Palm Springs Winter Oasis

DAY 1: WELCOME TO PALM SPRINGS!

Arrive in Palm Springs and meet your fellow travelers at a welcome dinner. D

DAY 2: WIND FARM, CELEBRITY HOMES

Start your day with a visit to the San Gorgonio Wind Park, where rows of towering turbines stretch across the desert landscape. During your guided tour, learn about the evolution of wind energy and the environmental considerations surrounding this impressive renewable energy project. Later, discover why Palm Springs became a longtime retreat for Hollywood stars as you tour celebrity homes throughout the city. See residences connected to stars such as Dean Martin, Elizabeth Taylor, Debbie Reynolds, and Marilyn Monroe, all drawn to Palm Springs’ warm weather and relaxed desert lifestyle. After lunch, enjoy free time to relax and explore Palm Springs at your own pace. B, L

DAY 3: LIVING DESERT, DATE GARDEN

Discover the fascinating wildlife and desert landscapes of the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens. You’ll encounter bighorn sheep, cheetahs, leopards, golden eagles, and Mexican wolves in a remarkable zoo and botanical garden representing the deserts of North America and Africa. After lunch at the Living Desert, continue to a working date garden, home to the prized Medjool date and many other unique varieties. Learn about the history and cultivation of dates while sampling several local varieties during your visit. B, L

DAY 4: JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK, PALM SPRINGS

Travel into nearby Joshua Tree National Park to experience its dramatic desert scenery, striking rock formations, and iconic Joshua trees. Along the way, take in towering rock walls shaped by the San Andreas Fault and watch for wildlife including coyotes, eagles, and bighorn sheep. After lunch, return to Palm Springs and enjoy time to relax by the pool or take advantage of the resort’s many amenities. B, L

DAY 5: AERIAL TRAMWAY, WALK OF STARS, AIR MUSEUM

Board the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway for a breathtaking journey into the mountains on the world’s largest rotating tramcars. During the ten-minute ascent, enjoy sweeping views as you rise into the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument. Later, stroll the palm tree-lined Palm Springs Walk of Stars, where the names of Hollywood legends such as Marilyn Monroe, Bob Hope, and Chevy Chase are set into the sidewalks. After lunch, visit the Palm Springs Air Museum, home to one of the nation’s largest collections of flying World War II aircraft. This evening, if you’d like, join the locals downtown for Palm Springs Village Fest. Browse artisan booths, enjoy live entertainment, and sample local food as the streets come alive for this popular weekly tradition. B, L

DAY 6: TEMECULA VALLEY

Begin the day at Sunnylands Center and Gardens, the historic estate of Walter and Leonore Annenberg. Learn more about the Annenbergs’ legacy while strolling through gardens inspired by their collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist artwork. Continue to Temecula Valley and visit Temecula Olive Oil Ranch, where you’ll learn about sustainable agriculture, olive growing, harvesting, milling, and pressing techniques. Sample extra virgin olive oils and balsamic vinegars before enjoying free time to browse the unique shops of Old Temecula. B, L

DAY 7: RETURN HOME

After breakfast, say farewell to Palm Springs and your fellow travelers as you return home with sunny memories of this desert escape. B

ACCOMMODATIONS:
Nights 1-6: Riviera Resort & Spa, Palm Springs, CA

Departure Cities:

• St. Louis
• Kansas City
• Springfield, MO

Depart: February 14, 2027
Return: February 20, 2027

Price Per Person:

• DB $3,599
• TP/QD $3,499
• SG $4,699

Price per person includes roundtrip airfare from STL, MCI, SGF. For other gateway cities, please call.

Mobility Note
Guests should be comfortable walking through zoo and garden grounds, along city sidewalks and over paved and hard-packed desert surfaces. Some stops in Joshua Tree National Park may include uneven ground, sand, gradual inclines and limited opportunities to sit. The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway requires standing during the approximately 10-minute ride.

