One to Three Day Death Valley National Park Itinerary
Are you planning a trip to Death Valley National Park? Check out our one to three day Death Valley itineraries! These will show you how you can visit all the must-see places in Death Valley no matter what timeframe you have, with tips and advice to help you plan your perfect Death Valley road trip.
Death Valley National Park is one of our favorites! We came here without many expectations, but we left in total awe and in complete surprise at how much there is to see and do here!
In just a few days in Death Valley, we managed to stand at the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere, run down giant sand dunes, hike through golden canyons, climb a mountain, visit a waterfall oasis, gaze up at the Milky Way, and even walk the rim of a volcanic crater. See what I mean? And don’t even get us started on the gorgeous desert scenery at every turn!
Death Valley is a massive park, but chances are you don’t have a ton of time to visit here. With all the amazing things to do, you might be wondering how you can possibly squeeze all the highlights into just a couple days in Death Valley.
We’re here to tell you that it’s absolutely possible! In this guide, we’ll help you ditch the overwhelm and share with you one, two and three day Death Valley itineraries that will have you hitting all the must-see sights and hikes of the park. You’ll need to be ready for some jam-packed days that will probably leave you exhausted, but it’s totally worth it for everything you’ll get to see and do. So, let’s get into it!
In this Death Valley Itinerary Guide:
What Are the Best Places to See in Death Valley?
Before we give you our one to three day Death Valley itineraries, it might be helpful to know all the amazing things to see and do to give you an idea of what you might want to prioritize or include.
The Mesquite Sand Dunes…one of our favorite places to explore in Death Valley!
A very quick rundown of some of our favorite Death Valley attractions are:
The Golden Canyon – Gower Gulch Hike- This is one of the most popular hikes in Death Valley, taking you between the walls of a glowing golden canyon, through badlands, and out a colorful wash of greens and blues.
Zabriskie Point – A famous viewpoint in Death Valley with incredible views over the badlands. Bonus points for visiting at sunrise or sunset when the sunlight is glowing off the hills.
Mesquite Sand Dunes – The most accessible sand dunes in Death Valley, where you can wander to your heart’s content.
Titus Canyon Road – An epic 27 mile one way scenic drive that takes you through the most beautiful scenery in the park.
Darwin Falls – A true desert oasis that will make you feel like you’ve been transported to a completely different world!
This is just a handful of the many amazing things to do in Death Valley, so be sure to check out our article for a ton more info!
How Many Days do You Need in Death Valley National Park?
There is so much epic scenery to see, no matter how long your Death Valley itinerary is!
After seeing all the amazing things to do, and knowing that you only have just one or two days in Death Valley, you might be feeling a little overwhelmed at how you can arrange a Death Valley itinerary that fits everything in.
You might be asking, is one day enough time in Death Valley? What about just a weekend in Death Valley?
Trust us, we know the feeling. But we were able to do it, and so can you!
One day in Death Valley is absolutely enough time to see many of the park’s highlights. With two and three days, you can of course see a few more of the off the beaten path places and is ideal to cover pretty much all the park’s best places to visit. But if you only have one day in Death Valley, don’t worry, because you’ll still have an amazing time and it’s still worth a visit!
Below, we give you the best one, two and three day Death Valley itineraries to help you plan it all out!
When is the Best Time to Visit Death Valley?
Death Valley is known for extreme temperatures, and our Death Valley itineraries involve quite a bit of hiking and outdoor activity, so if you want to follow any of these itineraries, you probably won’t want to visit Death Valley in the summer. The temps will be dangerously high and we wouldn’t advise you do any sort of strenuous activity. You’d be mostly confined to seeing the park from the car, which is worthy itself just to see all the gorgeous scenery, but if you’re really looking to make the most of your time in Death Valley, then this isn’t the best time to come.
The best time to visit Death Valley is between the months of November and March when the temperatures are a bit more tolerable. We still recommend doing any sort of hiking or strenuous activity in the morning or evening hours, because that midday heat can still be pretty brutal, and we’ve designed our Death Valley itineraries to do just that, so no need to worry here!
Spring has the added bonus of being wildflower season! Because of this, the park may be a bit more crowded than usual, but sometimes the wildflowers might not bloom, so be sure to check the wildflower status to avoid any disappointment!
Winter in Death Valley is great for lower elevation hikes, but hikes up in the higher elevation mountains, such as Telescope Peak or Rogers Peak, may have enough snow to require things like crampons. So, if you’re following our 2 or 3 day Death Valley itineraries, which include Rogers Peak, you may want to avoid winter for this reason.
