Death Valley is the most unique national park in California, and should absolutely be on your USA travel bucket list. But, because this park is remote and sits on over 3 million acres, planning a trip here can be intimidating. We can help with that! This 2 day Death Valley National Park itinerary will take you to some of the best spots in the park, and makes trip planning easy. This itinerary minimizes your driving time while also taking you to the best spots in Death Valley. That means you can maximize your adventures while minimizing valuable PTO use.

Great ready for the geological adventure of a lifetime with our 2 day Death Valley National Park itinerary! From some of the highest landscapes (Telescope Peak is over 11,000 feet) to the lowest place in North America (Badwater basin is at -282 feet below sea level!), it’s hard to match the diversity of Death Valley. Fantastical rock colors, amazing canyons, towering sand dunes, unique salt flats, and volcanic craters are all highlights of this incredible national park. In addition to our full 2 day Death Valley itinerary, below we cover the best times of year to visit Death Valley, tips for visiting, and where to stay. 

The ultimate 2 day Death Valley National Park itinerary

When to visit Death Valley National Park

When NOT to visit Death Valley

Death Valley is famous for being HOT, but how hot does it really get? The average daytime temperature May – September exceeds 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees celsius). This is NOT the type of weather you want to be hiking in! 

Unless you plan to stay in your car the whole time, I recommend avoiding Death Valley in late spring through early fall. During this time temperatures can be both unpleasant and unsafe. Cars have also been known to overheat and stall in the heat, so even if you don’t plan to hike just driving here can be hazardous.

The best seasons for visiting Death Valley

The best times to visit are November – March, when average high temperatures range from 65 degrees F (December) to 82 degrees F (March). We have been to Death Valley National Park in both January and March and can confirm that both spring and winter are beautiful times to visit. The desert temperatures are moderate, and in winter you often get dramatic sunsets (and sometimes rare rain storms!). In spring you might witness a rare and beautiful wildflower super bloom in Death Valley. You’ll see flowers in many of the pictures in this article! April and October are ‘shoulder season’ here in the sense that you might get very hot weather. Plan your trip accordingly!  

You can read more about the weather and temperatures on the Death Valley National Park website.

How to get to Death Valley National Park

Las Vegas is the closest airport to Death Valley, and would be my top recommendation for getting to Death Valley by plane. Other options include Bakersfield, CA (about a 4 hour drive), Los Angeles (about a 5 hour drive), and Palm Springs (about a 5 hour drive). Palm Springs is a great option if you want to explore the city and also add on a trip to Joshua Tree National Park.

Short on time? I recommend flying into Las Vegas on a Friday afternoon or evening and making the 2 hour drive to Furnace Creek in Death Valley that same evening. That means you’ll be ready to hit the ground running the next morning! There are several lodging options located in Furnace Creek (including camping and hotels). See below for more details.

Where to stay in Death Valley National Park

Lodging options within the park are limited, and driving outside of Death Valley to sleep requires a lot of gas and time. For the purpose of this 2 day Death Valley National Park itinerary I recommend staying in Furnace Creek. Furnace Creek is centrally located to all the destinations in this Death Valley itinerary. 

In Furnace Creek you will find two privately operated hotels: The Inn at Death Valley and The Ranch at Death Valley. You can also find campgrounds here, along with a ranger station. There are also backcountry options for staying in the national park, but these trails require a 4×4 vehicle and self-contained setup. If you do camp in the backcountry mind the weather, as flash floods and rain can create extremely dangerous conditions for campers.

Tips for visiting Death Valley National Park

Read below for a few additional things you should know before planning a trip to Death Valley. 

• Cell service is very limited in the national park. Download offline maps and trail guides before you go.
• If you plan to visit more than one national park or federal public lands site this year I recommend purchasing an annual America the Beautiful Pass. This will ultimately save you money.
• Pets are not allowed on park trails, and should not be left in the car due to often unsafe temperatures. I recommend leaving your animals at home.
• There is a water bottle fill station at the Furnace Creek visitor center. Nearby you can also find a free dump station and potable water fillup site for RVs and campers. 
• There are a few gas stations in the park, but they are VERY expensive. Try to get gas ahead of time if at all possible! 
• Services and amenities within the park are limited, so make sure to purchase most of the food you need before heading into the park. There are some places you can eat in Furnace Creek, but you will pay a premium! 
• Cars frequently overheat in Death Valley, in part because many of the roads are incredibly steep and the weather is very hot. Make sure your car’s coolant is topped up before you go!

