15 Best Things To Do in Palm Springs, CA

Palm Springs is one of those places that is instantly recognizable: palm trees, pools, mountains, and sunshine. But once you’re there, you realize there’s a lot more going on beneath the surface!

We spent a week in Palm Springs over Spring Break and discovered it’s more than just a desert getaway: it’s a place full of history and glamour and where the natural landscape is incorporated into everything.

So, here are the best things to do in Palm Springs to experience this city. I’ve included the things we did, plus a few activities that are on my list for my next visit.

I want to help you experience all the different sides of this city, so your trip feels like more than just a weekend at the pool. (Although we definitely have the pool included here too!)

What Palm Springs is Known For (& Why It Feels Different)

Palm Springs looks simple on the surface as a desert vacation destination when you can easily just lounge by the pool. But there’s a lot more going on here than that! These are the things that give the city its personality.

Old Hollywood Escape — In the 1950s, Palm Springs became a retreat for stars like Frank Sinatra and Marilyn Monroe. Palm Springs is just a few hours from Los Angeles, which made it the perfect escape: close enough to work, but far enough to feel hidden away.
Mid-century Modern Design — This city is basically a living museum of mid-century desert modernism. (And there are some interesting reasons for it, which we’ll get to below.) Architecture isn’t just something to see here, it’s part of the experience.
Desert Landscape Shaping Everything — San Jacinto Mountains rise dramatically right next to the city that sits in the desert. The mountains are so beautiful that they are incorporated into the architecture decisions. And with almost constant sushine, indoor-outdoor living is a major part of everything.

Best Things To Do in Palm Springs

Take a Desert Modernism Architecture Tour

Mid century modern home in Palm Springs with bright yellow front doors, stone walls, and tall palm trees set against a clear blue sky, showcasing iconic architecture among things to do in Palm Springs. Desert landscaping with agave plants and a mountain backdrop adds to the classic California desert aesthetic. — One of the homes we saw on our Palm Springs architecture tour. We got to go inside too for our tour! But no pictures of that because these are private homes.

Out of everything we did in Palm Springs, this tour is my number one recommendation!

We did the Interior Tour with the Palm Springs Mod Squad, where Kurt taught us all about mid-century desert modernism and we got to tour the inside of three different homes.

It was a small tour (just the number of people who can fit in the mini-van!) and was such a fascinating experience! I loved seeing how the landscape and the architecture fit together and how art and design play such an important role.

And of course getting to take a peek inside people’s homes is always fun. (My family decided to play House Hunters with them of course, and on our way back to our hotel we all had to say which house we would buy!)

We also learned why exactly desert modernism became so prevalent and stayed preserved.

Palm Springs was a second home market, which made it a perfect place for architects to experiment with design. And because of the desert climate, certain design elements (like the brise soleil to shade from the sun) became prominent in Palm Springs homes.

But the preservation of these homes is another interesting part of Palm Springs’ history.

In the 1980s, Palm Springs was out of fashion. But it became a safe haven for gay men during the AIDS crisis, and the homes many saw as no longer desirable were left as they were instead of being torn down and re-built as the gay community moved in. Which meant decades later, when mid-century modernism was back in vogue, these homes were still there.

The whole tour was fascinating, but even if you don’t want to do the Interior Tour, Palm Springs Mod Squad also offers a more budget-friendly Essential Palm Springs Tour that I’m sure is fantastic as well!

Ride the Ariel Tramway up Mount San Jacinto

Shallow creek winding through a forest of tall pine trees with sunlight streaming through the branches and people walking along the sandy banks. Fallen logs rest in the water, creating a calm and natural woodland scene. — One of my favorite memories from our trip was relaxing by this mountaintop stream on top of Mount San Jacinto.

This was probably my second favorite thing we did in Palm Springs, but learn from our mistake and plan ahead by getting your tickets ahead of time!

The Palm Springs Ariel Tramway takes you 8,500+ feet up Mount San Jacinto in a gondola that also slowly rotates as you go up so you 360 degree views.

