If you’re looking for a fun, relaxing, sunny destination to visit, look no further than Palm Springs! There’s really something for everyone there – whether you’re looking for a luxurious desert spa getaway, an adventurous romp around the desert, or if you’ve got a passion for art and design….Palm Springs is the perfect blend of nature, quirkiness, party, and sophistication. We spent several days visiting Palm Springs and I’ve compiled all of the best things we did while we were there, for your Palm Springs weekend itinerary inspiration! Enjoy!
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Best Time to Visit Palm Springs
Palm Springs is really a great destination any time of the year, but for the best weather conditions (especially for those who don’t love the extreme heat heat), I’d recommend visiting between January and April, or October and December. Note – the months of February to April are considered ‘peak season’ in Palm Springs, so expect higher rates at this time. However, if you’re not someone who bodes well in searing high temperatures, or if you’re looking to do some hiking and/or visiting nearby Joshua Tree National Park, I’d definitely recommend visiting before June so that your physical energy is not suffocated by the dry desert sun. We visited Palm Springs during the month of May and the weather was absolutely perfect – around 80-85 degrees of sunshine every single day!
Getting to Palm Springs
There are multiple ways to get to Palm Springs. You could fly directly into Palm Springs International Airport (although this one is probably the priciest option, and we found there were pretty limited flight options here). Alternatively, you can fly into Los Angeles or San Diego, both of which are around ~2 hours of driving time from Palm Springs. We flew in and out of Los Angeles and the drive was pretty easy, and also allowed for a quick pit-stop at the Cabazon Dinosaurs roadside attraction and the famous windmills of Palm Springs on the way there-and-back.
The Palm Springs windmills are really a site-to-see, greeting thousands of travelers every year on both sides of Interstate 10. These hundreds of windmills are over 500 feet tall and have been in place for over 40 years. They were put in place to take advantage of the 15-20 miles/hour winds that make their way through the San Gorgonio Pass, converting that kinetic power into mechanical energy!
Where to Stay in Palm Springs
There are so many fun lodging options in Palm Springs! Because we had an extended stay in the area, we ended up opting for a lower-budget condominium resort stay at the WorldMark Palm Springs (it was fine, but nothing special), but if you’re only in Palm Springs for a few days, I’d highly recommend splurging a bit because there are just so many beautiful places to stay in the area.
For a luxurious and quirky stay, check out The Parker Palm Springs, which is a Jonathan Adler-designed boutique hotel. Although we didn’t stay here, we did have brunch at a restaurant on the hotel property so were able to walk around and explore the facilities. There were so many cute corners – from a darling Lemonade Stand, to palm tree-slung hammocks, and several different pools to choose from.
Another great option (especially if you’re looking for a bit of desert romance, and something different) is to stay at the Korakia Pensione. This Moroccan-inspired resort features gorgeous villas and bungalows to stay in, surrounded by lovely and exotic citrus blossoms, olive trees, date palms, and bougainvillea.
If you’re looking to get a bit rowdy, and want to spend some time at the pool, then look no further than The Saguaro Hotel. This hotel is so fun and colorful – I absolutely loved the modern and rainbow-themed decor. And the pool is top notch! It’s not a place I’d go if I was looking for a romantic getaway or if you have kids, but it’s a perfect choice for a fun bachelor or bachelorette weekend.
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Day 1
Salvation Mountain
Our first day in Palm Springs started off with a drive outside the city (around 1.5 hours) to the bizarre and colorful Salvation Mountain. This attraction is literally in the middle-of-nowhere, located just east of the Salton Sea in the lower desert. It’s a 50-foot high adobe clay mountain created by artist Leonard Knight that has been painted with a variety of patterns and messages revolving around the main theme of “God is Love”. It took him over 30 years to build this mountain! Even if you aren’t the religious sort, I do think it’s worth a visit – it’s probably one of the weirdest, most unique places in the Western U.S., and is already starting to disintegrate from the extreme environment of sand and sun.
Salvation Mountain is open from dusk to dawn, and admission is free (although there is a donation box on site for the volunteers who live at the site, and maintain the structure). I highly recommend going early – we left Palm Springs around 6:30am just so we could get the mountain to ourselves and beat the heat!
Note: Salvation Mountain is located near the entrance of Slab City, which is a 640-acre plot of land (no electricity, no water, no zip code) where squatters live rent-free in what is known to be the “last free place to live in America.” While I’ve heard that Slab City is open for visiting and most residents are welcoming to tourists, we only drove by and felt pretty uncomfortable so didn’t really spend any time in the area. Even though Slab City is not entirely lawless, it is known to suffer from drug abuse and petty crime.
