Joshua Tree is without a doubt one of the most magical places in North America, and if you’re in the Southwestern US, do yourself a favor and make the visit. With surreal desert landscapes, you have amazing flora and fauna, incomparable views of starry night skies, and breathtaking sunsets.

Aside from that, many believe that the national park has unique healing properties and energy centers. If you want to make the most of your experience, I highly recommend going on one of the 5 top Joshua Tree National Park tours! Let’s jump right in!

Best Tours of Joshua Tree National Park

	Joshua Tree National Park Offroad Tour	Joshua Tree Open Air Hummer Adventure	Joshua Tree National Park Driving Tour
Departure:	Morton's The Steakhouse, 74-880 Country Club Dr, Palm Desert	North Museum Drive, N Museum Dr, Palm Springs	Morton's The Steakhouse, 74-880 Country Club Dr, Palm Desert
Start:	7:00 AM, 1:00 PM	11:00 AM	7:00 AM, 1:00 PM
Duration:	5 hours	3 to 5 hours	5 hours
Includes:	Bottled water, snacks, professional guide, driver, live commentary on board	Transport by H1 Hummer, Snacks, Bottled water, General Admission	Bottled water, Live commentary on board, Driver/guide, Professional guide, Snacks
	Tour Information & Booking	Tour Information & Booking	Tour Information & Booking

Quick Answer: The 5 Best Rated Joshua Tree Park Tours For 2025

1. Joshua Tree National Park Offroad Tour
2. Joshua Tree National Park Driving Tour
3. Joshua Tree Open Air Hummer Adventure
4. Half-Day Guided Hike in Joshua Tree National Park
5. Joshua Tree National Park Scenic Tour

Joshua Tree National Park Tour Reviews

1. Joshua Tree National Park Offroad Tour

If you’re looking to get out into the wilderness, get some fresh air, and let off some steam, I highly recommend a small-group 4×4 adventure. With scenic, off-road tracks, desert flora, and crazy geological formations, there’s no shortage of entertainment out there!

The Joshua Tree National Park Offroad Tour is one of the best ways to take advantage of it all, with expert guides who know the area like the back of their hand. You’ll start out by meeting your guide and the rest of your small group at the Ralph’s Grocery shopping center in Palm Desert, which has plenty of parking available if you need.

Once there, you’ll board your comfortable, air-conditioned 4×4 with plenty of room to stretch out and enjoy the amazing scenery as it rolls by. It’s perfect for exploring the more rugged terrain and parts of the park that your average vehicle is incapable of reaching!

As we cruised along, our guide shared plenty of interesting info on desert geology, plant life, the cultural history of the land, and even pointed out some animals (like a Longhorn ram!)! We made various photo stops at particularly notable rock formations, sacred Joshua trees, and plenty of other things off the beaten path.

I’m not sure if it’s in the schedule already, but make sure to ask your guide to visit the mine place! No two trips to Joshua Tree are the same, and if you’re looking to escape the national park crowds and get away to the serene backcountry, this is the tour for you.

Combine that with an incredibly knowledgeable, fun guide, and you have the makings for the perfect day.

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

2. Joshua Tree National Park Driving Tour

If you’re not into the idea of taking a 4×4 out to the desert and prefer something perhaps a bit more luxe or serene, check out this next tour. The Joshua Tree National Park Driving Tour takes you on a scenic, comfy van ride with climate control and round-trip transport from Palm Desert.

Relax and listen to your local guide share all kinds of lore and desert context along the way, so by the time you arrive, you already have a rich background of knowledge!

While 4x4s can be fun, if you’re not a fan of bumpy off-road rides, that’s totally ok! This is a paved-driving option that still takes you to iconic park spots like Hidden Valley and Keys View without sacrificing comfort.

While your itinerary may be a bit different, the typical schedule includes a Hidden Valley hike, Key’s View overlook, stops at San Andreas Fault zone, and much more.  Whether you’re a history buff, into rocks, beautiful views, or simply want to experience the magic of the unique Joshua Tree, this tour is great for anyone.

Something else I really enjoyed was that our itinerary wasn’t set in stone. Some of us wanted to do a brief nature walk, which was perfect for stretching our legs after being in our coach for a while. Others wanted to head straight to the Visitor Center – our guide ma/naged it all in a way that made us all happy.

