For many years Vegas was considered the playground for adults, and that is how I treated it most of my 20s. But on our last couples trip to Vegas, we noticed how many activities looked fun for kids, teens and families all together. We decided then and there it was time to bring our kids to Vegas and see if we could make it a family friendly vacation. After spending Spring Break in Vegas, our kids came back loving the place and excited to go back. We managed to have a fantastic vacation in Vegas without gambling or partying at all. Vegas truly has something for everyone. Check out our guide on what can makes Vegas amazing for families.
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- How to Get to Las Vegas
- What to Do
- Where to Eat
- Where to Stay
- How to Get Around
- What to Bring
- Other Important Tips
How to Get to Las Vegas
Getting to Vegas is easy, but there are really only two ways.
- Flying – You’ll want to fly to Harry Reid International Airport. From the West Coast, your best bet is almost always going to be Southwest, which has multiple flights a day from the Bay Area and LA and is not only cheap but also pretty family friendly with it’s 2 checked bags included. From the airport it is pretty easy to get a Lyft or Uber into the main part of the Strip.
- Car – Las Vegas is about a 4–5-hour drive from Los Angeles and about a 10–11-hour drive from San Francisco. Either way you must drive through the Mojave Desert so be sure that your car is in good condition and you travel with plenty of water and food in case of emergency.
What to Do
People call New York the city that never sleeps, but these people have never been to Vegas. There is plenty to do here, at all times of day or night. Most people just think of gambling, but there is so much more and a lot that is family friendly. Here is a sampling of some of the best things we did as a family in Vegas.
- Area 15 and OmegaMart – My two saw a video about this place a few years ago and it was on their bucket list since. It is best described as an interactive art exhibit with a story, a mystery, and secret passageways. Make sure to give yourself at least three to four hours here.
- The High Roller – Behind the LINQ on the Strip, going up 550 feet, the High Roller is a Ferris wheel experience. The pods are large and stable enough to roam around. As you go up, you can see not only all of the strip, but the surrounding town and the beautiful red mountains in the distance.
- The Sphere Experience – One of Las Vegas’ newest attractions, this is a 90-minute experience if you choose not to go to a concert there (or cannot get tickets). Outside there are AI robots and holographic art installations. After which you go in for a 45-minute movie experience in the dome. It is incredible. We saw “Postcard from Earth”, where we felt like we were in the film, right next to elephants and in the rainfalls.
- Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam Tour – We used National Park Express to take a tour of Grand Canyon West. This is NOT part of the National Park Service, but on the reservation of the Hualapai Nation. We did the skywalk add-on and had the most amazing experience walking out over the canyon rim and getting to look down at the canyon. The tour took us there and back and included lunch. On the way back, we stopped and got to walk out and see the Hoover Dam and learned about it on the way.
- MGM Grand Pool Day Pass – When my husband and I came in August, we stayed at the MGM Grand and discovered their amazing pool complex. We found out you can buy day passes to the pool online, even if you are not a guest. We purchased three lounger chairs in one day, and my kids and I spent the day lounging by the lazy river. My daughter never left the lazy river and waterfall (except to eat) and my oldest spent a little time reading and relaxing, and a lot of time floating and playing in the pool. There are other great resorts in the areas with great pools (such as Red Rocks Resort and Casino) and most offer day passes online. These are great options for families who are staying off strip or in a resort with not as big a pool complex.
- See a Cirque du Soleil Show – There are several, family friendly Cirque du Soleil shows in Vegas. Depending on the time and day, and when you buy them, they can be affordable as well. We had the opportunity to see KÀ, which was a beautiful show about twins on an epic journey. The kids loved the acrobatics and high-flying feats, there is not a bad seat in the house.
- Free Activities – One thing that surprises people is how many free activities and shows are in Vegas. There is a lot to do that does not cost money and can be not only a savings for families but keep everyone entertained.
- Bellagio Fountain Show – Every 30 minutes during the day and every 15 minutes in the evening the Bellagio has a show to music featuring a choreographed water show. It is fun, and right off the strip and a nice three to six minutes of fun.
- The Atlantis Show – At the Shops at Caesars Forum, Monday through Thursday at the top of the hour, there is a 15-minute show about Atlantis with music, animatronics, and even pyrotechnics. Tip: Come early and hang out watching the fish at the aquarium for bonus entertainment and to secure a good spot.
