Palm Springs is a sunny desert resort city at the foot of Mount San Jacinto, about two hours east of Los Angeles, famous for its mid-century modern houses, swimming pools, golf courses and the relaxed glamour that drew Hollywood stars in the 1950s and ’60s. Today it is a lively, LGBTQ-friendly town with design shops and restaurants along Palm Canyon Drive, the rotating Aerial Tramway up into cool pine forest, palm oases in the Indian Canyons of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, and Joshua Tree National Park an hour away. Visit from October to May: winter days are warm and bright, while summer brings dangerous heat well above 100 °F (38 °C).
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Palm Springs at a glance
- Best for: pool days and spas, mid-century modern architecture, desert hiking, the Aerial Tramway, golf and an easy-going weekend.
- How long: 2–3 days for the town, the tram and the canyons; 4–5 days to add Joshua Tree National Park.
- Best time: October to April, with highs of 69–91 °F (21–33 °C). From June to September average highs are 102–108 °F (39–42 °C).
- Getting there: Palm Springs International Airport (PSP) is on the edge of downtown; Los Angeles is about 107 miles (172 km) away by car, roughly 2 hours without traffic.
- Getting around: downtown is walkable; a car is best for the canyons, the tram and Joshua Tree.
- Before you go: entry rules, money, tipping and driving are in our United States travel guide.
Palm Springs neighborhoods and the Coachella Valley
Palm Springs is the oldest and best known of the nine cities strung along the Coachella Valley, a broad desert valley ringed by mountains. Most visitors stay in Palm Springs itself or in the resort towns to the east.
Downtown and Uptown
Palm Canyon Drive is the main street, with restaurants, bars, galleries and boutique hotels. The Uptown Design District, at its northern end, is the place for mid-century furniture and vintage shops. Every Thursday evening, from 6 to 10 p.m., the street becomes VillageFest, a street fair with more than 180 vendors of crafts and food.
Arenas District and Warm Sands
Just south and east of downtown, these are the heart of the city’s LGBTQ scene, with bars, small resorts and guesthouses, many of them clothing-optional and adults-only.
Movie Colony, Old Las Palmas and Vista Las Palmas
Quiet residential neighborhoods of walled gardens and modernist homes, many once owned by film stars. They are private homes, so admire them from the street, or join a guided architecture tour.
Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert and La Quinta
Further east, these towns have big golf and spa resorts, shopping on Palm Desert’s El Paseo and the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens. Indio, at the eastern end, hosts the Coachella and Stagecoach music festivals each April.
Top things to see in Palm Springs
Prices and hours below were checked on the official sites in October 2026, unless we say otherwise; check again before you go.
The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
The world’s largest rotating tram cars climb more than two and a half miles (4 km) up the cliffs of Chino Canyon in about ten minutes, turning slowly so everyone gets the view. At the top, the Mountain Station stands at 8,516 ft (2,596 m) in Mount San Jacinto State Park, with two restaurants, observation decks, a state park visitor center and more than 50 miles (80 km) of trails through pine forest; it is far cooler than the valley floor and often snowy in winter. As of October 2026, round-trip tickets cost $36.95 for adults, $33.95 for seniors (65+) and $20.95 for children aged 3–10, including a $2 online fee, and the Ride ‘n’ Dine package is $45 for adults. The tram was closed for its annual maintenance from September 8 to October 4, 2026, with a tentative reopening on October 5, 2026. Winter hours, from October 5, 2026, to May 27, 2027: first tram up at 10 a.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. on weekends and holidays, last tram up at 8 p.m. and last down at 9:30 p.m. Pets are not allowed.
The Indian Canyons and Tahquitz Canyon
South of town, on the reservation of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, Palm Canyon, Murray Canyon and Andreas Canyon shelter streams and groves of native California fan palms, among the largest palm oases in North America, with trails from easy strolls to half-day hikes. Tahquitz Canyon, on the edge of town, has a seasonal waterfall at the end of a rocky trail, with a separate entrance and ticket. Both charge admission, about $12–$12.50 for adults according to the tribe’s websites, and in the cooler season they open daily from early morning to about 5 p.m.; summer hours are shorter. Respect the closures and rules on tribal land, and start early to avoid the heat. See our hiking guide.
Mid-century modern architecture
Palm Springs has one of the finest collections of mid-century modern buildings in the world: low-slung houses with butterfly roofs and breeze-block walls, Albert Frey’s angular Tramway Gas Station (now the Palm Springs Visitors Center), banks, hotels and whole tracts of Alexander homes. Drive or cycle the neighborhoods with a map, or book a guided tour. Modernism Week runs a big festival of house tours and talks every February and a shorter fall edition; the next fall event is October 15–18, 2026.
