The Ultimate Guide On What To Do In Las Vegas
Introduction
Las Vegas.
It’s a town with a rich, fascinating, sometimes troubled history. A city of improbable construction held together with dreams and neon. A place alone on Earth where what goes on there famously stays there. A place where fortunes are made and lost every day and night on the flick of a dice, the rattle of a ball in a slot, or the next card out of the pack.
But it’s also a city a little hamstrung by its cast-iron image. Everybody thinks they know what happens in Vegas. Hollywood, that twin town of glitz and glitter, has cemented Vegas in the public consciousness as one very specific handful of things.
And sure, when you visit, you should tick off the usual suspects – there’s almost a sense of having not really done Vegas till you’ve covered the usual suspects. But then what? Unless you have cash to flamethrower into the night, you can’t spend all your time in Vegas getting your Bond on at the roulette wheel.
Fortunately, Vegas has much, much more to show and share than that. Strap in, pilgrim – we’re about to take you on a thrill ride of the other sides of the great Sin City.
The 30 Best Things to Do In Vegas
1. Go On a Gondola Ride
Wait, what? Gondolas? That’s Venice, not Vegas, right? One of the first things to understand about Vegas is that it has the heart of a magpie, always on the lookout for the brightest, best and shiniest things from everywhere else to make its own.
Did the words “Caesars Palace” not give you a clue there? Joyously, the Venetian Resort has spent more than a small fortune bringing a little bit of Venice to America. So yes, you can hire a gondola (complete with gondolier in Venetian costume) and get a glimpse of the European sunken city right here in Vegas.
The architecture of some of Venice’s most famous monuments, including the Piazza San Marco and the Ponte Di Rialto (one of those bridges where you feel the need to applaud) has been lovingly reproduced in the Venetian Resort, so why not treat yourself to the feeling of a little European culture, right on your Vegas doorstep.
2. Scale the Stratosphere
Sure, Paris has its Eiffel Tower, New York has its Empire State Building, and Seattle has its Space Needle, but this is Vegas, and you haven’t really seen Vegas until you’ve seen it from the observation platform of the Strat.
The Strat, formerly known as The Stratosphere, if you’re just joining us, is a Very Tall Building, done Vegas-style. The observation deck stands some 1,149 feet in the air, giving you unparalleled views across the city in any direction you choose.
There are both an indoor and an outdoor observation deck, so you’re weatherproof (not to say fearproof).
Did we mention this was Vegas-style? You can get drinks at 1,149 feet. You can even eat a world-class dinner at 1,149 feet.
Although we wouldn’t recommend that if you’re then about to attempt any of the three adrenaline rush thrill-rides at the top.
The X-Scream is designed to feel like the rickety roller coaster of your dreams or nightmares, held together with spit, sawdust, and goodwill – only you ride it over 860 feet in the air above the Vegas strip, and for a handful of heartbeats, you feel convinced you’re about to cover those 860 feet between you and the ground verrrry quickly.
Yes, it’s actually very safe. But where’s the fun in knowing that, right? One for the diary, this is the world’s third-highest amusement ride.
Insanity is…something else entirely. You’re strapped into the blades of what feels like a giant blender, suspended above the empty air of Las Vegas (900 feet above it, if you’re asking), and spun about like a strawberry in a smoothie.
It’s not, objectively, anything like as fast as it feels. But oh boy, does it feel…And then there’s the Big Shot. That’s more or less a catapult into space. Because, sure.
First, go up 900 feet to the platform. Strap into the Big Shot. And then we’ll twang you, like a spitball of the gods, 160 feet in the air at the kind of speed which convinces your brain you’re never going to stop. And then we do it again. And again…
The fun thing about this trio of lunch-losers is that you can get an all-day ticket for really reasonable prices and ride them as many times as your mind and body can cope with. Then of course you can throw yourself off the building before dinner. No, seriously, you can.
The Strat is the only skyjump in North America. And it’s the highest in the world. Something for the scrapbook, no?
A combination of parachuting and bungee jumping, you’re strapped into a harness, monitored at all times by professionals, and then…well, there’s no two ways about this…then you step off the building at 855 feet in the air. And you go all the way to the ground.
