24 Hours in Las Vegas

Start at the Bellagio Conservatory, which is free and beside the lobby, then walk north to the Venetian for a gondola on the indoor Grand Canal, $39 (£29) a person. Lunch is Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace, back to the south. That leaves the hot middle of the afternoon for the pool, which is what you are paying the resort fee for.

Be back on the Boulevard at 6 p.m. for the Fountains of Bellagio, free and usually every half hour from the afternoon until midnight. Then "O", Cirque du Soleil's water show inside Bellagio, from $125 (£94), 90 minutes with no interval. It is the only part of the day to book weeks ahead. After it, the Deuce takes about 39 minutes from the Paris stop to Fremont Street, and runs every nine minutes on a Friday evening. Finish with tacos at 3041 South Las Vegas Boulevard, open until 4 a.m.

What bends the plan: the Venetian's outdoor gondolas close for the season from October 26, 2026, but indoor rides run all year, until 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The fountains are cancelled when winds reach 25 mph. Bacchanal's $70 (£52) early bird dinner runs Monday to Thursday only. And from November 17 to 25, 2026, the Formula 1 race reroutes the Deuce and changes Monorail hours.

We searched Kayak for two adults on a Friday, stay total with all taxes and fees, 3 stars or better and a guest rating of 8 or more, on Las Vegas Boulevard between Mandalay Bay and the Wynn:

• Center Strip: Jockey Resort Suites Center Strip, wedged between Bellagio and the Cosmopolitan at 3700 Las Vegas Boulevard South, was the cheapest qualifying room on both dates: $178 (£133) on January 15, 2027 and $199 (£149) on June 11, 2027, rated 8.6. It is an all-suite resort with kitchenettes and no casino.
• Casino resorts: the cheapest were Mandalay Bay at $215 (£161) in January and New York-New York at $210 (£157) in June. Best Western Plus Casino Royale, on the center Strip, was $216 (£162) in January.

Kayak says its stay total includes taxes and fees payable at check-out, which is where Las Vegas resort fees sit. A cheaper headline rate elsewhere usually leaves that fee out. Our search left out the SAHARA and the hotels by the Convention Center, which are cheaper but well north of the plan.

The Nevada Taxicab Authority sets flat zone fares for direct trips between the airport and the Strip: $22 (£16.70) to Zone 1, south of Tropicana; $26 (£19.70) to Zone 2, Tropicana to Flamingo; and $30 (£23) to Zone 3, north to the STRAT. A fuel surcharge, 3% excise tax and any card fee are added. The same fares apply on the way back.

By bus, there is no direct route to the Strip. Board the Red Line or Route 108 at the RTC stop on Level Zero of Terminal 1; from Terminal 3, take the inter-terminal shuttle first. Change at Flamingo Road to Route 202 west. RTC's timetable gives about 46 minutes door to Strip on a Friday. Local reporting of RTC's fare proposal puts the regular fare at $2 (£1.50), with a rise to $3 (£2.20) proposed from January 2027; RTC's own fare page blocked our checks, so confirm in the rideRTC app.

• Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace: 10 kitchens and more than 250 dishes, including prime rib, crab and a Cajun seafood boil at dinner. Reserve a time.
• Tacos at Tacos El Gordo, 3041 South Las Vegas Boulevard, open 10 a.m. to 4 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays; the late-night stop.
• A snack on Fremont Street between canopy shows, where the street is open 24 hours.
• The early bird at Bacchanal, $70 (£52), if your night falls Monday to Thursday between 2:30 and 4 p.m.

Neither Caesars nor Tacos El Gordo posted Friday prices on their own pages when we checked. For a city where food is the whole trip, see the best food cities for 24 hours.

Keep the fountains, "O" and Fremont Street; that is the evening, and the evening is the point. With the flat-zone taxi both ways, a long layover of eight hours or more at LAS buys the fountains and a show. Drop the gondola and the buffet first.

Add the Deuce, Bacchanal and food. The Las Vegas Monorail, which runs behind the east side of the Strip from the MGM Grand to the SAHARA, sells a 1-Day Pass for $13.95 (£10.50) online or $15.50 (£11.60) at the station. Compare other short trips in the best 24-hour trips in the US.

