Joshua Tree National Park Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour

Duration3h - 4h

Free cancellationFull refund up to 24 hours before

Instant confirmationYour booking is confirmed right away

TicketMobile or paper ticket accepted

LanguagesGerman, English, French, Dutch

Private tourOnly your group will participate

Overview

Purchase one tour per car, not per person. Everyone listens together!

Explore the rugged, mystical beauty of Joshua Tree National Park with this narrated driving tour. Discover a desert full of amazing hikes and cartoonishly strange trees, and hear all about the area’s fascinating history, from the greed of the gold rush to the McHaney Gang’s reign of terror. Enjoy all this in any season from the comfort of your own car!

• Tour Joshua Tree National Park from the comfort of your own car
• As a bonus, this package also includes a tour through Hidden Valley Nature Trail!

After booking, check your email/text to download the separate Audio Tour Guide App by Action while connected to WiFi or mobile data. Enter the password, download the tour, and enjoy it offline. Follow the audio instructions and route from the designated starting point.

New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want.

What's included

Just bring your car and phone; the app guides your tour.
Support is available via chat, email, or phone if you need help.
Planning tools, route maps, scenic stops, and area previews included.
Private tour experience for your family, in your own car.
Lifetime access: use the tour anytime and keep it for future trips.
Works offline with GPS route guidance and automatic audio stories.
One purchase covers everyone in your car, not per person.
Flexible tour: start, stop, and pause anytime during your trip.
Access your tour in our separate audio tour app after booking.
Hidden gems and local stories included along the route.

No live guide. Entrance fees, parking, food, and car rental are separate.

What to expect

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Your tour of Joshua Tree begins at the Joshua Tree Visitor Center. From here, you'll drive through this weird, one-of-a-kind park where two deserts meet. Along the way, get ready to marvel at the bizarre Joshua trees for which the park is named, embark on awe-inspiring hikes, and catch a sunset you'll never forget.

Note: The tour is over 66 miles long, with more than 60+ audio stories, and takes about 3-4 hours to complete.

New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want.
Joshua Tree National Park
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Before you enter the park, you'll pass through the town of Joshua Tree. It's full of quaint little shops and restaurants and is the perfect place to pick up a snack or a souvenir before or after your trip through the park.
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This peculiar landmark can be accessed via a moderate, 3.3-mile trail. Almost 100 years ago, an enigmatic man named John Samuelson etched various musings and declarations onto these rocks. They remain to this day as a strange, almost mystical sight.
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A 7-mile trail leads straight to Willow Hole, a seemingly miraculous oasis in the middle of the desert. The oasis is surrounded by willow trees and just has to be seen to be believed. Many visitors at first think it's a mirage!
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The Hemingway Buttress is one of the most popular climbing spots in the park. It juts up dramatically from the earth, seeming to dare visitors to scale it. The buttress features a huge pile of boulders which are lots of fun to scramble up, and climbers of all skill levels can find something to enjoy here.
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Ever wanted to see the hideout of a Wild West gang? You'll find it on this trail, as well as some seriously stunning desert scenery to boot. The Hidden Valley Nature Trail is an easy trek and only goes for about a mile, making it one of Joshua Tree's must-see hikes. As a bonus, this package also includes a tour through Hidden Valley Nature Trail!
Intersection Rock
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Intersection Rock is considered to be a sort of hub within Joshua Tree. Thanks to its towering size, it can be seen from a great distance and casts a striking silhouette against the blazing desert sky. It's also a hugely popular climbing spot, featuring numerous different climbing routes with names like Knuckle Cracker, Ignorant Photons from Pluto, and Sympathy to the Devil.
Cap Rock Trail
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Cap Rock is a strange sight, featuring a small boulder almost impossibly perched atop a larger rock formation. Here, you'll find a quick quarter-mile trail chock full of information about the local flora.
Lost Horse Valley
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Lost Horse Valley is a sweeping desert valley that gets its name from some of the McHaney Gang's misdeeds back in the days of the Wild West. You'll hear all about that as you drive through this valley, including what one overconfident miner did to try to get his stolen horses back!
Lost Horse Mine
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The Lost Horse Mine Loop Trail leads to a truly unique spot: the remains of one of the most successful gold mines in the region. In addition to these ruins, this four-mile trail also features some magnificent desert flora and more than a few excellent vistas. If you're visiting in the summer, be prepared for a lack of shade on this trail.
Queen Valley Road
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Another abandoned mine waits in Queen Valley. The gold found in this mine was the motive behind at least one murder and a whole lot else.
Skull Rock
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This iconic desert granite formation looks uncannily like a human skull. It's easily accessible from the roadside, and is also the trailhead for an easy 2-mile trail that's among the most popular hiking trails in the whole park.
Sky's The Limit Observatory and Nature Center
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Sky's The Limit Observatory and Nature Center is a phenomenal spot to learn not just about the flora and fauna of Joshua Tree, but also about the stars above. As a dark sky area, Joshua Tree makes for some seriously impressive stargazing, so try to stick around after dark if you can!
Oasis Visitor Center
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The Oasis Visitor Center is the last stop along the main tour route. It sits in the town of Twenty-Nine Palms, not far from where you began your tour. If you'd prefer to continue journeying through Joshua Tree, you can also follow the detour route, which proceeds south through the rest of the park and exits out the southern gate.