Either the experience of a lifetime or a heck of a way of beating the lines for the elevator, the skyjump also offers both photographic evidence of you plummeting to the ground and USBs of live footage for you to prove to your friends you did this thing. Hey, if you’re gonna get that Vegas special adrenaline rush, do it right, no?
3. Experience the Grand Canyon – at Your Own Speed
You can absolutely come all the way to Vegas and ignore its proximity to the Grand Canyon. Why you’d do that though is anyone’s guess.
It’s one of America’s most outstanding natural wonders – which is really saying something.
While you’re in Vegas, you can experience the Grand Canyon in a whole host of ways. You can take a small plane flight in and out of its wonders.
For a closer view, you can take a helicopter ride around some of its more insanely impressive features, with a guide to point out the importance of what you’re seeing.
You can take a 15-hour guided bus tour for something a little more sedate and leisurely. For bladder-quivering views, you can try the Grand Canyon Skywalk – you’ll walk out on a platform some 3,900 feet above the bottom of the Canyon.
How’s the Stratosphere looking now? Or, for those who want the ultimate once-in-a-lifetime way to experience the Canyon, you can even skydive with an instructor down into its depths.
It’s there. You’re there. You will become instantly about 7,000% cooler than you’ve ever been before just by experiencing it somehow. Go pay your respects to the Grand Canyon. It’s a hell of a hole in the ground.
4. See the Hoover Dam
If you’ve had your mind blown by one of Nature’s finest shows, maybe redress the balance with a day checking out one of modern man’s industrial highlights – the Hoover Dam.
An art deco hydro-power plant is the stuff of science fiction, but there it is, built in just five years between 1931-36 – during the Great Depression.
Providing water to the notably thirsty states of Nevada, California, and Arizona, along with its power-generating scope, the Hoover Dam is a joy for engineering enthusiasts, but you can also chill your neon-crazed Vegas-head out with a cruise on Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the US.
In fact, on Lake Mead, you can even get your 19th Century Mississippi on and take a paddlewheel boat cruise, just for an extra kick of nostalgia.
5. Visit the Casinos
Sure, it’s obvious, but it’s one of those Vegas must-do’s.
Whether you’re risking a $10 stake on the slots at the Aria (Warning – the key is to walk away happy after that, not to keep chasing the dream!), playing (or watching) poker at the Bellagio, or getting the whole roulette vibe at any casino where you feel lucky, pitting your wits against random fate and/or other players can give you a whole other kind of adrenaline rush.
6. Attend a Show
Another of the usual suspects, but one with as much of a claim on your time as the casinos.
When Vegas was first becoming the entertainment hotspot it now is, it played host to some of the best acts from around the entertainment world – not least the infamous Rat Pack.
It’s a tradition that continues to this day, with some of the most famous and reliable acts having either residencies or fixed periods playing Vegas.
Pop acts, rock acts, comedians, spectacular and bizarre acts, including the world-famous Cirque du Soleil, all have a place on a Vegas line-up.
While you’re in town, it would be a shame to miss the opportunity to take in at least one of the shows.
7. See the Bellagio Fountains
There’s always been something magical about fountains.
Ask the Romans – and not just the ones at Caesars Palace.
There’s something extra magical about the Bellagio fountains.
Music, lights, leaping water, color, and spectacle combine to make a show that the open-hearted will treasure forever, and which even the cynical will agree is a thing worth seeing.
8. Check Out the Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Gardens
It’s not all about the water at the Bellagio. While you’re there, take the time to see the conservatory and botanical gardens. It’s a kind of floral Wonderland, with themed displays and installations that can introduce you to an organic magic right in the middle of the neon-tinted dream factory of Vegas.
9. Explore the Fremont Street Experience
Had enough grounding in nature?
Head on over to Fremont Street – there’s absolutely nothing natural about that.
A Mecca for those in need of some neon-drenched retail therapy, Fremont Street has everything you could want to spend your money on – restaurants, shops, casinos, the whole bit – but it also has an impressive themed roof that will constantly amaze you.