One Day Death Valley Itinerary
If you’re tight on time, you might be wondering, is one day in Death Valley enough time? We think so! Lots of people visit Death Valley for a day, often as part of a longer road trip through the area or as a day trip from a nearby city like Las Vegas. You might not be able to hit everything, but you will certainly be able see lots of the highlights.
In this one day Death Valley itinerary, we make sure to cover all the absolute best things that you just cannot miss on any first time visit to the park!
With only one day in Death Valley, we recommend staying in the Furnace Creek area of the park, where there are a lot of park highlights all relatively close, making it easy to see a lot in a short amount of time.
One Day Death Valley Itinerary Map
Here is a map of all the places you’ll be hitting on this Death Valley itinerary. Hit the star to save it to your own Maps on Google!
GoldEN Canyon
Time needed: 2 hours
The first place we recommend visiting on a one day Death Valley itinerary is the Golden Canyon. This is a short and relatively easy hike, but in the kind of temperatures that Death Valley sees, you want to save all of your hiking activity for early mornings or in the evenings to avoid the midday desert heat.
The Golden Canyon hike is a perfect way to start your one day in Death Valley. This trail takes you through, as you might guess from the name, the glowing golden walls of the Golden Canyon, and if you’re there early enough, the morning light might make everything a little extra golden.
To get to the end of the canyon and back will be about two miles roundtrip, but if you’re quick and think you might have the time, you can add a half mile one-way spur trail at the end of the canyon out to the Red Cathedral, a towering Golden Wall that looks almost Mars-like.
Start off your Death Valley itinerary with a bang by standing at the end of the Golden Canyon Trail looking out to the Red Cathedral!
If you’re doing this full hike out and back to the Red Cathedral, plan for about 2 hours. It’s an easy hike, but plan for lots of photo stops (my camera might have died halfway through…). Plus, along the way, you might be drawn to the fun slots into the canyon that you can explore and crawl through.
Badwater Basin
Time needed: 30 minutes
Drive time from Golden Canyon: 15 minutes
Badwater Basin is a must-see on your Death Valley itinerary!
Next up on your one day Death Valley itinerary is probably the most famous Death Valley attraction – Badwater Basin. Known for being the lowest point of the Western Hemisphere, you’ll be over 200 feet below sea level!
Because of this low elevation, it can get very hot here, and with absolutely zero shade. Think triple digits. So this is another place you want to hit early on in the day before that kind of heat really sets in.
Badwater Basin can be a pretty quick stop. The parking lot is right at the salt basin, where you can take a picture with the infamous Badwater Basin sign. If you’re up for it and it’s not dangerously hot, you can wander out on a short path deeper into the salt flats to admire the unique salt crystal formations and get those middle-of-nowhere feels. Even though it’s a short walk, make sure to have adequate sun protection and water…that sun is no joke!
Artist’s Drive
Time needed: 30 minutes
Drive time from Badwater Basin: 5 minutes
The colorful hills of Artist’s Palette in Death Valley
Head back towards Furnace Creek on Badwater Road, but this time, make the detour down Artist’s Drive, a 9 mile one way scenic route that is definitely a must-do on any Death Valley itinerary.
On this drive, you’ll see the colorful blue and green hills that make Death Valley so unique, including those at the famous Artist’s Palette viewpoint, located about half way along the drive. Take some time to wander around and get up close and personal to the rainbow hills of the desert.
Devil’s Golfcourse
Time needed: 30 minutes
Drive time from Artist’s Drive: 10 minutes
This is a quick but unique stop on your Death Valley itinerary!
You’ll have to backtrack slightly on Badwater Road to make the detour to the Devil’s Golfcourse. This is a quick stop, so easy to fit into a one day Death Valley itinerary, plus it’s a really unique place. A long dirt road passable to sedans cuts through the salt flats to a salt pan that has been sculpted by erosion to form rough jagged structures. If you listen closely enough, you may hear popping noises below you which is the sound of salt crystals bursting in the heat!
Zabriskie Point
Time needed: 30-60 minutes
Drive time from Devil’s Golfcourse: 25 minutes
The views from Zabriskie Point are some of the most epic you’ll see on your Death Valley itinerary! This is looking out at Manly Beacon, a famously photographed feature of Death Valley.
Now it’s time to head up to one of the most photographed viewpoints in the park, and for good reason. Zabriskie Point has an incredible vantage point over the martian-like landscape of Death Valley’s badlands. In the distance, you’ll see the famous structure of Manly Beacon, and beyond that lies Badwater Basin and the towering Panamint Mountains.
