Taking Palm Springs tours is a great way to explore and experience everything this amazing destination offers. Learn about the area's history and culture, see the sights, get insider tips, and meet new people. Discover why Palm Springs is The Capital of Cool.
With so much to see and do, a guided tour can help you make the most of your time in this desert paradise. Here's a selection of Palm Springs tours by tour type.
By architect William Cody
Architecture & Design Tours
Palm Springs is known for its unique midcentury modern architecture and design, and several tour companies offer excursions that showcase the city's most stunning buildings and homes.
Architecture Tours by Modernism Week - Modernism Week and PS Architecture Tours have teamed up to provide the definitive modern architecture tour experience. Join them for a season-long series of carefully curated small group tours spearheaded by tour operator Trevor O’Donnell and a select team of knowledgeable, professional guides. The tour runs October – May.
Palm Springs Mod Squad offers several architecture and design tours. Kurt Cyr, a local celebrity, designer, and midcentury modern expert, is your guide. He is known for his affable personality, architectural knowledge, and inspiring tours.
The Modernism Palm Springs Tour and Icons Tour from Five Star Tours offers an in-depth look into the architects’ visual expression that made Palm Springs world famous.
The Modern Tour is the luxury tour and the oldest architectural tour operator in Palm Springs. They are also the official tour of the Palm Springs Art Museum Architecture + Design. Tour guide Michael Stern is the Author of the best-selling Rizzoli publication "Julius Shulman: Palm Springs and the Director and Producer of the film "Julius Shulman: Desert Modern," which has aired on PBS. He curated the exhibition "Julius Shulman: Palm Springs," which is the largest exhibition of Shulman's work that has ever been done and the largest exhibition exploring Palm Springs' amazing collection of midcentury modern architecture and design.
The Palm Springs Modernism Committee created a self-drive map of Modernism Palm Springs, which you can purchase at the Palm Springs Visitor Center.
Mid-Century Architecture Self-Guided Tour
Bike Tours
On the Palm Springs Historical Society biking tours, you will see midcentury gems up close, woven among a variety of architectural styles and stunning scenery. Stop for photos; hear fascinating tales and the history of the famous architects, celebrities, and pioneers. You will be provided with a 7-speed bike, a helmet, and an audio receiver with an earpiece so you can hear your guide. Bike tours run from October to May.
Big Wheel Tours offers an Indian Canyon Bike and Hike Tour. You will start riding from their shop in downtown Palm Springs. The bike route is a 10-mile round trip and takes you through some of Palm Springs's older neighborhoods. On this tour, you will enter Indian Canyons, the ancestral home of the local Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, and climb to the Andreas Canyon trailhead. From there, you will take an easy and scenic nature walk that includes several stream crossings, incredible rock formations, a canopy of native palm trees, and stark desert canyon scenery.
The Big Wheel Mountain Bike Tours are fully customized private tours reserved just for your group. They take you to a pristine desert landscape where you can choose from many trails. Their expert guides will cater to the route to suit your ability level, from beginner to expert. The trails go through washes or along ridge lines and vary from sandy to rocky.
Palm Springs Big City Loop Bike Tour
Deepwell Ranch Estates Bike Tour
Self-Guided Bike Tour – South Palm Springs
Celebrity Tours
Over the years, Palm Springs has been home to many Hollywood celebrities, and several tours focus on the glitz and glamour of Tinseltown. These tours often include visits to celebrity homes and other famous landmarks.
The Five Star Adventures Legends and Icons Tour takes you back in time to see over 50 movie star homes of the past and present. It’s a comprehensive narrated tour that is 1.5 – 2 hours in length. Places you will see include the homes of Leonardo DiCaprio, Kirk Douglas, Liberace, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, and many more.
Travel through beautiful Palm Springs on the Best of the Best Rich and Famous Tour and learn history and facts about the playground of the stars. Your entertaining guide will drive through the famous neighborhood of Las Palmas, regale you with stories, and play a fun and often hilarious game of "Guess The Stars Homes." Please note that this tour is only available for groups of 10 or more, so please contact them to arrange your group tour.
Home Marilyn Monroe stayed.
