🍂 The Real Yellowstone: A Fall Retreat for Women (October 1-6, 2025)

Discover Yellowstone in its golden season—when the crowds thin, wildlife stirs, and the landscape glows with autumn color. This 6-day, women-only discovery expedition invites you to explore the park’s wild beauty through guided excursions, quiet reflection, and meaningful connection—with nature, with story, and with each other.

Departing from Bozeman and based out of a cozy private lodge near Gardiner, our days are thoughtfully paced to highlight the region’s most iconic sites and hidden gems. We’ll visit thermal basins, canyon overlooks, wildlife-rich valleys, and the historic Western towns that surround the park. You’ll have opportunities to soak in local hot springs, visit the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, and enjoy interpretive stops that bring Indigenous history, pioneer stories, and ecological insight to life.

Each evening, we return “home” to unwind—sharing warm meals, quiet creativity, or fireside conversation. This expedition includes a mix of scenic drives, short walks, cultural storytelling, and space to simply be

🍂 Seasonal Flexibility Disclaimer – October Trips

October weather in Yellowstone is beautifully unpredictable. Snowfall, icy conditions, and seasonal closures may impact road access and park operations without much notice. As such, some itinerary elements may be substituted or adjusted to ensure safety, comfort, and an exceptional guest experience.

Expedition Sisterhood is committed to delivering meaningful, memory-filled days—no matter the weather. If original routes or stops become unavailable, we’ll pivot to equally stunning and enriching alternatives. The itinerary days might be swapped based on weather conditions, availability, or group needs.

Please pack with layers in mind and embrace the adventure of fall in the Rockies!

(Unless otherwise noted, all meals, park entrance fees, guided experiences, and local transportation are included.)

LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE.  This discovery expedition is designed for women seeking connection, awe, and the joy of being guided through one of the most iconic landscapes on Earth — together.

Full itinerary and pre-arrival guide will be sent after booking, along with a waiver and guest preference form. All guests must return their signed waiver to finalize participation.

💳 Payment Plan – Yellowstone Discovery Expedition (October 1-6, 2026)

To reserve your spot, a 20% deposit is due at booking. This deposit secures your place on this small-group expedition.

·         20% deposit due at booking (non-refundable after grace period)

·         The remaining balance will be split into equal monthly payments, due on the 1st of each month, with final payment due by September 1, 2026.

If your final payment is not received within 48 hours of the due date, your space may be released and offered to another guest.

PLEASE NOTE: If you book within 30 days of the expedition, payment terms will change. The payment plan found on the WeTravel website (the booking site for this expedition) supersedes all other payment plans.

Some trip components (such as lodging, park permits, or group reservations) may become non-refundable after booking unless your spot can be resold. Full payment terms will be included in your invoice and guest agreement.

🕊️ Grace Period

Guests may cancel within 7 calendar days of booking for a full refund, including the deposit—if the waiver and guest agreement have not yet been signed.  If booking within 30 days of the expedition, the grace period is waived, and the cancellation policy will be in effect.

Once the waiver is signed or the 7-day window has passed (whichever comes first), the deposit becomes non-refundable, and the cancellation policy below applies.

❗Cancellation Policy

• The 20% deposit is non-refundable after the grace period.

• Cancellations more than 14 days prior to the expedition start date may be eligible for a partial refund of additional payments, depending on what costs can be recovered or resold.

• Cancellations within 14 days of departure are non-refundable, unless your spot is filled by another guest.

Expedition Sisterhood will always make a good-faith effort to resell unused spots and issue partial refunds when possible.

Full cancellation terms will be outlined in your guest waiver and booking agreement, sent within 7 days of registration.

Bringing a group of 3 or more women? You’ll receive 10% off your total booking. Email Christine at christine@expeditionsisterhood.com before booking to receive your custom discount code.

You’ll arrive in Bozeman by early afternoon, where we gather and begin our journey with a relaxed, late lunch at the historic Murray Bar & Grill in Livingston—your first taste of small-town Montana and Western hospitality. From there, we wind south through Paradise Valley, watching the Yellowstone River twist alongside us and the Absaroka Mountains rise like sentinels alongside the road.

Guests driving directly to the lodge will fold into the group as we arrive at our cozy home base between Emigrant and Gardiner, with time to settle into rooms and exhale from travel. As evening falls, we head into Yellowstone National Park to listen for elk bugling and, if the skies cooperate, take in the stars in that particular way they appear only in big, wild places.

We close the night back at the lodge with dinner, introductions, an “official” orientation, and a beautiful dessert board to share—setting the tone for a week of connection and spaciousness. All timing is lightly held and may flex around flight arrivals and road conditions.

We start with a self-serve breakfast at the lodge—coffee, tea, fruit, pastries, and proteins—before heading out through Yellowstone’s northern range, with its sweeping valleys, winding river, and wildlife-rich meadows. The morning unfolds slowly, with stops chosen not just for photos but for those quiet, stand-and-take-it-in moments that remind you how small and held you are in the landscape.

