Palm Springs
THE AMERICAS · DESERT · MID-CENTURY
A desert town at the foot of a 3,300m mountain that Hollywood adopted in the 1950s and filled with butterfly roofs, breeze blocks and swimming pools. The mid-century architecture is the reason to come, along with about 350 days of sun a year, a cable car that climbs to alpine forest in ten minutes, and hotel pools that function as the town's social life.
The plan
Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
A rotating cable car up 2,000m from desert to pine forest in ten minutes. Bring a jacket — it's 20°C colder at the top.
Mid-century architecture tour
Kaufmann House, the Frey House, and the Tramway gas station. Modernism Week in February is the full version.
Indian Canyons
Fifteen minutes south — palm oases in desert canyons on Agua Caliente land, with real shade and running water.
A pool day
The town's actual pastime. Day passes at the Ace, the Saguaro and Arrive get you in without a room.
Book before you fly
Aerial Tramway
Timed tickets online, and it closes for wind. Sunset rides sell out first.
Modernism Week
February; house tours are balloted and sell out within days.
Coachella & Stagecoach
April. Passes sell out in minutes and the whole valley books a year ahead.
Getting there
Fly Palm Springs (PSP)
Ten minutes from downtown, an open-air terminal, with heavy winter service and far less in summer.
Fly Los Angeles (LAX) or Ontario (ONT)
Two hours and an hour west respectively, usually much cheaper, and the desert drive is easy.
Getting around
Downtown is walkable but the neighbourhoods aren't. Rent a car or a bike; the Buzz trolley covers the main strip free.
When to go
Best time to go
November to April — 24°C, dry, and every pool in town in use. Modernism Week in February is the peak.
Cheapest months
June to September, when it hits 45°C and resorts drop to a third of winter rates. Genuinely bearable if you stay near water.
Priciest & busiest
Coachella and Stagecoach weekends in April, when the whole valley books out at triple rates.
If you've got one day
Morning
Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
Late morning
Mid-century architecture tour
Lunch
Cheeky's
Afternoon
Indian Canyons
Evening
Dinner at Workshop Kitchen + Bar, then A pool day
If you've got a week
Day 1
Arrive, settle in around Parker Palm Springs, and take it slowly — Cheeky's for dinner.
Day 2
Palm Springs Aerial Tramway.
Day 3
Mid-century architecture tour. Dinner at Workshop Kitchen + Bar.
Day 4
Day trip — Joshua Tree →.
Day 5
Indian Canyons. Melvyn's at the Ingleside Inn at some point.
Day 6
A pool day.
Day 7
Joshua Tree day trip. Finish with Tac/Quila.
Staying longer?
Nearby & day trips
Forty-five minutes northeast.
Salton Sea and Salvation Mountain
An hour southeast to a shrinking inland sea and one of America's strangest folk-art sites.
Two hours west.
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