Palm Springs Aerial Tramway: Breathtaking Mountaintop Escape
On a hot summer's day, one of the best things to do in Palm Springs is to take a ride from the dry desert floor with the Aerial Tramway, 5,873 feet up into the cool climate of the San Jacinto Mountains. Come and ascend into a pristine wilderness aboard the world's largest rotating tramcars! Truly one of the greatest experiences in Southern California!
Reviews
Reviews and Rating (Tripadvisor)
5 stars
4 stars
Reviews by Tripadvisor travelers
Wendy_T, 10/30/2025 12:10:48 PM
The experience was a delight. Will definitely recommend this one to friends and family who are looking for something similar. I would also like to add that Gill was a great tram operator. He interacted with everyone and had the whole car singing.
ChandraS3, 10/30/2025 10:34:52 AM
It was a wonderful experience to take the Aerial Tramway. It was a spectacular ride to the top. Due to paucity of time I did not go for a trek. There is a gift shop, restaurant and viewing decks on top. A must do activity in Palm Springs.
lorrainea774, 10/29/2025 5:19:42 PM
Great ride. Not for the faint of heart! Gorgeous views. Parking cost $15 in addition to your ticket. Nice gift shop. The park is breathtaking once you arrive. Easy trails
Christie_R, 10/28/2025 12:38:54 PM
Just know that the tram turns 360 degrees. If you get nausea from car rides or boats take some Dramamine. Otherwise, the views are beautiful.
Gary_H, 10/26/2025 10:39:43 PM
There can be a wait until your ticket can be boarded but there is food and drinks available at the lower section.
bryanandheatherd2024, 10/26/2025 6:07:14 PM
We had a great time using the tram! The rotating floor is a unique feature to allow everyone to see every view several times. The restaurants at the top were great. We had the lucky experience of the tram shutting down, so we were stuck at the top. All staff were calm and helpful. We enjoyed the bar, and there was plenty of food available. It was worth the experience to take the tram down in the dark - this was spectacular! The state park offers several easier trails and some challenging ones. Biggest complaint: you have to pay for parking in addition to the cost of the tram.
Linda_D, 10/25/2025 10:45:50 AM
Such fun to go up the tram to the top of mountain! It’s a little anti-climatic at the top, but the views are fabulous and the ride is very enjoyable. I would do it again!
Ray_D, 10/25/2025 9:09:50 AM
The Tram was a great experience, the atmosphere of being so high up was breathtaking. Even though we had a 90 minute wait before riding the Tram, it went by very fast and the patio waiting area was very nice.
G7642OAjims, 10/23/2025 1:39:38 PM
This is definitely a must see while in Palm Springs. If your a hiker you will absolutely love the beautiful trails available! Hungry, lunch, dinner and options of cousine are available. The people are extremely informative and we would highly recommend exploring the beautiful outdoors in Palm Springs. 🌴
Jacquelyn_H, 10/23/2025 1:22:17 PM
Elevators can break down. Old people don't have much exercise capacity at 8500 ft. Movies are very good.
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Please present voucher to the ticket office. Tickets will be timed for the next available tram car as a first come first serve basis.
- The Tramway is subject to delays and periodic shutdowns due to unforeseen circumstances and is not responsible for ticket refunds or the inability to redeem a voucher
- Tramway cars hold 80 people each and there are no seats. Passengers remain standing throughout the journey up the mountain
- Distance is approximately 12,800 feet, with a vertical ascent of 5,873 feet - 15 minutes travel time one way
- The tramway is known as a double reversible type of aerial tramway. Each car remains on one pair of track cables moving up and down without turning around. Each car serves as a counter balance to the other, the descending car is helping pull the ascending car up the mountain
- Strollers are permitted on this tour
- During holiday periods, you may experience long lines. We recommend you travel outside of these peak times to fully enjoy everything the tramway and mountain have to offer.
- There is parking in 13 paved lots near Valley Station. There is free shuttle service from parking lots to Valley Station entrance available weekends and holiday periods
No departure point available
Redemption
• Please present this voucher at the Tramway ticket booth to redeem your Tram ticket • Please note there is no cell reception at the check-in area. If presenting an e-voucher, you should have this ready on your phone prior to parking your car. Tickets will be timed for the next available tram car as a first come first serve basis.24 hours before travel date - 100% refund
Less than 24 hours before travel date - 0% refund