Premium Guided Self-Driving & Walking Tours
The safety and comfort of your own car, the convenience and luxury of your own schedule. Find out more about how our tours work.
Modernism Top 10 Tour
Explore the 10 best known and most beautiful buildings that put Palm Springs on the map.
Enjoy stories, background and history from your expert local guide; the Top 10 best buildings in Palm Springs in a couple of hours.
Celebrity Homes Tour
From Sinatra to Marilyn, to Leo and even the Kardashians, Palm Springs is a celebrity paradise.
Skip the crowded bus tour and cruise with us as we share the gossip, the gorgeous homes and even learn the shocking truth about one starlet’s humble abode!
Modern Architecture 101
Already familiar with the Top 10, or looking for hidden gems & lesser-known but still fabulous homes and buildings?
This tour takes you deeper into modernism as an architectural style, telling you the stories of its founders here in Palm Springs, teaching you its basic principles while showing off some of its most striking examples.
Palm Canyon Walking Tour
Palm Canyon Drive is a bustling commercial area. It also boasts gorgeous architecture, fascinating stories, and a surprising history.
This tour is ideal for first-time visitors to Palm Springs. It's also wonderful for repeat visitors who'd like to learn a bit more about the city.
Downloadable Pocket Tours
Get started with these fun self-directed tours delivered instantly to your inbox.
Fabulous Doors of Palm Springs
The colorful and stylish doors of Palm Springs are a modernist mainstay.
This 60-page e-book shares photos, exact addresses, and information about dozens of cool doors & modernist facades you can see for yourself in Palm Springs.
Seriously Selfie Tour
This chic and mod list of the most Instagram-able spots in all of Palm Springs will fill your Instagram feed with style.
Our ten-page PDF shares some of the best spots to snap iconic photos as you explore beautiful Palm Springs California and these spots make an amazing backdrop for your selfies too.
"The tour is easy to follow and on top, you get interesting information via the audio link and also pictures of the inside. I highly recommend it!”
V. Deussen - Verified Buyer
"This tour was extremely interesting, and we loved the fact we could do it at our own speed, in our own car. Definitely recommend!"
K. Scully - Verified Buyer
"We liked that we could go when we wanted and spend as much time as needed at each stop. The tour is the perfect length."
B. Dolan - Verified Buyer
"We loved it! It was very educational and fun!"
Jerry M. - Verified Buyer
"Fascinating peek into architecture and history!"
R. Philips - Verified Buyer
"We’re not the tour bus type. This tour was right for us, and let us take the family along for a reasonable price."
S. Mowitz - Verified Buyer
"I don't know much about architecture, so it was very illuminating. We liked the variety of buildings it showcased."
N. Perez - Verified Buyer
We really enjoyed the celebrity home tour! It was done very well. Next time I’m in Palm Springs I will definitely take another of your tours.
Karyn M. - Verified Buyer
About Our Tours
Our Palm Springs architectural tours are self-driven in your own car, meaning you can go at your own pace, and stop, look, and get out of the car to take photos any time you want, without worrying about holding up a whole tour group.
You can have as many people as you like in your car—all for the same price.
Our premium self guided modern multimedia tours—like the Modern Architecture 101 tour—take approximately 90-120 minutes and use audio, interactive mapping and directions, and photos via our online platform so that you can learn about the fascinating history and bold architecture of Palm Springs, without needing to keep up with a tour group.
Want something a little quicker? Purchase the Seriously Selfie Tour or Door Tour e-book for a shorter, more simplified experience.
Modern Tour FAQs
Our tours are multi-media audio and photographic tours that will take you on a self-driving route using your own vehicle. Start up the tour online, and follow the guided directions, while listening to the tour audio.
When you buy a tour, you'll get the address and a Google Maps link that directs you to the starting point for the tour. Once you're there, press play and your "Tour Narrator" will inform you about this stop.
When you're ready to move on to the next stop, follow the directions from the included Google Maps link to the next address. Once you're there, just press play.
You'll repeat this process at your own pace until your tour is complete.
Taking one of our tours requires Wi-Fi or cellular data, as they run online. At this time they are not downloadable for offline use. It is possible to purchase or rent portable Wi-Fi Hotspots like the Skyroam device which will allow you to access data for much less than traditional cell phone roaming rates. (We're looking at you, Canada!) Read about that option on this blog, where there's also a promo code for a discount on the device.
Modern Tours Palm Springs tours run in a specific order, but do allow for you to stop, explore, marvel at the beautiful homes and buildings, and make deviations along the way. Even stop for lunch!
Before purchasing a tour, you'll see the estimated time to complete the tour.
Most of our tours are designed to take between 90 minutes to two hours, but since you’re in the driver’s seat, you set the pace of your tour. You can pause the tour at any time if you see something interesting.
No. After your purchase, you’ll have 30 days to take the tour before your subscription will expire. If you like, buy it today, and you can flip through it to get an idea of what you’ll see, then drive it for real when you arrive in Palm Springs.
After you’ve purchased your tour, you’ll first listen to the tour introduction and then you'll make your way to the first stop where the tour will begin.
Any way you like! You’ll be able to listen to the tour audio on your phone, tablet or connected car speakers, or using a Bluetooth speaker if you want.
In addition to the audio you can also read a written description of each stop, and look at photos. Of course, you'll be parked in front of each destination too, to be able to see it for yourself.
Whenever possible, our tours include interior photos, historical photos and documents, and historical facts and fascinating stories.
Our self-guided tour uses Google Maps to navigate you from location to location. Once you've finished at each stop, you'll have Google Maps instructions on where to go next.
Absolutely! Each tour comes with an English transcript of the accompanying audio for accessibility.
Directions to the next stop are given through Google Maps.
We estimate one of our tours will use approximately 0.02gb of data.
Please note all roaming fees, data charges and overages are your responsibility and we are not responsible for additional charges you may incur with your wireless provider.