Is Palm Springs worth visiting? At only about an hour and a half East from Los Angeles you can use my Palm Springs weekend guide and find out for yourself. Spend a weekend in Palm Springs and explore what makes this place so unique and sought out. Even with a day trip here you will soon realize Palm Springs is worth the visit. From the Coachella Valley Preserve to Joshua Tree National Park, to sunbathing by the pool there is so much one can do, especially with the help of my Palm Springs weekend itinerary!
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Where is Palm Springs?
As I mentioned before, Palm Springs is about an hour and a half to two hours, depending on the traffic, East of Los Angeles.
How to get there?
Obviously, if you’re a local the best way to get to Palm Springs would be by car. However, if you’re visiting from out of state, a viable option would be to fly into Palm Springs international airport or LAX, for cheaper air fares. Of course, if you feel like driving to Palm Springs from out of state then be my guest. I did it once and I can tell you it was a looooong drive.
Best time to go?
The beautiful thing about southern California is that it has sunny, warm weather year round! The real question should be when’s not the best time to go? And that would be around April to avoid the music festival crowds, traffic and, well, hotel price spikes. And probably the summers since it may get really hot out in the desert 🙃
Palm Springs Weekend Guide: Take a Hike!
With so many trails in the area you can easily devote a whole day to mother nature! Use this guide as a starting point to help you navigate the desert:
Indian Canyon
Explore the desert by taking a hike or two at Indian Canyon! There are about 60 miles of hiking and walking trails in the canyon. Not typically a hiker? That’s ok! There are many trails found within the canyon that range from easy to strenuous:
- Murray Canyon Trail – easy, 4.7 miles, out & back
- Andreas Canyon Loop – easy, ~ 1 mile, circular
- Maynard Mine Trail – difficult, ~5 miles, out & back
- West Fork Trail – easy, 0.1 mile, out & back
- Palm Canyon Trail – easy, 2 miles, out & back
Keep in mind there is a fee to get into the Canyon, for more details on fees check out the canyon’s site. Please note, Indian Canyon is the ancestral home of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuila Indians. These canyons are extremely sacred to them today, so please leave no trace behind.
Coachella Valley Preserve
Coachella Valley/ Thousand Palm Oasis is a beautiful place to immerse yourself into nature. At only about 30 minutes outside of Palm Springs, you can find immensely large, tall palm trees; It almost feels like you’re roaming with the dinosaurs. Plus, if you ever want to feel like a small fish in a big pond I’d give this a go. Make sure to carry lots of water with you! The preserve has no fees and is typically open from 7am to 7pm.
For hiking tips make sure to check out my post for tips in preparation to your next adventure!
Tahquitz Canyon
Immerse yourself in the beauty that makes Palm Springs unique. Hike one of Palm Springs natural wonders, which is nestled within the San Jacinto Mountains as part of the Agua Caliente Indian Reservation. Take on this easy 2-mile loop trail to the 60-foot waterfall, Tahquitz falls. The canyon is open daily from October to 4th of July weekend, and on weekends from the 5th of July through September.
Joshua Tree National Park
Have I mentioned Joshua Tree National Park is only about an hour away from Palm Springs 😉? If you’re a National Park enthusiast like me, you’ll want to check out Joshua Tree and scratch it off your list. It’s perfect! You can jet off and explore Joshua Tree National Park in one day, come back and get to enjoy the rest of your weekend checking out the rest of Palm Springs! Before you know your two days in Palm Springs will be over. You know what they say, time flies when you’re having fun!
Palm Springs Weekend Guide: Sights To See!
Cabazon Dinosaur
Let’s say you make your way to the desert and want an iconic picturesque photo to go with your Palm Springs weekend dump, where do you go? Stop by Cabazon Dinosaur, a classic and iconic road side attraction worthy of a weekend recap. The park is home to about 70 dinosaurs all ready for an iconic photoshoot. This park is about 30 minutes outside of Palm Springs and charge a fee of $15/ adult. Make sure to plan this out accordingly as the park only sells tickets at the window, with window sales ending at 4:30pm M-F and 6pm on the weekends.
Aerial Tramway
Palm Springs is home to the world’s largest rotating tram car! Take in the beauty of Palm Springs, the Chino Canyon and the pristine alpine wilderness that is Mt. San Jacinto State Park on this two-and-a-half mile ride, which can take anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes. Buy your tickets ahead of time to avoid the long lines, and make sure to start early to avoid the crowds, as this is a popular tourist attraction. Fees are as listed:
- $30 for adults
- $18 for kids (3 to 10 years old)
- $28 for senior citizens (65+)
Once at the summit enjoy the views on the observation decks, enjoy lunch at one of the two restaurants located at the mountain base, and then walk off the food on a hike to the second highest peak in California, San Jacinto Peak!