There is also a trail that ventures down from Zabriskie Point and weaves through the Badlands. If you continue far enough, it will eventually meet up with the Golden Canyon trail. But since we want to maximize your time on your one day in Death Valley, we suggest spending some time exploring the Badlands just beyond the viewpoint and heading back. You still have a few more amazing stops to get to on your Death Valley itinerary!
Twenty Mule Team Canyon Road
Time needed: 30-60 minutes
Drive time from Zabriskie Point: 2 minutes
Twenty Mule Team Canyon Road gives you more epic badland views over Death Valley.
This stop proves that even with a one day Death Valley itinerary, you still have time to get a little off the beaten path. This nearly 3 mile long dirt road weaves it’s way through Death Valley’s badlands, so if you loved Zabriskie Point, you’ll love this drive! You can admire the landscape from the car, or, if you’re feeling adventurous, you can feel free to pull over and wander to your heart’s content.
We say that this drive is kind of off the beaten path because, despite being sandwiched between two pretty popular places in Death Valley along CA-190, this one seems to remain under the radar. We actually didn’t see a single soul during the hour we spent exploring out here!
Dante’s View
Time needed: 30 minutes
Drive time from Twenty Mule Team Canyon Road: 30 minutes
It’s time to check out one of Death Valley’s most famous viewpoints! Continuing driving down Furnace Creek Wash Road and take the 14 mile detour up to Dante’s View for some of the most sweeping and iconic views over Badwater Basin. Unfortunately for us, we had to skip this Death Valley highlight due to construction closures, but we absolutely still had to include it in our one day Death Valley itinerary!
Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
Time needed: 2-3 hours
Drive time from Dante’s View: 1 hour
Visiting the Mesquite Sand Dunes is a must with one day in Death Valley!
Finally, we’ve made it to our last stop on your Death Valley itinerary…we told you it was going to be a long day! But, we’re ending with a bang, because the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes are the perfect way to finish off your one day in Death Valley.
Sunset (and sunrise) is an amazing time to come to the dunes because you’ll get the golden hour glow off both the sand dunes and the surrounding mountains for magical views and pictures.
You can spend as little or as much time as you want at the dunes, and you’re free to wander around wherever you’d like. However, we’d recommend giving yourself enough time to hike out to the tallest dune and back. This dune can easily be seen from the parking lot, and while there is no direct path there, the park estimates about a 2 mile round trip hike to reach it (and remember…that’s two miles on sand). By doing this, you’ll avoid any crowds at the dunes, as most people don’t venture too far from the parking lot, you’ll get epic views from the top, and you’ll get a chance to search for those perfectly windswept and still untouched dunes.
Watch the sun disappear behind the mountains before heading out, and hopefully you’ll be leaving the park feeling assured that you’ve seen all the most amazing sights of Death Valley all in a one day!
Two Day Death Valley Itinerary
If you have a weekend in Death Valley, then in addition to the above one day Death Valley itinerary, you’ll also get to hike a mountain, visit a waterfall oasis, and check out more amazing viewpoints over the Death Valley basin!
Two Day Death Valley Itinerary Map
Here’s your Death Valley itinerary map for two days in the park…be sure to hit the star to save it to your own Maps in Google!
First Day in Death Valley
Your first of two days in Death Valley will look a lot like the one day in Death Valley we outlined above, except for one important difference, and this will be at your first stop of the day, the Golden Canyon.
Golden Canyon-Gower Gulch Hike
Time needed: 3-4 hours
Staring off into the badlands of the Golden Canyon Gower Gulch Loop in Death Valley…such epic scenery!
Like the Death Valley itinerary above, your first stop will be to hike through the Golden Canyon, but because you have more time, we suggest you turn this hike into a bigger loop that takes you through both the badlands and Gower Gulch, a colorful desert wash filled with hills of blue and green.
If you end up doing the entire loop with all the side trails, this hike can be up to 8 miles. It’s relatively easy, though, and really the only thing that will be slowing you down is the fact that you’ll want to stop for pictures every few feet. We’re not exaggerating here. Plus, hopefully you will be here early enough to complete the whole hike before the heat of the day sets in, because that could really slow you down, too.
It's an amazing hike that takes you through a variety of epic landscapes and we highly suggest you do it since you have the extra time in the park!
