Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour in Joshua Tree National Park
Overview
Available languages
Mobile ticket
Download the GuideAlong self-guided audio tour and you'll discover more on your Joshua Tree National Park road trip. Hear fascinating behind-the-scenes stories, local tips, and directions play automatically, all based on your location.
You'll be guided to all of the park's famous highlights as well as lesser-known gems including a viewpoint at 5,185 feet with views over the entire Coachella Valley, a garden filled with hundreds of teddy bear cacti, and rock formations resembling a giant skull and a 30-foot granite arch.
Enjoy the freedom to explore offline at your own pace, spending more time at places that interest you.
- Stories, tips, and directions play automatically based on your location.
- Travel at your own pace
- Tour offline using GPS, no cell service or WiFi needed
- Suggested itineraries for half, full, or multi-day use
- Buy once, use forever! No expiry, includes free updates.
- Like having a tour guide along for the drive
Purchase one tour per vehicle.
Additional Info
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
How to Access: After booking you’ll receive an email and text with instructions (search “Download Audio Tour”). Click the link in the email/text to sign in with your preferred Apple or Google account and redeem your voucher code ahead of time.
Download The GuideAlong App: Download the free app over WiFi or cellular data and sign in with the same Apple or Google account.
Download The Tour: Download the tour in the GuideAlong app under 'My Tours' over WiFi or cellular data.
Start The Tour: Open the tour in the GuideAlong app to preview the start locations, tour route and trip planner, or start the tour.
Location-Based Stories: Audio commentary plays automatically as you drive using your phone’s GPS chip. Wherever you are and whichever direction you’re going, you’ll hear the best stories and tips.
Flexible Travel Date: Tours are a one-time purchase with no expiry or date/time limit. If your plans change to a different day, there’s no need to change your travel date.
Tour at Your Leisure: With GuideAlong, you control the pace. Start, stop, and resume the tour any day, anytime, adapting it to your schedule.
Driving Tours: Group Savings: One purchase covers everyone in the vehicle, making it a cost-effective way to explore.
Works Offline: No internet or cell service is required once the audio tour is downloaded to your phone, so you can relax and tour offline.
Bring A Charger: Pack a USB/C car charger for charging and easy sound connectivity, and make sure your device is fully charged.
Technical Support: The GuideAlong support team is available daily by toll-free phone, online chat, and email.
The app’s audio will play through your car’s Apple CarPlay and Android Auto display, while the app’s map will display on your phone. You can connect your phone to the car via Bluetooth to listen to the commentary through the car stereo.
What To Expect
Joshua Tree National Park
Named for the twisted, spiky trees, there's so much more to see in this popular California national park with its rugged rock formations, breathtaking views, a wide variety of wildlife, and stark desert landscapes. As the audio guides play commentary based on your GPS location, you can create your own itinerary along the tour route to match your interests and schedule.
Arch Rock Nature Trail
The 30-foot granite Arch Rock is an Instagrammable location in Joshua Tree National Park. Take a short hike to Arch Rock to see the natural arch within the granite formations surrounding White Tank Campground. Though it's spectacular at any time of day, try arriving around sunset for one of the park’s iconic photo-ops: a gorgeous thirty-foot span of granite beneath a pastel-hued sky. It’s a mere 1.4-mile out-and-back hike to the arch, but we recommend you tack on a second formation: Heart Rock. Although a bit lopsided, this formation really does resemble its name, and it's an understandably popular place to snap a photo with a loved one.
Options
Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour in Joshua Tree National Park
What‘s Included
Trip Planners: In-app, web and PDF
Pre-recorded audio commentary (downloadable or streamable)
This is a GPS-powered, self-guided audio tour that works through an app
Lifetime access (no expiration) with Customer support (chat/email)
Suggested walking/driving itinerary with stop-by-stop directions
This tour is NOT an entrance ticket to the park
Offline GPS-enabled route map
NO in-person guide or physical equipment (bring your own device & headphones)
Park Fees Not Included
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Reviews
24 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Joshua Tree NP
Scott B,Apr 15, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Good history of park, also gives plenty of notice when turns,areas of interests and stops are coming up.
Awesome experience and best way to see Joshua Tree National Park
Dawn W,Apr 4, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Awesome, so glad we did this!!! This is the way to experience Joshua Tree National Park! Very informative and interesting self guided tour. You can go at your own pace, at any time in the comfort of your own vehicle. Beautiful scenery, hiking for all levels, history, geology and stories. I highly recommend this tour. You can use it again and again. And it’s a fraction of the cost of a guided tour.
My 12 year old liked it
Joshua S,Mar 21, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00You can use it outside the park so turn it on when you’re driving to the park. Loved it and am excited to try at other parks
Very informative!
kellie2679,Feb 25, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This guide was great! We loved getting to know about the park. I loved all the history involved.
Great companion
joycet465,Jan 5, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Since I was on my own, it was especially nice to hear the interesting stories on both the trip there and within the park. I also got the hidden valley trail guide, and it proved helpful to have the trail map and gps. Wish I would have had it for Barker Dam, where I got temporarily lost on the final leg.
Great App If Unfamiliar with Joshua Tree NP
Aaron N,Dec 6, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00The app worked great. Chimed in and chimed out based upon global positioning. Not only highlighted sites, but also gave some history, and narration had a good sense of humor.
Joshua Tree national park
Kim C,Nov 16, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The audio gave a lot of information about the park's history, clulture, flora, fauna, and rock formations. Landmarks were mentioned, and points of interest were highlighted.
Spammed
Margot C,Sep 25, 2025
- Review from Viator
1.00I haven’t even done the tour yet and they’re already asking for reviews. I have been emailed and texted multiple times a day for weeks over this. It’s ridiculous getting texts at 5 AM. I wrote to them telling them to quit spamming me to death and they just said too bad it’s automated.
Very relaxing because we didn’t have to worry about going the right way. It was all planned out for us. The info about p
779luanng,Jun 5, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The info was great and the narrator was entertaining. We wouldn’t have seen or learned as much had we not purchased the tour.
Solo but not really
paulmK9820PB,May 25, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Loved the information and the tour. I was solo, so this enriched my experience. I loved how the tour prepared me with stories and places for decision making.
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Operated by GuideAlong (GyPSy Guide)