Things to Do in Palm Springs This Weekend

Palm Springs has a way of resetting your internal clock. Something about the dry heat, the wide-open sky, and the unhurried pace of life here makes the rest of the world feel very far away. Whether you are planning a Palm Springs weekend getaway or a quick day trip from Los Angeles, the desert has more to offer than most first-timers expect. Here is how to spend your time well.

Ride the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway

Start with perspective. The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway carries you from the valley floor at 2,643 feet to the Mountain Station at 8,516 feet in about ten minutes. The temperature drops by as much as 30 degrees, and in winter you can go from T-shirt weather to actual snow. At the top, Mount San Jacinto State Park offers more than 50 miles of hiking trails through alpine wilderness that feels nothing like the desert below. The contrast is surreal and worth the ticket price alone.

Pro tip: go late in the afternoon. The ride down at sunset, with the Coachella Valley glowing amber beneath you, is one of the best things to do in Palm Springs and one of the most underrated views in Southern California.

Tour the Mid-Century Architecture

Palm Springs is an open-air museum of mid-century modern design, and walking or driving through its neighborhoods is one of the great free Palm Springs activities. The city became a retreat for Hollywood in the 1940s and 50s, and architects like Richard Neutra, Albert Frey, and Donald Wexler shaped it into a showcase of clean lines, flat roofs, and walls of glass that blur the boundary between indoors and out.

Pick up a self-guided tour map from the Palm Springs Visitors Center, or join a guided walking tour through the historic Tennis Club neighborhood. The Frey House II, perched on a boulder above the Palm Springs Art Museum, is a must-see if it is open for tours during your visit. Even a casual drive through the neighborhoods south of Tahquitz Canyon Way will reward you with dozens of impeccably preserved homes that look like they belong in a design magazine.

Walk Palm Canyon Drive

Downtown Palm Springs revolves around Palm Canyon Drive, a walkable stretch of restaurants, boutiques, galleries, and cafes that manages to feel both laid-back and genuinely interesting. For breakfast, Cheeky's remains a local favorite with its rotating weekly menu. Workshop Kitchen + Bar is one of the best dinner spots in the valley, set inside a former movie theater with soaring ceilings and a seasonal menu. For a cocktail, Bootlegger Tiki is exactly what it sounds like and exactly what you want after a day in the sun.

Shopping here leans toward vintage, design, and independent labels rather than big-box retail. Spend an hour browsing the antique stores and consignment shops on North Palm Canyon, where you can find everything from vintage Murano glass to original Eames pieces.

Visit Moorten Botanical Garden

Tucked along South Palm Canyon Drive, Moorten Botanical Garden is a compact, family-run collection of desert plants that has been growing since the 1930s. It is small enough to explore in under an hour, but the density and variety of cacti, succulents, and desert trees from around the world make it feel like a curated art installation. The "cactarium," a greenhouse filled with rare specimens, is a highlight. Entry is just a few dollars, and photographers will find it irresistible.

Hike Indian Canyons

If you want to experience the desert on foot, Indian Canyons should be at the top of your list. Managed by the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, this network of canyons on the south edge of town contains palm oases, seasonal streams, and rock formations that have been sacred ground for centuries. The Andreas Canyon loop is an easy, shaded walk along a creek lined with California fan palms. The Murray Canyon trail is a bit longer and leads to a seasonal waterfall. Both are manageable for most fitness levels and feel wonderfully remote despite being minutes from downtown.

For a more demanding hike, the Lykken Trail climbs the ridge above the city and delivers panoramic views of the entire valley. Go early in the morning before the heat builds.

Embrace Pool Culture

Let's be honest: half the reason people come to Palm Springs is to do absolutely nothing beside a pool. The desert climate delivers 300-plus days of sunshine a year, and the local culture has elevated poolside lounging to an art form. Many of the city's best boutique hotels were designed around their pools, and even in the off-season you will find the water warm and the lounge chairs waiting.

If you are staying at a private rental, this is where the experience really shines. There is a particular pleasure in having your own pool, your own yard, and your own schedule. No reservations, no crowds, no check-out time on the cabana. Just sun, water, and silence. House Of Funk, our design-forward Palm Springs property, was set up with exactly this in mind: a private pool surrounded by mid-century architecture, curated interiors, and the kind of quiet that only the desert delivers. It also has a Tesla charger in the driveway, if you are driving in from LA in something that needs a plug.

Catch VillageFest on Thursday Night

If your Palm Springs weekend starts on a Thursday, you are in luck. VillageFest is a weekly street fair that closes down several blocks of Palm Canyon Drive and fills them with food vendors, artisans, live music, and a farmers market. It runs year-round and draws a mix of locals and visitors. The energy is casual and fun, and it is a good way to get a feel for the community beyond the resort bubble. Arrive around 7 p.m. and plan to eat your way through.

Day Trip to Joshua Tree

Joshua Tree National Park is less than an hour from Palm Springs, and a Palm Springs day trip to the park is one of the best ways to add variety to your visit. The west entrance at the town of Joshua Tree puts you directly into the surreal landscape of twisted Joshua trees, giant boulder piles, and wide desert vistas that have drawn artists, climbers, and wanderers for decades.

For a short visit, drive the Park Boulevard loop and stop at Skull Rock, Hidden Valley, and Keys View, which offers a sweeping overlook of the Coachella Valley and, on clear days, the Salton Sea. If you have more time, the Barker Dam trail is an easy 1.3-mile loop that passes Native American petroglyphs and a small reservoir that sometimes holds water. Sunset at Cap Rock is quietly spectacular.

On your way back, stop in the town of Joshua Tree or Yucca Valley for dinner. La Copine and Natural Sisters Cafe are both worth the detour.

Where to Stay

Palm Springs has no shortage of hotels, but the best way to experience the city is in a home that feels like it belongs here. A private rental gives you space to spread out, a kitchen to use, and a pool that is entirely yours. It also puts you in the neighborhoods rather than on the hotel strip, which means you wake up to birdsong and mountain views instead of hallway noise.

House Of Funk sits in a quiet residential pocket of Palm Springs, walking distance to restaurants and shops but removed enough to feel like a retreat. The interiors are thoughtfully designed with a nod to the city's mid-century heritage, and the private pool and outdoor living space are made for long, unstructured desert days. If you are looking for a home base that matches the quality of the trip you are planning, it is worth a look.

You can book directly at houseof.cc and save around 15% compared to other platforms. No service fees, no platform markup, just a better rate for booking direct.