Arizona Ghost Towns and Wild-West Day Trip from Las Vegas
Las Vegas, United States of America
Experience the real Wild West on a day trip from Las Vegas to Arizona’s ghost towns. Drive along Historic Route 66 and enjoy a photo opportunity at the mighty Hoover Dam. Explore three Arizona ghost towns and visit several historic saloons before taking part in a Western cowboy shootout show! Complimentary hotel pickup and drop-off, lunch, bottled water, transportation by air-conditioned mini-bus and professional guide are included.
After pickup from your Las Vegas hotel, take a short drive by comfortable van to the Hoover Dam for a brief photo stop. This 726-foot (221-meter) dam holds back the mighty Colorado River, behind which you’ll find Lake Mead, a beautiful man-made reservoir contained within the Black Canyon walls. Take all the ‘dam’ photos you want!
Next, head to the small mining town of Chloride, a community that has survived the harsh desert environment since the 1860s. Silver and other minerals were mined here for decades, and after the mining boom was over, Chloride nearly became a ghost town. Today, Chloride is home to about 250 residents who are very proud of their mining history. Browse the antique shops; admire the various artistic sculptures; and chat with the locals before enjoying lunch.
Next, drive along the Historic Route 66 highway to the small ghost town of Oatman. The present-day population of this ghost town is 150 people and one poltergeist who goes by the name of ‘Oatie the Ghost.’ He’s believed to be the poor spirit of William Ray Flour, an Irish miner who died behind the Oatman Hotel.
Enjoy views of the Black Mountains and the tumbleweeds and wild burros that freely roam through the town. Have your picture taken alongside modern-day cowboys and bandits while posing in front of an authentic Route 66 sign. You'll also have a chance to take part in a Western shootout. Held in the middle of the street, this Western-style event features cowboys in costume standing face-to-face, ready to draw.
Enjoy a drink at a local saloon (at own expense) before traveling through the Mojave Desert along the Veterans Memorial Highway, a road that cuts straight through empty desert landscape.
Your last stop before returning to the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas will be in El Dorado, which was named by the Spaniards who discovered gold in the area. This town served as the backdrop for many famous western movies and also housed the famous Techatticup Mine, where millions of dollars worth of gold and silver have been unearthed.
Your tour will conclude with drop-off at your original departure point.
We had a great time on this tour! Our guide, Mike was very informative and very friendly. He was top-notch to say the least. If you want to get away and take a break from the gambling and the smoke filled casinos, this is a great excursion.
Review by: Emmaline M, January 2018
Excellent great trip, had the tour guide all to ourselves and it turned out to be one of the best trips we have done. Was such fun and we where made to feel at ease with the tour guide Michael who was entertaining and fun
Review by: William M, October 2017
We had a thoroughly enjoyable day exploring the ghost towns and Mike our guide was extremely knowledgeable and kept us amused and interested with his stories and detailed history of Chloride,Oatman and Nelson Arizona. We would highly recommend this tour and if you are lucky enough to get Mike as your guide you will be in for a very entertaining day.
Review by: MANDY C, October 2017
Tour guide amazing . Great trip !
Review by: auctioneats, May 2017
This tour was the highlight of our short trip to Vegas. Mike our guide was so good he was informative all the way and answered all our questions and we were lucky enough to be the only ones on the tour on the day so really was a special experience a great varied trip that exceeded our expectations
Review by: Lesley E, November 2016
There were only 4 of us on this trip so we had the personal services of guide Joel who had the most amazing knowledge about the desert and the history of the area. If the bus had been full it would have been a bit of an uncomfortable journey though. It was a fantastic day - the only criticism would be that the lunch was disappointing - wet rolls, crisps and a del monte fruit pot!
Review by: jim p, October 2016
Great host. Wish we had a little more time in some of the places especially Oakham. Towns we visited not quiet due to numerous fellow toutists and bikers, however this did not detract from visits which were still very enjoyable and informative.
