Death Valley 2 Day Itinerary

Be sure to check out our Best Things to Do in Death Valley page for more ideas for your Death Valley 2 Day Itinerary!

*Last updated August 11, 2024

 

Death Valley 2 Day Itinerary

Table of Contents

  1. Death Valley National Park from Las Vegas Airport
  2. Day 1: Dante’s View Overlook
  3. Day 1: Twenty Mule Team Canyon
  4. Day 1: Furnace Creek Visitor Center
  5. Day 1: Badwater Basin and Salt Flats
  6. Day 1: Natural Bridge Trail
  7. Day 1: Golden Canyon to Red Cathedral
  8. Day 1: Artist’s Palette Drive
  9. Day 1: Dinner at The Ranch
  10. Day 2: Sunrise at Zabriskie Point Overlook
  11. Day 2: Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
  12. Day 2: Lunch at Toll Road Restaurant
  13. Day 2: Mosaic Canyon Trail
  14. Day 2: Rhyolite Ghost Town and Sculpture Park
  15. Next Time
  16. Nearby

Death Valley National Park from Las Vegas Airport

I’ve included the itinerary of our two days at Death Valley National Park in February 2023. However, it would not be advised during the summer where temperatures can be dangerous. We flew in from Las Vegas to spend a couple of days.

Also, check out the National Park Service’s Death Valley page for current park and road updates. Additionally, there have been numerous road closures in 2023 due to flash flooding.

We arrived early into the Las Vegas Airport, rented a car about 8am and drove to Death Valley

Day 1: Dante’s View OVerlook (10:15am)

This is a great introduction to Death Valley as you get a panoramic view of Badwater Basin, which you can stop at later today.

Day 1: Twenty Mule Team Canyon (11:00am)

20 Mule Team Canyon is an extra little driving loop. However, it was a really scenic drive and well worth the extra 30 minutes in my opinion.

Day 1: Furnace Creek Visitor Center (12:00pm)

We also stopped for lunch after the visitor center at the Ranch ice cream shop next door, which has some basic food like hamburgers.

Day 1: Badwater Basin and Salt Flats (1:30pm)

Badwater Basin is the lowest point in North America and gets the hottest anywhere in the world during summer! You can hike out onto the salt flats as far as you’d like to go.

Day 1: Natural Bridge Trail (2:30pm)

The Natural Bridge Trail is a nice and short 1.4 mile round trip hike up to see a natural arch in the canyon.

Day 1: Golden Canyon to Red Cathedral (3:30pm)

Golden Canyon trail goes is 2.9 miles round trip to visit Red Cathedral. Also, the hike goes up through the canyon and Red Cathedral has some nice views of the valley.

Day 1: Artist’s Palette Drive (5:45pm)

We had to backtrack a little to get back to Artist Palette Drive. However, it is pretty to see the different pastel colors. Also, to be honest, it would have been fun to have a little more time here to meander through the different trails. Unfortunately, we were starting to get tired from the previous hikes.

Day 1: Dinner at The Ranch (7:30pm)

We stayed at the Ranch at Death Valley and had dinner at their restaurant on-site.

Day 2: Sunrise at Zabriskie Point (7:00am)

The sunrise here is very popular and the parking lot will likely fill up if you aren’t early enough. Also, literally hundreds of photographers line the overlook for pictures, which is a sight in itself.

Day 2: Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes (9:00am)

There is no set trail, but you can walk out anywhere on the sand dunes that you like. Additionally, plan for about and hour or two depending on how much you’d like to explore.

Day 2: Lunch at Toll Road Restaurant (11:00am)

We actually tried to hike Mosaic Canyon Trail before lunch. However, a woman had broken her leg in the canyon and the trail was closed until they could get her out, so we had an early lunch.

Day 2: Mosaic Canyon Trail (12:00pm)

Mosaic Canyon Trail is about 3.3 miles roundtrip. Additionally, it gets its name from the mosaic tile-like appearance of the walls.

Day 2: Rhyolite Ghost Town and Sculpture Park (3:00pm)

 Just off the road is the Rhyolite ghost town, which is a nice quick stop to see the old abandoned buildings. Additionally, there is a nearby, free, open-air sculpture museum.

Please note, as of Nov 2023, there are some road closures due to flash flooding. Additionally, I would not advise driving far out of your way to stop at Rhyolite if the road from Stovepipe Wells is closed.

From Rhyolite, through the town of Beatty, it is a straight drive down Route 95 back to Las Vegas.

Next Time

For next time, there are a few other places I would have liked to visit if I had an extra day or two:

  • Darwin Falls Trail (west side of park)
  • Ubehebe Crater Trail (north)
  • Titus Canyon Trail (north)
  • Scotty’s Castle (north, currently closed)
  • Racetrack Playa (requires high clearance 4wd)
  • Eureka Dunes (requires high clearance 4wd)
  • The Big Dune (out of the park off I-95)

Nearby

Be sure to check out the Western Region and main Death Valley page for more information and ideas to do when planning your Death Valley 2 Day Itinerary!