Things to do in Palm Springs
November through April brings warm, sunny days and cool evenings ideal for hiking, pools, and patios. Summers are brutally hot, routinely topping 110F, so outdoor stops shift to dawn and the focus turns to indoor museums and resort pools.
Best months: November, December, March, April
What is worth your time in Palm Springs
Joshua Tree National ParkDo not miss
Otherworldly boulder piles and twisting Joshua trees fill a vast high-desert park an hour from Palm Springs.
Day Trip · 8 hr4.8
Palm Springs Aerial TramwayDo not miss
Rotating cable cars climb 6,000 vertical feet from the desert floor to alpine wilderness and trails atop Mount San Jacinto.
Day Trip · 8 hr4.8
Palm Springs Air MuseumDo not miss
One of the world's largest collections of flyable WWII warbirds, many you can climb into, beside the airport.
Museum · 2.3 hr4.8
Palm Springs Art MuseumDo not miss
A strong collection of modern and contemporary art, glass, and Western works in a striking desert-modern building downtown.
Museum · 2.3 hr4.7
The Living Desert Zoo and GardensDo not miss
A 1,200-acre desert zoo and botanical garden in Palm Desert with giraffes, a carousel, and a model train garden.
Activity · 3.5 hr4.7
VillageFestDo not miss
Every Thursday night Palm Canyon Drive closes for a sprawling street fair of artisans, food, and produce.
Market · 1.5 hr4.7
Moorten Botanical GardenDo not miss
A tiny, family-run desert garden packed with 3,000 cacti and succulents and the first-ever cactarium.
Park · 1.1 hr4.6
Indian CanyonsDo not miss
Palm-lined desert canyons on Agua Caliente tribal land hold the world's largest California fan palm oasis and easy trails.
Nature · 3.8 hr4.5
Tahquitz CanyonDo not miss
A ranger-guided loop in a sacred Agua Caliente canyon climbs to a 60-foot seasonal waterfall framed by rock and palms.
Nature · 2.5 hr4.5
Downtown Palm Canyon DriveDo not miss
The walkable spine of Palm Springs lined with restaurants, mid-century shops, galleries, and the stars of the Walk of Stars.
Neighborhood · 1.8 hr
Uptown Design District
North Palm Canyon's stretch of vintage-modern furniture stores, design shops, and brunch spots.
Neighborhood · 1.5 hr5
El Paseo
Palm Desert's mile-long answer to Rodeo Drive, lined with galleries, boutiques, sculpture, and patio dining.
Neighborhood · 1.8 hr4.8
Forever Marilyn Statue
A 26-foot Marilyn Monroe towers over downtown, the city's most photographed and most debated sculpture.
Landmark · 23 min4.8
Palm Desert Civic Center Park
A 70-acre Palm Desert park with rose gardens, public sculpture, lakes, and shaded picnic ramadas.
Park · 53 min4.8
And 31 more, which the planner picks between based on your dates, pace and what you are into.
Worth knowing
- Summer heat is genuinely dangerous; from June to September do all hiking and outdoor sightseeing at dawn and reserve midday for indoor stops and the pool.
- Palm Springs is the capital of mid-century modern design; February's Modernism Week is the marquee event, but the architecture is a year-round draw.
- Carry far more water than you think you need on every desert trail, and never hike the canyons in the heat of the afternoon.
- Most great hotels and many restaurants are built around the pool, so an afternoon pool break is part of the local rhythm, not a waste of a day.
- Distances across the Coachella Valley are real; budget driving time between Palm Springs, Palm Desert, and Indian Wells, and there is no useful transit between them.