Palm Springs in December
Winter sun, before the winter crowds.
Early December is Palm Springs in its sweet spot: 70 degree desert sun, the mid-century streets and pool decks still quiet, and hotel rates in their last soft weeks before the January to April season sends them to their annual peak. Right now our tracking shows December rates at Korakia Pensione from $364/night — 25% below its typical peak.
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Palm Springs runs its calendar backwards: winter is the high season, and the great value seam is the quiet stretch just before it opens. From late November to about December 20 the desert delivers exactly what the season sells, 70 degree days and hard blue skies, while the town is still running at its unhurried off-season pace.
What December is actually like
Days are built for the classic Palm Springs rotation: a morning canyon hike or dawn tee time, a long pool afternoon, Palm Canyon Drive’s galleries and vintage shops without the weekend season crowd. Nights are crisp in the mid 40s°F, which is what the firepits and the hot tubs were always for.
The town itself is at its most local. Restaurants take walk-ins, the mid-century architecture tours have room, and the pools of the small hotels hold a fraction of the January crowd.
What to know before you book
The calendar edge is sharp: around December 20 the holiday arrivals flip the town to season pricing, and from January through April it stays there, peaking outright over the Coachella and Stagecoach weekends in April, when rates across the entire valley hit their annual high. Book the first three weeks of December and you are inside the last soft window.
For the heat-tolerant there is a second, stranger bargain: summer, when highs top 105°F and rates crater accordingly. It works if you build the day around dawn and the pool, but early December asks no such bargain; it is simply the season’s weather at the shoulder’s prices.
Where we’d stay
rates tracked daily · same roomThe honest answers
what we’d tell a friendWhen is the best time to visit Palm Springs?
The classic season is January through April: reliably perfect desert weather at peak prices, topping out over the Coachella and Stagecoach weekends in April, when rates across the valley hit their annual high. Summer runs above 105°F, which is exactly when rates crater; it suits committed sun-seekers who plan around dawn and the pool. October and November cool back into comfort, and the first three weeks of December, the window this guide argues for, deliver the season’s weather before the season’s prices arrive.
Is December a good time to visit Palm Springs?
The first three weeks, emphatically yes: around 70°F by day, sunny, quiet and priced at the shoulder rather than the peak. From roughly December 20 the holidays flip the town to full season pricing and occupancy. Nights run crisp in the mid 40s°F, so pack a layer for the firepit.
What is the weather like in Palm Springs in December?
Reliably sunny and dry, with daytime highs around 70°F and overnight lows in the mid 40s°F. Rain is rare, the light is the clear winter desert light photographers chase, and the mountains above town occasionally take a dusting of snow that makes the pool weather feel better still. Days are short, so front-load hikes and golf.
How much do luxury hotels in Palm Springs cost in December?
Based on our daily tracking of the same entry rooms: Korakia Pensione from $364/night (typical peak $488). Rates are confirmed with the booking partner and move nightly.