Oh, and there’s an unwritten law in Vegas – if something stands still long enough, we’ll make a zipline out of it.
That includes Fremont Street, so come on over.
10. Visit the Neon Museum
Vegas has been lighting up the world for decades with its unique neon drapery.
Fancy escaping the neon of today and taking a look at the neon of yesteryear?
Head to the Neon Museum (You knew there had to be one, right?).
Some of the coolest, most classic Nevada Neon is here, including the signs from Golden Age Vegas.
Come for the history, stay a while for the opportunity to blow up your socials with some fantastic photos.
11. Visit the Mob Museum
While you’re delving into the history of Las Vegas, let’s cop to its history of organized crime, illegal hooch-running, violence, murder, and mayhem. Whaddaya want from us, it’s a party town? Maybe stream The Godfather, Part II before hitting (if you’ll excuse the word) the Mob Museum, for a touch of context.
Entry to the museum includes access to the underground speakeasy and distillery. In the grand tradition of the mob, pay a little extra, you get a little more – including guided tours around the distillery, tastings, and access to the Use Of Force training experience and the ‘Crime Lab’ experience.
Remember to tip your guides, because sometimes, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas in concrete shoes, y’understand?
12. Drive to Death Valley
Assuming you still have control of the same number of limbs as you started with after the Mob Museum, take a drive out to Death Valley, more by way of celebration than anything else.
Simply for the stark beauty of the place and the eye appeal, Death Valley’s worth seeing at least one while you’re alive.
Whether you’re a painter, a sketcher, an Insta-snapper, or just want to recharge your humility in Nature, Death Valley’s more than worth the trip.
13. See the Las Vegas Sign
Almost as iconic as the Hollywood sign, align yourself with a legend – the Las Vegas sign says anything is possible almost more effectively than the words “Anything is possible!”
Cheesy, fun, and ready for anything, a picture with the Las Vegas sign is all the fun things in life condensed to a handful of pixels.
14. Explore the Strip
OK, so you’ve done the sign, the casino, the show, and more natural wonder than you can shake a cellphone at.
It’s time.
It’s time to melt some plastic and shop, Las Vegas strip style.
High-end, budget-friendly, or just plain bizarre, we’re not judging – bring your cards, strut your stuff, and pick up all the Vegas souvenirs that are more than a snaptastic Insta-pic.
15. Take a Walking Food Tour
In a city based on the idea that everything impossible is possible there, you’re going to eat well. You’re going to eat well enough that you want to buy someone else’s digestive system to multitask the eating.
That might be one impossible thing too far (unless you know different), but needless to say, you can eat your way through night and day in Vegas and never have a bad mouthful.
From the Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace to TV’s Hell’s Kitchen, to other highlights which frankly deserve their own heading, the food in Vegas is, to coin a phrase, “off the chain.” More or less everywhere.
One of the best things to do, foodwise, is to take a guided walking food tour. It’s like having the world as your oyster, but guided by someone who knows where all the best oysters are served.
Cutting through a thousand channels to all the stuff that’s really worth investing in. It’s like turning your taste buds up to 11, and it’s an experience in the casino, Grand Canyon league. Eat well. Eat right. Eat guided.
16. Check Out the Latest Secret Burger Event
Psst! Heard of Secret Burger? Creative chefs doing crazy things on specific dates, as they occur to them.
There’s a center of Secret Burger excellence in downtown Vegas, and if you come when something groovy’s going down, you’re guaranteed a taste sensation you won’t have had before, and will yearn for again.
Too bad. You get the Secret Burger experience of particular dishes only there, and usually only then, on that particular day.
Taste-enlivened creativity in a world of all you can eat buffet is a priceless experience – and it’s so Vegas.
17. Ride the Tallest Ferris Wheel in the World
It’d be rude not to, right?
Because Vegas, being Vegas, has built the largest Ferris wheel in the world, more or less exclusively so that when you come, you won’t feel your trip’s entirely complete until you’ve ridden it.
Located at the LINQ Promenade, everybody knows it as the High Roller, and at its highest point it will give you stunning views across the city at 550 feet above central Las Vegas.
What’s not to love?
