Las Vegas: Travel Guide

Las Vegas is a city engineered to keep visitors inside casino properties, spending money. Understanding that dynamic is the starting point for planning a trip that you actually control. The Strip (Las Vegas Boulevard South) runs approximately four miles from Mandalay Bay in the south to the Stratosphere in the north; nearly every major hotel, casino, restaurant, show, and attraction sits within or immediately adjacent to this corridor. Downtown Las Vegas (Fremont Street) is five miles north and offers a different, older version of the same experience. This guide covers how to navigate both areas, where to sleep, eat, and find entertainment, with prices current as of 2026.

When to Go

Spring (March–May) and autumn (September–November) are the most comfortable seasons: temperatures range from 65–85°F (18–29°C) and the pool areas are usable. Summer brings extreme heat (110°F+/43°C+ on the Strip in July and August); hotel pools are crowded, outdoor walking is unpleasant midday, and convention traffic inflates room rates. Winter is mild by day (55–65°F/13–18°C) but cold at night; the lowest hotel rates of the year fall in January and early February (excluding holiday weekends).

Major events that significantly affect room rates: New Year’s Eve (the most expensive night of the year), the Super Bowl (if held nearby), CES (Consumer Electronics Show, early January), and the NASCAR Cup Series race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway (typically March).

Getting Around

The Strip is technically walkable end-to-end but the distances between casinos are deceptive — Mandalay Bay to the Bellagio is 1.7 miles, much of it in direct sun. The casino floor routing between properties also adds significant walking time.

Las Vegas Monorail runs along the east side of the Strip from MGM Grand to the Sahara (SAHARA Las Vegas) with seven stations. A 24-hour pass costs approximately $16 as of 2026. Useful for covering the mid-Strip quickly, though it does not serve the west side properties.

The Deuce Bus runs 24 hours along the Strip and Downtown (Fremont Street) for $6/2-hour pass or $8/24-hour pass as of 2026. Slower than the monorail but covers the full Strip length on both sides.

Rideshare and taxis are abundant; the designated rideshare pick-up areas are in hotel parking garages, not at the main entrance. A Strip-to-Strip ride typically costs $8–$15; Strip to Downtown approximately $18–$25.

Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) is approximately 5 miles from the centre of the Strip. Rideshare to a Strip hotel typically costs $15–$22; a taxi meter runs approximately $22–$30 with the flat-rate rule ($35 from the airport to any Strip hotel by taxi).

Where to Stay

The Las Vegas hotel market is unlike anywhere else in the US: rooms are often surprisingly affordable on weeknights because the casinos subsidise room costs against gambling and entertainment revenue. Weekend rates can be double or triple the weekday price for the same room. See our Las Vegas Hotels Guide for full details.

Bellagio (3600 South Las Vegas Boulevard) — From approximately $200/night weekday, $350+/night weekend as of 2026. The most celebrated hotel on the Strip; the fountains, the conservatory, and the gallery of fine art set it apart from comparably priced properties.

The Venetian Resort (3355 South Las Vegas Boulevard) — From approximately $180/night weekday as of 2026. All-suite property with generous room sizes. The Grand Canal Shoppes and Canyon Ranch Spa are on site. One of the best value-per-square-foot rooms on the Strip.

MGM Grand (3799 South Las Vegas Boulevard) — From approximately $110/night weekday as of 2026. The largest single hotel on the Strip, which means a full-service casino and entertainment complex but also considerable internal walking distances. The pool complex (five outdoor pools) is one of the best on the Strip.

The STRAT Hotel (2000 South Las Vegas Boulevard) — From approximately $50/night weekday as of 2026. The most affordable major hotel on the Strip. The SkyPod observation deck and Skyjump are selling points; the casino and dining are not at the level of the mid-Strip properties. Best for visitors who want a Strip address at minimal room cost.

Budget tier: Las Vegas is unusual in that the casino hotel system functions as its own form of budget accommodation — there is no traditional hostel culture, and there does not need to be. The budget-tier casino hotels on or near the Strip offer rooms at prices that would be remarkable anywhere else: Circus Circus (2880 S. Las Vegas Blvd) from approximately $35–70/night on weekdays as of 2026, Excalibur (3850 S. Las Vegas Blvd) from approximately $40–75/night, and Luxor (3900 S. Las Vegas Blvd) from approximately $45–80/night. All three have full casino floors, pools, and restaurants. Weekend rates rise sharply — the best budget rates are Monday through Thursday.