Review by: Juliet S, August 2016
A long day of travelling but made very enjoyable by our driver/tour guide Khriss. He is extremely knowledgable and told us some great historical facts as well as some fun stories. Our first stop was at Chloride. With a population of only just over 300, this was a quiet place. Make sure you visit with 'Diggger Dave' he is quite a character. Next we went to Oatman, on Route 66, this town only has the one street but is very lively by comparison. We arrived in the middle of a gunfight which was fun to watch. There are lots of burros donkeys walking about and they even wandered through the gunfight. Our last stop was at El Dorado. There are lots rusty of old cars, trucks and even a school bus lying around and a visit to the 'museum' is a must. There is a strange collection of items including mounted animal heads around the walls and an even weirder collection in the 'Area 52' room. A great day out and even though the travelling between towns takes a long time, if you get Khriss as your guide you are in for a treat. Thanks Khriss!
Review by: Valerie J, May 2016
Oatman excellent. Not impressed with El Dorado. Waste of time.
Review by: Michaela B, April 2016
Amazing and very interesting tour. Our tour guide Khriss did a great job! Gave us a lot of information about this tour. From Hoover Dam up to Chloride, Oatman and El Dorado. Best part of it was the St Patrick's day parade in Chloride.
Review by: mrdkh2000, March 2016
I was told to go to the main north entrance.of the luxor hotel.. I did I even had one one the directors walk me there to make sure it was the right one. Waited for 2hrs. and missed the bus._br/_ I was extremely disappointed about missing the tour not to mention the 220.00 for the tour
Review by: ALAN F, February 2016
What a great day we had. There were only 4 of us on this trip, so we had almost one on one attention from Michael our driver and guide. First stop Chloride and a meeting with 'Digger Dave'. This has to be one of the most bizarre and fascinating places I have ever visited. Not for what this town offers just how the people live and function on a day by day basis.
Review by: philip m, October 2015
Excellent all round trip, driver/tour guide was extremely personable and knowledgeable, great day all round, the real USA
Review by: alice_anstee_x, October 2015
Fantastic trip! Our guide was very imformative and seemed to know alot about the history of Vegas and the towns that we visited. Oatmen was really enjoyable, i cant believe people love out there! Long time travelling to each place in the minibus, but it was fully air-coned and the other guests on the tour were good company! The lunches were great, more than i thought we were going to get. Would definatley recommend to get away from the hustle of vegas for the day!
Review by: Andrew M, October 2015
guide very good_br/_ great day out_br/_ lunch could be better
Review by: Lorraine W, September 2015
The heat was just so bad. It was the Aujgust day that Vegas reached one degree under the all-time heat record. I enjoyed the scenery, especially around Oatman . The guide was pleasant, but I feel that the company should have checked in that morning to find out the times of the gunfight and kept in touch with our guide. Because of sickness the gunfight times were changed. To be told at 1 pm that the next fight was at 2.15, and that we would have to wait around in that phenomenal heat for another hour, was too much. We voted to leave. .... And I got bitten on the arm by a burro!
Review by: Kathleen A, August 2015
Tour guide was informative, polite, and knowledgeable. Pick up and drop off went very smooth. Van was brand new and very nice. Box lunches were good as well! Would recommend.
Review by: Lysa B, June 2015
A well paced day trip, starting with a half hour stop to view The Hoover Dam and continuing on to three very different cowboy ghost towns - Chloride in the old silver mining region, Oatman, a real feel of the old West, and Eldorado, tiny but compelling. The guide, Chris, was extremely informative with a relaxed sense of humour, always approachable and tolerant of numerous requests for photo stops.
Review by: sheilagh, June 2015
Great Tour and a lot of fun well worth doing, the day went very quickly and our tour guide was informative and made things interesting.
Review by: Elaine T, May 2015
This was by far the best trip we have had so far. The mini bus was very comfy and pick up was on tine. The guide Kriss was outstanding and kept us entertained the whole day with his stories. The scenery is outstanding and the ghost towns gave us plenty to think about. If you only have time for 1 trip, then this is it.
