• Palm Springs Visitor Center - Our tour kicks off in the parking lot of the Palm Springs Visitor Center at 2901 N Palm Canyon Drive. If you’re not already there, make your way over now. Before we begin, it’s important to note that Palm Springs is filled with historic celebrity homes, but many are concealed behind walls, hedges, or fences.

Note: This 22-mile tour highlights the essentials of Palm Springs in 2-3 hours.

• Liberace House - Shortly, we’ll have the option to detour to see the Kaufmann and Liberace Houses, two of Palm Springs’ most iconic homes. The detour takes about five minutes and is recommended if you’re not pressed for time. To visit the houses, turn right onto West Vista Chino ahead. Otherwise, continue straight to skip the detour.

• Kaufmann House - The Kaufmann Desert House is on our right, beyond that white gate. It’s regarded as one of the finest examples of mid-century modern architecture in the US! Businessman Edgar Kaufmann, who owned a successful department store in Pittsburgh, was passionate about architecture. He even had the renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright design a home called Fallingwater in Pennsylvania. So, when he decided to build a vacation home in Palm Springs, he hired the best. He contracted architect Richard Neutra, known for designing open and adaptable houses with a distinctly modern look. Neutra applied all his expertise to the Kaufmann House.

• The Movie Colony - We’re driving through the Movie Colony, a neighborhood where many Hollywood stars moved in the 1900s. Frank Sinatra, Dinah Shore, Cary Grant, David O. Selznick, Jack Benny, and Tony Curtis all lived here. The neighborhood’s charm is largely due to the El Mirador Hotel, which opened in 1928. It featured an Olympic-size swimming pool, tennis courts, stables, and a bell tower that became a Palm Springs landmark. In Hollywood’s early days, movie stars would escape to this hotel for some peace and quiet in the desert. Many fell in love with the area and commissioned famous architects like Richard Neutra, Albert Frey, and Donald Wexler to build them permanent homes here.

• Robolights - After the next intersection, find a spot to pull over and park. Then get out and look for the colorful sculptures peeking out from behind the trees on the corner of East Granvia Valmonte and North Arquilla Road. It’ll be on our right.

• Walk of the Stars Palm Springs - Here, 450 stars honor larger-than-life figures in Palm Springs history. But it’s not just movie stars; humanitarians, architects, artists, soldiers, athletes, and city pioneers are all celebrated on this walk! If they contributed to Palm Springs in some way, they get a star!

• Coachella Valley - We’re leaving downtown Palm Springs now to explore more of Coachella Valley. Does the name sound familiar? It should! This valley hosts the world-famous Coachella Music Festival. But there’s much more to it than that!

• Palm Springs International Airport - In 1939, the United States Corps of Engineers sought a location to build an Army Air Corps landing field. With the country on the brink of war, they needed space to train more soldiers. Coachella Valley’s favorable weather and mountains shielding the area from strong winds made it ideal. After the war, it became a civilian airport.

• Frank Sinatra Gravesite - Sinatra passed away in 1998. He was buried with a bottle of Jack Daniels whiskey, a Zippo lighter, a pack of Camel cigarettes, and… 10 dimes. The first few items make sense, but what’s with the dimes? That dates back to December 1963.

• San Andreas Fault - The San Andreas Fault runs the length of California and is responsible for the famous earthquakes! Here’s what happens: The Pacific tectonic plate in the Pacific Ocean pushes north, while the North American plate pushes south. The spot where these two plates meet is the San Andreas Fault!

• Willis Palm Trailhead - Just ahead is the Willis Palm Trailhead. This moderately strenuous 4-mile hike takes about three hours and climbs 500 feet in elevation. Along the loop, you can see birds, desert wildlife, and wildflowers if you visit in the spring!

• Pushwalla Palms Trailhead - Pushawalla Palms Trail is coming up on our right. Located at the bottom of the Thousand Palms Oasis Preserve, it actually goes in the opposite direction. It’s a moderate 4.5-mile hike with a 700-foot elevation gain. The views are stunning! You’ll walk along the ridge of the San Andreas Fault and see palm tree oases where water bubbles up from deep within the Earth! There are groves of palm trees! It takes around three hours to complete.