2 day Death Valley National Park itinerary

If you only have a limited time in the park you’ll need to be selective about what you see and do. See below for the ultimate 2 day Death Valley National Park itinerary! This itinerary includes all my favorite spots, and minimizes your driving time as much as possible so you can spend your trip having FUN!

Note that Death Valley National Park is BIG – the national park is over 3.4 million acres! The adventures below don’t require any special vehicles and can be accessed using 2-wheel-drive. However, much of the national park (not listed here) requires 4 wheel drive and high clearance vehicles to access, as well as plenty of time to explore. Because this is a 2 day itinerary, there are definitely some highlights in the park that didn’t make the cut. If you have extra time there is a lot more to explore!

Day 1 in Death Valley

Artists Drive and sunrise at Artists Palette

Start your day early with a dawn drive along Artists Drive in Death Valley! This drive takes you along a nine mile stretch of paved road that meanders through colorful, eroded hills. The colors are best viewed in the afternoon, and in the early morning. Artists Drive is also the most popular scenic drive in the national park, so getting an early start is helpful for avoiding crowds. The full drive takes about 25-45 minutes. 

Fun fact: parts of Star Wars Episode IV were filmed along Artists Drive.

About halfway along the drive is Artists Palatte, which the parks service describes as the “highlight” of this scenic drive. This area is ‘Instagram famous’ for its spectacular array of rainbow colors from volcanic deposits. At Artists Palatte you’ll find mounds of red, orange, pink, yellow, green, and blue.  If you hike in from the overlook (which I recommend doing!) it’s about 0.3 miles. I recommend planning your morning so you can arrive at Artists Palatte at sunrise, because it gets too busy and the colors become too washed out.

Photography tip: We visited at sunrise, and have also heard this spot is spectacular during sunset. During the harsh midday light this area can look incredibly washed out. Sunrise is also a great time to visit if you want photos or videos walking through the mounds. This area gets busy, so arriving early will help ensure you can get the perfect picture without tons of other people in it! 

Badwater Basin boardwalk (viewpoint and optional hike)

Once you complete the drive along the Artists Drive Scenic Loop head 15 minutes south to Badwater Basin. This spot is iconic because it is literally the LOWEST point in North America. As such, it’s a MUST see stop on any Death Valley National Park itinerary. 

One of the things that makes Badwater Basin unique is the high accumulation of salt here. Badwater Basin is the drainage point for all the mountain ranges around Death Valley, which means it’s a hot spot for accumulated salts and minerals. As a result, you’ll often find spectacular salt flats here. Sometimes you’ll also find water! 

There are a few ways to experience Badwater Basin. My favorite is to hike out into the basin, which is an easy (and flat!) walk. You can go far as you want to go, and you can’t really get lost! The best salt structures are about a mile away from the parking lot. If you’re not up for a walk you can take in views of the basin from the boardwalk right next to the parking lot. 

As you can see below, Badwater Basin can also be a nice place to watch the sun rise! When we visited in spring 2024 we got to witness a rare lake on the salt flats. Although this meant there were no patterns in the salt, seeing so much water in Death Valley was certainly a unique experience!

Trip tip: the salt here can be harsh on clothing and shoes. If you can, brush off or wash your shoes or hiking boots after walking here. If you go barefoot, be mindful that the salt crusts can be sharp. They can even cut you!

Devil’s Golf Course

After visiting Badwater Basin head back up the road 10 minutes to Devil’s Golf Course. This isn’t my favorite spot in Death Valley, but it’s iconic and worth visiting at least once in your life. This area features a huge expanse of unique, jagged rock salt formations. Many are incredibly sharp, so watch your step! Look closely at the salt – sometimes you can see delicate salt crystal structures.

