In a nutshell
- Las Vegas probably has more to see and do than any other city. We cut through the noise and give you a clear, concise overview of the 8 Las Vegas attractions you absolutely can’t miss.
- For each highlight, we go into detail: you’ll get all the important info and our personal tips on what’s worth it — and what to skip.
- As a bonus, we’ve added a list of more things to do in Las Vegas, the best shows, and the top day trips from the city.
- At the end, we also have a few practical tips on hotels, tours, and city passes — so you spend your money wisely.
Orientation: Top Things to Do in Las Vegas on the Map
To help you get your bearings, let’s start with a map of our Las Vegas highlights.
What most people picture when they think of Las Vegas is actually just one street: the Strip. And technically, it’s not even within the city limits of Las Vegas. The “real” Las Vegas, as the locals call it, is Downtown.
Along the Strip, you can reach a lot on foot. But the Strip is 6.8 kilometers (about 4.2 miles) long in total. If you want to see it from one end to the other, your best bet is to take the bus. You can find more info about public transit in our Las Vegas travel tips.
Which Las Vegas attractions do you absolutely have to see?
Let’s get into our top picks for things to do in Las Vegas. As you can see, we’ve kept the list short and to the point.
These are the Las Vegas highlights you really can’t miss:
- The Strip
- High Roller
- Fremont Street
- Eiffel Tower Observation Deck
- Bellagio Fountain
- Big Apple Coaster
- Strat Tower
- Las Vegas Sign
We chose these specific attractions in Las Vegas because they show the city the way you probably imagine it: colorful and wild. In Las Vegas, there’s truly nothing that doesn’t exist, and these experiences represent that perfectly.
The Strip
Casinos, gambling, and over-the-top hotels — the Strip is Las Vegas as most people imagine it. When darkness falls, the Strip comes alive and you suddenly find yourself on one of the most insane party strips in the world.
But what do you do during the day on the Strip? Simple: you explore the wild hotels. These aren’t ordinary hotels just for sleeping — they’re full-on attractions with outrageous themes.
We’ve written a dedicated article about the most famous hotels in Las Vegas. So we’ll keep it brief here and just show you a list of the 8 wildest hotels on the Strip.
- Bellagio: The most famous hotel in Las Vegas, home to the Bellagio Fountain (more on that at #5).
- Caesars Palace: An absolute classic, styled after ancient Rome.
- New York New York: Built as a replica of New York’s skyline, complete with the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building. There’s also a roller coaster that wraps around the entire hotel.
- The Venetian Resort: The theme is Venice, and inside the hotel there are real canals where you can ride a gondola.
- Circus Circus: The hotel has its own amusement park with rides and roller coasters — plus live circus shows.
- Luxor: You sleep inside a gigantic black pyramid. The theme is ancient Egypt.
- Paris Las Vegas: A mini Paris with its own Eiffel Tower. More on that at our #4.
- MGM Grand: A Hollywood-themed hotel. This is also where the MET Gala takes place every year, drawing plenty of celebrities.
Our tip: If you want the full Las Vegas experience, we recommend staying at one of these hotels. And you don’t have to spend a fortune to do it.
High Roller
The High Roller is the Ferris wheel you immediately spot in every aerial shot of Las Vegas. And because this is Las Vegas, it’s not just any Ferris wheel — it’s the largest Ferris wheel in the entire world.
The wheel stands 167 meters (about 550 feet) tall and is hands down the best vantage point over the city.
Fair warning though: if you’re claustrophobic, you might want to skip this one. Each gondola holds 40 people, and especially in the evening they really do fill up.
Our tip: Ticket prices vary by day and time. Buying online is always the best deal, and you won’t have to wait in line at the ticket booth.
Book your High Roller Las Vegas ticket
Fremont Street
Fremont Street is the heart of Downtown Las Vegas — and one of the best things to do in Las Vegas if you want a taste of the city’s history.