If you want to escape the desert heat, this is the perfect thing to do because it is often 30 degrees cooler on the top of the mountain!

On our trip we actually had a freak heat wave, with temperatures over 100 degrees in mid-March. Which meant the 70/80 degree temperatures on top of the mountain felt WONDERFUL! And my daughter and I had so much fun relaxing by a mountaintop stream and dipping our feet in the glacially cold water while my husband did a quick hike on one of the mountaintop hiking trails.

When you get to the top there is also a cafe and restaurant and an observation deck with views of Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley.

But now to our mistake…don’t be like us! Buy your tickets ahead of time!

Usually I’m a big time planner and always buy tickets for things ahead of time. But I wasn’t sure what time we were going to want to do the Ariel Tramway, so I figured we would get tickets there.

But when we pulled up the sign said there was a TWO HOUR WAIT.

Absolutely not.

We figured we would buy tickets then and come back later in the evening. But, because my husband is the luckiest person I know, when we got up to the front desk a group had just cancelled and we were able to grab tickets for a tram that left in 20 minutes.

But don’t be like us. Plan ahead and get your timed tickets for ahead of time!

Visit the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens

Small brown owl standing in a shallow dirt hollow beneath a tree with textured branches stretching overhead. A black bird perches on a branch above while green grass and rocks frame the quiet outdoor setting. — We loved seeing these burrowing owls at the zoo!

To be honest, the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens hadn’t been on my plan originally. But my husband, loving animal photography, made sure I added it and I’m so glad we did!

The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens is located about 30 minutes from Palm Springs in nearby Palm Desert. And while you can see lots of expected zoo animals here (giraffes, zebras, wallabies, etc.) our favorite parts were seeing the animals native to the area.

We spent probably longer than the average guest in an enclosure in the Wild Prairies area we could walk through with prairie dogs, roadrunners, and burrowing owls (our favorite!) all living together.

If you are visiting Palm Springs with kids, this zoo is a must-do activity! It was very fun (despite the heat on the day we visited!) and a great way to see some of the area’s animals and learn about the desert environment.

Learn About the Area’s Indigenous Peoples at the Agua Caliente Cultural Museum

Indoor museum exhibit featuring a desert scene with palm trees, a taxidermy deer, and rocky terrain under a starry blue backdrop. Glass display cases with pottery and artifacts sit in the foreground alongside an interactive screen, creating an immersive natural history setting. — I thought the Agua Caliente Cultural Museum was so well done! I loved this main exhibit room with the changing sky.

Of course learning about the Indigenous history of a place is so important when visiting it. And the Agua Caliente Cultural Museum is a great place to do that in Palm Springs.

The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians is a federally recognized tribe of the Cahuilla that largely resides in Palm Springs and has their headquarters there.

At the museum you can learn about their history in the area, see artifacts like baskets and beads, and learn about the more modern history of the Agua Caliente people in Palm Springs including fighting conservatorship and for their land.

We spent about an hour at this museum (although possibly could have spent a little longer) and all thought it was very interesting! And I’m glad it gave us more context for the area and our visit.

Note about tickets: Entrance is timed to every 15 minutes because you begin by watching a short film. So if you wait to buy tickets there, you may have to wait briefly in the lobby area before gaining entrance to the museum.

Visit the Palm Springs Art Museum

Bright modern museum interior with high ceilings, geometric skylight, and multiple levels of galleries displaying sculptures and artwork. Visitors gather around tables on the main floor while others explore exhibits along the upper walkways. — We loved the Palm Springs Art Museum! It’s not usually this busy though…we were there on a Family Day with special events!

Listen. I’m not always the biggest fan of art museums. I find the overwhelming (so many rooms!) and I’m not the biggest fan of certain older European art styles.

But I LOVED the Palm Springs Art Museum SO much!

First of all, it’s a great size. Plenty to see, but small enough that it’s manageable in just an hour or so.

