What to do in Palm Springs, CA

Activities, attractions and tours

Palm Springs
Palm Springs
Palm Springs which includes a garden and landscape views
Palm Springs featuring fishing, landscape views and a house
Palm Springs featuring a lake or waterhole, landscape views and mountains

Places to Visit in Palm Springs

Ready for the adventure of a lifetime? Let Expedia.co.nz help you find the most exciting and fun things to do in Palm Springs, California while also allowing you to save a ton on travel arrangements. Regardless of whether you’re an urban explorer or an intrepid outdoor enthusiast, we can help you decide exactly what to do and see during your time in town.

Our thorough travel guides offer you an insider’s perspective on all of the best Palm Springs attractions from NZ$24, making it easy for you to decide which places to visit and when. And by using Expedia.co.nz to set your sightseeing schedule, you can take in more of the enchanting attractions this area is famous for.

From group Palm Springs tours and must-see landmarks to personal guides who take you off-the-beaten track, Expedia.co.nz offers you over 41 of the most popular events, activities, and attractions in this corner of the world. So whether you’re travelling alone, alongside a loved one, or with the whole family in tow, be sure to browse through our extensive travel guides prior to your plane touching down in this spectacular Palm Springs. We even have a massive selection of flights, car hires, and accommodation for you to choose from. So what are you waiting for? Start your search today, and you’ll be having the time of your life before you know it.

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Top places to visit

1. Palm Springs Aerial Tramway

As long as you have a head for heights, the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway is likely to be a highlight of your trip. Since 1963 the attraction has been lifting passengers from the floor of the Coachella Valley, way up towards to the peak of the San Jacinto Mountains. Around 12 million have travelled on the tramway to date.
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Palm Springs Aerial Tramway featuring landscape views, mountains and a sunset

2. Indian Canyon

Indian Canyons boasts some of Palm Springs' best hikes. For anyone who wants to get out in nature, soak up the sun and witness wildlife, this area is a must. Once almost solely inhabited by Native Americans, today the area is open for all to embrace. It's right on Palm Springs' doorstep too.
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Indian Canyon showing landscape views, tranquil scenes and desert views

3. Mount San Jacinto State Park

At San Jacinto State Park and Peak, 86 kilometres of breath-taking trails and scenery await you. The naturalist John Muir once described this area as the most sublime spectacle on earth. When you come here yourself, you'll soon see what the fuss is about, with exquisite views and scenery that is just begging to be explored.
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Mount San Jacinto State Park showing tranquil scenes

4. Palm Springs Art Museum

The Palm Springs Art Museum started out life in 1938 as the Palm Springs Desert Museum. Back then, it was a small room focused on a few niche subjects. Today, its permanent collection amasses over 24,000 objects alone. Put aside a good few hours to appreciate the museum's engrossing exhibits and varied events programme.
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Palm Springs Art Museum featuring interior views

5. Palm Springs Air Museum

Aficionados of World War II aircraft will already know about the Palms Springs Air Museum – one of the largest collections of aircraft from this period in the world. For those with a passing interest, the museum provides an incredibly personal and informative experience.
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Palm Springs Air Museum featuring aircraft

6. Moorten Botanical Garden and Cactarium

Family-owned attractions are often the most engrossing; certainly this is the case with Moorten Botanical Garden and Cactarium, founded as a small enterprise in 1938 by Patricia and Chester "Cactus Slim" Moorten. The gardens have grown exponentially, and are still run by the Moortens. This self-professed 'living museum of desert lore' contains thousands of cactus species from across the globe. If botany is not your thing, Moorten Botanical Garden and Cactarium might just be the place that piques your interest.
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Moorten Botanical Garden and Cactarium featuring a park

7. Agua Caliente Cultural Museum

Palm Springs is proud of its indigenous people, many of whom still live in the area. The Agua Caliente Cultural Museum is the place to come and celebrate their culture through permanent exhibitions and various activities.
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Agua Caliente Cultural Museum

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What to do in Palm Springs

Discover the most popular places to visit in Palm Springs

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway showing tranquil scenes, views and landscape views

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway

5/5(11 reviews)

Climb aboard the world's largest rotating tramcar up the sheer cliffs of Chino Canyon to see Palm Springs from above.

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
About time landscape architects designed some structure for the desert... Note: in German we call these Schwiegermutterstühle - mother in law's chairs.

Palm Springs Convention Center

5/5(2 reviews)

Learn about the events happening in Palm Springs Convention Center during your trip to Palm Springs. Discover the area's spas or seek out its golf courses.

Palm Springs Convention Center
Indian Canyon which includes a gorge or canyon and landscape views

Indian Canyon

4/5(8 reviews)

Follow historic walking trails wending their way through gorges and along streams, like the many Cahuilla Indians who have trodden here before.

Indian Canyon
Palm Trees Lining a Side Street off of Palm Canyon Drive Looking towards the San Jacinto Mountains in Palm Springs, California, USA

Palm Canyon

4.5/5(8 reviews)

Palm Canyon is just one of the places to see in Palm Springs, so why not enjoy the other things to explore during your travels? Discover the lively festivals in this relaxing area or seek out the hiking trails.

Palm Canyon
Mount San Jacinto State Park showing forests and hiking or walking as well as a couple

Mount San Jacinto State Park

4/5(1 review)

Journey to the highest point of the San Jacinto Mountains, and be rewarded with excellent hiking trails and superlative views.