18. Get Your Water Park on at a Floating Playground
Relatively new to Vegas, there’s the Aqua Park at Lake Las Vegas.
What’s that, you cry?
How about 40,000 square feet of water park, based on the lake.
Lots of bouncy, inflatable fun with a fairly inevitable dunking in the cool lake guaranteed at some point.
Bring your Inner Kid (or your actual, Outer Kids if you have any), and get water parktastic just a couple of stone throws from the glitz and the glamor of the Vegas lifestyle.
19. Lounge by the Pool and Order Bottle Service
Done with all the splashing around? Time to kick back by the pool and order bottle service from one of Las Vegas’ premium nightclubs. Pool party? Sure, you can do that – Vegas is a real party town, after all.
That includes pool parties, and you can find them dotted all over the city. Check out Marquee at the Cosmopolitan, Wet Republic at MGM Grand, and Drai's Beachclub at The Cromwell to name but a few.
Don’t worry about bathing conventions – you can get pruney as all-get-out before you have to…y’know…get out. Too many people? More in the mood for a pool party for just one and a bottle?
There’s no drama there, either. Pools and a bottle of something tasty, living the champagne lifestyle in the city of high rollers – you know it makes sense.
20. Cocktail Time
Part of Vegas’ reputation as the city where everything’s possible is that it gives you the chance to get as little fancy, while having experiences that go just that little bit beyond what you’re used to. The cherry on top of the world.
You’ve had cocktails before, and you can get them anywhere. But you’ve never really had a cocktail till you’ve had one in one of Vegas’ many great creative bars and restaurants.
You can get fruity with the G cocktail at Giada’s at the Cromwell – a fresh take on a Pisco sour, but with the zing of pineapple and apricot.
Want to feel decadent? Check out the Dole Whip Float with rum at the ever-popular Golden Tiki. Pineapple soft serve drenched in rum, it’s half-cocktail, half-dessert, all island goodness, just off the Vegas strip.
Got a little masochist in your bones? Feel like being insulted by Gordon Ramsay? Dine at Hell’s Kitchen and order Notes From Gordon. You’ll get a healthy kick of gin in the cocktail, but, like a sweary fortune cookie, you’ll also get a rolled-up British flag with one of the chef’s special insults, just for you.
Or if you really want to get your cocktail on, check out the Clique Bar & Lounge at the Cosmopolitan. Count down the clock till midnight, then order an Up All Night to help see you through till the bar closes at 3.
Rum, ginger syrup, blackberries, and strawberries combine to give you a warming dark fruit hit – and it comes with a sparkler to help you burn the midnight oil. And it doesn’t come more Vegas than that.
21. Legally Smoke Weed
In the event that the cocktails aren’t doing it for you, and you need a brain-break from all the neon and excess, it’s worth remembering that Nevada – in keeping with Las Vegas’ “Anything’s possible” attitude – is one of the states in which recreational marijuana is legal.
So by all means, smoke ’em if ya got ’em.
Hold your horses before lighting up at the pool though - the ruling specifies you need to smoke it in private homes, rather than in any public space or vehicle.
22. Aliens at Area 51
So you’ve enjoyed a bottle by the pool, a cocktail in your room, and quite possibly a joint or two, just to take the edge off. What could possibly top that? Aliens!
There are so many tours of Area 51 running out of Vegas, it’s almost unreal. Plenty of them will include infamous areas like the Little A'le'inn and Janet Airlines – the supposed alien-shipping organization. The truth may or may not be out there, but while you’re in the area, it’s worth a tour just for the kitsch factor, if nothing else.
23. Visit Seven Magic Mountains
Area 51 not quite trippy enough for you? How about seven, 30 to 35-feet high dayglow totems?
The ‘Seven Magic Mountains’ is an art installation about 10 miles out of central Vegas, made by Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone. Seven stacks of locally-sourced, incredibly-painted local boulders, placed between Interstate 15 and the local mountains.
If you go because you dig artistic symbolism, the Seven Magic Mountains are apparently a creative critique of Vegas itself. If you go because you like brightly-colored rock-stacks, they’re seven brightly-colored rock-stacks with a fairly intense wow factor.
