Palm Springs: Aerial Tramway, Sun, Fun

Palm Springs Vacation

Palm Springs, home of the popular Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, is only a couple of hours from Los Angeles or San Diego, and a savvy getaway for SoCal locals. Why go? For the sun, of course, and the clean dry air. And you can save time and 17 percent per person with a special offer of Tramway discount tickets with a new coupon code.

If nothing else, you can rag on the rich. Palm Springs stereotypes include lush golf courses, expensive condos, millionaires and movie stars escaping Hollywood between scripts. The California cliché: decadence and self-indulgence. I learned to play golf in Palm Springs. And I don’t golf, just saying. Anyone can get into the vibe around here if you try. Wanna try?

The sun shines more than 300 days a year in Palm Springs. You can swim in glamorous pools at 5-star resorts, visit the hot springs, go to the spa, ride the tram, shop, dine out, play golf, hike, take a desert hummer tour, and plenty more. The scene includes views of the majestic Mount San Jacinto Mountains, San Andreas fault, and the whole Mojave Desert oasis experience. The architecture is a mix of Spanish Colonial and mid-century modern.

My favorite activity is a trip on the PS Tram to catch the most spectacular view. It gets you out of the sweltering heat on the valley floor during the summer, and you’ll see snow (sometimes) in winter. Want Tramway deals? Read on.

Savvy 6 Palm Springs Activities

1. Palm Springs Aerial Tramway (with discount)

The PS Tram takes you up a 2 1/2 miles to the 14,000 acre Mt. San Jacinto State Park. See why the tram has been called the “eighth wonder of the world.” Take the tram to the Mountain Station at an elevation of 8,516 feet and you’ll pass through five unique life zones — from hot Mexican Sonoran Desert to Alpine Wilderness. Up top, you can hike in the summer snowshoe in the winter, dine in two restaurants, or visit a natural history museum.

• BEST DEAL: Palm Springs Aerial Tramway Discount Tickets — The tour company TrustedTours already has the cheapest price, plus they’ve given us a $1 off coupon code. Use Coupon Code PSAT55 (only valid here) for $1 off + the $2 off posted on their site. No fees will be added at checkout (bonus!) These are “Any Day” Print-At-Home tickets (but note the blackout days on the ticket source website). This is the savvy option because you’d pay full price and have to select your date/time in advance if you got tickets on the Tram’s website.
• BEST FOR PEAK DAYS: If you’re going on a high traffic day, you can book that specific day here in advance on my Palm Springs page powered by Viator. These are regular price tickets (with no added fees). Why is this savvy? Because you’re guaranteed to get in on that day — even a peak traffic day — rather than waiting until you get there when they might be all booked up.

TRAMWAY KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

• SCHEDULE: Monday-Friday first Tram up 10am. Last Tram up 8pm Last Tram down 9:45pm. Saturday, Sunday and holidays first Tram up 8am. The Tram does have blackout days, so check those before you go.
• ADDRESS: Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, One Tram Way, Palm Springs, CA 92262 (just minutes from downtown Palm Springs and just a two-hour drive from Los Angeles or San Diego).
• SAVVY TIP: Palm Springs Aerial Tramway honors Military Days in July, so all active and retired military personnel with valid military IDs get a free ride.
• HOTELS NEAR THE TRAM: Go here to for a booking page that shows hotels up to 55% off near the Palm Springs Tram (plus guest reviews, a best price guarantee, and a 1 for 10 rewards program).

2. Wet ‘n’ Wild Waterpark Palm Springs (with discounts)

This 16-acre water park is a fun activity, especially for families. You can often grab a 50% off deal for Wet ‘n’ Wild discount tickets of nearly half off. Although it’s only open during the summer months (mid-March to mid-October), this is a great place to cool off in the hot desert. The park rocks a ’50s SoCal surf and beach town vibe, and has an 800,000-gallon wave pool, surf machine, water slides and tubes; water playhouse, a six-story funnel raft ride, and more. Address: Wet ‘n Wild Palm Springs, 1500 S. Gene Autry Trail, Palm Springs, California.