Mount San Jacinto State Park
Palm Springs Art Museum featuring interior views

Palm Springs Art Museum

5/5(2 reviews)

Marvel at everything from Mesoamerican artefacts to contemporary glass art at this sizeable, accomplished museum.

Palm Springs Art Museum
Palm Springs Air Museum featuring aircraft

Palm Springs Air Museum

4.5/5(2 reviews)

See World War II aeroplanes up close in hangars, or even taking to the skies.

Palm Springs Air Museum
Moorten Botanical Garden and Cactarium showing a garden

Moorten Botanical Garden and Cactarium

4.5/5(4 reviews)

This family-run attraction will introduce you to a world of botany you never knew existed.

Moorten Botanical Garden and Cactarium
Agua Caliente Cultural Museum showing interior views as well as an individual male

Agua Caliente Cultural Museum

Discover the fascinating history of Palm Springs' native inhabitants, the Cahuilla.

Agua Caliente Cultural Museum

Explore areas of Palm Springs

Palm Springs Art Museum which includes interior views and art

Downtown Palm Springs

4.5/5(17 area reviews)

Join the many Angelenos that flock to Downtown Palm Springs to quench their vacation thirst in the Sonoran Desert.

Downtown Palm Springs
Snapped this shot as I was leaving my hotel in PS. The sky with the building, palm trees, and flowers all caught my eye and blended well together. No filter!

Baristo

While visiting Baristo, you might make a stop by sights like Plaza Theatre and Palm Springs Art Museum Architecture and Design Center.

Baristo
View from my hotel in Palm Springs Cali

Midtown

If you're spending some time in Midtown, Agua Caliente Casino and The Spa at Se-che are top sights worth seeing.

Midtown
Watering lawn grass palm trees and plants

Sunrise Park

If you're spending some time in Sunrise Park, Palm Springs Mall Shopping Center and Palm Springs Swim Center are top sights worth seeing.

Sunrise Park
Joshua tree

Warm Sands

When in Warm Sands, you can plan a visit to Agua Caliente Cultural Museum and Agua Caliente Casino, some noteworthy sights in the nearby area.

Warm Sands
Aerial tramway scenic landscape view at sunset in California.

Tahquitz River Estates

5/5(4 area reviews)

Though Tahquitz River Estates may not have many top sights, you can venture to the surrounding area to see attractions like Moorten Botanical Garden and Cactarium and Tahquitz Canyon.

Tahquitz River Estates

 

Looking for fun things to do nearby? Check things to do near me to find and book the best things to do, fun activities, and top attractions wherever you happen to be.

 

 

Day trip destinations from Palm Springs

Little San Bernardino Mountains

Desert Hot Springs

Cathedral, Plaza de Amas, Lima, Peru

Cathedral City

Retirement community situated on around a golf course, California

Rancho Mirage

Male senior hiker wearing a backpack and carrying a camera on the trail through Mount San Jacinto State Park in Idyllwild, California

Idyllwild

Good ol' random fun

Cabazon

Sometimes, when we allow our grip on reality to loosen, even just a little, our imagination can run wild. It can be accentuated even more when it’s a dark, damp day and the fog rolls in around an already creepy tree. #scourchedeath #forestfires #idyllwild #mysticalforest #burnedwood #mysterioustrees #cranstonfire #mountaincenter #lonecoyotestudio #lostinfog #burnedtrees #ent #mtsanjacinto #thomasmountain #hauntedtrees #nealdodson #lakehemet #wonderingphotographies #destinationphotography #fireart #creativeeye #rebirth #regeneration #lifefromdeath #californiafires #californiafires2018 #thrivingchristianartists #walkinginthewoods #roadsidephotographies #walkingwithgod

Mountain Center

Frequently asked questions

Is Palm Springs worth visiting?
From shopping to outdoor pursuits and history, there are plenty of great things to do in Palm Springs. Remember to discover the area's mix of awesome sights, culture and local charm.
How do I spend a day in Palm Springs?
After you've visited top attractions like Palm Springs Air Museum and Agua Caliente Cultural Museum, spend some time discovering Palm Springs's retail and dining scene.
What is the top tourist attraction in Palm Springs?
Palm Springs Aerial Tramway is one of the top tourist attractions in Palm Springs and deserves a place on every to-do list of the area.
Is three days enough to stay in Palm Springs?
Three days will be enough time to check out many city highlights, like Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, Palm Springs Air Museum and Palm Springs Art Museum. The average stay in Palm Springs is two days. If you have the time to extend your getaway, Palm Desert isn't far away.
Is Palm Springs a walkable city?
Some top sights in Palm Springs, such as Palm Springs Air Museum and Palm Springs Art Museum, are within walking distance. You can also discover several of the city's popular neighbourhoods on foot. Only 0.16 kilometres from the city centre of Palm Springs is Downtown Palm Springs and Midtown is 0.97 kilometres away.
What are some activities to do in Palm Springs with kids?
If you're searching for sights and activities for all ages, check out these terrific ideas for what to do in Palm Springs with kids.

What to do in Palm Springs for adults?
There are plenty of things to do in Palm Springs, with entertainment for adults of all ages. Finish your day off at Elvis Honeymoon Hideaway or Desert Memorial Park.
Are there free things to do in Palm Springs?
One of the best ways to find free things to do in Palm Springs is to chat to a local tour guide. You'll get insider tips on exciting neighbourhoods, parks and other top attractions you can enjoy without taking your wallet out. Tahquitz Canyon is one place that doesn't have an admission fee.

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