Visiting Lake Mead is one of the most awesome day trips from Las Vegas, because it’s so close and yet there are so many things to do at Lake Mead.

The striking desert scenery and brilliant blue waters of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area are a true oasis in the desert.

Well, it is a man-made lake, so maybe not an oasis provided by Mother Nature. But she did provide the mighty Colorado River which runs into this man-made lake to create a place for your enjoyment.

But what is there to do at Lake Mead and how can you enjoy it? In this guide, I’ll be sharing all the top Lake Mead attractions so you can make the most of your visit…

How to Get To Lake Mead from Las Vegas

The Lake Mead National Recreation Area is only a short 32km (20 miles) drive southeast of the Las Vegas strip along the I-515 S and takes 25 minutes. It’s 290 miles northeast of Los Angeles.

There are six entrance stations to the Lake Mead NRA: Lake Mead Parkway, Northshore, Boulder, Lake Mead Boulevard, Meadview and Temple Bar.

If you want to explore beyond Vegas and tick off this list of things to do at Lake Mead, you’re going to need a car.

Many of the most stunning places to visit near Las Vegas are only reachable by car so if you don’t have your own then you will want to rent a car.

Unless you join a tour from Las Vegas.

About Lake Mead National Recreation Area

Lake Mead Nevada became a National Recreation Area for those looking for relaxation and fun in the desert when the Hoover Dam was created in 1936 and in 1951, though back then it was known as the Boulder Dam.

Lake Mohave joined the recreation area when the Davis Dam was completed in 1951.

Both lakes became part of the first National Recreation Area in the National Parks Service in 1964.

Lake Mead is one of the largest and cleanest reservoirs in North America, with the water levels supplying over 25 million people with their drinking water.

And in the desert too! Don’t forget to be mind-boggled over that and fall in love with the Colorado River.

Across this gorgeous area sits the Mojave Desert, which makes up 87% of the park and gives you an abundance of activities to experience and enjoy.

Within this playground there are nine wilderness areas to explore, making it one of the best things to do near Las Vegas.

Things to Do at Lake Mead

You can fish, swim, boat, bike, hike, and enjoy scenic drives. Or just relax with gorgeous desert views surrounding you. Whatever you choose to do, don’t miss the following Lake Mead attractions…

1. Go Camping near Lake Mead

We spent a week camping right on the shores of Lake Mead. We couldn’t have asked for a more serene and naturally beautiful setting.

Look at these views from the girl’s bedroom. Not bad to wake up to each morning right?

The glow on the rocks as the sun rose each morning was stunning.

We spent several days not doing much other than exercising, playing, cooking s’mores over the fire, catching up on work, and enjoying these views, and delighting in the wild calls of the coyotes each night.

It sounded like there were packs of them and we saw a jackrabbit bolting off across the desert floor. But we couldn’t spy on the coyotes.

We had one day of heavy rain all day – a desert rarity – which didn’t dampen our time there at all.

2. Take A Lake Mead Cruise

Don’t miss the opportunity to get out on the water and do one of the Lake Mead cruises. If you have your own boat that works well too!

If you don’t, find a friend, rent one, or join a 90-minute Desert Princess Cruise, a paddle wheeler boat.

We joined one in combination with our Hoover Dam tour that was included in the Las Vegas Sightseeing Pass.

The cruise took us past Boulder Rocks into the beginning of Black Canyon to the edge of Hoover Dam.

It was interesting to see it from this perspective. I was more enamored with the orange and black rocks – stunning.

There was an informative commentary on the dam and Lake Mead during the cruise and a sandwich lunch was provided.

3. Marvel at The Hoover Dam

A Hoover Dam visit is a highlight for many people visiting Las Vegas.

You can easily go from Las Vegas to Hoover Dam as a day trip, join a tour, or, if you are staying on Lake Mead, it’s right in your neck of the woods.

Hoover Dam was just around the corner from our campground.

However, we joined a Hoover Dam tours from Vegas (picked up at the Hoover Lodge) as it was included in our Las Vegas Sightseeing Pass.

The elevators weren’t working when we visited so we could not go down into the dam to explore the power plant.

Apparently, this happens frequently. It reopened while there but the line was too long.

There is a free museum at the top of the dam which was interesting enough and it’s great to walk over the Colorado River from Arizona to Nevada and back.

4. Don’t Miss The Northshore Drive

One of the best land-based things to do at Lake Mead is this road trip!

We went for an afternoon drive and discovered the stunning beauty of the Northshore Drive – one of our favorite scenic drives in the United States.

This is on the way to the Valley of Fire State Park along the northwestern part of Lake Mead. You can easily combine it if you’re planning on visiting Valley of Fire from Vegas.

The drive is almost 50-miles but you can go as far as you like. We went as far as the Redstone Hiking Trail.

Be sure to stop off at the Northshore Summit Trail for a short hike up to a spectacular viewpoint from the mountain.

I loved looking out for miles over the Muddy Mountains, the Bowl of Fire, and the road we just drove along.

5. Hike the Redstone Hiking Trail

200 million years ago these red rock formations were sand dunes and the area looked very much like the Sahara Desert.

The iron particles holding the sand together oxidized over time to turn the rocks red. Now we have this beautiful desert walk where we can appreciate it.

The walk is less than a mile loop. There is no real trail, you kinda just walk around and explore at your leisure.

6. Bike The River Mountains Loop Bike Trail

For adventurous things to do near Las Vegas, you may like to take on the entire 34 mile river mountains loop bike trail.

16.70 miles of the trail are in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area and surrounds the River Mountains connecting the park, Hoover Dam, Henderson, Boulder City, and the rest of the Las Vegas Valley,

With a gain in elevation in one section of about 500 feet in less than a mile, it’s not going to be an easy bike ride, but I’m sure you’ll have fun.

We met a couple doing it who raved about it, even the one steep hill they had to get off and push their bikes up.

We cycled a short 2.5 miles one way from our campground to the start of the Historic Railroad Trail.

It was slightly uphill on the way but nothing too difficult and the girls managed it super well. We especially loved the return journey – we didn’t have to turn the pedals too much just let gravity push us all the way down.

You’ve got beautiful views the entire way.

7. Walk The Historic Railroad Trail

One of the most unique things to do at Lake Mead is to walk the Historic Railroad trail – it’s superb for views of Lake Mead and for a bit of history.

It is the old railroad tracks that once transported workers and goods from Boulder City to Hoover Dam.

There are five tunnels on the trail you can walk through and the trail will take you to Hoover Dam.

The Historic Railroad Trail is 3 miles return. However, only the first two tunnels were open when we went due to the third tunnel being unsafe.

It was a short hike that took us just over 30 minutes in total. It’s a very easy walk and great for families.

8. Take a Pontoon Boat Ride

While there are so many things to do at Lake Mead that involve hiking the landscape, you can’t visit this impressive lake without actually venturing out onto it, right?

One of the most popular ways to explore Lake Mead is to take a pontoon boat out onto the lake.

Within the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, you will find boat rentals along the piers and marinas, as well as several launch ramps where you can launch your own personal watercraft.

However, if you don’t have a boating license, you cannot launch your boat from the Nevada side.

You can also get fishing boats, paddle boats, canoes, or go kayaking.

Boating is one of the top things to do at Lake Mead so don’t miss out on this opportunity!

9. Go Fishing at Katherine Landing

If you enjoy fishing, you can try your hand at catching some fresh water fish, such as channel catfish, crappie, largemouth bass, sunfish, striped bass, smallmouth bass, and rainbow trout.

The best place to go fishing at Katherine Landing where you can fish from the shore. You can also cast a line from Willow Beach, Cottonwood Cove, and Hemenway Fishing Pier. 9.

10. Visit the Alan Bible Visitor Center

The Alan Bible Visitor Center is the Lake Mead Visitor Center and opened in 1966. This is a great place to learn about the creation of the lake and the park, as they have a 20-minute movie about its history.

You can also pick up maps and information about the things to do at Lake Mead and walk through its desert botanical garden.

Things to Do Near Lake Mead

If you have more time and you can afford to venture a bit further, here are some top things to do near Lake Mead…

• Black Canyon is named for the dark volcanic rock that flowed and cooled here 13 million ears ago. This steep-walled canyon begins below Hoover Dam and you can explore several sites around Lake Mohave in it by water. The water heats up below the surface of the earth and percolates up through the rocks to form hot springs.
• Willow Beach is a popular place to explore in Black Canyon and the Liberty Bell Arch can be hiked to on the rim of the canyon. The Black Canyon retains a feel of the old Colorado River and provides a different perspective of the area.
• Valley of Fire State Park is one of the best Las Vegas day trips and is just outside the northern borders of Lake at the end of the Northshore Drive. Stay tuned for a post on that.
• Muddy Mountains Wilderness Area is also just beyond the park, which is another popular thing to do around Las Vegas.

Where to Stay at Lake Mead Recreational Area

If you’re thinking you’d like to make the most of this beautiful area and want to stay a while, here are some accommodation options I recommend…

Camping at Lake Mead

We loved our Lake Mead camping spot at the Lake Mead RV Village Boulder Beach.

Get a lakeside spot if you can, it’s the ultimate. We stayed two nights at another spot and it was nowhere near as good.

The sites are spacious and very clean, and there are picnic areas with grills for visitors to use.

They also have sites at Echo Beach which is the north end of Lake Mead.

Next door to the RV Park is an NPS Boulder Beach campsite. They have tent camping and full RV hookups. You can reserve in advance or turn up for their first come first served but I loved their campsites under the shade of some gum trees!!

There are various other NPS campsites in the Lake Mead Recreational Area.

Some other Lake Mead accommodation options are:

• Hoover Dam Lodge is just behind the Historic Railroad Trail and around the corner from Hoover Dam.
• For a more luxurious stay, you can’t go past the Westin Lake Las Vegas Resort on the northwestern edge of Lake Mead Recreation Area. You also have two outdoor pools and a private beach and loads of space.
• Likewise, the boutique Hilton Lake Las Vegas Resort and Spa is also on Lake Las Vegas at the northwest edge of Lake Mead Recreation Area. Its Mediterranean-inspired architecture, outdoor pool, and restaurants will give you a relaxing Vegas vacation. It’s only 17 miles from The Strip.

How to Save on Las Vegas Attractions

The Las Vegas Sightseeing Pass, is a city attraction pass that offers savings on popular attractions which helps you to visit Las Vegas on a budget. 

We’ve used them for New York, LA, and New Orleans and find they offer great savings.

You can choose from a wide variety of tours and attractions, and also allow you to skip the line. There are two types of pass; one that allows you unlimited entrance for a certain number of days, or you can choose a selection of top attractions only.

The day pass gives you access to all the attractions included, but you’ll have to plan your day well to fit in as much as you can.

When using these passes, choose your bucket list attractions and plan your trip carefully.

Some of the Las Vegas attractions that we used on the card were:

• Hoover Dam and Lake Mead tour
• Downtown Las Vegas Walking tour
• Matt Franco Magic Reinvented Nightly Show
• The Mob Museum

Some other attractions included on the card that are worth visiting:

• Grand Canyon South Rim tour
• Cowabunga Bay Water Park
• Vegas Nights Helicopter tour

It’s worth noting that the children’s pass for Vegas cost the same as the adults. I think this is because Vegas has mostly “Adult” attractions.

There are many attractions that the kids can still do though, including some of the night shows. It’s worth thinking about.

Definitely, do careful research so you know you’ll get savings from it.

The Sightseeing Pass also has a USA pass if you plan to travel through multiple US cities in 30 days.

Final Thoughts on Things to Do in Lake Mead

Lake Mead is a beautiful and peaceful place and the perfect place to cool off and escape the heat of the Nevada sun.

We loved seeing the Colorado River again after leaving it a month earlier in the Grand Canyon and on the shores at The Needles California.

It flows pretty much straight out of the Grand Canyon into Lake Mead.

I hope this guide helped you plan your trip to Lake Mead and gave you some inspiration for what to do there.

Lake Mead National Recreation Area Video

For more inspiration on Lake Mead, you can watch our video of our experience here.

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We had an amazing day out exploring this unique and diverse landscape. Whether you’re driving or hiking through this incredible park, the beauty of it is unmatched.

Down below are our tips on the best Valley of Fire things to do!

Is Valley of Fire Worth Visiting?

How does traipsing around waves of pink, orange, and red rock sound? Once again, Mother Nature has provided us with an exquisite colorful playground to explore.

This marvel called the Valley of Fire in Nevada is the perfect day trip from Las Vegas, and the best of the State Parks near LV!

If you spend any amount of time among the craziness of Sin City, you’ll be seeking respite. At only an hour away from the Strip, Valley of Fire State Park Nevada is the ultimate escape from the flashing lights and debauchery.

What makes Valley of Fire worth visiting is it’s very doable to explore the park in one day! Not to mention its Nevada’s oldest state park.

Where is Valley of Fire State Park?

The Valley of Fire State Park NV is located in the Mojave Desert and covers an area of approximately 35,000 acres.

It is the oldest of the Nevada State Parks and was dedicated in 1935. It is managed by The Bureau of Land Management, and you will find the Valley of Fires Recreation area near the town of Carrizozo, which is about 4 miles away from the park.

Directions to Valley of Fire State Park

The Valley of Fire State Park from the Las Vegas strip is 49 miles northeast. You can get there by driving along the I-15.

There are two main entrances to the park: the west entrance and the east entrance.

Or, if you are staying at Lake Mead Recreational Area, you can drive along the North Road to reach the east side of the park.

I even recommend you enter this way from Las Vegas. It will be an extra 30 minutes but the drive along Northshore Drive is spectacular (see photo above)!! It made our list of top USA scenic drives.

It’s worth leaving a little earlier to experience it.

Car Rental Las Vegas

We highly recommend you rent a car to visit Valley of Fire NV (that is if you don’t already have your own). It’s not far away, but it’s quite remote, so getting there by public transport is not really possible.

You can also check RVShare, should you want to rent a unique campervan or RV and explore further afield.

It’s a fantastic idea to go a little further west into the St George region in Utah! Prepare to be wowed.

Things to Do in Valley of Fire State Park

Now you know a little bit about how to get there and how to plan your trip, it’s time to introduce you to what to do in Fire State Park.

From scenic drives, to hiking trails, picnic areas, viewpoints, and Junior Ranger programs, there is a lot to fill out your day at Valley of Fire Nevada.

Here is what we recommend based on what we were able to do in one day.

1. Take A Scenic Drive through Valley of Fire

Phones down, conversations and sing songs on pause, look out the window, there is plenty to gawk at along the Valley of Fire road Nevada.

