In this blog post, we’ve mentioned the 15 best things to do in Palm Springs, CA. Add these sites to your bucket list if you really want to make the most of your trip to Palm Springs.
Palm Springs, a community in southern California’s Sonoran Desert, is renowned for its thermal springs, chic lodgings, spas, and golf courses.
We may infer from the fact that you have a trip to Palm Springs scheduled which activities will likely be at the highest on your priority list. Specifically, spending a lot of time relaxing and soaking up the sun and water.
There really are a number of those things going on. Yet Palm Springs is also a vibrant, culture-rich city that is simply begging to be discovered.
There are many opportunities for avid hikers to ascend into the mountains, and on a beautiful day, there are many secret floral gardens and landscapes to explore.
Many outstanding museums, as well as enormous, 100-ton statues of the Brontosaurus and T. rex, may be found in Palm Springs.
Here are the best things to do in Palm Springs for every kind of tourist to make the most of their trip.
Book the best tours in Palm Springs to avoid any inconvenience.
Best Things to do in Palm Springs, California
Without further ado, let’s start our list of the best things to do in Palm Springs.
1. Tennis Club Neighborhood
Palm Springs is awash with elegant mid-century modern architecture. You can’t precisely pound on the front door of most of these because they are private residences, so keep that in mind.
But if you take a stroll through certain well-known districts, such as Tennis Club and Araby Cove, you’ll see a lot of beautiful buildings along the road.
The Edris Mansion and the Del Marcos Hotel are highlights.
- Location: 611 S Palm Canyon Dr, Palm Springs, CA, USA
- Visiting Hours: 9:45 am to 1 pm and 1 pm to 4 pm
- Famous for: Rich history, Marvellous location
2. Palm Springs Visitors Center
The Space Age building in Palm Springs began life in 1965 as a gas station, but it was spared from demolition in the 1990s and converted into a visitors’ center.
It’s not necessary to visit this amazing place for the very purpose of gathering knowledge, you can also visit Palm Springs Visitors Center and fall in love with the distinguished beauty of this place.
Visiting Palm Springs Visitors Center is undoubtedly one of the best things to do in Palm Springs for you as well as your travel buddy.
- Location: 2901 N Palm Canyon Dr, Palm Springs, CA 92262, United States
- Visiting Hours: 10 am to 5 pm
- Famous for: Signifies the rich history of mid-century modern architecture
3. Palm Canyon Drive
Down Palm Canyon Road, you can hardly go a block without running across an interesting gallery, an antique shop, or a furniture dealership.
Palm Springs and mid-century modernism go together perfectly, and you’ll discover a tonne of furniture shops and galleries devoted to the jet-setting style, particularly, a showroom by retro-inspired artist SHAG.
- Location: 551 N Palm Canyon Dr, Palm Springs, CA Visiting Hours
- Visiting Hours: Open 24 Hours
- Famous for: Beautiful buildings, Amazing combination of heritage and contemporariness
4. Sunnylands Center and Gardens
On a 200-acre parcel of irrigated desert in Rancho Mirage, Sunnylands, a favorite meeting place for decades’ worth of presidents, was formerly the rich Annenberg family’s winter getaway.
Although a nine-hole golf course takes up most of that area, 12 acres have been set aside for community gardens and a visitor center that features a changing exhibit of works from the Annenberg collection.
Although the estate may be toured, tickets sometimes run out months in advance.
- Location: Sunnylands, 37977 Bob Hope Dr. Rancho Mirage, CA 92270, United States.
- Visiting Hours: Tuesday to Sunday- 8:30 am to 4 pm, Closed on Monday
- Famous for: Beautiful desert gardens, Scenic mountain views
5. Tahquitz Canyon
In the middle of a desert, there is flowing water. A 50-foot waterfall hidden in Tahquitz Canyon is reached via this two-mile circle.
There is a cost to enter the falls because they are on the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians reserve.
Unlike many of Los Angeles’ graffiti-covered waterfalls, the charge ensures that the route is well maintained. You may also go on treks led by rangers.
