Palm Springs is a lovely desert city located in the Coachella Valley of southern California. It is surrounded by mountain ranges from all sides, the San Jacinto being the most prominent. The city is popular with tourists, retirees, LGBTQ community, and anyone who loves the sunshine and the desert. Coming from Seattle, which unfortunately is not a very clean city, the first thing that struck me was how clean and beautifully manicured Palm Springs was. I loved all the colorful flowers and the magnificent palms lining the streets, and certainly enjoyed the laid back atmosphere of the town. There are lots of things to do in and outside of the city and this post will give you a good idea of how to spend a week in Palm Springs, California.
How to spend a week in Palm Springs, California
Because we were visiting Palm Springs during the Covid pandemic, we did not do anything indoors. All of my recommendations focus on outdoor activities. The first 5 ideas list things to do in Palm Springs while the remaining 6 suggest outings outside of the city. Here is how to spend a week in Palm Springs, California.
1. Stroll down Palm Canyon Drive
Palm Canyon Drive, the main street in Palm Springs, is full of restaurants, art galleries, and boutique shops. The street is lined with beautiful palm trees and many colorful flowers. Check out the Palm Springs Walk of Stars which honors a variety of people who have lived and contributed to the Palm Springs’ community. The street has several interesting statues and fountains along the way and their colorful benches add to the charm of the street. Have dinner or a drink at some of the restaurants and admire the surrounding San Jacinto Mountains.
2. Visit the Uptown Design District
The Uptown Design District is an extension of downtown to the north. Here, you will find more galleries and restaurants but with fewer people. The neighborhood is lovely and the blossoming flowers can’t be beat.
3. Check out the beautiful courtyards
As you stroll along Palm Canyon Drive, check out some of the courtyards and side streets. The vegetation is spectacular. The Koffi courtyard in the Uptown District is fantastic but so are the courtyards of small galleries.
4. Enjoy the sunshine by the pool
Almost all hotels and many Airbnbs offer spas and swimming pools. We stayed at the Biarritz condos just two blocks off Palm Canyon Drive and had a wonderful pool. In general, I’m not a big fan of swimming pools but this one was perfect as it was quiet and hardly anyone was in it. The landscaping and vegetation around the pool were lovely too, so it was inviting to go for a quick swim and soak in a spa in the afternoon.
5. Shop at a farmers market
We love farmers markets and while in Palm Springs, we visited the Certified Farmers Market in both Palm Springs and La Quinta. The markets are not big but have everything you may need to prepare a nice salad, get some snacks for lunch, a tasty dessert, and some local specialties. We really enjoyed some amazing dates just harvested from a local date farm.
6.Hike to a palm oasis at the Indian Canyons
The Indian Canyons, immediately to the south of the city, are an absolute must see. They are owned and operated by the Agua Caliente tribe of the Cahuilla Indians and are considered sacred to them. The canyons are really scenic and the palm oases are spectacular. Palm Canyon, which I definitely recommend, is the largest oasis of the California fan palms in the world, the only palm tree native to California. Andreas Canyon, another trail we hiked, was also gorgeous. In my opinion, Andreas Canyon is much more dramatic than Palm Canyon but if you’re after the palm trees, you’ll love Palm Canyon. Both are fantastic, so you can’t go wrong. There is a fee to enter the canyons but it’s well worth it. Both canyons give you an easy access to the palm trees, so you don’t have to hike for long before you are in the oasis. The Palm Canyon Trail is 15 miles long, but you can hike as far as you’d like and turn around. Many people choose to come back along Victor Trail, which takes you along a bluff. We loved the palm trees and the shade they provided too much to hike above them. After all, this was the main reason why we came to the Indian Canyons. Andreas Canyon is shorter and we did the Andreas Loop in probably under an hour.
7. Explore the Coachella Valley Preserve
Another short drive out of town, this time to the north, will take you to the Coachella Valley Preserve. The Preserve protects the Thousand Palms Canyon and its ecosystem as well as the endangered Coachella Valley fringe-toed lizard. There are several hikes you can do here. We really enjoyed the McMullen Trail to Simone Pond. The massive fan palms growing out of the water look magnificent. Call ahead as the pond is sometimes closed for rehabilitation efforts. Here is more information about the hike.
8. Drive to Joshua Tree National Park
Essentially only an hour out of town, Joshua Tree National Park is a wonderful destination for a day trip. The massive boulders that are scattered throughout the park as well as the otherworldly Joshua trees create an interesting landscape. The park is actually located across two deserts – the Mohave and the Colorado (which is part of the Sonoran Desert). Because of that, you will be able to see vegetation endemic to both deserts. I wrote much more about spending a day in a Joshua Tree here, so if you’re interested, please read on.
9. Stroll through Old Town La Quinta
The lovely architecture and the scenic location at the foothills of the Santa Rosa Mountains make the Old Town in La Quinta an enjoyable stop. The main street offers a variety of restaurants and cafes, interesting galleries, and unique boutiques. If you’re here on Sunday, you can stroll through the farmers market which is held in the Old Town.
10. Have a date shake on a date plantation
There are quite a few date farms in the Coachella Valley. We passed several of them on our way to the Salton Sea. Because we were visiting the area during the Covid-19 pandemic, we weren’t able to go on a guided tour. We did, however, stop at the “famous” Shields Date Garden for a date shake, which was pretty tasty. We also walked through their garden. The grounds were nice but to be truthful it was a bit strange as you walk past many biblical statues. I was hoping to learn more about the date trees and the harvest but they had no information about that.
11. Take a trip to the Salton See
I did some research before we headed to the Salton Sea and wasn’t quite sure if it was going to be a good use of our time. Many websites speak highly of the lake and the quirky things you can see along the way. The area was supposed to be a great vacation resort for the rich and famous but it didn’t last too long. Now you can see abandoned buildings in some of the communities and you can stroll along the beach at the Salton Sea State Recreation Area. We drove as far as Bombay Beach and then turned around. Personally, I wasn’t very impressed. What is cool about the lake is that it is one of the lowest places on the earth, 227 feet below sea level.
