El Paseo is where the Coachella Valley goes to shop, stroll and see and be seen. Running parallel to Highway 111 in Palm Desert, about half an hour down-valley from Palm Springs, this landscaped boulevard is lined with more than 300 shops, over a dozen restaurants from casual cafés to fine dining, and several art galleries, with a median planted with flowers and palms and dotted with a rotating exhibition of public sculpture. It is often compared to Beverly Hills' Rodeo Drive, and the comparison holds at its anchor, The Gardens on El Paseo, a courtyard center with names such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany and Co, Anthropologie, Pottery Barn and Sephora. Further along, El Paseo Village includes a large Apple store and Trina Turk, whose bright prints are practically a Palm Springs uniform, and The Shops on El Paseo at the west end add Ralph Lauren, Athleta and Vuori. Dining options include Kitchen 86 + Bar, Porta Via and Eddie V's Prime Seafood, and patios fill up for long lunches in season. To save your feet in the heat, the El Paseo Courtesy Cart offers free, shaded rides along the district. Walking it costs nothing, browsing the galleries is free, and the sculpture on the median makes even a short stroll rewarding. The calendar adds Fashion Week El Paseo, the Palm Desert Food and Wine Festival and the much-loved Palm Desert Golf Cart Parade. Hotel Paseo, a stylish boutique hotel steps away, makes a good base for a Palm Desert stay.
El Paseo is less about any single store than about the ritual of the stroll. In winter and spring, when snowbirds and visitors fill the valley, the street has a lively, polished atmosphere, with gallery openings, people-watching from café tables and shoppers carrying bags between boutiques. Art lovers should allow time for the galleries and the sculptures along the median, which change periodically and give the district a museum-like quality. Fashion lovers will find a mix of luxury labels, resort-wear specialists and well-known national brands, and the restaurants make it a natural lunch or dinner stop on any down-valley day.
Practical tips: come in the morning or late afternoon from late spring to early fall, when midday heat makes walking unpleasant, and use the courtesy cart to hop between blocks. Many stores keep shorter hours in summer. Parking is generally easy in lots behind the storefronts and at The Gardens. If you are not a shopper, the district is still worth a slow walk for the sculpture and the atmosphere, then a meal on a patio.
El Paseo fits neatly into a Palm Desert day. Start at the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens when it opens, have lunch on El Paseo, then visit Sunnylands in neighboring Rancho Mirage or the Palm Springs Art Museum's free sculpture garden in Palm Desert. Couples and shoppers will love it; families can make it a short stop between the zoo and the pool.
What to expect
The experience
A walkable, landscaped shopping boulevard of 300-plus shops, galleries and restaurants, with rotating sculpture on the median and a free courtesy cart.
Best time
Winter and spring mornings or late afternoons; avoid midday walking in summer, when many shops shorten hours.
How long
Two to four hours with lunch.
Tips
Use the free El Paseo Courtesy Cart in the heat. Park behind the storefronts or at The Gardens on El Paseo. Combine with the Living Desert in the morning.
Quick picks
- Best for
- Shoppers, gallery-goers and anyone who enjoys a polished resort-town stroll.
- Families
- A short stop for lunch and a browse, ideally after a morning at the Living Desert.
- Couples
- A long patio lunch, a gallery or two and a slow walk past the sculptures.
- Pair with
- The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens or Sunnylands.
- Time needed
- Half a day.
Good questions
Where is El Paseo?+
In Palm Desert, running parallel to Highway 111, about half an hour down-valley from downtown Palm Springs.
What shops are on El Paseo?+
More than 300, from luxury labels like Saks Fifth Avenue, Louis Vuitton and Tiffany and Co at The Gardens on El Paseo to Trina Turk, Ralph Lauren, Athleta and an Apple store.
Is there a shuttle?+
Yes. The El Paseo Courtesy Cart offers free, shaded rides along the district.
Is there art to see?+
Yes. Rotating sculpture exhibitions line the median, and several art galleries are spread through the district.
What events happen on El Paseo?+
Highlights include Fashion Week El Paseo, the Palm Desert Food and Wine Festival and the Palm Desert Golf Cart Parade.