- Location: 500 W Mesquite Ave Palm Springs
- Visiting Hours:7:30 am to 5 pm
- Famous for: Waterfall, Scenic views, Historical irrigation system, Variety of flora and fauna
6. Moorten Botanical Garden
Even though it is only one acre, this botanical garden is crammed with thorny cacti and other dry species.
More than 3,000 desert plant species from various regions of the world are housed in the community garden, which was established in the 1930s.
There is also a nursery if you wish to bring some plants home with you, which would make a really interesting keepsake.
- Location:1701 S Palm Canyon Dr, Palm Springs, CA 92264, United States
- Visiting Hours: Thursday to Tuesday: 10 am to 4 pm, Closed on Wednesdays
- Famous for: Variety of xerophytes, Other cacti plants
7. Joshua Tree National Park
Within a short car ride away are rocky mountains, stones suitable for climbing, and those cherished yuccas.
Although Joshua Tree National Park is a well-liked site for nighttime campers, you can see a lot in just one afternoon, from panoramas at Keys View at 5,000 feet up to an easy stroll through Hidden Valley.
You should enter through the northwest gate in Joshua Tree if you’re coming from Palm Springs.
If you’re staying farther east into the Coachella Valley, you may use the south exit, but it will place you in a more remote region further from the park’s primary highlights.
This Joshua Tree National Park Scenic Tour is our favorite.
- Location: 74485 National Park Drive Twentynine Palms, CA
- Visiting Hours: 24*7
- Famous for: Its beautiful dawn and dusk, The richness of fauna it entails
8. Living Desert Zoo and Gardens
This zoo appears exactly like a live representation of the Sonoran Desert, living up to its name.
The mostly outdoor location, which lies a few miles west of Palm Springs, may be roughly divided into African and North American habitats.
Visit the grounds to discover a variety of hoofed animals and wild cats. Moreover, feeding the giraffes is an event in and of itself.
- Location:47900 Portola Ave, Palm Desert, CA 92260, United States
- Visiting Hours:8 am to 5 pm
- Famous for: It’s home to hundreds of species of animals, Very rich in the botanical context as well
9. Palm Springs Air Museum
Combat aircraft from the Korean and Vietnam Wars as well as World War II are the main exhibits at this aviation museum.
More than 40 flyable and stationary aircraft, including the B-17 flying fortress and the F-4 fighter jet, are spread out throughout three warehouses.
There are also a few aircraft parked on the runway, including the C-47 and PBY Catalina Flying Boat.
Also, the museum provides a small number of expensive flights in the P-51 Mustang and C-47 Skytrain.
- Location: 745 N Gene Autry Trail, Palm Springs, CA 92262, United States
- Visiting Hours: 10 am to 5 pm
- Famous for: Displaying the role of aircraft used in the second world war.
10. Cabazon Dinosaurs
Sculptures of a 100-ton Brontosaurus and a T. rex once drew drivers to a 24-hour eatery on their way to Palm Springs.
They now stand to watch at the entrance to a dinosaur museum with a Creationist theme and an unusual perspective on the facts.
At a minimum, take a picture with Mr. Rex and visit the gift shop located within Dinny the Brontosaurus’s stomach.
- Location: 50770 Seminole Dr, Cabazon, CA 92230, United States
- Visiting Hours: Monday to Friday – 10 am to 5 pm, Saturday Sunday- 9 am to 6:30 pm
- Famous for: Its dinosaurs are made up of steel and concrete.
11. Palm Springs Art Museum
Visiting Palm Springs Art Museum is one of the best things to do in Palm Springs for tourists. A few of those museums that are stunning both inside and out are this one.
The Palm Springs Art Museum is home to a sizable collection of modern artwork with a desert theme, including paintings, glass, and sculpture.
Consider Edward Curtis to Henry Moore, together with Modernism and the American West, all shown in a 10,000-square-foot theatre.
Also, there are two sister locations—one in the city and the other in the Palm Desert.
