Best Buggy Tours in Las Vegas

Do you want to live an adventure in the Nevada desert? Then I recommend a buggy tour. Discover ghost towns, a gold mine, desert wildlife and much more!

Ana Caballero

Ana Caballero

11 min read

Best Buggy Tours in Las Vegas

Buggy en el desierto| ©Mike Newbry

Among the things to see and do in Las Vegas you should definitely include a buggy tour. In this peculiar vehicle you will be able to go through difficult but worthwhile roads. Although it may not seem like it, these are tough cars that allow you to reach far away places.

For this kind of adventures you must be prepared to get dirty with the desert sand. Also, these are mostly tours that last more than five hours, so I recommend adjusting your itinerary. Even if you spend most of your day on an excursion like this, it will be worth it because you will live an extreme experience seeing areas that seem unexplored. Are you up for it?

1. Mini Baja buggy adventure in Las Vegas

several buggies in the sand| ©SunBuggy FunRentals
several buggies in the sand| ©SunBuggy FunRentals

The buggy vehicle or also known as sandbox has different shapes according to its structure. The Mini Baja buggies are very small, all terrain and have a 4000 RPM engine. In this type of excursion you will be able to travel for an hour through a part of the Nevada desert. With the transfer time from your hotel to the desert and back, the tour has a duration of three and a half hours with an average price of 230 ¤.

A comfortable vehicle will pick you up at your hotel to take you to the facilities where the buggies are located. Before starting the tour in the desert, your guide will explain the basics to keep you safe. It is necessary that you know how to drive and I advise you to go with someone else because the price indicated is for the two seats of the buggy.

When you start driving you must follow the guide of your group to comply with the route. You will travel about 20 kilometers of difficult terrain through the Nevada desert. Do not panic if you feel that the route is complicated, before you start you will be provided with a lockable helmet. This is essential to protect your eyes and mouth from the dust that rises while driving. It is also important that depending on the season, you bring a coat, because temperatures in the desert at night drop below zero degrees between October and April.

Each person will also be provided with a safety harness, and the buggy has a roll cage structure. When you finish the tour you will be offered a bottle of water by the tour guides. After you are ready, your guide will take you back to your hotel. As this tour does not include lunch, to continue enjoying Las Vegas I recommend you to take a gastronomic tour during the afternoon to replenish your energy.

Details of interest

  • Price: about 230 ¤.
  • Duration: about 3 hours and a half.
  • Advantages of this option: you can make a short tour of the desert in a buggy for two people.
  • Disadvantages of this option: if you travel alone you will have to pay for the price of two seats. Also, lunch is not included.

2. Adventure in the Valley of Fire in buggy

people riding in a buggy| ©SunBuggy FunRentals
people riding in a buggy| ©SunBuggy FunRentals

The Valley of Fire State Parkis the oldest in the state of Nevada and is considered a National Natural Monument since 1968. With this buggy tour you will have the opportunity to tour it for about three hours. The average cost of this adventure is 450 ¤.

The organizers of this tour will pick you up at your hotel to take you to the meeting point to tour the park. If you count this part of the experience you will spend an average of 5 or 6 hours on this experience. Once you arrive at the starting point, your guide will explain what you need to know to drive safely.

After you put on your protective helmet, it will be time to board an all-terrain buggy. Follow your guide as you drive through the bright red sand of the Valley of Fire. I suggest you enjoy the whole tour as you will be able to see some animals such as bighorn sheep and the famous site where the Star Trek movie was filmed.

When you finish the tour you can drink water and enjoy a lunch that is included in this tour. In addition, the organizers will take you back to the hotel where you are staying. Without a doubt this is one of the best national park tours from Las Vegas.

Details of interest

  • Price: around 450 ¤.
  • Duration: approximately 6 hours.
  • Advantages of this option: this is an original and fun way to visit one of the most famous National Monuments in the United States.
  • Disadvantages of this option: it is a tour that can take up a large part of your day, so you must adapt your itinerary to these tours.

