The Short Answer
A week-long Montana trip for two people runs roughly $2,500 to $6,000 total, depending on when you go, where you sleep, and how you get around. Budget travelers who camp and cook most meals can get through a week closer to $1,200 to $1,800. Visitors staying in mid-range lodges and mixing in one or two guided activities typically land between $3,000 and $4,500. A lodge-and-guided-everything trip can push $8,000 to $12,000. The biggest variables are lodging and the season: peak summer in Glacier Country commands the highest rates in the state, and prices drop 20 to 40 percent once September shades into October.
Montana's scale affects your budget in ways that catch first-time visitors off guard. Bozeman to the west entrance of Glacier National Park is roughly 320 miles and six to seven hours of driving. If you plan to cover both Glacier and Yellowstone on one trip, factor in significant fuel costs and possibly extra overnight stops just for the transit. The Montana Travel Guide can help you figure out which region or regions make sense for the time and budget you have before you start booking.
Park Fees and Entry Permits
The America the Beautiful Annual Pass costs $80 and covers entry to all federal lands, including both Glacier and Yellowstone. If you plan to visit even one of those parks, the math favors the pass immediately: a standard vehicle entry at Glacier is $35 for seven days, and Yellowstone is the same. Pick up the pass online at nps.gov or at any park entrance booth. It covers Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service day-use sites as well, which comes up often on Montana road trips.
Glacier runs a timed vehicle reservation system for the Going-to-the-Sun Road corridor during peak season, typically from late June through mid-September. Reservation fees are modest, around $2 per vehicle through Recreation.gov, but slots fill within minutes when they go live in the spring. Missing the reservation window does not lock you out entirely: you can still enter the corridor before 6 a.m. or after 3 p.m. without one. That said, those windows fill quickly on busy July days, so plan around them rather than count on them.
Lodging: What Things Cost
National park campgrounds are the most budget-friendly option. Campsite fees at Glacier run $10 to $23 per night depending on the site type; Yellowstone runs $20 to $35. Walk-in sites exist at both parks, but the most popular ones fill completely in July and August. Many Glacier, St. Mary, and Apgar in Glacier, and Pebble Creek and Slough Creek in Yellowstone, are worth reserving through Recreation.gov six months ahead if you have a firm summer date.
Gateway town hotels in Whitefish, West Yellowstone, Gardiner, and Kalispell run $120 to $200 per night in peak summer, dropping to $80 to $140 in the shoulder months of May and October. Mid-range lodges with mountain views near Glacier or Yellowstone run $220 to $380 per night. Higher-end properties in Big Sky, Whitefish, and Paradise Valley push $350 to $600 and above. Dude ranches, which typically include meals, horses, and activities in the rate, run $300 to $700 per person per night and require a minimum stay of three nights to a week.
Transportation: Car Rental, Gas, and Getting Around
A rental car is not optional in Montana. The state has no statewide transit network and distances between the places most visitors want to reach are long. Rentals from Bozeman Yellowstone International (BZN), the state's busiest airport, run $60 to $120 per day in summer and $45 to $80 in the off-season. Book as far ahead as you can; summer inventory at Montana airports tightens as early as April. Missoula (MSO) and Glacier Park International in Kalispell (FCA) have rental fleets with similar pricing, and flying into those airports sometimes undercuts BZN on airfare if Glacier is your main destination.
Gas adds up fast on a Montana road trip. Expect to fill a mid-size SUV three to five times over a week of driving if you are covering multiple regions. Fuel prices generally track the national average, though remote areas charge more. Fill the tank in every town you pass through: stations get scarce east of Great Falls and sparse along the approach routes to the Beartooth Highway from the east. A week of driving covering 600 to 800 miles typically costs $80 to $160 in fuel.
Food, Guided Activities, and Add-On Costs
Eating out in Montana's main visitor towns costs roughly $12 to $18 per person for lunch and $25 to $55 per person for dinner with a drink. Whitefish, Bozeman, and Missoula have solid restaurant scenes at those price points. Concessions inside Glacier and Yellowstone are limited and more expensive than town options. Groceries for a week of camping or self-catered meals for two run $150 to $250 at well-stocked stores in any of those towns, and cooking your own breakfast and lunches is the single fastest way to control trip costs.
Guided activities are where the budget can jump significantly. A guided fly fishing float on the Madison or Gallatin River runs $400 to $550 for two people for a half day and $550 to $700 for a full day with a licensed outfitter. Whitewater rafting half-day trips on the Gallatin or the Middle Fork of the Flathead run $55 to $85 per person. Ski lift tickets at Big Sky Resort run $100 to $175 per day; Whitefish Mountain Resort runs $80 to $140. Wildlife watching guided half-day tours in Yellowstone's Lamar Valley typically run $100 to $200 per person. One or two guided activities in a week can add $400 to $1,200 to your overall total.
Practical Tips to Manage Your Budget
The Best Time to Visit Montana guide covers the season trade-offs in detail, but the short version is this: late May into early June and late September through October are the two windows where you get meaningfully lower lodging rates without giving up most of what makes Montana worth visiting. Fall in particular gives you the elk rut running in Paradise Valley and around the park margins, far fewer cars on Going-to-the-Sun Road, and 20 to 40 percent off peak summer lodge rates. Check the Montana Weather by Month page before you set your dates so you know what conditions to expect.
A few other moves that stretch your budget: buy the America the Beautiful pass regardless of how many parks you plan to visit. Book lodging near Glacier or Yellowstone as early as January for the following July and August, since popular properties fill within hours of opening reservations. Pack snacks and lunches for days inside the parks. Split the week between two or three nights of camping and three or four nights in a hotel or lodge so you get the experience of both without paying lodge rates every night. And if the airfare into BZN looks steep, check MSO and FCA before you commit, since those routes sometimes come in lower on certain carriers.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a week in Montana cost for two people?
Budget roughly $2,500 to $4,500 for two people for a week, including lodging, a rental car, fuel, food, and one or two activities. Camping-and-cooking trips can come in closer to $1,500 total. Add a guided fly fishing day and mid-range lodge stays, and the total easily reaches $4,000 to $6,000. Dude ranch and luxury lodge trips run considerably more.
Is the America the Beautiful Annual Pass worth buying for a Montana trip?
Yes, for nearly every visitor. The pass costs $80 and covers entry to all national parks and federal lands. A seven-day vehicle pass to Glacier is $35, and Yellowstone is another $35. If you visit both, you break even immediately. The pass also covers Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service day-use sites, which comes up regularly on Montana road trips.
What is the cheapest time to visit Montana?
Late September through October and late May through early June tend to have the lowest lodging rates, typically 20 to 40 percent below peak July and August prices. Most activities still run in fall, and the elk rut makes late September worth the trip on its own. Spring has more road closures on high-country routes but has the lowest hotel rates of the year.
How far in advance do I need to book lodging near Glacier or Yellowstone?
For July and August stays near Glacier or Yellowstone, book six to twelve months ahead. The most popular lodges near Many Glacier and properties inside Yellowstone fill within hours of opening reservation windows in January for the following summer. If you are camping, Recreation.gov reservations for the busiest sites open six months before the date and sell out fast.