Things to do in Palm Springs for golfers: rest days, rainy days and evenings

The best things to do in Palm Springs between rounds are the Aerial Tramway, a canyon hike, a day in Joshua Tree, an evening on El Paseo and a soak in Desert Hot Springs. For rainy days there are museums, a theatre and a spa, and for golfers who cannot stop, the valley's only lit course in Indio runs until 10 PM.

This guide groups things to do in Palm Springs and across the valley by area, so a rest day starts near your base. Locations are from OpenStreetMap as of November 2, 2026; opening hours, prices and ownership change, so confirm before you go. Golf prices carry the date they were seen.

Quick facts

• Classic rest day: Palm Springs Aerial Tramway to about 8,500 feet.
• Full-day trip: Joshua Tree National Park (entry fee).
• Evening strolls: Palm Canyon Drive in Palm Springs, El Paseo in Palm Desert, Old Town La Quinta.
• Rain days: 2.7 to 3.1 a month from December to February at Palm Springs airport, fewer the rest of the year.
• Night golf: Indio Golf Course, lit until 10 PM, $50 in winter 2026-27.
• Casinos: Agua Caliente (three locations), Fantasy Springs, Spotlight 29, Augustine and Morongo.

Distances and figures worth knowing

Things to do in Palm Springs itself: the west end

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway. A rotating tram climbs Chino Canyon from Valley Station on Tramway Rd to Mountain Station in Mt San Jacinto State Park, where trails begin. It is much cooler at the top, so bring a layer. It is the obvious half-day for a group based in Palm Springs, and the classic summer escape from the heat.

Indian Canyons. Agua Caliente tribal land south of town has palm-oasis hikes in Palm, Andreas and Murray canyons, with a tribal entry fee and seasonal hours. The same tribe owns Indian Canyons Golf Resort, 7 minutes from downtown Palm Springs. A morning hike and an afternoon round on the South course is an easy day; see the Indian Canyons South course guide.

Downtown museums and architecture. The Palm Springs Art Museum sits at the foot of the mountain behind downtown. Its Architecture and Design Center on S Palm Canyon Dr is the starting point for the town's mid-century modern houses, and several operators run guided tours. The Agua Caliente Cultural Museum is in the cultural plaza on Tahquitz Canyon Way, beside the Spa at Sec-he, which sits on the town's original hot mineral spring. Moorten Botanical Garden, a small cactus garden off S Palm Canyon Dr, is an hour's visit.

Palm Springs Air Museum. Mostly WWII-era aircraft in hangars beside the airport, indoors and out of the sun. Escena is just north of the airport, so it pairs with a morning round there.

Desert Hot Springs and Cathedral City

North of I-10, Desert Hot Springs sits on hot mineral water and has many small spa hotels. Two Bunch Palms is the best-known, and Cabot's Old Indian Pueblo Museum is the town's hand-built adobe museum. It is a natural recovery afternoon after 36 holes.

In Cathedral City, Boomers on E Palm Canyon Dr has mini golf, go-karts and an arcade, and Palm Springs Surf Club on S Gene Autry Trail is a wave-pool venue for a hot afternoon (session booking and spectator access not checked).

Rancho Mirage and Palm Desert: the middle

El Paseo. Palm Desert's shopping and dining street, with galleries, boutiques and steakhouses, is the evening stroll for a mid-valley group. Westfield Palm Desert on Hwy 111 is the main enclosed mall, with a cinema nearby, and the McCallum Theatre by the College of the Desert hosts touring shows, concerts and comedians.

The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in south Palm Desert is best in the morning. Sunnylands Center & Gardens, the visitor centre of the Annenberg estate on Bob Hope Dr in Rancho Mirage, has desert gardens. DSRT Surf is a wave pool beside Desert Willow.

Coachella Valley Preserve. From the Thousand Palms visitor centre in the Indio Hills, easy palm-oasis trails make a good early walk before an afternoon tee time.

La Quinta and Indio: the east end

Old Town La Quinta is a small walkable village of shops, galleries and restaurants around Main St, quiet in the evenings and close to the Pete Dye Mountain course and PGA West. Marvyn's Magic Theater on Washington St runs evening shows.

Shields Date Garden on Hwy 111 in Indio is a date farm, store and garden known for date shakes and gift boxes to take home. The Coachella Valley History Museum is on Miles Ave in Indio.

Salton Sea. California's large inland lake, about 45 minutes from La Quinta. Start at the visitor centre on the north shore; Bombay Beach is further down the east shore. Expect birding, an eerie landscape and little shade.

Joshua Tree National Park

A full day north-east of the valley. Keys View looks down over the Coachella Valley toward the Salton Sea, and the south (Cottonwood) entrance off I-10 is closest to Indio. There is a National Park Service entry fee. Go on a day you are not golfing; it does not fit around a round.

Casinos

The Agua Caliente tribe runs three casinos, in Rancho Mirage, downtown Palm Springs and Cathedral City. Fantasy Springs is in Indio, next to its own course, Eagle Falls. Spotlight 29 and Augustine are in Coachella, and Morongo is off the valley at Cabazon on I-10, by the outlets.

Golf extras: night golf, practice and rentals

• Night golf in Indio. The Indio Golf Course is an 18-hole par 3, lit until 10 PM, with a lit range from sunrise to 10 PM Tuesday to Sunday. The $50 winter green fee is walking; rental clubs are $25 and range clubs $10. Start by about 7 PM to finish 18. See the Indio Golf Course guide.
• Practice. Desert Willow has a full practice facility and Golf Academy. Mission Hills Gary Player lists a range and lessons. Classic Club has a range, chipping area and putting green, and rents Callaway clubs for $90; see the Classic Club course guide.
• Shopping. The PGA TOUR Superstore is on the Hwy 111 retail strip in La Quinta (hitting bays and fitting not verified).
• In the Pass. The Morongo course at Tukwet Canyon has a 420-yard range with buckets from $5, worth it only if you are playing there on the way in from LA.

No Topgolf is mapped in the Coachella Valley, and simulator bars are not covered here.

Rainy days

Rain is rare: even December to February average only 2.7 to 3.1 rain days a month at Palm Springs airport. If you get one, the indoor things to do in Palm Springs and the valley are the Air Museum, the Art Museum, Westfield Palm Desert and its cinema, the McCallum Theatre, the Spa at Sec-he, Marvyn's Magic Theater and the Desert Hills outlets at Cabazon. See Palm Springs weather by month.

Fitting things to do in Palm Springs into a golf trip

• Four-day buddies trip: one evening on Palm Canyon Drive or El Paseo, one round of night golf. See the Palm Springs golf trip itinerary and the buddies golf trip guide.
• Snowbird winter: the tramway, Joshua Tree and the Salton Sea each make a good day off between weekly rounds.
• Summer: golf at dawn, then the tramway or a spa in the afternoon. See Palm Springs summer golf.

After the outing comes dinner; our where to eat in Palm Springs guide covers the 19th hole by area. For where to base, read where to stay for golf in Palm Springs.

Plan it on the map

Open the Palm Springs golf map to see the courses near each outing and your base. The $30 plan can leave a rest day in the right place, near the tramway or El Paseo, and fit night golf into a trip or a whole winter stay.