Palm Springs is not just for snowbirds anymore, it’s been a hot spot that attracts all ages for many years now. My family and I have visited the area for the past 8 years and we love discovering new things and places to visit. From shopping, the food and the sights around town; it’s one of our favourite destinations to visit every year.

While exploring the area we’ve found some amazing places to take pics. To help you enjoy your vacation; I’ve compiled a list of the most picturesque places to take pics while visiting Palm Springs.

Ace Hotel

Address: 701 East Palm Canyon Drive

This hotel has a cool hipster vibe with a mix of retro Palm Springs style. The hotel was converted from a Howard Johnson motel and opened in 2009. They have funky outdoor fireplaces, a great pool space and some delicious looking food from their restaurants. Although it says they are kid friendly, I wouldn’t want to stay here with my kids, simply because the crowd that stays there doesn’t seem the type that would want kids running around if you know what I mean.

When to visit: We were there bright and early, about 8:30 in the morning. This was a great time to visit because it’s quiet and everyone was still sleeping. They are known for people coming to take photos, so it is best to go at a quieter time to capture your moments. We ran into a few people snapping pics of the area too. Take a walk around the property to find all the pic worthy places.

The Windmills

Address: There isn’t a specific address to find this spot. If you take the I10 to N. Indian Canyon Drive. We turned left to go over the freeway and turned right just after the gas station on Garnet Ave. Just a short distance down, there was a pull out off the road where we stopped to capture our moments. When we asked the locals, they said to head towards the Amtrak station so that is what we put in the map to take us there.

By far one of my favourite photos I’ve ever captured of my daughter; we will be framing this one for sure! We’ve always been so mesmerized by the windmills when driving on the highway. I did some research on how we could get up and close to capture in our photos; this one isn’t as popular but it became my favourite from the trip. My husband teased me that we would be running from rattle snakes but I can assure you we didn’t see any while we visited.

When to visit: We captured our moments at sunset, which was approx. 5:30 pm on the last day in February. They key is to get the sun coming up or down; otherwise the windmills don’t show up very well in the photos, so this one takes a bit of planning ahead. We ran into another group utilizing the back drop for photos.

The Saguaro

Address: 1800 E Palm Canyon Drive

This candy coloured hotel is like no other, which makes it a must visit for taking pics. In 2012 this hotel underwent a major revamp with the goal of mimicking the colours of the desert wildflowers. It is world famous now because of it; showing up in magazines, shows and all over Instagram. My favourite thing to do is capture my kids personalities with the coloured backgrounds and put them in a collage. I frame them every year!

When to visit: This is a very busy hotel since it is such a hotspot. We visited at 8 am and it was the perfect time to capture pictures as the hotel was quiet while everyone was still sleeping. With so many places to choose from, you will be there for a while to capture it all!

The Famous Doors

Address: 1100 E Sierra Way (people do live in these homes so be respectful)

Did you know Palm Springs has some houses famous for their doors? They even offer a door tour to check them all out! I found the two most popular, That Famous Pink Door and The Party Lions. It’s funny that a door could make a house so famous but it’s true, we had to wait in a line up to take these pictures and it was first thing in the morning! The Pink Door is just a pink door, but it is the most popular house in Palm Springs because of it! The Party Lions house is 4 doors down, and the owners change out the pool floats daily for people stopping by to take photos.

When to visit: We stopped by at 8 am and the timing was perfect. These houses have become a must visit in Palm Springs and they often have line ups at them with people waiting to take pics in front of them. (As of today the Pink Door has put up a sign saying no more photographs. I am not sure if this is a final decision or if it’s because some people were being disrespectful but you may only get to drive by it.)

The Riviera

Address: 1600 N Indian Canyon Drive

This hotel has been the go to hot spot for many years since it’s opening in 1959. Many celebrities have visited over the years including Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra and more recently Beyonce and Jay-Z. It has a retro cool Palm Springs vibe and is referred to by locals as the Riv. The lobby is divided up into little “living rooms” which was really neat to see. There are many places within this hotel to capture pictures, including their carpet!

When to visit: We stopped by around 9 am and the lobby was nice and quiet for capturing photos. The hotel is world famous for it’s retro style and many people stay at it so it’s best to visit when it’s a bit quieter.

Arrive Hotel

Address: 1551 N Palm Canyon Drive

This hotel offers two must visits while in town. Ice Cream & Shop(pe) has home made ice cream made right in Palm Springs. We tried a couple flavours and they were deeelish! I love how smart this ice cream shop is putting in this neon sign, if you search them on Instagram it has made them famous in visitors pics! Customs Coffee offers classic coffee drinks and treats right next door in the hotel. They have an amazing travel wall which is a great stop for taking photos as well. Also to note, this geometric wall was directly across the street. It also makes a great photo backdrop!

When to visit: Anytime really, both locations are popular so I’m not sure there really is a quiet time. I found them both through Instagram hashtags and saw tons of people talking about both of them.

Parker Palm Springs

Address: 4200 E Palm Canyon Drive

Another must visit hotel in Palm Springs for it’s retro cool vibe. Right when you pull up to the hotel you will find this brick wall which has become famous for taking photos. This hotel is definitely worth exploring, they have so many cool areas inside the grounds you could almost get lost in there! Check out the adorable indoor/outdoor restaurant, the fire pits and the lobby.

When to visit: This hotel is busy, it’s a celebrity hot spot too! We stopped by at 7:30 am (I know it’s early but when you have kids they get up early) It was nice and quiet and the valet let us just stop to snap a few photos (we’ve explored the grounds many times before).

Hard Rock Hotel

Address: 150 S Indian Canyon Drive

The Hard Rock hotel is in the heart of downtown Palm Springs and is the best location for walking. This hotel opened in 2014 with a cool rocker vibe and lots of places to take pictures. Check out the columns built from recycled speakers to the symbols on the walls; we love the vibe inside this hotel!

When to visit: Anytime is a great time to visit this hotel. We love to walk around downtown Palm Springs as well when we stop by. Thursday nights offers a night market downtown, filled with block after block of vendors; just like a farmers market. It’s a locals favourite and is very busy so plan ahead if you want to check it out.