Top 10 Things to Do in Palm Springs

1. Ride the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway

The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway is the fastest way to understand how abruptly the San Jacinto Mountains rise above the Coachella Valley. Rotating tram cars climb from the desert edge to the mountain station in Mount San Jacinto State Park, where trails, viewpoints, forest, and much cooler conditions replace the valley landscape below. Treat the tram as a half-day mountain experience rather than simply a scenic ride. Weather at the top can differ sharply from downtown Palm Springs, so check mountain conditions and bring a layer even when the desert is hot.

2. Explore Indian Canyons

Indian Canyons lies on Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians land at the south edge of Palm Springs and includes Palm, Andreas, and Murray canyons. Trails pass native California fan palm oases, seasonal streams, rock walls, and desert vegetation while moving through a landscape with deep cultural significance to the Agua Caliente people. This is not a municipal Palm Springs park: respect Tribal rules, posted closures, trail guidance, and cultural sites. Start early in warm weather, carry water, and choose a route that fits your heat tolerance and hiking ability.

3. Hike Tahquitz Canyon

Tahquitz Canyon is another Agua Caliente cultural landscape at the base of the San Jacinto Mountains, close enough to downtown to fit into a focused morning. The canyon trail combines steep desert rock, seasonal water, a waterfall when conditions allow, and interpretation of Cahuilla history and ecology. Because the canyon is managed for both access and preservation, check current hours, fees, weather, and trail conditions before going. It pairs naturally with the Agua Caliente Cultural Museum later in the day.

4. Visit the Agua Caliente Cultural Museum

The Agua Caliente Cultural Museum and Cultural Plaza in downtown Palm Springs provide essential context for the landscapes visitors see in Indian Canyons and Tahquitz Canyon. Exhibits focus on the history, traditions, environment, and living culture of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. Visit early in your trip if possible; understanding the relationship between people, water, palm oases, and desert land makes the surrounding canyons more meaningful. Check current museum hours before building a fixed itinerary around the visit.

5. Explore Palm Springs midcentury architecture

Palm Springs became an important center of desert modernism, and the city's architecture is best understood by seeing how flat roofs, deep overhangs, glass walls, shaded courtyards, and indoor-outdoor plans respond to the desert climate. Self-guided routes and architecture tours can connect civic buildings, commercial landmarks, and residential neighborhoods associated with architects such as Albert Frey, Richard Neutra, and E. Stewart Williams. Many celebrated houses are private residences, so stay on public streets and sidewalks and avoid treating neighborhoods as open-air museum property.

6. Visit Palm Springs Art Museum and downtown

Palm Springs Art Museum is a useful midday anchor for modern and contemporary art, architecture, design, and regional cultural material. From the museum, downtown Palm Springs is easy to explore on foot for restaurants, shops, public art, and historic commercial buildings. This is a good counterweight to a morning hike because it keeps the itinerary geographically compact and offers relief from the hottest part of the day.

7. Walk through Moorten Botanical Garden

Moorten Botanical Garden is a small historic garden devoted to cacti and other arid-land plants. It works well for travelers who want to understand desert plant forms without committing to a long hike, and its compact scale makes it easy to combine with South Palm Canyon Drive or a canyon visit. Allow time to look closely at plant adaptations rather than treating it as a quick photo stop, and check current opening hours because operating schedules can vary seasonally.

8. Plan a separate day for Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree National Park lies east of Palm Springs and is a separate National Park Service unit, not a Palm Springs park. A day trip can introduce the transition between the Colorado and Mojave deserts, Joshua tree woodlands at higher elevations, monzogranite rock formations, desert washes, and broad viewpoints. Give the park its own time block rather than squeezing it between city attractions. Check National Park Service conditions, road information, heat guidance, and any current entrance or reservation requirements before departure.