It was one of the first streets in the city, back when Las Vegas consisted of just about 150 buildings. Over time it became a gritty strip filled with clubs, small hotels, and casinos, with cheap neon signs everywhere as its signature look.
The Fremont Street Experience gave the street a complete makeover. There’s now a covered pedestrian zone spanning three full blocks, plenty of new shops, and loads of attractions.
Our tip: Between 6 PM and 1 AM, the roof of the Fremont Street Experience puts on a seriously impressive light show.
If you want to learn more about old Las Vegas, we recommend the Mob Museum and the Neon Museum. Both are just a few blocks away. And be sure to check out the Golden Nugget hotel — it’s been around since the 1940s.
Or you could join a guided tour of Fremont Street. Your guide can tell you a ton about the history of Las Vegas.
Book a guided tour of Fremont Street
Eiffel Tower Observation Deck
The Paris Las Vegas Hotel originally wanted to build a full-size replica of the Eiffel Tower. In the end, it ended up being “only” half the size.
The observation deck sits at nearly 165 meters (about 540 feet) up. The best views are at night, when Las Vegas’s sea of lights is glowing at its brightest. The tower also stands right next to the Bellagio Fountain, and from 7 PM onward the fountain puts on a show every 15 minutes.
After dark, everyone wants to go up the tower and the line gets really long. So definitely buy your ticket in advance online.
On the 11th floor there’s also a restaurant serving French cuisine. The prices aren’t as high as you might expect — they’re pretty much in line with the standard in Las Vegas.
Our tip: Make sure to check out the Eiffel Tower from below as well. Starting at sunset, there’s a light show every half hour and the entire tower lights up.
The Eiffel Tower is open daily from 9:30 AM to 12:30 AM.
Bellagio Fountain
The Bellagio Fountain is our favorite thing to see in Las Vegas!
“Fountain” doesn’t quite do it justice, because the Bellagio Fountain is as large as a lake. That makes sense, since the inspiration was Lake Como in Italy.
The fountain puts on real shows. To make it happen, 1,200 nozzles and 4,500 lights were installed. Water jets dance to fitting music and shoot up to 140 meters (about 460 feet) in the air. And the shows are always different, which is why we ended up spending quite a lot of time here.
The spectacle is completely free. From 3 PM to 8 PM there’s a show every half hour, and until midnight shows run every 15 minutes. The best time to watch is at night, when the lights are at their most impressive.
Big Apple Coaster
We already introduced you to the New York New York Hotel at #1. But you can also ride the hotel’s roller coaster, the Big Apple Coaster, even if you’re not a guest there.
We only recommend the Big Apple Coaster if you’re an adrenaline seeker. The ride is seriously not for the faint of heart. You’ll hit speeds of up to 68 mph and there are multiple loops.
One pretty cool bonus: during the ride you get a really great panorama across all of Las Vegas.
Book your Big Apple Coaster ticket
Strat Tower
At 350 meters (about 1,150 feet) tall, the Strat Tower is the tallest freestanding structure in the entire United States. Of all the viewpoints in Las Vegas, this one gives you the best view of the Strip, since the tower sits a little outside the main action.
The observation deck is at 280 meters (about 920 feet) up. There’s both an outdoor and indoor area, as well as the “Top of the World” restaurant, which rotates a full 360 degrees.
If you’re an adrenaline junkie, you’ll love the four thrill ride extras: a carousel where you float freely at 270 meters (about 885 feet) in the air, a roller coaster, a freefall ride, and the world’s highest bungee jump. Online you can get a combo ticket for the observation deck plus up to two of the attractions, which can save you a few dollars.
Important: You’ll need to go through a security check similar to an airport. Tripods, for example, are not allowed.
Book your Strat Tower Observation Deck ticket
Book the Observation Deck + 1 or 2 Attractions combo ticket
Las Vegas Sign
The Las Vegas Sign is absolutely iconic! It sits at the very southern end of the Strip and welcomes visitors to the city.