- San Jacinto Peak – 10 mile, out & back trail from the mountain base to the peak. Be prepared for high altitudes, colder weather compared to the valley floor. This trail is considered difficult
This can definitely be a challenging hike after a full meal so don’t feel pressured to do the entire thing. If anything walk a bit off the trail to take in the views. Unfortunately, when I had spent a weekend in Palm Springs I had no idea the tram was even a thing or else I definitely would have checked it out. So as always, learn from me and be better prepared. For more information on tickets and tram hours make sure to visit their website.
Palm Canyon Drive
Check out the heart of the town at Palm Canyon Drive where you can enjoy shopping at local stores and eat delicious food.
Palm Springs Villagefest
Now if you happen to be visiting Palm Springs on a Thursday night, make sure to add this to your itinerary. VillageFest takes place in downtown Palm Springs every Thursday night on Palm Canyon Drive. The street is closed off and transformed into a street fest! Honestly, this is such a wonderful way to take in Palm Springs and explore more of what makes this town unique. The fest is open from 6pm to 10pm from October to May and 7pm tp 10pm from June to September.
Pioneer town
Now I’ll be honest, I didn’t get a chance to explore Pioneer town since I didn’t know about it ahead of time. That’s the great thing about this blog, right?! Learn from my mistakes and make the most out of your adventures. Pioneer town is right outside of Joshua Tree, which is a perfect place to add to your Palm Springs weekend trip. This place is a great place to get instagram pictures, because it’s like visiting the Old West.
Palm Springs Weekend Guide: Museum and Tours
Palm Springs Art Museum
If I’m honest, I’m not much of a museum person, but I do appreciate art. I just tend to blaze through museums when I do go instead of ponder through each art piece, but I digress. Located in the heart of downtown, the Palm Springs Art Museum has a diverse collection of art ranging from modern and contemporary art to Native American and Western art. Ticket prices range as follow:
- Adults – $16
- Seniors – $14
- Students/ Teachers – $8
- Children (under 18 y/o) – No charge
It is recommended to make ticket reservations before visiting the museum. However, if you’re looking to save some extra money, the art museum has free admission Thursday nights, no reservations required, but they roll on a first come first basis!
Palm Springs Air Museum
Now if you’re an airplane enthusiast, you’re in luck! Palm Springs has an Air Museum! The museum is open 7 days a week, with some minor exceptions (Christmas Thanksgiving and February 18th), from 10am to 5pm. Ticket prices are as follow:
- Adults – $22
- Seniors – $20
- Active Duty and immediate family – Free
- Kids 12 & under – Free
Wind Farm Tour
Tour the first commercial wind farm in Southern California! This is a great opportunity if you’d like to learn more about renewable energy or are looking for a unique instagram photo location 😉. This is a self-paced, hour-and-a-half tour where you can get up close to and take pictures with the 400 feet operating wind tubes. It’s $59 per vehicle, which covers 2 adults per car.
Palm Springs Weekend Guide: Gardens
Sunnylands Center & Gardens
On a budget, but don’t want to compromise the fun? Then check out the Sunnylands Center & Gardens! From Wednesday to Sunday, the center is open from 8:30am to 4pm, and reservations aren’t needed. However, the best part is that admission and parking are free! Explore the desert gardens on a self-guided walking tour, then grab a bite to eat at the cafe, but not before checking out the gift shop and the art exhibit.
The Living Desert Zoo & Gardens
Check out the local zoo and feed a giraffe, or visit the Rhino Savanna! Check out their website for more information.
Mooreten Botanical Garden
This place was my FAVORITE thing to check out in Palm Springs! At only about $5 per person, you can take a self-guided tour of the Desertland arboretum, the Moorten Botanical Garden. Established in the city in 1938, this privately owned garden features about 3,000 varieties of plants; perfect for plant lovers!
The botanical garden is open everyday, with the exception of Wednesdays and Holidays, from 10am to 4pm. For Summer hours make sure to call ahead in July & August.
Palm Springs itinerary: Day Trip to Palm Springs
Now let’s say you were limited on time and didn’t have the luxury of spending an entire weekend in Palm Springs. A Palm Springs weekend guide would seem pretty useless, but lucky for you I have crafted a day trip to Palm Springs guide with my top recommendations:
- Indian Canyon – I say start the day early with a hike in the Indian Canyon
- Mooreten Botanical Garden – If you do anything, make sure to at least visit the garden after you shop and eat around Palm Canyon Drive. As I’ve mentioned before, it was my favorite part of our trip as we were supporting a local garden and got to see some unique plants. So make sure to include it in your Palm Springs day trip itinerary.
- Aerial Tramway – End the day with a trek on the Aerial tramway and see the sun set into the canyon
- Cabazon Dinosaur – I realize these day trip recommendations to Palm Springs would only apply to a local or someone driving by. So I recommend driving by Cabazon Dinosaur.
As you can see, there’s so much to do in Palm Springs with any given itinerary you decide to go with. My only hope is that you learn from my experiences and have an even better adventure in Palm Springs with the help of any of my itineraries and recommendations. As always happy adventuring!
Map of Palm Springs Attractions
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