Joshua Tree National Park Driving Tour
Recommended by 97% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Palm Springs, USA
- 5 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Explore the uncanny landscape of Joshua Tree National Park with a tour from Palm Desert, near Palm Springs. Enjoy the comfort of an air-conditioned vehicle as you navigate soaring granite formations and groves of the park’s famously spiky trees, and capture unforgettable images of terrain. 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.
- 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
- Bottled water
- Live commentary on board
- Driver/guide
- Gratuities
- Entrance fee to Joshua Tree National Park is $15 per person starting January 1, 2025
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Big Wheel Bikes & Palm Desert Bike Rentals74200 CA-111, Palm Desert, CA 92260, USA
Ample parking on the block in front our Palm Desert store available. Restrooms available as well.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
1
Keys View
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Hidden Valley
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
Joshua Tree Visitor Center
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
4
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
- 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
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Maria_J
Our tour and guide - Sara - were simply wonderful. Sara was full of personal knowledge of the Palm Desert area and of our destination - Joshua Tree National Park! She was excited to share her knowledge of the park's flora, fauna, and history with us. Having a friendly and engaging guide - with a sense of humor - made the tour even more enjoyable. The tour was tailored by our guide to our needs and interest - Sara chose the best views and areas of interest. The vehicle was clean, comfortable and well suited to the park terrain.
Reviews
4.9
based on 299 reviews
Joanne_K, Feb 2026
Our tour guide Jeff is excellent because he has an in depth knowledge of the desert, geology, history, vegetation as well as the Joshua Tree National Park. The adventure sparks dialogue with all in attendance. Jeff makes the experience unique to the participants. The Big Wheel vehicle is comfortable, clean and safe. There is ample opportunity for photographs and exploring. The scenery is breathtaking. Well worth it!
Response from Host, Feb 2026
We're so glad you enjoyed your tour with Jeff! Thank you for the review, Joanne!
Jacqueline_M, Dec 2025
Ben our guide was very informative and good humored. We saw great highlights in Joshua tree. Ben was knowledgeable about the geologic history as well as history of residents of the park
Response from Host, Dec 2025
We're so glad you enjoyed your tour with Ben!
Pradeep_P, Dec 2025
Sarah is a very knowledgeable and passionate guide. Professional service and a new, clean vehicle. We were able to get a very good overview of the park experience, given the short time we had scheduled for the weekend. Took very personal care of us, a family of four, including a lot of water and a selection of snacks. Would highly recommend.
Response from Host, Dec 2025
We're so happy you enjoyed your Joshua Tree tour! Thank you for the 5 star review!
Sarah_C, Nov 2025
Captain Ron was very knowledgeable about the park, geology and history. Very enjoyable but folks should be aware that 5-6 hours primarily in a van with strangers isn’t always optimal.
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Thank you for the kind words Sarah! Ron is a terrific and dedicated guide. Yes, sometimes we have to mix parties of guests, particularly during high demand holiday periods. Thank you for your understanding!
Ronald_J, Nov 2025
The experience was fantastic. Sarah was a great guide; knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and very easy to engage with. An all around top experience!
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Thank you so much for the kind review!
Vikki_W, Nov 2025
Tour was great fun and educational. Sarah was a terrific guide-very knowledgeable, entertaining and caring. She planned the perfect itinerary for our group with just the right amount of hiking and sightseeing, and made the experience much more interesting than we ever could have done on our own with her knowledge of the history, ecology and geography of the area. She also made sure we were safe every step of the way (literally). Plus, she was just plain fun and a pleasure to be around.
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Thank you so much for the kind review, Vikki! We're so glad you enjoyed your tour with Sarah!
Carol_R, Oct 2025
This was a great tour of an almost other worldly place. Our guide Sarah was interesting, informative and kept us all actively engaged throughout the tour. I would highly
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you for the kind review, Carol! We're so glad you enjoyed your tour with us!
Maria_J, Sep 2025
Our tour and guide - Sara - were simply wonderful. Sara was full of personal knowledge of the Palm Desert area and of our destination - Joshua Tree National Park! She was excited to share her knowledge of the park's flora, fauna, and history with us. Having a friendly and engaging guide - with a sense of humor - made the tour even more enjoyable. The tour was tailored by our guide to our needs and interest - Sara chose the best views and areas of interest. The vehicle was clean, comfortable and well suited to the park terrain.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you Maria! Sarah is a very professional and enthusiastic guide...so proud to have her on our team
Cecelia_B, Sep 2025
We did the Joshua tree tour with guide Sarah Wedner.
Sara is an incredible guide. She is knowledgeable, friendly, and clearly loves her job.
It was our first time to visit Joshua tree, and Sara made sure we saw all the high spots And learned so much. She moved at a very comfortable pace and also was happy to take pictures with us at some special places..
We highly recommend the tour company and highly recommend Sara
What an absolutely perfect day
Thank you, Sara!
Response from Host, Sep 2025
Thank you Cecilia! We are so lucky to have Sarah on our team.
Claire_K, Sep 2025
My husband and I were very excited about the Joshua Tree driving tour. We’re told to meet at the Joshua Tree visitors center at 7:30am. We arrived early (didn’t want to be late) and waited. The vendor sent a reminder email to buy the park entrance tickets as those were mot included in the tour ticket so we did ($15 each). But didn’t see any tour vehicle (Big Wheel Tours) by 7:30 am so I messaged the vendor via Viator platform at 7:33am.
No show. Messaged the vendor, called their office numbers (there were two numbers). No answers.
I contacted Viator via chat. First service rep(Marian) ended the chat in the middle of the chat. Tried again and the 2nd service rep (Gillian Marie) also tried the contact the vender and she didn’t get any responses either. Gillian emailed the vendor, requesting a refund, she said. The chat ended 8:22am.
So our long weekend plan got ruined. We had to buy another park entrance ticket (vehicle entrance ticket, $30) because now we had to drive ourselves. If we’re to do this, we didn’t have to buy the individual tickets to enter the park (this was required by the tour vender).
Later that day. Big Wheel Tours emailed me that the tour guide came at 7am and picked up another couple, thinking that was us. Hmmm.
Never had no show like this anywhere I’ve been to and I travel A LOT. An awful way to start the long weekend. $30 wasted. 1hr wasted. Frustrated, disappointed, and upset.
Response from Host, Sep 2025
Hello Claire, you are absolutely correct....we screwed up!! I am absolutely sick about our failure on your tour. There was another party that booked our Joshua Tree Off Road tour who were supposed to be picked up at a different location but instead they showed up at your pickup point so my guide who was supposed to take you took them instead without asking their names first! By the time we sorted it all out it was too late to resolve. That was a real failure on our part and I can't apologize enough. We pride ourselves on customer service and making sure our guests have a 5 star experience so I am really upset about the way we failed you.
If you decide to come back and give us a second chance I would love to have you on tour as our guest so that we can show you how good our tours are when we get it right!!
Likely to Sell Out
From $220.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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