It’s not really all that special in itself. It’s one of those spots where you just need to get your photo and then move on.
That said, budget a bit of time, because there’s always a long line of tourists in front of the sign. If you don’t want to wait, either show up as early in the morning as possible, or just snap a photo with the other people in the frame.
Even though the sign is only about 500 meters (roughly a third of a mile) from the MGM Grand, you should not walk there. You’d have to cross a heavily trafficked road and the police don’t look kindly on that. Taking the bus or a rental car is the way to go — there’s a parking lot with a path leading directly to the sign.
Even More Sights in Las Vegas
Now let’s quickly run through some more things to do in Las Vegas. For us, these don’t quite make the absolute highlights list. But if you have a bit more time, they’re all worth a visit.
- Neon Museum: Absolutely not your average museum. It showcases retired neon signs dating back to the 1930s. The stories those signs tell are fascinating, and you’ll learn a lot about the early days of gambling in Las Vegas.
- Mob Museum: For a long time, Downtown Las Vegas was a playground for the Mafia, gangs, and gangsters. The Mob Museum tells you everything about the history of organized crime in Las Vegas and other US cities.
- Nevada State Museum: A real time machine that takes you through the entire history of Las Vegas — from ancient reptiles in Nevada to the area’s indigenous peoples all the way to the city’s first slot machines.
- National Atomic Testing Museum: A short distance from Las Vegas lies a nuclear testing site. The museum features exhibits from the earliest tests all the way to the present day.
- Adventure Dome Theme Park: The Circus Circus Hotel has its own theme park with roller coasters, rides, and food stands. And you don’t have to be a hotel guest to visit Adventure Dome.
The Best Shows in Las Vegas
If you want the classic Las Vegas experience, catching a show is non-negotiable. There are hundreds of options ranging from circus acts to magic shows, as well as regular concerts.
Here are our picks for the three most famous shows in Las Vegas:
- Cirque du Soleil: Cirque du Soleil is the most well-known circus in the world, and the performers do things that seem truly impossible. They perform in several hotels and offer different shows. Highly recommended is the show “O” at the Bellagio.
Tickets for Cirque du Soleil - David Copperfield: A true legend among magicians. This is nothing like cheap card tricks — these are genuinely jaw-dropping illusions. He performs at the MGM Grand.
Tickets for David Copperfield - Blue Man Group: The Blue Man Group puts on a wildly entertaining music performance. And as the name suggests, all three performers are painted completely blue.
Tickets for the Blue Man Group
Day Trips Around Las Vegas
For many people, Las Vegas is just a brief stop on their road trip through the American West.
Alternatively, you can stay in the city for a few extra days and take day trips to the national parks and sights around Las Vegas. For many of them, there are guided tours that already include transportation.
You can find more info about the national parks in our article on the 11 most beautiful national parks in the American West.
Here are our picks for the best day trips from Las Vegas.
Hoover Dam
The Hoover Dam is only about 30 minutes by car from Las Vegas. The dam is a whopping 220 meters (about 720 feet) tall, but you don’t really grasp its scale until you’re standing right in front of it.
The reservoir is called Lake Mead, and at the bottom of the lake lies a sunken town. The best view of the dam is from the bypass bridge that runs parallel to it.
Book a guided tour to the Hoover Dam
Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon is the most famous national park in the USA. If you’re heading there on your own, plan on at least one to two overnight stays.
The drive from Las Vegas takes about two hours. You can find more info in our Grand Canyon guide.
Our tip: If you’re short on time, we recommend a guided tour to the Grand Canyon. That way transportation is already taken care of and you can simply enjoy the trip.
Book a day trip to the Grand Canyon
Lies auch:
Death Valley
Death Valley is part of the Mojave Desert and has some truly extraordinary landscapes to offer, like the salt flat Badwater Basin, the colorful rocks along Artist’s Drive, and the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes.
Death Valley is also about two hours’ drive from Las Vegas. We’ve picked out a guided tour where you get a say in which sights you want to visit.
