Both Palm Springs and San Diego are popular vacation spots located in Southern California.
This post will look at the differences between them to help you decide where to visit on your next trip! It covers hotels, activities, atmosphere, nightlife, beaches and more!
Summary – Palm Springs vs San Diego
| Palm Springs | San Diego |
|---|---|
| Desert resort town | Coastal beach city |
| Upscale, luxury hotels | All types of hotels |
| Relaxed, laid-back | Laid-back city vibes |
| Unbearable summer temperatures | Perfect year-round weather |
| National Park, hiking, pools | Beaches, surfing, parks |
| More expensive | Less expensive |
Palm Springs is a desert resort town located about two hours east of Los Angeles. It is most famously known as Hollywood’s playground, where movie stars escape for some rest.
Palm Springs is a popular weekend getaway and high-end desert escape. It’s very relaxed and has stunning mountain scenery.
In comparison, San Diego is an urban city that is famous for its laid-back vibe and is best known for surfing, golden beaches, perfect year-round weather and an easygoing feel.
San Diego is much more crowded and touristy compared with Palm Springs which is more relaxed and has much fewer people.
Palm Springs is located in the hot desert so temperatures soar in the summer. San Diego is a coastal, beach city that never gets too hot or too cold.
Which Is Bigger? Palm Springs or San Diego
San Diego, being the 8th largest city in the US and the 2nd largest in California, is much bigger than Palm Springs.
Palm Springs covers just 245km2 in the Sonoran Desert with a small population of just 47,800 people.
San Diego is enormous in comparison, covering 964km2 with a population of 1.4 million people.
Which Has Better Activities? Palm Springs or San Diego
Whilst both locations have plenty of things to do, San Diego has a much wider variety of activities available compared with Palm Springs.
Activities In Palm Springs
Palm Springs is a relaxing destination with less activities available. Most people come to Palm Springs to rest – a day by the pool is often the way to go.
Top Activities In Palm Springs:
- Living Desert Zoo and Gardens
- Desert Hot Springs
- Moorten Botanical Garden
- Horseback riding
- Wet ‘n’ Wild Park
- Palm Springs Air Museum
In Palm Springs, expect to find large celebrity summer homes, country clubs and golf courses all surrounded by palm trees and mountains. Why not see what Palm Springs has to offer on a bike tour?
You can also take the Aerial Tramway (which is the world’s largest rotating tramcar) along the cliffs of Chino Canyon which has an elevation of 8,516 feet!
The tram cars rotate slowly offering picturesque views of the valley floor below. You will feel like you’re up in the clouds here!
Once at the top, you can enjoy the restaurants, hiking trails and observation decks that sit atop the cliffs.
You can also easily take a day trip to the nearby Joshua Tree National Park from Palm Springs. I’d recommend joining a tour of the National Park so you don’t miss anything.
Two surreal deserts meet inside this National Park, creating a strange but unique desert flora. This almost magical park has tons of interesting rock formations, Yucca trees and more.
Activities In San Diego
San Diego has so many different activities available – there is something for everyone in this SoCal metropolis.
Top Activities In San Diego:
- Coronado Beach
- Balboa Park
- San Diego Zoo
- La Jolla
- Whale Watching
- San Diego Bay
San Diego sits on San Diego Bay, one of the most beautiful natural harbours in the USA. You can even jump on a boat for a cruise around San Diego Bay – look out for sea lions!
If you want something a bit more active, then you can try out a pedal boat instead.
Balboa Park is filled with some of San Diego’s top attractions including San Diego Zoo, 17 museums, gardens, trails and so much more. For a bit of fun, head out on a scavenger hunt around Balboa Park.
You can also explore epic Balboa Park by segway if you prefer.
In Downtown San Diego, the Gaslamp District is the heart of the city. Here you’ll find lively bars, shops, restaurants, art galleries and museums.
For a bit of fun, explore the Gaslamp District by segway.
La Jolla is an upscale village-style neighborhood in northern San Diego. Known for its rugged coastlines, it’s a great place for a scenic cliff walk with epic ocean views.
Join a sea cave kayaking tour in La Jolla to see dolphins, seals and stunning coastal scenery. This is one of the best places in California to see wild sea lions!
To make sure you don’t miss anything, book onto a San Diego day tour.
You’ll be able to experience all of the scenic highlights of San Diego in one day including the sea lions of La Jolla, the views from the top of Mount Soledad and the wonders of Balboa Park.
San Diego is also located incredibly close to the Mexican border so many people take a day trip to Tijuana for some authentic Mexican food and a fun day out.
Which Has Better Accommodation? Palm Springs vs San Diego
Both Palm Springs and San Diego have great hotels however San Diego has a much wider range of places to stay.