Below you can see the road out to Devil’s Golf Course, which is often closed and has to be walked. You can also see a rare lake of water at Devil’s Golf Course. Usually the salt here looks more brown due to the accumulation of dust and debris, but the water helped turn the salt white again!

Golden Canyon, Gower Gulch, and Zabriskie Point

End your day with a longer hike at Golden Canyon, Gower Gulch, and Zabriskie Point. Doing this hike in mid- to late-afternoon will ensure you can watch the sunset from Zabriskie Point! Just make sure to pack a headlamp. 

There are a few ways to do this hike. We did the 6.4 mile loop, which features about 1,000 feet of elevation gain and hits most of the ‘highlights’ in this area, including some iconic Star Wars filming locations. If you’re up for it, this is the hike I would recommend. I suggest starting at the trailhead for Golden Canyon, which has plenty of parking and is located close to Devil’s Golf Course. If you add on the famous ‘red cathedral’ (which is also very cool) you can make this a 7.8 mile hike.

Not up for such a long hike? You can also cut the hike shorter by skipping Zabriskie Point and doing a 4 mile or 3 mile iteration of this trail. You can then drive to Zabriskie Point for sunset! It’s just a short walk to the viewing platform from the parking lot. You can see a shot of the sunset from Zabriskie Point pictured below.

No matter what route you do, make sure to pack lots of water and wear sun protective clothing. We like the REI Co-op Sahara Shade Hoodie for women and men. This hike is very exposed, and it can get HOT, even in spring!

Day 2 in Death Valley

Visit Ubehebe Crater

In the morning head out to Ubehebe Crater, which is an hour’s drive from Furnace Creek. Ubehebe is located in a more remote part of the park, so make sure you fill up with gas before you go – there are no services there! Ubehebe is a large volcanic crater that you can walk around, and into. It’s located in a part of Death Valley that looks quite different from the area around Furnace Creek. It’s also the gateway to the famously remote Racetrack Playa. 

Enjoy the scenic drive out to Ubehebe! Once you arrive at the crater you can view it from a platform next to the parking lot. You can also do a mile and a half hike around the crater rim, which I recommend and enjoyed (although we did experience some extremely high winds the day we did this hike). Additionally, you can hike to the bottom of the crater – just know that it’s a very strenuous hike back up! We hiked to the bottom and it was definitely a unique experience.

Hike Titus Canyon (if time)

If you have extra time and energy after Ubehebe I recommend visiting Titus Canyon on your way back towards Furnace Creek. We didn’t have a lot of time so we just did a short hike into the canyon, but you can hike up to 3 miles here. The canyon is beautiful!

Hike Mosaic Canyon

Next, head to Mosaic Canyon for an afternoon hike! This is Amiana’s favorite hike in Death Valley. It’s just 4 miles long but features 1,200 feet of elevation gain. The trail meanders through a beautiful canyon of marbled breccia rocks carved and smoothed by water and wind. You will need to do some scrambling on this hike, but I think it’s worth it!  

This hike can be quite warm, especially at mid-day. Be sure to pack sufficient water and sun protective clothing.

Watch sunset from Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes

End your day by watching the sun set from Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes. This is my personal favorite spot in Death Valley National Park. There are epic white sand dunes, some of which are 100 feet high (they’re not the tallest dunes in the park, though!). They are also flanked by Death Valley’s incredible mountains, making for some epic photography opportunities. I think it’s the best spot to watch the sun set in Death Valley. You can also sand board here!

Like some of the other locations I have highlighted in this itinerary, there are a few ways you can experience Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes. One option is to view them from the parking lot, but my favorite is to hike out into the dunes. There are no established trails, so it’s kind of a ‘choose your own adventure,’ but it’s also hard to get lost since you can see the parking lot from most vantage points. Just make sure to pack a headlamp and a jacket for after the sun goes down.

End your day by staying in the park one last night, or drive to Las vegas (2.5 hours) and spend the night before flying out early the next morning! Have extra time in Vegas? I recommend checking out Valley of Fire State Park.

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