Glacier Point to Yosemite Valley advice needed

[Rongo]

I'm a first-time visitor. What can I expect on the hike on Panorama trail to Nevada Falls and then to Curry Village parking? The plan is to park in the valley and take the shuttle to Glacier Point, then hike back to the car in the valley. How long will the hike take and is it demanding? We are novice hikers. Where does the shuttle depart from?

[Grzldvt]

The shuttle is located at Yosemite Lodge. by the main store. This is a good hike, but demanding is definitely a very wide definition. This is 9 miles of mostly downhill. Some people can do the 9 miles without even blinking an eye, others struggle to get all the way down in a day.

[AlmostThere]

By the way, if you are talking about the free shuttle, it doesn't go to glacier point. You need to buy a one way ticket on the tour bis.

[weendoggy]

Not sure if you've done this yet, but this is a moderate/extreme hike. Mostly downhill 85% can play havoc on your joints and muscles (caves) if you haven't been getting ready. Other than that, it's the best view of the valley and surrounding areas. You start by going south down toward Illiloutte Creek and views of Mt. Starr King and Clark Range. Then drop down to the creek, accross the bridge and do the climb to Panorama Trail. Done with the uphill part. If you choose the JMT from Nevada Fall, I think you miss the best the Merced River has to offer for views of Nevada and Vernal Fall. It's .2 mile shorter down the Mist Trail and this is where the legs need a good rest. You should be able to do the hike in about six hours easily with good breaks. I just did this two weeks ago in five with a .5 hr rest at Nevada and a lot of photo stops. Not a race, but comfortable. I also started at 7am from Glacier Pt to keep it cool.

If you take the bus (pay for one way) I don't think you'll get a start earlier than 10:30am or 11:00am in the morning by the time you get to Glacier Pt. so take that into concideration when planning your hike. You'll also run into a LOT of people coming up/down the Mist Trail. Have fun.