And second of all, it’s all pretty much modern art, which I love! There were some pieces I absolutely fell in love with here, including a whole little room of glassworks and a hand-knotted rug that created an illusion of colors spilling onto the floor by an Azerbaijani artist (I’m not even sure I’m describing that right?).

We also happened to visit on Family Day by total coincidence. Admission was free and there were all kinds of activities going on, like live model drawing, face painting, caricature drawings, and more. We had so much fun that we spent way longer than I had expected here but I’m not complaining!

If your planning a trip, Family Day at the Palm Springs Art Museum is the third Sunday of every month!

Hike in Indian Canyon or Tahquitz Canyon

Tall palm trees with shaggy brown and green fronds line a sandy path where people walk and gather beneath the shade. Sunlight filters through the dense grove, creating a warm and relaxed desert oasis atmosphere. — Entering the Palm Canyon Trail.

There are two main hiking areas in Palm Springs that people tend to flock to.

The first one is Indian Canyons. Here, we hiked the Palm Canyon Trail, which has a sharp downhill section before going through a Palm oasis that’s pretty easy.

It’s so beautiful and so lovely to see this side of the desert…a palm oasis!

It’s a 2.7 mile trail. But I’ll be honest…we didn’t do this whole hike though. The temperature was creeping up fast even in the early morning, so we did about about half of it and then turned around for a Gatorade at the Visitor Center and an air conditioned car.

The other major hiking area is Tahquitz Canyon which leads from a Visitors Center to a waterfall. It’s 1.8 miles and pretty difficulty. And while it’s a popular trail and was on my list of possible things to do, we opted out because of the heat the week we were there.

Visit the Palm Springs Air Museum

The Palm Springs Air Museum is something we didn’t get to, but would definitely be on my list next time. Especially with my aviation-loving husband.

This museum has collections of aircraft from WWII, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and more. It is one of the world’s largest collections and has FIVE hangars full of aircraft.

And many of them are still flyable! And you can actually book rides on some of the historic planes!

Visit Moorten Botanical Garden

Narrow greenhouse tunnel filled with rows of potted cacti and succulents on raised beds along a sandy walkway. Sunlight filters through the curved translucent roof while a person stands in the doorway at the far end, adding depth to the warm desert plant setting. — The cactarium at Moorten Botanical Garden

This is a small thing that we almost skipped, but I am so glad we didn’t because it was so interesting!

Moorten Botanical Garden is a small privately-owned garden dedicated to desert plants and home to the worlds first Cactarium. There are also two tortoises you can see, and there is a nursery where you can buy plants to take home.

There were so many interesting cacti and desert plants to see here and we were lucky that many of them were flowering during our visit!

A visit doesn’t take long (we were here for about 30 minutes) but it is definitely worth it!

See the Palm Springs Windmills

Row of tall white wind turbines standing across a desert landscape with low shrubs and mountains in the distance under a clear blue sky. A road runs along the foreground, emphasizing the wide open and airy setting. — Driving by the Palm Springs windmills

When you’re driving around Palm Springs, it’s hard to miss the Palm Spring Windmills west of the city.

There are hundreds of them and they provide enough energy for almost the entire Coachella Valley.

You can just drive by and see them (which is what we did). But you can also take a self-guided tour or a tour by golf cart.

If you’re interested in technology and energy, this should definitely go on your itinerary!

Try a Date Shake

Palm Springs is famous for its Date Shakes! Dates are a big crop around here, and one thing I learned on my trip was how to spot Palm trees vs. Date trees.

There are lots of places you can get Date Shakes. Shields Date Garden in Indio is one of the most famous spots where you can also purchase a large variety of dates. But in downtown Palm Springs you can also get Date Shakes at Great Shakes.

And speaking of shakes, be sure to also stop by Lappert’s Ice Cream for some of the best ice cream in Palm Springs!