3. Palm Springs Shopping

At the center of the downtown you’ll find the shopping district with plenty of designer shops, boutiques, restaurants, art galleries, and museums. Many of the shops stay open late, so you can shop until you drop, and then crawl to one of the local pubs or nightclubs, like The Hair of the Dog. Plan ahead, with a choice of outlet shopping deals to VIP luxury shopping.

• Shop and Play at Cabazon Outlets — Find out about their special package of deals and freebies.
• Private Art Gallery Tour with Luxury Shopping — From Palm Springs, we booked this tour and had a blast. It includes VIP pickup and special access to the greater Palm Springs area’s best galleries, boutiques and shops as a guest of Richard Almada, a local arts scene personality. Find out more.

4. Hikes Near Palm Springs

• Indian Canyons — a 10-minute drive from downtown Palm Springs, the Indian Canyons are four canyons preserved by the Agua Caliente Cahuilla Indians and open – for a fee – to the general public for hiking, horseback riding and picnicking.
• Palm Canyon — Hiking the 15-mile-long is moderate, with a gradual inclines and a partially paved path that takes you down into the picaresque canyon. You ‘ll find good picnic spots and a Trading Post near the trail head.
• Tahquitz Canyon — An easy two-mile loop hike that includes a 60-foot waterfall during the wet season. Families could easily do this hike with children and it takes less than two hours.

5. Palm Springs Tours

Several Palm Springs tours are available in the area. And although I’m not usually a guided tour gal, Palm Springs is an exception and the choices are good.

• Hike, Bike, Climb, Ride — The savvy way to plan your day is to book in advance (find tickets) for a fun bike tour, or jeep tour, hiking or rock climbing tour of Joshua Tree National Park. Also worth a look: BiPlane Tours, Desert Eco/Nature tours, and the ever popular Movie Stars Homes tours.
• Biplane Tours — From the open cockpit of an authentic World War II plane (1942 Vultee BT-13 warbird or 1940 Stearman Biplane), 1,000 feet above the valley, over the foothills and canyons. Leather helmet and goggles included. (Find out more.)
• Nature Tours — Nature buffs might want to check out the Palm Springs Wildlands Preserve Nature Tour, or Joshua Tree National Park Van Tour, or Wildlands Preserve Nature Tour. Also for the short list: The Living Desert zoo and botanical garden {see all}.
• Indian Canyons Jeep Tours — {Find tickets} A rugged, deep in the canyon 3-hour, small group Jeep and hiking tour to the ancestral home of the Cahuilla tribes. Includes a walk along a palm-lined stream to see the traces of historic Native American settlements, and a shady desert oasis walk to a seasonal spring.
• Hollywood Movie Star Homes Tour — A movie star haven since the 1920s, a popular celebrity crushy activity is to tour on your own (or book a guided tour) to see the old actors’ homes, including: Elvis Presley, Walt Disney, Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, Elizbeth Taylor, and Liberace.

6. Visit Palm Springs Museums

On a hot day, stay cool in on Museum Way. You can visit the Palm Springs Art Museum, Palm Springs Air Museum, Cornelia White House, McCallum Adobe, and the Sheldon Storybook Land Doll Exhibit. My fave is the Air Museum.

• Palm Springs Air Museum — Huge collection of vintage airplanes from World War II, wartime memorabilia, combat photography, murals, documentaries and interactive exhibits that let you gorge on aviation history. Army and Navy aircraft is the focus, including the B17 Bomber, Spitfire and MIG21. The flight simulator is most popular with kids. Address: 745 N Gene Autry Trail, Palm Springs, CA 92262.

PALM SPRINGS HOTEL DEALS

Staying over? Here’s where you can book a hotel in Palm Springs (occasionally up to 55% off) with a best price guarantee. SAVVY TIP: That page also shows user reviews from three top travel sites (TripAdvisor, Expedia, and Hotels.com), plus, check out their Welcome Rewards Program (collect 10 nights and get one free).

• Where I Stayed — The Palm Springs Hotel (0.8 miles from the Tramway, 1.8 miles to City center). Aptly named. I liked this small hotel for the pool and hot tub (it’s Palm Springs!). And also, I go to Palm Springs to chill out, and this hotel is quiet, with a kind and considerate staff. Also great: free wifi and parking.