You may never see such beautiful colors and rock formations in one place again.

There are two main roads going through the Valley of Fire Park. We drove the main paved scenic road (The Valley of Fire Highway NV 169) running north and south through the park. This is also known as Mouse Tank Road or White Domes Road.

There are several short Valley of Fire State Park trails to stop off at along the way. There are also narrow canyons, petroglyphs, desert viewpoints, and loads of colorful rocks in hues moving beyond the red that the park is named for.

Be sure to look out for the most famous sandstone formations in the park; Atlatl Rock, the Seven Sisters, the Beehives, and Elephant Rock.

This is a Rainbow World you are driving through!

Go slow and pull over when you can for some pretty views and photos.

Right at the beginning when you climb up the road banked by high red cliffs is spectacular, especially when you come back down it. You get a good view of balanced rock from here.

You could just drive through the Valley of Fire Vegas and be satisfied. But we recommend the following Valley of Fire hiking trails to stop at along the way.

2. Hit The Hiking Trails in Valley of Fire State Park

Hiking is one of the top things to do in Valley of Fire State Park, so be sure to pack plenty of water and some sturdy shoes.

Below are the incredible Valley of Fire State Park hikes we did and recommend you do too!

Balanced Rock (0.5 miles)

After stopping in at the Valley of Fire Visitor Center for maps (if you have kids pick up their Junior Rangers books) you can then take the very short nature trail to balanced rock.

It is simply a large rock balancing on top of the other. It is pretty cool to see. Plus some awesome rock formations the kids can crawl inside of.

If you think you’ll be short on time, perhaps do it at the end of the day when you return to the Visitor Center you pick up your Junior Ranger badge, OR you can see it from the scenic drive.

You may see bighorn sheep in this area as well. Look up to the red cliffs above, they like to hang out there and we saw a large gathering of them.

Mouse Tanks Trail (0.7 miles return)

Mouse Tanks is one of the easiest Valley of Fire trails that goes past a rock face covered in petroglyphs and ends at a little pool of water.

The tank is a natural cavity in the rocks where rainwater collects.

This is where an outlaw, who the trail is named after, is said to have hid.

The tank was used as a water source by a Paiute Indian fugitive (“Little Mouse”) in the 1890s. He was captured and killed after several months in hiding.

It’s an easy, sandy trail and the kids will love the many opportunities to scramble over rocks and explore small slot canyons and caves.

The petroglyphs are cool, I especially like how there was an information board at the beginning of the trail that defined what some of the petroglyphs meant.

The kids were better able to connect to the stories told on the black rock face.

Rainbow Vista Trail (1.8 mile loop)

I loved the quiet grandeur of the Rainbow Vista Trail.

It’s more of an open trail where you are walking amongst the expanse of the vista – an assortment of rocks in almost every color imaginable.

You’ll come to what feels like the end of the trail but if you turn right it loops around and takes you to a Fire Canyon Wash, a maze of jagged reddish-brown rocks.

There is a huge rock there, you can climb up it for epic views, like Craig did, or walk down the bottom through the valley, like I did.

The Rainbow Vista area is also a great spot for a picnic. You get magnificent views of the valley!

Be sure to pop over the road from the picnic area to get a photo of the rainbow waves stretched in front of you.

Fire Wave & Seven Wonders Trail (1.5 miles return)

The Fire Wave Trail is probably the most popular of the Valley of Fire State Park hikes and where you are going to find the famous colored rock waves.

I can imagine this trail will be baking hot in the summer time so be sure to visit early with adequate water.

It’s the longest of the trails at 1.5 miles, but it is truly one of the most spectacular hikes in Nevada!

The trail begins by heading towards a long steep ridge of red sandstone.

You then drop through some small boulders to a more compact dirt path. A path along the slick rock will then take you over the crest to the fire wave!

From here you can explore the bowl covered in orange, pink, and white stripes and walk around the wave to experience the fullness of its striped, curved beauty.

Fire Wave Valley of Fire is a nice place to sit and contemplate while and let the kids run and play.

Don’t pass over the section across from the beginning of the trailhead just off the parking lot. This area is also pretty filled with interesting rock formations and colors.

The kids will love exploring here as well.

White Domes Trail (1.2 miles loop)

I loved the White Domes Valley of Fire trail as it was very different from the others.

On this trail, you are going to walk through a world of yellow and white. It begins walking up through a sandy gap between two ridges then down onto the floor of a dry drainage, Kaolin Wash.

You’ll pass by the old movie set used for The Professionals in 1966 which gives it a Mexican feel.

Yes, Hollywood likes the Valley of Fire State Park Nevada too!

The trail then goes through a narrow slot canyon which makes it an interesting hike. This was my favorite part of the trail.

It’s only 150 feet but the beautifully colored rocks offer a cool passageway, perfect for those hot days spent visiting Valley of Fire State Park.

It then comes out to more of an open section where you get views out over the park on one side and as far as the Muddy Mountains in the north and orange cliff aces on the other.

Petrified Wood Trail (0.3 Mile Loop)

Another fascinating phenomenon in the state park is the collection of petrified wood.

Petrified wood happens when a tree has been fossilized and turned to stone. The trail is short and easy and is well marked.

It has a few information pannels that tell you about the process of fossilization and how these logs turned into their current state.

Pastel Canyon (0.4 Miles)

Pastel Canyon, also known as Pink Canyon, is one of the most beautiful parts of the park and is so named because the rock surface is a stunning pastel pink hue.

Sadly we missed this on our visit because we were unable to find the trail. We have since learned that the trailhead is located on Mouse’s Tank Rd from here.

We did attempt to find the Pink Canyon Trail, but we must be bad at following directions and then on the way back, we were ready to get home because the kids were in that whining mood that happens after a day of hiking.

This is something we will add to our list of hikes to do on our return visit.

3. Do the Junior Rangers Program

If you’ve been following our USA road trip, then you know we LOVE the Junior Ranger Program.

They are well known for USA National Parks, but most state parks will have them as well.

This was a pretty easy one and the girls finished their activities quickly. Leave time to stop into the visitor center at the end of the day to say the Junior Ranger pledge and pick up their badges.

4. Go Camping in Valley of Fire State Park

If you love camping, there are a few Valley of Fire State Park camping options to choose from. Just remember, camping in Nevada can be hot, or cool.

There are 2 campgrounds in Valley of Fire (Arch Rock and Atlatl Rock) inside the park. These campgrounds are well equipped with shaded picnic tables, grills, and water stations and restrooms. There’s also a dump station and showers.

There are also three ground-use campsites that are separate from these sites. You must reserve one of these spots as there’s only enough space for 45 people. To do so, call 702-397-2088, then press “3” for group-use info, and then “1” to make a reservation.

They are all located just inside the West entrance. There is also free camping on BLM land outside the park.

Sites cost $25 per night (including the park entrance fee) and vehicle camping costs $20-$25 per vehicle. Valley of Fire State Park camping operates on a first-come, first serve basis.

5. Visit the Fire Canyon/Silica Dome Viewpoint

Before you leave, take one last look at the beautiful aztec sandstone that surrounds this park from the Fire Canyon and Silica Dome viewpoint.

As the name suggests, the viewpoint offers vistas of the Fire Canyon and Silica Dome.

This viewpoint is great because it requires no hiking to get there, you can simply pull over your car and take it all in.

You can get there by driving from the Visitor Center and then following the directions. It’s not too far away from the center, and you can always ask them for directions if you’re unsure.

Tips for Visiting Valley of Fire State Park

• Valley of Fire entrance fee is $10 to the park
• Oct – April will see cooler temperatures and may be the better time to visit Valley of Fire State Park Las Vegas
• Valley of Fire park is pet friendly (leashes required)
• Open daily from sunrise to sunset
• Visitor Center Hours: 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. There are exhibits here to learn more about the park. (and cool rocks outside for the kids to climb)
• Visit their website for more information (although to be honest there is not a lot of information on there)

Tours from Las Vegas

If you can’t get yourself to the Valley of Fire in your own vehicle you can visit on a Valley of Fire day tour from Las Vegas. Here are some tours we recommend…

• Pink Jeep Run adventure tours to Valley of Fire
• This full day tour of Valley of Fire, which also visits the Anasazi Lost City section which we missed.

Where to Stay in Las Vegas

You have unlimited options for accommodation in Las Vegas, which can make choosing a place to stay a bit overwhelming. Below are our top recommendations for hotels on the Strip. We also have a post here sharing accommodation in Las Vegas for families.

These are all in the middle of the Strip, which I think is the best place to stay in Las Vegas.

• Harrah’s Las Vegas Hotel & Casino
• Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel & Casino
• Treasure Island Hotel & Casino
• The Mirage
• Wynn Las Vegas
• The Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino

Before You Go

Valley of Fire is like nowhere else on the planet. The rock formations, the swirls of colors, the unique fossils and petroglyphs, and the numerous hiking trails, make it one of the best places to visit in Nevada.

I hope this guide helped you decide on what things to do in Valley of Fire to add to your itinerary.

Before you go, remember to pack plenty of water and sunscreen, as the Nevada heat is no joke!

Valley of Fire Nevada Video

To get inspired for your trip, here is our video from our trip to Valley of Fire…

More Las Vegas and Nevada Travel Tips

If you’re planning to visit other parts of Las Vegas and Nevada, then the below guides may be useful to you…

• How To Visit Las Vegas on a Budget – Tips to Help You Save Money
• 6 Best Things to do at Lake Mead, Nevada
• 4 Incredible Day trips from Las Vegas (under 3 hours)
• 14 Classic and fun things to do in Downtown Las Vegas
• Things to do in Las Vegas with kids.

More Inspiration For Adventures in America Southwest

Are you planning to visit other parts of the American Southwest? Then you may find the following resources helpful…

• 8 Tips for Planning a Trip to the Grand Canyon With Kids
• Ultimate Guide of things to do in Zion National Park
• The thrilling Broken Arrow Pink Jeep Tour, Sedona
• 9 Incredible things to do in the Death Valley National Park
• Thrilling ATV adventure in Sand Hollow State Park, Utah
• 14 epic adventures in the American Southwest not to miss
• 20 Extraordinary Places to Visit on your Utah road trip
• Best Things to do in Arizona for your bucket list
• Tips for Visiting Horseshoe Bend, Arizona
• The unique and extraordinary Lower Antelope Canyon, Arizona

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If you like a kaleidoscope of colors, unique rock formations, desert landscape and thrilling natural adventures this will be one of your favorite US road trip experiences.

We have spent several months exploring the southwest states of Arizona and Utah and have loads of blog posts and videos with in-depth information on all the incredible bucket list adventures and those lessor known ones as well.

Now we are creating a series of posts where we share easy to follow road trip itinerary ideas for the Southwest (2, 3 and 4 weeks). In this post, we share a 2 week Southwest Road trip (3 week American southwest itinerary here and 4 week desert southwest road trip itinerary here).

We include driving times, destination recommendations, and must not miss experiences as well as places to stay and interesting tours. We’ll also include links to the in-depth posts and videos we have on relevant destinations or experiences.

The more time you can dedicate to exploring the American desert region the better!

Do you need to rent a car?

You will need your own car to explore the Southwest region. If you need to rent a car, we have a partnership with Rentalcars.com which always returns us the best prices, and we have used them for over 10 years. See rental prices and availability from Las Vegas.

You can also check out RVShare for RV rentals.

What are the Southwest States?

There is some lack of clarity around the definitive borders but typically the Southwest region is comprised of Nevada, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico. Some people will argue parts of Colorado (Canyon De Chelly, Mesa Verde), Texas and California be included.

For me the best way to think of what encompasses and defines the Southwest region would be those desert areas, which is why sometimes you may see those other areas added in.

You’re probably less concerned with the right answer, and more with your places of interest in this southwest region, how far you are willing to drive, and how much time you have.

Don’t want to take down notes? No worries, we’ve got you covered with our printable PDF itineraries. They are free to members of our free VIF email tribe. We regularly create useful guides for our community. Fill in the form below to access the Southwest Itinerary.

Southwest USA Itineraries

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Things to note for the Southwestern US road trip itineraries

• Adapt the itinerary based upon your departure and arrival times.
• Instead of adding in times for each day, I’ve listed my recommendations so you can slot it into times that suit your schedule. Think about how to incorporate sunrise and sunsets.
• You can do these recommendations across a full-day or split into afternoon/next morning before departing for next destination.
• Plan for early days and late evenings. It will be tiring but so worth it to see as much as you can.
• Restaurants and cafes are not a big part of this American Southwest region experience. Grab something where you can, or pack your own picnics and snacks.
• A national park pass will save you money in the Southwest.

Short 2-Week Southwest Region Trip

This itinerary for 2 weeks through the Southwest region of the USA will take you through Utah and Arizona starting and ending in Las Vegas. You can easily then add time before our after the road trip to explore Las Vegas. We have added the last day on the itinerary for activities in the Las Vegas area.

If you only have 10 days consider taking out Capitol Reef National Park and Sedona. It’s a difficult choice as I love them both. If you wanted to do a little more lessor known then keep them in and take out Zion National Park!

But Craig suggests leaving Sedona in if you’re short on time and take out Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. He thinks Sedona is WAY better with all the amazing hikes, Pink Jeep Tour, restaurants and bars, awesome accommodation options etc whereas Escalante is in the middle of nowhere. You’ve gotta do Zion, Bryce, Monument Valley and Sedona he says!

Our 3 and 4 week itinerary will include the other Utah national parks of Arches and Canyonlands. You could take a day off any of the mentioned areas if you want to fit them, as you will drive through there. We’d suggest Arches over Canyonlands.

We believe in two weeks, the following places would be the best options.

Days 1 & 2: Las Vegas -> Zion National Park, Utah

With its immense red and white sandstone cliffs that reach out of the forested river bed to the brilliant blue of the sky, Zion Utah is a Southwest USA wonder. 

Zion’s towering sandstone monoliths, slot canyons, rock formations and hanging gardens attracts outdoor adventures and intrepid travelers from all over the globe.

Not only will Zion’s beauty capture your heart, but it’s epic adventures will give you memories to share around the campfire for the rest of your life.

Recommended Zion National Park attractions

• Angels Landing/ The Narrows (adventure+)
• Riverwalk – you can incorporate this into the Narrows adventure.
• Lower and Upper Emerald Pool
• Weeping Rock
• Springdale IPA from the Zion Lodge
• Zion Carmel Tunnel Drive to Canyon Overlook ((this could be a morning experience on the way to Bryce Canyon)

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Day 3 – Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

Bryce Canyon is a fairy tale kingdom of bright orange and pink pastel spires and towers, archways and paths leading into enchanted forests to get lost in. It’s one of our favorite USA national parks. and a Utah Bucket List.

