Las Vegas

Understand

Compared with other American cities, even those in the western United States, Las Vegas is a relatively recent arrival. It was founded in 1905 and for many years was a fairly small settlement. However, several pivotal events in the early- to mid-20th century catapulted Las Vegas to prominence and set it on the path to grow into what it is today. First was the construction of nearby Hoover Dam from 1931 until 1936, which brought thousands of workers to the area. Second was the legalization of gambling by the state of Nevada in 1931, which led to the establishment of casinos and speakeasies that established Downtown Las Vegas as an entertainment center for the Hoover Dam workers. Amidst rapid growth in the local gambling industry, the luxurious El Rancho Vegas resort opened in 1941 on what would later become the Las Vegas Strip. This was followed up by Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel's Flamingo Hotel in 1946, starting the building boom and one-upmanship that continues today. This would also create a precedent of organized crime involvement in Nevada's gambling industry. While federal regulations and enforcement as well as investments by established corporations have virtually wiped out any mob involvement today, the building bonanza continues with ever-more elaborate resorts and attractions being constructed. The city is laid out as follows: Main Street as well as the numbered streets run north-south, starting with Main Street in the west. The bus station was on Main Street. Downtown has several hotel-casinos, as well as the "Fremont Street Experience", a pedestrian mall lined with casinos, shops, and restaurants near the western end of Fremont Street. A couple miles south of downtown starts the "Strip" (Las Vegas Boulevard South), a north-south street lined with large casino-hotels, shopping malls, and many other attractions. The northern end of the Strip is marked by the tall Stratosphere Tower. Frequent city buses run up and down the Strip and connect the Strip to downtown. The Las Vegas monorail and the convention center sit just east of the Strip, and the University of Nevada at Las Vegas (UNLV) is slightly further east on Maryland Parkway. The airport is at the southern end of the Strip. For a variety of legal and historical reasons, most of the largest casinos are not actually situated in the City of Las Vegas. The Strip and most other Las Vegas attractions actually sit in Paradise — an unincorporated town with just under 200,000 inhabitants. The City of Las Vegas only controls Las Vegas Boulevard as far south as Sahara Avenue. In the United States, most unincorporated areas lack municipal self-governance, are rural, and have populations in the hundreds or thousands. The lobbying power of the casinos has ensured that Paradise remains unincorporated and that Las Vegas cannot annex it. From a visitor's perspective, these legal distinctions are most important in terms of emergency services. You will see different fire trucks and ambulances depending upon whether you are north or south of Sahara Avenue, but the same police cars, since the city and county merged their law enforcement into one agency in 1969. Meanwhile, on the other side of the Pacific, Macau has become an even bigger gambling center than Las Vegas by revenue. Many of Las Vegas' largest casinos have branches there. However, Macau is not (yet?) even close to Vegas as an entertainment venue, though it does have shows by major Chinese stars, and some Western entertainers. Within the US, Las Vegas has no close competitors as a gambling destination; Atlantic City runs a rather distant second.

Visitor information

Las Vegas Visitor Information Center, 3150 Paradise Rd (inside Las Vegas Convention Center - Center Concourse), ☏ +1 702 892-0711, toll-free: +1-877-847-4858. M-F 8AM-5PM. (updated Jan 2019)

Climate

Las Vegas has a subtropical hot desert climate with short winters with mild days and cool nights; and long, extremely hot summers. July has the hottest temperatures with an average daytime high of 104.5 °F (40.3 °C). On average, 78 days each year reach or exceed 100 °F (38 °C) and 10 days reach 110 °F (43 °C). The days of the year with the highest temperatures have a daytime high at or above 115 °F (46 °C). During the peak intensity of summer, overnight lows frequently remain above 80 °F (27 °C), and occasionally above 87 °F (31 °C). Snowfall is rare, and typically occurs only once every few years.

