Palm Springs is a resort city in the California desert. It became a destination during the 1950s and 1960s when Hollywood movie stars flocked there in droves. Nowadays, the area offers entertainment for all ages, although the most common demographics consists of retirees. Palm Springs offers a wealth of indoor and outdoor activities.
Palm Springs has a hot desert climate. Summer temperatures are extremely hot, with average highs of 106 °F (41 °C) and lows of 79 °F (26 °C). Temperatures and heat indices have been known to climb upwards to 121 °F (49 °C) and not go below 89 °F (32 °C) at night during the summer months. 1 Palm Springs Visitor Center (Albert Frey's Tramway Gas Station building), 2901 N Palm Canyon Dr, ☏ +1 760-778-8418, toll-free: +1-800-347-7746. 10AM-5PM daily. (updated Aug 2022) 2 Palm Springs Visitor Center (Welwood Murray Memorial Library), 100 S Palm Canyon Dr, ☏ +1 760-323-8296. 10AM-6PM daily, except Th 10AM-8PM. (updated Aug 2022)
Palm Springs has a pedestrian-friendly downtown. Visitors can enjoy the palm tree-lined streets along Palm Canyon Drive and Indian Canyon Drive. Boutique shops, outdoor restaurant and art galleries line the streets. Rent a car at the airport, or if you want to splurge, numerous limousine services are available, including West Coast Transportation, Cardiff Limousine and A-1 Sahara Limo. The main thoroughfares through downtown are one-way only between Alejo and Ramon. Palm Canyon Drive is the southern route, and the home to most restaurants, hotels, and entertainment venues. Indian Canyon Drive runs north, and also has many, though fewer, attractions.
Indian Canyons. 1 Tahquitz Canyon, 2 Palm Canyon, 3 Andreas Canyon and 4 Murray Canyon, were sacred Native sites, now open to the public for hiking. 5 Palm Springs Art Museum, 101 Museum Dr, ☏ +1 760-325-7186. Founded in 1933, the museum hosts special exhibits and work from its permanent collection which includes Ruscha, Robert Arneson, Nathan, Charles Russell, Frederic Remington and Native American and Mesoamerican Art. 6 Palm Springs Air Museum, 745 N Gene Autry Tr, ☏ +1 760-778-6262. Nice place to go to if you have half a day to spare. Home to great condition World War II airplanes, etc. 7 Agua Caliente Cultural Museum, 219 S Palm Canyon Dr, ☏ +1 760-778-1079.
1 Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, 1 Tramway Rd, ☏ +1 760-325-1391. Sep to late May: first tram up M-F 10AM, Sa Su hols 8AM, last tram up 8PM and down 9:45PM; late May to Aug: M–Th first tram up 10AM, F-Su hols 8AM, Su-Th last tram up 8PM and down 9:45PM, F Sa last tram up 9PM and down 10:30PM. The one thing to do in Palm Springs if you only have a limited amount of time, and a good place to go to get away from the heat. Incredible views at night, and snow in the winter. From the Visitor Center, you must drive 10 minutes or walk about 2 hours. There is no shuttle. Adults $26, children (3-10) $17, seniors (65+) $24. (updated May 2019) 2 Palm Springs International Film Festival.
The annual Palm Springs Desert Resorts Restaurant Week offers an opportunity to try a number of restaurants at a discounted rate. 1 Tyler's Burgers, 149 South Indian Canyon Dr. This small hamburger joint, famous for their sliders, is considered by locals to have the best hamburgers in Palm Springs. Only open for lunch. Be sure to get there early or be prepared to wait. 2 Kaiser Grille, 205 S Palm Canyon Dr, ☏ +1 760-323-1003. Good American food right in the middle of downtown Palm Springs. 3 Le Vallauris, 385 W Tahquitz Canyon Way, ☏ +1 760-325-5059. Expensive, but good French food off of S. Palm Canyon Drive. 4 Riccio's Steak & Seafood, 495 N Palm Canyon Dr.
Tryst Bar And Lounge, 6604, 188 S Indian Canyon Dr, ☏ +1 760-424-8323. Daily, 2PM - 2AM. Bar known for its low-priced happy hour, free pools and darts, and arcade games. (updated Jan 2026)
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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In Aug, Palm Springs typically sees ~42°C daytime highs and 1 rainy days.
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