One day in Palm Springs

Day by day

1. Day 1: Palm Springs Aerial Tramway and Mid-century modern homes drive

   Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, Mid-century modern homes drive and Mount San Jacinto State Park, then Palm Canyon Drive and VillageFest in the evening.

   1. Breakfast

      Breakfast: Chilaquiles

   2. Morning

      Palm Springs Aerial Tramway

      Bring a warm layer even in summer, and in winter check for snow at the top; the trails can need proper footwear from December to March. Allow Half a day.

   3. Late morning

      Mid-century modern homes drive

      Go early in the morning when the light is soft and the streets are empty, and photograph from the pavement; these are lived-in private homes. Allow 2–3 hours.

   4. Lunch

      Lunch: Tacos and Mexican plates

      Family-run taquerías along Indian Canyon Drive and in Cathedral City, Coachella and Indio, which have some of the most traditional cooking.

   5. Afternoon

      Mount San Jacinto State Park

      Pick up the free wilderness permit at the ranger station below the Mountain Station before any hike beyond the short loops, and start the summit trail early. Allow 2 hours to a full day.

   6. Café break

      Café break: Date shake

   7. Evening

      Palm Canyon Drive and VillageFest

      Visit VillageFest after sunset in the warmer months, when the pavement has cooled and the stalls are busiest.

Before you go

• Palm Springs Aerial Tramway: On peak winter and spring weekends, buy timed tickets online in advance to avoid long waits at the Valley Station.

If it rains

• Swap in Agua Caliente Cultural Museum (Downtown Palm Springs): Allow time for the outdoor plaza and its desert garden, and book a spa slot ahead if you want to bathe in the mineral water itself.
• Swap in Palm Springs Art Museum (Downtown Palm Springs): The museum has offered free entry on some evenings; check its website before you go and pair a visit with dinner downtown.
• Swap in Architecture and Design Center (Downtown Palm Springs): Visit before an architecture drive; the shop sells maps and books that identify the modernist homes you will pass.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 8–11 hours of visiting over one day, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 9.9 hours in December to 14.4 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

Getting between stops: Car. A car is the practical way to reach the tramway, the canyons, Palm Desert and Joshua Tree.

More or fewer days

• 2 days in Palm Springs
• 3 days in Palm Springs
• 5 days in Palm Springs

Questions travellers ask