Joshua Tree and Death Valley

Strange and Wonderful Desert Worlds

Overview

Go deep into the startling, sublime, surreal, and exquisite landscapes of Joshua Tree National Park and Death Valley National Park on this fabulous multi-day small group journey. Your guide knows the most interesting hikes, the best viewpoints, and the most revealing stories from all the way back to the days of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, who arrived here first. You’ll thread your way through each park, discovering fascinating complexities in the seemingly austere surroundings. You’ll see Zabriskie Point at sunrise, trace the smooth, cool walls of Mosaic Canyon and drive dirt roads where Joshua trees and pinyon pines hold council.

Accommodations at the eclectic 29 Palms Inn and elegant Inn at Death Valley make the experience complete. Prepare to be awed by the grand sense of space you feel gazing out at Badwater Basin from Dante’s View – as well as by the intimate sight of a tiny Joshua tree sprouting in the protection of a shrub. At day’s end, jump for joy – right into the spring-fed pool at the hotel. Before bed, marvel at the night sky as you’ve never seen it before.

Price From

$6,695 USD
Trip Type

Small Group Adventure
Departure Dates

Mar 8 - 14, 2026
Mar 22 - 28, 2026
Oct 25 - 31, 2026
Nov 8 - 14, 2026
Nov 15 - 21, 2026
Feb 28 - Mar 6, 2027
Mar 7 - 13, 2027
Mar 21 - 27, 2027
Oct 24 - 30, 2027
Nov 7 - 13, 2027
Nov 14 - 20, 2027
Mouse over or tap the departure dates to see trip prices.
Duration

7 days / 6 nights
Trip begins/ends
Palm Springs, California / Las Vegas, Nevada

*Price per person based on double occupancy. Trip price includes all lodging, meals, ground transportation, guide services and activities as described in this itinerary.

Call Toll-Free 800-445-2995

Do you want to customize this trip?

We customize trips all the time! Email us today: [email protected].

Trip Details

Trip Highlights

What’s Included? Everything you need, plus everything you want.

Wild Desert Landscapes: Wild because they’re preserved wilderness and out-of-this-world wild because they’re so visually unique – granite monoliths, sand dunes, rock formations, palm oases, salt flats, mountains, and the plants and animals that live there.
Fun Hiking: This hiking-focused trip gets you onto very diverse trails through a variety of landscapes.
Memorable Lodgings: Culturally historic, one-of-a-kind lodgings add fun and charm to the journey.
Naturalist Guide: Your expert guide reveals all manner of wonders surrounding the natural and cultural histories of the places you visit.

The Essentials

Joshua Tree and Death Valley

Trip Type: Small Group Adventure

Territory: North America

Region: Desert Southwest

Trip Price: From $6,695

Single Supplement: $2,150

On-Trip Airfare: $0

Duration: 7 days/6 nights

Trip Begins/Ends: Palm Springs, California / Las Vegas, Nevada

Minimum Travelers: 2 travelers

Maximum Travelers: 16 travelers

Select Terms & Conditions

Pricing detailed for this Small Group Adventure is based upon double occupancy. Additional charges for single travelers and any on-trip airfare required for the trip apply. A booking deposit is required to reserve your space. Small Group Adventure pricing includes all lodging, meals (unless otherwise noted), activities, baggage handling, transportation, and guide service. Not included are travel costs to/from gateway cities, guide gratuities, and personal incidentals including, but not limited to, trip cancellation/interruption insurance, alcoholic beverages, and laundry service. Travel with Off the Beaten Path requires agreement to our standard Terms & Conditions.

Energy Index

No Sweat - 1-2 miles of walking or hiking per day, plus easy activities

Nice & Active – 3-6 miles of hiking or walking per day, plus physically active exploration

High Five! – 5-10 miles of hiking per day, plus possible peak bagging or other action-oriented fun

Joshua Tree and Death Valley

The Energy Index for this trip is “Nice & Active”, with “No Sweat” elements, at elevations ranging from sea level to 4,600 feet. Activities include hiking 2 to 4 miles per day, with elevation gain/loss not typically more than 1,000 feet. Travelers who can hike the minimum end of this range are a good fit for this trip. Contact a Travel Advisor for more details.

