Death Valley National Park Day Trip from Las Vegas

bus tour

Duration
about 10 to 10.5 hours including hotel pickup
Price
from $290 per person, gratuity not included (Adventure Photo Tours)
Departs from
Hotel pickup in Las Vegas
Age policy
Set by each operator: Pink Adventure Tours does not take children under 3.

About

Death Valley National Park lies across the California line west of Las Vegas. The National Park Service calls the valley a long, narrow basin 282 feet below sea level, walled by high, steep mountains. Heat builds in the basin. Summer lows may stay between 85掳F and 95掳F. The hottest air temperature on record was 134掳F at Furnace Creek on July 10, 1913.

Day tours from Las Vegas are long, about ten hours, and follow paved roads to the main viewpoints. Operators differ in route. Adventure Photo Tours enters from the east past the Rhyolite ghost town and Hell's Gate. Pink Adventure Tours comes in through Pahrump and starts at Dante's View, which it describes as about 5,500 feet above the salt flats.

Road conditions change. On September 28, 2026, NPS listed Scotty's Castle and Bonnie Clare Road as closed for flood recovery. Southern Badwater Road, south of Badwater Basin, had damaged pavement.

What to expect

Expect a pickup around 7:00 a.m. and several hours of driving. Pink stops for a break at the Death Valley Marketplace in Pahrump. It then heads to Dante's View, the Furnace Creek Visitor Center and Harmony Borax Works, where a replica Twenty Mule Team wagon stands among the mining ruins. Lunch is eaten on the road past the Devil's Golf Course.

At Badwater Basin you can walk the boardwalk onto the salt flats. Pink warns the white salt is blinding, so bring sunglasses. Both operators continue to Artist's Palette on Artists Drive. Pink ends with a mild off-road run through Twenty Mule Team Canyon, while Adventure Photo Tours adds Zabriskie Point and the sand dunes.

Who runs it

Several companies run this tour from Las Vegas. These are the published terms on each company's own site; we don't rank them or earn anything from them.

  • Adventure Photo Tours$290 per person 路 about 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Mon and Wed (other days for 6+) 路 Hotel pickup, lunch, bottled water, snacks; Rhyolite ghost town, Hell's Gate, Badwater, Zabriskie Point, Devil's Golf Course, dunes, Artist's Palette; gratuity extra
  • Pink Adventure Tours$295 adult, $275 child 路 about 10 hours; offered September to June 15 路 Hotel pickup, boxed lunch, bottled water, park entry fees; Dante's View, Furnace Creek Visitor Center, Harmony Borax Works, Badwater Basin, Artist's Palette, Twenty Mule Team Canyon

Good to know

  • A standard entrance pass costs $30 per private vehicle. Commercial groups in 1-15 passenger vehicles pay $15 per person. Pink includes entry fees in its price.
  • The park accepts only debit/credit cards or digital payment, not cash.
  • NPS says summer highs can reach 130掳F. It advises drinking at least one gallon of water a day and not hiking the low valley when it is hot. Water is available at Furnace Creek, Stovepipe Wells and Panamint Springs.
  • Cell service is limited to none across much of the park.
  • Pink runs this tour only from September to June 15. Adventure Photo Tours says it also operates through the summer.
  • NPS average highs at Furnace Creek run from 65掳F in December to 116掳F in July. October averages 93掳F.

Questions about Death Valley National Park Day Trip from Las Vegas

How long is a Death Valley day trip from Las Vegas?

Plan on about ten hours. Pink Adventure Tours lists about 10 hours with 7-9 stops. Adventure Photo Tours departs around 7:00 a.m. and returns around 5:30 p.m. Most of the extra time is driving between Las Vegas and the park's viewpoints, which are spread across a large valley in California.

Is Badwater Basin really below sea level?

Yes. The National Park Service describes Death Valley as a long, narrow basin 282 feet (86 m) below sea level. Pink Adventure Tours stops at the 282-feet-below-sea-level sign at Badwater Basin and lets guests walk the boardwalk onto the salt pans. Adventure Photo Tours also stops at Badwater.

Can I go in summer?

Pink Adventure Tours runs its Death Valley tour only from September to June 15. Adventure Photo Tours says it also runs through the summer. NPS warns summer highs can reach 130掳F, with nights up to 90掳F. It advises against hiking in the low valley when it is hot and recommends at least a gallon of water a day.

Are park entrance fees included?

Pink Adventure Tours says its price includes park entrance fees, lunch and water. NPS charges commercial groups in vehicles of 1 to 15 passengers $15 per person, and a private vehicle $30. Adventure Photo Tours lists lunch, water and snacks and says gratuity is extra. Its page does not say whether it covers entry, so ask when booking.

Are any parts of the park closed right now?

As of NPS's September 28, 2026 update, Scotty's Castle and Bonnie Clare Road are closed for flood recovery, with no reopening date. Southern Badwater Road south of Badwater Basin has flood damage and unpaved sections. Titus Canyon Road's one-way section closes October 2, 2026 through May 2027. The main tour stops were not listed as closed.

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