Las Vegas Dune Buggy Rides

Written by Viator, February 2010

RECOMMENDATION Keywords:
Off-the-Beaten Path, Tip - General Travel, Desert

Sure, you can drive through the desert or even walk through the desert with a horse with no name. But there's only one way to really experience the desert and that's on an adrenaline-charged dune-buggy ride!

Get behind the wheel of a one- or two-seater dune buggy, wearing a full-face helmet and harness of course, properly prepped about the ins and outs of driving these crazy-looking vehicles – and you get to drive off-road through some of the most challenging terrain in the USA.

Dune-buggy rides from Las Vegas blaze their way through the Valley of Fire and the Nellis Dunes. You might whiz past big-horn sheep in the red, red desert of the Valley of Fire, a state park 50 miles (80 km) northeast of Las Vegas. This landscape of red sandstone rocks and sand dunes lights up in the sunshine, especially at sunrise and dusk. You'll see rocks eroded into incredible shapes at Valley of Fire, plus ancient petroglyph carvings.

The Nellis Dunes take in a sequence of sand dunes, dry river beds and desert, with out-there names like Look Out Dune and Rattle Snake Cliffs. From your dune vantage point, you'll be able to make out the Las Vegas Strip and even Lake Mead twinkling in the distance. The sandy hills are just 15 miles (24 km) north-east of Las Vegas, ideal for some off-road recreation near the Strip.

So you know, all dune buggies are specially custom built for the rugged Nevada terrain. They come equipped with roll cages, seatbelts, goggles and helmets for your safety. Driving them is similar to getting behind the wheel of your family car, with a steering wheel, brake pedal, and gas pedal – but that’s where the similarity ends!

Driving a dune buggy isn’t about aiming at rocks and hoping for spills and thrills – if you aim at rocks you'll spill and it won’t thrill. It's your responsibility to operate the vehicle appropriately, so stay safe out there!

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Reply by Viator, May 2013
Doing what: Valley Of Fire Buggy Tour

Great way to see the Valley of Fire. The guides take you through unknown spots and you can enjoy the scenery all the way to the stops you make. Lots of fun and very exciting, totally worth it!

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Reply by Viator, May 2013
Doing what: Valley Of Fire Buggy Tour

I had an amazing time on this tour. The petroglyphs were awesome

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Reply by Viator, April 2013
Doing what: Valley Of Fire Buggy Tour

Awesome day! The staff were fantastic, and we had a wonderful ride through the gorgeous Valley of Fire. The scenery was stunning! Plenty of stops to change drivers, stretch your legs, take photos and cool down with some water. Freestyling over the dunes was a blast!

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