Average Temps
Palm Springs daytime: 70–77°F
Palm Springs overnight: 45–52°F
Joshua Tree daytime: 61–66°F
Joshua Tree overnight: 39–43°F

Elevation
Palm Springs: Approximately 480 feet
Joshua Tree National Park: Approximately 900–5,000 feet
Palm Springs Aerial Tramway Mountain Station: 8,516 feet

Hotel Note
Enjoy a six-night, unpack-once stay at the Riviera Resort & Spa, a historic Palm Springs property originally opened in 1959 and once frequented by stars such as Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley. The resort is undergoing a major renovation designed to restore its mid-century modern character, with multiple pools, landscaped grounds and resort amenities for relaxing during free time.

Packing Tips
Pack comfortable walking shoes, sunscreen, sunglasses and a refillable water bottle. Bring removable layers for cool desert mornings and evenings. A warm jacket is especially important for the Aerial Tramway, as temperatures at the top are typically about 30°F cooler than on the valley floor and snow is possible.

Notes on Highlights
The Aerial Tramway climbs from the desert to an alpine forest in approximately 10 minutes, passing through dramatically different plant and climate zones along the way. The rotating tramcar provides changing views without guests needing to move around the cabin.

Guests who are uncomfortable with heights may prefer to stand near the center of the tramcar, where the rotation and views directly below are less noticeable.

Joshua Tree National Park protects the meeting point of the Mojave and Colorado deserts. Changes in elevation allow both desert ecosystems to exist within the same park, creating noticeably different scenery and plant life during one visit.

Did you know Joshua trees are not actually trees? They are members of the agave family, and their unusual branching shapes develop after the plants flower.

Palm Springs became a celebrity retreat partly because early Hollywood studio contracts required actors to remain within roughly two hours of Los Angeles in case they were called back to work. The city offered privacy, sunshine and an easy return to the studios.

The San Gorgonio Pass is one of California’s most productive wind-energy areas because air is naturally funneled between the San Bernardino and San Jacinto mountain ranges, creating frequent and powerful winds.

Other General Information
We will send 3 key communications for your tour; “Get Ready” is your email confirmation and initial tour information sent upon registration, “Get Set” email will be sent about two months before departure, “Go” trip documentation mailing is sent via USPS 3-4 weeks before departure and will include your daily itinerary, luggage tags, and final departure information.

Travel Protection is optional but highly recommended and can be purchased until the day before departure. We offer plans through battleface, information about which will be sent with your Get Ready email or can be found HERE.

Unless otherwise noted, your Sunrise Tour includes: Professional Sunrise Tour Director, meals as indicated, local step on guides including gratuity (international tour guide gratuity inclusion vary by tour), deluxe motorcoach transportation with onboard restroom, admission to activities and events as indicated, airfare from designated airports, transportation to/from designated airports from our convenient local pickup points*, luggage handling at hotels when available

We believe tipping is a personal and discretionary interaction between our guests and our staff. A typical gratuity for your Sunrise Tour Director and motorcoach driver may be $6-10 per person, per day on tour. Sunrise Shuttle drivers appreciate gratuities (suggest $5 per person) for excellent service as well. Our staff will not solicit gratuities or pass out envelopes.

We are happy to offer refreshments on most motorcoach travel days on tour. We recommend you bring a refillable water bottle to maintain healthy hydration.

If less than 4 people request a pickup point, we may ask that you choose another pickup point from which to join your Sunrise Tour.

If you would like to join a tour from a city not listed as a departure point, we would love to have you! Please discuss arrangements with our friendly reservation team. From a departure city not listed, typical airfare will be +$100 higher than our published fare for domestic tours, and +$200 for international tours.

If you have a TSA precheck or Airline Rewards numbers, you MUST give those numbers to our reservations team at least 60 days before departure, otherwise they may not be applied.

Preferred seating may not be available on group air. In some cases, seats are not assigned until the airport. Your tour fare includes an economy seat on the flight; it does not include seat selection. Seat upgrades may be available at an additional cost.

To help make our tours the most comfortable in the business, we limit Sunrise Tours motorcoaches to 80% capacity, or 44 passengers on a coach built for 55. We reserve the right to amend this practice.

Your Tour Director will rotate seats on the motorcoach each day of your tour. A single fare does not guarantee two seats on coach; you may be seated next to another friendly Sunrise Tours guest.

Terms and Conditions
Please refer to our policies HERE for more information on our terms and conditions.