Palm Springs holidays

The Living Desert is home to giraffes, ostriches and lizards, who roam freely throughout the grounds. Tour it alone or take a guided shuttle. Art fans will spot installations and lots of stylish galleries across the city’s Backstreet Art and Uptown Design districts. If history’s more your thing, visit the Palm Springs Art Museum or Air Museum to learn about the city’s past.

Not sure what to visit first? See the city from Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, which climbs more than 1,700 metres up the mountains and rotates for 360-degree views. Temperatures can be up to five degrees lower at the top, so you can make the most of the cooler conditions and tackle the mountain’s hiking trails. Many of the city’s upmarket hotels host lively parties during the spring and summer, or the whole family can cool off at Palm Springs Swim Centre.

The vast Coachella Valley lies on Palm Springs’ doorstep, and it’s packed with hikes and history. Stop at the Agua Caliente Cultural Museum to learn about the desert’s Cahuilla people – it’s just a short drive from Tahquitz Canyon, where you’ll find an 18-metre waterfall and excellent hiking trails. If you get thirsty as you explore the desert, Desert Distilling Brewery is Coachella Valley’s sole distillery. Art installations, like the ongoing Desert X, are hidden across the desert every year, so you’re likely to stumble across inspiration as you cross the trails.

Alternatively, the mysterious Joshua Tree National Park is just over an hour’s drive away. You can spend hours exploring the striking region, which is home to wildlife including Californian mountain lions, coyotes and bats. Locals say the best time to visit is sunset, when the unusual spiky trees and mountain landscape contrast against the orange sky.

Palm Springs is a city that loves to eat. Its annual Restaurant Week, usually held in late May or early June, is when foodies can make the most of its dining scene. Contemporary restaurants and historic bars are dotted all across the city. The Ingleside Inn has made it onto the silver screen and its restaurant, Melvyn’s, was once a regular haunt for Hollywood’s ‘Rat Pack’. Listen to live music as you dine here. Meanwhile Mr. Lyons steakhouse, a celebrity favourite for more than 75 years, serves well-loved and contemporary dishes.

If you’re seeking out modern classics, visit Workshop. The converted Twenties cinema has won awards for its design, and the upmarket dishes are worth indulging in. In spring, grab an alfresco table at Birba, a stylish Italian eatery ideal for date nights and family dinners. Or, if you love decadent breakfasts, local hotspot Cheeky’s is a must-visit – it’s well worth waiting in the ever-present queue.

Holidays to Palm Springs are popular between January and April, when mid-twenties temperatures make travel bearable. Check when nearby Coachella festival is being held before you book – it’s always in April, but the dates vary every year – as the city will be packed with festival goers, and is best avoided unless you’re one of them. Winter is also busy in Palm Springs, as temperatures rarely dip below the high teens and rain showers are few and far between.

If you don’t mind warmer temperatures, plan your Palm Springs trip for autumn – most days from late September are below 30°C. It’s best to avoid Palm Springs in the summer, as the town is baked by 40°C. It’s also the driest time of year, and the region experiences droughts most summers. If you can stand the heat, you’ll have the area to yourself, but a lot of seasonal tourist spots are likely to be closed.