Learn about California's geology and desert wilderness on a half-day Jeep/SUV tour to the San Andreas Fault. Drive through the Coachella Valley to the fault zone while hearing from your guide about native plant and animal life, local history, the Salton Sea, and earthquakes. Depending on your preference, you can take a nature walk in the desert or stay in the vehicle. Includes guide, transportation, and light refreshments.

Half-day Jeep tour to the San Andreas Fault, from Palm Springs
Visit part of the San Andreas Fault and hear about California's geology
See the Coachella Valley, the Salton Sea, desert wilderness, and farms
Drive off-road in a rugged 4WD Jeep
Choice of morning or afternoon departure
Includes guide, round-trip transportation, and light refreshments

What's Included

Bottled water
Snacks
Professional guide
Hotel drop-off (selected hotels only)

Food and drinks, unless specified

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Morton's The Steakhouse
74-880 Country Club Dr, Palm Desert, CA 92260, USA

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Salton Sea (Pass By)

San Andreas Fault

2 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Painted Canyon

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Most travelers can participate

Age limit is 6 years old
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 19 travelers

Operated by Big Wheel Tours, Inc.

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

Venassa_A

Ben was an amazing tour guide. Shared a lot of knowledge about geology and history of area. Had a great time

Reviews

5.0

233 reviews

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

Reviews by Viator travelers.

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Showing 1-10 of 233 reviews

Note as much Fault as Desert tour in Fault Zone.

Mark_L, Apr 2024

This is a good trip of the San Andreas fault zone. Note that it is the zone of the fault and although there are some geologic features related to the tectonic action it is more desert tour than fault tour. That having been said it is a very unique way to experience the desert, the canyons and oasis. There is also interesting history of the region and why the formations, industry and agriculture are there.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

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

Great experience in Coachella Valley

Jaya_V, Apr 2024

such an educational experience. Isabel is so knowledgeable and pleasant with an upbeat personality. Her enthusiasm for the area is infectious.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

We agree we love Isabel! We're so glad you had a great tour!

The San Andreas Fault

Taffey_M, Apr 2024

Interesting tour of the fault and lesson of the rock formations. Expect to hike up a hill to view the Salton Sea with spectacular views from atop the hill. The path is a little rocky so wearing hiking shoes or shoes with a good grippy sole would be helpful. The 4 Runner vehicle was a good sturdy vehicle for traversing the dusty washboard roads of the canyon. The short walk into the slot canyon was interesting although expect a climb over small boulders with tight spaces. The history of the small town of Mecca was interesting with a variety of agriculture. The tour was approximately four hours which was a little long for our preference but the water and snacks were appreciated. Our tour guide was knowledgeable and friendly. He made the tour interesting and answered a lot of questions not just about the fault but about life in the California area. I’m still not sure it was worth $189 per person though….

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Thank you for the review! The hike is totally optional based on preference, because we try to customize each tour to what the guests are wanting to experience! We would love to get to tour with you again in the future!

Neat experience

Jami_S, Mar 2024

We really enjoyed the trip with Ben. He was knowledgeable, very personable, and a great driver and we learned a lot! Highly recommended trip to see something a little different when visiting Palm Springs.

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Thank you for the review Jami! We're so glad you enjoyed your tour with Ben!

History and Beauty

Stacy_S, Mar 2024

Beautiful scenery and loved learning about the history. Jeff was very informative. It was just the right amount of time and exploring.

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Thank you for the kind review Stacy!

Fantastic San Andres Fault tour

Anne_B, Feb 2024

Ben was an extraordinary tour guide. His knowledge of the different faults and the history was fantastic and enjoyed the opportunity to go on a short hike through the canyons and the off road ride was wonderful. Thanks for a great tour!

Response from Host, Feb 2024

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

We enjoyed our trip and...

Jan_B, Jan 2024

We enjoyed our trip and Will was a very knowledgeable guide. As it turned out we were not able to do the San Andreas fault which was disappointing.

