For Aesthetes
Check in at the Thompson Palm Springs, a new property that straddles the line between touristy downtown and modish uptown. Even if you choose not to stay there, the hotel’s worth visiting to check out the Native American contemporary art collection.
Morning
Start your day with ceremonial-grade matcha at Café La Jefa in the Uptown Design District. If you’re feeling fancy, the Pretty Little Latte pairs matcha with white mocha, rose syrup, and pistachio milk. In the mood for a sit-down breakfast? Linger over a hearty shakshuka — poached eggs in a tomato-chickpea sauce, served with sourdough.
Ease into sightseeing with a cruise through town. Roll through the Vista Las Palmas neighborhood to spot the Elvis Honeymoon Hideaway on Ladera Circle, then head south to Canyon View Estates — where scenes from Don’t Worry Darling were filmed. Get the Palm Springs Modernism Tour mobile app for a guided route.
Afternoon
Deepen your appreciation for desert design at the Palm Springs Art Museum’s Architecture and Design Center. Then head to El Paseo in Palm Desert for happy hour — Porta Via caters to aesthetes with its luxe palette of greens and golds. (A Porta Via salad and lobster roll will hit the spot. Pair them with a Bar Flower cocktail: vodka, blackberry, elderflower, and lemon.)
Afterward, enjoy an impromptu gallery crawl — several are scattered along the street.
Evening
Get dinner back at your hotel. At Lola Rose Grand Mezze, the Thompson’s poolside restaurant, plating is a form of art. The food’s excellent, too.
Spend the evening strolling to the Downtown Park to see “Forever Marilyn” and the Aluminaire — a 1931 prototype building by Albert Frey and A. Lawrence Kocher, recently relocated beside the art museum. End with a scoop of stracciatella from Gelato Granucci.
The Pink Cabana in Indian Wells.
PHOTO COURTESY VISIT GREATER PALM SPRINGS
For Festival Fans
Stay at La Quinta Resort & Club, where you’ll have your pick of public pools — some with an energetic party vibe.
Morning
Start with a leisurely breakfast of chia pudding or eggs Benedict at on-site restaurant Twenty6. If you’d prefer to trade Spanish-style architecture for Moroccan glam, head to The Pink Cabana at Sands Hotel & Spa in Indian Wells, where you can fuel up on a mezze platter or farmer’s market tartine.
Indio Taphouse.
Photo courtesy visit greater palm springs
Afternoon
Then, spend the day in downtown Indio. Snap selfies in front of former Coachella art installations: See “Sarbalé Ke” at Dr. Carreon Park on your way to “Colossal Cacti” at Smurr Street and Miles Avenue. While you’re there, pop into Urban Donkey for vintage treasures.
Grab lunch nearby (you can’t go wrong with Gabino’s Creperie East or Indio Taphouse), or cruise to Shields Date Garden for a meal amid the palms. Save room and order the date shake to-go — it’s what they’re famous for.
Evening
Head back to the resort to chill and freshen up. For dinner, keep things nearby at Old Town La Quinta, where several restaurants host live music on weekends — jam out with the locals before wandering back to your villa for a night swim.
Or opt for handmade pizza at Kiki’s in La Quinta followed by dancing at the recently revamped Red Barn, a storied Palm Desert haunt that just reopened after a major facelift. It’s one of the most unique buildings in town, and rumor has it, Sinatra used to hang there.
For Leisure Athletes
Book a room at the Grand Hyatt Indian Wells Resort & Villas, fresh off a $64 million renovation and rich with tennis history. Built in the 1980s to host the annual tennis tournament (now the BNP Paribas Open), it’s still a favorite among players during the event.
Morning
PGA WEST is only a short drive away. Start early and take advantage of off-season pricing. (Do you have what it takes to conquer Hole 17, aka Alcatraz, on the Stadium Course?)
