'll visit well-known wildlife spots like Hayden Valley and keep a keen eye out for wildlife activity around the Madison, Gibbon, and Firehole Rivers, always prepared for unexpected encounters.
Hotel in West Yellowstone.
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Day 5: Interior of the park via snow coach to Mammoth Hot Springs
We'll check out of our hotel in West Yellowstone and make our way through the park's interior to Mammoth Hot Springs via snow coach, arriving in mid-afternoon.
Once we reach Mammoth, we'll make a stop at our hotel in Gardiner, then head out to look for wildlife at lower elevations at the park's border, such as pronghorn and bighorn sheep.
Hotel in Gardiner.
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Day 6–7: Lamar Valley & Blacktail Plateau
We'll drive along the Northeast Entrance Road between Gardiner and Cooke City daily using a private van accompanied by a local wildlife guide. The Lamar Valley and Blacktail Plateau are typically reliable spots for wildlife encounters, and we'll maximize our chances by visiting them multiple times. We'll also seek scenic sunrises at Mammoth Hot Springs and Lamar Valley.
Hotel in Gardiner.
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Day 8: Departure
As our Yellowstone adventure concludes, we'll check out of our hotel and grab breakfast before driving back to the Bozeman airport for our flights home.
Departure from Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN). Book your departing flight no earlier than 1:00 PM on this day. Airport transfer is included on departure.
Why Travel With Us
Our small-group trips are designed for photographers, with guides who know the best locations and offer instruction to help improve your photography. Read more about why you should travel with us.
Testimonials
I’ve learned more in 3 days than from every other photo workshop or class I’ve done.
This is my first time doing a travel photography tour, and I enjoyed it very much. I would happily use Akari again for more of the same.
This was my third trip with Akari and I look forward to more. I was lucky to add close-up wolves to my portfolio, and the icy snowy backgrounds of Yellowstone in Winter give a different feel than others I already have.
I truly loved this tour. The best I have ever been on. Climate shock from leaving Australia in the middle of a heat wave disappeared when I experienced Yellowstone in winter. Although extremely cold, it is a true wonder. Magnificent landscapes and wildlife everywhere you look. No crowds. Difficult to take a bad photo, although I somehow managed to do that on numerous occasions. Kevin was awesome, from organisation, to guiding, advice on settings through to taking us to the best sites. Challenging on one -40C day but was so worth it. My travel companions were equally brilliant and made it so enjoyable. What more can I say. I would do it again in a heartbeat.
Dates & Prices
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Jan 23–30, 2027$8,250 USD Per PersonDouble Occupancy$895 USDSingle SupplementRegister2 Spots LeftGuides: Kevin LisotaGroup Size: 6Payment Terms: Deposit: $3,000 USDBalance Due: Sep 25, 2026
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Jan 15–22, 2028$8,450 USD Per PersonDouble Occupancy$950 USDSingle SupplementGuides: Kevin LisotaGroup Size: 6Payment Terms: Deposit: $3,000 USDBalance Due: Sep 17, 2027
All of our standard Terms & Conditions apply. Be sure to read our Cancellation Policy.
What's Included
- Double occupancy lodging. Single lodging is available with payment of a single supplement fee.
- All transportation during the tour.
- Airport transfers at arrival/departure.
- All meals, soft drinks, water, and snacks during the tour.
- All permits and entry fees.
- Instruction, guidance, and image reviews from our expert photography guides.
- Personal pre-trip phone consultation.
What's Not Included
- Airfare to and from destination, airport taxes, and excess baggage fees.
- Passport and visa fees, if applicable.
- Travel medical & evacuation insurance (optional but recommended).
- Trip cancellation insurance (optional but recommended).
- Gratuities for local guides & crew.
- Alcoholic beverages.
- Any accommodations or meals before or after the tour dates.
- Items of a personal nature.
Prepare for Your Trip
Please review our photography travel resources, including know your camera and our camera gear list, to help you plan your trip. Before your trip, we’ll contact you with more detailed gear recommendations specific to your trip.
Also, get a head start on your workshop learning experience with our wildlife photography tutorials.