Getting there

By car

Southern Californians crowd I-15 every weekend going back and forth to Vegas, and from the Bay Area the quickest route comes down Interstate 5 through the Central Valley, takes State Route 58 east from Bakersfield, and joins Interstate 15 at Barstow. If you are traveling the I-15, you are crossing a desert where gas and food occur infrequently, and should carry (and drink) ample amounts of water, especially on hot summer days where temperatures can reach 110°F (43°C). Expect this drive to be crowded and frustrating, unless you can come and go at off-peak hours; you may find air travel to be a better option with service to major California airports and many smaller ones as well. However, many find the 280-mile (450 km) drive along I-15 restful and scenic. Attractions along the I-15 include the California towns of Barstow and Baker (the two biggest watering holes on this route); the Mojave Desert; and small hotel-casinos in Nevada at Primm (at the California border) and Jean, respectively. From east of Las Vegas, travelers typically drive on I-40 through Arizona, and then head north toward Vegas on US 93 in Kingman, before US 93 becomes concurrent with Interstate 11 on the Colorado River bridge just downstream from Hoover Dam. I-11 is now complete from the river to State Route 157 in the far northwest of Las Vegas. In 2024, I-515 was decommissioned and became part of I-11, and I-11 signage was added to US 95 north of downtown Las Vegas. The completion of the I-11 bridge eliminated what was once the biggest traffic chokepoint of an otherwise sparsely populated desert area. The old road through this area still carries traffic to the Lake Mead National Recreation Area and directly through Boulder City. Even with long-haul through traffic now routed on the new bridge, the old road is still crowded with tourist traffic to Lake Mead and the dam. As with I-15, there are limited gas and services on the 78 miles between Kingman and Boulder City, except for a station in Dolan Springs. From the north, I-15 meets the Arizona border at the more relaxed town of Mesquite, Nevada and shortly goes into Utah. Most people driving from the east will exit onto I-15 at its junction with I-70, though those from further north may meet I-15 from I-80 in Salt Lake City. Those traveling from the north drive on US-95 from Reno and Tonopah. This is a two-lane highway until it reaches the community of Mercury, where US-95 is a four-lane highway. The route is sparsely populated and travelers should ensure that their fuel tank is full.

By bus

Intercity bus companies have their own separate stops or stations in different parts of town. See the below links:

1 Greyhound, Flixbus, (bus station) 4047 Pondoresa Way (The facility is along Ponderosa Way, near Pop-A-Lock Locksmith Las Vegas.), ☏ +1 702 384-9561, toll-free: +1-800-231-2222. Operates buses to/from Kingman (AZ); Los Angeles, (CA), San Diego, San Bernardino, Bakersfield, Denver; and Phoenix, (AZ via Flagstaff) on multiple routes. (updated Dec 2019) Flixbus, (bus stops) (Multiple locations) (There are more than 3 separate stops in Las Vegas. Check tickets for specific location.), ☏ +1 855 626-8585. Connects Las Vegas to Los Angeles, San Diego, Palm Springs, San Francisco, Oakland, Bakersfield, and Fresno in California, Phoenix, Tucson and Sedona in Arizona, and Salt Lake City and smaller towns in Utah. (updated Jan 2020) 2 Las Vegas Shuttle, (bus/shuttle station) 1404 N Eastern Ave, ☏ +1 702 642-0007. Goes down to Tijuana Airport & bus station via San Ysidro, San Diego, Escondido, etc; and to Huntington Park via Los Angeles, Ontario, Fontana, etc on another route. See schedules for list of additional stops. Additional local stops at the Tropicana (3201 W Tropricana Ave); South Point (Shell Station @ 9692 SW Las Vegas Blvd). (updated Aug 2020) 3 El Paso-Los Angeles Limousines, (bus station) 1100 S Main St (SW corner of W Charleston (SR-159) & S Main), ☏ +1 702 369-3933. They go to Los Angeles via Colton & El Monte on one route and towards El Paso via Phoenix, Deming & Las Cruces on another. They also have another depot at 1410 N Eastern Ave in North Las Vegas. Take the #206 bus going east on Charleston to get into downtown (and the strip) from the El Paso-Los Angeles Limousines terminal. (updated Nov 2015) 4 Omnibus Express (formerly Los Paisanos), (office) 3050 E Bonanza Rd Suite 190 (Bonanza Mojave Square at NW corner of E Bonanza Rd & N Mojave Rd), ☏ +1 702 734-6900, toll-free: +1 866 771-7575. Travels southeast towards El Paso and north towards Salt Lake City, Jerome, ID; and Caldwell ID. Crosses into Mexico via El Paso/Cd Juarez. Take the #215 bus going west on Bonanza Rd to get into downtown. (updated Apr 2016) Salt Lake City Express, Harry Reid International Airport, ☏ +1 208 656-8824. Connects Harry Reid International Airport to St George, Utah via Mesquite and Beaver Dam, Arizona. From St George passengers transfer to their other buses to continue north towards Salt Lake City or east to Hurricane, Utah. Bus company serves multiple cities in Idaho, Montana, Utah and Wyoming. Tickets can also be purchased through Greyhound.com, Megabus, or Flixbus. (updated Oct 2024) St. George Shuttle, Harry Reid International Airport, ☏ +1 435 628-8320, toll-free: +1 800 933-8320. Bus service between the airport and St. George Utah through Mesquite, Beaver Dam and Sun River, UT (updated May 2023) 5 TUFESA International, (Bus station) 931 W Owens Ave (Edmond Towncenter along W Owens Ave between 'H' & 'J' St, next to DD's Discounts), ☏ +1 702 254-6899. Offers bus service to Los Angeles, Salt Lake City and Hermosillo (via Kingman, Phoenix, Tucson & Nogales). To get into town take the eastbound 209 bus on Owens Ave (towards Owens & Nellis) to Las Vegas Blvd. Transfer to the 113 bus going south on Las Vegas Blvd towards Bonneville Transit Center to get to downtown and the Strip. Transfer to the 'Deuce' bus at Fremont St & Las Vegas Blvd to continue south on Las Vegas Blvd through the Strip. (updated Feb 2023)