We went on another nature hike where our guide showed us a ton of amazing granite formations, ancient plants, and overlooks that made it feel like we were on another planet. It’s crazy how quickly our 5 hours flew by!

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

3. Joshua Tree Open Air Hummer Adventure

If you’re on the hunt for a truly thrilling desert experience, look no further than the Joshua Tree Open Air Hummer Adventure! Feel the adrenaline pumping while being strapped into an H1 military Hummer as it traverses remote, rugged paths deep into the national park.

With your expert guide/driver at the helm, they’ll lead you into terrain untouched by standard tours with expert commentary! Start off by being picked up in either Palm Desert or Palm Springs in an air-conditioned coach, then get to your Hummer for the day!

Our guide always placed our safety at the forefront of the tour, and made sure all of our questions were answered throughout our time together. We then headed into the wild desert terrain, enjoying our guide’s custom playlists and funny anecdotes along the way.

As you can probably imagine, the fact that it is an open-air Hummer means that you get to enjoy truly unobstructed views of this magical place. It can get a bit bumpy at times and when you’re at higher elevations, it can get chilly, so I do recommend bringing a light jacket ( and good walking shoes) along.

I was also quite fascinated by what we learned about the cultural history of the park – specifically, the various Native American tribes who lived in the area for thousands of years (and later on, Mormon settlers!).

The highlight for me was climbing up to Keys Point, which is one of the most impressive lookouts I’ve ever seen, stretching all the way out to Mexico! At Keys View, we even saw all the way over to the San Andreas Fault!

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

4. Half-Day Guided Hike in Joshua Tree National Park

If your primary goal in going to Joshua Tree is acquiring as much knowledge as possible, this next tour should be at the top of your list. The Half-Day Guided Hike in Joshua Tree National Park ramps up the education aspect, with a local guide and naturalist leading the way.

Expect to learn about not only the flora and fauna, but also about the geology and history of the region with engaging, fun commentary that’s tailored specifically to you and your group. Expanding upon that, this is a fully customizable tour, so you’re not locked into a cookie-cutter itinerary where you’re just checking off boxes.

Whether you’re interested in everything from indigenous history and rock formations to cactus adaptations and the different types of animals living in the region, you’re in luck. Mixing in modest hikes with stops for stories, plant spotting, and photo ops, it’s great for all activity levels, too.

Start out by being picked up in a comfortable coach, with plenty of space to stretch out and big windows perfect for viewing the gorgeous desert landscapes. You and your group get to decide upon your pickup time, which makes it super easy to fit into a busy schedule.

You guys get to set the pace, and everything is always adaptable in real time, depending on the mood. Whether you’re going with a friend group or traveling with kids, this Joshua Tree tour is perfect for all ages and experience levels.

Our guide was super engaging, and kept the kids in my group entertained – not always an easy task when focusing on nature and history!

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

5. Joshua Tree National Park Scenic Tour

Last but certainly not least, is the Joshua Tree National Park Scenic Tour. Lasting anywhere from 3 to 5 hours, it’s a fantastic intro to everything amazing in the park – from the San Andreas Fault to its indigenous roots!

Perfect if you’re looking for a shorter, premium small-group, half-day desert adventure, this experience does a great job of balancing education with thrills, ensuring no one gets bored!

There are multiple start times and meeting points available, making it convenient even if you already have a busy schedule planned. In fact, I’d say this is one of the most flexible tours of its kind, with staff who were always willing to accommodate and ensure we were happy.

After being picked up in our comfortable, climate-controlled vehicle, we set off to the park, learning about its history and some other points of interest along the way.  You’ll get to hit all of the “must-see” spots in Joshua Tree, but you’ll also get to see plenty of hidden gems.

I can tell you that there were plenty of stories and spots I wouldn’t have known about if not for my guide on this tour. Our guide did a wonderful job of bringing history to life, telling us animated stories about the Indigenous and Mexicans who used to live in the area!

With plenty of complimentary snacks and bottled water available, we were all quite comfortable, even though it got pretty hot later in the day! If you’re looking for lots of laughs in one of the most stunning places in the world, this one’s for you!

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience