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South Lake Tahoe Tours
Guided Tour of Historic Virginia City and Carson City from South Lake Tahoe
5

Guided Tour of Historic Virginia City and Carson City from South Lake Tahoe

By Discover Lake Tahoe - Scenic Bus Tours
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Ages 1-99, max of 10 per group
Duration: 7h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
More


  • Professional guide
What's not included
  • Lunch
  • Gratuities
  • Entry/Admission - The Way It Was Museum
  • Entry/Admission - St. Mary in the Mountains Catholic Church


Start:Multiple pickup locations offered.
    Pickup details
    • The Hilton Vacation Club departure time: 8:30am Marriott Resorts departure time: 8:35am Golden Nugget departure time: 8:45am
    Hotel pickup offered
    During checkout you will be able to select from the list of included hotels.
      End:This activity ends back at the meeting point.

        • Not wheelchair accessible
        • Pushchair accessible
        • Service animals allowed
        • Infants must sit on laps
        If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 6508P5

        • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
        • Children must be accompanied by an adult
        • Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
        • Most travellers can participate
        • This experience requires a minimum number of travellers. If it’s cancelled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
        • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 travellers

        • For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.

        If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 6508P5

        From
        ÂŁ57.94
        per adult
        Select date and travellers
        Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.

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        About the operator
        Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
        • Discover Lake Tahoe - Scenic Bus Tours
          250
          United States
          Joined in June 2009
        • L3639LDdebbied
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Awesome and beautiful day!
          It was an amazing day, the tour guide was knowledgeable in so many areas adding to the enjoyable experience had. Definitely a must-do.
          Written 30 October 2024
        • tasckal
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Fantastic comprehensive overview of Yosemite.
          This tour is a perfect way to get a comprehensive overview of Yosemite if you're staying at South Lake Tahoe. Our guide John was so informative, personable, engaging and focused on making sure everyone had a great time. It's a long day for sure but we had over 8 hours in the park, even getting in some bonus stops since traffic was lighter. John really knows the park and it's so obvious he has a passion to show the beauty of Yosemite to his guests! He even supplied breakfast and lunch for our tour, both were delicious! My only suggestion would be to have a bit more time at the store in Crane Flats to shop for souvenirs as the store we stopped at didn't have a great selection. Other than that, the day was perfect in every way.
          Written 26 October 2024
        • tasckal
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Great tour around Lake Tahoe!!
          What a wonderful tour! Our guide was so very informative, funny and engaging the whole time! I learned so much about Lake Tahoe, the area, the history, the 1960 Olympics and the people who were instrumental in the development. We stopped the perfect number of times at the most beautiful places around the lake for photos or to walk around. As a first time visitor I really loved the opportunity to get the "lay of the land." Even if you've been here before I think everyone could learn so much by taking this tour.
          Written 23 October 2024
        • jil2170
          0 contributions
          4.0 of 5 bubbles
          Good tour
          Informative bus tour, comfortable bus. Train was BIT as pictured. We had a yellow and green train with out windows so we got a little wet when we got unexpected rain. No rain was forecast
          Written 18 October 2024
        • NPC75
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Yosemite experience
          Snowshoe John was a great guide and a good driver! We encountered icy roads and blowing wind but he handled everything very well. He gave us ALOT of information about the park based on his own experiences in the park. The snack and lunch offerings were excellent choices with plenty to go around. The stops were well timed and the photo ops were incredible! All around a great experience and well worth the cost. Thank you, Snowshoe John!
          Written 18 October 2024
        • joelX1971CM
          0 contributions
          3.0 of 5 bubbles
          Virginia City is better experienced by taking yourself there.
          Overpriced for what you get. To start with, it took way to long to narrow down the pickup spot from three listed to the actual. TripAdvisor had one. The confirmation email a different one. The tour operator a third. Two were similar but not exact. Took a call and a text to nail it down, finally. ??? The drive out to Virginia City was informative and interesting. The railway trip was short but sweet. Wish it was longer. Less than three hours in V City. Tough to eat, shop, and /or experience a museum/mine tour within the time constraints. The return trip was flat. The tour narrative was the same as the trip out. Would have been nice if the tour added different fun facts about the area. In conclusion, next time we would drive ourselves out to Virginia City and experience that wonderful area; at our own pace. This tour overall for us, would be worth it, for half of what is charged. Not a penny more. P.S. Don’t cancel or subtract any member of your group after the 24 hour refund deadline. We were originally a party of three who became a party of two, an hour before pickup. A family member became ill. We asked for refund or credit consideration. Driver notated issue. Multiple texts to tour operator & billing agent, within a timely manner, were ignored. Persisted with a couple of emails and another call later to finally hear; sorry, not sorry. Would have been happy with a future credit. Especially since the tour was not full. Buyer beware.
