San Andreas Fault Offroad Tour

Recommended by 96% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Palm Springs, USA

4 hours (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.9

· Karin_S ·

Mar 2026

Fascinating tour! Sarah was an awesome guide, full of interesting details about this incredible landscape. We learned a ton about the fault line and plate tectonic activity in this area. Oh, and saw some great views of the Salton Sea. Sarah is the best!!

· Naomie_R ·

Mar 2026

Had a great time on this tour. Learned so much about the region and its geology. Our tour guide was so knowledgeable and engaging. Will be recommending this tour a LOT!!

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Overview

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.

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

What's Included

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

Food and drinks, unless specified

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Big Wheel Bikes & Palm Desert Bike Rentals
74200 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

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

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

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

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

Gladys_G

Sarah is the best tour guide ever. Very knowledgeable, informative, no boring moments. Best hidden gem in the dessert. I would highly recommend this tour.

Reviews

4.9

based on 324 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

It was obvious that the...

Barry_M, Mar 2026

It was obvious that the tour guide, Sara, had a lot of passion and was very knowledgeable regarding all the many things she was describing on the tour. We were fortunate to have had this experience with Sara.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

We're so happy you enjoyed your tour with Sarah!

a Great Time!

Naomie_R, Mar 2026

Had a great time on this tour. Learned so much about the region and its geology. Our tour guide was so knowledgeable and engaging. Will be recommending this tour a LOT!!

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thank you so much for the 5 star review, Naomie!

Fascinating tour, Sarah is a terrific guide!

Karin_S, Mar 2026

Response from Host, Mar 2026

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

Best tour in the dessert

Gladys_G, Jan 2026

Sarah is the best tour guide ever. Very knowledgeable, informative, no boring moments. Best hidden gem in the dessert. I would highly recommend this tour.

Response from Host, Jan 2026

Thank you for the 5 star review, Gladys! We're proud to have Sarah on our team!

This experience was so...

Jane_S, Dec 2025

This experience was so wonderful. Our guide, Sarah, was very knowledgeable of desert geology (fault line and tectonic plates processes) and points of interest in the Coachella Valley. We’d like to give a shoutout to her for making our experience so special!

Response from Host, Dec 2025

Thank you for the 5 star review Jane!

Fun excursion

Linda_A, Oct 2025

Fun adventure on backroads & in canyons. Our guide was friendly & knowledgeable. The weather was perfect for the day.

Response from Host, Oct 2025

Thank you Linda!

San Andreas Off Road Tour by big Wheels Tours-Palm Desert

Barb_V, Oct 2025

Sarah was our tour guide and did an awesome job! She was very friendly, very knowledgeable and let us ask her any questions we had. I learned so much from her! I would highly recommend this tour plus she suggested we get a date milkshake at Shields which was out of this world!

Response from Host, Oct 2025

Thank you Barb! Yupper...Sarah is awesome and date shakes are a unique Coachella Valley treat. We are so happy you enjoyed your tour.

Sarah is the best tour...

Lance_F, Sep 2025

Sarah is the best tour guide I have ever had for any tour. She is extremely knowledgeable, attentive, and caring. She is passionate about sharing her knowledge with others and she clearly enjoys interacting with others. I would take a tour guided by Sarah again without hesitation.

Response from Host, Sep 2025

Wow! Thank you so much for the kind words. We are lucky to have Sarah on our team.

Our tour guide was...

Claire_L, Jul 2025

Our tour guide was amazing. Very informative and interactive with us. Enjoyed the coffee date shake. You can tell that she really enjoys her job.

Response from Host, Jul 2025

Thank you Claire! We are lucky to have Sarah on our team...she is a pro!!

San Andreas Awesome Tour!!

Barbara_J, Apr 2025

Sarah was fun and so knowledgeable! She really gave us a great tour with lots of fun facts. Hope to have Sarah again for another tour when we come back!

Response from Host, Apr 2025

Sarah is our newest guide here, so we're so glad you had a great tour! Thank you for the kind review!

Great tour of the Mecca Hills Wilderness area

Deborah_P, Mar 2025

Ben was fantastic as our tour guide! Very knowledgeable and fun! We enjoyed learning about the local geology, wildlife and desert plants. Highly recommend this tour!

Response from Host, Mar 2025

Thank you for the kind 5 star review Deborah!

Amazing adventure

Kellie_G, Feb 2025

Capt Ron was excellent and full of wisdom! He made our trip fun, educational and so much more than we thought we were getting. The oasis was amazing and the trip thru Coachella area was stunning. We loved hearing about the plants, rocks and wildlife.

Response from Host, Feb 2025

Thank you for the kind review Kellie! We're so glad you enjoyed your fault tour with Ron!

Amazing experience...

Margaret_D, Feb 2025

Amazing experience exploring the landscapes!! Our Guide Ben was so knowledgeable and gave us an informative and fun tour!

Response from Host, Feb 2025

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

Great trip for young and old!

