People come to Las Vegas for all sorts of thrills ranging from world-class food and celebrity chefs to handcrafted cocktails and non-stop parties. There’s also sensational entertainment and 5-star accommodations. Really, there’s a thrill for everyone, depending what you’re into.
If you’re the type of person who thrives on thrills induced by roller coasters, zip lines and other gravity defying rides (a.k.a. an adrenaline junkie) there’s also plenty of that. We have rides ranging from death defying to family friendly, and you’ll only find them in Vegas!
What Are the Best Extreme Activities & Thrilling Things to Do in Las Vegas?
1. Big Apple Roller Coaster: Start Spreading the News
A lot can happen in a New York minute. Imagine what can happen in three. Or come find out for yourself on the Big Apple Roller Coaster at New York-New York Hotel & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip.
This superfast roller coaster zooms out of its New York City Subway-themed station at nearly 70 miles per hour past a replica of the Statue of Liberty and other favorite Manhattan buildings. The yellow taxicab train plummets down hills, through a vertical loop and a dive loop that turn you upside down, and around a helix, all in less than three minutes.
Click here for more info and discounts on Big Apple Roller Coaster!
2. Exotics Racing: Pedal to the Metal
Forget about speed limits. Where you’re going there are no speed limits!At Exotics Racing, you get to slip behind the wheel of shiny exotic cars like Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Porsches, or Mercedes. Drive fast and furious in these exclusive supercars at dizzying speeds on a road course at SPEEDVEGAS Motorsports Park, south of the Strip. Sessions are coached by the track’s instructors (private coaching is an option), and you can also ride shotgun with one of their drivers in a supercar or drifting ride-along.
Click here for more info and discounts on Exotics Racing!
3. Battlefield Vegas: Lock and Load
For a different kind of adrenaline, Battlefield Vegas is a veteran-owned shooting range on a five-acre, military-style lot one block off the Strip. The arsenal runs to more than 1,000 weapon systems, from World War I designs to belt-fed machine guns and .50 calibers, and the packages are sorted by theme, beginner-friendly sets included.
Outdoors, the extras get bigger: a mini-gun, a flamethrower, and Car Tank Crush, which puts a car under the tracks of a tank. The Humvee pick-up from Strip hotels is free. Kids can shoot too, with limits on what they can fire, so check the age rules in the range’s FAQ before you book.
Click here for more info and discounts on Battlefield Vegas!
4. High Roller Observation Wheel: In the Rotation
Adrenaline-inducing might be a stretch when describing the High Roller, but the tallest observation wheel in the United States does take you to exciting heights—550 feet above the city, when you reach the tip-top.
Located at the eastern end of the Linq Promenade, the High Roller is a thrilling way to see the city, even if you are safely enclosed in one of 28 comfortable and spacious glass pods. The full rotation takes 30 minutes, offering 360-degree views of the Las Vegas valley and Strip, and tons of photo opportunities. You can even get married on the High Roller. Talk about a thrill!
Click here for more info and discounts on the High Roller Observation Wheel!
5. Fly Linq Zipline: Zip the Shops
Traversing a shopping mall by foot is so passé. Why not fly over it instead? Travel more than 10 stories high in the air across the Linq Promenade on the Las Vegas Strip’s only zip line.
Some zip lines take you through forests and across rivers. On the Linq Zip Line, you zoom above the heads of shoppers, diners and mere walkers at the Linq’s outdoor shopping promenade. You’ll ride in a seated position or a superhero position (think of Superman flying), before landing on the east end of the promenade, near the High Roller.
Click here for more info and discounts on the Fly Linq Zipline!
6. Tandem Skydiving: The Real Thing
Vegas Indoor Skydiving, the city’s indoor wind tunnel, closed in January 2025 after 42 years. For the real thing, tandem skydiving companies fly out of small airports in Jean and Boulder City, about 30 minutes from the Strip. You jump strapped to an instructor, typically from around 12,500 feet, and free fall for 30 to 45 seconds at more than 120 mph before the parachute opens, with views of the Strip, the mountains and the desert on the way down. Some companies offer a free shuttle from the Strip, and tandem jumpers generally must be at least 18 with a photo ID.
7. Adventuredome at Circus Circus
Speaking of indoor attractions, The Adventuredome at Circus Circus is a thrill a minute with rides for all ages. This 5-acre amusement park is a great place for daredevils, thrill seekers and adventurous types to spend an afternoon or an entire day.Canyon Blaster and El Loco are two of the most popular roller coasters at Adventuredome, but there are also tons of other amusement park rides, laser tag, a rock climbing wall, 18-hole miniature golf course, arcade, carnival games and clown shows. It’s fun for everyone—and it’s all housed under a pink glass dome on the Las Vegas Strip.
Click here for more info and tickets for Adventuredome at Circus Circus!
8. The STRAT: Thrill Rides at the Top of the Tower
Perhaps the Strat Hotel, Casino and SkyPod built rides 800 to 1,000 feet above the Las Vegas Strip for the thrill of it. Perhaps they did it because they knew, at those heights, no one would hear you scream.
Home to the tallest freestanding observation tower in the United States at 1,149 feet, The Strat is an iconic hotel with thrills high above the city. The Big Shot shoots you 160 feet up the mast at the top of the tower at 45 miles per hour, and SkyJump lets you leap from the 108th floor in a controlled free fall. Two older rides are gone: X-Scream is closed and Insanity has been removed. Be sure to take in the view while you’re up there if you aren’t too dizzy.
Click here for more info and tickets for the Thrill Rides at The Strat!
9. Slotzilla Zip Line: Zip the Jackpot
Downtown Las Vegas is home to a monstrous zip line ride called Slotzilla. This gaudy attraction is built like a giant slot machine, but technically it dispenses people instead of coins. There are two ways to fly on Slotzilla: a lower zipline, ridden seated from 77 feet up, and an upper zoomline, ridden superhero-style from 11 stories up. The zipline takes riders three blocks down the Fremont Street Experience, while the zoomline goes five blocks, all the way to the end. Both experiences give you an opportunity to see downtown Las Vegas from a whole new perspective as you zip beneath the iconic Viva Vision canopy and above the heads of pedestrians.
Click here for more info and tickets for Slotzilla Zip Line on Fremont Street!
More Ways to Get Your Adrenaline Going
Throw axes and spears at Axehole Vegas, smash plates, bottles and TVs at iSmash, or take in the Strip from the Eiffel Tower Viewing Deck near the top of the 541-foot tower at Paris Las Vegas.