          Written 18 October 2024
        • Happiness37306465291
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Wonderful day trip to Yosemite!
          Our day trip to Yosemite with Snowshoe John was outstanding! John was a great driver and a very knowledgeable, enthusiastic tour guide. He provided a nice buffet-type spread for lunch - perfect for the setting. We had a wonderful day!
          Written 15 October 2024
        • nanp583
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          7 hours of Beauty.
          Our tour guide/driver was extremely knowledgeable and informative. Was always available to answer your questions. Give ample time to look around and take pictures. All the 4 stops were worth it. The best part is we had a 2 hour lunch break in Tahoe City and also had a stop at Squaw. The 7 hours went so fast and the cost was well worth it.
          Written 14 October 2024
        • R3837CNsharonn
          0 contributions
          4.0 of 5 bubbles
          Great way to spend a day!
          This one day tour around Lake Tahoe was a good overview of the area for our first visit to Lake Tahoe. We stopped at beautiful spots and got great insider information from our tour guide/driver. I highly recommend it.
          Written 13 October 2024
        • LivinglifeinPA
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          AMAZING Day!!!!!!!!
          What a fabulous day trip...filled with beautiful sights and much-learned information from Snowshoe John!!!!!!!!!!! Words cannot describe the beautiful mountains, waterfalls, lakes, etc. that we were able to see during our time in this wonderful national park. Snowshoe John is filled with knowledge of this area and he was so eager to share it with us. He had everything so well-organized throughout our day.....from the breakfast/dinner stops to the picnic lunch in the park to the hike later in the day. So well-planned and, thanks to our courteous fellow passengers, everything went smoothly and on time. We highly recommend taking this tour if you're visiting Lake Tahoe, but reserve as early as you can as this tour is offered only once a week........on a Thursday....and it is not available throughout the entire year.
          Written 4 October 2024
        • Jerzey99
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Amazing day at Yosemite
          This was a wonderful tour. Our tour guide for the day, “Snowshoe” John, was amazing. He is full of interesting information about Yosemite and the area in general. The buffet lunch he prepared had many options and was very good. I highly recommend this tour.
          Written 3 October 2024
        • butterfly53
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Great tour of Yosemite
          This was an excellent trip! Our tour guide/bus driver Snowshoe John was perfect. Very talkative and informative. Yosemite was amazing of course but he took us to every spot we had heard about. Plus he had a great breakfast spead and a great lunch picnic. Everything went really smoothly. I would highly recommend this trip. Worth every penny!
          Written 29 September 2024
        • emanne86
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Highly Recommend this Extraordinary Tour of Yosemite
          Snowshoe John was an amazing guide along our tour of Yosemite. We didn’t expect to experience as much as we did. John was so knowledgeable of the park and areas along the way, and he shared his wealth of knowledge with us all throughout the day. He safely guided us through so much of the park, including incredible views of El Capitan, Half Dome and many other extraordinary granite formations. We also enjoyed a picnic on the valley floor in direct view of El Capitan to witness the wonder it is. Seeing all the monstrous pine trees and taking the hike to see the giant sequoias was equally mesmerizing. We highly recommend this Yosemite day trip to anyone. It’s the best way to experience this national park in just a day.
          Written 28 September 2024
        • 2jackmans
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          An awesome experience!!!!
          Amazing bus driver, lots of great area info and personality!! Loved Virginia City and the lunch at the Palace Saloon was awesome having a very extensive menu with average prices. Couldn't have chosen a better outing. GO FOR IT!!!!
          Written 20 September 2024
        • JohnP724
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Excellent trip around the lake
          Extremely interesting commentary by driver. Related well to the mature audience. Excellent driving skills, comfortable ride, stopped to let faster traffic pass. Glad we took the trip
          Written 18 September 2024
        See all 250 reviews
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        5.0
        5.0 of 5 bubbles8 reviews
        Excellent
        6
        Very good
        2
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        0
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        0
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        0

        Connie C
        5 contributions
        4.0 of 5 bubbles
        Jun 2021
        This is a good way to learn a few things about the area’s history - from the Pony Express to the Gold and Silver strikes - with a local guide in a comfortable bus. The pickup locations are convenient, the drive is scenic. We got lots of ideas about places we could visit in Carson City. The stop in Virginia City includes an old time train trip through the area where the mining happened, and plenty of time in Virginia City to eat and browse. The churches and the school are worth a visit. Lots of options for lunch. The shops are all the same - and unless you are looking for some tourist souvenirs are not worth a visit. We had an enjoyable day.
        Written 26 June 2021
        This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

        Leslie OConnellZwicker
        Las Vegas, NV41 contributions
        4.0 of 5 bubbles
        Aug 2019 • Couples
        Virginia city has a lot of history & is a very old small town. Probably the best part of of this visit was the historical tour. Well worth the 25 minutes. Not sure the rest is worth the drive.
        Written 9 September 2019
        This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
        Thank you for joining us and writing a review
        Written 10 September 2019
        This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

        pspoker
        Las Vegas, NV1,073 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        Jul 2019 • Couples
        OK so we went on this, weren't sure what to expect. Well totally worth the money! Our driver was "Nevada Smith" I believe he said. He talked most the time all about the Tahoe area, Pony Express, Virginia City, Genoa and more. Everything as we past or through the town. So informative, not boring at all.
        When you get to Virginia City, there is a train ride included which is great as well. Then 2.5 hours for you to do whatever you want. I recommend going to the Palace slaoon and getting the Cheddar dip. I did and it was superb. Beers are $4 there so just so ya know.
        Anyways, this is almost a hidden gem. I would tell anyone from the company that is listening that they need to cut down the time on our own in Virginai City to at least only 2 hours. As 2.5 hours is just too long. Maybe even an hour and a half.
        But go on this trip! This was so informative. We did it July 2019 and they only were doing it on Thursdays. Bus was pretty full but not stuffed.
        Written 27 July 2019
        This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
        Thank you for taking your time and writing a review, it is very helpful. So glad, you enjoyed the tour
        Written 29 July 2019
        This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

        Jeanne
        Stockton, CA10 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        Nevada Smith gave us an informative and colorful story of the Gold Rush and the start of the settling of Virginia City and of the gold and silver mines.
        Saint Mary of the Mountains was the oldest Catholic Church and is beautiful—be aware that it is closed from 1-1:30 for their lunch.
        Written 29 October 2021
        This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

        bartsbuds
        Seattle, WA104 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        May 2021 • Couples
        The driver was friendly and very knowledgeable about the area. His driving was safe and comfortable and had his passengers in mind.
        Written 21 May 2021
        This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

        Nancy T
        18 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        Nov 2019 • Couples
        Nevada Smith was a great driver and guide. We appreciated not driving and then were able to enjoy the scenery. Nevada Smith’s knowledge and dialogue was very interesting and showed great depth of experience. Would highly recommend!
        Written 8 November 2019
        This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

        Dr. Ken King
        Chester Gap, VA414 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        May 2024 • Couples
        Just exceptional! We loved the entire trip, and our tour guide was super knowledgeable. This was well worth $70.00 and perhaps more. The visits to the governor's mansion, Virginia City, Carson City, around Lake Tahoe, and all the information about the gold rush, mining, real estate expansion, Native Americans, and pointing out hot springs, celebrity locations, etc was beyond what we expected on this tour. If we could give it six stars, we would. Well worth it. v/r, Dr. K. King
        Written 24 May 2024
        This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

        MrBill W
        Nampa, ID601 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        May 2022
        This is the great way to see the city and get some history. You ride a trolley car, and it is the Best $10 .00 I have spent.
        Written 31 May 2022
        This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
        *Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.

        Guided Tour of Historic Virginia City and Carson City from South Lake Tahoe provided by Discover Lake Tahoe - Scenic Bus Tours

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