Every April, the Coachella Valley attracts more than 200,000 visitors during two weekends of the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival. The influx turns Greater Palm Springs into a major destination for music fans and tourists. However, enjoying Palm Springs does not require a festival wristband.
The Palm Springs Surf Club offers daytime activities including DJ sets, live performances, a wave pool, surfing sessions, water slides, and a lazy river. Guests can also enjoy cabanas, wellness areas, food options, and poolside drinks.
Moorten Botanical Garden and Cactarium has been open to the public since the 1930s. For $7 admission ($3 for children ages 5-12), visitors can see over 3,000 species of cacti from around the world. The garden provides daily tours led by master gardeners and has plants available for purchase.
Bootlegger Tiki is located in the former Don the Beachcomber bar. It serves tiki-style cocktails with ingredients such as passion fruit and lemongrass in a setting decorated with Polynesian themes.
The Palm Springs Historical Society offers guided walking tours highlighting celebrity homes and modernist architecture from Hollywood’s past connections to the area.
Desert X features free outdoor art installations throughout Greater Palm Springs. In 2025, eleven artists participated in projects such as Sanford Biggers’ Unsui (Mirror) and Kimsooja’s To Breathe—Coachella Valley. Desert X will return from March 4 to May 7 in 2026.
Shoppers can find vintage clothing at The Frippery boutique in downtown Palm Springs. The shop specializes in colorful desert attire popular among festival-goers.
Joshua Tree National Park is less than an hour away from downtown Palm Springs. The park features unique landscapes formed by intersecting deserts and is known for its distinctive Joshua trees.
“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,” according to Visit California.