Book a National Parks tour from Las Vegas

3. El Dorado Canyon and gold mine buggy excursion

buggy through the bush| ©Chris Haines
buggy through the bush| ©Chris Haines

If you want to explore the Nevada desert and see the most famous sites of this area, I recommend a buggy tour to El Dorado. In this experience you will see the Techatticup gold mine and much more. This tour has an approximate duration of seven hours and an average cost of 250 €.

A great advantage of this tour and why I like to recommend it is that you can visit one of the ghost towns from Las Vegas. This is the Nelson City where El Dorado is located, the first stop you will make in your buggy. Here you can see the gold mine and see the ruins of the old west. Besides having fun driving, you will learn interesting historical facts that your guide will tell you.

This tour is one of the things you can do with children in Las Vegas because they can participate if they are over nine years old. All participants will be safe as they can use safety equipment such as seat belts and helmets.

Along the way you will be filmed and photographed so you can keep a nice souvenir. At one of the stops you will enjoy a lunch included in the package, and you will also receive water bottles to keep you hydrated along the way.

Details of interest

  • Price: around 250 ¤.
  • Duration: approximately 7 hours.
  • Advantages of this option: with this type of tour you can visit a ghost town and learn a bit of Nevada history.
  • Disadvantages of this option: the desert can be very hot and if you go to a ghost town the road will be long. I recommend wearing comfortable and breathable clothing to enjoy the experience much more.

4. Combo ATV adventure and buggy session

couple in front of the buggies| ©SunBuggy FunRentals
couple in front of the buggies| ©SunBuggy FunRentals

If you want an ATV tour from Las Vegas and also drive a buggy, this is the experience you are looking for. On this tour you can tour the Valley of Fire by ATV or off-road vehicle and then drive a buggy for a while through the Las Vegas Dunes. The tour has an average cost of 750 ¤ and lasts approximately ten hours.

In this type of tour the organizers will pick you up at your hotel and take you to the facilities where the buggies and ATVs are located. There you will receive a lesson on how to drive these types of vehicles, as well as other important instructions.

Then it will be time for you to drive the ATV and tour the Valley of Fire. You must always follow your guide who will take you through the riverbeds and cliffs. These vehicles are comfortable and allow you to drive smoothly over the uneven terrain.

When your guide tells you it will be time to change the ATV for a buggy. With this vehicle you will drive through the Las Vegas Dunes. You will pass through a friendlier area at a slightly more moderate speed. At the end of the tour it will be time for lunch and hydration before you are taken back to your hotel. If you want to get to know the Valley of Fire this is one of the best things to do in this tourist site.

Details of interest

  • Price: around 750 ¤.
  • Duration: approximately 10 hours.
  • Advantages of this option: with this type of tour you can have two extreme experiences in one day and make the most of your time in Las Vegas.
  • Disadvantages of this option: you need to dedicate a whole day to this experience, so other plans you may have may be damaged or postponed.

Book an off-road tour from Las Vegas

5. Nighttime dune buggy tour from Las Vegas

two men carrying a snake| ©Chris Haines
two men carrying a snake| ©Chris Haines

When you are on vacation there is no time to waste, that's why you can take this night tour in Las Vegas. It doesn't matter if you didn't have time to tour the dunes from Las Vegas during the day, this night tour is one of the best. Experience an adrenaline-filled experience for about three and a half hours for a cost of approximately 300 ¤.

For this type of tour you must be over 18 years old. The organizers will pick you up at the hotel where you are staying and take you to a desert area not far from the Las Vegas Strip. There you will meet your guide who will start a training and orientation session before starting the tour.

These buggies are conditioned for difficult terrain and are equipped with seat belts and safety cages. They also have a powerful flashlight to illuminate your way. I recommend you to follow your guide and the flags that indicate the way through which you must pass. This way you will be able to complete the route without any problems.

After almost an hour of walking you will arrive back at the starting point. Here you can drink some water and get ready to go back to your hotel. Remember that in this type of tours you should check with the organizers if your hotel is on the driver's route that usually goes to the Las Vegas Strip. If not, exceptions can sometimes be made to ensure your comfort.