- The Conservatory at the Bellagio – This beautiful flower garden inside the lobby of the Bellagio changes themes every season. It is beautiful and whimsical. The kids will love being able to see it all.
- Shopping – People think of gambling when going to Vegas, but I always think of shopping. There are so many great stores and shopping complexes over the strip. If you have teens or tweens, or even school age kids, there are a lot of great places to spend some time and get a sweet treat or souvenir of your travels.
- M&M Store
- Hersey World
- I Love Sugar
- The Shops at Caesar’s Forum
- The Fashion Show Las Vegas (has a Lego Store)
Where to Eat
There are tons of great places to eat all over Vegas. For all the places, I highly suggest checking out @vegasstarfish on TikTok. Here are what were our favorites while in Vegas.
- Breakfast – Maxie’s Las Vegas – Generally not too much of a wait, have a patio outside, and my daughter loved the fruity pebbles French Toast.
- Lunch – Proper Eats Food Hall at the Aria– This food court is a little on the pricier side but has several options. One of the best parts about it is that you can order from several different restaurants under one bill on their automated computer system. This lets everyone’s desires get satisfied without too much running around.
- Dinner – Nellie’s Southern Kitchen – My husband and I found this during our parents get away back in August, but we introduced the kids and it was easily the favorite of everyone the whole trip. Get the biscuits, get the fried chicken or shrimp and grits, and you will not be sorry.
Where to Stay
When it comes to Vegas, there are a ton of options in all budgets and styles that you want. The most important thing is to understand first what you want. Do you want to be close to the strip and all the action? Or are you comfortable being off strip and commuting to the activities? Do you want luxury? Or budget? If you are going with your family, how important is it to be away from smoke and casinos? How important is the pool complex to you? Does the place you are staying have a shuttle? You can get what you want in Vegas, it fits all budgets and locations.
- On Strip – If you stay on the strip, you will not need a car during your stay and will be closer to the actions and activities that are available. However, every place on the strip is a casino and will require walking through a casino to go to your room. If traveling with your family, make sure you understand the rules of kids-in-casinos. They need to stay in the aisle, away from the tables and games, and you cannot leave them in the aisle to gamble. Park MGM is the only non-smoking casino on the strip. However, many have excellent air filtration systems to help with that. On the Strip, we loved the MGM Grand. It has a great pool complex for families. Excalibur and Circus Circus are excellent budget and family friendly options.
- Off Strip – Off strip you can usually find cheaper accommodation, and they can be smoke free and casino free. This is a nice option for families who want a place to be able to step away from that atmosphere at the end of the day. Note that some of these hotels will have free shuttles to and from the strip, which help with transportation.
- Hotel / Resort – There are several hotels and resorts right off strip that offer amenities of the larger strip resorts, and sometimes without the casino and smoke. They are also generally more budget friendly than locations on the strip. For our family trip, we chose to stay right off strip at the Club Wyndham Grand Desert in a two-bedroom suite. We wanted to be away from the smoke and casino atmosphere and loved having the kitchenette to have breakfast items available. And they had a free shuttle every half hour to the Horseshoe. I have also stayed at the Red Rock Resort and Casino, which has an excellent pool complex for families, but does have a casino and smoking.
How to Get Around
When you look at a map, you think that it looks like an easy walk from one casino to another. Once you are walking around on a hot day you will quickly learn that they are much larger than they appear. And the Vegas strip is designed to help you easily get into a casino, not necessarily to get from casino to casino. But there are several ways to get around.
- Resort Shuttles – Many of the resorts that are just off strip will have free shuttles to a central spot on the strip to make it easy. Some of the hotels owned by a central group are linked by free trains or shuttles as well.
- Bus – The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada has busses that you can take you up and down the strip and all the way to the Fremont Experience. It is easy to download the app and buy tickets right on your phone.
- Monorail – There is a monorail that connects several of the casinos. It’s pretty economical and fast. One warning, the stops for the monorail are quite a walk from the main casino floor, so be prepared. You can buy the tickets on your phone easily.