See the rest of the Furnace Creek area sights
Time needed: 3-4 hours
The rest of your day will look pretty similar to the one day Death Valley itinerary above. You’ll visit Badwater Basin, Artist’s Drive, and the Devil’s Golfcourse next.
After that, we suggest passing by Zabriskie Point for now, and heading straight to Twenty Mule Team Canyon Road, and then to Dante’s View.
End your day at Zabriskie Point so that you can see the golden hour glow off the badlands!
Epic views from Zabriskie Point
On this two day Death Valley itinerary, since we spent more time at Golden Canyon today, we’re saving Mesquite Sand Dunes for tomorrow morning to catch that sunrise golden hour. So, get a good night’s sleep tonight, since tomorrow will be another jam-packed (but awesome) day!
Where to stay: We recommend staying somewhere in the Furnace Creek area. There are plenty of campsite to choose from (Furnace Creek, Sunset, or Texas Springs) or at Stovepipe Wells, which will put you close to your first stop tomorrow morning.
Second Day in Death Valley
Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
Time needed: 2-3 hours
Climbing up to the tallest dune in the Mesquite Sand Dunes will be a highlight of your two day Death Valley itinerary!
Set an early wake up call this morning! You’ll thank yourself when you get to witness the amazing golden glow across the Mesquite Sand Dunes and the alpen glow off the surrounding mountains. It’s the perfect way to start off day two in Death Valley!
Spend some time admiring the views and hiking up to the tall dune. When you’ve had your fill, it’s time to hit the road towards Panamint!
Aguereberry Point
Time needed: 30 minutes
Drive time from Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes: 1 hour
Can you see me standing at the tip of Aguereberry Point?
Next up is an off the beaten path viewpoint that requires an all clearance vehicle to access, but don’t worry – the views combined with the solitude here will be worth your while.
The journey to get to Aguereberry point is half the fun, with epic desert scenery the entire way, but the real prize lies at the end of the drive where you get views of both the lowest (Badwater Basin) and tallest (Mt. Whitney) point in the continental United States at the same time! Not too many make it out here, so it feels pretty special to be standing here. It’s one of the benefits of having two days in Death Valley!
Charcoal Kilns
Time needed: 20 minutes
Drive time from Aguereberry Point: 1 hour
The Charcoal Kilns sitting along the road in Death Valley
Your next stop is quick, but quite unique. You’ll get to explore some late 19th charcoal kilns built for the nearby mining operations in the area. You’ll have a little bit of a bumpy ride to get to them, but they lie right off the road on the way to your next stop of the day, so it’s a great place to get out, stretch your legs, and explore some unique park history.
Rogers Peak
Time needed: 2.5 to 3 hours
Drive time from Charcoal Kilns: 5 minutes
The views from Rogers Peak in Death Valley are worth putting this hike on your Death Valley itinerary!
While Telescope Peak gets much of the attention in this area for being the highest peak in the park, Roger’s Peak is an awesome alternative that you can squeeze into a Death Valley itinerary that won’t take up an entire day.
It’s an easily, albeit steep, climb up to this 10,000 foot peak. You can choose to do a 5.3 mile out and back hike up and down a wide service road that switch backs up the mountain, or do a loop by connecting the service road with a trail back down. Either way, you’ll be treated to amazing views of both Badwater Basin in one direction and the Sierras in the other. You might even come across some snow on the trail!
Keep in mind, though, that access to this trailhead (at the Mahogany Flat campground) does require a high clearance vehicle. The road is quite narrow and rocky, but it’s worth it to get to some amazing views in Death Valley without the crowds!
Darwin Falls
Time needed: 1.5-2 hours
Drive time from Rogers Peak: 1 hour 15 minutes
Darwin Falls will transport you out of the desert and into a true oasis
Darwin Falls is a truly unique place to add to your Death Valley itinerary. When you’re there, you’ll feel like you’ve been transported to a completely different place. We couldn’t believe we were in the same park where we had climbed sand dunes and hikes through desert badlands.
Darwin Falls is a true desert oasis. On this easy 2 mile round trip hike, you’ll be surrounded by dense vegetation, and tons of wildlife, like lizards, toads, dragonflies, and maybe even some snakes! And the final reward is a picturesque jungle-like waterfall that you may even be lucky enough to have all to yourself (like we did!). Just make sure to enjoy the view only – no swimming here!
When you are finally able to peel yourself away, it’s time to head back to camp for the night!
Where to stay: Tonight, you’ll be at Emigrant Campground. Enjoy the solitude and views here, and be sure to enjoy the night sky!
