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California, United States

Palm Springs

Spend 2 days: the tram and canyons in the morning, pool and midcentury design in the afternoon heat. This guide pulls together 3 sights, 1 activity and 2 outdoor spots from our curated routes.

Plan Palm Springs with friendsBrowse 10 places
Palm Springs, California, United States
Places
10

3 See · 1 Do · 2 Outdoors · 3 Eat · 1 Drink

Curated routes
1

Palm Springs & Joshua Tree

Best season
Oct – Apr

from our route notes

Warmest month
July

43°C / 109°F avg high

Coolest month
December

19°C / 66°F avg high

Wettest month
January

about 23 mm rain

Climate: NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages.

Things to do in Palm Springs

10 places from our curated routes, grouped by what you will do there. Each one has its own page with the address and full notes.

See

3 sights worth building a day around across Downtown and Rancho Mirage.

  • Agua Caliente Cultural Museum in Palm SpringsPhoto: Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians · CC BY 4.0
    See

    Agua Caliente Cultural Museum

    Museum on Cahuilla culture at the Spa Cultural Plaza downtown.

    Tip Pair with the nearby spa if you want a soak.

    • Downtown
    • $
    • 75 min
    • Midday
  • Palm Springs Art Museum in Palm SpringsPhoto: Palm Springs Art Museum · Google
    See

    Palm Springs Art Museum

    Art, architecture and design museum at the foot of the mountains.

    Tip Free entry Thursday evenings.

    • Downtown
    • $$
    • 1.5 hr
    • Afternoon
  • Sunnylands Center & Gardens in Palm SpringsPhoto: Hitesh Prajapat · Google
    See

    Sunnylands Center & Gardens

    Free gardens and center at the Annenberg estate in Rancho Mirage.

    Tip Gardens free; house tours sell out fast.

    • Rancho Mirage
    • Free
    • 1.5 hr
    • Morning

Do

1 activity for when the group wants to do more than look in Chino Canyon.

  • Palm Springs Aerial Tramway in Palm SpringsPhoto: inkknife_2000 (7.5 million views +) · CC BY-SA 2.0
    Do

    Palm Springs Aerial Tramway

    Rotating tram climbs 8,500 ft to cool pine forest and trails.

    Tip Go early; bring a jacket, it's 30°F cooler at the top.

    • Chino Canyon
    • $$$
    • 3 hr
    • Morning

Outdoors

2 outdoor spots for fresh air across South Palm Springs and Deepwell.

  • Indian Canyons in Palm SpringsPhoto: N H · Google
    Outdoors

    Indian Canyons

    Palm oases and streams on Agua Caliente tribal land.

    Tip Hike Palm Canyon; closed in summer heat on some days.

    • South Palm Springs
    • $$
    • 2.5 hr
    • Oct–Apr mornings
  • Moorten Botanical Garden in Palm SpringsPhoto: YuriVict · Public domain
    Outdoors

    Moorten Botanical Garden

    Family-run cactus garden with a glass Cactarium since 1938.

    Tip Small entry fee; under an hour.

    • Deepwell
    • $
    • 45 min
    • Morning

Eat

Where we would book a table in Palm Springs across Uptown and Indio.

  • Cheeky's in Palm SpringsPhoto: Cheeky's Palm Springs · Google
    Eat

    Cheeky's

    Breakfast and brunch spot known for its flight of bacon.

    Tip Breakfast and lunch only; no reservations.

    • Uptown
    • $$
    • 60 min
    • Breakfast
  • Shields Date Garden in Palm SpringsPhoto: Visitor7 · CC BY-SA 3.0
    Eat

    Shields Date Garden

    Date grove since 1924 serving date shakes and showing date history.

    Tip Get a date shake and walk the garden.

    • Indio
    • $
    • 45 min
    • Afternoon
  • Workshop Kitchen + Bar in Palm SpringsPhoto: Mary Caroline Pickryl · Google
    Eat

    Workshop Kitchen + Bar

    Farm-driven American dinner in a converted 1920s theater.

    Tip Book ahead.

    • Uptown
    • $$$
    • 1.5 hr
    • Dinner

Drink

Our picks for a drink in Palm Springs in Uptown.

  • Bootlegger Tiki in Palm SpringsPhoto: Bootlegger Tiki · Google
    Drink

    Bootlegger Tiki

    Small red-lit tiki bar on Palm Canyon Drive.

    Tip Order a mai tai; fills up after 9pm.

    • Uptown
    • $$
    • 60 min
    • Evening

How to fit Palm Springs into a trip

Palm Springs is stop 1 of 2 on our Palm Springs & Joshua Tree route. Follow it as-is or lift Palm Springs into your own plan.

Getting here and onward

Distances are straight-line estimates between destination centers, not road distances.

Palm Springs month by month

Average daily highs run from 19°C / 66°F in December to 43°C / 109°F in July. January is the wettest month, with about 23 mm of rain. Outlined months fall in the best season on our routes.

Average daily highs, NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages. Palm Springs weather and the best time to visit →

Near Palm Springs

8 other destinations from our guides within about 200 km (124 mi), measured in a straight line.

Palm Springs questions, answered

How many days do you need in Palm Springs?

Our route notes suggest 2 days in Palm Springs. On our Palm Springs & Joshua Tree route it is stop 1 of 2 in a 3-day trip. The listed visit times for our 10 places add up to roughly 15 hours, before travel between them, so you will need to choose.

What is Palm Springs best known for?

Spend 2 days: the tram and canyons in the morning, pool and midcentury design in the afternoon heat. Standouts on our list: Agua Caliente Cultural Museum (Museum on Cahuilla culture at the Spa Cultural Plaza downtown); Palm Springs Art Museum (Art, architecture and design museum at the foot of the mountains); Sunnylands Center & Gardens (Free gardens and center at the Annenberg estate in Rancho Mirage).

When is the best time to visit Palm Springs?

Our Palm Springs & Joshua Tree route is best Oct – Apr. NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages put the warmest highs in July (43°C / 109°F), the coolest in December (19°C / 66°F) and the most rain in January (about 23 mm).

What are the best things to do in Palm Springs?

Start with Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, Indian Canyons, Agua Caliente Cultural Museum, Palm Springs Art Museum and Moorten Botanical Garden. Our guide lists 10 places in all, from 3 sights, 1 activity, 2 outdoor spots, 3 places to eat and 1 bar or café.

Where should a group eat in Palm Springs?

Our picks: Cheeky's (Uptown); Shields Date Garden (Indio); Workshop Kitchen + Bar (Uptown). Breakfast and lunch only; no reservations (Cheeky's).

What is near Palm Springs?

The closest destinations in our guides are Joshua Tree (about 60 km / 37 mi), La Jolla (about 129 km / 80 mi) and Downtown San Diego & Gaslamp Quarter (about 137 km / 85 mi). Distances are straight-line estimates, not road distances.

Plan Palm Springs with your crew

Open the Palm Springs & Joshua Tree route in TripsCircle, invite friends with a link, settle which of these 10 places make the cut with a quick poll, then split costs and share one packing list.

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