Death Valley Day Tour: Dante's View, Artist's Palette, Badwater

Eleven hours across the lowest and highest points of Death Valley, with stops most operators skip.

A small-group day tour from Las Vegas through Death Valley National Park with a live guide, park entry and a restaurant meal included. The tour visits Dante's View (the highest paved viewpoint in the park), Badwater Basin (the lowest elevation in North America), Artist's Palette, Zabriskie Point, and the Rhyolite ghost town on the way out. Groups stay under eight people, and the route is customized based on what guests want to see.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Rhyolite30m
2. Death Valley National Park10m
3. David Rajter25m · entry included
4. Badwater Basin25m · entry included
5. Artist’s Palette20m · entry included
6. Zabriskie Point25m · entry included

Explore Death Valley from Las Vegas

• Stop at Area 51 Alien Center
• Visit Rhyolite Ghost Town and art exhibits
• Enter through Hells Gate viewpoint
• Walk Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
• Have lunch at Toll Road Restaurant
• Visit Death Valley Visitor Center
• Drive to Badwater Basin and walk
• View Artist’s Palette volcanic colors
• See Zabriskie Point vista
• Visit Dante's View high viewpoint

The experience

The day starts with a stop at the Area 51 Alien Center gift shop near Las Vegas, then moves to Rhyolite, a concrete ghost town built during the 1904 gold rush. The town's buildings were constructed from concrete instead of wood, unusual for the era, and the Goldwell Open Air Museum sits among the ruins. From there, you enter Death Valley through Hell's Gate and drive to Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, where Hollywood has filmed science fiction scenes. The landscape shifts constantly: wind-carved dunes give way to volcanic color fields at Artist's Palette, then to the salt flats of Badwater Basin, where you walk on the lowest elevation in North America.

Lunch happens at the Toll Road Restaurant inside the park, with either a sit-down meal or a breakfast buffet depending on the season: no need to pack food unless you have dietary needs the restaurant cannot meet. After eating, you visit the Death Valley visitor center to see the famous thermometer, topographical maps, and wildlife displays. The route then climbs to Dante's View, the highest paved viewpoint in the park, with vistas that stretch further and deeper than Grand Canyon West. Zabriskie Point comes next, named after a Borax mining figure, with eroded badlands and hiking trails. The whole loop takes eleven to twelve hours, and the two owner-operators adjust the stops based on weather and what the group wants to prioritize.

Bottled water is provided throughout the day. The small size, maximum seven guests, means the van does not feel crowded, and the owner-operators' park knowledge shapes the pacing and the details you actually stop to see. Dante's View and Artist's Palette are the high points many other companies skip, and the inclusion of Badwater Basin, Zabriskie Point, and the ghost town means you cover the range of the park in a single day without arranging your own transport or entry.

What’s included

• Bottled water throughout the day.
• park entry and all fees.
• either a sit-down lunch or breakfast buffet at the Toll Road Restaurant depending on the season.
• live guide in English.
• pickup from your Las Vegas location.

Before you book

Days and timesMonday to SaturdayDeparts at 05:30

Book up to9h before

AgesAdult (3 and older) · Infant (under 3)

GroupUp to 12 · max 8 per booking

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

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 levelPublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Mojave Wave LLC

Is this one for you?The small group size and the two owner-operators' custom routing mean you see the high points (Dante's View, Artist's Palette, Badwater Basin) that many larger tour companies skip. Book this if you want the full range of Death Valley in one day without driving yourself or deciding which stops matter.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Infant (under 3).

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.

What is Badwater Basin and why is it called that?

Badwater Basin is the lowest elevation in North America, and the water there is not drinkable, hence the name. You walk on the salt flats at the basin floor during the tour.

Do I need to bring my own food on this Death Valley tour?

No. Lunch or breakfast is included and served at the Toll Road Restaurant inside the park. Bring your own food only if you have dietary requirements the restaurant cannot meet.

What makes Dante's View different from other viewpoints in Death Valley?

Dante's View is the highest paved viewpoint in Death Valley, with views that stretch further and deeper than Grand Canyon West and rival the widest point of Grand Canyon National Park. Many other tour operators skip it.

How many people are on this tour?

The tour takes a maximum of seven guests, so the group stays small and the van does not feel crowded.

What is Rhyolite and why stop there?

Rhyolite is a ghost town built during the 1904 gold rush near Death Valley. The buildings were constructed from concrete instead of wood, unusual for the era, and the Goldwell Open Air Museum sits among the ruins on the way to the park.

How long is this Death Valley tour?

The tour runs eleven to twelve hours from Las Vegas, including the drive to and from the park, all stops, and the restaurant meal.