Death Valley & Rhyolite Ghost Town Tour Small Group

Stand at the lowest point in North America and walk through a town frozen in 1916

A guided small group tour of Death Valley National Park and Rhyolite Ghost Town departing from Las Vegas with hotel pickup, national park entry, and round-trip transport included. The itinerary moves through five major stops (Rhyolite's abandoned streets, Badwater Basin at 282 feet below sea level, Artists Drive's volcanic rainbow, Zabriskie Point's badlands vista, and Death Valley's sand dunes and canyons) with a guide leading throughout the day.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Death Valley National Park4h
2. Zabriskie Point30m · entry included
3. Badwater Basin50m · entry included
4. Rhyolite30m

Explore Death Valley and Rhyolite Ghost Town

• Stop 10 minutes at Town Pahrump
• Pack daily fresh lunch box
• Visit Rhyolite Ghost Town
• Explore Death Valley National Park features
• See sand dunes and salt flats
• Drive Artists Drive Scenic Loop
• View from Zabriskie Point
• Visit Badwater Basin
• Return to Las Vegas via Mojave Desert
• Drop off at hotel

The experience

The day starts with a 10-minute stop in Pahrump to pack a fresh lunch box, then heads straight to Rhyolite Ghost Town. This boomtown was inhabited for only 12 years, from 1904 to 1916, yet it flourished enough to leave behind eerie, long-deserted streets and the infrastructure of a full gold rush settlement. You wander through what remains: buildings, foundations, the shape of a town that rose and fell in a single generation.

Death Valley itself sprawls across more than 3 million acres, and the tour moves through its most photographed features. Badwater Basin sits at the lowest point in North America, 282 feet below sea level, where salt flats cover nearly 200 square miles. Zabriskie Point offers an elevated view of yellow and brown striped badlands carved by ancient water, with the Panamint Mountains rising beyond. Artists Drive loops through volcanic hills painted in red, orange, yellow, blue, pink and green: colors from iron oxides and chlorite in the rock. Sand dunes, canyons, extinct volcanic craters and unexpected pockets of wildflowers fill the spaces between.

The tour runs 10 to 11 hours round-trip from your Las Vegas hotel, with the guide handling the route and timing. You return in the evening across the Mojave Desert. A fresh lunch is included, and the national park permit is covered in the price.

What’s included

• National park entry permit.
• round-trip transportation from Las Vegas.
• hotel pickup and drop-off.
• complimentary fresh lunch box.
• live English-speaking guide throughout the day.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 06:30 and 07:00

AgesAdult (16 to 60 years) · Senior (65 and older) · Youth (9 to 15 years) · Child (4 to 8 years) · Infant (under 4)

GroupUp to 14

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 9 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfant seats availableNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Skyline Expeditions

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you're staying in Las Vegas without a rental car: hotel pickup means you start from your accommodation and return there at the end, with the guide handling all the driving and route decisions across a full day that would be difficult to piece together on your own.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (9 to 15 years); Child (4 to 8 years); Infant (under 4).

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

How far is Death Valley from Las Vegas, and how much of the day is driving?

Death Valley National Park sits roughly 120 miles northwest of Las Vegas. The tour runs 10 to 11 hours total, which includes the drive out, the drive back, and all five stops inside the park. Your guide manages the route and pacing throughout.

What is Badwater Basin, and why is it famous?

Badwater Basin is the lowest point in North America at 282 feet below sea level. Salt flats cover nearly 200 square miles there, composed mostly of table salt along with calcite, gypsum and borax. It's one of the most visited spots in Death Valley because of that extreme elevation and the stark white expanse.

Can I take good photos on this tour?

Yes, the tour is built around five of Death Valley's most photographed locations: Zabriskie Point's striped badlands, Artists Drive's volcanic rainbow of colors, Badwater Basin's salt flats, sand dunes with their rippled shadows, and Rhyolite's weathered ghost town structures. The guide stops at each one and knows the best angles and times.

What was Rhyolite Ghost Town like when it was inhabited?

Rhyolite flourished for 12 years between 1904 and 1916 as a gold rush boomtown. In that short span it grew into a full settlement with buildings, infrastructure and a working community. You walk the long-deserted streets and see what remains of that rapid rise and fall.

Is this tour physically demanding?

The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels. It involves walking at each of the five stops (Badwater Basin, Zabriskie Point, Artists Drive, the sand dunes and Rhyolite), but the pace is set by the group and the guide. Most stops allow you to walk at your own speed and rest as needed.

What's included in the price, and what should I bring?

The tour includes national park entry, round-trip transportation from your Las Vegas hotel, hotel pickup and drop-off, a complimentary fresh lunch box, and a live English-speaking guide. Bring water, sunscreen, a hat and comfortable walking shoes. Death Valley is exposed and the sun is intense even in cooler months.