Every April more than 200,000 people flood the Coachella Valley, a festival-fueled migration that turns Greater Palm Springs into the capital of the music world for a pair of back-to-back weekends. But with or without a wristband to the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival (April 10–12 and 17–19, 2026), Palm Springs is a blast—a Hollywood-playground-turned-midcentury-hot spot-turned-Instagrammer’s delight, where you can party poolside and soak up history in the desert.
Whether you’re filling daytime hours before heading to the Empire Polo Club or assembling an itinerary sans festival ticket, start your planning with these seven ideas, and bookmark our tips on The Beginner's Guide to Coachella.
Chill at the The Surf Club
This luxurious desert daytime retreat at the Palm Springs Surf Club boasts DJ sets and performances, a giant wave pool and surfing expression sessions, water slides, and a lazy river. It's not just about water fun here though—gear up for the evening's entertainment with resort-style cabanas, wellness zones, gourmet food, and refreshing poolside cocktails.
Wander the Moorten Botanical Garden and Cactarium
Created in the 1930s as a private family garden, this 1.5-acre property is now a public oasis, where visitors pay $7 ($3 for kids age 5-12) to explore a wonderland of cacti from around the globe. More than 3,000 species are on view at Moorten, where master gardeners lead daily tours, Instagrammers pose among the thorny residents, and shoppers pick up succulents to take home.
Sip a fruity cocktail at Bootlegger Tiki
Tucked into the former home of tiki bar Don the Beachcomber—and named for the tiki pioneer’s original career—this petite cocktail bar is a celebration of Polynesian pop. Grab a booth under a blowfish lamp and order powerful drinks made with passion fruit, lemongrass, and lots and lots of rum.
Take a tour at Palm Springs Historical Society
Before it was Coachella headquarters, Palm Springs was Hollywood’s favorite playground, a weekend escape just two hours from L.A. Join the Palm Springs Historical Society for a guided stroll among the homes of stars like Elizabeth Taylor, Katherine Hepburn, and Leonardo DiCaprio, or book a tour of the town’s famous Modernist architecture, including the 1947 hotel by star architect William Cody.
See free outdoor art installations at Desert X
After a wildly successful debut in 2017, Desert X has become a Greater Palm Springs tradition, with a new series of art installations set in and reflecting on the desert each year. The creations of eleven artists graced the valley in 2025, including Sanford Biggers’ whimsical Unsui (Mirror), Kimsooja’s glass-and-light meditation To Breathe—Coachella Valley, and Sarah Meyohas' undulating Truth Arrives in Slanted Beams. Desert X 2026 will run from March 4 through May 7; until then, find out which installations from 2025 can still be viewed on the online map.
Shop for a festival outfit at The Frippery
You know the Palm Springs uniform: colorful kaftans, boho designs, mod threads, and accessories. Outfit yourself for a desert weekend at this delightful vintage shop, stocked with racks upon racks of photo-worthy attire.
Explore Joshua Tree National Park
Less than an hour from downtown Palm Springs is Joshua Tree National Park, where the Mojave and Colorado Deserts intersect in a landscape of prickly cactus gardens, sculpted boulders, meadows of wildflowers, and, of course, Joshua trees, so named by Mormon settlers who thought the branches resembled Joshua reaching skyward in prayer. Bookmark a day for exploring or stay the night to take in spectacular starlit skies.