Review by: Lyndal L, December 2014
Excellent tour guide who knew so much about the places visited ( thanks Mike!). It was so good to see the wonderful areas surrounding Vegas along with some incredible scenery. Well worth doing.
Review by: Dianne U, December 2014
Brilliant trip, Great driver and guide, we had a great day. Would do this trip again if we were in Las Vegas. Would recommend to anyone going to Las Vegas. Can't believe we have gone to Vegas for ten years and never found this trip. Done every other but this was so different and good loved it.
Review by: Elicia.martinez72, December 2014
My husband and I are so happy we selected the Wild West Day Tour to be a part of our Las Vegas Vacation. It truly was an amazing adventure!! The Hoover Dam was beautiful. Our tour guide Mike was wonderful. He was so Informative and had lots of positive energy. We definitely will be doing another tour with Viator.
Review by: Janet.cain44, November 2014
This tour was a bit to much driving for tha amount of time we were allowed to stay in the ghost towns the driver lovely and entertained us on way to towns ,the towns excellent just would of liked to spend more time in them but can't fault the driver she was lovely .
Review by: Linda S, September 2014
Really good trip chris the tour guide was brilliant loads of info, because there was only four of us on the tour made it even better 7 sweater . Met some lovely people at the small towns
Review by: lexi, August 2014
really enjoyed this tour. our guide jd was good. the little towns and the people are so friendly, just dont eat your dinner where the donkeys are, or do as it is sooo funny
Review by: Amy R, June 2014
We had a blast! Khriss our tour guide was amazing. He was very knowledgable of everything we did and even drove by. A 10 hour tour went by quickly. The towns were great. The desert landscape was a new picture with every turn. I kept Khriss' card and will definitely use your company again and recommend it to everyone. Only under the condition we can have Khriss as our tour guide again.
Review by: Karen D, April 2014
I enjoyed it very much our tour guide Chris was great very informative gave good history of all locations even knew the plants. He keep us comfortable and hydrated and everyone on the tour was friendly. I was able to get wonderful pictures of every place we went. It was great.
Review by: Lisa W, March 2014
This was a great tour! We were the only people booked on so we got our own personal tour for the day. Our tour guide Mike was very knowledgeable and funny, he even helped us plan our drive to LA later in the week. The towns we visited were all pretty varied and interesting in different ways.
Review by: Anthony R, February 2014
This is an excellent tour! A real insight in to real America for us Brits staying in Las Vegas! A wander around the abandoned buildings of Chloride, the old Jail, the gas station and the friendly folk at the bar was great. Then on to Oatman via Route 66 for a gun fight in the street was good fun. We posed with guns at Jimmy Hornfeathers store._br/_
Then on to the spooky town of El Dorado for the ghastly sights in the guest room! Move over Norman Bates. Youll have to take the tour to know what im on about!_br/_
But best of all was our tour guide Mick,nothing was too much trouble, he was knowlegeable and friendly he made sure we took all the dam pictures we wanted. (Hoover Dam) We hope hes having fun with his genuine Star Wars Stormtrooper helmet!
Review by: DJM, November 2013
An excellent day out with a really friendly and informative guide. Something of interest for everyone even if one the ghost towns was full of tourists - the lunch-seeking burros made it fun in spite of the seething masses! Well recommended.
Review by: Carlo Z, October 2013
Great to see the Hoover Dam, and see parts of Arizona you wouldn't normally wouldn't see. Our guide was very knowledgeable she was great!
