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Our family loves visiting Palm Springs with kids. We live in the greater Los Angeles area and Palm Springs is only a 2.5-hour drive away which is the perfect place for a staycation. After finding a good deal on a kid-friendly hotel in Palm Springs, I was excited about our trip. I didn’t tell the kids were we going, so it was sort of a small surprise for them.
How To Vacation In Palm Springs With Kids
Interested in visiting Palm Springs with kids? Check out more on how to vacation with kids in Palm Springs below:
When Did We Go To Palm Springs With Kids
We visited Palm Springs in April.
Palm Springs Weather
On our visit, the Palm Springs weather was warm, in the 70s. Usually, Palm Springs is much hotter at this time of the year so I was surprised by the weather. In the summer it gets even hotter, 100 degrees plus.
How To Get To Palm Springs With Kids
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Los Angeles to Palm Springs Drive
We drove to Palm Springs. It took us about 2.5 hours to get there from the Los Angeles area, which is one of the reasons why I picked it. The boys slept the entire drive which was perfect!
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Palm Springs Airport
Palm Springs has an airport, so if you are flying in, you can fly directly into the airport.
How To Get Around Palm Springs
Because we drove to Palm Springs, it was easy to get around using our car. However, you can use Uber, Lyft, Taxi or take the bus if you prefer.
Palm Kid Friendly Springs Resorts
Omni Rancho Las Palmas Resort
We stayed at the Omni Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa Rancho Mirage which is in the Palm Springs area. The main reason why I chose Palm Springs for our short 3-day trip was because of this hotel. Finding kid-friendly hotels is always a win for the kids and me, so I make sure to do my research prior to every trip. I was even more excited about this hotel because of its water park, Splashtopia. The Omni Rancho Las Palmas Palm Springs Resort is an expensive hotel, and because I am keen on budget travel, I booked it on Groupon . So, make sure to check Groupon for your dates. I did a review our stay there; read more about it here – Omni Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa Rancho Mirage.
Other Kid Friendly Palm Spring Resorts
- The Westin Mission Hills Golf Resort & Spa
- La Quinta Resort & Club
- Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa
- Desert Springs JW Marriott in Palm Desert
- Doubletree by Hilton Golf Resort
- Renaissance Indian Wells
- Ace Hotel Palm Springs
Things To Do In Palm Springs With Kids
Palm Springs Aerial Tramway With Kids
This popped up on my things to do in Palm Springs list. Once you take the tramway up to the top, there are plenty of things to do there. By the way, this tramway is the largest rotating aerial tramway in the world. Once you get up there, you will find a small movie theater that plays a 15-minute movie about animals, a small natural museum, and the highlight of it all; San Jacinto State Park.
It was very windy when we visited, so we were not able to hike and explore the state park as I wanted to. Due to the elevation, it is much cooler up there, so I suggest visiting in the heart of summer for a great experience. In the winter, it snows up there so it is also a great time to visit. There is a restaurant as well and a gift shop. We didn’t eat anything there, so I am not sure how good the food is.
The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens
This Zoo is pretty big, and the exhibits are scattered around. It can get pretty exhausting walking around especially in the summer months when it is really hot, so I highly suggest that you pay for the tram. I’ve been to this Zoo twice but haven’t made my way entirely around it. I always forget to get the tram pass and then we all get so tired from walking around in the heat so we don’t spend as much as I’d like to. With the tram pass, you can ride around and get off at the stops that you want to or just stay on and enjoy the ride around the entire zoo. Also make sure to go early so that you can do some of the animal feedings, such as the giraffe feedings. Giraffes are my favorite animals so I absolutely love this activity.
Children’s Discovery Museum of the Desert / Palm Springs Children’s Museum With Kids
Visiting the children’s museum in a city is a given. The Children’s Discovery Museum of the Dessert is not as big as some of the ones we’ve been to, however they have plenty to keep kids busy. We have been to this museum before, and what I like about it is the fact that their exhibits change. It becomes monotonous if you visit the same museum all the time and do the same things, so the kids and I love that when we visit, we can expect to see something new. There are several buildings so make sure to visit them all as each one offers something different.