- Walking – It is possible to walk Vegas. Both sides of the strip have sidewalks, and there are escalators to the elevated walkways over the strip. However, understand that the distances are further than they seem, and during the summer the heat can be oppressive.
- Lyft/Uber – This is one of the easier ways to get around Vegas. All the casinos have designated pick up and drop off points, while the larger ones have a few. We found that when we had three or four people, ride share was the same cost or cheaper than taking public transit, and often faster.
- Car – You can drive around Vegas. Most of the casinos do have parking, but it is a walk from the main floor and off the strip. Driving around can be a bit of a frustrating experience, so take that into account before renting a car.
What to Bring
You can check out my blog post on packing Carry on Only and Teaching Your Kids How to Pack to get a standard packing list. But for Vegas you want to make sure you have a few extra things.
- Comfortable Shoes for Walking – You are going to walk so much more than you imagine. Sure, it looks like something is the next casino over. But after you walk the mile in your casino to get out to the street, walk down the street to the next casino, and walked into that casino to find what you are looking for, you have already walked 1.5 – 2 miles. My entire family loves Sketchers Go Walk Sneakers. For sandals I love to walk in Teva’s.
- Swimsuits and Cover-ups – One of the more fun things to do in Vegas is enjoy the pool scene. And there are some great pools for kids and adults alike. I tend to use Amazon and Children’s Place for kids suits. I love my high waisted swim bottoms from Target with a variety of tops. You will also want a cute swim coverup for walking to and from the pool through the casino.
- Selfie Stick/Tripod – There are a lot of Instagram-able places in Vegas, and sometimes you do not want to hand out your camera to a stranger to get a picture. I have found that the selfie stick, while annoying, can get in the whole family with a nice background in the distance. But I have really liked this Self-Stick/Tripod, that allows you to set up your phone with a tripod so you can take pictures from a distance with a Bluetooth remote, and it does not feel as intrusive as a selfie stick.
- A Good Day Bag – You need a bag that will carry all the essentials for the day (hand sanitizer, your phone and wallet, snacks, etc.) I like to either use a small backpack such as the Pincnel backpack, or my go-to Overland Cross Body (These are no longer made, but I hear the Tavelon Anti-Theft Classic Messenger Bag is a good substitute).
Other Important Tips
- Try to plan the day’s activities around one area – Casinos are further apart than they seem. We would try and group our plans around one area of the strip. For example, we had tickets at KÀ in the MGM Grand, so we spent the day at the pool at our hotel (near-by) and then some shopping at the M&M Store and Hershey World before eating in the MGM Grand.
- During the week and during the day the strip is tame – Evenings and weekends is when the “less than family friendly” street performers come out on the strip. We found that we were able to avoid awkward conversations and performers by keeping our time on the strip to the week during the day. We were walking around Friday afternoon, our last day, and started to see some of the exotic dancers come out. It is also when we saw the younger, single party crowd start to check in.
- Pool Day Passes – We loved the pool at the MGM Grand but did not want to have to walk through a casino every day with kids. We found we could take advantage of the MGM Grand and other pool complexes in Vegas with Resort Day Passes. They are dynamically priced, so you get the cheapest rates if you book ahead. But we also found things on the same day that were reasonable. It is a great way to still enjoy the amazing amenities of these giant complexes without staying there.
- Take note of the time of year – Vegas pools are open April – October, but they are not open year-round. Holidays like Halloween, New Years Eve, and long weekends will see more people and more partiers. The summers are hot and humid, and during the winter, while the days are pleasant, the nights can get very chilly. We found April perfect timing as the weather was hot but not stifling, and there were not as many partiers during the week.
- Older Kids May Enjoy it More – My kids are old enough to go on roller coasters, go on longer hikes in the Grand Canyon, and enjoy shows. But toddlers and younger kids with less patience may not be. There are less things to do for kids that small and you may find yourself spending more time at the pool or outdoor parks. Babies in carriers can go most places EXCEPT the casino. You will not be able to gamble with them.
After a week of hanging by the pool, playing in the game room, and having so many fun activities, the kids came back saying they can’t wait to visit again. Just an hour flight from the Bay Area, I can see us bringing them again, and I never would’ve said that in my 20s. But it’s possible to enjoy Vegas with your family and find something for everyone. Don’t be afraid and take your family to Vegas!
Edited by SKS