Journey into Joshua Tree Self-Guided Audio Driving Tour
- 3–4 hours
- Free cancellation up to 24h before
- 4 languages
- Instant confirmation
Highlights
Explore Joshua Tree National Park in your own car with GPS-triggered audio that plays automatically as you drive—even without cell service. Start from either the West or North Entrance and follow the route at your own pace, stopping whenever you like for hikes, photos, scenic viewpoints, or a break. Along the way, discover iconic sights including Hidden Valley, Skull Rock, Cholla Cactus Garden, and more. Hear about the park’s history, landscape, wildlife, and unique desert environment. Your purchase also includes our Joshua Tree Area Guide, featuring recommendations for restaurants, hikes, art, and other places worth exploring in Joshua Tree, Yucca Valley, and Pioneertown. - Explore Joshua Tree independently in your own vehicle - GPS-triggered narration plays automatically along the route - Works offline after the tour is downloaded - Pause anytime for hikes, photos, meals, or scenic stops - One purchase covers everyone in your vehicle - Includes a bonus Joshua Tree Local Area Guide
Inclusions
What's included
- Lifetime Tour Access Once Unlocked
- Start from Either the West or North Park Entrance
- Offline Tour Access After Download
- Bonus Joshua Tree Area Guide — Restaurants, Hikes, Art & More
- Interactive Route Map and Stop Information
- GPS-Triggered Audio Tour in the Drives & Detours App
- One Purchase Covers Everyone in Your Vehicle
What's not
- Food & Drink
Itinerary
Explore Joshua Tree National Park on a self-guided driving tour through its two distinct desert ecosystems. GPS-triggered audio plays automatically as you drive, with stops at scenic overlooks, rock formations, historic sites, and optional hiking trails along the way.
Quail Springs is a trailhead and picnic area. It's a great place to get out and walk around, explore some boulders, and take some pictures. An optional hike can take you to a nearby homestead site with rock carvings.
The Hidden Valley Trail is a relatively easy one-mile loop that circles a secluded valley surrounded by towering rock formations. It’s a particularly scenic hike, especially given how short and level it is.
Take a short loop hike to a natural tank that was artificially fortified by ranchers in the early 1900’s to collect rain and runoff for livestock. On the way back, keep your eyes out for some petroglyphs and rock art.
Optional hike from the Barker Dam area to visit the Wall Street Mill, which processed ore that was extracted from nearby mines. Also along the way are the Wonderland Ranch homestead ruins.
Stop at this scenic overlook that provides a sweeping panorama of the Coachella Valley. On a clear day, you can see for miles, from the Salton Sea to the south, to Mount San Jacinto which towers above Palm Springs at an elevation of 10,830 feet.
Take a short hike (optional) to this old homestead site of a wealthy rancher turned mine operator.
Get out and explore a mini slot canyon tucked into the boulders!
Optional but challenging hike to the top of Ryan Mountain. Because of its central location within the park, the views from the top can be stunning.
Located right along the road, Skull Rock is a natural rock formation and popular photo spot.
Another optional loop hike that gets a little less traffic than some of the other sites in the park.
Relatively easy and popular hike that lets you visit 2 natural rock formations on one hike, Arch Rock and Heart Rock.
Cancellation
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.
Reviews
3.7
- 50
- 42
- 31
- 20
- 10
Ratings come from 3 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
- Meeting point
- Option 2: The audio tour will start automatically after entering Joshua Tree National Park through the North Entrance Station.
- Pickup
- Everyone meets at the starting point; there is no pickup.
- Ticket type
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Operated by
- Drives & Detours
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Works entirely offline once downloaded—no cell service required
- GPS-triggered audio plays automatically as you approach featured locations
- Start from either the West or North park entrance and follow the route shown in the app
- All suggested hikes are optional; the driving tour takes approximately 3–4 hours without extended stops or hikes
- Includes a bonus Joshua Tree Area Guide with recommendations for restaurants, hikes, art, roadside attractions, and more
How it compares in Palm Springs
- Its from-price is 91% below the median of the 141 experiences we list in Palm Springs.
- It is longer than most of them.
- By number of reviews it ranks 81 of 141.
- 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.
Special offers in Palm Springs
Was/now prices come from the operator, never from us.
