8 Best Death Valley Day Trips from Las Vegas

Death Valley is the hottest place on the planet, and with its dry climate, touring it is a truly extreme adventure. However, the scenery is so magnificent that it's definitely a must-see if you're visiting Las Vegas.

Ana Caballero

Ana Caballero

10 min read

8 Best Death Valley Day Trips from Las Vegas

Montañas rocosas | ©Yaoyuan Zhang

Death Valley, or Death Valley, is one of the most fantastic places on the planet. Temperatures reach 56.7°C, giving it the well-deserved title of the hottest place on earth. This desert also has an extremely dry climate, due to the fact that between this geographical area and the Pacific Sea there are five walls made up of imposing mountain ranges. The scenery you will find in this valley is marvellous. The colours of the rock formations and the dunes make you feel like you are literally on another planet, thanks to the diversity of minerals found in the soil.

Shifting sands, one of the largest depressions in the world and several holes full of legends, make Death Valley one of the best places to visit and, therefore, one of the unmissable things to see and do in Las Vegas is precisely to take a tour to get to know the largest desert in the United States.

1. Tour to Death Valley and Rhyolite Ghost Town

family posing in welcome sign| ©Miguel Discart
family posing in welcome sign| ©Miguel Discart

On this tour you'll board a comfortable, air-conditioned minibus as one of the world's most magnificent landscapes unfolds before you. Among the National Park tours from Las Vegas, this is one of the most exciting, as you will see unique sites, such as "Dante's View", a lookout point that unfolds a natural terrace at an altitude of 1669 metres, offering an unforgettable view.

The guide will tell you about the geographic formations, the local wildlife and the history that is hidden in this place, such as some of the legends surrounding Rhyolite, the ghost town of Death Valley. Each selected stop is one of Death Valley's major points of interest, with plenty of time to explore some of this truly hot desert and take the best pictures of your holiday. Includes guide, breakfast, lunch, snacks, water, entrance fees to Death Valley Park.

Details of interest

  • Price: around 270 euros per person.
  • Duration: 10 hours.
  • Means of transport: Pick up and drop off at the hotel.
  • Advantages of this tour: You will have stops at each of the most representative sites of Death Valley, with time to, explorerport or Account.

Book a tour to Death Valley from Las Vegas

2. Star gazing tour from Death Valley

man sitting on the sand during the day| © Jeremy Bishop
man sitting on the sand during the day| © Jeremy Bishop

If a sunset and a starry sky are always beautiful, just imagine what it will be like to enjoy it from one of the most magical and mystical landscapes on the planet. Sunsets from Death Valley are simply incomparable.

Precisely for this reason this is one of the best tours and excursions from Las Vegas, as it offers the possibility of covering a good part of the desert, to end up immersed in this wonder.

Among the most impressive places from which to enjoy the sunset is precisely "The Artist's Palette", a point where the mountains and the ground are divided into colours, thanks to the minerals they contain, and which is also one of the favourite stops for those who visit this desert.

Once the colours of the sunset slowly fade, a black blanket covers the entire sky, allowing millions of stars to shine, almost impossibly bright. This tour includes entrance fees to Death Valley Park, water.

Details of interest

  • Price: approximately 285 euros per person.
  • Duration: 11 hours.
  • Means of transport: pick up and return to the hotel (selected).
  • Advantages of this tour: You will have the opportunity to enjoy this landscape, two of the best moments, which are the sunset and the night.

Book a Death Valley Stargazing Tour

3. Excursion in a trekking vehicle to Death Valley

white car in the mountains| © Katie Musial
white car in the mountains| © Katie Musial

This is one of the best off-road tours you can choose from the city of Las Vegas. Drive through Death Valley and discover each of its most iconic corners, without having to give up your comfort, thanks to the reach of this amazing and modern trekking vehicle.

During the day tour you will have the opportunity to learn about the wildlife and nature of this unique geographical location from your expert guide. You will start the tour with a stop at the Death Valley Visitor Centre, where you can soak up a lot of interesting information about the history of this place beforehand. Then it's on to the adventure, which will touch on curious sights such as abandoned gold mines and a few ghost towns.

