Death Valley National Park Self-Guided Audio Driving Tour
Description
Experience the harsh beauty of a land like no other: Death Valley. Famed for its record-breaking temperatures, this valley also serves up some sizzling scenery, from sprawling salt flats to rainbow-colored badlands and soaring mountain ranges. This self-guided driving tour shows you the best spots in the park and fills you in on this area’s rich history. Follow in the footsteps of Gold Rush miners and hear their stories as you explore this bizarre, unforgettable valley. Recommended: purchase one tour per car. Everyone can listen at the same time! After booking, check your email/text to download the separate Audio Tour Guide App by Action while connected to WiFi or mobile data. Enter the password, download the tour, and enjoy it offline. Follow the audio instructions and route from the designated starting point. New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Despite its foreboding name, this valley is one of the most thrilling places in the country. Sure, it’s the hottest place in the world, but you’ll soon see that the heat is worth the hassle! Note: The tour is over 80 miles long, includes more than 55 audio stories, and takes about 4-5 hours to complete. New. Lifetime access with no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want. Important: Please download the Tour Guide App by Action and your Death Valley audio tour before entering the park. Cell service can be very limited in Death Valley, so download the tour in advance over strong WiFi or cellular data. Once downloaded, the GPS map and audio stories work offline while you drive.
While the famed Gold Rush brought a huge influx of hopefuls to Death Valley, it wasn’t gold which kept the valley on the map. In their frantic search for that prized metal, miners stumbled upon something just as valuable: borax.
Affording breathtaking views of the undulating salt flats below, Dante's View is a phenomenal place for photography, or simply watching the sun set behind the Panamint Mountains. This vista towers more than 5,000 feet above the Badwater Basin, on the cusp of the Black Mountain Range.
This is Twenty Mule Team Canyon, named for those iconic wagon trains I just mentioned. This winding road offers some truly excellent desert scenery as you weave between saffron colored hills and colorful badlands. If you visit in the early morning or around sunset, you’ll be treated to dazzling colors as the orange sunlight paints the dramatic rock faces.
Named for a 19th-century borax baron, who you’ll hear about in a second, Zabriskie Point is easily one of Death Valley’s most iconic locations. From this perch on the Amargosa Mountain range, you can really see how erosion has shaped this valley. Directly below are the badlands. Past those, much lighter in color, you’ll see the dazzling salt flats. All of it is framed by the hulking Panamint Mountains beyond.
Here at the Furnace Creek Visitor Center, you’ll find snacks, water, and restrooms, but more importantly…a thermometer! Just outside the entrance is a big digital readout that’ll tell you exactly how hot it is here at one of Death Valley’s lowest points. Make sure to snap a photo standing next to it to shock your friends and family back home.
From here, you can access the Golden Canyon trail. This out and back trail is about 3 miles total, and takes around one hour to complete. This popular trail sees many visitors each year, so you’re sure to encounter a few fellow hikers during your trip!
That gentle hill off to your right is called Mars Hill. If you think about it, the name makes sense! Much of Death Valley brings to mind the arid, lifeless surface of the planet Mars. The deep ochre stones, strange rock formations and great dusty expanses certainly feel like they don’t quite belong on earth.
This canvas was painted by volcanic deposits of iron oxides and chlorite. While the badlands of Zabriskie Point were colored largely by different sedimentary deposits, these rocks owe their glow to a totally different era of Death Valley’s geology.
This is the best spot to view the Artist’s Palette, a collection of wildly colorful rocks that look like they can’t possibly be natural. And yet they are!
This road is rugged and unpaved, so use caution when driving. It leads to a fascinating landscape known as Devils Golf Course. When most people think of golf courses, they’ll imagine verdant rolling hills, smoothly manicured turf and the sound of birdsong. But Death Valley offers no such thing.
This is Badwater Basin, home to salt flats which spread out across the desert for a whopping 200 square miles. At 282 feet below sea level, this basin is the lowest point in North America.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- How To Access: After booking, you’ll get an email and text with setup instructions and password (search “audio tour” in emails and texts). • Download the separate tour app by Action • Enter the password sent by email and text. • MUST download the tour while in strong wifi/cellular. • Works offline after download.
- How to start touring: Open Action’s separate audio tour guide app once onsite. • If there is just one tour, launch it. • If multiple tour versions exist, launch the one with your planned starting point and direction.
- Go to the starting point No one will meet you at the start. This tour is self-guided Enter the first story’s point and the audio will begin automatically Follow the audio cues to the next story, which will also play automatically. Enjoy hands-free exploring. If you face audio issues, contact support. Stick to the tour route & speed limit for the best experience.
- Travel worry-free: Use the tour app anytime, on any day, and over multiple days. Start and pause the tour whenever you like, taking breaks and exploring side excursions at your own pace. Skip anything you don’t care about or explore bonus content for everything that interests you
- Savings tips: Driving tours: purchase just one tour for everyone in the car
- New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want.
- Please note that an entrance fee is required to visit Death Valley National Park. This fee grants access to the park for seven consecutive days and is not included with this tour.
- Audio Setup: Connect your phone to your car's stereo system using Bluetooth, USB, or AUX. For the best experience, consider using headphones for walking tours. Audio playback is compatible with Apple CarPlay, with navigation features coming soon. Support for Android Auto is also on the way.
- The tour requires a supported mobile device for navigation. Please use an iPhone with iOS 15 or later, an Android device with Android 9 or later, or an iPad/tablet with GPS and cellular service.
- Important Travel Notice: Government shutdowns may temporarily affect national parks and certain attractions. In addition, recent flooding has closed Badwater Road, North Highway, and Bonnie Clare Road; pedestrian and bicycle access may be limited during repairs. Conditions can change quickly, so please check official park alerts before and on the day of your visit.
Reviews(37)
It was fantastic & we thoroughly enjoyed the interesting & engaging audio as we drove through the park! It worked perfectly and was nice being able to see our progress and where we were. Make sure to follow the directions & download the app and the tour before you get to the park because there is no service anywhere…as long as you do that, it works exactly as advertised.
Marc, I’m thrilled to hear you had such a great experience with my Death Valley National Park GPS Audio Driving Tour. It’s wonderful that the narration kept the drive entertaining and that the app worked as expected while you explored the park. I really appreciate your reminder to download everything ahead of time, since there’s no service inside the park. If you're looking for more adventures, check out my US West National Parks Driving & Walking Audio Tour Bundle, featuring amazing destinations like Crater Lake, Mesa Verde, Saguaro National Park, Death Valley, Olympic, Sequoia, and more. Happy exploring!
The Death Valley National Park Self-Guided Audio Driving Tour really enhanced our experience while visiting the park. Was like having a tour guide in your car offering details of your drive and visit that you would totally miss if you were just driving through without a narrator. Must say, it was a little confusing to get it started but once we hit the park's entrance, almost like magic all our problems disappeared and it was on auto play for the rest of our drive. Good in-depth explanations without becoming boring. Nice interludes of native music to set the mood and let you know the guide was still on.
Bob, I’m glad to hear my Death Valley National Park GPS Audio Driving Tour enhanced your visit and felt like having a personal tour guide in the car. I’m happy the auto-play worked smoothly once you reached the park entrance, and that the in-depth explanations and music helped set the mood without becoming boring. If you’re planning more national park adventures, my US West National Parks Driving & Walking Audio Tour Bundle is a fantastic option. It includes amazing parks like Crater Lake, Mesa Verde, Saguaro National Park, Death Valley, Olympic, Sequoia, and more. Happy exploring!
We enjoyed the narration and information shared in the episodes. It would be helpful to have the map displayed in CarPlay instead of needing to look at the phone for navigation. IIt would h
Hi Russell, I appreciate your feedback. Apple CarPlay has not approved my map support request yet. I’m happy to report that my tour audio does play over CarPlay so I have designed the tour to work audio-only and hands-free. I’m happy to assist with any other questions —please feel free to reach out anytime between 9 AM and 6 PM EST.
Excellent and easy. Great way to combine the drive with hiking and see things that you wouldn’t see with hiking alone.
