Explore the uncanny landscape of Joshua Tree National Park with a 4.5-hour van tour from Palm Desert, near Palm Springs. Enjoy the comfort of an air-conditioned van or SUV as you navigate soaring granite formations and groves of the park’s famously spiky trees, and capture unforgettable images of terrain that spans the Colorado and Mojave deserts. Trace a gentle trail into the rocks at Hidden Valley and Keys View, watch for the park’s reclusive wildlife, and experience the unique beauty of one America’s most remarkable national parks.

4.5-hour van tour of Joshua Tree National Park
Enjoy two optional nature hikes and learn about the desert landscape
Explore alongside an experienced guide
Perfect overview of the park for first-time visitors

What's Included

National Park fees
Bottled water
Live commentary on board
Driver/guide
Professional guide

Gratuities

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Morton's The Steakhouse
74-880 Country Club Dr, Palm Desert, CA 92260, USA
In the Ralph's Grocery Store shopping center on the corner of Cook Street and Country Club Drive in Palm Desert.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Keys View

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Hidden Valley

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Joshua Tree Visitor Center

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Joshua Tree National Park

3 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately (may be 15-20 degrees cooler in the park)
Wheelchair accessible
Most travelers can participate

Age limit of 6 years old
Do you have any physical limitations or food allergies we should be aware of?
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 20 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Featured review

Joseph_C

This is an amazing tour! Highly recommending this specially to tourists who would like to explore Joshua Tree. A massive thank you and shout out to Ben our tour guide. He gave a lot of great insights and gave 100% during the tour.

Reviews

5.0

251 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

We perform checks on reviews

Showing 1-10 of 251 reviews

Epic tour of Joshua Tree

Kelly_L, Mar 2024

Our tour guide Will was, extremely knowledgeable about Joshua Tree and surrounding areas. He is an excellent tour guide, providing information, humor and an all around fantastic experience!

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Thank you for the review Kelly! We're so glad you enjoyed your tour!

Fantastic tour with Captain Ron!

AJ_H, Mar 2024

We had an excellent time on this tour! Ron, our guide, was welcoming right from the start. While I was anticipating the tour to start when we got to Joshua Tree National Park, Ron told us a lot about the Palm Spring area on the way (and the way back) which was great! The tour inside Joshua Tree was really informative and fun. Perfectly summed up by saying "I wish we had more time." Between life stories and a full scale botany class, Ron gave so much insight on the national park and it's wonders! I could not recommend this tour more and is a must-do when in the area!

Response from Host, Mar 2024

We're so glad you had a great tour with Ron! We're proud to have him on our Big Wheel team!

Awesome Joshua Tree Tour

Marcia_S, Feb 2024

Seeing the thousands of Joshua trees along with the interesting rock/hill formations was super beautiful. It is truly a special place that I would like to visit again. Our tour guide Captain Ron was awesome, so much knowledge about the landscape and area, we learned a lot from him and enjoyed his company. Thank you Ron for the wonderful experiences you shared.

Response from Host, Feb 2024

We're so glad you had a great tour with Ron! Thank you for the kind review Marcia!

Must see!

Mary_M, Jan 2024

Fun trip to Joshua Tree--gorgeous day, unforgettable views and a knowledgeable guide. This tour works well for folks looking for an overview of the park.

Response from Host, Jan 2024

Thank you for the kind review Mary!

Relaxing sunrise journey

Charlotte_B, Jan 2024

Perfect early morning sunrise trip through the desert getting to see some inspirational sights - a great intro to vastness of the national park.

Response from Host, Jan 2024

We're so glad you enjoyed your tour to Joshua Tree!

The Guide Makes the Magic of the Park Come Alive

Jim_G, Dec 2023

The stories and experiences our guide Ron shared during this journey in Joshua Tree. I would suggest requesting Ron for your tour if he is available.

Response from Host, Dec 2023

Thank you for the kind review Jim! We're so glad you had a great tour with Ron!

Joshua Tree Driving Tour

Andrew_M, Dec 2023

We had a wonderful tour of Joshua Tree National Park. Our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable about the park, all plants/trees, and the surrounding communities. She took us to all the major sites and even showed us some lesser known spots. We saw a beautiful sunset with pink/purple skies and enjoyed a date shake on the drive back. We can’t wait to visit again and will recommend this tour company to others.

Response from Host, Dec 2023

Thank you for the kind review Andrew! We're so glad you enjoyed your tour of Joshua Tree!

Highly recommended!

Jodie_V, Dec 2023

Our tour guide was excellent - we highly recommend Ron. Without the tour guide we would not have seen all of the beauty of the park.

Response from Host, Dec 2023

We're so glad you had a great tour with Ron! Thank you for the review!

I love Joshua Tree and...

Rachael_B, Nov 2023

I love Joshua Tree and decided to do this tour to let my visiting friend see all the sites as easily as possible and get some knowledge about the area that I personally couldn't give. I am very glad we had Captain Ron as the tour guide! He was a wealth of knowledge and stories and made the tour feel like we were traveling with a family member showing us around. He accommodated our specific wants while also showing us his favorite place in Hidden Valley, which was great. The park was gorgeous as always. Thank you for a memorable experience, Ron!