Because this is Vegas, and it wouldn’t be Vegas if there weren’t at least the potential to have seven brightly-colored rock-stacks, that’s why.
24. Get Your Head Around Atomic Testing
Strange, glowing totems in a relative wilderness? Sounds like the perfect introduction to an afternoon learning about atomic testing to us.
The National Atomic Testing Museum is a quick drive from Vegas, and it shows how the Nevada desert and various local sites were used to develop and test the ultimate buzzkill that are nuclear weapons.
In the age of drone warfare and poisoned lattes, you might well think that nuclear testing and nuclear weapons are the trappings of a bygone age, but firstly – there are plenty of missiles still out there, and secondly, as a scientific and technical history, this is some fascinating stuff.
Ever wanted to see a reactor used in the development of atomic weapons? Ever even imagined there were personal nuclear weapons developed? Oh heck, yeah – check out the Backpack Nuke (no, really), and the Davy Crockett Weapon System (that’s a recoilless weapon, in case you were wondering).
Right along that borderline of “Eeshk, nerve-wracking” and “Holy cow, I have to see that,” the National Atomic Testing Museum is one of only a handful of private museum collections in the US, and you’ll never look at atomic testing in quite the same way again once you’ve been.
25. Take a Tour of Vegas History With the Pioneer Trail
Feel inspired with Vegas history and want to go further back? Get yourself on the Pioneer Trail. Before there was the mob, before there was neon, before there was even atomic testing in the area, Las Vegas was a growing town in Clark County.
The Trail takes you through 16 iconic sites in the development of a young Vegas, including some that show the development of the United States as a nation.
We’d especially recommend lingering at the Paiute Colony of 1911, where the region’s Native Americans were poorly housed for half a century.
The Harrison Boarding House of 1933, where black performers who played the city were housed, as they weren’t allowed to stay in the hotels on the strip, and the site of the Moulin Rouge, Vegas’ first combined hotel and casino, are also well worth a visit.
26. Take a Vegas Art Tour
In a town like Vegas, it can be easy to believe there’s nothing between the neon and the desert, no space between consumerism and the stark wonder of Nature.
At least, it’s easy to believe that if you buy into the snapshot stereotype of the town. In reality, Vegas is vibrant with art in every conceivable style.
Artists take the city’s spirit of anything being possible and translate that into full, wonderful, even challenging artistic expression.
Want to feed your soul a little? We can help you with that.
Wander on down to the 18b Arts District and take in everything from galleries of fine art to clay arts, where, if you’re smart and you book ahead, you can even learn a little something about wheel-throwing or hand sculpting your own artistic endeavor.
Head over to City Hall and check out the Grand Gallery, full of three-dimensional art by both local and national talents. For a wider variety, try the Barrick Museum on the University of Nevada campus. That rotates its exhibitions regularly, so you can never be sure exactly what you’ll find there. But you can be guaranteed it will be uplifting.
And to really tap into the vibrancy of the city, but through art rather than neon, check out the downtown murals. Never less than striking, there are a wide range of murals on display on buildings, walls, and walkways, bring arresting, powerful art back to the streets.
If we had to pick a favorite, we’d go with Horned Toad. By ROA, at 598 Steward Ave, but hey – art is subjective and your mileage may vary.
27. Travel Vegas in a Supercar
If you’re going to do Vegas, and you’re going to give yourself the ultimate high-roller experience, you’re gonna need the wheels that go with it.
Fortunately, in the city where anything is possible, there are plenty of places ready to lease you the wheels that make the dream come true.
On anything from a simple four-hour rental to 24-hour periods, you can rent almost any supercar that takes your fancy, from the supercharged stallions like Mercedes, Rolls Royce, and Bentley, to the race-track giants like McLaren, Lamborghini, and Ferrari.
For that true Ferris Bueller’s Day Off vibe of cutting loose in a high-class automobile, it’s worth doing for at least one day and one night.
28. Feast on High-End Japanese Cuisine
And if you’re going to drive high-end, you might as well eat high-end too.
