This Death Valley tour itinerary assumes you are staying in the Furnace Creek Ranch area and have two and a half days for touring.
Death Valley Tour, Day 1
- Check the schedule for any ranger-led hikes or programs of interest. Make reservations for Sunday brunch at the Furnace Creek Inn. The valley floor below will be your destination for the afternoon.
- Drive to Dante's View for an eagle's-eye view of the valley. Hike to the end of the point for a panoramic view. Be still and enjoy one of this place's unique experiences: silence.
- Enjoy brief side trips to Zabriskie Point and 20-Mule Canyon.
- Stop for lunch at the Forty-Niner Cafe at Furnace Creek Ranch.
- Drive to Badwater, making a side trip on West Side Road to see the salt pan up-close, and stopping at the Devil's Golf Course.
- Drive the Artist's Drive for views of the rock formations when the afternoon sunlight turns golden.
- Relax and watch the sun set behind the Panamint Mountains.
- Enjoy dinner at the Furnace Creek Inn's restaurant, where the attire is "desert casual" (no shorts or t-shirts allowed).
Death Valley Tour, Day 2
- Set your alarm clock if you need to. It's worth the trouble to get up early enough to see sunrise.
- Have a hearty breakfast, and get picnic supplies at the Furnace Creek store.
- Visit Scotty's Castle for a tour. Guides dressed in period costume, and with a 1930s mindset, will show you around.
- Pull out your picnic and settle under the trees at the Scotty's Castle picnic grounds. If you're quiet, and very lucky, you may catch a glimpse of a local coyote or other wildlife.
- Ubehebe Crater looks like it should be on Mars. The 2000-foot deep crater was formed in an instant when groundwater flashed into steam.
- Near Stovepipe Wells, look for vehicles parked beside the highway. Add yours to the collection and walk into the sand dunes. Enjoy dunes marked only by wind a desert creatures. Climb to the top of a taller dune for a spectacular view.
- Enjoy another sunset.
- Dinner today is casual. How about an old-fashioned steak?
Death Valley Tour, Day 3
- I hate to issue this advice to anyone on vacation, but get up early again. Grab a snack and plenty of water and head for Golden Canyon for a hike. If you have two cars and are in reasonable shape, you can hike from the Zabriskie Point parking area across the ridge to the Golden Canyon parking area. Otherwise, park at Golden Canyon, and retrace your path back out. Check with the park rangers before making this hike to be sure you understand the terrain you'll be hiking in, and how to keep safe.
- Have you worked up an appetite? Enjoy Sunday Brunch at the Furnace Creek Inn, or their regular breakfast menu any day.
