Things to Do in Las Vegas
Prices, opening hours, best times to visit and the stuff nobody tells you, everything you need for a first trip to Las Vegas, Nevada, plus one pigeon's opinions on all of it.
Right, Las Vegas. Neon desert city, entire fake skylines crammed onto one strip, gloriously over-the-top in the best way, a small desert railroad town that turned gambling and spectacle into one of the most recognisable cityscapes on Earth. This is the proper, no-nonsense guide to things to do in Las Vegas: what things actually cost, when to go, what to skip, and which bits are worth the day trip. Five main stops below, plus a quiz elsewhere on this site to see if you were paying attention.
The Strip
Las Vegas grew from a small desert town into a major city largely on the back of gambling and entertainment, the famous Strip is lined almost entirely with casinos and resort hotels, an ambitious, over-the-top stretch of road, each major resort essentially a themed miniature city unto itself, Venice, Paris, and ancient Egypt all reconstructed within walking distance of each other.
Simply walking the Strip, even without gambling or booking a room, is one of the best free things to do here, particularly at night when the neon and light shows are at their most striking, worth allowing a proper unhurried evening rather than rushing through.
Best time Evening, for the full illuminated effect
Understanding Nevada's Desert Setting
Las Vegas sits in Nevada, close to the border with several other states, a single state known almost entirely, in popular imagination, for this one city. The desert setting Las Vegas was built into is properly stark, temperatures here regularly exceed 40°C in summer, and the surrounding landscape, mountains and desert stretching in every direction, rewards a look beyond just the Strip itself.
Red Rock Canyon, a short drive from the Strip, offers a striking contrast, hiking trails and dramatic red sandstone formations, worth a half-day if you want a break from the casino floor.
Getting there About 30 minutes from the Strip
Hoover Dam Day Trip
Just outside Las Vegas lies the Hoover Dam, built during the 1930s across the Colorado River, and a popular day trip from the city, one of the most impressive infrastructure projects in American history, guided tours cover both the dam's construction and its ongoing role generating hydroelectric power for the region.
It's a good, relatively quick trip from the Strip, worth combining with a stop at Lake Mead, the reservoir the dam created, for a fuller half-day out beyond the casino floor.
Hours Daily, roughly 9am–5pm
Getting there About 45 minutes from the Strip
Free Attractions on the Strip
Despite the city's reputation for spending, spectacular free attractions exist right along the Strip, the Bellagio Fountains, choreographed water shows set to music, running every 15-30 minutes throughout the evening, and various resort lobby displays and light shows, a proper evening walking between several free spectacles without spending a cent.
This is a good way to experience Las Vegas's signature spectacle without the casino floor being part of your evening at all, worth prioritising if gambling isn't your interest.
Best time Evening, when shows run most frequently
Address Bellagio, and various points along the Strip
Las Vegas Show Culture
Las Vegas has become one of the world's major hubs for live entertainment, Cirque du Soleil productions, major musician residencies, and comedy shows all running regularly across the resort theatres, worth booking a specific show ahead if there's a particular act you want to see, availability and pricing vary considerably by popularity.
It's a significant part of the city's identity beyond gambling, an entertainment destination in its own right, not purely a casino visit.
Best time Book ahead for popular, long-running shows
Best time to visit Las Vegas
March through May and October through November give the most comfortable weather for the amount of walking this list involves, mild enough to actually enjoy the Strip on foot without summer's fiercest desert heat. For the full month-by-month breakdown, see our Best Time to Visit Las Vegas guide.
Summer (June through September) brings extreme heat, often well past 40°C, walking the Strip becomes considerably less pleasant, worth planning outdoor time for early morning or evening if travelling then.
Getting around Las Vegas
The Strip itself is walkable, though it's noticeably longer than it looks on a map, allow more time than you'd expect. Ride-hailing apps and taxis are the practical way to reach Hoover Dam or Red Rock Canyon. If you're mapping out exactly how to spend your time, our 24 Hours in Las Vegas and 2 Day Las Vegas Itinerary guides lay out an hour-by-hour and day-by-day plan.
Keeping an eye on costs? Las Vegas on a Budget covers what's free and where the resort markup actually is. Travelling as a couple? Las Vegas for Couples covers the Eiffel Tower deck and the Bellagio Fountains. And once your dates are set, Where to Stay & Eat in Las Vegas breaks down the Strip versus Downtown.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Las Vegas worth visiting?
- Yes, easily, even setting gambling aside, the Strip's sheer spectacle, the free Bellagio Fountains, and the city's world-class live entertainment scene all make it worth the trip.
- How many days do you need in Las Vegas?
- Three days covers the Strip, a Hoover Dam day trip, and at least one proper show comfortably.
- Is Las Vegas expensive?
- It can be, depending heavily on your choices, gambling and premium shows add up quickly, though walking the Strip and the free fountain shows cost nothing.
- What is Las Vegas famous for?
- The Strip, its dense concentration of themed casino resorts, being built around gambling and entertainment, and the nearby Hoover Dam, a major feat of 1930s engineering.
That's everything I've got.
A note before you plan around this: prices, opening hours, booking requirements and admission details in this guide were correct at the time of writing, but venues change these often and sometimes without notice. Always check directly with the attraction or its official website before you travel or build a schedule around a specific time or price.
Before travelling to any destination featured on this site, please also check your government's latest travel advice, as safety situations, entry requirements and travel warnings can change.