We’ve said that in Vegas, the only way to eat poorly is to make bad decisions, but one thing you might not expect is the quality of high-end Japanese fine dining cuisine you’ll find in the heart of the city.
Just as Vegas has always been able to bring a little bit of everywhere else to itself and reproduce it though, it’s also become a beacon for the best practitioners from all over the world to set out their stall and impress everyone from the wannabe casino kings to the genuine high rollers who could be the difference between producing perfection in poverty and having a bankrolled business.
Vegas is home to some of the best high-end Japanese food outside of Japan itself, with the likes of Kabuto, Raku, and Morimoto delivering day in, day out.
You want the full sushi gig, you can get it at Kabuto. You want allll the rest of the complex Japanese cuisine, the likes of Raku and Morimoto have you covered. Elegance, layering, a philosophy of food as pleasure and the refined experience of life – all available right here in Vegas, baby.
29. All the Other Canyons
Sure, the Grand Canyon is a spectacular punch in the face of natural wonder however you experience it, but it’s far from being the whole canyon story within reach from your Vegas base. Just off the top of our heads, you’ve also got:
- Antelope Canyon – the most famous slot canyon in the world. Like an alien art installation, but all entirely natural, you’ll get your easy-breathing zen on here.
- Black Canyon – one for the aquatically-minded. Ridiculously beautiful geology like the Emerald Cave, and plenty of outlandish wildlife like bighorn sheep, await anyone who takes a half-day kayak tour of the Black Canyon.
- Red Rock Canyon – take a self-guided electric bike tour of the Red Rock Canyon. You’ll never have breathed as free as this, while your senses are treated to the stark beauty of the region.
- Eldorado Canyon – done with stark beauty? Feel like something a little more lush and green and watery? Want a gold mine thrown in? Eldorado Canyon’s waiting for you. Trees, rocks, water, and gold. Seriously – anything better in the world? It could be argued that a gold mine’s just a big hole in the ground unless you know what you’re looking at. Fortunately, there are guides who can tell you exactly that.
- Bootleg Canyon – seriously, we weren’t kidding, we have canyons for breakfast, lunch, and dinner here. Bootleg Canyon’s the one for thrill-seekers though. Why? Because you can zipline your way across it, that’s why. And now you know that, it’s a must-do, isn’t it?
30. The Mirage Volcano Show
You know the Bellagio has the whole water fountain gig? Mm-hmm. The Mirage has something similar. But with fire. Just sayin’.
It’s a free spectacle that will give your Vegas trip an extra fiery spray of awesome, so the only reason you’d miss it is if you were busy doing every other thing on our list. Las Vegas has something for everyone. In fact, the point is, it has everything for everyone. But there’s one point we’ve overlooked so far.
Mostly, when people think of Las Vegas, they think of grown-up, adult fun. Casinos, bars, you name it. It’s not known as Sin City because of its wholesome, child-friendly atmosphere. But you absolutely can holiday in Las Vegas with kids – and give them as unforgettable a time as you have. Want to know how?
Things To Do In Las Vegas With Children
Kid-Friendly Shows
If you’ve learned anything about Vegas by now, it’s that we will cater to every taste, every desire, every fee-paying need you have.
That includes putting on spectacular, eye-widening shows for kids.
We’ve already mentioned the Cirque du Soleil, and while the company has a reputation for the avant-garde around the world, its Vegas shows are not only kid-suitable, they’re guaranteed to drop their jaws with the seeming impossibility of the skills on display.
There are several Cirque du Soleil shows in town, so it’s not a “Been there, seen it” experience.
Entice them with one, let them know there are others, and see if your kids don’t bef you to take them to every Cirque show before you’re done.
Different skills, equally well applied, are on display by the Jabbawockeez, taking breakdancing moves and turning them into an incredible show at the MGM Grand. Your kid more of a prince, princess, or princex? Let them get their medieval on at the Excalibur’s Tournament of Kings. Eating with their hands positively encouraged!