There is also a celebrity self-drive map of the stars you can purchase at the Palm Springs Visitor Center. It includes a complete listing of the homes, addresses, and driving directions.
Culinary Tours
Visit 4 to 5 Palm Springs tasting stops along your three-hour narrated walking tour on Desert Tasty Tours. Enjoy a smorgasbord of samples — enough for lunch. Learn about each location, what makes them unique, and how they fit into the culinary tapestry and vibe of downtown Palm Springs. Eating your way through the tour is just one of the tasty ingredients… Add a dash of history, a cup of culture, and a dollop of famous resident name-dropping, and you get a delicious day of fun! All tastings are included in your ticket price. Seasonal – does not operate in the summer.
Jeep Tours
A jeep tour is a great option for exploring the rugged wilderness surrounding Palm Springs. These tours take you deep into the canyons and mountains of the Coachella Valley landscape.
Desert Adventures Red Jeep Tours
Since 1988, Desert Adventures has provided the most highly regarded outdoor adventures in the Palm Springs area.
On the San Andreas Fault Jeep Tour, you will learn about the plants, animals, geology, and seismology of the California Desert and San Andreas Fault Zone. This tour also explains how and why the Cahuilla Indians lived in the fault zone and how they built and maintained a vibrant culture in this arid and inhospitable environment.
Red Jeep Tours offers the Indian Canyons Walking Tour by Jeep. Journey to the ancestral homeland of Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians where stunning rock formation and the contrasting greens of magnificent California fan palms and more than 150 species of plants beckon travelers to these lush oases. Along the way, your naturalist guide will engage and entertain you with stories about the lifestyle, culture, and beliefs of the Cahuilla Indians, our local Native American Tribe.
Best of the Best Indian Canyons Tour is approximately 2.5 hours and includes a 30-minute nature hike in Andreas Canyon.
Big Wheel Tours
Big Wheel Tours offers a San Andreas Fault off-road Jeep Tour. You will see what geologists have called ”the most tortured landscape on earth” as you visit the backcountry trails of a Bureau of Land Management Wilderness zone. Sheer canyon walls, fascinating geology, and abundant native desert plant and animal life are highlights of this tour. This is the most colorful portion of the San Andreas Fault in all of California. The spectrum of layers and colors will dazzle you.
The Big Wheel Hiking Tours are customized to your needs. Our highly trained naturalist guides will provide entertaining commentary for your tour, hotel pickup, drop-off, and refreshments to ensure that your Palm Springs area hike will be a memorable and enjoyable experience.
Online Tours
Palm Springs Modernism Committee has created a Midcentury Modern Tour Mobile App. which you can download for the app store. The guided tour includes over 80 midcentury landmarks in Palm Springs, 12 intimate profiles of leading architects, and videos of interiors and exteriors, among other things. It's written and narrated by top architectural historians and experts. The cost is only $4.99.
Palm Springs Modern Tours are self-drive and walking tours from the safety and comfort of your own car, plus the convenience and luxury of your own schedule. One you download the tour, routes are integrated with Google mapping for directions.
The Grand Tour
If you want a general overview, the All About Palm Springs Tour is offered through Five Star Adventures Tours. You must call to book this tour and it only runs on Thursday. This will include stars homes, designated historic districts, landmarks, a ride on the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, and a visit to VillageFest. This tour begins at 2 pm.
Walking Tours
History
Palm Springs Historical Society offers walking tours and biking tours. The walking tours focus on historic neighborhoods, distinguished by a combination of the celebrities and local pioneers who called them home. It also includes information about the architects and builders who shaped the city’s development. Due to the heat, the walking tours operate October – March.
Windmill Tour
The Palm Springs Windmill Tours take you on a journey to learn about wind energy, how wind turbines work, and the history of the wind farm.
Their seasonal Bus Tours offer an energy tour that starts on a private wind farm and concludes with a drive around the San Gorgonio Pass, which has become an important energy corridor. The tour includes a presentation video, a short walk through artifacts from 40 years ago, and close-up views of the sleek modern operating wind turbines we see today. The tour continues on a perimeter drive to see utility solar farms, the Devers substation where energy is added to the electrical grid, and the new Desert Peak Energy storage facility. They also offer a year-round self-driving tour.
All Tours
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