• Thousand Palms Oasis Preserve - We’ve arrived at the Thousand Palms Oasis Preserve! This magical place offers numerous walking trails, wildlife, and lush scenery. Officials are currently renovating much of the preserve after a storm caused significant damage, so the visitor center is closed until further notice. However, the trails are open from sunrise to sunset!

• Forever Marilyn - This massive statue of Marilyn Monroe stands here thanks to sculptor Seward Johnson, who designed the 26-foot-tall statue in 2011. Initially funded to be displayed in Chicago for a year, it later received sponsorship to be placed here in Palm Springs. The statue stood in Palm Springs for two years before touring the world, showcasing the artist and his work. It even moved to Australia for a while.

• 1326 N Rose Ave - This house at 1326 North Rose Avenue is often said to have been Marilyn Monroe’s residence. Bus tours and maps of famous houses have claimed this for years. However, locals suggest it might not have been hers!

• Frey House II - The Frey House II at 686 Palisades Drive isn’t open to the public, but the Palm Springs Museum offers guided tours of the property. It’s notable for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the architect behind it is known as the father of “desert modernism.” Albert Frey, a Swiss architect, earned his diploma in Switzerland and worked in Zurich, Belgium, and France. At 27, he moved to the United States and began shaping the American modernist architecture movement in New York. After completing the Museum of Modern Art in New York, he settled in Palm Springs post-World War II, just as the population was booming. These new residents needed homes.

• Palm Canyon Trail - Palm Canyon Trail is a relatively easy hike. It’s a 2-mile round trip with a 200-foot elevation gain. Most people complete it in about an hour. Hikers are treated to stunning canyon scenery along the way. However, be aware that there is an entrance fee for this trail. You can pay the fee at The Trading Post, the small building in the parking lot.

• Andreas Canyon Trailhead - Andreas Canyon is an easy hike, just a mile loop with a 175-foot elevation gain. Most people complete it in about half an hour. Along the trail, you’ll encounter over 150 plant species within half a mile! The trail features numerous palm trees, fascinating rock formations, and Andreas Creek. You can also see indentations in the rock where the Cahuilla people used to grind their food. It’s a beautiful hike!

• Moorten Botanical Garden - The Moorten Botanical Garden is a must-visit for desert plant enthusiasts. Chester “Cactus Slim” and Patricia Moorten created this garden in the 1940s. Cactus Slim had been an actor in the 1920s and 30s and even a stand-in for Howard Hughes! However, he developed severe TB on a film set and found that the dry desert air was essential for his health.

• Palm Springs Aerial Tramway - The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway is the world’s largest rotating tram car. It travels 2.5 miles along Chino Canyon, ascending to the wilds of Mount San Jacinto State Park. The tram car slowly rotates 360 degrees, offering spectacular views of the valley below! At the mountaintop, you’ll find restaurants, a gift shop, and plenty of hiking trails.

• Pioneertown - Yeehaw! There’s no place like Pioneertown! This town was created by Hollywood to replicate the Wild West. In 1946, Dick Curtis, Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, and several other showbiz personalities invested in transforming this spot in the California desert into Pioneertown. They purchased 32,000 acres of land and turned it into a living, breathing movie set. They could film movies, vacation, and even have second homes here!

• Easy-to-use app: download Action’s Tour Guide App onto your phone
• Great value: purchase per car, not per person. More affordable than bus or guided tours!
• Engaging storytelling: Uncover unique tales and thrilling history for a memorable journey!
• Perfect narrator: nothing can beat listening to a great voice. Proven with tons of rave reviews!
• Offline maps: no signal, no problem! Works perfectly without cellular or wifi.
• Comprehensive route and stops: See it all, miss nothing, leave no stone unturned!
• Go at your own pace: Start anytime, pause anywhere, enjoy breaks for snacks and photos freely!
• Hands-free: audio stories play on their own based on your location. Easy to use!

• Attraction passes, entry tickets, or reservations