Lunch at El Jefe
After Salvation Mountain, we returned to central Palm Springs to have a delicious poolside lunch at El Jefe (located inside The Saguaro hotel). El Jefe is a great option if you’re looking for some friendly Mexican cantina food in a lively outdoor setting – think refreshing margaritas, tacos, nachos, and quesadillas on a hot summer day!
Self-Guided Bike Tour
My favorite activity that we did from our Palm Springs itinerary was a self-guided bike tour. Palm Springs is mostly flat and there are dedicated bike lanes throughout the city, so it’s an easy ride. And because Palm Springs was a playground for movie stars in the 40s-60s, there are so many beautiful mid-century modern homes to visit on your ride!
There’s really no ‘right’ route – we started our route at the bike rental place ‘Big Wheel Tours‘ (highly recommend booking with them; I loved the pink Benno Upright they loaned me), which was a short 5-10 minute bike ride away from some of the more famous mid-century homes. We spent a few hours just riding around town, taking pictures, and enjoying the atmosphere. It was so fun! Some of the cutest homes are found along these roads: 1) E Palm Canyon Dr and E Murray Canyon Dr, 2) E Sierra Way, 3) S Calle Paleo Fierro, and 4) S Toledo Ave.
Dinner at Elmer’s Diner
Dinner was at the laid-back and iconic Elmer’s restaurant. Elmer’s serves a great all-day breakfast and are famous for their fluffy German pancakes (they were so good, and twice the size of my head!). Their menu also features other traditional savory American diner favorites such as prime rib, burgers, and sandwiches. If you can’t get into Elmer’s, but are still craving some ‘diner-esque’ food, try the spot across the road called ‘King’s Highway‘ at the Ace Hotel. I’ve also heard great things about their food.
Day 2
Downtown and Walk of Stars
Day 2 from our Palm Springs itinerary had us starting with a walk around the Palm Springs downtown area. There are a ton of fun boutique shops and galleries to visit, and restaurants to choose from. If you visit Palm Springs downtown, make sure to check out the Palm Springs Walk of Stars. The sidewalks are covered with plaques honoring celebrated Palm Spring residents such as Frank Sinatra, Ronald Reagan, and Elvis Presley.
Lunch at Azucar
While we were downtown, we decided to have lunch at Azucar in La Serena Villas. This restaurant features one of the best roof top decks in the area, and has a wonderful atmosphere (think Boho chic) with views of the downtown area and the surrounding San Jacinto mountains. The food was also delicious, and focused on seasonal ingredients with a Mediterranean twist!
Desert X Installations
Every year, Palm Springs hosts an international art exhibition called Desert X. The Desert X exhibitions are open to the public, and meant to display works of art that respond meaningfully to the surrounding desert location and promote open dialogue and understanding among artistic, cultural, historical, and societal issues. We were lucky to visit during the time Desert X was open (typically every March through May), and so dedicated a portion of our Palm Springs weekend itinerary to visiting the different art installations in the area.
My favorite art installation when we visited was the ‘Never Forget’ installation. The 45-foot letters reference the Hollywood sign, which initially spelled out ‘Hollywoodland’ and was erected to promote a whites-only development. Its timing coincided with a trend in the film industry where studio contracts limited actors’ travel, contributing to Palm Spring’s rise as playground to the stars. Meanwhile, the white settler mythology of America as the land of the free, home of the brave was promoted in the West. ‘Never Forget’ asks landowners to participate in the work by transferring land titles and management back to local indigenous communities, and serves as a reminder that land acknowledgements become only performative when they do not explicitly support the land back movement.
Other options
If you’re visiting Palm Springs and happen to miss Desert X (or maybe visiting the art installations is not that interesting to you), there are several other great activities to choose from including a visit to Indian Canyons (a walking path that winds down into a collection of canyons, and is a great spot for hiking, horseback riding, or picnics), the Moorten Botanical Garden, or some relaxation time at your hotel pool (you are in Palm Springs after all!).
Dinner at Norma’s
A great dinner spot is at Norma’s, located inside the Parker Palm Springs hotel. Norma’s serves breakfast food all day on an open-air terrace, and the food is absolutely decadent – the french toast was huge and to-die-for! If you can’t get into Norma’s (reservations required), other great options include the Rooster and the Pig (Vietnamese fusion) and Workshop Kitchen and Bar.
And there you have it – some weekend itinerary inspiration for Palm Springs. Happy visiting! If you have any questions or comments, leave me a note below!
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