🇺🇸Las Vegas
Neon, casinos, and round-the-clock spectacle in the middle of the Mojave Desert — a city built entirely to make time disappear, for better or worse.
Mid-range figures, per person
Per person, no flights — those are just below. The mid-range figure is researched; budget and comfort scale it, so treat the two as rough. The trip calculator and hotels below break the day down properly.
The US rows are domestic roundtrips on major routes — coast-to-coast sits at the top of the range, short hops at the bottom. Ranges are typical fares booked 1–3 months out, checked mid-2026 — school-holiday peaks run higher, and patient shoppers beat the bottom end.
Prices checked · how we work these out
Is Las Vegas expensive to visit?
Yes, by the standards of the cities this site covers: a mid-range day in Las Vegas costs $100–250 per person, and its $165 midpoint is 83% above the $90 median across all 127 cities here. Within United States it sits right at the $166 average of our 6 United States guides. That makes it pricier than 115 of the 127 cities, with a cheap meal at $8–15 and a mid-range hotel at $90–220 a night.
How much does a trip to Las Vegas cost?
| Trip length | Budget | Mid-range | Comfort |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 days | $180–450 | $300–750 | $540–1,350 |
| 5 days | $300–750 | $500–1,250 | $900–2,250 |
| 7 days | $420–1,050 | $700–1,750 | $1,260–3,150 |
| 14 days | $840–2,100 | $1,400–3,500 | $2,520–6,300 |
Per person and before flights, 3 days in Las Vegas costs $300–750 mid-range, five days $500–1,250, a week $700–1,750 and two weeks $1,400–3,500; a week costs about $420–1,050 on a budget and $1,260–3,150 travelling in comfort.
Per person in US dollars, flights not included. Each total is a daily range from the band above multiplied out: mid-range is the guide's researched figure and already includes a mid-range room; budget and comfort scale it by 0.6 and 1.8, so treat those two as rough. The trip calculator lets you set your own days and group size.
Entry & visa
Visitors from Visa Waiver Program countries (UK, most of the EU, Australia, and others) can apply for ESTA authorization online instead of a visa, valid for stays up to 90 days. Citizens of other countries need a standard US tourist visa — check current requirements for your passport well before booking.
Visa rules turn on your nationality and change often — always confirm the current requirement for your own passport with an official government source before you book.
Quick facts
Money & what things cost
Cards and phone tap-to-pay are accepted everywhere on the Strip and Downtown, including at slot machines and table games via casino cage transactions. Hotel resort fees (a mandatory nightly charge separate from the room rate, often $35–55) catch first-timers off guard — always check the total price including resort fees and taxes before booking. Sales tax runs around 8.375%, and tipping is expected across the board: dealers, bartenders, valets, and housekeeping.
What locals earn
| Earnings | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Average monthly salary (Las Vegas metro) | ≈ $3,900 | gross; the local economy runs heavily on hospitality and gaming wages plus tips |
| Minimum wage (Nevada) | $12/hour | tipped workers can be paid slightly less depending on whether health benefits are offered |
Food & drink
| Item | Local price | ≈ USD |
|---|---|---|
| Casino buffet (off-peak) | $25–40 | $25–40 |
| Casual sit-down meal, per person (before tip) | $18–30 | $18–30 |
| Celebrity-chef restaurant dinner, per person | $80–150+ | $80–150+ |
| Coffee | $5–7 | $5–7 |
| Cocktail at a Strip casino bar | $16–22 | $16–22 |
| Free drinks while actively gambling | tip $1–2/drink | tip $1–2/drink |
Transport
| Item | Local price | ≈ USD |
|---|---|---|
| Las Vegas Monorail, single ride | $6 | $6 |
| The Deuce double-decker bus (Strip/Downtown) | $6 (2-hour pass) | $6 |
| Rideshare across the Strip | $10–20 | $10–20 |
| Harry Reid Airport (LAS) → Strip, rideshare/taxi | $20–30 | $20–30 |
| Hotel self-parking (many now charge) | $15–25/day | $15–25/day |
Where to sleep & what it costs
| Tier | Per night | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Budget/off-Strip hotel | $50–90 + resort fee | Downtown and off-Strip properties skip some of the extra fees |
| Mid-range Strip casino hotel | $90–180 + resort fee | Rates swing enormously by day of week and convention schedule |
| Nicer Strip resort | $180–350 + resort fee | Always check the total price including the mandatory resort fee |
| Luxury/high-roller suite | $500+ | Bellagio, Wynn, and similar top-tier Strip properties |
Been recently? Check our prices
One tap per figure. Check-ins reset whenever this guide is re-priced, so they only ever vouch for the numbers you see here.
