Things To Do In Palm Springs: A Guide Through The Californian Desertscapes

Amidst the Californian Sonosan Desert resides Palm Springs, an archetypal desert getaway. It has been a popular spot for a long time now and has its reasons behind it. The location is just a two-hour drive from Los Angeles and beholds a history of being Hollywood’s desert playground.

People have the notion that Palm Springs is a place to relax and enjoy the time sipping cocktails by the pools, but this place has a lot more to offer, so much so that you will feel spoiled and unable to choose what to choose.

You might have heard about the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, which happens in Indio, but there are plenty of things that you can do in Palm Springs, CA, throughout the year. Let’s fix a guide for you that will help you decide what you want to do when you visit Palm Springs.

Best things to do in Palm Springs  

Palm Springs has been the favorite of Hollywood celebrities for relaxation for a long time now. You can visit the place for its beautiful mid-century architectural structures, museums, shopping, and dining, along with various other fun activities.

Well, relaxing by the pool or enjoying a spa is always a choice, but there are plenty that you can do here. But this is not a place just for a weekend trip; you can enjoy a week-long, as there is so much to explore here; let’s look at the best options that you will find here.

Ride the Arial Tramway  

Palm Springs has the World’s largest rotating tram, which would take on a two-and-a-half-mile journey to the top of the San Jacinto Mountain. You will go on a journey across the Chino Canyon cliffs, and the rotating tram car will give you an amazing panoramic view of the entire valley beneath you.

During the winters, the snow-covered valley is an absolute treat to the eyes. It would take you up to an elevation of 8,516 feet. The view from the top is amazing, and you can even visit the restaurants that they have at the peak. The journey would take just ten minutes of your time but will gift you with a memory of a lifetime.

Visit the art museum  

Are you a lover of contemporary art? This is a place that you cannot miss if you have a knack for it. The art museum has over twenty-four galleries, a theatre for performing arts, two sculpture gardens, and a lot more. The museum holds over 12,000 works of contemporary and modern art, including prints, sculptures, photographs, and paintings.

They often arrange exhibitions, and you can enjoy that as well if they are having one on that particular day. They also have the Annenberg Theatre inside, and you can also enjoy a show of performing arts. The Coachella Valley Symphony often performs here.

You will also get to enjoy food and drinks that are arranged by sampling the products from the local vendors in the Food Drinks Garden that you would find in the Elrod Sculpture Garden.

Take a hike  

Hiking is one of the most popular activities that you can do when you are in Palm Springs. If you are an outdoors person, this is something you will love. Take a hike through the lap of nature here, hike through the Joshua Tree National Park, as the ecosystem here is a blend of the Colorado and Mojave deserts.

The formation of rocks, the nature trails, and the most famous 50-foot-wide Arch Rock are key features that add to the view of this particular hike. You can also opt for a guided tour, as that would give you a detailed view of the place’s unique biological and geological features, including the namesake trees as well.

But there are various other hiking trails like the Indian Canyon and Palm Canyons. Murray Canyons and Palm Canyons. This hike can be placed under the list of the top things to do in Palm Springs.

Visit the Living Desert  

The Living Desert is a botanical garden and a zoo with around 450 wild animals that you would find in the deserts of Africa and North America. The park is mainly of 1,200 acres of land and is an educational retreat for people of all ages. If you want to enjoy a good animal show, then you will love this place, and there are hiking trails as well inside the gardens.

It would be a voyage if you visited each of the desert habits residing inside, each beholding their natural beauty. Engage in a guided tour to encounter the wildlife and learn the fascinating facts and each of the habits. This is something that you and your child as well would enjoy as you discover the lives of the desert.

Tour of the wind firm  

The windmills are impossible to miss when you are passing through Palm Springs, regardless of your means of transport. It doesn’t matter whether you are traveling by car or flight; the windmills will definitely catch your eye.

You will see a lot of windmills while you are passing by the freeway. San Gorgonio Pass is the natural wind tunnel, and the farm here was the first of its kind in Southern California and was formed back in 1982. If you are looking for something unique things to do in Palm Springs, then you can definitely pick this tour.

This is a self-guided auto tour, and this will teach you a lot about renewable sources of energy. If you take the audio tour, you will get to hear the commentary along with the directions to guide your way through the windmills, and the duration is around one hour. Why miss the chance to capture these historic windmills?