Visit the Fun Dungeons
While you’re at the Excalibur, why not take your kids to the basement – otherwise known as the Fun Dungeon? Over 200 games will burn off any excess energy, and the Fun Dungeon includes the world's biggest Pacman, so the parents can find the fun in this dungeon too…
Visit Hershey’s Chocolate World
First of all, we accept no responsibility for the sugar-crazed hellions when they get back to the hotel, but oh yes – Hershey’s Chocolate World is a sight to be seen, smelled, and reveled in.
Two. Whole. Stories of Hershey fun and craziness, including making their own customized Hershey’s chocolate bar, starring in their own Peanut Butter Cup commercial, selfies with the Statue of Chocolate Liberty, and the inevitable ability to come home with their own body weight in chocolate goodness.
We can guarantee you that’s a day you won’t forget…
Visit M&Ms World
Annnd so is this. More candy, more chocolate, customized M&Ms using a printer so they can technically eat their own faces off. 28,000 feet of M&M celebration. It’s a thing that’s got to be done while you’re in town with kids. Probably at least once.
Take the Family on a Ride on the High Roller
We included it in our list of Things To Do Generally, but taking the kids on the tallest Ferris wheel in the world? It’d be a crime not to, while they’re there. Unless of course they have a fear of heights, in which case, not so much. See also, the thrill rides on the Strat Skypod & Observation Deck.
Bring the Kids to the Dolphin Habitat
A little bit of conservation, a whole heck of a lot of Vegas, Siegfried and Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat lets kids experience the likes of bottlenose dolphins, white tigers, and leopards, right in the center of Vegas at the Mirage.
Other Animal Adventures
For something with a little more conservation, and a little less Vegas, you can take the kids to the Lion Habitat Ranch in Henderson – a sanctuary for African lions, which offers trainer tours. If you’ve whetted their appetites for all things aquatic, try the Shark Reef Aquarium at the Mandalay Bay.
That has 14 shark habitats, including a shipwreck. 360-degree views of the aquarium’s sharks and other fish will widen their eyes, and there are even experiences where they can (respectfully) touch some of the inhabitants, for that tactile connection to the marvels of nature.
Circus Circus
Yep – that’s exactly what it sounds like, only much, much more. Circus Circus is a 24/7…pizza parlor. No, of course not – it’s a 24/7 circus, but it’s also a hotel, a casino, and a theme park.
All the fun of a circus, all the convenience of a hotel, all the “Well, they’re occupied” opportunity of a casino for the grown-ups, and a fully-fledged amusement park known as the Adventuredome, to exhaust, thrill, excite, and did we mention exhaust even the most phone-addicted, adventure-jaded kids on the planet.
Assemble Your Avengers
Are your kids the ultimate authority on the Marvel Comic universe? You’re never going to make it out of Vegas alive unless you take them to the Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N, then.
Everything they could possibly want to know about being an Avenger, with a cool, activity-driven through-line and some awesome exhibits is waiting for them at the Treasure Island hotel.
All the Cool Stuff You Do
Of course, there’s no reason why your kids shouldn’t necessarily enjoy some of the activities we’ve listed for you too. Water parks can be fun for kids too. So can ziplining over a hellacious hole in the ground. Secret burgers? Why not? Fun with fountains? Splashtastic. Cheesy selfies with signs? Cool, but in a post-modern, grown-ups-are-such-dorks way.
Bottom line, if you’re bringing kids to Vegas, there’s plenty to keep them entertained. And some of it is exactly the same as what keeps you entertained.
Summary
We’ve said it before, but Las Vegas is not the city that has something for everyone. It’s the city that has everything for everyone. Mind-boggling natural beauty, a thrill-seeker’s paradise, a dream of neon, more various history than you can spend a lifetime on, and the best bits of everything from everywhere else.
They say what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. The truth is that what happens in Vegas makes everyone who visits it a little bit Vegas themselves. And that little bit of Vegas stays in their hearts for the rest of their lives.
Thank you so much for this sharing this guide, it will be helpful for first-timers. I also suggest that if you’re in Vegas, you should not miss out on going on a road trip! Last summer, I rented a camper van from a company called Vegas Campers and it had everything I need! Their site is http://vegascampers.com Next time I go to Vegas, I will try the tallest Ferris wheel in the world, thank you again for the tip!