Death Valley Nature &amp; Wildlife Tours &amp; Trips

Small Group Tour

Why we love them

They’ve partnered with well-known names like National Geographic and the Jane Goodall Institute to offer unique experiences unavailable elsewhere.

Lodging level

Premium - 4 star

Physical level

Moderate

Trip pace

Balanced schedule

Visits

California, Death Valley, Death Valley National Park, Golden Gate Bridge, Kings Canyon National Park, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Sequoia National Park, Sierra Nevada, Yosemite National Park

Highlights

Immerse yourself in the stark beauty of death valley
Cross the stunning sierra nevada mountains
Explore world-famous yosemite national park on a naturalist walk
Marvel at ancient trees in sequoia national park
Enjoy a full day in kings canyon national park

Themes

Cultural, National Parks, Nature & Wildlife

What travelers are saying

"The tour had an excellent itinerary and activities, giving a broad overview of Peru - we loved it. Accommodations (with one exception) were great, and all had an included breakfast buffet. The tour's included activities (e.g. cooking class, pisco tour and tasting, potato park, boat tour of Isla Ballestas) were terrific. Appreciated the two included flights which saved a lot of driving time. Logistics were handled, and everything was smooth and easy (thanks to our CEO, Mary Chu!)."

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-19%$3,701

9 days From$3,009

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On the Road: Saguaro, Joshua Tree & Death Valley National Parks

By Road Scholar

preferred

4.4/5 Great

Small Group Tour

Lodging level

Standard - 3 star

Physical level

Moderate

Visits

Death Valley, Las Vegas

Highlights

I like to spend much of the day exploring
Whether walking through historic neighborhoods at a moderate pace or out and about on a coach, I prefer to keep my days full
Stairs don’t bother me, and I love to keep up with the group

Themes

Culinary & Wine, National Parks, Nature & Wildlife, Relaxing Retreats, Yoga, Meditation & Wellness, Photography, Holy Land

What travelers are saying

"Because I have Stage 4 cancer, I chose to spend the extra money for trip insurance in case my cancer recurred. When a scan showed that it had, I cancelled my trip. I sent to them the medical documents from the Mayo Clinic confirming my new diagnosis. They sent me an email telling me my oncologist needed to fill in a form. I asked my oncologist to do that and I submitted it by fax on April 6th. When I didn’t hear anything, I sent them more medical documentation and asked them to please push forward my refund as I have travel expenses from a clinical trial coming up. Several days later I received an email that they needed further documentation from my doctor. How much more documentation do you need than the patient has stage 4 metastatic cancer and is starting a clinical trial??? This is heartless to me. Please don’t plan to travel through Road Scholar if you’re medically vulnerable!!"

By MT Sobek (Mountain Travel Sobek)

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10 days From$2,299

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Death Valley National Park Quick Escape

none

4.8/5 Excellent

64 reviews

Small Group Tour

Lodging level

Premium - 4 star

Physical level

Easy

Trip pace

Balanced schedule

Visits

California, Death Valley, Las Vegas

Highlights

Hike through Golden Canyon’s narrows to the phenomenal Zabriskie Point
Visit the lowest point in the U.S. at Badwater and explore the salt flats
Journey up Mosaic Canyon, a multi-hued display of Death Valley’s rock layers

Themes

Cultural, Hiking & Walking, National Parks, Nature & Wildlife

What travelers are saying

"First, let me say our tour guide Tomomi S. is hands down THE best tour guide I’ve ever had - knowledgeable, fun and made great efforts to ensure that we were comfortable and happy (MTSobek tour guides are independent contractors. Tomomi also works for other Adventure/Tour companies) Secondly, Japan is beautiful, clean and the Japanese people are very welcoming. The hiking in the national parks was amazing. It could have been a truly five-star experience if MtSobek had not cut corners so egregiously. The website said (at the time) group tours are 5-22 people. The tour gets canceled if the minimum is not met. When I paid there were TWO other people booked-a mother and daughter duo. Shortly before our departure date I called to see if the tour would be cancelled. I wanted my money back but Mt Sobek was “pleased to say that the trip would not be canceled”. In other words, I could not get a refund. At the last minute a guy named Matt signed up so there were four of us. Five days into the trip Matt left and took a train back to Tokyo. I said to him “You realize Mt Sobek is not going to refund you”. He said, “I don’t care, Mt Sobek scammed us.” With tax, the tour costs $11,645 for 13 nights. For that price there is an expectation that the accommodations Mt Sobek chooses would be decent and clean. We all fully expected a ‘traditional Japanese experience’ which often means no private bath and 8 out of the 13 nights we slept on futon mats on the floor. However, Mt Sobek consistently booked us in the cheapest Ryokans (hotels) in each area in which we travelled. Most of these hotels were unclean and very out-dated. One Ryokan they booked us in was listed on a hotel website for $40 USD/night when there were much nicer accommodations nearby for $100 USD/night. (The Japanese yen is way down, the luxury Park Hotel in Tokyo was $200 USD/night. A comparable hotel would have been about $800/night in Austin.). We were the only people staying in several hotels that accomadated many more people. The most egregious example of MtSobek’s booking the cheapest rooms is when we were booked at a large traditional ski lodge at the base of a spectacular mountain. It was beautiful on the website but had two very different wings. One wing was modern, clean and beautiful with simple beds. The other wing was very old (similar to a cheap Motel 6 that had not been updated since the 1970’s). The carpet and bathrooms were disgusting and like many of the Ryocans where we stayed the futon mats seemed as though they had not been cleaned In 30 years. Only after our tour guide checked us in did we realize we had been booked in the cheap rooms. I asked Tomo why. Immediately someone from MtSobek reached out to me and said, “gosh, I’m sorry you did not realize you were going to have a traditional Japanese experience”. Really? “Traditional” experience depends upon one’s budget. In the US, “traditional” to some people may be the Marriott, a Motel 6 or the Four Seasons Hotels. We were paying for a Marriott experience and received the one-star Motel 6 experience. Upon arrival in Tokyo I expected to be met at the airport by a driver (as many tour companies do). However, several days before our arrival dates in Tokyo, MtSobek sent an email telling us how to locate taking a city bus from the bustling Tokyo airport. That is interesting if you do not speak Japanese. MtSobek cleverly uses great photography and elaborate descriptions of the national parks and the hiking while using terms like “traditional Japanese experience with tatami-mat sleeping” to disguise sub-standard accommodations. At one point we were looking on-line at the very hotel where we were staying and did not even recognize it from the website pictures. The hiking was amazing. The group size was disappointing with just the three of us. I would absolutely recommend a hiking tour through Japan, just not with MtSobek."

