Plan IDay 1: Stay in Mammoth Hot Spring Hotel
Morning flight to Bozeman, MT and arrive in Bozeman in early afternoon .
Get a rental car and drive 90 East to Livingston and change to 89 South.In the junction of 90 and 89 (southwest corner), there is a supermarket Albertson, make a stop and pack your cooler.Get to the North entrance of the Yellowstone in about an hour.Take pictures with the Roosevelt Arch and at the entrance.Drive 5 mile to Mammoth Hot Springs.Check-in to the Mammoth Hot Spring Hotel, obtain information at the Visitor Center, and spend rest of the afternoon to see things around Mammoth Spring area,such as: lower Terraces area and upper Terraces area.
Day 2: Stay in Lake Hotel
If interested in wild animals, you may get up early and drive east to Lamar Valley.Then to Tower-Roosevelt to see Tower falls.Then drive to Canyon to see lower falls and upper falls.You may spend 3-4 hours in Canyon since there are many must-see views.In the late afternoon, continue driving south and pass by Hayden Valley, and you will see magnificent buffalos views.Stop at the Mud Volcano and you may see buffalos in a very short distance.Drive to Fishing Bridge and may have dinner there.Head to Lake Hotel to end the day.
Day 3: Stay in West Yellowstone
Drive south to West Thumb to see a group of geyser basins.Then drive to Old Faithful.While waiting for the eruption of the Old Faithful, have lunch either in the cafeteria there or with your own food.After seeing the eruption, head north to see upper, midway, and lower basins.Dont miss the side drive: firehole lake drive.Drive north to Norris to see a large area of geyser basins.Drive back to Madison and west to West Yellowstone via the west entrance.You may stay in Holiday Inn, or Inn & Suite, or Kelly Inn. Have dinner in the only Chinese restaurant in the town: Chinatown.
Day 4: Leave Yellowstone
See "Yellowstone" in Imax theater in the morning, shop round in the town for souvenirs and get ready to leave Yellowstone.
Plan II
Day 0: Stay in Billings
If interested in scenic mountain view and good at driving on mountain roads, take evening flight to Billings, MT, stay in Howard Johnson Hotel.
Day 1: Stay in Mammoth Hot Spring Hotel
Drive 90 West to 212 South and follow 212 all the way to the Yellowstone northeast entrance.On the way, there is a nice town called Red lodge and there is a supermarket at your right hand side, you may make a stop and pack your cooler. Arrive at the Northeast entrance of the Yellowstone at noon or early afternoon.Drive west to Mammoth Hot Springs.Check-in to the Mammoth Hot Spring Hotel, obtain information at the Visitor Center, and spend rest of the afternoon to see things around, such as: lower Terraces area and upper Terraces area.
Day 2, Day 3, and Day 4 are same as in Plan I.
Others: there are a few restaurants/cafeteria inside Yellowstone.The food there is not too expensive but you may feel uncomfortable after eating a few.
What to bring?
Sunscreen lotion, cooler, rice cooker, knife, can opener, cans, instant noodles, rice,..........
What to buy at the local supermarket?
Lots of water, fruit, milk, eggs, bread, sliced turkey/ham (for making sandwich),...........