Trip to Palm Springs, California
♦ Routes (free): Detailed travel itineraries in USA
Palm Springs is a resort city in California located about 170 km east of Los Angeles. As befits a vacation city, there are many entertainment sites, high-quality shops and restaurants, beautiful galleries, a casino, many hotels, and more in the city and its surroundings.
The tourist season in the city is in the winter thanks to the pleasant weather there during this period. The city is an excellent starting point for a trip to Joshua Tree National Park located near it.
The city is a well-maintained oasis in the shadow of Mount San Jacinto, which rises to a height of 3610 meters above the city's houses.
Weather in the City
The summer months are extremely hot (the temperature can easily reach 45 degrees Celsius) and dry, while the winter months are warm and pleasant, and only the nights are quite cold. Thanks to the comfortable weather in the winter months, many famous actors and notable people from the Los Angeles area built resort homes in the city and they come to it frequently, mainly in winter. The selection of restaurants in Palm Springs is impressive: ranging from fast food eateries to luxury restaurants. Most major chains have branches in the city.
The city's population is about 45 thousand residents, but in the winter months, it has three times as many residents because of the pleasant weather there in winter.
Recommended Hotels in Palm Springs
Hotel prices are much higher in the winter months, which are the high season, especially on weekends and holidays. In the summer, you can stay in luxurious hotels at a ridiculous price.
One of the luxurious hotels in the city is:
JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa
This is a luxurious 5-star resort spread over a vast area with 5 pools, 2 golf courses, and manicured lawns.
A 4-star hotel with specially designed rooms. Rooms for couples and also for four guests. Pool, internet, and free parking.
A 4-star hotel in a central location with a modern design. Rooms for a couple + a child. Two restaurants, pool, jacuzzi, internet, and free parking.
Courtyard by Marriott Palm Springs
A 3-star hotel from the Marriott chain with spacious family rooms. Heated outdoor pool, gym, parking, and free internet.
Tours from GetYourGuide.com:
Palm Springs City Center
The streets in the city are adorned with many palm trees:
In the city center, there are beautiful galleries, high-quality restaurants, luxury shops, and even a street with sidewalks featuring movie and culture stars, similar to Hollywood.
Many statues are scattered throughout the city, especially of Marilyn Monroe and Elvis, who star in this city.
Near Palm Springs, there are other well-maintained towns: Desert Hot Springs, known for its hot springs, and Palm Desert. Near the city, there are also Indian reservations where you can visit.
Entertainment and Activities
The city features casinos, many street festivals, world-class golf courses, wind turbines, a large tennis center, a scenic cable car, amusement and water parks for children, botanical gardens, and more.
♦ Guided tours in Palm Springs for purchase from the Viator site:
Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
One of the central attractions of Palm Springs is ascending the cable car to the heights of the mountain, where there is an excellent viewpoint over the city and its surroundings. The view seen includes mountains, canyons, and desert. At the top of the mountain are many hiking trails abundant with vegetation, where small animals can be encountered. In the winter months, the mountain is snowy and you can play in the snow. The cable car is named Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, and it is reached via Tramway Road, which exits from Highway SR 111. The cable car ride lasts about 15 minutes, during which you will transition from desert weather to alpine weather. Dress well before the ascent, as the temperature at the top of the mountain is significantly lower! The cable car is open Monday-Friday from 10:00-20:00 and on weekends from 8:00-20:00. Closed in August for two weeks. Highly recommended!
Indian Wells Tennis Center
The city is also famous for tennis; nearby, the large Indian Wells Masters tournament for men (ATP) and women (WTA) takes place every year in March. Address:
Indian Wells Tennis Gardens, Indian Wells, CA, 92210.
Wind Turbine Farms
Near Palm Springs, there is a huge wind turbine farm where you can take an independent guided car tour - Palm Springs Windmill Tours. For this tour, you download an app to your mobile which provides audio and written guidance (in English, of course) at each station you reach. There are 10 stopping points along the route that starts at the site's visitor center.
Hiking Trail in Tahquitz Canyon
In Palm Springs, right next to the city, there are several charming nature parks on lands belonging to Native Americans with organized and comfortable hiking trails. A recommended park about fifteen minutes from the city center is Tahquitz Canyon, where you walk in a circular hiking trail about two miles long along a river and reach waterfalls, all among lush vegetation and views of dramatic cliffs and the city from afar. It is hard to believe that there is a stream and waterfalls in the parched desert.
Joshua Tree National Park
East of Palm Springs lies Joshua Tree National Park, which features rich desert vegetation of beautiful cacti, cliffs, and rocks that create interesting shapes and an excellent viewpoint over the entire area.
♦ Order a trip to Joshua Tree Park through the Viator site:
Detailed article about this park: Trip to Joshua Tree National Park
Typical landscape in the northern part of the park:
Cholla Cactus Gardens in the southern part of the park:
