Romantic Things to Do in Palm Springs
Six date ideas built around timing, atmosphere and minimal driving
PalmSpots Editors · Published Sep 19, 2026 · Updated Sep 19, 2026
A good Palm Springs date is less about a checklist than a sequence: one memorable landscape, enough unplanned time, and dinner without a long drive afterward.
The mountain-and-dinner date
Take an afternoon tram to Mountain Station, then return for a late downtown dinner. Check operating status first: annual maintenance runs September 8–October 4, 2026. Carry a layer.
A quiet South Palm Springs morning
Start at Moorten Botanical Garden near opening. It takes 30–60 minutes; follow it with breakfast or lunch nearby.
Art, a walk and dinner downtown
Palm Springs Art Museum is an easy anchor because restaurants and bars sit within walking distance. Verify Thursday’s current free-admission program before planning around it.
The pool afternoon
Reserve through a participating hotel or destination-specific page. Availability, policies and age limits change by date.
A canyon morning
Andreas Canyon offers a manageable palm-oasis outing. Start early and treat the official last-entry time as firm.
Build dinner around the mood
Workshop Kitchen + Bar suits a polished occasion. Tac/Quila is lively and central. Birba works when an outdoor table matters more than formality.
Keep the logistics romantic
Choose one area per half-day. Joshua Tree is a separate day, not a pre-dinner detour.
FAQ
- What is a classic romantic plan?
- A mountain or canyon outing followed by a reserved dinner.
- Can couples visit without a car?
- Yes, if they stay centrally and use rideshare for outlying attractions.
- What works in hot weather?
- Use early morning outdoors, afternoon at a pool or museum, and dinner after sunset.
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In this guide
The restaurants
Workshop Kitchen + Bar
New American · Uptown Design District · $$$
Workshop Kitchen + Bar occupies a 1920s building on North Palm Canyon that was converted into one of the most striking dining rooms in California: a soaring concrete nave lined with private booths, which won a James Beard design award. The food is modern American with a wood-fired backbone — chops, whole fish, vegetable dishes that get as much attention as the proteins — and the cocktail program is the most serious in Palm Springs. It is the valley's go-to special-occasion restaurant, and it stays busy: dinner reservations on winter weekends should be made a week or two out. Sunday brunch is quieter and just as good a way to see the room.
Tac/Quila
Mexican · Downtown · $$
Tac/Quila is downtown Palm Springs' modern Mexican flagship - a high-ceilinged, plant-filled dining room on Palm Canyon Drive where the kitchen works from Mexico City and Oaxacan playbooks rather than combo-plate tradition. The short list of signatures: a duck carnitas that arrives crisped and pull-apart tender, blue-corn tortillas pressed in house, esquites finished with cotija and chile, and a mezcal and tequila program deep enough that the staff will happily steer you by region rather than brand. Cocktails are the other reason people come - the margaritas are made with fresh lime and a legible pour, and the smoky mezcal variations are the ones regulars order twice. The patio, wrapped in greenery and misted in summer, is the best seat in the house at sunset. It is a full-price restaurant, not a taqueria: expect entrees in the $20s to $30s and a room that fills up fast Thursday through Sunday.
In this guide
Where to go
Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
A rotating tram car climbs from the desert floor to alpine forest, reaching Mountain Station at about 8,500 feet. Palm Springs Aerial Tramway is in Palm Springs. Admission: Around $30 adults. Hours: Daily from 10am (8am weekends). Parking: Large lot; fills by 11am in winter. It is 30-40 degrees colder at the top. Bring a jacket even in July.
Full detailsMoorten Botanical Garden
A one-acre family-run cactarium that has been running since 1938. Moorten Botanical Garden is in Palm Springs. Admission: Around $5. Hours: Thu-Tue 10am-4pm. Parking: Street parking. Twenty minutes well spent, and the best cactus photos in town.
Full detailsPalm Springs Art Museum
Palm Springs' main art museum, a short walk from Palm Canyon Drive, with modern and contemporary art, Western and Native American collections, glass, and rotating exhibitions. Related sites include the Architecture and Design Center on South Palm Canyon, the restored Aluminaire House, and the Faye Sarkowsky Sculpture Garden in Palm Desert.
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