Museums and gardens
The Palm Springs Art Museum, at the foot of the mountain downtown, shows modern and contemporary art and runs an Architecture and Design Center in a restored modernist bank. The Agua Caliente Cultural Museum, in the tribe’s Cultural Plaza downtown beside the Spa at Séc-he, built on the hot spring that gave the city its name, tells the story of the Cahuilla people; it opens Tuesday to Sunday with timed tickets. The small Moorten Botanical Garden, a family-run collection of desert plants and cacti, opens in its season from October 1 to May 31 and charges $7 for adults and seniors, $5 for veterans and $3 for children aged 5–12. The Palm Springs Air Museum, by the airport, has World War II aircraft.
Museums
- Palm Springs Art Museum
Parks and gardens
- Moorten Botanical Garden and Cactarium
Other sights
- Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
- Sunnylands
Protected areas
- Mount San Jacinto State Park
Other things to do in Palm Springs
Pools and spas: for many visitors, the main activity is a lounger by the pool. Hotels range from restored 1950s motels to big resorts, and many sell day passes. Golf: the Coachella Valley has a great many courses, at their best and busiest in winter. Cycling: the flat town is easy to explore by bike in the cooler months, with rentals downtown. Jeep and desert tours: guided trips go to the San Andreas Fault, palm oases and the windmills of the San Gorgonio Pass. See our cycling guide.
Day trips from Palm Springs
- Joshua Tree National Park: the West Entrance near the town of Joshua Tree is about an hour’s drive north, and the Cottonwood (south) entrance about 45 minutes east along Interstate 10. Spend at least a day; see our Joshua Tree National Park guide.
- The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in Palm Desert, with desert animals from North America and Africa.
- Idyllwild: a mountain village in the pines on the other side of Mount San Jacinto, via the Palms to Pines Highway.
- The Salton Sea: a strange, shrinking inland lake about an hour southeast, with birdlife and art installations at Salvation Mountain beyond it. Avoid in summer.
- Los Angeles and San Diego are about two and three hours away; see our Los Angeles and San Diego travel guides.
Nearby destinations
- Joshua Tree National Park66 km
- Anaheim126 km
- San Diego137 km
- Los Angeles160 km
- Las Vegas289 km
- Death Valley National Park293 km
Getting there and getting around
By air: Palm Springs International Airport (PSP) is one of the easiest airports in the country, a few minutes’ drive from downtown, with an open-air terminal and seasonal flights from across North America; many routes run only in winter. Taxis and rideshare cars wait outside. Los Angeles (LAX) and Ontario (ONT) airports are larger alternatives, about 2–2.5 hours and 1 hour away by car.
By car: from Los Angeles take Interstate 10 east through the San Gorgonio Pass, about 107 miles (172 km); from San Diego it is about 140 miles (225 km), roughly 2.5 hours; from Las Vegas about 270 miles (435 km), around 4 hours. Sunday afternoons heading back to Los Angeles are slow, and during the April festivals traffic is heavy. Strong winds can blow sand across roads in the pass. Driving tips are in our United States travel guide.
Around town: SunLine Transit Agency runs buses across the Coachella Valley, but most visitors use a car, bikes, rideshare or their feet downtown. Parking is easy except on VillageFest nights and in festival season.
When to go and how long to stay
Palm Springs has a true desert climate: dry, sunny and warm for most of the year, with almost no rain and huge swings between day and night. The table uses NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the Palm Springs weather station.
| Season | Average high / low | What it’s like | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter (Dec–Feb) | 69–73 °F (21–23 °C) / 45–49 °F (7–9 °C) | Sunny, warm days and chilly nights; snow on the peaks; the high season | Golf, hiking, Modernism Week |
| Spring (Mar–May) | 80–94 °F (27–34 °C) / 54–65 °F (12–18 °C) | Warm and bright; wildflowers after a wet winter; windy days | Festivals, pools, Joshua Tree |
| Summer (Jun–Aug) | 103–108 °F (39–42 °C) / 72–79 °F (22–26 °C) | Extremely hot; low hotel prices; occasional monsoon storms | Pools at dawn and dusk, the tram |
| Fall (Sep–Nov) | 102 °F falling to 78 °F (39–26 °C) / 73 °F falling to 54 °F (23–12 °C) | Hot in September, lovely by November | Pools, architecture, hiking from November |
Palm Springs gets only about 5 inches (130 mm) of rain a year. Heat is the main danger: in summer, hike only at first light or not at all, carry far more water than you think you need, never leave children or pets in a parked car, and follow National Weather Service heat warnings. Wildfire smoke from mountain fires can occasionally affect the valley; check the AirNow air-quality map.
Weather month by month
Events worth planning around
- Every Thursday: VillageFest street fair on Palm Canyon Drive, 6–10 p.m.
