Lake Tahoe Self-Guided Audio Tour

Highlights

Inclusions

Itinerary

1. This marks the start of the leg that leads around the east side of Lake Tahoe on the Nevada side, as you head south along Highway 28 through Incline Village, with spectacular views of the lake, Sierra Nevada Mountains on the California side, and the Carson Range to your left. There is an incredible walking and biking path called the East Shore Trail that runs alongside this part of the lake, which is just brilliant to take advantage of if you’re staying around Tahoe for longer than the day.

   10 min

2. This beach is simply stunning. It’s actually got three beachfronts that all have different landscapes and views, with a nature boardwalk that is a must-do! It is a gorgeous, rambling, easy walk full of discovering wildlife creatures and water views for miles in every direction. Pay the entrance fee and park wherever you can. You can walk a path that leads to all three beaches.  The beach furthest south has a sandy beach and very shallow water pretty far out into the lake, making it perfect for stand-up paddleboarding! The middle section of this park is where the Visitor Center is and a really wonderful cafe where you can dine outside overlooking the lake. The two beaches on the north side of the park have those huge boulders that make it so much fun for kids who want to climb, and add such character to your photos.

   10 min

3. From this point, you’re heading toward South Lake Tahoe along Highway 50. And this overlook is very popular for those taking wedding and engagement photos. You’ll understand why once you park and walk up the short paved path for the views. Because at the last couple of stops you were close to lake level, and now….you’re high above Lake Tahoe. These panoramic views are just breathtaking!

   5 min

4. Another must-see stop! After approaching Cave Rock and driving through that short tunnel, you’re going to want to head down to the shoreline and look straight up at the entire rock formation and cave! It is a marvel, for sure!

   45 min

5. You may not want to pay another entrance fee if you’re not planning on beaching it for the day, but you can pull into the entrance, then bear left for the restaurant and general store and park there just to get out for a few minutes and see this gorgeous beach and the forest surrounding it, complete with little log cabins you can rent for lodging. But if you do want to pay the fee and spend a little while at this beach, or make a reservation on the M.S. Dixie Paddlewheeler for a boat ride out on the lake, I can’t say I blame you! There’s volleyball and water activity rentals available from here, too.

   15 min

6. This is another beachfront that is a must-see. The beauty of this beach is astounding. Once you drive down the road it’s on, you’ll see a wooden fence along the side of the road. So if you don’t want to pay to park in the lot, you can turn your car around and find a parking space along the fenceline. Then you’ll see a beautiful walking path that you can take down to the shoreline of this gorgeous beach. The view from here of all the mountains in the distance that surround the lake, and the soaring trees along the shoreline make the landscape so unusual and glorious!

   1 h

7. You’ll come to Heavenly Village, full of shops and places to eat. Once you park, walk inside the main hotel lobby of Heavenly to purchase tickets if you want to take the gondola ride for heavenly views of the lake.

   1 h

8. You’ll know what street to turn down for the beachfront because of the adorable log cabin General Store on the corner! Stop inside because it’s a cozy place and on a chilly day the fire will be going and you can even grab a meal from the little cafe, or shop for some souvenirs.

   Passes by

9. Definitely worth a walk-through. Park and take the trails through the old summer estates of the past. The Baldwin Museum, if open, is an old log cabin that you can tour. Some of the other old log cabin mansions on the water are just super cool to walk around, all in the gorgeous forest along the lake.

   30 min

10. The next road from Tallac leads to another visitor center and some nature trails. If you’re pressed for time, this is an optional stop that I’d say isn’t a priority – unless it’s salmon spawning season, in which case you can follow the creek along the Rainbow Trail and watch the bright orange salmon swimming upstream!

    15 min

11. Once you leave Taylor Creek you’ll start to climb again until you’re at a good 8,000 feet or so above sea level, and – boy oh boy – keep both of your eyes on the road and your wheels on the pavement because if you look over the edge (there are no guardrails) you’ll see just how long that drop-off is with the lake way, way down below. But the payoff at the top is an overlook that beats the band! Inspiration Point will give you a jaw-dropping view of Emerald Bay, which lives up to its name – believe me! And you’ll also see Fannette Island down below, the only island in all of Lake Tahoe, that sits in the middle of Emerald Bay.

    20 min

12. If you’re taking this tour in the spring or early summer, you may want to take the popular Eagle Falls hike that leads up to an amazing waterfall, flowing strong due to the snow melting off of the mountains above it. But if you’re visiting toward the end of the summer or in the fall, the waterfalls will be down to a trickle – if that – since all the snow has already melted, in which case you can skip this stop unless you just want a nice hike through a forest. This is one of the few stops on the left side of the road.

    20 min

Cancellation

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

Reviews

Ratings come from 13 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 Lake Tahoe

• Its from-price is 92% below the median of the 9 day trips we list in Lake Tahoe.
• It is longer than most of them.
• By number of reviews it ranks 6 of 9.
• The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe is a deep alpine lake on the California-Nevada border, ringed by Sierra Nevada peaks, with beaches, ski resorts and pine forest.

Lake Tahoe lies high in the Sierra Nevada, straddling the California-Nevada line at about 1,900 metres. It is about thirty-five kilometres long and more than 500 metres deep, among the deepest lakes in North America, and its water is exceptionally clear and blue. Emerald Bay, on the south-west shore, has a tiny island and Vikingsholm, a Scandinavian-style mansion. Sand Harbor, on the Nevada side, has boulders and sandy beaches.

Top-ranked sights in Lake Tahoe: Emerald Bay State Park, Sand Harbor, Lake Tahoe.

See all 169 experiences in Lake Tahoe