Gail, I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed my Death Valley National Park GPS Audio Driving Tour. It’s great that the tour combined driving and hiking, allowing you to see more of what the park has to offer. If you’re planning more national park adventures, my US West National Parks Driving & Walking Audio Tour Bundle is a fantastic option. It includes amazing parks like Crater Lake, Mesa Verde, Saguaro National Park, Death Valley, Olympic, Sequoia, and more. Happy exploring!
It was very difficult to get started and after we stopped for lunch, we couldn't get it back. When it worked it was accurate.
Frank, I’m glad to hear my Death Valley audio tour was accurate when it worked. If you ever find yourself needing to restart the audio after a stop, you just need to drive past the route again, or head to the nearest stop to trigger the narration. Thanks for sharing your experience, and I’m glad you enjoyed the tour. If you need any assistance, you can reach out to me. I’m available daily from 9 to 6 EST and happy to assist!
On the drive from Reno to Las Vegas, I pass by all the time. Had to plan a detour this trip, well worth it, even in summer. Most visitors were from foreign countries this time of year. I heard a lot of French. Stayed at a great spot, Stovepipe Wells. Pool is open til midnight, has a restaurant, bar, store, gas, all you need in this desolate area of the world. I purchased an annual parks pass because there is so much more to see and I will be back.
Colleen, I'm so glad you took the time to explore the Death Valley audio tour. It sounds like you had a fantastic experience, even in the summer heat. Stovepipe Wells sounds like the perfect stop to refresh and relax. Thanks for sharing your tips on planning and visiting; I’m sure it’ll be helpful to future travelers. If you want to explore more National Parks, check out my 30+ National Parks Bundle, which offers self-guided tours of places like the Grand Canyon, Glacier, Yellowstone, Joshua Tree, and more. Happy travels!
Downloaded app. It showed route and interest spots, but I got no vocal. So of limited use. Ended up turning it off as most points of interest had signs
Hi, I'm sorry to hear that the audio didn't play as expected. The audio should work if the app is set up correctly, and it appears to be connected to something else. I'm available daily from 9 to 6, so don't hesitate to reach out if you need help. If you're still in the area, please get in touch with me ASAP. My products are valid for a year, so you have plenty of time to use them, or I can help with a replacement.
There is unfortunately only very limited mobile availability there! Nevertheless, the app knew very well where you were...unfortunately the navigation did not work for me!!!
Johannes, I’m really glad my app was able to track your location even without mobile service—Death Valley is definitely a challenge when it comes to signal. The good news is that the tour works entirely offline if downloaded in advance. I’m sorry to hear that the navigation didn’t function as expected; this can sometimes happen, but relaunching the app can help in such cases. If you ever decide to give it another try, I’d be happy to assist with the setup or provide an alternative tour or a refund if needed.
Great tour, some repetition but very informative and engaging I would recommend this to any first time visitors to Death Valley
Julie, I’m so glad you found my Death Valley National Park Self-Guided Audio Driving Tour informative and engaging. I appreciate the note about the repetition. I'll keep that in mind for future updates. Thanks for recommending it to first-time visitors. If you’re ready for more adventures, check out my All-In-One California Self-Guided Driving & Walking Bundle Tour, featuring Big Sur, Palm Springs, Hollywood Homes, Yosemite, and more!
I definitely found this useful. Download the Death Valley app BEFORE you arrive and purchase the tour. Download which tour starts at your arrival gate, again before you have the bad cell service in the valley. When you turn on the tour, it provides a 2 minute blurb of interesting history and travelogue every few minutes, triggered automatically by your GPS location. You can stop whenever you want, and just restart as needed. You can go back later and relisten to segments or start a new section. I also recommend the free National Park Service app as a companion. It has good descriptions of hiking trails, scenic viewpoints, hours, road closure alerts.
Hi there, thanks for the thoughtful feedback. Great call on downloading the tour and selecting the correct route beforehand—super helpful in areas like Death Valley with limited service. I'm glad the GPS-triggered audio stories made your drive more enjoyable and flexible, letting you stop, explore, and resume at your own pace. While the free National Park Service app is a great companion for trail details and alerts, my app offers more—like immersive storytelling, automatic narration, offline functionality, and a “Learn More” section with deeper insights. I appreciate you taking it along for the ride. For more adventures, check out our California bundle featuring Big Sur and Yosemite tours, which offer flexible exploration and captivating stories!