Response from Host, Nov 2023

Thank you for the kind review! We're so glad you had a great tour with Ron!

A fascinating tour in the Joshua Tree National Park, a great way to learn more about the Park

Victoria_D, Nov 2023

Great insights given by the guide about the trees and their environment rock formations and seeing a magnificent sunset. Much better than self driving!

Response from Host, Nov 2023

Thank you for the review Victoria! We're so glad you enjoyed your tour of Joshua Tree!

Choose Isabella as your tour lady

Wei_Y, Nov 2023

Isabella from big wheel was my trip tour lady. Very knowledgeable for all places our group to go. She took care of each one needs. She was my" photographer" every time I asked her favor. She scheduled the whole trip effectively and efficiently. WA Seattle

Response from Host, Nov 2023

We're so glad you enjoyed your Joshua Tree tour! Thank you for the review!

Lovely Tour through Joshua Tree

Rahul_P, Oct 2023

Isabel was an amazing guide and was genuinely knowledgeable about the park and its history. We saw her passion for the park and unique features throughout the tour. Cannot recommend Isabel enough! Amazing tour!

Response from Host, Oct 2023

Thank you Rahul! We're so glad you had a great tour experience with Isabel! She is fabulous at her job!

Great interactive tour...

Ginger_E, Oct 2023

Great interactive tour with Jeff. So accommodating and delightful. Will recommend to others. Such a beautiful place.

Response from Host, Oct 2023

Thank you for the review Ginger! We're so glad you had a great tour!

Fantastic, outstanding, amazing, extraordinary

Carol_H, Jul 2023

Excellent!!! Really appreciated our guide Kolin’s knowledge of the park, plants, and area. Great storyteller. We all had a wonderful time

Response from Host, Aug 2023

Thank you so much for the kind review Carol!

Joshua Tree Amazing

Kim_M, Jul 2023

We had a great time on this tour. Ben our tour guide was fantastic. He was knowledgeable, fun and just very welcoming. There were many memorable things within the park. Cap Rock and Keys View really stuck out. Thank you so much for a great time!

Response from Host, Jul 2023

Thank you for the review Kim! We're so glad you had a great tour with Ben! We hope to tour with you again soon!

BEST FOR TOURISTS!

Joseph_C, Jun 2023

Response from Host, Jun 2023

Thank you for the kind review Joseph! We're so glad you had a great tour with Ben!

Amazing excursion

Dana_K, Apr 2023

Ben was an amazing tour guide and had a wealth of knowledge on the topography. He lead us on two different hikes within the park which were incredible. Highly recommend.

Response from Host, Apr 2023

Thank you for the review Dana! We're so glad you enjoyed your tour!

Will Should Write a Book!

Timothy_W, Mar 2023

Will was a great guide, very knowledgeable, personable and engaging. Good plan by starting at the east end of the Park and traversing to the other side. Wonderful sites and great conversation. Definitely a memorable experience that will stay with my wife and me long after we get home.

Response from Host, Mar 2023

Thank you for the review Timothy! We're so glad you had a great experience!

JOSHUA TREE AMAZING

Thomas_D, Jan 2023

The guide was absolutely amazing from the moment of pickup to drop off. Knowledgable, professional & served customer service perfection! The bucket list I had awaited to complete since the Joshua Tree Album was released in 1986 cam to life during this tour.

Response from Host, Jan 2023

Thank you so much for the kind review! We're so glad you enjoyed your tour to Joshua Tree!

All the best of Joshua Tree in one convenient tour

Megan_K, Dec 2022

The owners of this tour were very communicative from booking to the day of the tour. It worked out for them to pick us up at our hotel, which was very convenient. We were picked up in a large van with a few other visitors, and we were off. Our guide, Will, was amazing... so knowledgeable and funny to boot! I would recommend him for any tour, you could hear the passion behind his stories. There were adequate stops on this tour, with a few minutes available to get out and walk around at each. They also provided water and some light snacks. Will was great about taking pictures of you, so you didn't have to rely on selfies, haha! Overall, the tour was a great use of time and appropriate for the cost. You see the park's main highlights, and as Will said, it gives you a taste so you know where you would want to come back and spend more time. The only reason I am not giving this 5 stars is the van. The windows on the van have a coating to help block out the sun (all the tiny black dots), but unfortunately, that blocked out the view too and even caused some slight nausea for me (I understand why those dots would be necessary for the desert). If you are prone to sickness, you may want to look at other tours in different vehicles. This was a great experience at an 'other-worldly' park that should be on everyone's bucket list.

Response from Host, Dec 2022

Thank you so much for the kind review Megan! We're sorry to hear you got motion sick! But what you said is correct, we do have the windows tinted to protect guests from the sun. If you ever tour with us again, we'll definitely put you in the front passenger seat to try to avoid it next time. Thanks again for touring with us!

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