Make It Private

Make this trip all yours!

Most all of our Small Group Adventures can be made private to just your traveling troupe. Just give us a call at (800) 445-2995 and tell us that you would like to “make it private”!

Generally, there are two ways to make a small group adventure private. First, you could capture one of our published departure dates for just your group. In order to achieve this, we have to have sufficient space available to create a separate private trip. Second, we could take the details of this itinerary and fashion it for just your group on dates of your choosing. For this, too, we just need to review your interest, group size, and preferred timing in order to create the trip.

In all cases, the process begins with a phone call so give us a ring at (800) 445-2995 and after just a few minutes gathering information, we can set to the task of making your trip a reality!

Trip Highlights
The Essentials
Energy Index
Make It Private

What’s Included? Everything you need, plus everything you want.

Wild Desert Landscapes: Wild because they’re preserved wilderness and out-of-this-world wild because they’re so visually unique – granite monoliths, sand dunes, rock formations, palm oases, salt flats, mountains, and the plants and animals that live there.
Fun Hiking: This hiking-focused trip gets you onto very diverse trails through a variety of landscapes.
Memorable Lodgings: Culturally historic, one-of-a-kind lodgings add fun and charm to the journey.
Naturalist Guide: Your expert guide reveals all manner of wonders surrounding the natural and cultural histories of the places you visit.

Joshua Tree and Death Valley

Trip Type: Small Group Adventure

Territory: North America

Region: Desert Southwest

Trip Price: From $6,695

Single Supplement: $2,150

On-Trip Airfare: $0

Duration: 7 days/6 nights

Trip Begins/Ends: Palm Springs, California / Las Vegas, Nevada

Minimum Travelers: 2 travelers

Maximum Travelers: 16 travelers

Select Terms & Conditions

Pricing detailed for this Small Group Adventure is based upon double occupancy. Additional charges for single travelers and any on-trip airfare required for the trip apply. A booking deposit is required to reserve your space. Small Group Adventure pricing includes all lodging, meals (unless otherwise noted), activities, baggage handling, transportation, and guide service. Not included are travel costs to/from gateway cities, guide gratuities, and personal incidentals including, but not limited to, trip cancellation/interruption insurance, alcoholic beverages, and laundry service. Travel with Off the Beaten Path requires agreement to our standard Terms & Conditions.

Energy Index

No Sweat - 1-2 miles of walking or hiking per day, plus easy activities

Nice & Active – 3-6 miles of hiking or walking per day, plus physically active exploration

High Five! – 5-10 miles of hiking per day, plus possible peak bagging or other action-oriented fun

Joshua Tree and Death Valley

The Energy Index for this trip is “Nice & Active”, with “No Sweat” elements, at elevations ranging from sea level to 4,600 feet. Activities include hiking 2 to 4 miles per day, with elevation gain/loss not typically more than 1,000 feet. Travelers who can hike the minimum end of this range are a good fit for this trip. Contact a Travel Advisor for more details.

Make this trip all yours!

Most all of our Small Group Adventures can be made private to just your traveling troupe. Just give us a call at (800) 445-2995 and tell us that you would like to “make it private”!

Generally, there are two ways to make a small group adventure private. First, you could capture one of our published departure dates for just your group. In order to achieve this, we have to have sufficient space available to create a separate private trip. Second, we could take the details of this itinerary and fashion it for just your group on dates of your choosing. For this, too, we just need to review your interest, group size, and preferred timing in order to create the trip.

In all cases, the process begins with a phone call so give us a ring at (800) 445-2995 and after just a few minutes gathering information, we can set to the task of making your trip a reality!