Afternoon
Refuel with a gorgonzola wagyu burger at Ernie’s Bar & Grill at PGA WEST. Keep the action going indoors with a teaching pro and golf simulators at Indian Wells Golf Resort. You might as well make the most of your time off and hone your swing!
Nobu at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.
PHOTO COURTESY nobu
The Good House in Desert Hot Springs.
PHOTO COURTESY VISIT GREATER PALM SPRINGS
Evening
For dinner, pick your preferred sport: Tennis fans should head to Nobu at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, while golfers might prefer a table at Arnold Palmer’s Restaurant, where the memorabilia could fill a small museum.
For Wellness Wanderers
Hide out in Desert Hot Springs, where hotels built around mineral springs offer holistic programming ranging from yoga to reiki. There are plenty to choose from!
Morning
Start with a Golden Green Juice from Azure Palm Hot Springs Resort & Day Spa Oasis — turmeric root and mint will wake your senses gently. Then take a drive into Palm Springs for a sunup stroll through the Indian Canyons, sacred land of the Agua Caliente tribe. Follow the signs for Palm Canyon to wander the world’s largest naturally occurring grove of Washingtonia filifera palm trees. Find a shady spot to reflect.
Afternoon
Head to The Spa at Séc-he, the only mineral water spa in the valley outside Desert Hot Springs. Begin your visit in a zero-gravity lounger in the Mind-Sync audio room. Then, partake in a nourishing lunch at the on-site Málmal Café, and treat yourself to the Quartz and Poultice Massage, which includes the use of singing bowls that send vibrations through your body.
Evening
If you’re up for a night out, book a table for dinner nearby at Farm, a charming French-inspired bistro in a secret garden setting that serves a small prix-fixe menu in the evenings. Expect whole ingredients and rich flavor.
Finally, return to your hotel and settle in for a quiet soak beneath the stars in the healing mineral waters.
Azure Palm Hot Springs Resort & Day Spa Oasis in Desert Hot Springs.
PHOTO COURTESY VISIT GREATER PALM SPRINGS
For Thrill Seekers
Base yourself at The Westin Rancho Mirage Golf Resort & Spa for quick access to both ends of the valley.
Morning
Warm up with a Peloton ride or TRX class in The Westin’s well-equipped fitness center.
Then fuel up with a cold brew from Koffi, a local favorite with outposts in Palm Springs and Rancho Mirage. They roast their own coffee beans at the Rancho Mirage location.
Afternoon
Ready to rev your engine? Book the M Mixed Reality experience at BMW Performance Center West, the world’s first driving program merging virtual reality with a real racetrack. If high-speed thrills aren’t your thing, explore aviation history instead at the Palm Springs Air Museum — warbirds, exhibits, and a flight simulator await.
BMW Performance Center West in Thermal.
PHOTO COURTESY VISIT GREATER PALM SPRINGS
The Ritz-Carlton Rancho Mirage.
PHOTO COURTESY CITY OF RANCHO MIRAGE
For Romantics
There’s a reason so many couples get hitched at boutique hotels in Greater Palm Springs — these hideaways know how to set the mood. Elevate your surroundings at Sparrows Lodge, a rustic escape with rich history that earned a Michelin Key in 2024.
Morning
Begin with the complimentary continental breakfast: house-baked pastries, charcuterie, and espresso in the open-air barn. Then, get into vacation mode with an activity that immediately takes you outside your normal routine — like a walk through The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in Palm Desert, where you can book a private rhino encounter.
Afternoon
Float the day away in the saltwater pool back at the hotel. If you’re in the mood for a style refresh before dinner, pop into Market Market in Palm Springs. (You might even pick up something special as a surprise “just because” gift for your partner.)
Evening
Make your way to JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa for an early dinner. Start with cocktails in the soaring lobby, then hop aboard a boat bound for Mikado Japanese Steakhouse.
End the evening with a nightcap at The Ritz-Carlton Rancho Mirage, or wish upon a star at the Rancho Mirage Observatory during their public stargazing events.