Among the most interesting places is Devil's Golf Course, a huge salt flat that used to be a lake that, over time, dried up to give way to this place full of charm and mystery. This option includes guide, entrance fees to Death Valley Park, lunch, water.

Details of interest

  • Price: approximately 280 euros per person.
  • Duration: 10 hours.
  • Means of transport: pick up and return to the hotel.
  • Advantages of this option:
  • Includes: Guide, entrance fees to Death Valley Park, lunch, water.
  • Advantages of this tour: it is one of the most complete options, with everything included, highlighting a stop at Devil's Golf Course.

4. Minibus tour to Death Valley

man and woman standing in front of a bus| ©Miguel Discart
man and woman standing in front of a bus| ©Miguel Discart

The biggest advantage of this air-conditioned minibus tour is that you can select it just for your family group for a more personalised experience. This experience will take practically the whole day and you can end the day at one of the best casinos in Las Vegas, giving you the full experience of this wonderful city.

The tour touches on some interesting stops, including Zabriskie Point, which will be the first stop, where the view is simply magnificent - perfect for photographs! From there you'll jump to other curious points, arriving at Badwater, where you'll appreciate a surreal landscape 282 feet below sea level. This option includes lunch, entrance to Death Valley Park, professional guide, water, free app to complement the tour.

Details of interest

  • Price: approximately 260 euros per person
  • Duration: 10 hours.
  • Means of transport: pick up and return to the hotel.
  • Advantages of this tour: it is an excursion for a small number of people, so you can select it as a family tour.

5. Wine tasting tour in the mystical landscape of Death Valley.

woman with a bottle of white wine in her hands| © Maurice DT
woman with a bottle of white wine in her hands| © Maurice DT

Tour Death Valley and discover the magic of this vast desert**, while tasting a selection of the finest wines**. Definitely one of the best things to do in Las Vegas at night. Experience this unique and intoxicating landscape in a completely different and exquisite way.

Start the tour with a stop at Pahrump Valley, where you'll learn about the cultivation of this delicious grape and the process by which it is made into exquisite wine. Then, the adventure takes you to a selection of the best stops for unforgettable photographs.

To close the day, enjoy the sunset and let yourself be conquered by the magnificent starry sky. We are not responsible if the romantic aura takes over and you decide to complete your adventure by getting married in Las Vegas. After all, who doesn't want to get married in this spectacular city?

Interesting details

  • Price: approximately 285 euros per person.
  • Duration: 11 hours.
  • Means of transport: hotel pick-up and drop-off.
  • Advantages of this tour: offers a great photo tour with stargazing like you've never seen it before.

6. Sunrise tour of the largest desert in the United States.

desert in a day| © Don B
desert in a day| © Don B

If you're short on time and you're thinking about things to see and do in Las Vegas in 4 days, this sunrise tour of Death Valley should be on your list.

It all starts with a tour in the middle of the night, under the most starry skies you'll ever see. The sunrise will come slowly, and when you're in Golden Canyon you'll enjoy the reds, oranges, yellows and golds that begin to take over the landscape.

The colours of Death Valley paint the landscape with a particular mysticism, which is bathed in the golden light of dawn and becomes more intense, so the energy that surrounds you invites you to become one with nature.

After touring all the points along the established route, including Zabriskie Point, where the best photographs of Death Valley are taken, you will return to the city with a different vitality, recharged, and just in time to treat yourself to some time at one of the best spas in Las Vegas and renew yourself from head to toe, inside and out. Includes everything you need, such as breakfast, water, professional guide, entrance to Death Valley Park, air-conditioned vehicle.

Details of interest

  • Price: approximately 260 euros per person.
  • Duration: 10 hours.
  • Means of transport: Pick up and drop off at selected hotels.
  • Advantage of this tour: it is a perfect option for those who do not have much time and want to get an excellent impression of Death Valley.

Book a sunrise tour to Death Valley

7. Death Valley and the Seven Magic Mountains Tour

colourful rocks stacked in the desert| © Christian Lendl
colourful rocks stacked in the desert| © Christian Lendl

One of the best views in Las Vegas is offered by Rondinone's Seven Magic Mountains. These colourful rocks balance on top of each other, making you hold your breath as they form magnificent totem poles that complement the Mojave Desert landscape.

