Top Things to Do in Palm Springs & Greater Palm Springs | The Ultimate Desert Oasis Guide
Palm Springs, the desert oasis of Southern California, is known for its year-round warm weather (over 300 days of sunshine a year!) and iconic mid-century modern architecture. It was once a favorite escape for Hollywood stars, it still carries that retro-glam, vintage, vibe today. Surrounded by the stunning San Jacinto Mountains, the city offers everything from luxury resorts and world-class golf courses to hiking trails and a buzzing arts scene.
But as you’ll see as you keep reading this post, Palm Springs is more than just the city—the region of Greater Palm Springs encompasses a collection of unique desert cities, each with its own vibe, from laid-back luxury to local arts and culture. So keep reading to see our favorite things to do in Palm Springs and Greater Palm Springs!
Palm Springs
Where to Stay in Palm Springs
For downtown Palm Springs we stayed at The Skylark Hotel. It was in walking distance to everything we wanted to do in the Palm Springs town area and was slightly farther off of the main strip so it wasn’t too loud. The rooms were just okay but the views from the pool area were stunning! You can see the mountains and palm trees right behind the pool area.
We also stayed at the Renaissance Palm Springs which is great if you want to be closer to the downtown area, or if you are visiting Palm Springs for am event being held at the Convention Center (the Renaissance is attached to the Convention Center!).
We also go to do site tours of the Thompson Palm Springs and the Parker, both which are a bit more upscale but absolutely beautiful.
find other palm springs accommodations on Hotels.com!
How to Get Around Palm Springs
We recommend renting a car as that is the easiest way to get around Palm Springs and visit Joshua Tree, Indian Canyon etc. Ubers can be scarce. You can definitely walk if you’re already in the downtown Palm Springs area, but to get anywhere else you will need to drive. We love renting cars with Expedia because they are trustworthy, easy to book, and we have never had an issue when we’ve used them!
Rent your car in Palm Springs with Expedia here!
Best Things to Do in Palm Springs
Joshua Tree National Park
Midcentury Architecture Tour
Indian Canyon
Red Jeep Tours
Joshua Tree Catering
Palm Springs Windmills
Indian Canyon - probably our favorite thing we did in Palm Springs! It’s a short drive from downtown Palm Springs and has some of the most unique views we have ever seen.
Red Jeep Tours - The second time we visited Palm Springs we did a Red Jeep tour though Indian Canyon, as well as other notable areas in the city, and learned so much from our tour guide!
Palm Springs Aerial Tramway (- beware it gets very cold at the top! It was 40 degrees at the top of the mountain when we went and 90 degrees below on land)
Joshua Tree National Park - you could spend all day or a few days even exploring everything in Joshua Tree, but here were our favorite sights: Skull Rock, Cholla Cactus Garden, Hidden Valley. On our most recent trip, we actually got to experience a catered dinner in the park with Joshua Tree Catering, and afterwards did the most magical stargazing with Joshua Tree Astronomy Adventures.
Midcentury Architecture Tour - Palm Springs is known for its midcentury and modern homes that were (and some still are) owned by some of Hollywood’s most famous stars. Palm Springs also hosts Modernism Week each year which is a festival that highlights the architecture, art, interior design and vintage culture in the area.
Pioneertown - an old west town that is still used as movie sets today! You are not allowed to take photos or videos of Pioneertown for social media so if you want to visit just know that in advance!
Cabazon Dinosaurs - probably only worth it if you really like dinosaurs or random road-side stops.
Palm Springs Windmills - they are so iconic to see up close! To access the part we did, either drive to Uber to the Palm Springs Amtrak station and you can walk from there.
Book your Palm Springs activities and tours here!
Where to Eat & Drink in Palm Springs
Juniper Table
Palm Greens Cafe
Juniper Table
Townie Bagels
Coffeeism Co.
The Front Porch
El Patio
Palm Greens Cafe
Brickworks
Lappert’s Ice Cream
Kreem
Mid Mod Cafe
Native Foods
Dez Coffee (near Joshua Tree)
Natural Sister’s Cafe (near Joshua Tree)
Greater Palm Springs
Beyond the city of Palm Springs itself you’ll find the region known as Greater Palm Springs, which encompasses 9 cities in the Southern California oasis. Greater Palm Springs is known for it’s natural hot mineral springs, palm groves, famed golf courses & tennis courts, and of course sunshine and adventure. We visited a few cities in Greater Palm Springs on our most recent trip including, Indio & Coachella (where the popular Coachella music festival takes place every year), and got to see that there is so much more to do in this region than just visit the city of Palm Springs. So keep reading to see our favorite things to do in Greater PS!
Where to Stay in Greater Palm Springs
During our most recent trip, we stayed at the Omni Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa, located in the Coachella valley. It blends upscale relaxation and fun with it’s waterpark and waterslides, pools, tennis courts, spa treatments and more. The views of the San Jacinto and San Bernardino mountains from here are also incredible.
Browse other Greater Palm Springs Hotels here on Expedia!
How to Get Around Greater Palm Springs
Just like in Palm Springs, we recommend renting a car as that is the easiest way to get around. We love renting cars with Expedia because they are trustworthy, easy to book, and we have never had an issue when we’ve used them!
Best Things to do in Greater Palm Springs
Indian Wells Tennis Garden
Chicano Candle Co.
Coachella Art Walls
Floating Sound Bath
Sunnylands
Shields
Sunnylands Center & Gardens (in Rancho Mirage) - originally an estate for Walter Annenberg & his wife, it is now a museum that features art, desert gardens, educational exhibitions, and other cultural experiences.
Do a Floating Sound Bath with Good Vibes Sound Bath - a wellness experience that blends sounds, scents, and meditation on water. It provides a sense of calm and clarity and is one of the most unique wellness experiences we have ever done! It takes place at a few different locations on Greater PS on different days, so make sure you go to the website to book.
Visit the Coachella Walls (in Coachella) - located in the east valley, the Coachella Walls is an art project featuring murals from local artists across the town.
Practice your skills with a lesson at the Indian Wells Tennis Gardens (in Indian Wells) - a world class tennis facility in Indian Wells that hosts the BNP Paribas Open.
Do a candle making class with Chicano Candle Co. (in Indio) - We got to make our own candles with a local business! Located in The Place which is also a cool, neighborhood market where you can find locally made items and clothing.
Try and Date Shake at the famous Shields Date Garden (in Indio) - Established in 1924, Shields has everything date-related you can think of! In the 1960s they started making date shakes, which they became famous for. There’s also a date garden in the back you can explore as well.
Where to Eat & Drink in Greater Palm Springs
Sixth Street Coffee
Porta Via
The Pink Cabana
The Pink Cabana
Sixth Street Coffee (Coachella)
Porta Via (Palm Desert)
Michael’s Cafe (Cathedral City)
The Pink Cabana (Indian Wells)
Everbloom Coffee (Indio)
Isla Mujeres Modern Mexican (Indio)
Shields Date Garden
If you want to see more of what we did in Palm Springs, make sure you watch our Palm Springs vlogs below!
Special thanks to Visit Palm Springs and Visit Greater Palm Springs for hosting us on our trips. As always, all opinions are honest and our own. Some links on this post are affiliate links of which we receive a small commission, but the price is the same for you.