Review by: Valerie M, October 2013
Very good
Review by: smartremark, September 2013
My husband and I absolutely loved everything about Las Vegas, our 8 nights wasn't enough, but this day was by far the best. We wanted to do something more historic than just shop and enjoy the casinos, and this was the most perfect way to experience and enjoy local history and culture. Kerry our tour guide was amazing. She was so knowledgeable and easy to listen to, she was fantastic. Her stories about the Indians, and the real Wild West were fascinating and entertaining, as was the information on the local flora, fauna, and changing desert landscapes. _br/_
Walking across Hoover Dam, the first stop was eerie but fascinating, what a feat of engineering! Kerry was a fountain of knowledge about the construction of it, and to experience it first hand was great._br/_
The ghost town of Chloride was very unique with its competitive neighbours and their very creative 'yard art', was more like junk to me, however that's what makes this town, and I'm sure the competitive spirit keeps the home fires burning. _br/_
Travelling along the original Route 66 was fantastic, so much so, my husband and I would like to go back and travel along it from start to finish._br/_
The ghost town of Oatman was the highlight of the day, with very healthy wild burros that roaming freely and creating road blocks in this one road town. The burros were amazing, even the foals were super friendly and gorgeous, escaping the heat in the doorways of the shops and under the verandahs. I could have stayed for hours patting them. The gunfight was great, it looked so authentic in the street with the rugged mountains in the background. _br/_
Finally, the trip to El Dorado canyon on the way home again was fantastic, what a place! For any die hard 'Killers' fans like myself, there is the perfect photo opportunity in front of the caravan used on the 'Sam's Town' album cover, I took many! If you are considering this trip do not be put of by it's length, the day flew, it was worth every cent, and Kerry, thank you again.
Review by: Helen S, May 2013
Kris, our Driver/Guide was an excellent fit for this tour. Seemed to be nothing he didn't know and he was a fountain of information. Saw two gunfights, the first of which was more than a little unusual. We also did the Death Valley tour with him the next day which meant we really hit the jackpot. Would I do either of these tours again. You bet.
Review by: Leigh R, May 2013
Such an amazing day Rachael the tour guide was so informative and fun I would definitely recommend this tour 10/10
Review by: katie1183, April 2013
This ended up being a 6 hour tour with 4hours spent riding in a car. While the guide was very informative, it was rather boring just with all the riding. The town of Chloride was also dissapointing as nothing was going on due to having some snowfall the day before (?) That was wierd. Going to Oatman was the best part and probably should be highlighted in the previews for the tour. We were giving a sack lunch and left to eat out on the streets, which wouldn't have been bad if it had not been so cold out. Our last stop was at some peoples property that had a lot of old and interesting stuff, but was not a town. I just don't think it was worth what it cost.
Review by: Julie L, March 2013
It was the best tour. Khriss was an amazing guide. He was so knowledgable and such good humor. It was like taking a trip with a good friend. The gunfight at Chloride was hillarious. Loved it. The burros at Oatman were fun to watch and feed. I also found an item at Oatman that I had been searching all over the internet for. The goldmine trip was like going back home with all the nick-nacks they had. The 2 other couples were very friendly and the whole day was an adventure. Thanks again, Khriss and Bindlestaff Tours._br/_
Julie L.
Review by: James T, December 2012
so interesting great guide.driving was very good.we were not rushed at all.lots of interesting information about were we were driving through.nice and friendly.will use again on our next trip.thank you for making our holiday so special
Review by: andy m, November 2012
this was by far the best day we had in vegas, Chris was without a doubt the best, most personal and informative tour guide anyone could ask for. all the places we were taken to exceeded expectations by a long shot. if your looking to do a trip in vegas to get off the beaten track, this is the way to do it, worth every penny
Review by: toby, November 2012
best tour ever all due to the tour guide . We had lots of fun and saw maney neat sites
Review by: Madeleine, October 2012
Highly recommended-this tour was fantastic! I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish. We visited three Ghost Towns altogether as our tour guide added an extra stop for us which was really nice of him. We also visited the Hoover Dam. Each Ghost Town was different-the history of each fascinating and the desert scenery in between was incredible. This truly was the wild west and our tour Guide Khriss, who was dressed as a cowboy made this a really really fun day out. We visited old Wild West saloons and fed wild donkeys who were roaming the streets of Oatman Ghost Town. Truly memorable day and by far one of the best tours I have ever been on. Great tour company, great tour, great food, all round fantastic day out in the Wild Wild West! Thank you....
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