Contrast the bright colours of this marvellous work with the natural tones of the minerals found in the dunes and mountains of Death Valley. Meanwhile, let the great variety of wildlife and local flora surprise and conquer you, as they show you their fortitude, surviving in one of the hottest places on earth, adapting admirably.

Details of interest

  • Price: approximately 200 euros per person.
  • Duration: 6 to 8 hours.
  • Means of transport: you must get to the departure point, which will be informed when you confirm the tour booking.
  • Benefits of this tour: in addition to seeing the magnificent Death Valley, you will stop at an impressive artistic monument, enjoying an iconic part of this place.

Discover the amazing national parks from Las Vegas

8. Private tour of Death Valley

man photographing the desert| ©Tyler Raye
man photographing the desert| ©Tyler Raye

This private luxury tour is one of the best and most complete options to experience Death Valley and the wonders of the Mojave Desert. Start this ideal adventure from the moment your guides pick you up from your hotel, from then on, all you have to worry about is making the most of it and soaking up the scenery and its wonders. The guides will take care of everything else, including photography.

You will walk the trails, going as far into the desert as you are allowed, reaching the areas you wish to explore and stopping where you want to feast your eyes on the colours of the dunes and rock formations. While you and your family enjoy this adventure, the professional guide will take photos and videos, capturing the moment to make it unforgettable. You can forget about your phone altogether and instead walk through the golden dunes, paying attention to every detail, especially as the setting sun changes the hues of the mountains around you. Finish with the best stargazing of your life. Finish with the best stargazing of your life in Death Valley. This tour includes everything, lunch, snacks, water, entrance fees to Death Valley Park, private air-conditioned vehicle, hiking gear, backpacks, guide, pre-preparation, professional photography and video. What are you waiting for?

Details of interest

  • Price: approximately 1,300 euros per person.
  • Duration: 10 to 14 hours.
  • Means of transport: pick up and return to the hotel.
  • Advantages of this tour: You won't have to worry or think about anything but enjoying the experience. Everything else is taken care of by your guides.

Why do we recommend a tour to Death Valley?

people walking in the desert| © Cloris Ying
people walking in the desert| © Cloris Ying

Hiking in the desert can be a bit risky, especially if you're not familiar with the terrain and aren't used to the desert climate. Whether you want to take a tourto the Grand Canyon, Death Valley or any of these magnificent deserts, it's best to do it with a professional guide and the right equipment to ensure you have an enriching and unforgettable experience.

The staff who offer these tours know the best routes to discover what's hidden in these desert landscapes, such as the six most outstanding wonders of the Death Valley, including Zabriskie Point, Artist's Drive and Palette and Dante's View. So if you really want to get the best impression of Las Vegas and the surrounding area, be sure to choose one of these comprehensive tours.

A professionally planned tour also offers you the advantage of visiting these places with guides who know about the history and geology of these places, so they complement the knowledge you find on the sites and at the visitor centre, making the experience even more experiential.

How to get to Death Valley from Las Vegas?

empty road through the mountains| © David Everett Strickler
empty road through the mountains| © David Everett Strickler

For a trip to Death Valley from Las Vegas, if you want to go on your own, you can travel via the scenic route on NV-160, passing through Pahrump and Death Valley Junction. Another option is to go via US-95, Indian Springs and Amargosa Valley. For any of the routes, I recommend you take into account a full tank of gas, mobile phone batteries and plenty of hydration. Don't forget to have a map and emergency numbers handy.

Now, if you definitely want to relax and enjoy the experience, without thinking about anything else, choose the tour of your choice that includes transportation, guide, etc. Let the expert guides take care of everything, while you and your loved ones take home the best memories of your Las Vegas holiday.

You can find off-road tours, limousine tours or even helicopter tours. Just browse through the different options until you find the one that suits the type of experience you want to have. Once you've found it, don't forget to confirm the specifics of the tour type, payment methods and all the necessary details to make sure it's exactly what you're hoping for - you're sure to find the perfect tour!

Book a Death Valley tour from Las Vegas