Getting around

By foot

If traveling along the Strip, walking is a reasonable option as the hotel-casinos are close to each other. However, what may look to be a short walk of only a couple hotel-casinos away may be farther than you expected as the resorts often look closer than they are due to their large size. In most cases, hotels are connected to each other either by bridge or underground or in the case of Excalibur, Luxor, and Mandalay Bay, by a complimentary rail shuttle. During the summer, the oppressive heat during the daylight hours may make walking a very uncomfortable activity. Take extra precautions when imbibing alcohol and walking outside as heat-stroke and severe dehydration are common health risks. Walking any significant distance outside of the built up core of Downtown, or the pedestrian areas of the strip is not advised.

By monorail

9 Las Vegas Monorail (RTC Transit), ☏ +1 702 699-8200, customerservice@lvmonorail.com. Runs along the east side of the Strip with stops behind several of the hotels and at the Las Vegas Convention Center. It costs $5 one-way and $12 for a one-day pass, with 2-7 day passes also available. Do the math before boarding; it could be cheaper for a small group to take a taxi. Because the monorail stops at the back entrance of the hotels, it takes a long time to wind through the maze of casinos, often taking 20 minutes to an hour to get from one point to another on the Strip - if you're in a hurry, take a taxi. The monorail's carrying capacity of 4,000 people per hour is woefully insufficient to handle the evening exodus from the larger conventions which have as many as 150,000 attendees. If you are visiting with a friend from Nevada and want to ride the monorail, consider asking them to buy your fare because by showing a Nevada State ID or Clark County Work Permit Card (issued to all hotel employees) they qualify for the locals' fare of $1. The discounted fare can be purchased from the customer service booths located at each station. $5. Due to high prices, inconvenient station locations, low passenger ridership, and the lack of any connection to downtown or the airport, the Monorail is widely regarded as a failure. It operated under the supervision of a federal bankruptcy court from January 2010 to May 2012 before being acquired by RTC Transit.

By resort trams

The resort trams serve the west side of the Strip (the monorail serves the east side) and are all people movers / automated guideway transit on elevated tracks with free fares.

See

Individual listings can be found in Las Vegas's district articles Set in the middle of the desert of Nevada, Las Vegas can seem unreal at first sight. The skyline of the Strip features many unusual buildings side by side, and once you've come closer and get to travel along the Strip you'll to see replicas of buildings from around the world like the Eiffel Tower, the Great Sphinx of Giza, the Statue of Liberty or St Mark's Campanile. The buildings that aren't copies also look striking, and there are things happening along the street like the dancing fountains of Bellagio, not to mention the colorful signs, of which there however are even more in the old town of Las Vegas; Downtown. Inside hotels and casinos (the terms are interchangeable), expect to see myriads of slot machines, and gambling from card games to craps and roulette to sports betting. Hotel casinos often have a certain theme, and is decorated and sometimes features attractions to that theme, like the flamingo garden in Flamingo. A combination pass, the Las Vegas Power Pass, gives holders free admission to many of the attractions listed in the districts, including the Stratosphere Tower Observation Deck, Madame Tussauds, Siegfried & Roy's Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat, Springs Preserve, the National Atomic Testing Museum, and plenty of others, as well as numerous activities and tours.

