Grand Teton & Jackson Hole · Wyoming

Four Days
in the Tetons

September 17 – 20, 2026
Stay
Four Seasons Jackson Hole
Transport
Rental Car
UA1808 · Sep 17
LEX → DEN
9:15 AM – 10:26 AM
UA2193 · Sep 17
DEN → JAC
11:15 AM – 12:44 PM
UA2458 · Sep 20
JAC → ORD
12:13 PM – 4:22 PM
UA5453 · Sep 20
ORD → LEX
5:50 PM – 8:28 PM
Day One · Thursday, Sept 17
Arrival, Shopping & Town Square
easy landing, first taste of Jackson
12:44 PM
Land at Jackson Hole Airport
Flight UA2193 arrives from Denver.
Open in Apple Maps →
1:15 PM
Rental car pickup
Allow ~30 minutes for bags and the counter.
1:40 PM
Drive to Teton Village
~20 minutes, Tetons in view most of the way.
2:00 PM
Check in — Four Seasons Jackson Hole
Settle in and unpack.
Open in Apple Maps →
2:15 PM
Drop bags, quick change
The tram base is right at Teton Village — no drive needed.
2:30 PM – 3:30 PM
Aerial Tram + Corbet's Cabin
First-come, first-served, runs 9 AM–5 PM, no reservation needed. Twelve minutes up to 10,450 ft — waffles at Corbet's Cabin at the top are non-negotiable.
No booking needed Open in Apple Maps →
3:30 PM
Drive to downtown Jackson
~20 minutes from Teton Village to Town Square.
3:50 PM – 5:30 PM
Shopping & exploring, Town Square
Wander the galleries, boutiques, and outfitters around Town Square and its famous elk-antler arches — a relaxed first taste of Jackson before dinner.
No booking needed Open in Apple Maps →
5:30 PM – 6:45 PM
Pre-dinner downtime
Coffee or a drink downtown, or head back to the hotel to change before dinner — whichever feels right after travel.
7:00 PM
Dinner — Snake River Grill
84 E. Broadway, Town Square · (307) 733-0557. New American cuisine, 300-bottle wine list, log-cabin dining room. Closed Sundays — reserve well ahead for peak season.
Reserve now Open in Apple Maps →
9:00 PM
Million Dollar Cowboy Bar
25 N. Cache St. — an easy walk from Snake River Grill. Saddle bar stools, taxidermy, and usually live music or dancing.
Walk-in Open in Apple Maps →
Day Two · Friday, Sept 18
Horseback, Spa & Rodeo
saddle up, then slow down
7:00 AM
Breakfast — Persephone Bakery
145 E. Broadway · (307) 200-6708. Counter service, no reservations — go early before the line builds. Breakfast at the Four Seasons is also an easy option if you'd rather skip the trip into town this morning.
Optional — hotel breakfast also available Open in Apple Maps →
9:40 AM
Depart hotel for horseback outfitter
~40 minutes each way — confirm exact meeting location and outfitter when booking.
11:00 AM – 1:30 PM
Horseback ride — group lunch ride
2.5-hour group ride with a simple lunch included on the trail.
Confirm booking
1:30 PM
Drive back to Teton Village
~40 minutes.
~2:30 PM
Back at Four Seasons — free time
Change out of riding clothes, relax before the spa.
3:30 PM – 5:00 PM
Spa time — Four Seasons
Book treatments in advance — this is the relaxation window built into the trip.
Book treatments ahead
5:00 PM
Depart hotel for the fairgrounds
~20–25 minutes from Teton Village.
Gates 5:30 PM / Show 7:00 PM
Thunder in the Tetons — Bull Riding
Teton County Fairgrounds, 447 Snow King Ave. Runs both 9/18 and 9/19 this year — food vendors and pre-show entertainment at the gate, so dinner can happen right there.
Buy tickets on SeatGeek → Or on StubHub → Open in Apple Maps →
~9:30 PM
Show ends, return to hotel
Day Three · Saturday, Sept 19
The Grand Yellowstone Loop
the big day — brisk pace to make sunset