Meeting and pickup

Meeting point

West Entrance: Start on Park Blvd near 6563 Park Blvd, Joshua Tree, CA, heading south toward the park with the Joshua Tree Visitor Center on your right. Suggested start; not affiliated, so staff won’t have tour info. Audio auto-starts—check email/text, download ahead on strong internet.

Meeting point

South Entrance: Start on Cottonwood Springs Rd just south of Cottonwood Visitor Center, heading north with the Visitor Center on your right. Suggested start; we’re not affiliated, so staff won’t have tour info. Audio auto-starts—check email/text for setup, download ahead on strong internet.

Meeting point

Northeast Entrance: Start on CA-62 (29 Palms Hwy) near 6505 Freedom Wy, Twentynine Palms, heading east with the Joshua Tree Visitor Center and parking lot on your right. Suggested start; not affiliated, so staff won’t have tour info. Audio auto-starts—check email/text, download ahead.

End point

West Entrance: Start on Park Blvd near 6563 Park Blvd, Joshua Tree, CA, heading south toward the park with the Joshua Tree Visitor Center on your right. Suggested start; not affiliated, so staff won’t have tour info. Audio auto-starts—check email/text, download ahead on strong internet.

End point

South Entrance: Start on Cottonwood Springs Rd just south of Cottonwood Visitor Center, heading north with the Visitor Center on your right. Suggested start; we’re not affiliated, so staff won’t have tour info. Audio auto-starts—check email/text for setup, download ahead on strong internet.

End point

Northeast Entrance: Start on CA-62 (29 Palms Hwy) near 6505 Freedom Wy, Twentynine Palms, heading east with the Joshua Tree Visitor Center and parking lot on your right. Suggested start; not affiliated, so staff won’t have tour info. Audio auto-starts—check email/text, download ahead.

Additional information

Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Easy to use: GPS-triggered audio plays automatically along the route for a hands-free experience.
Private tour: Explore in your own vehicle without crowded buses or large tour groups.
At your own pace: Start anytime and pause for hikes, picnics, photos, or scenic stops.
Works offline: Once downloaded, the tour works using GPS without Wi-Fi or cellular service.
Good value: One purchase covers everyone in your vehicle, not each person separately.
More ways to save: Choose a single tour, a nearby bundle, or access to 200+ tours.
Download in advance: Download the Tour Guide app by Action and tour while connected to Wi-Fi or a strong cellular signal.
Follow the route: Begin at the suggested starting point or join anywhere along the route shown in the app.
Lifetime access: Preview the tour before your trip and revisit the stories, photos, and details afterward.
Supported devices: iPhone with iOS 15+, Android with version 9+, or a GPS-enabled iPad/tablet with cellular capability.
The app’s audio will play through your car’s Apple CarPlay and Android Auto display, while the app’s map will display on your phone. You can connect your phone to the car via Bluetooth to listen to the commentary through the car stereo.

Cancellation policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Reviews

4.6 (812)