By late morning, we find a scenic spot for a picnic lunch and then continue east, picking up the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway and pausing at places like Sunlight Creek Bridge and Dead Indian Pass to let both the views and the history sink in. We arrive in Cody for an easygoing afternoon, including time at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, where you can choose among several museums—from Plains Indian history to Western art and natural science—plus optional wandering through town, galleries, or historic corners.

After a hearty Western dinner at the Proud Cut Saloon, we drive back toward Yellowstone via the East Entrance, watching the light shift over Sylvan Pass and Yellowstone Lake and, if we’re lucky, catching a glimpse of the moon rising over the water before making our way home—snacks and stories flowing as the day winds down.

Note: Exact routes and stops within the park are subject to road conditions and National Park Service operations; adjustments may be made to ensure safety and comfort.

After another relaxed breakfast at the lodge, we head south into the heart of Yellowstone’s geothermal country, traveling past the Hoodoos and high-country views that make the drive itself part of the experience. Our morning includes a stop at Gibbon Falls for an easy viewpoint over the rushing river, followed by a boardwalk walk at Fountain Paint Pots in the Lower Geyser Basin, where steaming vents, bubbling mud, and unexpected colors remind you this land is alive under your feet.

We continue to the Midway Geyser Basin to see Grand Prismatic Spring, adjusting walking distance and viewing angles based on group energy and current conditions so everyone can take in the vivid bands of color safely and comfortably. At Old Faithful, we check the eruption schedule and time lunch—either at the historic Old Faithful Inn, if available, or one of the nearby options—so you can witness an eruption from the boardwalk or from a cozy viewing spot.

The afternoon brings us back north through the Firehole River corridor, with storytelling stops at places like Mattie Culver’s gravesite, the Nez Perce Trail marker, and the Queen’s Laundry area, plus a short walk at Artist Paint Pots before we return to Gardiner for ice cream (an Expedition Sisterhood tradition), optional shopping, and a gentle evening at the lodge.

Note: Geyser basin access, boardwalks, and Old Faithful Inn operations may vary by season and conditions; alternative sites will be selected if needed.

Today is intentionally slower, with a simple breakfast at the lodge followed by a mid-morning soak at Yellowstone Hot Springs, where warm mineral pools, mountain views, and open sky offer a reset for body and nervous system alike. After our soak, we wander Yellowstone’s northern roads at an easier pace, stopping at Undine Falls and the Petrified Tree for short walks that invite you to notice the details—water, stone, and the memory of ancient forests embedded in the land.

We pause at overlooks like Calcite Springs and, if conditions allow, visit Tower Fall, letting you choose how much walking feels right while still soaking in the power of the canyon below. From Tower Junction, we return to Lamar Valley for more time with its wide-open views and wildlife, enjoying a relaxed picnic-style lunch along the way if conditions permit.

Later, we head to Mammoth Hot Springs Terraces for a final geothermal walk before returning to the lodge for a cozy pizza night, optional card-making or creative time, and, for those who wish, a quiet after-dark drive to listen for elk bugling and feel the park’s nighttime stillness.

Fueled by breakfast at the lodge, we set out early for a full yet thoughtfully paced day in the heart of the park, beginning at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. We’ll visit several classic viewpoints—such as the Brink of the Upper Falls, a Lower Falls overlook, and Artist Point—giving you time not just to snap photos, but to feel the power of the river and the scale of the canyon.

From there, we continue south through Hayden Valley, watching for wolves, grizzlies, bison, elk, and migrating birds as the landscape opens wide around the river corridor. Our route carries us to West Thumb Geyser Basin along the shores of Yellowstone Lake, where hot springs and geysers sit right beside the water, and then toward Fishing Bridge and the Mud Volcano area for an optional short boardwalk loop through otherworldly steam and mud.

On the way back north, we may stop at Obsidian Cliff and Sheepeater Cliffs to connect the geology under our feet with Mountain Shoshone (Tukadika) history before ending the day with dinner at a locally owned Gardiner restaurant and a final evening of tea, cocoa, and reflection at the lodge.

Note: Some viewpoints, boardwalks, and roads may be seasonally closed or impacted by weather; alternate stops will be substituted as needed.

Our final morning begins slowly as we pack up, take group photos, and say goodbye to the lodge that’s held our week together. We then travel back to Bozeman and gather for a farewell brunch at Western Café—no-frills, hearty Montana comfort food that grounds you before you re-enter everyday life.

After brunch, Christine provides airport drop-offs to Bozeman (BZN) for guests with flights 12:00 PM or later, and she’ll remain available for on-the-ground support until 2:00 PM for those transitioning to other destinations. Guests with earlier flights can arrange private transfers or an overnight in Bozeman the night before; those heading back to Butte, Helena, or Missoula will depart with Christine mid-afternoon.

For anyone with later flights or extra time, you might choose to visit the Museum of the Rockies or wander downtown Bozeman on your own before heading home—carrying Yellowstone’s light and the voices of this sisterhood with you.