8:00 AM
Depart Four Seasons
Coffee to go. North through Grand Teton National Park toward Moran, then on to Yellowstone's South Entrance.
9:25 AM
Enter Yellowstone, South Entrance
~1h25m from the hotel.
Open in Apple Maps →
Yellowstone National Park
10:15 AM – 11:00 AM
Old Faithful & Upper Geyser Basin
Check the visitor center board for the predicted eruption window on arrival.
Open in Apple Maps →
11:15 AM – 12:00 PM
Grand Prismatic Spring, Midway Geyser Basin
The boardwalk gets you close. Skipping the Fairy Falls overlook hike today to keep pace — that's the trim to know about if you want the classic overhead color shot.
Open in Apple Maps →
12:35 PM – 12:50 PM
Gibbon Falls
Quick roadside waterfall stop via Madison Junction.
Open in Apple Maps →
1:25 PM – 2:15 PM
Grand Canyon of Yellowstone + lunch
Canyon Village — grab lunch at the general store/cafeteria, then Artist Point and the Lower Falls overlooks.
Open in Apple Maps →
2:30 PM – 2:45 PM
Mud Volcano & Dragon's Mouth Spring
~12 min south of Canyon toward Fishing Bridge.
Open in Apple Maps →
2:55 PM – 3:30 PM
Hayden Valley
Prime wildlife-watching — bison, and with luck wolves or grizzlies. Least flex time in the day; a bison jam here is the most likely thing to push everything later.
Open in Apple Maps →
3:30 PM
Begin drive south, exit Yellowstone
Via Fishing Bridge, West Thumb, and the South Entrance.
5:15 PM
Re-enter Grand Teton National Park
Approaching Moose.
6:00 PM
Back at Four Seasons
Straight back to the hotel tonight rather than a stop along the way — a long day out, good to unwind before a late dinner.
Open in Apple Maps →
7:30 PM
Late dinner — Four Seasons
Handle Bar, on property — the easy option after a full day. Confirm hours and reserve ahead.
Reserve ahead
Day Four · Sunday, Sept 20
Sunrise & Departure
pack the night before — this morning is tight
5:00 AM
Pickup — Wyoming Balloon Company
Meet outside the hotel; sunrise is ~6:40 AM this time of year, so pickup happens well before first light.
Book early — weather-dependent
5:30 AM
Arrive launch site
Balloon inflation and safety briefing.
6:40 AM
Launch at sunrise
Float over the Tetons and Snake River as the sun comes up.
7:40 AM
Landing & champagne toast
8:45 AM
Back at Four Seasons
9:00 AM
Shower, finish packing, check out
Have bags mostly packed the night before to keep this window comfortable.
10:00 AM
Depart hotel for the airport
~20 minutes.
10:30 AM
Arrive JAC Airport
Small airport — this gives a comfortable buffer before boarding.
Open in Apple Maps →
12:13 PM
Depart JAC — UA2458 to Chicago
Connects to UA5453, landing LEX at 8:28 PM.

Book Now — 3 Weeks Out

Snake River Grill Reserve now for Thursday dinner — peak season books up fast. (307) 733-0557.
Yellowstone day This is a full ~15-hour day — pack snacks/water and check the road/weather conditions the morning of.
Thunder in the Tetons Tickets via SeatGeek or StubHub — links above.
Hot air balloon Book early; mornings are the only safe flying window, and weather can force a reschedule.
Horseback ride Confirm the outfitter and exact meeting point for the Friday 11 AM group lunch ride — it's ~40 minutes each way from the hotel.
Spa Call the Four Seasons spa directly to lock in Friday afternoon treatments.
Weather Mid-September swings from low 30s°F at dawn to low 70s°F midday — layers for the balloon ride and horseback ride especially.
Have a wonderful trip out west.