It can easily be explored in one day, although 2 days would be optimal especially so you can see both sunrise and sunset.

Recommended activities in Bryce Canyon

• Hike or horse ride the Fairyland Loop Trail
• Queens Garden & Navajo Loop Trail
• Sunset/ Sunrise

Day 4: Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah

Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is a world of 4×4 scenic drives, hidden waterfalls, undulating waves of colorful rocks, and adventurous hikes through narrow slot canyons, endless slick rock and rainbow colored valleys.

Slow down and appreciate the beauty of this gigantic hidden secret of Utah.

Click the links below for more in-depth information on those activities.

Recommended things to do in Escalante

• Lower Calf Creek Falls hike (you could do this early in the morning of your departure to Capitol Reef National Park)
• Spooky and Peek-a-Boo Canyon
• Burr Trail and Scenic Highway 12
• Pizza at Escalante Outfitters

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Day 5 & 6: Capitol Reef National Park, Utah

In native language, the area known as Capitol Reef means “the land of the sleeping rainbow.”

There is probably no more accurate poetic reference than this colorful playground of massive domes, towering cliffs, twisting canyons, arches and bridges change with the light, moving from deep reds to pastel pinks, sunburnt orange, soft yellows and whites.

It’s probably a USA national park you’ve never heard of, but will be glad you visited!

Favorite things to do in Capitol Reef National Park

• Cassidy Arch Hike
• Hickman Bridge Trail
• Capitol Gorge
• Sunset Point Trail
• HWY 24 scenic drive
• Raspberry white chocolate cookie from the Fruita District

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Day 7 & 8: Monument Valley, Utah

Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park reaches right into your soul and lifts you into the present moment and plops you right into wonder and awe.

You can’t help but stop, stare and contemplate a greatness that exists way beyond your small self.

It’s so much more than just a bunch of imposing buttes and mesas rising up out of the desert floor forming shapes such as mittens, camels, sisters, suns eyes, and wind’s ear.

Do not miss the Navajo Guided Tour

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Day 9: Antelope Canyon/ Horseshoe Bend, Arizona

Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend are iconic things to do in Arizona. They are easy to visit on the way from Monument Valley to Grand Canyon and you could do both in half a day. You could just keep driving to Sedona or stay at nearby Lake Powell.

We thoroughly enjoyed our Antelope Canyon tour, the colored rock formations under the earth are incredible and the vista from Horseshoe Bend over the Colorado River is quite WOW!

Be sure to book Antelope Canyon ahead of time as it is very popular and tours are limited. See our in-depth posts below for more details.

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Day 10 & 11: Sedona, Arizona

Sedona is one of my favorite destinations in the USA. It is jaw-droppingly beautiful. Everywhere you turn is a view that captivates you.

There is also a wonderful energy and spirit in this iconic place in the Southwest thanks to the many vortexes in the area. It’s well known around the world for it’s spiritual healing energy.

There is so much to do here from beautiful hikes, epic train journeys, adventurous 4X4 tours over the red rock country, and just chilling with the views and the vortexes. Our posts below will give you all the information you need.

Recommended things to do in Sedona

• The Broken Arrow Pink Jeep Tour
• The Verde Canyon Railroad
• Cathedral and Bell Rock Hike
• Bonyton Vortex (and hike)
• Airport Mesa (hike and sunset)

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Day 12 & 13: Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

I’m pretty sure one of the reasons you are doing a road trip of Southwest region is to visit the Grand Canyon National Park. It is everything and more.

We have visited three times, (Craig five) and have loved every visit. We have visited in the Grand Canyon in the winter, in the summer with the girls, Craig and I have hiked down to Plateau Point, and we both enjoyed a few nights at the North Rim, also hiking down in the canyon.

Recommended things to do in the Grand Canyon

• Hike the Bright Angel Trail
• South Rim Trail
• Visitor Center movie and Junior Ranger Program
• Hopi Point Sunset
• Desert View Watchtower (my favorite views)

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Day 14: Las Vegas, Nevada

Let’s finish this incredible American Southwest 2 week road trip in Sin City! Of course, you can take your kids there. Our girls have been four times and love it! All those flashing neon lights, evening shows, all you can eat buffets, gigantic wheels, and fancy casinos.

You decide how long you want to visit. 4 Days is MORE than enough for me.

Recommended things to do in Las Vegas

• Casino hop the Strip and gaze in wonder
• See a show
• Visit Downtown Las Vegas (before 5pm if with kids) and Downton East

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Leave a comment: What’s your best tip or must not miss destination in the Southwest USA. Tell us when you are planning to visit and fee free to ask any questions!

Our girls have been to Vegas three times and loved it for its big city lights and fun atmosphere. To help you plan your family trip to Vegas, we’re sharing what we think are the most kid-friendly hotels in Las Vegas.

We also have a post on things to do in Las Vegas with kids, plus cool things to do in Downtown Las Vegas, how to visit Vegas on a budget, and four fantastic day trips from Vegas – you’ll be stunned at the beauty that lies just under two hours from Vegas in every direction.

Bear in mind, this is Vegas, so many of the Las Vegas hotels we recommend will have non-family guests as well.

Many of the Vegas hotels are in casinos so if you don’t like this you may want to search off the strip and find some Las Vegas resorts that are more suited to a family vacation.

Vegas’ uniqueness lies in the Strip and its casinos, so I do think staying in a casino on the Strip will give you a memorable vacation.

It’s one of those rare places where I say the accommodation is a major feature of the experience, so choose wisely.

Ways to Save Money on Hotels in Vegas

Firstly, lets look at some simple tips for finding cheap places to stay in Vegas for families. There are a few important things to note that are specific to Las Vegas.

It’s a unique destination and cultural experience.

Not only is it a major international tourist destination and weekend vacation hot spot for Americans, it’s also huge for conventions. All of which can impact the price of your hotel.

Here are a few tips to reduce that.

Visit Vegas Midweek

Sunday to Thursday is typically when you get much cheaper prices on hotels in Vegas. Tuesday and Wednesday night are generally the cheapest. Don’t worry, Vegas parties like it’s Saturday every night.

Cheap rack room prices don’t tell the full story

Room rack prices are very cheap in Vegas as they know how to get money out of you in many other ways. Don’t let the room rack price fool you into thinking you have a deal – the extras will quickly raise that.

For that cheap room rack price all you’ll get is a bed, a TV, and an ice bucket.

If you want anything else, you’re going to be paying for it like a $25 daily fee for a bar fridge. Just bring in your own cooler and fill it with ice from the machine.

If you don’t need any of the extras stick to the basic cheap price and get your Vegas cheap hotel.

Prices based on two people

You will have to pay extra for any extra bodies over two people in your hotel room. It’s ridiculously high and important to know when booking family accommodation in Vegas.

You can pretend you don’t have children when you check in as they won’t verify it. You didn’t hear that from us and you accept all responsibility if you get caught.

Las Vegas Resort Fees

Pretty much all Las Vegas hotels charge a resort fee.

I think the only way you can get out of it is if you are a certain membership level on their reward cards. The resort fees are to help the government pay for roads etc. as they have a lower local population tax base.

That is what our Downtown Las Vegas walking tour guide told us anyway. The following hotels don’t have resort fees, but as you’ll see most are not on the Strip. Be sure to double check as things change.

1. Best Western Plus Casino Royale (on the strip)
2. Alexis Park All Suite Resort
3. Arizona Charlie’s Decatur
4. Arizona Charlie’s Boulder Highway
5. California Hotel & Casino
6. Cannery Hotel & Casino
7. Casino Royale Best Western Plus
8. Eastside Cannery
9. ELARA
10. Four Queens Hotel & Casino
11. Fremont Hotel and Casino
12. Lucky Club
13. M Resort Spa & Casino
14. Main Street Station Casino Brewery & Hotel
15. Wyndham Grand Desert

Conventions and Events

Hotel prices will be more expensive in Las Vegas when a convention is on. A LOT more expensive.

It’s also a huge sporting city, especially for UFC and boxing, and now the Raiders football team call it home, as well as the Golden Knights Ice Hockey team – there is always something going on in Sin City!

You’ll be paying a premium if visiting Vegas during this time. It’s probably not the best time to visit Vegas with kids. Check out the Las Vegas Convention Calendar.

Location is important in Vegas

Staying in the center of the Strip will save you money getting around and time. We like this area of the Strip the best so spend most time here anyway.

The Strip is much longer than you realize and walking from the south end (Mandalay Bay) up to the center (Mirage & Caesars Palace) and back again is exhausting especially with kids and in the HEAT.

We have never stayed at the north end of the Strip (Stratosphere) as we don’t think it’s that great.

Player Cards and Casino Reward Programs

Signing up for player’s cards and casino reward programs is such a clever way to save money on hotel rooms and in preparation for your next Vegas visit.

Because once you stay and use your card to collect points, they’ll send you offers almost immediately after your stay.

Vegas knows how to get you to come back and spend more money at the casino.

• Mlife (MGM Grand Resorts rewards program)
• Total Rewards (Caesars Entertainment rewards program):
• Grazie (Venetian and Palazzo)
• Wynn Insider
• Wynn & Encore Red Card (Loyalty Program)
• Identity (Cosmopolitan Rewards Program)
• Station Casinos Boarding Pass (Palms, Red Rock, Green Valley Ranch, Palace Station and more…)
• The Code (SLS Vegas)

Professional Discounts

Are you members of any professions?

Members of the military can save anywhere from 10-20% on room rates. First responders can save 10% off Caesars Properties. Teachers and students can also save 10% on Caesars properties.

Compare prices for family hotels in Las Vegas

Use sites like Booking.com and Trip Advisor to get good hotel comparisons and to read reviews. We found the best prices on Booking.com.

You can also check out BestofVegas.com and LasVegas.com for specials and deals.

Family-Friendly Hotels in Las Vegas (we have stayed in)

We want to start our best Vegas hotels for kids recommendations with places we have stayed at. We stayed at these properties on multiple trips to Vegas.

1. Harrah’s Hotel & Casino – Central Strip

We think Harrah’s Casino is the best value hotel on the Strip for families.

Here’s what we loved about Harrah’s:

• Ideal location on the Center of the Strip across the road from Caesar’s Palace and the Mirage.
• Recently renovated rooms made it more modern and attractive.
• We had great views out over the High Roller and mountains.
• While the pool area is smaller and maybe not as glam as other casino pools, I still liked it.

2. Treasure Island Hotel & Casino- Strip Central

Treasure Island is a little more upscale than Harrah’s, but with the extra amenities it may be worth it and place it as one of the best family hotels in Las Vegas.

There might be a bit more of a party scene here in the actual casino area.

What we liked about Treasure Island

• Ideal location on the Center of the Strip

3. The Mirage Resort & Casino – Central Strip

While technically Craig and the girls stayed down at Treasure Island when they visited Vegas with his family, they spent a lot of time at The Mirage as his family stayed there.

They loved the amenities and felt it was an amazing family resort in Las Vegas.

What we liked about The Mirage

• Variety of dining options within the hotel
• Great, central location
• Clean, elegant and modern
• Good resort style pool area
• You might be able to watch the nightly volcano show from your room

4. Excalibur Hotel – South Strip

If you’re looking for cheap family accommodation on the strip and a basic room, you’ll find it at Excalibur. If you don’t intend to spend a lot of time at the hotel it’s a good option.

After hours of research it was the cheapest we could find.

Excalibur is at the southern end of the Strip, which is about a 30-minute walk to the center.

The Excalibur is a good option for lower budget. We did have to step over a pile of vomit on the casino walkway one morning, but they cleaned it pretty fast, and hey you’re in Vegas!

You are right next door to the New York New York hotel here and will see that roller coaster zipping around each time you walk out. Our girls went on this ride and loved it. Although at $15 a ride, it was once in a trip experience for them.

The Luxor is next door to here as well. We have not stayed at the Luxor with kids before, but Craig and I have stayed there pre-kids.

It’s another good budget Vegas option similar to Excalibur. The kids may think it’s pretty cool to stay in a pyramid!

Other Kid-Friendly Hotels in Las Vegas

While we may not have stayed at these kid friendly hotels in Vegas, we have spent time researching them for you.

Some of these Vegas hotels are connected to a casino, which we’ve spent time in to get a feel for the vibe.

We’ve also checked out reviews and amenities. Some are also Las Vegas family friendly properties that friends or families have stayed in.

For cheaper Vegas hotels, but still offer a great experience, we recommend the following:

5. Flamingo Hotel & Casino

I want to stay at the Flamingo Hotel and Casino when we return to Vegas. It’s been recently renovated, so I now love it’s modern spin on what is quite a retro style.

I also love it’s location on the center of the Strip and near to the Linq Promenade which is one of my favorite areas on the Strip, which gives a more local alfresco feel.

The best family hotels in Vegas on a budget in the center of the strip would be:

• Harrah’s
• Bally’s
• Treasure Island
• Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
• and the Best Western Plus Casino Royale.

Las Vegas Hotels for Kids “Off” The Strip

Hotel rates will be cheaper off the strip. But do consider the extra time to walk or Uber to the Strip if that is where you want to hang out.

Some to check out would be:

Vacation Rentals in Las Vegas – great family accommodation option

Don’t forget vacation rentals when visiting Las Vegas, particularly if you want a quiet space to escape the madness on the Strip.

It’s also a great idea for saving money on eating out in Vegas. While you can find cheap deals on eating out, it can add up, AND it’s so bad for your health.

We have friends who rent an Airbnb every time they visit Vegas. They love it for how affordable it is.

And we were going to rent a home with friends in Vegas for a conference. It was a great deal in comparison to the hotel prices. That all fell apart with the Rona virus.

We found a couple of vacation family homes on VRBO that look wonderful and with your own private pool to relax in and escape the Vegas heat.

Best Family Hotels in Downtown Las Vegas

Consider staying in Downtown Las Vegas. We loved the revitalized vibe here. We especially love Downtown East.

Do your research, as you may not wish to stay here with kids. Fremont St, while fun in the day is really NOT kid-friendly at night.

Golden Nugget Saloon

The Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino is an awesome property and has a pool with a lazy river and waterslide through an aquarium that was named in the Top 10 list in the world.

Of course, there is an aquarium in the middle of the pool with sharks and a water slide that goes through the middle. I do want to stay here.

The Golden Nugget Saloon is on my list of places to stay in Vegas when I return.

Downtown Grand Hotel & Casino

This is not your typical Vegas style casino and hotel. It’s a boutique hotel with an industrial-chic vibe. You’ll find a ground floor casino, restaurants, including the famous and much loved Pizza Rock, and a rooftop pool.