LAS has nonstops from every US hub on our list: JFK, Newark, Chicago O'Hare, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, Washington Dulles, Atlanta, Miami and Dallas/Fort Worth. From the West Coast it pairs with San Francisco or San Diego in a long weekend.

From the UK, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic fly nonstop from Heathrow, and Virgin Atlantic adds a seasonal Manchester service. British travelers need an approved ESTA. Since October 16, 2026, CBP charges $10.62 (£8) to process it and $30 (£22) on approval, $41 (£30) in all. See our entry rules guide.

Spring and fall are the comfortable seasons for walking the Strip. Summer is very hot by day, so plan the pool for the afternoon and walk after dark. Winter evenings can be cool and windy, which can stop the fountains. Avoid the Formula 1 race week in late November unless you are going for it. For more solo-friendly nights, see the best solo city breaks.

Airport to center

46 min from Harry Reid International Airport: RTC Red Line (or Route 108) from the Terminal 1 Level Zero stop north to Flamingo Road, then Route 202 Flamingo west to Las Vegas Boulevard, center Strip (Friday median 46 minutes on RTC's timetable; there is no direct bus from the airport to the Strip). From Terminal 3, take the inter-terminal shuttle to Terminal 1 first., $2 (£1.50)

One night, Friday

$178 (£133) on January 15, 2027 · $199 (£149) on June 11, 2027 (Center Strip (both dates: Jockey Resort Suites Center Strip, 3700 Las Vegas Blvd South between Bellagio and the Cosmopolitan, Kayak 3-star, 8.6, an all-suite resort with no casino); cheapest casino resorts were Mandalay Bay at $215 (£161) in January and New York-New York at $210 (£157) in June)

Day ticket

Las Vegas Monorail 1-Day Pass (east side of the center Strip, MGM Grand to SAHARA): $13.95 (£10.50) online, $15.50 (£11.60) at the station. RTC's own Deuce and day-pass prices could not be checked on rtcsnv.com: $13.95 (£10.50)

24 hours, per person

$112 (£84): half the average room, the airport ride both ways and a day ticket (entries extra)

Nonstop from the US

All 10 of our 10 US hub airports

Nonstop from the UK

LHR, MAN

Hotel prices: Cheapest 3-star-or-better double, 1 night (Friday), 2 adults, Kayak stay total including all taxes and fees, which Kayak states includes fees payable at check-out, so resort fees are in; guest rating 8+; Kayak's Strip neighborhood search sorted by price, then limited to properties on Las Vegas Boulevard between Mandalay Bay and the Wynn (SAHARA, Trump, Ahern and the Convention Center hotels excluded). Kayak, checked 2026-10-21.

Best months for walking around by our weather score: February, March, November. Daytime highs and lows, rain days (1 mm or more) and sunshine hours are 2016–2025 averages for Las Vegas (Open-Meteo historical weather archive).

Las Vegas: The Strip's Celebrity Chefs Tour or Downtown Food Tour

Ten people at most; drinks beyond those listed, tips and transport are extra. Strip tours have started at the Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill entrance inside Caesars Palace, so check your option's meeting point.

3 hours

4.9★★★★★★★★★★(1,921 reviews)

Reserve

Rating as shown on Viator

Las Vegas Mob Museum Admission Ticket

Open 9 am to 9 pm daily; the basement Underground speakeasy and distillery come with entry, while the Crime Lab and Use of Force add-ons cost extra. The museum's site says buying online saves up to 20% but did not show us a price, so compare before linking.

3 hours

4.6★★★★★★★★★★(1,416 reviews)

Reserve

Rating as shown on Viator

Las Vegas Strip Helicopter Night Flight

Fees, taxes, tips and hotel transfers are included, so allow about an hour door to door. Passengers over 300 lbs must buy a second seat, paid to the operator on the day.

10-12 minute flight

4.5★★★★★★★★★★(1,566 reviews)

Reserve

Rating as shown on Viator

Booking through these links supports this site at no cost to you. Prices move by date, so we do not print them here; the official prices we checked are in the page above.