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4 days From$1,999

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Best of the West 11 day tour Las Vegas to San Francisco Via the Southwest USA National Parks SWHDYSLODGE

none

4.8/5 Excellent

Small Group Tour

Lodging level

Standard - 3 star

Physical level

Easy

Trip pace

Full schedule

Visits

Arches National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Bryce National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Death Valley, Death Valley National Park, Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Monument Valley, San Francisco, Yosemite National Park, Zion National Park

Highlights

City Tour of San Francisco
Tour of Death Valley National Park
Grand Canyon, Zion, Arches, Canyonlands and Bryce walks and hikes
Historic Route 66 Birthplace
Incredible wildlife viewing opportunities

Themes

Birding, Education / Learning, Hiking & Walking, National Parks, Nature & Wildlife, Trekking & Expeditions, Photography

What travelers are saying

"Wonderful 7 days southwest camping trip, very well organised. Awesome tour guide, going beyond his duties to get everybody happy. Highly recommended."

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11 days From$4,195

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4 day tour from Las Vegas to Death Valley, Yosemite National Parks and San Francisco DYSCAMP

none

4.8/5 Excellent

Small Group Tour

Lodging level

Camping

Physical level

Easy

Trip pace

Full schedule

Visits

Death Valley, Death Valley National Park, San Francisco, Yosemite National Park

Highlights

Visit Death Valley National Park
Walk on the Death Valley Salt flats – the driest and hottest place in the world
Visit an old Gold Rush town
Explore Yosemite National Park
San Francisco city tour included

Themes

Birding, Education / Learning, Hiking & Walking, National Parks, Nature & Wildlife, Trekking & Expeditions, Photography

What travelers are saying

"Wonderful 7 days southwest camping trip, very well organised. Awesome tour guide, going beyond his duties to get everybody happy. Highly recommended."

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4 days From$795

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Best of the West 11 day tour Las Vegas to San Francisco Via the Southwest USA National Parks SWHDYSCAMP

none

4.8/5 Excellent

Self-Guided / Independent Tour

Lodging level

Camping

Physical level

Easy

Trip pace

Full schedule

Visits

Arches National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Bryce National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Death Valley, Death Valley National Park, Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Monument Valley, San Francisco, Yosemite National Park, Zion National Park

Highlights

City Tour of San Francisco
Tour of Death Valley National Park
Grand Canyon, Zion, Arches, Canyonlands and Bryce walks and hikes
Historic Route 66 Birthplace
Incredible wildlife viewing opportunities

Themes

Hiking & Walking, National Parks, Nature & Wildlife

What travelers are saying

"Wonderful 7 days southwest camping trip, very well organised. Awesome tour guide, going beyond his duties to get everybody happy. Highly recommended."

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11 days From$2,151

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4 day tour from Las Vegas to Death Valley, Yosemite National Parks and San Francisco DYSLODGE

none

4.8/5 Excellent

Small Group Tour

Lodging level

Standard - 3 star

Physical level

Easy

Trip pace

Full schedule

Visits

Death Valley, Death Valley National Park, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Yosemite National Park

Highlights

Visit Death Valley National Park
Walk on the Death Valley Salt flats – the driest and hottest place in the world
Visit an old Gold Rush town
Explore Yosemite National Park
San Francisco city tour included

Themes

Birding, Education / Learning, Hiking & Walking, National Parks, Nature & Wildlife, Trekking & Expeditions, Photography

What travelers are saying

"Wonderful 7 days southwest camping trip, very well organised. Awesome tour guide, going beyond his duties to get everybody happy. Highly recommended."

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4 days From$1,350

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4 day tour from Las Vegas to Death Valley, Yosemite National Parks and San Francisco DYSLODGEPRT

none

4.8/5 Excellent

Private Guided

Lodging level

Standard - 3 star

Physical level

Easy

Trip pace

Full schedule

Visits

Death Valley, Death Valley National Park, Golden Gate Bridge, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Yosemite National Park

Highlights

Visit Death Valley National Park
Walk on the Death Valley Salt flats – the driest and hottest place in the world
Visit an old Gold Rush town
Explore Yosemite National Park
San Francisco city tour included

Themes

Birding, Education / Learning, Hiking & Walking, National Parks, Nature & Wildlife, Trekking & Expeditions, Photography

What travelers are saying

"Wonderful 7 days southwest camping trip, very well organised. Awesome tour guide, going beyond his duties to get everybody happy. Highly recommended."