El Cortez Hotel & Casino

If you’re looking for nostalgia on your Vegas vacation, you’ll find it at Las Vegas’ oldest running casino (since 1941) – a pretty impressive feat once you learn how quickly these casinos crash and burn.

The infamous mobster, Bugsy Seigel once owned this hotel, but the retro look from his era remains.

Golden Gate Hotel

The Golden Gate Hotel is also a century old casino that has plenty of history and vintage decorations to check out, as well as their Prohibition Bar serving up cocktails out of coffee mugs. Got to be discreet about these things.

Oasis Las Vegas RV Resort

Some of you may be traveling through Las Vegas on an RV trip and are looking for more affordable Las Vegas accommodation.

We stayed for about a week at the Oasis RV Resort just south of the strip.

This is a really great RV Park and the staff are so helpful and nice. The kids loved riding their bikes around and swimming in the pool, which had a great tropical feel. It was one of our favorite RV parks in our trip of the USA.

Read TripAdvisor reviews here.

More Las Vegas and Southwest USA tips

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Do you have a favorite Kid-friendly Las Vegas hotel to recommend? What do you love most about it?

Once again on our US travels, we were faced with many people telling us Vegas just wasn’t a kid-friendly destination.

Much like they told us about Mardi Gras in New Orleans with kids. We went and had a great time. If a place has kids living in it, then usually you can find kid-friendly attractions.

Sure, Las Vegas is unsavory in many ways but you can avoid that – and introduce an education at the same time.

You’ll be surprised at how many fun things to do with kids in Las Vegas there are, and kid-friendly hotels in Las Vegas. We’re happy to share them with you as it’s not just all neon lights and casinos. Our daughters have visited Las Vegas three times now and absolutely love it!

They love the excitement of a big city and one that has a three-story M&M’s world and all you can eat buffets with loads of dessert options will inflate the heart of any child.

On our recent RV trip of the US, we decided No More Vegas! But, strangely enough it kept pulling us back. Mostly because it was a perfect hub for exploring the American Southwest.

Wander the Strip & Casino Gawk

Again and again and again. Wandering the Strip and exploring the casinos is one of those Las Vegas attractions for kids won’t tire of.

I mean they get to visit Paris, New York, Rome, Venice and more along a four-mile street.

Yes, the Strip is much longer than you realize and is packed with attractions, like M&Ms World, roller coasters, free shows and Ferris Wheels.

You could spend an entire day or two going from one casino to another (and all the cool side streets). Plan your time well. We recommend splitting it up and exploring a section at a time especially in hot weather!

We weren’t major fans of the northern section of the Strip, which is where you’ll find The Stratosphere and Circus Circus.

Middle of the Strip is our favorite region and where we most like to stay.

Wander through the casinos, take in some shows, eat a lot of food, and go shopping – that pretty much sums up life on the Vegas Strip. Short family vacations work well in this city!

If you stay on the Strip, we recommend taking breaks back at your hotel swimming pool. That’s why staying middle of the strip is handy for easy access.

Casino Favorites

It’s fascinating to check out the different casinos and their, sometimes extravagant, designs.

Kalyra and I had great discussions about the designs of casino floors purposefully done to trap and confuse people so they sit there all day and night donating their money to Casino bosses. I told you -so educational!

I personally preferred the class and elegance of hotels like Wynn and Bellagio to the fake cities of Paris, Venice and Ancient Rome.

Although the kids will love watching the singing gondolas go by in the Venice canals – you may even like to ride on one.

Some Casino sights not to miss:

• The Flamingo has the Wildlife Habitat which has flamingos (of course) and other exotic birds, fish and turtles in its beautiful gardens. (this was one of my favorite casinos)
• The canals and shops of The Venetian.
• The Cosmopolitan has a modern art collection. The Wynn also has great art collections.
• The Bellagio Conservatory transforms a 14,000-square-foot floral playground into a showcase of the distinctive sights and colors of spring, summer, fall and winter. It’s spectacular!
• I absolutely loved Fiori di Como,” the colorful glass ceiling sculpture made of more than 2,000 pieces in Bellagio’s lobby. It’s a Chihuly masterpiece. We shared how much we loved his work in our post on Seattle with Kids and the Biltmore Estate. He’s my favorite artists and we’ve seen his work all over the country.
• Check out the 50,000-gallon aquarium in Caesar’s Forum with more than 300 saltwater fish

Catch a Free Show on the Strip

These free shows on the Strip are considered some of the best free things to do in Vegas with kids. It’s really quite mind-blowing how good a free show can be.

The Bellagio Fountains

Probably the most well known of all Vegas shows and attractions are the Bellagio Fountains. They are great to watch at any time of day or night.

It’s worth seeing it as many times as you can for the different perspectives and different dances to a wide variety of sings. Watching them dance to a Frank Sinatra song is an experience.

The fountains go off every 15-mins to an hour depending on time of the day.

Volcano Show at the Mirage

I was worried this would be a little kitschy but I was pretty impressed with the volcano light show out the front of The Mirage. It’s an explosion of fireballs and lights to a rocking soundtrack.

The Volcano is located outside the Las Vegas Boulevard Main Entrance of the Mirage. You can’t miss it.

 The Volcano Show usually happens daily at 8pm, 9pm, 10pm. Get there early for a position as it gets packed.

Fall of Atlantis Show at Caesars Forum Shops 

The girls loved this animatronic display of fire, water and nine-foot-tall talking statues that tells the story of the firece sibling feuds within Kingdom of Atlantis.

The show plays every hour on the hour, starting at 11 a.m.

Other Free Vegas Shows

• Circus Circus has a free circus show every hour from 11:30am to 11:15pm. Clown and acrobat lovers will enjoy it
• Harrah’s have live dueling piano shows every night, which we quite enjoyed watching! Paris and New York, New York also has them.

Eat at the Vegas Buffets

Be sure to compare notes later together at any one of the buffets in the Strip casinos! You’ll even find them off the Strip and in Downtown Las Vegas.

It’s hard to go past Vegas Buffets. If you want to enjoy more than one course, it can be better to eat at a buffet then an expensive restaurant. Depending on your style of course, but many Vegas buffets serve good quality food.

As we have a few dietary concerns, buffets don’t work well for us. Although, pre-dietary issues, Craig and I overindulged in the buffets on a couples trip to Vegas! The kids love them because of all the yummy desert options.

Do your research and choose well as there are many of them, all offering varying cuisines at different prices. Lunch times and weekdays are typically cheaper. Just choose one or two.

We loved the Bellagio and Paris buffet the most.

Parents, although I doubt you’ll be able to take full advantage of this, many of the buffets have $15 all you can drink deals. We have loads more tips on saving money in Vegas.

Ride the New York New York Roller Coaster

I choked more than a little at the steep $15 price ticket for the roller coaster that runs through the New York New York casino. It’s a pretty iconic thing to do in Vegas.

The girls went on with their friends and loved it. Once was all they got so they were told to soak up every hairpin turn and loop! It’s included on the Go City Pass.

Marvel Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N.

Would this be your child’s favorite Vegas family friendly attraction? A museum dedicated to their favorite Marvel Superheroes.

Our girls aren’t too excited about this, but I know yours may be!! Now that I have seen a few Avenger movies, I think I might like to do it when we return to Vegas.

It’s located in Treasure Island, where they did stay with Craig’s extended family. It’s free to guests.

As a new agent in training, you are given a mobile phone and badge to guide you through the interactive exhibits that explore history and scientific origins of The Avengers.

This attraction is included in the Las Vegas Sightseeing Pass and the Go City Pass

Hang out in the Casino Pools

If you are staying at a Caesars or MGM property, you can typically use the pools of resorts in that chain. Some may charge an extra fee so check first.

Hanging out at a pool in Vegas for most of the day is the thing to do, especially in the hot summer months. Many of them will be closed during the winter.

The Sightseeing Pass also includes the Cowabunga Bay Water Park.

See a Vegas Show with Kids

One of the reasons Las Vegas is a popular place to visit is for the wide variety of shows, concerts and events you can attend. From big headliners like Celine Delione and Cirque Du Soliel to smaller magic and comedy shows, you will bound to find something to suit your family travel style.

Taking in these shows was one of the best things to do in Las Vegas with kids for us. They had a ball and will remember it forever.

Here are the two shows we watched.

Mystere Cirque Du Soleil

The girls also love gymnastics and acrobatics. Cirque Du Soleil is a show that I’ve wanted to see since they become Cirque Du Soleil in Vegas.

They have so many different version of the show at different hotels. We were told Mystere is the longest running. most popular, and best for kids.

We found the best deal on Vegas.com – thanks to Johnny Jet for that tip. It’s in Treasure Island Casino.

The theater is small enough to have good viewing seats no matter where you are. It was fantastic. The tricks and costumes were phenomenal as was the strength of the performers. It inspired me to do more core workouts.

No one seemed to have an idea of what the storyline was but it gave the girls and I a good opportunity for discussion and sharing our creative ideas.

We thought it was showcasing the cycle of life and the different acts represented earth, fire, wind and rain. Have you been? Do you have an idea?

As tumblers, the girls loved this act the best. The trapeze act was also good. And hey, who wouldn’t love a circus that uses NO live animals?

The Flex Premium Sightseeing Pass includes several shows in Las Vegas.

Magic Reinvented Nightly

So I’m not really a magic person. I kind of enjoy it at the time but I tend to drag my feet there for some reason. I dragged my feet yet again to Matt Franco’s Magic Reinvented Nightly at the LINQ Casino.

We went because it was a premium experience on our Sightseeing Pass and the girls love magic, especially what they see on America’s Got Talent. Matt won it in 2014.

It was the BEST experience we had in Vegas with kids!

I loved this show so much. The magic tricks were awesome, but his presentation was funny and heartwarming. His storytelling drew us in and made it an incredible experience.

What I loved the most was seeing the girls giggle the entire time, jump off out of their seats with hands in the air, clapping and cheering.

By the end of it Savannah had her hand straight up trying to get on stage as a volunteer where at the beginning she was begging me to put mine down.

It was a night purely just to enjoy magic.

It didn’t matter the trick and sleight of hands as to how it was done, we could just believe in magic. It surrounds us everywhere, everyday, some are good at plucking it out of thin air in many different forms.

Magic matters.

Other good Vegas Shows for Kids

The Tournament of Kings at the Excalibur Resort features Medieval warriors on horseback, battles with swords, jostling and a family-friendly atmosphere. We were considering this Vegas Show when we stayed at the Excalibur.

Ride the High Roller Observation Wheel at the LINQ

I took Kalyra and her friend Nina on the High Roller, which is the gigantic Ferris wheel at the LINQ. It was strange that we went on it after spending the morning watching firefighters doing rescue drill training on it!

It especially gave me the heebie jeebies when we were at the top and realized just how high up we were. The views over The Strip and surrounding mountains were epic though.

You can get skip the line tickets here and it’s included in the Go City Pass (daytime tickets only)

Visit Downtown Las Vegas with Kids

Downtown Las Vegas has long since had a reputation for seedy danger and we were warned to stay away.

You will find a few kid-friendly attractions there, but it’s best to do them before 5pm and then head back into the Strip area once you start seeing the layers of clothing disappearing.

To be honest, the kids didn’t like Downtown Vegas too much, except for container park in East Downtown, and the large pancakes for breakfast at Hash House a Go Go inside the Plaza Hotel.

But it was probably my favorite place in Vegas. It’s where Vegas first started and so maintains some of that old casino charm. It’s less flashy and more vibrant.

For Downtown Vegas family activities, consider the Downtown Vegas walking tour for historical and cultural insights, Exploring Downtown East, The Tank swimming pool at the Golden Nugget, and the Downtown container park.

You can see our in-depth post on things to do in Downtown Las Vegas for more ideas.

Things to do Near Las Vegas with Kids

You won’t believe the natural beauty that lives only an hour or two away from the Las Vegas Strip. We discovered some of our favorite places in Southwest region here.

Do not miss Valley of Fire State Park and the Northshore Drive in the Lake Mead Recreational Area. We also loved horesriding and hiking at Red Rock Canyon.

We have written posts with more in-depth information for you below. Some of the following are included in the Las Vegas Sightseeing Pass.

More Travel Ideas for Las Vegas and Beyond:

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The last 5 years has seen the beginnings of change and exciting revitalization. It has so many parallels to Downtown LA which was once a dangerous place but is now, I think, one of the most exciting and unknown US city destinations.

Downtown Vegas is on the cusp of that greatness. Just remember you heard it here first.

Old downtown Las Vegas as it’s also known was the original town site and gambling district and historic center of Vegas. It’s the Central Business District but offers much for tourists to enjoy.

Visitors to DTLV used to confine themselves to the boundaries of the covered Fremont St, but now they are walking beyond Fremont to discover more.

We uncovered many few cool things to do Downtown Las Vegas like the Downtown East section and Container Park, axe throwing, $12 buffets and $2.50 beers.

If you want to visit Vegas on the cheap, then don’t miss downtown. As it’s so centralized, it has a more of an upbeat vibe than the sprawling Strip offers.

The slot machines here also have a higher payout percentage. Find an old machine in a dark corner somewhere – ding ding ding!

We visited Vegas with kids so a lot of the fun stuff we discovered, we couldn’t do, but here are all the Downtown Vegas attractions we can recommend.

Things to Do on Fremont Street

While Old Town Las Vegas is so much more than Fremont Street, this street is the area you’ll wander in and out of the most. It’s the Las Vegas Strip of the downtown area.

We do recommend if you are visiting Vegas with kids to get them off Fremont St in the evening hours, when Old Las Vegas turns into world class crazy and gives a true insight as to why it’s called Sin City.

During the day they’ll enjoy the buskers and live music as you walk by.

Here are a few of the Fremont Street attractions.

1. Start with a Downtown Vegas Walking Tour

Why not start your things to do in Downtown Las Vegas with an overview on a guided walking tour?

This was the tour that flipped me from thinking upon first stepping onto Fremont St, “Geez, I think we’d better get out of here. I’m not sure of this place”, to thinking…

“OMG. This place is so cool. I can’t wait to come back and explore more.

This is why I travel. To be surprised and find those America Unplugged secrets!

We learned so much more about the stories of this gambling town than we ever would have just wandering around on our own. It made Vegas come alive for us. Even our girls loved it.

We learned about the birthplace of Vegas which is near the Plaza Hotel at the beginning of Fremont St – the Old Vegas Strip), how and why the casinos go up and down so much, the history behind its growth and allure, and the revitalization of Fremont St, the surrounding area, and the very cool local Downtown East.

