Palm Springs may be best known for its sun-soaked desert scenery and iconic mid-century design, but one of the city’s most unforgettable experiences begins high above the valley floor. The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, known as the world’s largest rotating tramcar, carries visitors into the San Jacinto Mountains, rising more than 5,800 feet in just 10 minutes.
That soaring escape has been temporarily unavailable since September 8, when the Tramway shut down for its annual preventative-maintenance period. But there is good news for October travelers: the attraction is tentatively scheduled to resume service next Monday, October 5, at 10 a.m.
The reopening also marks the start of the Tramway’s winter season, when visitors can access high-elevation hikes and, typically from November through April, the possibility of snow in the mountains above Palm Springs.
During the closure, crews have been repainting the tramcar interiors, rebuilding one carriage, and carrying out the annual state-permit testing required for operation.
In service since 1963, the Tramway uses 80-passenger cars that gradually rotate throughout the journey, offering every passenger shifting panoramas of Chino Canyon and the Coachella Valley. Riders depart from the Valley Station at 2,643 feet and arrive at the Mountain Station at 8,516 feet.
When the Tramway returns in October, guests will again be able to take in the Mountain Station’s sweeping viewpoints, restaurants, and access to the trails of Long Valley.
Palm Springs Aerial Tramway reopening at a glance
📍 Location: Valley Station, 1 Tram Way, Palm Springs, CA 92262.
📅 Closure dates: Tuesday, September 8 through Sunday, October 4, 2026. Tentative reopening on Monday, October 5, 2026, at 10 a.m.
⏰ Winter hours: From October 5, 2026 through May 27, 2027, the first tram departs at 10 a.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. The final tram up is at 8 p.m. daily, and the final tram down is at 9:30 p.m.
🎟️ Tickets: Adult tickets are listed at $36.95, children ages 3-10 are $20.95, and senior tickets are $33.95. Children under 2 ride free but need a same-day boarding pass from the ticket booth.
🌐 Website: Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