Details of interest

  • Price: around 300 ¤.
  • Duration: approximately 3 hours and a half.
  • Advantages of this option: this type of tour is ideal to complement your day. It is totally safe and you will get to know a different side of Las Vegas during the night.
  • Disadvantages of this option: this activity can be a bit dangerous, so it is more recommended for people who know how to drive very well and have good eyesight. Driving at night in the desert is complex, so you must be attentive to the route.

Traveller tip
If you want to tour the dunes of Las Vegas at night, I recommend that you plan your itinerary very well. Normally these activities start at 7 p.m., but you can find more nocturnal schedules. It is best to ask all the details before booking your tour.

What will I see on this type of tour?

view of the desert| ©Notorious B.I.Z.
view of the desert| ©Notorious B.I.Z.

Buggy tours from Las Vegas are excursions that take you through the desert. The trip from downtown Las Vegas to there can take between one and two hours or more, depending on the location of your accommodation. Along the way you will be able to appreciate the city until you enter the desert area.

Once you start your tour in your buggy, you will be able to appreciate the reddish sand that covers the entire landscape. If you are an extreme lover you will surely love this scenery. You will also be able to see various traditional desert plants of the United States and animals such as bighorn sheep.

Depending on the type of tour you choose, you will be able to visit ghost towns. These towns are almost abandoned places that in their best days lived from mining. Their history served as inspiration for the "old west" movies, where cowboys confronted each other in search of gold.

Tips for a buggy tour in Las Vegas

group of men with a buggy in the desert| ©Hades Bane
group of men with a buggy in the desert| ©Hades Bane

Aboard a buggy you can discover sites of Las Vegas that not all tourists can appreciate. However, I recommend you to be prepared for your journey, as this is an extreme sport.

When driving a buggy you will always be exposed to the sand, so you are sure to get dirty. That's why my recommendation is to wear comfortable, easy to wash and breathable clothes. That last feature is important because it will be very hot on the course, so it is also good to stay hydrated.

On the other hand I suggest you use sunscreen. Under the Nevada sun it is easy for your skin to get damaged, so it will be better to prevent this problem during your vacation. You can do some research on the ideal sunscreen for you to be on the safe side. This is especially important if you are traveling with children as they are more sensitive to the sun.

Let's compare the options

man vs. buggy in the desert| ©Hades Bane
man vs. buggy in the desert| ©Hades Bane
  • Mini Baja buggy adventure in Las Vegas
  • Price: around 230 €.
  • Duration: around 3 hours and a half.
  • Advantages of this option: you can do a short desert tour in a two-person buggy.
  • Disadvantages of this option: if you travel alone you will have to pay for the price of two seats.
  • Adventure in the Valley of Fire by buggy
  • Price: around 450 €.
  • Duration: approximately 6 hours.
  • Advantages of this option: this is an original and fun way to visit one of the most famous National Monuments in the United States.
  • Disadvantages of this option: it is a tour that can take up a large part of your day, so you must adapt your itinerary to these tours.
  • Excursion to El Dorado Canyon and a gold mine by buggy
  • Price: around 250 €.
  • Duration: approximately 7 hours.
  • Advantages of this option: with this type of tour you can visit a ghost town and learn a little of Nevada's history.
  • Disadvantages of this option: the desert can be very hot and if you go to a ghost town the road will be long. I recommend you to wear comfortable and breathable clothes to enjoy the experience much more.
  • ATV adventure combo and buggy session
  • Price: around 750 €.
  • Duration: approximately 10 hours.
  • Advantages of this option: with this type of tour you can have two extreme experiences in one day and make the most of your time in Las Vegas.
  • Disadvantages of this option: you need to dedicate a whole day to this experience, so other plans you have may be damaged or postponed.
  • Night dune buggy tour from Las Vegas
  • Price: about 300 €.
  • Duration: approximately 3 hours and a half.
  • Advantages of this option: this type of tour is ideal to complement your day. It is totally safe and you will get to know a different side of Las Vegas during the night.
  • Disadvantages of this option: this activity can be a bit dangerous, so it is more recommended for people who know how to drive very well and have good eyesight. Driving at night in the desert is complex, so you must be attentive to the route.