Another reason to make this your first stop in DTLV is your guide will point out the best places to return and explore more AND will give you a print out of his recommended places to eat and drink and when you can find the cheap prices.

This tour was included on our Las Vegas Sightseeing Pass. You can get yours here.

You can purchase individual tickets to the walking tour here.

2. Fly over Fremont St on the Slotzilla Zip Line

Another great overview of Fremont St comes from above with the Slotzilla zip line.

If you don’t want to take to the skies, you will enjoy looking up at the faces of joy and terror as they soar above you! This is a fantastic family-friendly attraction in downtown Las Vegas.

The beginning of the zip line is true Vegas style out of a 12-story slot machine. Adventurous, but less tame than throwing yourself off The Stratosphere.

3. Take in the Fremont St Experience and Viva Vision Light Shows

Fremont Street Experiences is one of the most popular things to do in Downtown Las Vegas and one of the best free things to do in Vegas.

It involves a light and music show (and lots of advertising) imagery on the roof or Viva Vision, the largest video screen in the world.

They often have live bands playing on one of the three stages on Fremont Street.

We’ve pretty much missed it each time we visited the downtown Vegas area. the kids were either losing it because it was crazy people hour, or we’d had too many drinks to notice (when the kids weren’t with us).

Viva Vision light shows last approximately six minutes, and run every hour, usually starting at 6pm depending on season.

This tour of DTLV will take in the Fremont St lights as well as happy hour drinks and a tour of the Arts District.

4. Find your Gold at the Golden Nugget Saloon

It doesn’t get more Old Vegas than the Golden Nugget Saloon. It’s on my list of places to stay in Vegas when we return.

Even if you don’t stay here, it is an iconic Vegas casino to come and play the slot machines or check out the elaborate swimming pool.

The Golden Nugget pool has the Tank, a 200,000-gallon aquarium in middle that water slide that goes through it. It’s been named as one of the top 10 pools in the world by Travel & Leisure.

My friend Rina and I had an evening out in Downtown Las Vegas and had a blast. We spent most of our time in the Golden Nugget saloon.

Gambling really is not my thing, but the free drinks you get with it is!

You MUST have cash to gamble in the hotels casinos. It’s against the law to use credit cards so be sure you have plenty of cash – or don’t to keep your bank balance safe.

While here be sure to check out the Hand of Faith, the largest gold nugget on public display in the world today, weighing in at 61 pounds, 11 ounces.

Non-hotel guests can swim in the The Tank pool with a day pass that costs $35 per person (children 2 and under are free). If you want to save money in Vegas, perhaps looking is better!

5. Get Spanked at Heart Attack Grill

This was the funniest and most bizarre thing we found in Vegas. The Heart Attack Grill looks like a normal burger milk shake bar until you peak through the windows.

Patrons are dressed in hospital gowns drinking wine out of IV drips, shots out of syringes and chowing down on heart attack style burgers.

If you take on the challenge to eat Octuple Bypass Burger – eight burger patties topped with forty slices of bacon and enough cheese for a heart attack – and fail the mission, you are legitimately taken to the spanking platform and spanked pretty hard with a by the waitress!!

I’m pretty sure you’ll be begging for it after the first bite of that burger. I’ll take the IV line of red wine instead please!

I’m not sure it’s a place you want to visit with kids. My friend, Rina and I ducked in for a look, a giggle, and a hospital gown photo.

6. Taste Local Passion at Banger Brewing

Tucked in between the flashing neon lights and kitschy vibe of Old Vegas, is a modern invention – crafty brewing.

Five local friends who worked at the Bellagio together came up with the idea to fill a void in the alcohol offerings in the highest drinking city in the world. Enter delicious, classy, locally made beer at Banger Brewing.

No kids allowed. Ours kids watched a busker show just outside the window while we quickly threw a pint down. You can’t come to Vegas and not sample a home brew. Be warned – they are strong!

You can bring outside food in here though as they don’t have a kitchen.

7. Enjoy Happy Hour views in a Glass Dome at Oscar’s Steakhouse

Oscar’s Steakhouse located in the Plaza hotel’s iconic glass dome has become a must see attraction in Downtown Las Vegas due to its classic views of the lights of Fremont St. that has been featured in movies like Casino.

It’s named in honor of former mayor and mob boss Oscar Goodman.

We started our downtown walking tour underneath this restaurant and our guide told us happy hour from 5-7pm is where you’ll find great deals on drinks and oysters!

What to Do in Downtown Las Vegas Beyond Fremont St.

8. Go Gangster at The Mob Museum

What a fantastic Downtown Vegas attraction. It’s important to learn about the stories behind destinations and you know Vegas has a rich Mobster tale to tell.

I’ve always had a weird kind of fascination and fear of the Mob. What with the Godfather, Donnie Brasco and Al Capone how can you not be?

Whereas Chicago tries to hide their checkered Gangster past, Vegas is like, hey baby this was part of our growth and look at how we overcame it.

Put aside a couple of hours at the Mob Museum. It was a quick whirlwind tour through as we had our walking tour booked in. But, the quick ended up being good for the girls.

They were okay with learning about the Mob until expectantly coming across some gruesome footage and then we quickly escorted them out.

So, perhaps it’s not the best place for your kids. It definitely opened up a good conversation about organized crime. I think I can trust that neither of them will ever get mixed up in it. I think I made them promise me several times!

The museum is three floors of exhibits and stories, films and photos. One section will warn you of the gruesomeness to come.

The Mob Museum was also part of our Sightseeing Pass, which also included two special exhibits: The Crime Lab and the Use of Force.

I was disappointed we ran out of time for the 30-minute crime lab. Craig and I had to tag team as there is an age limit. But the Use of Force was a quick and very interesting 15-minute insight into the stainless steel nerves and quick thinking police officers have.

We were given guns (without bullets) and were taken through a few scenarios of crimes in action. As the police officer we had to respond accordingly.

It did involve shooting a few of the criminals. I was shot first once and the second time I got the guy. No innocents were harmed in my scenario – Craig’s was a different story.

We even had a real life drunk we had to encounter and disarm. I wouldn’t be a cop for anything!

You can get your individual tickets here

It’s also part of the Go City Pass.

9. Learn The Stories Behind the Neon at The Neon Museum

Well, we all know Las Vegas is the city of neon lights. The Neon Museum is a unique Vegas attraction.

Since 1996, the Neon Museum has been collecting and exhibiting Las Vegas neon signs for historical and cultural enrichment. It’s a cool way to preserve the stories and unique history of the city.

While we did not get time to visit this museum we really wanted to and had many people recommend it as a Vegas beyond the Strip highlight.

10. Explore Family-Friendly Fremont East District

Fremont East District lies at the eastern edge of Fremont St and is the vision of Tony Hsieh, the founder of Zappos.

He launched this Downtown Project as a $350 million downtown Las Vegas initiative to redevelop a section of downtown from Fremont Street Experience to Maryland Parkway along the Fremont Street corridor.

He decided that he was going to bring 5,000 jobs to this region and revitalize it into a local’s neighborhood with cool restaurants, breweries and places to hang out.

He has certainly done this.

It started with him starting all the restaurants etc. himself and bringing the headquarters of Zappos to downtown, but hey when you have vision, you find the solution.

We didn’t get to eat here, but apparently there are some outstanding dining experiences to be had. Some recommendations were Le Thai, Therapy and Carson Kitchen.

11. Eat and Shop at the Funky Downtown Container Park

The Downtown Container Park is a wonderful family-friendly area for locals to hang out with cafes, boutiques stores, craft-whiskey cocktail bar, bars, and outdoor stage and tree house playground for the kids.

It features more than 40 repurposed shipping containers that house retail shops and restaurants.

The center is intended to be a starting place for promising entrepreneurs who have longed to open a shop or restaurant.

The entrance is marked by a giant metal sculpture of a praying mantis, which shoots jets of fire from its antennae at night. It’s a Burning Man creation so you can just imagine it’s creative flair.

Oak & Ivy, Bin 702 and The Perch are places to check out for drinks and food.

12. Get Arty at the Free First Friday in the Las Vegas Arts District

On the first Friday of the month, Downtown Las Vegas has a First Friday art event just south of Fremont St at the Las Vegas Arts District.

Over 100 local artists display and sell their work on the streets and there’s also live music, street performers, food carts and art lessons for kids. Another one of those things to do in Vegas for cheap.

You can continue the fun down on Fremont St for their First Friday block party – no kids allowed!

13. Find the Cheapest Happy Hour at Main Street Station

Another place we discovered in DTLV thanks to our walking tour was Main Street Station.

It showcases the splendor of the Victorian era with dozens of rare antiques and curiosities, award-winning restaurants – and even a slab of the Berlin Wall in the men’s urinals.

Check it out, play the machines, and stop in at Triple 7 Restaurant and Microbrewery.

You want to visit weekdays 3pm – 6pm and 11pm – 3am for $2 draft beers and $3 appetizers during happy hour. Probably the best happy hour deal in Vegas!

We missed the happy hour prices, but enjoyed our meal! You can get free parking if you eat here too!

14. Eat at Hash House a Go Go

For big tasty meals at affordable prices, a great family-friendly restaurant is the Hash House a Go Go inside the Plaza Hotel.

Our walking tour guide suggested this as a budget-friendly place to eat with a good menu selection for all ages, and so did many others in our online community!

Stay at an Iconic Vegas Casino

Golden Nugget Saloon

As mentioned above, this is one cool Vegas casino. It as probably my favorite and it’s high on my list of places to stay in Vegas when I return.

Check prices and availability here

Downtown Grand Hotel & Casino

This is not your typical Vegas style casino and hotel. It’s a boutique hotel with an industrial-chic vibe. You’ll find a ground floor casino, restaurants, including the famous and much loved Pizza Rock, and a rooftop pool.

Read reviews and check prices here.

El Cortez Hotel & Casino

If you’re looking for nostalgia on your Vegas vacation, you’ll find it at Las Vegas’ oldest running casino (since 1941) – a pretty impressive feat once you learn how quickly these casinos crash and burn.

The infamous mobster, Bugsy Seigel once owned this hotel, but the retro look from his era remains.

Check prices and availability

Golden Gate Hotel

The Golden Gate Hotel is also a century old casino that has plenty of history and vintage decorations to check out, as well as their Prohibition Bar serving up cocktails out of coffee mugs. Got to be discreet about these things.

Read reviews and check availability here.

Getting to Downtown Las Vegas

If you are not staying in the Downtown Las Vegas area, your best option is to catch an Uber.

If you are driving, you can get free parking at some of the hotel casinos – if you eat or play there. Research before hand otherwise it can be expensive.

You can catch the Duece, which is a double deck bus that goes up an down the Las Vegas strip 24 hours a day.

Note that the bus takes a long time to go a short distance. You are probably better off getting an Uber. Our friends jumped in an Uber to meet us in Downtown from the New York, New York hotel after learning the bus would take two hours!!

• 2-Hour all-access pass – $6
• 24-Hour all-access pass – $8
• 3-Day all-access pass – $20

More Las Vegas and Southwest USA tips

Yes, and you’ll be wowed on these day trips from Vegas at the natural beauty and fun adventures that lie waiting for you just outside of Sin City.

These Nevada attractions are real and stunning and offer a different element to your Las Vegas vacation.

From red rock canyons, pink wave rocks, aqua lakes and sweeping Colorado River views we highly recommend you incorporate at least one of the these day trips from Las Vegas.

The majority of them are located all within an hours drive of The Strip.

Many people suggest taking Vegas day trips out to Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon in Utah, but we do not recommend doing that. It’s a long drive there (4 hrs to Bryce and 3 hours to Zion each way).

Those above mentioned US national parks are so sensational, you will want to dedicate more than just a day!

We found these things to do near Las Vegas a refreshing break from Las Vegas Strip wanderings, casino hopping and free alcohol. And we were pretty tame as we were visiting Las Vegas with kids.

During our Vegas trip we had a great mix of traditional Vegas style on the strip and going beyond Vegas to enjoy the natural beauty.

We were visiting on our RV trip of West USA and we had friends fly out from North Carolina to join us and rented a second car to explore the region further.

Grab a rental car from Las Vegas and away you go. Check rental prices here. Or you could also join a guided tour for these places to visit near Vegas.

See options at the end of each day trip suggestion below and at the bottom of this post. Run the numbers as it may end up cheaper doing a tour depending on how many are in your group!

This list of things to do near Las Vegas wowed me with natural beauty. I can’t believe these stories aren’t told more. I only heard of these places a couple of months ago – and I’ve been to Vegas before!

1. Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada

Valley of Fire is definitely one of the best day trips from Vegas. If you have to choose one activity to do close to Las Vegas, this is it. It made our list of cool places to visit in the USA.

Valley of Fire State Park is about an hour from the strip. We’re not sure why it is not a National Park as it’s up there with the best of them.

You can guess by it’s name what you will find in here – literally a valley of fire. But you’ve got rainbow lands in here as well as white domes kingdoms and packs of bighorn sheep,

It’s easy to explore in a day and many of the hikes are easily accessed from the road and doable at under 2 miles and flat.

You can read our in-depth post on things to do in the Valley of Fire State Park here. See our tip below in the Lake Mead section for an incredible scenic drive to combine with your trip to Valley of Fire.

Here are a few of the hikes at the Valley of Fire we enjoyed.

Mouse Tank

Head down the sandy track and past the petroglyphs into a box canyon. It’s a pretty walk that leads you to a small pool of collected rainwater where the outlaws the trail is named after used to hide.

There are plenty of giant boulders for the kids to climb over and the rock faces are dotted with caves they can hide in.

Rainbow Vista

I loved this Rainbow Vista hike so much!

It was such a pretty and colorful environment. We were surrounded by pink, orange, and red mountains. It takes you through a wide field and eventually leads to a red rock canyon overlook. See if you can spot me in the photo?

Fire Wave Trail

This is one of the most popular walks in the Valley of Fire State Rock for it’s wave rock and vibrant colors. It’s probably one of the prettiest hikes in the United States.

Again, you’re in a world that has every color of the rainbow and various hues of it. Savannah and I had fun pointing out all the different colors.

The trail follows a sandy path and then over criss-crossing sandstone to the main event – The Fire Wave. Here the sandstone forms a wave that is made up of pretty pink and white stripes.

White Dome Loop

I loved this short loop descending down a rocky staircase to the desert floor and through a slot canyon and finishing with an expansive view of the desert.