BruceGeorge, Jan 2025

Ben, our guide was absolutely fantastic. We loved the trip. It was truly an off road experience. I wanted to thank Ben for customizing our trip to cater to our group. We had my father and his girlfriend who are 90 and 91 years old and they both loved it. Great trip if you are looking for something out of the ordinary that was truly educational as well.

Response from Host, Jan 2025

Thank you for the 5 star review Bruce! We're very proud to have Ben on our team here at Big Wheels!

Hawai Solder’s American Story!

koteswara_G, Jan 2025

The captain explanation on several things spanned from history to evolution of farming in California l..

Response from Host, Jan 2025

Thank you for the 5 star review!

A great off the grid experience!

Chris_R, Oct 2024

The tour guide, Jeff was very informative and made sure we all had an amazing experience. The photo opportunities were perfect and what a great opportunity to see a part of history. I highly recommend this tour!

Response from Host, Oct 2024

Thank you for the review Chris! We're so glad you enjoyed your tour to see the San Andreas Fault!

Incredible geology!

Kimberly_S, Sep 2024

Being able to see the incredible geology of the San Andreas fault zone up close was a wild experience! Even though you are still somewhat close to civilization, you feel like you are in another world out there. You can enjoy the "sound" of absolute silence, and if you're lucky, you might spot some wildlife along the way; We saw a juvenile Great Horned Owl, a Red-tailed Hawk, big families of Gambels Quail, and lots of teeny tiny White Tailed Squirrels (adorable!) Our tour guide, Ben, was very knowledgeable about the history of the area and did a great job of pointing out and explaining the various geological features that we were seeing. Overall great tour!

Response from Host, Sep 2024

Thank you Kimberly! Ben is a professional and passionate guide. We are so lucky to have him and so lucky to live so close to this natural wonder.

Never got out of the car !

Mark_K, Sep 2024

We basically were told to stay in the car after I asked to get out and take pictures. Host said there would be time but never happened. Supposed to be a short hike which also never happened. Couldn't see Salton sea hardly. I wouldn't include that as a feature of the tour.

Response from Host, Sep 2024

Hello Mark, so sorry to hear that! I did talk to your guide that day, Mitch, who mentioned that it was indeed his oversight for not offering more stops for picture opportunities and nature walks. Our apologies!!

Must-Do 1/2 day trip to San Andreas fault

Bogdan_C, Sep 2024

“Jurassic Jeff” was a cool tour guide, very knowledgeable and fun. He took us to some unbelievable places. San Andreas Fault is such an interesting place, and Jeff provided very good background information. Definitely a must-do! We went on the morning tour, to avoid the afternoon heat.

Response from Host, Sep 2024

Thank you Bogdan!

An amazing tour

Mitsuaki_K, Sep 2024

Quite an amazing tour of the San Andreas Fault with our guide, Kolin. The fault was nothing what I expected. And the information that Kolin provided was priceless. He made it worth the price paid and more. I was hesitant to do the tour with 108 degree temps but riding in the Toyota Sequoia was comfortable even on the rough terrain. There were some short hikes but nothing unbearable despite the scorching heat. The scenery was beautiful and surreal to walk inside the itself. We had a short tour of the Salton Sea and learned the history of it. My kids (17 and 10) enjoyed the tour very much. Water and snacks are provided. All you need to bring is your body and camera. Forgot to mention, Kolin takes amazing pictures, too.

Response from Host, Sep 2024

Thank you so much for the kind review! Yes, we do like our climate controlled vehicles!! Sometimes there's dust, sometimes heat, sometimes wind......

Fun and informative.

Phil_N, Jul 2024

John, the tour guide, was fun and very knowledgeable. The tour was very informative. We had a small group which made it so much easier to engage and ask questions.

Response from Host, Aug 2024

Thank you John! I think it may have been Jurassic Jeff who was your guide that day. So glad you enjoyed your tour!

Excellent tour

Stephanie_J, Jul 2024

Amazing tour. Our guide was very knowledgeable. Great way to learn about the fault and the surrounding area

Response from Host, Aug 2024

Thank you so much! We take great pride in our guides...they really make the tour.

Canyons tour

Jeffrey_L, Jun 2024

Our guide,Vega, was fantastic. Incredibly knowledgeable, informative, interesting and interested. We toured a few Canyons and did a bit of hiking 🥾.

Response from Host, Jul 2024

Thank you Jeff! Vega for sure is the right man for the job....he makes sure that the guests have a 5 start experience every time. Thank you for sharing!

Great off road exploring

Geraldine_S, Jun 2024

The whole experience was very special. From the moment our guide picked us up to 4 hours later we were made to feel very special. Our guide had a lot of knowledge if the area and the off road places to go. Thank you we will never forget this trip.

Response from Host, Jul 2024

Thank you! That is exactly what we aim for on every tour....a memorable experience in what we consider one of the most interesting and beautiful places on earth.

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!