Death Valley National Park Self-Guided Audio Driving Tour

Highlights

Inclusions

Itinerary

1. Despite its foreboding name, this valley is one of the most thrilling places in the country. Sure, it’s the hottest place in the world, but you’ll soon see that the heat is worth the hassle! Note: The tour is over 80 miles long, includes more than 55 audio stories, and takes about 4-5 hours to complete. New. Lifetime access with no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want. Important: Please download the Tour Guide App by Action and your Death Valley audio tour before entering the park. Cell service can be very limited in Death Valley, so download the tour in advance over strong WiFi or cellular data. Once downloaded, the GPS map and audio stories work offline while you drive.

   5 min

2. While the famed Gold Rush brought a huge influx of hopefuls to Death Valley, it wasn’t gold which kept the valley on the map. In their frantic search for that prized metal, miners stumbled upon something just as valuable: borax.

   5 min

3. Affording breathtaking views of the undulating salt flats below, Dante's View is a phenomenal place for photography, or simply watching the sun set behind the Panamint Mountains. This vista towers more than 5,000 feet above the Badwater Basin, on the cusp of the Black Mountain Range.

   Passes by

4. This is Twenty Mule Team Canyon, named for those iconic wagon trains I just mentioned. This winding road offers some truly excellent desert scenery as you weave between saffron colored hills and colorful badlands. If you visit in the early morning or around sunset, you’ll be treated to dazzling colors as the orange sunlight paints the dramatic rock faces.

   Passes by

5. Named for a 19th-century borax baron, who you’ll hear about in a second, Zabriskie Point is easily one of Death Valley’s most iconic locations. From this perch on the Amargosa Mountain range, you can really see how erosion has shaped this valley. Directly below are the badlands. Past those, much lighter in color, you’ll see the dazzling salt flats. All of it is framed by the hulking Panamint Mountains beyond.

   Passes by

6. Here at the Furnace Creek Visitor Center, you’ll find snacks, water, and restrooms, but more importantly…a thermometer! Just outside the entrance is a big digital readout that’ll tell you exactly how hot it is here at one of Death Valley’s lowest points. Make sure to snap a photo standing next to it to shock your friends and family back home.

   Passes by

7. From here, you can access the Golden Canyon trail. This out and back trail is about 3 miles total, and takes around one hour to complete. This popular trail sees many visitors each year, so you’re sure to encounter a few fellow hikers during your trip!

   Passes by

8. That gentle hill off to your right is called Mars Hill. If you think about it, the name makes sense! Much of Death Valley brings to mind the arid, lifeless surface of the planet Mars. The deep ochre stones, strange rock formations and great dusty expanses certainly feel like they don’t quite belong on earth.

   5 min

9. This canvas was painted by volcanic deposits of iron oxides and chlorite. While the badlands of Zabriskie Point were colored largely by different sedimentary deposits, these rocks owe their glow to a totally different era of Death Valley’s geology.

   Passes by

10. This is the best spot to view the Artist’s Palette, a collection of wildly colorful rocks that look like they can’t possibly be natural. And yet they are!

    Passes by

11. This road is rugged and unpaved, so use caution when driving. It leads to a fascinating landscape known as Devils Golf Course. When most people think of golf courses, they’ll imagine verdant rolling hills, smoothly manicured turf and the sound of birdsong. But Death Valley offers no such thing.

    Passes by

12. This is Badwater Basin, home to salt flats which spread out across the desert for a whopping 200 square miles. At 282 feet below sea level, this basin is the lowest point in North America.

    5 min

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.

Reviews

Ratings come from 37 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.

Know before you go

How it compares in Palm Springs

• Its from-price is 89% below the median of the 14 day trips we list in Palm Springs.
• Its length is typical for the group.
• By number of reviews it ranks 8 of 14.
• The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Palm Springs

Palm Springs, in California's Coachella Valley, is a desert resort of mid-century modern design, palm-lined streets and the San Jacinto Mountains.

Palm Springs lies in the Colorado Desert of southern California, at the foot of the steep San Jacinto Mountains, a resort that drew film stars and golfers from the 1930s. Mid-century modern houses and motels by architects such as Richard Neutra and Albert Frey give the town its look, and Palm Canyon Drive is lined with shops, galleries and cafés. The Palm Springs Art Museum shows modern and Western art.

Top-ranked sights in Palm Springs: Joshua Tree National Park, Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, Mt. San Jacinto State Park and Wilderness.

See all 141 experiences in Palm Springs