Popular Valley of Fire Tours

• Pink Jeep run adventure tours to Valley of Fire
• This full day tour of Valley of Fire also visit Anasazi Lost City section which we missed.
• Check rental car prices here for independent travelers

Watch our Valley of Fire video

Check out the fun we had at Lake Mead. Subscribe to our Youtube Channel

2. Grand Canyon West, Arizona

Can you believe you can take a day trip to the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas?

Yep! But we do not recommend you do a South Rim Grand Canyon day trip from Las Vegas as it’s a 4 hour drive each way, unless you do a tour and you are ok with a very LONG day, or do a helicopter tour.

So, if you’re dying to see the Grand Canyon and only have a short time, then you can visit the West Rim!

This will be the longest of the day trips from Vegas we recommend in this post. If you visit this place outside of Vegas, you’ll be crossing over into Arizona. Checking another US state off your list!

We love the Grand Canyon and have visited the Grand Canyon South Rim with kids twice (including in the winter), the North Rim once and now the West Rim!

While I think the Grand Canyon is spectacular no matter where you visit, I did find the West Rim experience a little underwhelming.

One BIG contributing factor to that was that the glass floor Skywalk, which it is famous for, and the Eagle Point where it is located were closed.

Sadly, about 30-minutes before we arrived a man from Hong Kong stumbled and fell over the edge to his death so they had to close it to recover his body.

Unlike the South Rim, there are no protective barriers here at Grand Canyon West. It was quite scary and we had to keep a very close watch on our kids.

They did give us a small discount on the ticket as it wasn’t opened, but it meant we only had Guano Point to visit. I felt it was overpriced for the experience.

You cannot take your own food in either (although they don’t check) and the food is only one option and very expensive at $16. It was a roast chicken or beef and was beautifully cooked. Craig and I shared one as did the girls.

Grand Canyon West is not part of the Grand Canyon National Park, it is owned by the Native American, Hualapai Nation. It’s only a new attraction so I do think there is loads of potential and work being done to create more of an experience.

You do get beautiful views of the Colorado River at Grand Canyon West.

The third shuttle stop takes you to a small village, Hualapai Ranch, which is strangely set up like a Wild West cowboy town. I’d much prefer activities and attractions that helped me learn more about the Hualapai history and culture.

They have accommodation and horseback rides also.

If you don’t have time to go to the South Rim, then Grand Canyon West is a great option as a day trip from Vegas as it is only a two hour drive.

Popular Tours to Grand Canyon West

• Join a bus tour to the Grand Canyon West here
• Check rental car prices here for independent travelers

There is a cool Joshua tree forest on the drive in which would be an awesome stopping point if you have not been to Joshua Tree National Park.

3. Red Rock Canyon National Recreation Area, Nevada

Red Rock Canyon blew my mind!

It’s this random outcropping of bubbly rocks that change from pink to blood red, orange, yellow and white. They are surrounded by the red and pink tinged White mountains, and a valley of green desert brush.

It was looking lush when we visited which is not Vegas typical. And what about this for an easy day trip from Vegas – it is only 30-minutes drive from the Strip!

Can you believe it? You can pop over for a couple of hours and be back in time for happy hour. Maybe make it a daily visit even on your Vegas vacation!

I was so disappointed we didn’t have more time to do more hiking. I especially would have loved hiking and rock scrambling among the Calico Hills.

We did a short hike from the Visitors Center to look at them.

We enjoyed the 13-mile one way loop scenic drive around the area which has overlooks, picnic areas and loads of hikes.

We stopped off at the Lost Creek Children’s Discovery Trail which had me thinking I was in Yosemite. The Riparian environment gave us pine trees, a spring and even a waterfall you could walk behind. (it’s not there year round).

It was only a mile return and with its rocky path and hidden trail offshoots the kids will love it.

The Junior Ranger activity booklet and badge were awesome as well.

If you love rock climbing, this is the place to come. Yep. Just outside of Vegas you can climb real rock! Calico Hills is the place for it. We’re saving that for our next trip to Vegas. We decided to go horse riding instead.

Popular Red Rock Canyon Tours

• Red Rock Canyon Pink Jeep Tour
• 3 hour ebike tour of Red Rock Canyon
• Check rental car prices here

Red Rock would have cost us $15 for a day pass. We have an annual National Parks Pass which gives unlimited access to federal lands. It costs $80 a year. It’s absolutely worth it for a trip like ours and saves us hundreds of dollars.

Horse Riding Red Rock Canyon

Savannah wants to write her second post for us on our horse riding experience with Cowboy Trails just outside the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.

It was a 90-minute ride through a dry river bed with stunning view of the Red Rocks and spring Mountains in front of us. The adventurous trail involved a few rocky hills through a narrow gorge.

I was perfectly paired with my horse, Traveler, who had a wonderful temperament. He didn’t need much guidance at all and didn’t try any sneaky snacking. All the horses seemed so beautiful.

This is definitely one of the best things to do near Las Vegas with kids!

You can also purchase tickets in advance for this 2 hour horseback ride with view of Red Rock Canyon through Viator here.

Watch our Red Rock Canyon video

Check out the fun we had at Red Rock. Subscribe to our Youtube Channel

4. Lake Mead National Recreational Area, Nevada

Again, one of the best Las Vegas day trips at only 40-minutes drive from the Strip near Boulder City.

Lake Mead Recreational Area is a playground of striking landscapes and brilliant blue waters offering opportunity for hiking, biking, fishing and water playing.

It was created as a result of the Hoover Dam and adds a way better experience to your Las Vegas trip!

We spent nearly a week in the Lake Mead area camping. It was a stunning Vegas break. It’s hard to believe something like this exists out in the desert.

From biking and hiking trails, ghost towns, water activities, scenic drives, cruises and the Hoover Doom, there is a lot to see. You can read more ideas in our in-depth post on things to do in Lake Mead Recreational Area.

Hoover Dam is one of the most popular day trips from Vegas and many tours go out here. It’s an engineering marvel worth seeing and you get to stand across Arizona and Nevada.

I found the lake itself to be more impressive and we loved the Hoover Dam Tour we did that included a cruise on the lake. Check out these views of Black Canyon seen from our boat. This is Vegas baby!

But the most spectacular thing we did at Lake Mead was the stunning Northshore Scenic Drive and one of our favorite places to visit near Las Vegas by car. It’s one of the USA’s most scenic drives.

One of the most spectacular drives in the US and easily on par with Scenic Highway 12 in Utah. You could combine the Northshore scenic drive with Valley of Fire State Park.

It is on the way and is probably a 30-60 minute detour. Highly recommend!

Popular Lake Mead Tours

• Pink Jeep tour of Hoover Dam
• 3 hour Hoover Dam tour
• Hoover Dam Tour with Lake Mead Cruise

Watch our Lake Mead Video

Check out the fun we had at Lake Mead. Subscribe to our Youtube Channel

Popular Vegas Tours

Las Vegas Sightseeing Pass

Our Hoover Dam tour was part of our Las Vegas Sightseeing Pass, which is a city attractions pass that offers savings on popular attractions. Included are many Las Vegas attractions.

You can learn more about how we saved money in Las Vegas using them!

We’ve used them for New York, LA, and New Orleans and find they offer great savings.

They even have a USA pass if you plan to travel through multiple US cities in 30 days. We work with The Sightseeing Pass as affiliate partners and they provide us with the passes. We share them because they offer great savings.

We’ll be doing more of the attractions on the pass when we revisit Vegas.

The Go City Pass is another discount tourist pass with huge savings on Las Vegas attractions.

More Places near Vegas to Visit

Check out these other things to do outside of Las Vegas.

We spent several months exploring on our Southwest USA road trip so have plenty of tips and insights to share with you down below!

The American Southwest region is one of the best road trip destinations in the USA, if not the world.

It’s full of wide open spaces and natural beauty, diversity of landscapes and Southwest culture, and crazy fun adventures that will have you screaming, whooping, and talking about for years to come.

These are the stuff memories are made of and these are the reasons why we travel, especially with our kids. We want to help you get the most out of your USA road trip through the Southwest states.

There is no better to way to reconnect with those you love AND of course Mother Nature.

You can also access our Southwest itinerary (10 day, 2 week, 3 week and 4 week ideas for you) and our Utah bucket list when you join our Free VIP email tribe! Click to grab your free itinerary!

Down below we’re including some of the most epic adventures you do not want to miss in your American Southwest road trip itinerary!

There are loads of Southwestern United States adventures to choose from so be sure to leave a comment at the bottom as to what you think should also be included.

• 2 week Southwest USA road trip itinerary
• 3 Week American Southwest road trip itinerary

Epic American Southwest Adventures

What states are in the Southwest you ask? There is some lack of clarity around the definitive borders but typically the region is comprised of Nevada, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico. Some people will argue parts of Colorado (Canyon De Chelly, Mesa Verde), Texas and California be included. I’ve even heard Oklahoma thrown in.

As you take your journey through Southwest USA be sure to pay attention to how the Colorado River changes as it carves its way down from its origin in the Rocky Mountains to the Gulf of Mexico.

Pink Jeep Tour, Arizona

I don’t think our kids will ever forget crawling down a steep trail called Devil’s Staircase in a bright pink jeep!

“You’re kidding me, we’re really going down that?” their nervous giggles quickly turned into screams as we surely did go down it.

These jeeps were made for rock crawling.

A pink jeep tour was recommended to us as one of the best things to do in Sedona with kids that adults love too! And the Broken Arrow tour is the most popular tour and will give you the most thrill as it goes up and down rock faces along the 4WD trail.

You’ll experience stunning scenery along the way and get the chance to jump out to learn more about the area you’re exploring and enjoy the feel of rock solid ground beneath your feet.

• Read More: Don’t Miss The Spectacular Sedona Pink Jeep Tours

Watch our Pink Jeep video:

Bright Angel Trail, Grand Canyon, Arizona

You can’t take a Grand Canyon road trip and not go down into her belly! It saddens me that the average visitor to the Grand Canyon only stays for 15 minutes. Nooooooooo!!

There is so much more to explore and amazing things to do in the Grand Canyon, north and south rim.

The most epic adventures in the Grand Canyon would be hiking rim to rim, or down to Phantom Ranch and back again. But, I know for most of you that is not going to happen, so the next best adventure would be to hike the Bright Angel Trail.

You can choose how far you want to go down, bearing in mind the hardest part to the trail will be walking back out.

Craig and I hiked the 6 miles down to Plateau Point in 2006. With the girls we hiked  just over a mile down the trail before turning around.

The snow and icy path stopped us from going any further. Safety is priority.

• Read More: Planning a Trip to the Grand Canyon with kids

Watch our Grand Canyon in the winter video:

Verde Canyon Railroad, Arizona

Chances are you have not heard of the Verde Canyon Railroad. We hadn’t either, and were surprised that no one mentioned it to us as one of the cool Sedona attractions!

The Verde Canyon Railroad is now one of our favorite things to do in Sedona.

This train trip is a 40-mile return journey through 100 years of history, culture and dramatic desert southwest scenery.

It follows the Verde River and the riparian ecosystem it carves along the way with cottonwoods and high sandstone cliffs flanking its sides.

This is a region that is only accessible by train – unless you want to strap on the boots and do a bit of hiking.

You can ride in the open air carriages for a better look at the scenery and a guide who will point out notable features and share cultural, geological and historical insights.

We recommend paying extra for a first class seat – it comes with comfy chairs, a cash bar, buffet food, and a champagne toast on arrival.

• Read More: Riding the Stunning Verde Canyon Railroad: A Top US attraction

Watch our Verde Canyon video:

ATV Adventures in Sand Hollow State Park, Utah

How does zipping around magnificent red sand dunes in an ATV or quad bike sound?

Not only is it an epic Southwest USA activity, it is in some of the most stunning scenery I’ve ever seen.

Sand Hollow State Park is renowned for its 6,000 acres of ATV and OHV off-road trails that take you to 3,500ft in elevation.

The sand areas are divided by incredible rock formations in the upper areas and bounded by the blue man-made lake at the lower edges.

This is an adventure that will get the kids squealing and giggling. Finish it off with a magnificent sunset over the sand dunes.

I will never forget Kalyra yelling at me from the back of the ATV, “Show them what you’re made of Mum!” as I pressed my foot down on the accelerator and roared up the sand dune!!

The cheered as we came flying back down the other side!! A family who adventures together, stays together.

• Read More: Thrilling ATV adventures in St George Utah
• 13 places to see in Utah that no one tells you about.

Watch our ATV adventures in St George video:

Angels Landing Hike, Zion National Park, Utah

Oh boy!! Not sure you’ll want to do this hike in the American Southwest with kids, young ones at least.

I still feel sick thinking about taking the girls up there. We only made it to Scout’s Landing which was more than enough thrill seeking adventure.

Craig and I have hiked to Scout’s Landing before and I loved it. But it’s a different story when you’re holding onto a chain beside your daughters praying they don’t slip and fall 1,000 feet to their death.

Angels Landing is one of the most legendary hikes in Southwestern USA, and one of the best things to do in Zion National Park.

You hike up to the top of a peak, the last section using a hand chain to guide you along a narrow path with a steep drop off down to your death.

No matter how far you get up this trail, you will never forget this hiking adventure in Southwest USA.

Considering only 6 people have died hiking Angels Landing and it’s in a national park visited by 4 million people a year – the odds of survival are really good.

As long as you are sensible, slow and can navigate around the crowds, you’ll be fine.

And the views are just as epic as the journey.

Even if you only make it to the beginning of the scary part, it’s worth doing. The Angels Landing Trail has crazy switchbacks going up which will give you enough of an adventure and beautiful views of the Zion Valley below.

Be sure to stop at the lodge for a well deserved local Springdale IPA when you’ve finished.

• Read More: Ultimate Guide to Zion National Park

Watch our Zion National Park video here:

Horseback Riding in Bryce Canyon, Utah

Horseback riding in Bryce Canyon National Park was one of our favorite experiences on our Utah national parks road trip.

Craig and I visited Bryce Canyon NP and went horse riding back in 2006 and we still rave about it today.

We had a cowboy guide us complete with stirrups and bad whiskey jokes. Our ride took us up and down trails past orange, white and pink hoodoos of all shapes and sizes. It’s like nothing you’ve ever seen before.

Unfortunately on our current USA road trip the weather didn’t cooperate with us and we could not time a return to our beloved Bryce Canyon.

It is at the top of my list of favorite USA national parks and I so wanted the girls to experience the fairyland wonder of Bryce on the back of a horse.

While in Bryce Canyon on your Southwest getaway, be sure to hike a few trails and catch sunrise and sunset. The views are magnificent.