Trip cost calculator
$165 per person per day · 4 nights of lodging (Nicer Strip resort)
A rough estimate, not a quote. The daily budget already includes a room, so one traveler pays exactly days × that budget; lodging is the room’s part of it, priced from the hotels below but never more than 45% of the trip. Extra travelers share the room and add only their own spending. Flights use the midpoint of the Getting there ranges above.
Getting around
- From the airport
- Harry Reid International (LAS) is unusually close to the Strip — a rideshare or taxi typically takes 15–20 minutes and costs $20–30. Many Strip hotels are walkable from the airport in theory but not practically, given the distances and heat.
- Walking the Strip
- The Strip looks compact on a map but individual resorts are enormous — walking from one end to the other can take well over an hour, and summer heat makes this genuinely risky without water and breaks. Pedestrian bridges connect major intersections.
- The Deuce & monorail
- The Deuce double-decker bus runs the length of the Strip and into Downtown; the Las Vegas Monorail runs behind several Strip resorts. Both are useful for longer hops when walking isn't practical.
- Rideshare/taxi
- The easiest way to get between the Strip and Downtown/Fremont Street, or to avoid the heat — pickup points at big resorts are well marked but can involve a walk through the casino floor first.
- Renting a car
- Useful mainly for day trips outside the city (Red Rock Canyon, Hoover Dam, the Grand Canyon) — not necessary for a Strip-focused visit, and parking fees at some resorts add up.
Map
Drag to look around, or open Google Maps ↗ · Apple Maps ↗
Neighborhoods to stay in
- The Strip (center)
- Between Bellagio and Caesars Palace — walking distance to the most famous fountains, shows, and casinos, but the busiest and priciest stretch.
- North Strip
- Newer resorts (Resorts World, The Venetian), slightly quieter, still connected by monorail and The Deuce.
- Downtown / Fremont Street
- A different, more retro-Vegas atmosphere with the Fremont Street Experience light canopy, generally cheaper than the Strip.
- Off-Strip (near the convention center)
- Better value and less crowded, a short rideshare from the action, popular with repeat visitors.
Things to do
Nightlife
Restaurants
Theater & shows
Tipping & etiquette
- Casino floors are open 24/7 with no clocks or windows by design — set a phone alarm or budget limit before you start gambling, since it's genuinely easy to lose track of time.
- Smoking is still permitted on many casino floors (unlike most US indoor spaces) — if that matters to you, check a specific property's policy or seek out designated non-smoking casino areas.
- Dress codes exist at upscale nightclubs and some restaurants — collared shirts and no athletic wear/flip-flops for men at nicer venues.
- Free drinks while actively gambling are a real Vegas tradition, but a tip per drink is expected even though the drink itself is 'free.'
- Street performers and costumed characters on the Strip expect payment for photos — same dynamic as other major US tourist strips.
How to spend a trip to Las Vegas
The Strip is far longer than it looks and the resorts are enormous, so every plan here assumes walking one stretch at a time and using The Deuce or a rideshare for the rest — particularly in summer heat.
One day and one night genuinely works here, because the city is designed to be consumed in a single stretch. Sleep late, start in the afternoon, and let the night run long.
- AfternoonThe central Strip on foot between Bellagio and Caesars Palace, in and out of the air conditioning rather than along the pavement the whole way.
- Early eveningThe Fountains of Bellagio, which are free and the one piece of Strip spectacle that doesn't want your money, then dinner before your show.
- EveningOne show. "O" or Mystère by Cirque du Soleil, or Blue Man Group at the Luxor if you want the lower price.
- LateDowntown and the Fremont Street Experience, which is the older, cheaper, more entertaining Vegas and the part first-timers skip.