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Palm Springs, CA

Meet your guide and fellow travelers in Palm Springs for a welcome dinner.

Day 2: Joshua Tree National Park

We'll head out first thing in the morning for Joshua Tree. Our first stop is the visitor's center, where we familiarize ourselves with this park of contrasts; at once fragile and brutal, beautiful and unwelcoming. From there, we drive through the park from south to north, stopping for a hike on the way. When we reach town, settle into your Joshua Tree home at the quirky 29 Palms Inn.

Day 3: Joshua Tree National Park

With a full day in Joshua Tree, we’re able to access the furthest reaches of the park. Larger than the state of Rhode Island, Joshua Tree National Park contains over 400,000 acres of designated Mojave Desert wilderness. Guide’s-choice options for the day include a dirt road excursion to Covington Flats, various hikes, and Keys View. After dinner, enjoy a night of stargazing from the beautifully dark Joshua Tree landscape.

Day 4: Mojave Desert to Death Valley

The day’s travels lead through the desert of the Mojave National Preserve on the way to Death Valley. We’ll split up the drive with a short hike in the preserve, where there's a surprising abundance of life and striking views. The day ends as you check in to your fantastic accommodations at The Inn at Death Valley. Stroll the palm gardens, or take a dip in the spring-fed pool before dinner.

Day 5: Death Valley National Park

Death Valley is the largest national park in the Lower 48, encompassing a range of landscapes from the 282 feet below sea level, Badwater Basin, to the 14,505-foot Mount Whitney. We’ll drive to the top of the Black Mountains to Dante's View, where we’ll be treated to 360 degrees of Badwater Basin (where the largest protected salt flats in the world reside), the Funeral Mountains, and Telescope Peak. Then, we'll hike Golden Canyon Trail through through twisting narrows, golden badlands, and colorful rock formations.

Day 6: Death Valley National Park

This morning we hike into Mosaic Canyon, named for its beautiful, water-polished marble walls. The length of this out-and-back hike will be tailored to the group’s interests. After a picnic lunch, we should have time for one last memorable activity this afternoon and will rely on the guides to choose the best option for the group. This evening, we’ll celebrate this superb journey with a farewell dinner and perhaps venture out for another evening of stargazing.

Day 7: Las Vegas for departures home

This morning, we’ll head to Zabriskie Point, an excellent spot to watch the sunrise shed its light on the maze of badlands that surrounds us. We’ll then depart for Las Vegas with a drive through Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, if time allows. Plan on afternoon flights home.

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Lodging

The Rowan

The Kimpton Rowan Palm Springs, opened in November 2017, is a gorgeous property with stunning views and great amenities. Located in downtown Palm Springs, popular museums, galleries, restaurants and shops are within walking distance. A modern space with luxurious and contemporary furnishings and artwork, the hotel also features a roof top pool.

29 Palms Inn

Laid-back and comfortably rustic, 29 Palms is a hidden, 70-acre enclave made up of adobe bungalows and wood-frame cabins. The grounds feature amazing gardens, an artesian-fed pond, and native palm trees, all of which work together to draw in area wildlife to the property.

The Inn at Death Valley

The Inn at Death Valley is situated in a lush oasis surrounded by the vast and arid desert of Death Valley National Park, California. *This is one resort with two hotels – the historic, recently renovated, four-diamond, 66 room The Inn at Death Valley and the more family-oriented, 224 room Ranch at Furnace Creek. The Oasis at Death Valley is the perfect vantage point from which to explore Death Valley National Park, presenting a complete contrast to the desolate desert landscape and an oasis that consists of an 18-hole golf course (the world’s lowest course at 214 feet below sea level), four restaurants, a saloon, cocktail lounge, retail outlets, a Borax Museum, spring-fed swimming pools, tennis courts, horseback riding, horse-drawn carriage rides, massage therapy and a 3,000 foot airstrip.