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Palm Springs sits in the Coachella Valley of the Colorado Desert, sheltered by the steep wall of the San Jacinto Mountains. Hollywood stars began wintering here in the early twentieth century, and the town became a showcase for mid-century modern architecture. Much of the land in and around the city belongs to the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, whose hot spring gave the place its name.
The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway carries riders up the mountainside in rotating cars to Mount San Jacinto State Park, where pine forests and trails offer cooler air even on hot days. Back on the desert floor, the Indian Canyons, owned by the Agua Caliente, have palm oases and hiking trails, and Tahquitz Canyon leads to a seasonal waterfall. Palm Canyon Drive is the main street, with the Uptown Design District known for vintage furniture and design shops. The Palm Springs Art Museum and the Agua Caliente Cultural Museum cover art and local Indigenous history, and the visitor center, set in a former gas station, is a starting point for architecture tours that pass homes like Richard Neutra's Kaufmann Desert House. Moorten Botanical Garden is small but packed with cacti.
The town suits travelers seeking sunshine, pools and design, with a relaxed pace. Joshua Tree National Park is an easy day trip. Summer heat is extreme, so most visitors come between fall and spring.
WiserMap travel guidePalm Springs California Midcentury Homes and Desert CanyonsPlan a Palm Springs trip: the Aerial Tramway, Indian Canyons, Tahquitz Canyon, midcentury modern homes, museums, date shakes and the best months to go.Read the guide
The world's largest rotating tram car, climbing about 2.5 miles up Chino Canyon to the Mountain Station at 8,516 feet. The rotating floor gives views of the valley on the way, and it is often 30 degrees cooler at the top. Bring a jacket, even in summer.
A wilderness of pine forest and granite peaks reached from the top of the tramway, with over 50 miles of trails. Short loops start near the Mountain Station, while the summit hike is a full day. A free day-use wilderness permit is needed for longer hikes, and snow is common in winter.
Canyons on the Agua Caliente reservation south of town, home to one of the largest native fan palm oases in the world. Palm Canyon and Andreas Canyon have easy trails beside streams. An entry fee applies, and the canyons close in the hottest summer months.
A canyon run by the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians with a rocky two-mile loop trail to a seasonal 60-foot waterfall. Rangers lead guided hikes, and the visitor center explains the area's history. Go in the morning, as the trail gets very hot by midday.
The main street through downtown and the Uptown Design District, lined with vintage modern furniture shops, boutiques, galleries and restaurants. On Thursday evenings the VillageFest street fair runs downtown. Walk the Palm Springs Walk of Stars along the sidewalks.
A museum downtown with modern and contemporary art, Native American and Western art, glass and architecture and design collections. The building sits at the foot of Mount San Jacinto. Free admission is offered on some Thursday evenings, so check the schedule.
A museum telling the history and living culture of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, set in the Agua Caliente Cultural Plaza downtown, which also includes a spa built over the historic hot spring. Exhibits cover baskets, language and the canyons. Plan about an hour.
A large museum next to Palm Springs International Airport with dozens of mostly World War II, Korea and Vietnam era aircraft in hangars and outside. Volunteers, some of them veterans, explain the planes. Allow two hours, and check for days when aircraft fly.
A landmark 1946 modernist house by Richard Neutra, built of glass, steel and stone against the mountains in the Old Las Palmas neighborhood. It is a private home, so view it from the street. It is a highlight of Modernism Week tours in February.
Housed in the former Tramway Gas Station, a 1965 building by Albert Frey and Robson Chambers with a dramatic swooping roof at the north entrance to town. Staff hand out maps, including modernist architecture tour maps. It is on the way to the Aerial Tramway road.
A small family-run desert garden founded in 1938, packed with cacti, succulents and desert plants from around the world. Its Cactarium greenhouse holds rare species. It takes under an hour, and there is a nursery shop for plants to take home.
The former Annenberg winter estate in Rancho Mirage, where presidents and world leaders have met. The visitor center and nine acres of desert gardens are free to visit. Tours of the historic house sell out quickly, so book online as soon as they open.
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California, United States
California, United States
California, United States
California, United States
California, United States
California, United States
California, United States
California, United States
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