Accommodation In Palm Springs
In Palm Springs you’ll find a wide range of luxury 5-star hotels. All come with large, refreshing pools perfect for a dip after a long day in the desert sun.
Most of the hotels are large resorts including a spa, sports facilities and more so you can spend most of your time there for a perfect, relaxing getaway.
Best Hotels In Palm Springs
- Parker Palm Springs
- L’Horizon Resort & Spa
- Kimpton Rowan Palm Springs
- Amin Casa Palm Springs
- Avalon Hotel
Accommodation In San Diego
San Diego has an impressive range of hotels from small B&Bs to luxury, 5-star hotels and everything in between.
Best Hotels In San Diego:
Which Has Better Beaches? Palm Springs vs San Diego
San Diego has great beaches, being one of the US’s most visited coastal cities.
Unfortunately, due to Palm Springs not being located on the coast, there are no beaches there.
Palm Springs
Whilst Palm Springs doesn’t have beaches as it is located away from the coast in the desert, you will be able to spend your time relaxing by a pool instead.
No matter where you choose to stay in Palm Springs, one thing is almost certain: a pool is never far away, as nearly every vacation rental and hotel will have their own pool.
Beaches In San Diego
San Diego is a beach-lovers paradise!
There are plenty of gorgeous coastal towns to explore including the breathtaking coastline of La Jolla and Mission Beach.
La Jolla is a super popular spot for water sports including surfing, snorkelling and kayaking or even hand gliding! This area is stunning with 300-foot sea cliffs, rocky reefs, secluded coves and, of course, golden sandy beaches.
Make sure you join a sea cave kayaking tour in La Jolla to see dolphins, sea cliffs and hidden coves.
Mission Beach is a super laid-back neighborhood whose sands attract surfers, sunbathers and volleyball players. You can also climb aboard a whale watching cruise from Mission Bay whilst you’re there.
Head over to Sunset Cliffs in the evenings for unforgettable Pacific Ocean sunset views.
San Diego is also home to a range of other beautiful beaches including Pacific Beach, Ocean Beach, Flat Rock Beach and many more!
Which Is Better for Nightlife? Palm Springs or San Diego
The nightlife scene is very vibrant in both Palm Springs and San Diego.
Palm Springs nightlife is much more high-end whereas San Diego has pretty much any type of establishment you could want!
Nightlife In Palm Springs
Palm Springs does have a pretty good nightlife scene. Once the sun goes down, the nightlife really heats up in Palm Springs.
Whether you want to sip on a handcrafted cocktail, listen to live music or dance the night away, Palm Springs offers endless possibilities.
Try sipping on a cocktail poolside at one of Palm Springs many pool bars. Make sure you check out High Bar at Kimpton Rowan Palm Springs as this is the only rooftop pool bar in the area!
You could also head over to Soleil Pool & Bar at Margaritaville Resort where they let you relax out by the poolside fire pits and watch the stars while you drink.
Nightlife In San Diego
The nightlife in San Diego is also vibrant and fun.
Head downtown to the city’s Gaslamp Quarter which is the centre of San Diego’s nightlife scene. It is famous for having many rooftop bars, nightclubs with celebrity DJ’s and atmospheric jazz clubs.
The Gaslamp Quarter features 16 blocks packed with over 180 restaurants, 50 bars and 10 nightclubs.
You could head to a nightclub with a world-class DJ and dance the night away or sip on a hand-crafted cocktail in a fancy rooftop lounge. San Diego has it all.
San Diego is also pretty well known for its craft beer scene so make sure to try some on your night out.
Which Has Better Weather? Palm Springs vs San Diego
As Palm Springs is in the desert, it can get ridiculously hot in the summer. San Diego has year-round perfect weather.
Weather In Palm Springs
Avoid heading to Palm Springs in the summer as the unbearable temperatures can reach up to 107ºF (42ºC) in June, July and August.
March/April is the best time to visit with temperatures reaching 88ºF (31ºC) at this time.
Weather In San Diego
San Diego has year-round perfect weather making it an excellent vacation spot at any time of year.
San Diego is great in the summer, reaching around 77ºF (25ºC). It also still reaches reasonable temperatures during winter, getting up to around 66ºF (19ºC) in the coldest parts of the year.
Which Is More Affordable? Palm Springs or San Diego
Both Palm Springs and San Diego are fairly expensive places to vacation however Palm Springs is definitely more expensive than San Diego.
Things like hotels, food, drinks, transport will all cost more in Palm Springs.
If you’ve got your heart set on Palm Springs then you can make some savings by vacationing in the off-season summer months. If you can bear the heat then this will save you some cash.
Both Palm Springs and San Diego are fantastic vacation destinations.
I hope this article was helpful in highlighting the main differences of Palm Springs vs San Diego.
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