- Location: 101 N Museum Dr, Palm Springs, CA 92262, United States.
- Visiting Hours: Thursday: 12 am to 8 pm, Friday to Sunday- 10 am to 5 pm, Monday to Wednesday: Closed
- Famous for: Displaying contemporary art in a unique manner.
12. Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
There are a lot of sites in this city where you may obtain fantastic views. It was established in 1963.
The biggest gondola ride of its kind in the world, the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway links Coachella Valley and San Jacinto Mountain.
Take the tramway up the mountain, where you may stop for lunch, or utilize it as a means of transportation to travel far into the hills for a breathtaking trek.
Book Palm Springs Aerial Tramway Admission Ticket here.
- Location: 1 Tramway Rd, Palm Springs, CA 92262, United States.
- Visiting Hours: Monday to Friday: 10 am to 8 pm, Saturday-Sunday: 8 am to 8 pm
- Famous for: It is the world’s largest rotating aerial tramway.
13. San Bernardino National Forest
The San Bernardino National Forest, which spans more than 800,000 acres of various forests, provides tourists with all the usual outdoor pursuits, including hiking, fishing, and camping, spread out over seven designated wilderness areas with a variety of distinct ecosystems.
Bald eagles, bighorn sheep, and horned lizards are just a few of the many tree and animal species you’ll see. Keep your camera handy, and enjoy your journey!
- Location: Big Bear, CA 92314, United States
- Visiting Hours: Monday to Friday- 8:30 am to 4:30 pm
- Famous for: It has one of the best hiking trails in the world.
14. San Andreas Fault
Here you will have an opportunity to go deep into the desert if you’ve ever wanted to!
You will be shown the beauty of the twisted rock mountains and deep gorges as you climb into a jeep and visit the well-known San Andreas fault in the Palm Desert.
You will also discover all about how the Native American Cahuilla people survived in such a hostile environment.
They will be pleased to answer any questions you may have about the surrounding wildlife and geology, with a helpful guide guiding the way.
We love San Andreas Fault Offroad Tour.
- Location: Palm Springs, CA
- Visiting Hours: 24/7
- Famous for: Adventurous jeep tours, Rides on hummers
15. San Jacinto State Park
Mount San Jacinto, the second-highest mountain range in Southern California, elevates you about 11,000 feet above sea level while providing you with stunning vistas of the San Jacinto Mountains’ towering granite peaks and surrounding alpine forests.
The most daring tourists may camp beneath the starlight in one of two drive-in campsites in addition to the variety of hiking routes.
- Location: 25905 CA-243, Idyllwild-Pine Cove, CA 92549, United States
- Visiting Hours: 8 am to 4 pm
- Famous for: Its famous cactus species, Spectacular altitude
Final Words – Best Things to do in Palm Springs, CA
Even though it may get quite hot in the summer, Palm Springs has been an incredibly well-liked vacation spot for years, visited by both A-list celebrities and residents of California.
There is a tonne of adventurous things to do in Palm Springs, which is situated in a desert that is exceptional in both beauty and biodiversity and is close to Joshua Tree National Park.
We recommend these tours in Palm Springs.
FAQs – Best Things to do in Palm Springs, California
1. What are the top attractions to visit in Palm Springs?
The top attractions to visit in Palm Springs are San Jacinto State Park, San Andreas Fault, Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, Cabazon Dinosaurs, Palm Springs Air Museum, and Joshua Tree.
2. What are the best restaurants in Palm Springs?
The best restaurants in Palm Springs are Elmer’s Restaurant, The Tropicale Palm Springs, Purple Room Supper Club, La Perlita Mexican Food, and The Pink Cabana.
3. What are the best accommodation options in Palm Springs?
Hilton Palm Springs, Margaritaville Palm Springs, Renaissance Palm Springs Hotel, The Saguaro Palm Springs, and Korakia Pensione have the best accommodation facilities in Palm Springs.
4. Is Palm Springs worth visiting?
You should prioritize visiting Palm Springs, a place full of beauty and adventure, and you should do so at least once in your lifetime.