Two to three days is what this guide calls the comfortable length, and three is the version with a day out of the city in it.
- Day 1The Strip: the central stretch, the Bellagio fountains, and a show in the evening.
- Day 2Get off the Strip. Lotus of Siam for lunch is a better meal than most of what the resorts sell, and Downtown and Fremont Street fill the night.
- Day 3A day trip by rental car: Red Rock Canyon is the short one, Hoover Dam the middle one, the Grand Canyon a long full day.
Five days is more than Las Vegas needs, and we would rather say so than pad it out. The city itself runs dry after two or three; what saves the length is treating it as a desert base with a very comfortable hotel.
- Days 1–3The three-day plan above, which covers the Strip, Downtown and one day out of the city.
- Day 4The second and third day trips you didn't pick: Hoover Dam and Red Rock Canyon both fit into one day if the Grand Canyon took the first.
- Day 5A pool day and a good dinner, honestly. Or drive out — Los Angeles is the obvious onward move, and our guide there covers what to do with the extra days.
- A warningBudget for the resort fee on every one of those nights before you decide five is worth it.
Safety & common scams
Las Vegas is generally safe for visitors in the Strip and Downtown tourist corridors, which are heavily patrolled and monitored. The bigger practical risks are financial (gambling losses, resort fees, and surge-priced everything) and heat exhaustion in summer, rather than crime — though standard big-city caution applies at night away from the main tourist areas.
Scams to know
- Unlicensed 'club promoters' handing out flyers on the Strip promising free entry or drinks — often lead to inflated bills or pressure tactics; stick to booking through the hotel or official venue websites.
- Street 'CD' or comedy-show ticket hawkers using high-pressure tactics — walk on, or book shows through the official box office/Vegas.com instead.
- Hidden resort fees not disclosed until checkout — always check the total price including resort fees and taxes before booking a room, not just the advertised nightly rate.
- 'Casino comps' pressure from hosts pushing you to gamble more to 'earn' free perks — comps are real but calculate the actual math before chasing them.
Emergency numbers: 911 (police/fire/ambulance) — hotel security and casino staff are also a fast resource for anything happening on-property
Phone & internet
Most major US carriers (T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon) offer tourist eSIMs, or set one up in advance via Airalo or similar before you land — pay-as-you-go physical SIMs are also available at Harry Reid Airport and phone shops. Wi-Fi is available at most hotels (sometimes as a paid add-on bundled with the resort fee), and coverage is strong throughout the Strip and Downtown.
First-timer FAQs
Do I need to gamble to enjoy Las Vegas?
Not at all — world-class shows, restaurants, pools, and the free Fountains of Bellagio and Fremont Street Experience are all worthwhile without placing a single bet, and it's an increasingly popular non-gambling destination.
What is a resort fee, and can I avoid it?
It's a mandatory nightly charge (typically $35–55) added on top of the room rate by most Strip and Downtown hotels, covering things like Wi-Fi and pool access whether you use them or not. It's rarely avoidable at major resorts — always factor it into your total budget when comparing room rates.
How many days do I need?
Two to three days covers the Strip's highlights (a few casinos, the Bellagio fountains, a show) at a comfortable pace. Longer trips often add a day trip to the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, or Red Rock Canyon, all within a few hours' drive.
Is it worth renting a car?
Not for a Strip-focused trip — walking, rideshare, and the monorail/Deuce cover it well, and parking fees at some resorts add up. A car becomes worthwhile only if you're planning day trips outside the city.
Similar cities to consider
🇲🇽Los Cabos
MexicoWhere the Baja California desert meets the Sea of Cortés — the twin towns of Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo, sportfishing marinas, El Arco's rock formations, and Mexico's most American-tourist-heavy, priciest resort stretch.
🇫🇷Paris
FranceCompact, walkable, and exactly as beautiful as advertised. The clichés are true; so are the pickpockets. Say bonjour first and the whole city softens.
🇦🇺Sydney
AustraliaA harbour city where the commute is a ferry and the beach is on the bus route. Expensive, outdoors-obsessed, and about as easy as long-haul travel gets for an English speaker.
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