Take a tour of the air museum  

Take a cool tour of the Palm Springs Air Museum if you are looking for things to do in Palm Springs with kids. Here you will get to witness the aircraft that were used during the Korean War, World War II, and the Vietnam War, and you will find them almost in flyable conditions.

There are plenty of other artifacts here that will speak to you about US history. The museum has almost five dozen aircraft, and if you are lucky, you might also get to witness traveling exhibits and other visiting aircraft.

The guides here are mostly former pilots and war veterans, who will let you on many inside stories. If you somehow have the opportunity to take a guided tour, do not ever miss it. And do not forget to visit the gift shops before you leave to take a few souvenirs.

Go shopping  

Well, who doesn’t like to shop on their trip or vacation? Palm Springs will provide you with the opportunity to shop as well. The India Canyon Drive or the Palm Canyon Drive would offer you their unique and amazing stores to shop from. They have a lot of furniture stores, consignment shops, antique stores, and art galleries.

They have a large range of shops, starting from mid-century antiques to clothing shops; you just have to look through them. There are shops where you will get handcrafted pots and mugs and shops where you will get linens and other fabrics as well.

Theantiquegalleries is just a short distance from the main location, but the store is quite large and has a collection of lots of watches, antique jewelry, vintage clothing, and collectibles. And if you are looking for some vintage clothes from the 70s or the 80s, you will find those too. You will find loose-fit caftans, dresses, and jumpsuits from that era as well.

Visit the walk of the stars  

If you are a person obsessed with the world of celebrities, then add this to your checklist. This is made keeping in mind the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and some local flair has been added to it. The Walk of Stars is made to honor the humanitarians, artists, civic leaders, authors, entertainers, and athletes who had their home in Palm Springs for more than a decade.

The honorees here have big names like Marilyn Monroe, Truman Capote, Elizabeth Taylor, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Arnold Palmer. Not just just it has names of great community leaders and local war heroes.

Enjoy some pool time or a spa  

Well, not every day has to be hectic. You can just have a day to relax by the pool and sip on some iced drinks. Palm Springs has a lot of resorts that you can make a list of before you visit the place. And one could say that pools are one of the specialties of Palm Springs.

There are resorts with various number of pools. They have a main pool, an adult-only pool, and casita pools throughout the resort, and of course, there are suits with hot spas and private pools. Or pamper yourself at a spa after coming from a hike. And do not worry, it is definitely worth the money you are spending.

This could just be what you needed to relax and get yourself charged up. If you are looking for things to do in Palm Springs this weekend, this is something you can definitely try. Just book yourself a luxury resort and just relax.

Jeep tour of the San Andreas Fault   

Why just engage in mainstream activities when you can take the off-roads? Hop on a jeep and take a tour of the famous San Andreas fault in Palm Desert. You will witness the wonders of the deep canyons and the twisted rock mountains and learn about the native tribe, to be precise, the American Cahuilla people, who thrived in harsh environments.

There are places where you can get down on foot and explore the land and learn about the people and all that you find curious about the local geology and animals. This is one of the best things to do in Palm Springs. Enjoy the scenic beauty that you will find along the way.

Explore the land with a bike tour  

Ride through the desert landscapes on a mountain bike. Take a downhill ride and ride through the Indian Canyon and San Andreas Fault, or just enjoy the breeze along with your guide and hear what he has to say about the history of the place or about the native wildlife while they are riding along.

This is one of the fun things to do in Palm Springs. There are different types of bike tours for different age groups depending on their preferences. Find yourself the one that meets your preferences and expectations.

Wrapping Up!  

Well, this is not the end of it, but definitely a few of the best things to do in Plam Springs. Visit Palm Springs whenever you want, but it is better to visit during the late fall or spring to explore the deserts and enjoy the outdoors.

The early fall is still a bit hot, but during October and November, the weather is pleasant, making it the best time to visit the place. This place is a lot more than just soaking under the sun; dive into the energetic and adventurous side of Plam Springs as well.

This is an absolute treat for hikers who want to get out and explore the place on their feet. The magnificent meadows and the gardens. There are plenty of other places that would add to the list of things to do in Palm Springs, like visiting the art museum, going rock climbing, riding through the Indian Canyons, enjoying Hardy Park, and getting crazy at the Cabazon Dinosaurs.

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