Read More: 7 Spectacular National Parks in the United States not to miss

Lower Antelope Canyon, Arizona

We only did the Lower Antelope Canyon tour. But I think the Upper Antelope Canyon would be just as wonderful of an American Southwest adventure!

Antelope Canyon is a magical slot canyon created by water that has split and polished rock crevasses over time.

The shapes, colors and textures of the carved canyon walls and how it changed in the light was spellbinding.

Nature has so many surprises in stall for us hidden by just a tiny crack in the ground. Deep underneath is a world that will capture the heart of any who are brave enough to dig a little deeper and explore wider.

I was worried that it would be overcrowded and underrated. This was not the case at all and I was thrilled and delighted by the experience.

Our Navajo guide was knowledgeable about the rock formations and pointed out various shapes and creature and was excellent in taking photos for us and showing us how to capture the unique colors and features.

I also loved how he demonstrated how the canyon was formed at the end with a pile of sand and a bottle of water. This really helped the kids to connect to this experience.

While you are here, you might as well stop by Horseshoe Bend. It’s very close by and one of the most spectacular places in Arizona you don’t want to miss.

Put this on your Southwest itinerary, and it’s best to book your tour in advance here. 

Read More: The Unique and Extraordinary Lower Antelope Tour, Arizona

Monument Valley Guided Tour, Utah/Arizona

Monument Valley is one of our favorite places to visit in the USA, and one of the top Southwest landmarks in North America.

Like Uluru in Australia, it has a mesmerizing spiritual energy and magnetism that is rare to experience. You can’t help look at those buttes and not see a higher power at work.

Call it whatever you like, but it’s a wonderful way to experience yourself as part of something so perfect yet unexplainable.

A visit to Monument Valley will bring back the wonder and joy in your life.

You can do a self-guided tour of the valley to see the most well known sites such as the Mittens and the view from John Ford Point.

We recommend going deeper on a guided tour with a Navajo guide.

These tours have permission to go off the beaten path in Monument Valley and you get to experience other wonders like visiting a Hogan, and rock formations with names like Sun’s Eye and Wind’s Ear. It’s a completely different perspective to Monument Valley.

The most enriching part to the experience is of course to learn more about Native American culture with your experienced Native American guide.

Ours was amazing and he knew all the best places to take precious family photo memories of us.

• Read More: 15 Amazing Things To Do In Monument Valley
• We stayed at this Airbnb with a Navajo family. Well worth the experience.

Watch our Monument Valley video here

Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada

The Valley of Fire State Park may not be a South West adventure of the physical kind, but it is an adventure for the eyes!

But there are plenty of hiking trails you take off the main Scenic Drive that will give your body some fun.

These are short trails but will take you to petroglyphs, narrow canyons, fire waves, and some of the most extraordinary colors and landscapes you could hope to see.

Our tip is to drive there by way of the North Road in Lake Mead Recreational Area to explode the senses even more.

Just look below at what you’ll see.

Valley of Fire State Park is one of the best Las Vegas day trips as it is only an hour away from The Strip.

• Read More: Exploring the Valley of Fire State Park – Best Day Trips from Las Vegas!

Watch our Valley of Fire video:

Hiking & Horse Riding at Red Rock Canyon, Nevada

Like the Valley of Fire, Red Rock Canyon is a feast for the eyes!

I could not get over how striking this area was with its colorful rocks rising out of the desert floor like a giant rippling wave.

You can enjoy the 13 mile scenic drive and stop for a few hikes along the way.

We thoroughly enjoyed the short and easy Lost Creek Children’s Discovery Trail hike, which presented us with a riparian environment that felt like we were in a place like Yosemite National Park rather than the desert.

Our 90-minute horse riding experience just outside the park through a narrow gorge with views of the red rock canyons in front of us was an American Southwest adventure our girls will never forget.

We did not do any rock climbing at Red Rock Canyon in Nevada, but it is known as one of the most popular rock climbing destinations in the USA.

Good news is this spectacular National Conservation Area is only 30-minutes from the Las Vegas Strip, so you can easily do it as a day trips from Las Vegas.

Watch our Red Rock Canyon video:

Peek-a-Boo and Spooky Slot Canyons, Utah

This was by far the greatest adventure we had in the Southwest region of the United States.

It was totally unexpected and we all felt a little beat up after it – but in a good way. Peek-a-Boo and Spooky Slot Canyons lie waiting for you in the Grand Escalante National Monument in Utah.

This is an area off-the-beaten-path but well worth the dusty gravel road to get there. The two slot canyons present a different experience and are both on a loop trail.

We visited in a group of 6 adults and 6 kids and each of us had a blast and said it was the best fun yet.

This loop walk will take you through the two vastly different canyons. The first will involve a lot of climbing, weaving and ducking up into the canyon and through holes, across pools of water, and into narrow slots.

It then opens up through a wash with beautiful desert scenery before going down into the very narrow Spooky Slot Canyon. Breathe deep and suck in those bellies!

Read More: An Exhilarating Adventure Peek-A-Boo and Spooky Canyon, Utah

Watch our adventures in Peek-a-Boo and Spooky slot canyons

Jeep Rock Crawling in Moab, Utah

We didn’t realize we’d be rock crawling when we joined this guided jeep tour of the surrounding rock country in Moab.

If we had of known we may let fear stop us from going on this American Southwest activity!

Rock Crawling in a Jeep was EPIC fun! There was loads of laughter, a few tears, and plenty of screams.

This is an exercise in trust. Jeeps are the most versatile and trustworthy vehicles. There’s probably not a rock they can’t spread their wheels over in all different directions to climb up and over with more skill than a crab.

But letting go to trust that jeep when you’re laying back in your seat at a 90 degree angle hoping you’ve given enough gas to get up, or to leaning right down to almost kiss the ground hoping that the Jeep will stick and then right itself up is difficult.

Wow!!

We rented a jeep and joined the Fulltime Families organized tour of the surrounding Moab red rock country.

Actually make that red, orange, pink white, and yellow rock. There were 13 families with volunteer spotters helping all us novices learn how to rock crawl.

Adding to the thrill of the adventure were the stunning views that surrounded us of Moab Utah.

What a wonderful way to explore the backcountry and an EPIC Southwest USA adventure for sure!

Read more: 16 Brilliant Things to do Moab (adventure and beauty)

Off roading Jeep rock crawling in Moab video:

Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico

Carlsbad Caverns National Park is a great place to visit in New Mexico on your Southwest USA road trip.

Carlsbad Cavern includes a large cave chamber, the Big Room, which is a natural limestone chamber almost 4,000 feet (1,220 m) long, 625 feet (191 m) wide, and 255 feet (78 m) high at the highest point.

It is the third largest chamber in North America and the seventh largest in the world.

There are two ways to enjoy the cavern on your own either by elevator, hiking, or both.

You can enter via the cavern’s Natural Entrance, hiking a steep one and a quarter mile paved trail into the spectacular one and a quarter mile Big Room Trail around the cave.

Or you can take an elevator ride from the visitor center 750 feet down directly to the Big Room Trail.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park is located in the Guadalupe Mountains. There are plenty of surface hikes within the National Park to enjoy the spectacular landscapes of the Guadalupe Mountains and Chihuahuan Desert.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park offers numerous ranger-guided cave tours into areas other of the national park and every year between May-October is when 1000’s of Brazilian free tailed bats fly out of the natural entrance.

• Related Post: Santa Fe city guide

White Sands National Monument, New Mexico

Every time, I see a photo on Instagram of White Sands National Monument, I weep a little!

We missed it due to the government shutdown we experienced at the beginning of 2019.

As lovers of sandboarding done dunes, we know we missed out on an epic Southwest USA adventure.

This region of glistening white dunes is the world’s largest gypsum dune-field and is located in the northern end of the Chihuahuan Desert in South-Central New Mexico.

You can white sand surf here, picnic, take scenic drives, bike or stroll through part of the 275 square-mile national monument. They also offer activities such as a sunset stroll nature walk, and full moon night programs.

More Tips for Southwest USA

If you don’t want to drive from your home, you could even fly Southwest and then book a rental car for your road trip here.

You can also access our Southwest itinerary (10 day, 2 week, 3 week and 4 week ideas for you) and our Utah bucket list when you join our Free VIP email tribe! Click to grab your free itinerary! (opens new window)

• 20 incredible places to visit in Utah
• 11 Amazing Things to do in Arches National Park Utah
• 12 incredible things to do in Canyonlands National Park
• Visiting Horseshoe Bend, Arizona
• 8 awesome things to do in Joshua Tree National Park
• Hike the Exciting Red Reef Trail St George (there’s a waterfall climb)
• 17 Cool Places to visit in the USA for 2020
• 43 Fun things to do in Utah for your bucket list
• 2 week Southwest USA road trip itinerary
• 3 Week American Southwest road trip itinerary
• 4 week desert southwest road trip itinerary

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What is your favorite adventure in the South West states? Or what is now on your Southwest USA bucket list? Share in the comments!

You might think that’s crazy, but cheap Vegas trips are possible!

Below are my tips for Vegas on a budget including the most affordable hotels in Las Vegas, free things to do in Las Vegas, where to find Las Vegas discounts, best places to eat in Las Vegas on a budget, how to save money on alcohol and gambling, and more! 

There truly is no place like Las Vegas Nevada, and it’s a place I recommend seeing at least once in your life.

I even recommending traveling to Vegas with kids. Many people may tell you kids don’t belong in “Sin City”, but we saw plenty of kids wandering around and our girls love visiting Las Vegas!

There’s plenty of fun cheap things to do in Vegas to entertain them and and kid friendly hotels in Las Vegas and as long as they are off the strip by around 9pm they’re not going to see anything too bad – it’s all an education!

The good news is, whether you are visiting Vegas on a girl’s or boy’s getaway, as a couple, for a bachelorette party, or with kids, a cheap vacation in Vegas is not out of reach.

In fact, you can probably find more deals and savings on a trip to Vegas than you can in any other US city.

However, Vegas is not as cheap as it was when we first visited in 2006. We have since been a couple of times, the last three with kids, and as recent as March 2019.

We have wasted a lot of money and saved a lot of money and worked out how we wasted and could find better deals in the process!

You get to benefit from our wins and losses.

There is just so much competition and the casinos know they can make a ton of money from people gambling (house always wins) so they reduce the price of so many other things (like hotel rooms) to get you in and entice you to gamble.

Just be strict with yourself in regards to the gambling and you’ll be fine.

A high-roller budget is not necessary for a good time in Sin City.

Just remember the golden rule – what happens in Vegas is no fun unless you share it!

How to Save Money on Alcohol in Vegas

You know it, Vegas is a party place!!

It would be the rare traveler to visit Vegas and not seek out a drink somewhere. I think this is possibly the only post on our site out of thousands that gives you tips on how to save money on alcohol in a city.

So if you want to visit Las Vegas on a budget, be warned the opportunity to drink is there all the time and you’ll drain your funds if you don’t find ways to drink cheaper:

• If you’re betting in a casino you’ll get free drinks (don’t forget to tip of course). I’ve gotten them just by sitting next to my friend who’s put money in the slot machine, or by just betting with a dollar. Be sure you’ll get your money’s worth though, there is no point putting $20 through a machine just to get a free $5 drink.
• There are loads of happy hour prices all over the strip. Do your research to find them. The lowest we saw was at the Bird Bar in the Flamingo for 50 cent beers. They will most likely be awful domestic US beers though. Check out Las Vegas happy hours here.
• People on the street will hand out 2 for 1 drink coupons. We got one for the bar in The Mirage. Sadly it only included domestic beers or well drinks – which are the lower levels liquor/spirits. I don’t know why they can’t include wine! An awful $6 bottle can easily be included in it.
• Buy your alcohol from the grocery stores or mini-markets. You can totally drink your own alcohol and walk in and out of the casinos. You can drink almost anywhere in Vegas at almost any time. It’s very normal for people to leave a casino with their drink so they’ll have no idea its your own. Yep. I had a bottle of wine in my bag that I poured into a plastic cup. And we snuck a few cans of beer down by the pool. Classy I know. It’s Vegas baby!

• Sign up to the casino’s loyalty card for extra perks. I got a discounted rate on our room at the Excalibur for doing that. As we were a new member to the Caesar’s rewards which I joined upon checking into Harrah’s Hotel & Casino we got a $10 drink voucher, a free million dollar wheel spin which gave me a 2 for 1 pass for the High Roller Wheel, and free tickets to a comedy show – although that did require a $13 drink purchase!
• Whatever you spend in the casinos managed by that card e.g. Caesar’s or MGM, use your membership card to collect points. They’ll give you rewards and move you up different membership levels.
• All you can drink at buffets for $15!! If you plan to sit for awhile and eat, why not take advantage of this great deal. Head to the buffet late afternoon. See below for tips on saving money on Las Vegas buffets.

Ways to Save Money on Hotels in Vegas

Looking for cheap places to stay in Vegas? Finding affordable hotels in Las Vegas is possible:

• Visit Vegas midweek. Sun to Thursday is typically when you get much cheaper prices on hotels in Vegas. Tuesday and Wednesday night are generally the cheapest. Don’t worry, Vegas parties like it’s Saturday every night.
• Room rack prices are very cheap in Vegas as they know how to get money out of you in many other ways. Don’t let the room rack price fool you though – they don’t mind throwing out a few extra fees. For that cheap room rack price all you’ll get is a bed, a TV, and an ice bucket. If you want anything else, you’re going to be paying for it like $25 daily fee for a bar fridge. So if you don’t need any of the extras stick to the basic cheap price.
• You will have to pay extra for any extra bodies over 2 people. It’s ridiculously high. You can just pretend you don’t have children checking in as they don’t check. You didn’t hear that from us and you accept all responsibility if you get caught.
• Pretty much all Las Vegas hotels charge a resort fee. I think the only way you can get out of it is if you are a certain membership level on their reward cards. The resort fees are to help the government pay for roads etc. as they have a lower local population tax base. That is what our Downtown Las Vegas walking tour guide told us anyway. The following hotels don’t have resort fees, but as you’ll see most are not on the Strip:

1. Best Western Plus Casino Royale (on the strip)
2. Alexis Park All Suite Resort
3. Arizona Charlie’s Decatur
4. Arizona Charlie’s Boulder Highway
5. California
6. Cannery
7. Casino Royale Best Western Plus
8. Eastside Cannery
9. ELARA
10. Four Queens Hotel & Casino
11. Fremont Hotel and Casino
12. Lucky Club
13. M Resort Spa & Casino
14. Main Street Station Casino Brewery & Hotel
15. Wyndham Grand Desert

• Check to see if any conventions are on. Vegas is a convention city and if there are big conventions happening the hotel prices will be higher. Check out the Las Vegas Convention Calendar.
• Also, Vegas is a big sporting city, especially UFC and boxing. Don’t visit when a fight is on or you’ll be paying premium.
• Are you members of any professions – Members of the military can save anywhere from 10-20% on room rates. First responders can save 10% off Caesars Properties. Teachers and students can also save 10% on Caesars properties.
• Use sites like Booking.com and Trip Advisor to get good hotel comparisons and to read reviews. We found the best prices on Booking.com. You can also check out BestofVegas.com and LasVegas.com for specials and deals.
• Stay in the center of the Strip. It can save you money getting around. We’ve stayed at the Luxor and Excalibur at the south end of the strip and Harrah’s and Treasure Island in the center of the Strip. We much prefer the center. We find we spend most of our time in that section anyway. The Strip is much longer than you realize and walking from the south end (Mandalay Bay) up to the center (Mirage & Caesars Palace) and back again takes it out of you (although it’s one of the many free things to do in Las Vegas). We have never stayed at the north end of the Strip (Stratosphere) as we don’t think it’s that great. The best hotels in Vegas on a budget in the center of the strip would be: Harrah’s, Bally’s, Treasure Island, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, and the Best Western Plus Casino Royale.