Drive Around to See the Architecture

Tall palm tree rising in front of a mid century modern home with pale green exterior walls, white breeze block details, and desert landscaping. The sandy yard features succulents and rocks under a clear blue sky, creating a bright and minimalist desert neighborhood scene. — We loved looking at the architecture just driving through the neighborhoods!

Even if you don’t book an architecture tour, spend some time in the car driving around the various neighborhoods of Palm Springs admiring the mid-century desert-modernist architecture.

You can do a self-guided architecture tour, or just meander around.

My favorite neighborhoods to drive through were the Racquet Club Estates and the Movie Colony area, but you’ll find amazing homes all over the city.

Do be mindful that these are people’s private residences though. So look from a distance and don’t intrude upon their space.

Explore Downtown (& Visit an Indie Bookstore!)

Storefront window of a bookstore with a colorful neon sign reading "the Best Bookstore" above shelves filled with books and displays. Reflections of parked cars and palm trees appear in the glass, blending the cozy interior with the sunny street outside. — The Best Bookstore in Palm Springs

Downtown Palm Springs has some really great shops and we really enjoyed walking down Palm Canyon Drive and popping in the various stores.

Of course my favorite was the bookstore though! The Best Bookstore is Palm Springs’ independent bookstore and we loved browsing and picking out a few books to take home with us.

If you’re in Palm Springs on a Thursday night, you can also enjoy VillageFest, where over 180 local vendors line Palm Canyon Drive!

See Historic Palm Springs at the Village Green

Vintage general store display with wooden shelves filled with colorful tins, boxes, and retro packaging for coffee, popcorn, and pantry goods. A glass counter in the foreground holds small items and an open ledger while a popcorn case labeled "20¢" adds to the nostalgic atmosphere. — There were so many interesting vintage items in Ruddy’s General Store!

While you’re downtown, stop by the Village Green in downtown to see several historic buildings and get more of a sense of the history of Palm Springs!

The major draw here is Ruddy’s General Store, a general store that’s actually one of the largest displays of unused general store merchandise in the country. (How’s that for a random fact!?)

Almost everything inside is in the original containers, and all the canned goods you see? They still have food in them. Although at this point I’m not sure I’d want to open it.

We loved spending time in here and seeing all the old branding and things people used to buy at a general store likes candies, medicine, and household supplies.

But in this area you’ll also find The McCallum Abode (with displays about the history of Palm Springs), The Cornelia White House (an 1893 house of a Palm Springs pioneer), and The Oasis (a base for tours with an exhibit about a local musician).

Go Vintage Shopping

I’m not a big shopper, so this is something we didn’t do much of. But if you are a vintage shopper, Palm Springs will be heaven for you! Because of the mid-century popularity of Palm Springs, there are so many unique finds.

There are SO many vintage stores around Palm Springs selling everything from furniture to clothes and more!

Tour the San Andreas Fault

Palm Springs is actually right next to the San Andreas Fault! You know the one…the major one that is overdue for a major earthquake? (Cue me really trying hard not to think about earthquakes while we were there…)

A tour of the San Andreas Fault is something we didn’t do, but I think it sounds super interesting and is definitely going on my list of our next visit.

On this tour you ride in a Jeep through desert canyons and learn about both the geology of the area and the Cahuilla people.

Spend an Afternoon at the Pool

Outdoor pool at sunset with turquoise water reflecting warm orange and pink skies behind a line of palm trees and mountains. Black and white striped umbrellas and lounge chairs surround the pool, creating a relaxed desert resort atmosphere. — We loved spending time at the pool at the Thompson Palm Springs!

A favorite activity for many people in Palm Springs is to spend time at the pool. And with how hot it can get, that’s understandable.

I’ll be honest: I didn’t have a ton of pool time built into our itinerary. There’s so much to see and do here, and I can go to the pool other places!

But really? Our slow evenings at the pool at our hotel ended up being some of our favorite times.

And if you’re staying at spot that doesn’t have a pool that meets your Palm Springs expectations, many hotels actually rent out pool chairs for the day including the Instagram-famous Saguaro.

