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Palm Springs Itineraries
- Palm Springs in Five Days
If You Have 1 Day
If you've just slipped into the desert for a day, focus your activities around Palm Springs. Get an early-morning scenic overview by taking the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway to the top of Mount San Jacinto. In the afternoon head for Palm Canyon Drive, where you can have lunch and pick up tickets for an evening performance of the Fabulous Palm Springs Follies (better still, make reservations before your visit). You can also visit Palm Desert, the trendiest of the desert cities, for a walk through the canyons and hillsides of the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens and a preshow dinner at a restaurant on El Paseo.
If You Have 3 Days
Palm Springs makes a good base for exploring the area. On your first day head to the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway in the morning and have lunch at a sidewalk café on Palm Canyon Drive. Spend the afternoon browsing through the Uptown District shops or (unless it's the height of summer) hiking through the Indian Canyons.
On Day 2 take an early-morning drive to Twentynine Palms and Joshua Tree National Park, where you can explore the terrain, crawl through the entrance to Hidden Valley, and stop by the Oasis Visitor Center. Have a picnic lunch in the park or head back to El Paseo, in Palm Desert, for a midafternoon bite before exploring the chic shopping area. On the third morning take in the Palm Springs Art Museum. In the afternoon pamper yourself at a spa, then have dinner and take in a performance of the Fabulous Palm Springs Follies.
If You Have 5 Days
If you have five days to spend in the desert, you'll have time to explore beyond the immediate Palm Springs area. On your first day take in a sweeping view of the Coachella Valley from the top of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway in the morning, and stroll along Palm Canyon Drive in the afternoon. On the second morning visit the Palm Springs Art Museum.
Then grab a picnic lunch and head out to Indian Canyons, where you can eat by a waterfall. By evening you'll be ready to live it up at one of the desert's nightspots. Spend Days 3 and 4 at Joshua Tree National Park. You can camp in the park or stay at a B&B in Twentynine Palms, just outside the park. In the evening, be sure to gaze at the stars. On Day 5 get an early start and complete your drive through the park so you can arrive back in the Palm Springs area for lunch. Check into a spa for the afternoon, and catch the Fabulous Palm Springs Follies on your last night.
Alternatively, you can spend Days 3 and 4 in quiet Borrego Springs, exploring the wonders of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and the Salton Sea. On the fifth morning drive to Palm Desert to visit the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, have lunch on El Paseo, do some shopping, and head back to your hotel for one last dip in the pool.
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