• Consider staying in Downtown Las Vegas. We loved the vibe here. It is crazy and Fremont St is not for kids after dark! But there is plenty to do here and they are putting a lot into revitalizing it. We especially love Downtown East. The Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino is an awesome property and has a pool that was named in the Top 10 list in the world. Of course, there is an aquarium in the middle of the pool with sharks and a waterslide that goes through the middle. I do want to stay here.
• Stay off the strip. Hotel rates will be cheaper. But do consider the extra time to walk to the Strip if that is where you want to hang out. Some to check out would be the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino and Hilton Grand Vacations Suites. 
• Sign up for player’s cards and casino reward programs. It’s a great way to save money on hotel rooms and in preparation for your next Vegas visit. Because once you stay and use your card to collect points, they’ll send you offers almost immediately after your stay. Vegas knows how to get you to come back and spend more money at the casino.
  • Mlife (MGM Grand Resorts rewards program)
  • Total Rewards (Caesars Entertainment rewards program):
  • Grazie (Venetian and Palazzo)
  • Wynn Insider
  • Wynn & Encore Red Card (Loyalty Program)
  • Identity (Cosmopolitan Rewards Program)
  • Station Casinos Boarding Pass (Palms, Red Rock, Green Valley Ranch, Palace Station and more…)

Recommended Hotels in Vegas:

For cheaper Vegas hotels, but still offer a great experience, we recommend the following:

• Harrah’s (center of strip / we think it’s the best value hotel in Las Vegas)
• Flamingo – (center of strip) this is actually my favorite on the strip
• Excalibur (end of strip)
• Luxor (end of strip)

Saving Money on Las Vegas Shows & Entertainment

Another way to have a cheap vacation in Vegas is by saving money on shows and tapping into all the Las Vegas discounts:

• Vegas.com had the lowest prices we could find for show tickets. We went to Mystere Cirque du Soleil and got it for almost $40 cheaper. Also check BestofVegas and LasVegas.com which has a best guaranteed price.
• The Sightseeing Pass includes several shows in Las Vegas. We LOVED the Matt Franco Magic Show that we used on our Las Vegas Sightseeing Pass. He was such a great entertainer and magician. Our girls loved it. See more in the section below
• Downtown Las Vegas is where you can find some incredible deals. The machines there also have a higher payout percentage. Find an old machine in a dark corner somewhere
• The Downtown Las Vegas walking tour will give you a bunch of coupons for Downtown after it. We really enjoyed that tour and highly recommend it
• On the first Friday of the month, Downtown Las Vegas has a First Friday art event. Over 100 local artists display and sell their work on the streets and there’s also live music, street performers, food carts and art lessons for kids. Another one of those things to do in Vegas for cheap. We love experiencing First Fridays around the USA.
• Party bus tours.
• If you’re a woman, you have more chance of getting free (or discounted) entry into the nightclubs. There are plenty of people handing out vouchers on the street. Once they recognize you as someone who is out for a party, they’ll get them in your hands. They ignored us obviously since we had kids with us.
• Pool passes. If you are staying at a Caesars or MGM property, you can typically use the pools of resorts in that chain. Some may charge an extra fee so check first. Hanging out at a pool in Vegas for most of the day is the thing to do, especially in the hot summer months. Many of them will be closed during the winter. A pool pass is one of the attractions included in the Las Vegas Sightseeing Pass

• The Casinos on the Strip are filled with free stuff to do in Vegas. Check out the nightly Volcano Show at The Mirage (usually 8pm, 9pm, 10pm) as it’s one of the best free things to do in Las Vegas, the Bellagio Fountains (every 15-mins to an hour depending on time of the day) and the Fall of Atlantis Show at Caesars Forum Shops. They’re short but sweet and worth watching. The kids will love it. The Cosmopolitan has a modern art collection, the Flamingo has the Wildlife Habitat which has flamingos (of course) and other exotic birds, fish and turtles in its beautiful gardens. Circus Circus has a free circus show every hour from 11:30am to 11:15pm. Clown and acrobat lovers will enjoy it. Harrah’s have live dueling piano shows every night, which we quite enjoyed watching! Paris and New York, New York also has them.
• Fremont Street Experiences is on every night at Downtown Las Vegas. It involves a light and music show (and lots of advertising) on the roof. They often have live bands playing on one of the three stages on Fremont Street.

• If you do intend to gamble on your Vegas getaway, set a budget for your time in Vegas. That is the advice we heard from tour guides and even fellow travelers we struck up conversations with. Most of them said, “I come to Vegas knowing I have X amount to gamble with. “I’m okay with losing that. So I use only that and have fun in the process and if I walk away with that or more in my pocket then I am thrilled, or if I walk away with that amount gone, I’m okay as I planned for it.” It’s so easy to get swept up into those flashing lights and winning jingles. Vegas is craftily designed to take your money. Don’t steal from yourself to keep adding to the casino owners very full bank accounts. I found just watching people gambling thrilling enough for me and I was so happy I did not go over my $20 budget!!!
• There are loads of cool free things to do near Las Vegas in gorgeous nature areas like Red Rock Canyon, Valley of Fire State Park, and Lake Mead National Recreation Area. And of course you could visit Zion National Park on an extended trip!
• You could spend all day checking out the designs of the casinos on the Strip. It’s completely free to walk around and admire how they have recreated so many parts of the world on one long Boulevard. Some of our favorites are Paris, The Venetian, Caesars, and the classy Bellagio, Wynn, and The Mirage.

• If you’re tempted to gamble and don’t have much control, go out only with your credit card. You cannot gamble on a credit card. If you don’t have cash you’re out of the game. If you have a debit card with cash on it you can – but if you intend on sneaking out an extra $100 from the ATM at 1am know that ATM is going to charge you a $9 fee + whatever your bank charges. OUCH!!
• Check out the hotels special promotions they may be running. You may end up with a free (or discounted) show tickets, nightclub line passes etc.. We received free tickets to a Magic Show at Harrah’s with our Caesar’s New Member rewards card.

• For a full list of current Vegas shows click here
• Here is a list of family friendly Vegas shows

How to Save on Las Vegas Attractions with the Las Vegas Sightseeing Pass

This is one of the main ways we were able to do Las Vegas on a budget!

The Las Vegas Sightseeing Pass is a city attractions pass that offers savings on popular attractions.

We’ve used them for New York, LA, and New Orleans and find they offer great savings.

You can choose from a wide variety of tours and attractions and either a certain number of attractions on the card OR a certain number of days.

The day pass entitles you access to all attractions on the pass but you’ll have to plan your day well.

Choose the activities or attractions you most want to do and then do the math to see if the day pass or attraction pass would suit better and what time frame you’d want it for.

• The 7 attraction Las Vegas Sightseeing Pass costs $379
• The 3 attraction pass costs $229
• And the 3 day Las Vegas pass would cost $369.60

Click here to see how you can save with the Las Vegas Sightseeing Pass

Some of the Las Vegas attractions that we used on the card were:

• Hoover Dam and Lake Mead tour
• Downtown Las Vegas Walking Tour
• Matt Franco Magic Reinvented Nightly Show
• The Mob Museum

Some other attractions included on the card worth mentioning:

• Grand Canyon South Rim tour
• Cowabunga Bay Water Park
• Vegas Nights Helicopter tour

It’s worth noting that the children’s pass for Vegas cost the same as the adults. I think this is because Vegas has mostly “Adult” attractions.

There are many the kids can still do though, including some of the night shows. It’s worth thinking about.

Definitely do careful research so you know you’ll get the savings from it.

The Sightseeing Pass also has a USA pass if you plan to travel through multiple US cities in 30 days.

We work with The Sightseeing Pass as affiliate partners and they provide us with the passes. We share them because they offer great savings. We’ll be doing more of the attractions on the pass when we visit Vegas.

Alternatively, the Las Vegas Pass is also another discount city attraction card designed to help you save money on Las Vegas Attractions.

Click here to see what attractions are included and the prices.

The Go Las Vegas Card also gives access to 35+ attractions. You can click here to see what attractions are included on this card and the prices

We don’t have experience with either of those cards, but I know the brands have a good reputation.

The Las Vegas Go City Attraction Pass

An alternative tourist discount card for Las Vegas is the Go City Attraction Pass. From the Grand Canyon to the best of the Strip, enjoy incredible savings and discover 35+ attractions, all on one pass.

The have the All-Inclusive Pass designed for travelers who want to see and experience as much of Las Vegas as they can. Choose from a 2-5 day pass and experience as many of the attractions as you can in that time. Passes start at $109 pp

The Explorer Pass allows you to choose what attractions you want to see and do. You can choose from 2- 7 attractions to experience over your stay in Vegas. Passes start from $69.

Learn more about these passes here.

Tips to Save Money on Eating Out in Vegas

Besides drinking, this is where doing Las Vegas on a budget can go off the rails. But use these tips:

1. It’s hard to go past Vegas Buffets. If you want to enjoy more than one course, it can be better to eat at a buffet then an expensive restaurant. Depending on your style of course, but many Vegas buffets serve high quality food. We loved the Bellagio and Paris buffet.
2. Breakfast is cheaper, and lunch is cheaper than dinner! On weekends, food and drink will be more expensive again. We went to the Bellagio for lunch and entered 4 minutes before lunch started and so were charged breakfast prices!! We did not plan it like this. A cool money saving tip we discovered. They were changing from breakfast over to lunch so we were able to have bacon with our chicken curries!
3. Downtown Vegas will have loads of cheap eats for you. Check out the following: Hash House a Go Go (one of the best places to eat in Las Vegas on a budget), Pizza Rock, and the places in Container Park!
4. The Sightseeing Pass does include a few restaurants. You get a $15 voucher with it. You’ll have to do the math on it to see if it’s worth using the attractions for dinner. If you get the day attraction pass then I’m sure it will be worth it. We certainly enjoyed knocking $60 off our Planet Hollywood check. By the way, the food there is delicious and ginormous! You can definitely share a nachos with three of you and save money.
5. Check out the hotels special promotions they may be running. You may end up with a free (or discounted) buffet.
6. Check out Groupon for any restaurant deals.
7. Prize-fix menus or the pre-theater menu can offer quality food and cheap prices. You don’t need to be seeing the show to get the prices.
8. Eat late at night. There are plenty of late night happy hours in Vegas.
9. Hotel food courts can offer cheap eats.
10. Overindulge on breakfast and lunch and have a snack for dinner.
11. CVS and Walgreens are a lifesaver for quick snacks or bottled water, although we recommend carrying your own water bottle and refilling it yourself.
12. Do NOT get a coffee at Starbucks. It was the most expensive coffee I have had in the US. And it’s freaking Starbucks. It cost me $7.60 for a Grande almond milk latte. Absurd.

Las Vegas with Kids Travel video

How to Save Money on Flights to Vegas

The good news is the strategies for saving money on flights is pretty much the same no matter where you are flying to.

We have an in-depth post on how to save money on flights. I’d recommend reading through that for expert tips to help you save money flying to Vegas.

Here are a few tips specific to Vegas

1. The cheapest time to book a flight to Las Vegas is 14 days in advance
2. The cheapest day to fly to Vegas is a Sunday. Sometimes it can be a Saturday, but that is the most expensive night for accommodation.
3. Consider flying home on a Tuesday.
4. August or October is the cheapest time to fly as its low season. Not in August you’re going to have baking hot summer temps, which is great for pool days.

Hot Tip:

Be sure to add in all additional costs before purchasing.

Things like baggage fees, extra leg room, in-flight meals can add up. It may be cheaper to book through a more premium airline that includes some of these costs

Getting around Vegas

Walk

Part of the Vegas experience is walking up and down the Strip. So prepare your legs – you’ll be clocking up 20,000 steps before you know it. Good for the body, good for the wallet as it’s free!

Las Vegas Bus

The Deuce is a double deck bus that goes up an down the Las Vegas strip 24 hours a day. Note that the bus takes a long time to go a short distance. You are probably better off getting an Uber. Our friends jumped in an Uber to meet us in Downtown from the New York, New York hotel after learning the bus would take two hours!!

• 2-Hour all-access pass – $6
• 24-Hour all-access pass – $8
• 3-Day all-access pass – $20

Monorail

You can get from SLS to the MGM Grand on the Las Vegas Monorail. It costs $5 for a single ticket or $12 for an all day pass. If there are a few in your traveling party (like a family) you’re better off jumping in an Uber. However, I always prefer to walk

Uber or Lyft

You know the drill by now. They are usually the cheapest and most convenient way to get around.

Car Hire in Vegas

If you want to explore beyond Vegas, which we highly recommend as there are some STUNNING regions to visit (check the links below) then you will want to hire a car. Check out prices here.

Free Parking in Vegas

The good news is you can find free parking in Vegas.

If you are staying at an MGM resort and have parking there, you can park for free at any of the MGM resorts. Same to with Caesar’s.

Other free parking in Vegas is at the Fashion Show Mall across the street from Treasure Island (parking deck behind Dick’s). And if you are going to see a show at one of the resorts, you may get free parking. Check first.

Places to Visit Near Las Vegas

• Exploring the Valley of Fire State Park – Best Vegas day trip
• 6 best things to do at Lake Mead
• 9 amazing things to do in Death Valley 

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I hope this helped you plan your budget Las Vegas trip. If you have any questions or your own tips on how to take Cheap Vegas trips, leave a comment below!