- October 15–18, 2026: Modernism Week’s fall edition; the main festival is in February.
- January: the Palm Springs International Film Festival.
- April: the Coachella and Stagecoach festivals in Indio, when hotel prices across the valley soar.
How long to stay: 2, 3 and 5 days
2 days: day one, the Aerial Tramway in the morning, downtown and the art museum in the afternoon, dinner on Palm Canyon Drive; day two, a hike in the Indian Canyons and an afternoon by the pool. 3 days: add an architecture tour and the Moorten Botanical Garden. 5 days: add a full day or overnight in Joshua Tree National Park and a trip to the Living Desert or Idyllwild.
Where to stay in Palm Springs and the hotel taxes
- Downtown and Uptown: walkable, with boutique hotels, restaurants and nightlife.
- Arenas and Warm Sands: small LGBTQ resorts and guesthouses.
- South Palm Springs: quieter mid-century motels and inns near the canyons.
- Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Indian Wells and La Quinta: large golf and spa resorts.
- Vacation rentals: modernist houses with pools are popular; the city requires permits, so use registered rentals.
Room rates are quoted before tax and are highest from January to April and lowest in summer. According to the City of Palm Springs, its transient occupancy tax is 11.5% for most hotels and vacation rentals and 13.5% at hotels with large group-meeting facilities, as of October 2026, and a tourism business improvement district assessment may be added. Other valley cities set their own rates. Many resorts add a daily resort fee, so compare total prices.
Practical tips for Palm Springs
- Sales tax: prices exclude sales tax; according to the state tax agency (CDTFA), the Palm Springs rate from October 1, 2026, is 9.25%.
- Summer closures: some restaurants, shops and attractions close or shorten their hours in the hottest months; check before you go.
- Water: drink often, even by the pool; the dry air dehydrates you quickly.
- Respect private homes: do not walk onto driveways or gardens to photograph famous houses.
- Tipping: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants; more in our United States travel guide.
- Emergencies: call 911.
What to pack for Palm Springs
Pack light summer clothes, swimwear and sandals, a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses and high-factor sunscreen, plus a sweater or jacket for desert evenings and a warm layer for the top of the tram, which is far cooler than the valley and often snowy in winter. For hiking, bring sturdy shoes and a large refillable water bottle or hydration pack.
Palm Springs travel FAQ
How much is the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway?
As of October 2026, $36.95 for adults, $33.95 for seniors and $20.95 for children aged 3–10, including a $2 online fee. The tram was due to reopen on October 5, 2026, after its annual maintenance closure.
When is the best time to visit Palm Springs?
October to April, when days are warm and sunny. From June to September average highs exceed 100 °F (38 °C).
How far is Palm Springs from Los Angeles?
About 107 miles (172 km) on Interstate 10, roughly two hours without traffic.
How far is Joshua Tree from Palm Springs?
The park’s West Entrance is about an hour’s drive north, and the Cottonwood entrance about 45 minutes east.
Can you hike in Palm Springs in summer?
Only very early in the morning, with plenty of water, or at the top of the tram, where it is much cooler. Low-desert trails are dangerous in the afternoon heat.
What is Modernism Week?
A festival of mid-century modern architecture and design, with house tours, talks and parties, held every February with a shorter fall edition; the fall 2026 dates are October 15–18.
What taxes are added to Palm Springs hotel bills?
A transient occupancy tax of 11.5% at most hotels and rentals, or 13.5% at large group-meeting hotels, plus any tourism assessment and resort fees.
Do I need a car in Palm Springs?
Not for downtown, which is walkable. A car makes the tram, the canyons and Joshua Tree much easier.
How much are the Indian Canyons?
About $12 for adults, according to the Agua Caliente tribe’s website, with a separate ticket for Tahquitz Canyon. Check current prices and hours before you go.
Plan your trip
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Sources · last reviewed 4 October 2026
Researched and last reviewed on 4 October 2026. Tram prices, hours and the maintenance closure: Palm Springs Aerial Tramway; Indian Canyons and Tahquitz Canyon: the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians; Modernism Week dates: Modernism Week; VillageFest: its organizers; Moorten Botanical Garden: the garden’s site; hotel tax: City of Palm Springs; sales tax: the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration; air quality: AirNow; climate: NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for Palm Springs. Canyon prices and the hotel tax come from summaries of the official pages, and distances, festival months and the film festival are from secondary sources; all are flagged for checking. Check the official sites before you go. For entry rules, tipping and driving, see our United States travel guide.
Also: NOAA NCEI normals 1991–2020, Palm Springs (climate)
Data: Weather: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · Rates: ECB · Holidays: Nager.Date · Costs: World Bank ICP and price levels · © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODBL) · Wikidata (CC0)