Three Day Death Valley Itinerary
You’ve got three days in Death Valley? Awesome! We would say that three days is an ideal amount of time to pretty much cover all of the best things to do in the park, and we are going to share our exact three day Death Valley itinerary that allowed us to see and do a ton of stuff!
Three Day Death Valley Itinerary Map
First and second days in Death Valley
Your first two days in Death Valley will look exactly like the two day itinerary outlined above.
Day One in Death Valley: The Golden Canyon – Gower Gulch hike, Badwater Basin, Artist’s Drive, the Devil’s Golfcourse, Twenty Mule Team Canyon Road, Dante’s View, and Zabriskie Point
Day Two in Death Valley: Mesquite Sand Dunes, Aguereberry Point, Charcoal Kilns, Rogers Peak, and Darwin Falls
That covers a ton, but believe it or not, there’s still plenty more to do!
Third day in Death Valley
Today, with your extra time in Death Valley, you’ll get to do our favorite scenic drive in the park, plus explore some volcanic craters!
Rhyolite Ghost Town
Time needed: 30 minutes
Drive time from Emigrant Campground: One hour
Nearby the Titus Canyon Road entrance (your next stop) is the Rhyolyte Ghost Town, worth the quick detour while you’re all the way out here. You’ll see abandoned buildings from the old mining boom, but what’s perhaps even more interesting is the open air museum containing a collection of ghostly figures configured to resemble the Last Supper.
Titus Canyon
Time needed: 3-6 hours
Drive time from Rhyolite Ghost Town: 8 minutes
Can you see Titus Canyon Road weaving through the landscape?
This one way 27 mile drive is the king of all scenic drives in Death Valley! On your third day of this Death Valley itinerary, you’ll drive through passes in the Amargosa Mountains, through an old ghost town, and get to journey through the narrow walls of Titus Canyon.
You’ll absolutely need a high clearance (and ideally a 4x4) vehicle to make this drive, but it’s absolutely worth it. You’ll also need to have a confident driver who isn’t too phased by narrow mountain roads, because you’ll be driving along some kind of harrowing sections that I won’t lie, had me gripping my seat (but I’m a chicken when it comes to these things…). But mainly, I was too distracted by the amazing views all around to really be too scared.
Driving through Titus Canyon was definitely one of our favorite things we did on our three day Death Valley itinerary!
In addition to the drive, there are also several hikes and interesting pit stops along the way, so your drive can last as little as three hours or turn into an all day affair…it’s up to you!
Ubehebe Crater
Time needed: 30 minutes to 1 hour
Drive time from Titus Canyon: 1.5 hours
You’ve visited mountains, dunes, badlands, and waterfalls…what else is there?! The grand finale to your three days in Death Valley will be…a volcanic crater! Death Valley really is so diverse!
Ubehebe Crater is so different from anywhere else in Death Valley. The brown desert landscape will be transformed yet again, this time into that of a blackened, dramatic, almost moon-like one.
The Ubehebe Crater in Death Valley is massive!
The parking lot is right at the edge of the crater, which trust us, is so crazy to see in person. It’s a half mile wide, 600 feet deep, and truly an epic sight. You can stay by the lot and just gawk at the scene for a bit, or you can take the 1.5 mile hike around the crater and even visit it’s nearby smaller cousin, Little Hebe Crater.
And there you have it…sadly, your three days in Death Valley are done, but you can leave knowing you’ve seen all of the park’s highlights! If you’re spending one last night here and plan to drive out tomorrow morning, we highly recommend staying at Mesquite Campground. It’s truly in the middle of nowhere, not crowded, and is one of the best places to stargaze! We saw an amazing Milky Way here!
More Information for Your Death Valley Road Trip and Beyond
We have a few more articles jam packed with information to help you plan your Death Valley Itinerary!
Ultimate Guide to the Best Things to Do in Death Valley
How to Complete the Titus Canyon Scenic Drive in Death Valley
Golden Canyon – Gower Gulch: Death Valley’s Best Hike!
And if you’re looking for more things to do in California, check out our other guides!
Best Things to do in Joshua Tree National Park in One Day
How to Hike Ryan Mountain – Joshua Tree’s Best Hike!
How to Score a Permit for Half Dome in Yosemite National Park
Tips for Getting a Mt. Whitney Permit – Hiking California’s Highest Peak!
We really hope this article helps you plan out your perfect Death Valley itinerary. Whether you have just one, two or three days in Death Valley, you absolutely can see the park’s best highlights and attractions. Let us know if you have any questions, we’re happy to help!