Take a Day Trip to Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua tree with twisting branches and spiky green leaves growing among large rock formations under a clear blue sky. The rugged desert landscape stretches into the distance, highlighting the plant’s unique shape and dry surroundings.

Palm Springs is just about one hour away from Joshua Tree National Park, so visiting was one of the major things we wanted to do on our Palm Springs trip!

Joshua Tree was a fascinating National Park, full of Joshua Trees that only grow here as well as giant boulders that kids have tons of fun on.

We had a great day here hiking and driving around. And you can easily see the highlights of Joshua Tree in a single day, so it’s a perfect day trip from Palm Springs.

Just make sure you stick around into the night to see the stars because this is a Dark Sky park!

Where To Stay in Palm Springs

We stayed at the Thompson Palm Springs and absolutely loved it! Our room was comfortable, the pool was such a beautiful space (actually, everything in the hotel was a beautiful space), and the food was fantastic. I still dream about the za’atar potatoes.

It’s right downtown, so it’s easy to walk to so many of the highlights in Palm Springs (like the Art Museum and shopping and dining downtown). And everything who worked here was so friendly and helpful.

But if you’re looking for other places to stay in Palm Springs, here are some options I wouldn’t hesitate to book:

Kimpton Rowan Palm Springs — I’ve loved Kimptons I’ve stayed at in the past, and this one looks like a lovely desert paradise!
The Saguaro — Budget-friendly and one of the most popular places to stay in Palm Springs because of their colorful, Instagram-worthy vibes.
Lucille Palm Springs — A small boutique hotel that looks beautiful and perfect for couples.

Colorful retro style motel with bright orange, pink, and yellow walls framed by tall palm trees under a clear blue sky. A small grassy courtyard with white lounge chairs and string lights creates a cheerful outdoor gathering space. — The Instagram-famous Saguaro Hotel

Here’s a map of more places to stay in the Palm Springs/Palm Desert area:

Where To Eat in Palm Springs

Breakfast plate with two sunny side eggs, crispy bacon, roasted potatoes, and slices of seeded toast arranged on a dark dish. Small bowls of ketchup, butter, and creamy sauce sit alongside the meal with drinks and fruit bowls in the background. — Breakfast from Lola Rose at the Thompson Palm Springs

There is so much great food in Palm Springs! Here were some of our favorite restaurants:

Lola Rose — This was the restaurants at our hotel, The Thompson Palm Springs, and everything I had here was delicious! We had breakfast here most mornings as well as lunch one day and I was never disappointed.
Cheeky’s — A Palm Springs staple for breakfast and brunch. Everything was great, but especially my cheddar scone and the bacon flight!
Wilma & Frieda — Another great spot for breakfast and brunch! Be sure to get one of the cinnamon rolls. We went to the Palm Desert location after our morning at the zoo.
Tyler’s Burgers — I loved the burgers here! Delicious and not too greasy!
Great Shakes — Amazing milkshakes, the perfect small size, and they come with a little donut on top!
Lappert’s Ice Cream — My absolute favorite ice cream of our trip!

Tips for Visiting Palm Springs

Here are a few things you need to know before you go to Palm Springs:

Be prepared for heat. It can get VERY hot in Palm Springs. Bring sunscreen and make sure you carry plenty of water with you. If you’re hiking, I’d also recommend some cooling towels like this. We used these several times!
Save outdoor activities for morning or evening. Because of the heat, you’ll want to plan your outdoor activities (like hiking or visiting the zoo) for the morning or evening to stay out of the mid-day sun.
Rent a car. While there is a lot you can do in the immediate downtown area of Palm Springs, you’ll want to rent a car to explore areas beyond the walkable downtown area like going to the Ariel Tramway, hiking in Indian Canyon, and of course taking a day trip to Joshua Tree.
Plan for pool time. It’s easy to get caught up in all the things there are to do here, but make sure you set aside some time specifically for relaxing at the pool!