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Area guide · California, USA

Things to do in Greater Palm Springs

Desert cities of the Coachella Valley

  • Attractions
  • Sightseeing
  • Sport & Outdoor
  • Museums
  • Nearest airport: PSP, about 0 miles

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Three to see first in Greater Palm Springs

Attractions
Iconic

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway

$25–$50

The world's largest rotating tramcar ride, climbing 2.5 miles up Chino Canyon to Mount San Jacinto State Park.

Palm Springs, CA

Sightseeing
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Palm Springs

Free

Official visitor info for Palm Springs, from desert resorts and Palm Canyon shopping to the aerial tramway.

Palm Springs, CA

Sport & Outdoor
Outdoor Adventure

Indian Canyons

Under $25

Palm oasis canyons on Agua Caliente tribal land near Palm Springs with hiking trails and a trading post.

Palm Springs, CA

Every place

Everything in Greater Palm Springs, on the map

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Attractions
Iconic

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway

$25–$50

The world's largest rotating tramcar ride, climbing 2.5 miles up Chino Canyon to Mount San Jacinto State Park.

Sightseeing
Iconic

Palm Springs

Free

Official visitor info for Palm Springs, from desert resorts and Palm Canyon shopping to the aerial tramway.

Sport & Outdoor
Outdoor Adventure

Indian Canyons

Under $25

Palm oasis canyons on Agua Caliente tribal land near Palm Springs with hiking trails and a trading post.

Museums
History Buff

Palm Springs Air Museum

Under $25

Living history museum with one of the world's largest flyable collections of WWII, Korea, and Vietnam era aircraft.

Tours
Iconic

Five Star Adventures Tours

$50+

Guided sightseeing tours past Palm Springs celebrity homes and midcentury modern architecture.

Sport & Outdoor
Outdoor Adventure

Classic Club

$50+

Play an Arnold Palmer designed championship desert golf course near Palm Springs.

Attractions
Quirky Fun

Escape Room Palm Springs

$25–$50

Private, family-friendly escape rooms in Palm Springs with themes from bank heists to a wizard school.

Museums
Iconic

Palm Springs Art Museum

$25–$50

A large art museum in downtown Palm Springs with a collection spanning contemporary California, Native American, and modern European art.

Tours
Family Favorite

Covered Wagon Tours

$50+

Mule-drawn covered wagon rides into the Coachella Valley Preserve with a chuckwagon BBQ and cowboy music.

Museums
Rainy-Day Pick

Agua Caliente Cultural Museum

Under $25

The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians tells its own story in a 48,000-square-foot museum on a 5.8-acre downtown Palm Springs plaza with a spa and oasis trail.

Sport & Outdoor
Outdoor Adventure

Tahquitz Canyon

Under $25

A 1.8-mile loop trail on Agua Caliente tribal land in Palm Springs that climbs to a seasonal 60-foot waterfall, with a visitor center and ranger-led hikes.

Attractions
Quirky Fun

Cabazon Dinosaurs

Under $25

Meet Dinny and Mr. Rex, two giant roadside dinosaurs off Interstate 10, then walk among more than 100 others.

Sport & Outdoor
Iconic

Joshua Tree National Park

$25–$50

Drive and hike through boulder piles and Joshua tree forests where the Mojave and Colorado deserts meet.

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About

About Greater Palm Springs

Greater Palm Springs covers the Coachella Valley in the desert east of Los Angeles, including Palm Springs, Palm Desert, and Thousand Palms. The valley sits between the San Jacinto and Santa Rosa mountains, and the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway climbs into the San Jacinto range. Palm Springs venues include the Palm Springs Art Museum, the Palm Springs Air Museum, Indian Canyons on the Agua Caliente reservation, and Escape Room Palm Springs, while Palm Desert is home to the Classic Club golf course and Thousand Palms to Covered Wagon Tours.

Plan the day

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