Relax At Your Palm Springs Resort With Kids
The point of this short trip was to relax as well as do a few activities, so we spent one of our days at the resort and didn’t leave at all. We had breakfast at the restaurant on site, BluEmber and lunch by the pool, and both times the food was absolutely delicious. I don’t fancy hotel food, so I didn’t expect it to be so good. For dinner, we ordered take out. Click to read my review on Omni Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa.
Play Tennis In Palm Springs With Kids
We spent most of the morning playing tennis with the kids and they loved it. We took our own rackets though.
Swim In Palm Springs With Kids
The kids loved the Omni Rancho Las Palmas Resort pool, lazy river, zero entry, sandpit and all the amenities.
Other Things To Do With Kids In/Around Palm Springs
- Hollywood’s Playground
- Indian Canyons
- Desert Ice Castle
- Cabazon Dinosaurs
- Tahquitz Canyon
- Palm Springs Skate Park
- Wet ‘n’ Wild Palm Springs / Knott’s Soak City
- Desert Adventures
- Palm Springs Windmill Tours
- Joshua Tree National Park
- Salvation Mountain
- Shields Date Garden
- Smoke Tree Stables
- Palm Springs Air Museum
- Palm Canyon Drive
- Get Air Trampoline Park
- Palm Desert Aquatic Center
- Village Fest
- Boomers Palm Springs
Where To Eat In Palm Springs With Kids
Palm Springs has a ton of restaurants with yummy food. It is really hard to go wrong.
Piero’s PizzaVino
Greek Islands
Omni Rancho Las Palmas
We had breakfast at BluEmber and lunch by the pool and the food was absolutely delicious.
Wilma & Frieda
Okay, just FYI, this is one of the best restaurants in Palm Springs. We have breakfast/brunch here every single time we are in Palm Springs. While waiting for our food, I gave the kids a math pop quiz and they did really well.
Giuseppe’s
Other Places To Eat With Kids In Palm Springs
Food
- Ruby’s Diner
- Las Casuelas Terraza
- Brickworks
- Kaiser Grill
- Trio
- Native Foods
- Cheeky’s
- Lulu California Bistro
- Elmer’s
- Smoke Tree BBQ & Grill
- Greek Islands
- Tyler’s Burgers
- Sherman’s Deli and Bakery
- Babe’s Bar-B-Que and Brewhouse
- Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza and Grill
Desserts
- Brandini Toffee
- Over the Rainbow Cupcakes and Desserts
- Great Shakes
- Capizzi’s Cheesecakes
- La Michoacana Ice Cream Parlor
- Ice Cream & Shop
- Lappert’s Premium Gourmet Ice Cream & Dole Whip
[ Best Websites To Find Cheap Flights & Error Fares ]
Tips For Visiting Palm Springs With Kids
- Palm Spring gets extremely hot in the summer, keep that in mind when planning to visit.
- Choosing the right hotel in Palm Springs can make or break your trip. Head over to TripAdvisor to read reviews on the best hotels in the area.
- Instead of flying into the Los Angeles LAX Airport and driving to Palm Springs, you can always fly into the Palm Springs (PSP) airport. Make sure to use Skyscanner to book your flight as it will show the cheapest and best time to fly. Don’t forget to download the Skyscanner App also to track flight prices, find hotels and much more.
Tips & Tricks For Booking Your Next Budget Trip
Flights
- Search for the cheapest flights using Skyscanner
- Make sure to download the Free Skyscanner App which also has super deals!
Accommodation
- Book hotels on TripAdvisor, HotelsCombined, Booking or Hotels
- Find vacation homes on HomeAway or VRBO
- Book very cheap all-inclusive resorts on BookVIP
Activities / Excursions
- Schedule using Viator, Get Your Guideor TripAdvisor Attractions
Rental Cars
- Reserve a rental on com, Car Rental 8or Skyscanner Car Rentals
- Find airport parking for your car on Airport Parking
Cruise
- Find the best deals on Cruise Direct
Travel Insurance
- Purchase must have travel insurance through Allianz
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