Why Palm Springs Still Delivers at 110 Degrees
Palm Springs has spent a century working out what to do with extreme heat. The answer is not to fight it — it is to build an entire culture around the hours that are not brutal, and engineer every other hour around the ones that are. Things to do in Palm Springs summer are abundant, and a meaningful number of them are specifically suited to a day when the valley floor hits 110°F. The Aerial Tramway rises above it. The museums are cool and curated. The adults-only pools at boutique hotels like Azure Sky are private and purposeful. And the mornings and evenings that bookend the palm springs summer heat are genuinely excellent on their own terms. Here are 10 things worth doing, with notes on timing.
1. Ride the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
This is the best single palm springs summer activity for a hot afternoon. The tram climbs 2.5 miles to a summit station at 8,516 feet in the San Jacinto Mountains, where temperatures run 30 to 40 degrees cooler than the valley below. You step out of 112°F desert into what feels like September in the mountains — pines, trails, and clear air. The round trip takes about two hours, the views across the Coachella Valley are extraordinary, and the contrast is disorienting in the best possible way. Book tickets in advance during summer; even with thinner crowds, popular midday slots fill early. According to Visit Palm Springs’ 2024 visitor guide, the tramway is consistently the top-rated attraction for summer visitors, and it earns that position.
2 & 3. The Museums That Make Midday Indoors Worthwhile
The Palm Springs Art Museum is free on Thursday evenings and affordable every other time. The permanent collection includes significant work by Henry Moore, Anish Kapoor, and a strong selection of California desert artists. In summer the galleries are quiet enough that you can stand in front of a piece without being jostled and actually think about it. The Agua Caliente Cultural Museum downtown is newer, curated around the history and traditions of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, and consistently uncrowded between June and September. Either museum makes a solid two-hour palm springs indoor activities block during the hottest part of the day, and the two together cover a full afternoon without difficulty.
4. Spend a Full Day at the Azure Sky Hotel Pool
If you are staying at Azure Sky Hotel, the pool is not a backup plan for when it is too hot to be outside. It is the plan. The adults-only pool at this 14-room boutique property is quiet by design — no children, no competing speakers, no fight for a chair. A float, a cold drink, a book, and however many hours you want to spend there. This is the kind of pool experience that makes the palm springs summer guide write itself: you picked the right hotel, and the afternoon handles itself.
Want to see what a pool-centered summer stay looks like? Book your room at Azure Sky Hotel before the best summer dates fill.
5. Book a Spa Treatment for the Hot Hours
Afternoon spa appointments in summer are one of the most logical things you can schedule in Palm Springs. The wellness options at Azure Sky include in-room treatments and coordinated experiences with nearby spa partners. A two-hour treatment starting at 1pm puts you exactly where you want to be during the peak heat window — air-conditioned, horizontal, and well cared for. Palm springs summer activities that make sense during the hottest hours are the ones where being indoors is the whole point, and a great treatment qualifies completely.
6 & 7. Morning Architecture Walks and Gallery Browsing
Before 10:30am, Palm Springs belongs to you. The Movie Colony neighborhood — minutes from downtown — contains some of the finest mid-century residential architecture in the United States. Estates by William Krisel, Albert Frey, Donald Wexler, and Richard Neutra line quiet streets in a concentration that is almost implausible given the significance of each property. A self-guided walk takes 60 to 90 minutes and is best done before 9am when the light is still soft and the streets are empty. The same principle applies to the downtown gallery corridor along Palm Canyon Drive, where the pace in summer is unhurried enough that gallery owners actually have time to talk. These are genuinely good morning palm springs summer activities before the heat sets in.
8. Find a Great Restaurant and Stay There
A long, deliberate lunch at a restaurant with strong air conditioning is a completely legitimate summer strategy in Palm Springs — and several restaurants here do it exceptionally well. Spencer’s Restaurant, set in the historic Tennis Club district, has been doing serious food in a beautiful mid-century setting for years. Copley’s on Palm Canyon does elegant California cuisine in a former Cary Grant estate. The palm springs summer heat outside makes the experience inside feel earned, and the absence of crowds means the service is at its most attentive. Lunch at noon, out by 2pm, back to the pool or spa for the hottest hours.
9 & 10. The Air Museum and an Evening Desert Drive
The Palm Springs Air Museum is an underrated option for the afternoon hours — a serious collection of fully restored WWII aircraft in climate-controlled hangars. It reads differently than an art museum or cultural center, and for the right traveler it is genuinely riveting. Budget 90 minutes. Then, by 6:30pm, take an evening desert drive. The Coachella Valley at dusk is one of the most beautiful landscapes in California: mountains going purple, Joshua trees catching the last light, heat visibly leaving the air. Drive east toward the Salton Sea or north through the Morongo Valley and plan dinner back in Palm Springs when the patios fully open. This is the version of the palm springs summer guide that most visitors never find — and it is the best part of the day. Check Azure Sky’s happenings page for local recommendations and curated summer itineraries.
Frequently Asked Questions: Palm Springs Summer Heat
What are the best things to do in Palm Springs summer when it hits 110 degrees?
The Aerial Tramway, the Palm Springs Art Museum, the Agua Caliente Cultural Museum, and a boutique hotel pool are the four strongest options for the midday hours. Spa treatments and a long restaurant lunch are also purpose-built for this window. Plan all outdoor activity before 10:30am and after 6pm.
Are Palm Springs indoor activities actually worth doing in summer?
Several are among the best the city offers regardless of season. The Art Museum and the Agua Caliente Museum are both excellent. The Air Museum is impressive for the right visitor. The quality of these experiences in summer is as good as or better than peak season, with fewer people competing for the same space.
Is it safe to be outside when palm springs summer heat reaches its peak?
Walking outdoors between noon and 5pm is uncomfortable and can be risky in direct sun, particularly for anyone sensitive to heat. Morning hours before 10:30am and evenings after 6pm are completely manageable. Any outdoor activity planned for the midday window should be moved or replaced with something indoors.
Is the Aerial Tramway worth doing in summer specifically?
Summer is actually an ideal time for it. The temperature contrast between the valley floor and the summit is at its most extreme in July and August, which makes the experience more dramatic than any other season. The summit trails are far less crowded than in peak season. Book ahead for the best time slots.
Ready to Plan Your Palm Springs Summer Visit?
Azure Sky Hotel sits at the center of everything palm springs summer has to offer — boutique rooms, an adults-only pool, and walking distance to the restaurants, galleries, and morning architecture that make the trip genuinely worthwhile.
Book your summer stay at Azure Sky or call us at 760-469-4498.