Top Attractions

The Bellagio Fountains — Free, always running (approximately every 30 minutes in the afternoon, every 15 minutes from 8pm onwards). The choreographed water show over the 8.5-acre lake in front of the Bellagio is the most-watched free attraction in Las Vegas. Best from the bridge at the north end of the lake or from the terrace of the Bellagio itself.

The High Roller Observation Wheel (The LINQ Promenade, 3545 South Las Vegas Boulevard) — Approximately $37 day/$42 night as of 2026. The 550-foot Ferris wheel takes approximately 30 minutes per revolution; each of the 28 air-conditioned cabins holds up to 40 people. The “Happy Half Hour” pods with an open bar are available for approximately $67/person.

Vegas Mob Tour / The Mob Museum (300 Stewart Avenue, Downtown) — Approximately $30/adults as of 2026. Open daily 9am–9pm (until 10pm Saturday). A well-produced museum about organised crime and law enforcement in American history, housed in a former federal courthouse. The speakeasy in the basement, with craft cocktails and a vintage ambience, operates as a bar in the evenings.

Fremont Street Experience (Fremont Street, Downtown) — Free. A 1,500-foot pedestrian mall under a 90-foot-high LED canopy. Nightly light shows run from dusk approximately every hour. The Street is lined with vintage casinos (Golden Nugget, Four Queens, Binion’s) and has a different energy from the Strip — louder, cheaper, older. Ziplines across the canopy from approximately $40.

Neon Museum (770 Las Vegas Boulevard North) — Approximately $25 for self-guided audio tours, $45 for guided evening tours as of 2026. Open daily; evening tours recommended for the full visual impact. The outdoor “boneyard” preserves vintage neon signs from Las Vegas history dating to the 1930s. One of the most photographically rewarding attractions in the city.

The Las Vegas Strip itself — Walking the Strip at night costs nothing and constitutes one of the most vivid urban experiences in the United States. The scale and density of light, sound, and architectural spectacle are genuinely remarkable. Allow two hours to walk from Mandalay Bay to the Wynn at a casual pace.

Shows and Entertainment

Las Vegas hosts permanent residencies by major artists, Cirque du Soleil productions, stand-up comedians, and theatrical productions that are unavailable elsewhere. Book through the individual venue or ticketing platforms; same-day discounts are available at the casino box offices for many shows.

Cirque du Soleil O (Bellagio, 3600 South Las Vegas Boulevard) — From approximately $110–$200/person as of 2026. The aquatic Cirque production performed above and within a 1.5-million-gallon pool of water. The most technically complex show on the Strip; book in advance.

Penn & Teller (Rio All Suite Hotel, 3700 West Flamingo Road) — From approximately $75–$125/person as of 2026. The longest-running headline show in Vegas history. The duo meets the audience after every performance.

Las Vegas Sphere (The Venetian area, 255 Sands Avenue) — Immersive venue experiences from approximately $75–$150+ as of 2026. The 17,500-seat sphere-shaped venue opened in 2023 and is the most technologically advanced concert and entertainment venue in the world. Current programming changes regularly; check the official site for current shows.

Day Trips

Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area — 17 miles west of the Strip. Day use fee approximately $15/vehicle as of 2026. Open from 6am (closing time seasonal). The 13-mile scenic loop drive and dozens of hiking trails are accessible within 30–45 minutes of the Strip. The Spring Mountains and the Calico Hills red sandstone formations are the visual centrepieces.

Hoover Dam — 30 miles southeast via US-93. Parking approximately $10; dam tour approximately $30/adults as of 2026. Open daily 9am–5pm (dam tour). The 726-foot arch-gravity dam completed in 1935 is a National Historic Landmark and one of the most significant engineering achievements in American history. Allow 2–3 hours including the PowerPlant Tour.

Valley of Fire State Park — 50 miles northeast. Day use fee approximately $15/vehicle as of 2026. Open year-round (summer heat can be extreme; go early or in cooler months). The oldest state park in Nevada, with Aztec sandstone formations, petroglyphs, and the Wave, an Elusive red rock formation popular with photographers.

Grand Canyon South Rim — Approximately 280 miles southeast via US-93. Either a long day trip by car (5 hours each way) or via helicopter/small plane tours from Las Vegas McCarran area operators. Helicopter tours from approximately $350–$550/person as of 2026. Helicopter tours to the floor of the canyon (with a champagne landing) start from approximately $450/person.