Response from Host, Jan 2024

Hi Jan, We sincerely apologize that your tour experience wasn't what it should have been. After getting rain a few days ago, certain areas were closed and we weren't able to discern exactly where the flood damage was. Again we apologize for any disappointment.

The views are...

Victor_X, Jan 2024

The views are breathtaking and many surprises along the trip! Perfect for family outings and we all learned a great deal about the fault zone, rock formations as well as the local weather. We had a blast! Our tour guide Ben went above and beyond making sure it was a memorable experience for us!

Response from Host, Jan 2024

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

Great experience in the SAF jeep tour.

John_T, Nov 2023

Loved the slot canyons and all the expert information on the faults and how they affect what we saw today. Isabel is so knowledgeable of the history and geology of the area. Great time for sure!!

Response from Host, Dec 2023

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

Excellent fault tour

Holly_H, Nov 2023

Isabell was so knowledgeable and enthusiastic. She explained the geology and biology of the areas as we went into different locations of the fault. There was just enough of everything and we loved it. We had an excellent time.

Response from Host, Nov 2023

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

Scenery, history and a hidden gem!

Susan_N, Oct 2023

We had a great off-road experience with Ben, our guide. We learned all about the local area, history, and geography. There wasn't a question he couldn't answer. We saw tons of varying scenery - all beautiful and even visited a little hidden oasis where we got to taste a salt bush and some palm fruit... highly recommend if you are in the area!

Response from Host, Oct 2023

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

Wonderful

Faith_W, Sep 2023

Wonderful tour. The guide was knowledgeable, interesting and flexible. We saw exactly what we wanted to see and learnt alot. Highly recommend!

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Thank you for the kind review Faith! We're so happy that you had a great tour!

Great tour company. Great guide, Great experience.

Dan_B, Jun 2023

The tour company owner sent the tour out even though I was the only person who signed up. My guide answered every question and provided so much knowledge. Even though you go off road, it’s not too rough. She even added the Salten Sea to the sights. Several times she asked if I needed a rest room stop.

Response from Host, Jun 2023

Thank you for the review Dan! We hoped you enjoyed the rarity of a solo tour! We don't get to do them often, but we're glad you had a good experience.

Fun on the desert

Cheri_L, Apr 2023

Isobel is amazing and very knowledgeable about landscape , entomology, and the San Andreas Fault line. We really enjoyed her.

Response from Host, May 2023

Thank you for the kind review Cheri!

Intro to San Andreas Fault

Nicole_L, Mar 2023

It was a nice introduction to the San Andreas Fault and interesting information to go alongside. The tour guide Isabel had a great amount of knowledge about the area and the overall environmental aspects. It was a good half day trip.

Response from Host, Mar 2023

Thank you for the kind review Nicole!

We enjoyed that it was a...

Carrie_B, Mar 2023

We enjoyed that it was a little off roading and hiking. Best of both worlds. Kept the kids interest and wasn’t too long

Response from Host, Mar 2023

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

Memorable!

Teresa_A, Feb 2023

Isabelle, our tour guide, was very personable and extremely knowledgeable about the tour content and the Palm Springs area.

Response from Host, Feb 2023

Thank you for the review!

Great adventure.

Suzanne_V, Feb 2023

Our guide discussed the history & agriculture of the area on our way out to the fault. Once we reached the fault we went off road to explore canyons, rock formations, and to walk inside the fault. Our guide was amazing; fun, attentive and knowledgeable.

Response from Host, Feb 2023

Thank you for the review Suzanne!

Awesome Experience!

Edward_A, Jan 2023

Our guide, Ben, was extremely knowledgeable re: the geology and the landscape. This was a really fun, educational experience.

Response from Host, Jan 2023

Thank you for the review Edward!

A perfect day learning

alex_v, Jan 2023

Isabel was absolutely amazing. Between her knowledge of the area, kind demeanor, willingness to please and educate us made for the best excursion. We loved it!

Response from Host, Jan 2023

Thank you for the review Alex! We're so glad you had a great experience seeing the fault with Isabel!

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