Buggy Tours in Las Vegas

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

For this kind of adventure you should be prepared to get dirty in the desert sand. Also, most tours are longer 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 as you'll have an extreme experience seeing areas that seem unexplored. Are you up for it?

The buggy vehicle or also known as a sand buggy has different shapes according to its structure. Mini Baja buggies are very small, all terrain buggies with a 4000 RPM engine. In this type of excursion you will be able to drive for one hour through a part of the Nevada desert. With the transfer time from your hotel to the desert and back, the tour lasts 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 buggy facilities. Before starting the desert tour, 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 as the price indicated is for two seats in the buggy.

When you start driving you must follow the guide of your group to follow the route. You will be driving over 20 kilometres of difficult terrain in the Nevada desert. Don't panic if you feel the route is difficult, you will be provided with a lockable helmet before you start. This is essential to protect your eyes and mouth from the dust that rises as you drive. It is also important that depending on the season, you bring a coat, as temperatures in the desert drop below freezing at night between October and April.

Each person will also be provided with a safety harness, plus the buggy has a roll cage structure. At the end of 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 doesn't include lunch, to continue enjoying Las Vegas I recommend you to take a food tour in the afternoon to refuel.

Details of interest

• Price: around 230 €.
• Duration: around 3.5 hours.
• Advantages of this option: you can take a short tour through the desert in a two-person buggy.
• Disadvantages of this option: if you travel alone you will have to pay for the price of two seats. Also, lunch is not included.

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

The organisers of this tour will pick you up from your hotel and take you to the meeting point to tour the park. If you count this part of the experience on average you will spend about 5-6 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 lunch which is included in this tour. The organisers will also 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.

If you want to explore the Nevada desert and see the most famous sites in the area, I recommend a buggy tour to El Dorado. On this experience you will get to see the Techatticup gold mine and much more. This tour lasts approximately seven hours and costs an average 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'll 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 wear safety equipment such as seatbelts 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 bottles of water 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 walk will be long. I recommend wearing comfortable, breathable clothing to enjoy the experience more.

If you want to go on 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 on an 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.

On this type of tour the organisers will pick you up from your hotel and take you to the buggy and ATV facilities. There you will receive a lesson on how to drive these types of vehicles, as well as other important instructions.

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

When your guide tells you it's time to switch from the off-road vehicle to a buggy. This vehicle will take you through the Las Vegas Dunes. You will pass through a friendlier area at a slightly more moderate speed. At the end it will be time for lunch and hydration before you are taken back to your hotel. If you want to experience the Valley of Fire this is one of the best things to do in the Valley of Fire.

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.

When you're on holiday there's no time to waste, so 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 around three and a half hours for a cost of approximately €300.

For this type of tour you need to be over 18 years old. The organisers will pick you up from your hotel and take you to a deserted area not far from the Las Vegas Strip. There you will meet your guide who will start a training and orientation session before the tour begins.

These buggies are equipped for rough terrain and are fitted with seat belts and safety cages. They also have a powerful torch to light your way. I recommend you to follow your guide and the flags that show you the way. This way you will be able to complete the route without any problems.

After about an hour's walk you will arrive back at the starting point. Here you can drink some water and get ready to go back to your hotel. Remember to check with the tour organisers if your hotel is on the driver's route, which 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's totally safe and you get to see a different side of Las Vegas during the night.
• Disadvantages of this option: This activity can be a bit dangerous, so it is recommended for people who know how to drive very well and have good eyesight. Driving at night in the desert is complex, so be aware of the route.

Traveller tip
If you want to tour the Las Vegas dunes at night, I recommend that you plan your itinerary very well. Normally these activities start at 7pm, but you can find more late-night schedules. It's best to ask about all the details before you book your tour.

Buggy tours from Las Vegas are excursions through the desert. The drive from downtown Las Vegas to the desert can take between one and two hours or more, depending on the location of your accommodation. Along the way you'll get a good view of the city until you enter the desert area.

Once you start your buggy ride, you'll 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 a variety of traditional American desert plants and animals such as bighorn sheep.

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

On board a buggy you can discover places in 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 sand, so you are bound to get dirty. That's why my recommendation is to wear comfortable, easy to wash and breathable clothing. That last feature is important as it will be very hot on the course, so it is also good to stay hydrated.

On the other hand, I suggest you wear sunscreen. Under the Nevada sun it is easy for your skin to get damaged, so it is best to prevent this problem during your holiday. You can do some research on which sunscreen is right for you to be on the safe side. This is especially important if you are travelling with children as they are more sensitive to the sun.