Book a day trip to Death Valley
Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park
Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks are best combined, since they’re not far apart from each other. Both parks are seriously worth seeing, but budget around four hours of driving in each direction.
That’s why we also recommend a guided tour, so you can sit back and enjoy the scenery on the drive.
Book a day trip to Bryce Canyon & Zion National Park
Lies auch:
Red Rock Canyon
Red Rock Canyon is right next to Las Vegas. It’s our top pick if you want to escape the city for a few hours without driving far.
As the name suggests, you’ll find a canyon with strikingly red rocks. Red Rock Canyon is also part of the Mojave Desert and is great for shorter hikes.
Valley of Fire
The Valley of Fire is one of the most popular day trips from Las Vegas — you can reach the nature park in just 45 minutes by car.
You’ll find deep red rocks, crazy rock formations, and endless desert landscapes. The park is a Native American nature reserve and is home to Native American rock art that’s 4,000 years old.
This tour departs very early in the morning. That time of day is the most beautiful, as the rocks glow under the first rays of sunlight.
Book a day trip to the Valley of Fire
Antelope Canyon
Antelope Canyon is more than four hours from Las Vegas. So think carefully about whether it fits your schedule. That said, the drive itself is rewarding — you pass through diverse landscapes and travel through three states.
We were absolutely blown away by the canyon. It’s one of those classic Instagram photo spots, but in this case you genuinely won’t be disappointed.
This tour includes your entry ticket to Antelope Canyon (you can only visit as part of a guided tour) and also makes a stop at Horseshoe Bend, the famous loop of the Colorado River.
Book a day trip to Antelope Canyon
Area 51
You’ve probably heard of Area 51. Whether aliens have actually landed there is something we can’t tell you. But on a guided tour you’ll learn all about the secret military projects and legendary locations associated with the site.
It’s definitely a fun outing if you’re not really the national parks type.
Book a guided full-day tour to Area 51 from Las Vegas
Practical Tips for Your Las Vegas Trip
To wrap things up, here are a few practical pointers for sightseeing in Las Vegas. These should make planning your trip a little easier.
Find the Right Hotel in Las Vegas
Most visitors want to stay at one of the famous hotels on the Las Vegas Strip. That’s where you get the full Las Vegas experience.
But we also understand if all the craziness feels like a bit too much. That’s why we’ve written a guide to the different neighborhoods in Las Vegas.
Here are our 3 top hotel picks for Las Vegas in a nutshell:
Bellagio Hotel: Perfect if you’re traveling with the motto “if I’m going to Las Vegas, I’m going all in.” You’ll be staying right on the Strip, close to all the major sights and casinos.
Circa Resort and Casino: A great option in Downtown. It’s more affordable than the Strip hotels and you’re not right in the middle of all the commotion — but it still has a similar Vegas vibe.
Westgate Flamingo Bay Resort: Our pick if you prefer a quieter setting. The hotel is away from the Strip, but a shuttle gets you there in just a few minutes.
Lies auch:
Take a Bus Tour Along the Strip
If you want to see as much as possible in a short amount of time, a bus tour is worth considering. You’ll travel along the Strip all the way to Fremont Street, stopping at all the major points of interest along the way.
We’re usually not big fans of touristy things like this. But especially in the evening, the sidewalks along the Strip get very crowded and strolling around comfortably just isn’t possible. In that case, a bus tour is genuinely the better option.
Book a nighttime sightseeing bus tour along the Strip
Save Money with a Las Vegas City Pass
A city pass is a bundle ticket that gives you free admission to many Las Vegas attractions, tours, shows, and day trips.
You buy the pass online before your trip and usually receive a digital ticket.
In Las Vegas, we genuinely recommend getting a city pass!
The city is overflowing with things to do, and you can save not just money but also time, since the pass usually lets you skip the line.
There are four different Las Vegas city passes. We’ve written a dedicated article to help you figure out which one is right for you.
Lies auch:
