Strange and Wonderful Desert Worlds
Credit: Cliff LaPlant
Credit: Dean Pennala
Credit: Dan Sedran
Trip Type: Small Group Adventure
Territory: North America
Region: Desert Southwest
Trip Price: From $6,295
Single Supplement: $2,050
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
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.
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
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.
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!
Meet your guide and fellow travelers in Palm Springs for a welcome dinner.
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.
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.
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.
Death Valley is the largest national park in the Lower 48, encompassing a range of landscapes from the below-sea-level Badwater Basin to the 14,505-foot Mount Whitney. There’s lots to explore, and we take the full day to do it, by van and on foot. We’ll drive to the top of the Black Mountains to Dantes View, where we’ll be treated to 360 degrees of vast landscape and features: Badwater Basin—wherethe largest protected salt flats in the world reside—the Funeral Mountains and Telescope Peak. Next, the Golden Canyon Trail leads us through twisting narrows, golden badlands and colorful rock formations, all telling a fascinating geological story. We return to the inn, with time to enjoy the many amenities and take a swim in the cool pool.
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’ll make a stop at Salt Creek, where a seasonal stream flows in winter and spring.* There, we’ll look for the stream’s native Salt Creek pupfish, best viewed during their mating season in spring. 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.*Note: Due to 2023 flooding, Salt Creek is closed but will re-open to visitors in June 2025. If closed during your departure, your guide will choose an alternative activity unique to your group!
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.
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.
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 Oasis 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.
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