Do

Individual listings can be found in Las Vegas's district articles There's a great deal to do in Las Vegas; in addition to the gambling, the city is most famous for, you can for instance see a show, ride amusement park rides, watch and do sports or try to escape from an escape room. For mountain activities such as hiking, climbing, and skiing close to Las Vegas, see Go next.

Shows

There are places on the Strip where you can buy half-price show tickets, but generally not for the really popular shows on the same day of the performance. Cash or credit card accepted. Shows include circus shows, musicals, production shows, comedy, magic, tribute shows, adult shows, Las Vegas hosts 8 popular Cirque du Soleil shows. To secure the best seats, reservations well in advance are recommended.

Production shows

Reserve your tickets well in advance for the best available seating. The most popular shows are sold out on the weekends. Make sure to always book your seats directly from the official hotel website.

Shopping

Individual listings can be found in Las Vegas's district articles

Sales tax

The combined state and local sales tax in all of Clark County (meaning the entire Las Vegas metro area) is 8.375%. Only groceries and prescription drugs are exempt. Like most U.S. states, Nevada has not implemented a tax refund mechanism for international travelers. The only retailers that can sell tax-free items to international travelers are the duty-free shops at Harry Reid International Airport.

Basics

Most hotel/casino resort complexes in Las Vegas have a gift shop open 24/7 that offers basic traveler supplies and sundries. Hotel gift shops are outrageously expensive and should be avoided except for emergencies. If you are planning to not rent a car and to simply go up and down the Strip on foot or bus, the pharmacies are your best bet for basic supplies. They are all open 24/7 and accustomed to dealing with tourists from all over the world. Like most U.S. pharmacies, they carry a very large variety of products besides pharmaceuticals and dietary supplements, including snacks, soft drinks, bottled water, cosmetics, toiletries, hats, sunscreen, maps, postcards, and so on. CVS Pharmacy has three branches on the Strip, one located on South Strip between CityCenter and Park MGM, one between Paris and Horseshoe, and one located on North Strip between Circus Circus and Sahara Avenue. Walgreens has one branch on Central Strip at Palazzo, another on South Strip in front of Planet Hollywood, and a third in the Showcase Mall in front of MGM Grand. The Hawaiian convenience store chain ABC Stores has four stores serving the Las Vegas Strip. There are also 7-Eleven convenience stores open 24/7 throughout the Strip, but their prices tend to be higher than the pharmacies and their product selection is not as broad. Souvenirs, drinks and snacks are also available at small stores along the strip; there is a cluster of them between MGM and Planet Hollywood as well as north of the Wynn. These are usually the cheapest places to shop, even if the selection is quite limited. Target has opened a store in Showcase Mall to the south of the Walgreens, and while it is smaller than typical Targets (which can be found in other parts of Las Vegas), the store is still very comprehensive and provides a selection of the most important supermarket essentials. Importantly, there are no major supermarkets on the Las Vegas Strip near the resorts. The closest one that sits on Las Vegas Boulevard is the Whole Foods Market at Town Square (see below). Other than that, one has to travel as far west as Valley View Boulevard or as far east as Maryland Parkway to find supermarkets such as Vons, Albertsons, Food4Less, and Smith's. There is even a Walmart at Tropicana Avenue, about 6 kilometres (3.7 miles) east of the Strip. These places are however accessible by car or bus, prices are lower than on the Strip, and if you're, say a European looking for some authentic American specialties to bring home these are certainly better places to find them than 7-Eleven.

Eat

Individual listings can be found in Las Vegas's district articles Large casinos will invariably offer a variety of dining options, ranging from the omnipresent buffet to simple cafes to gourmet restaurants to Michelin-star winning restaurants. While there are a few spots along The Strip where you can find a deal, expect to pay a premium even for a simple meal unless you venture to another part of town.

Buffets

As of 2026, there are seven buffets at Las Vegas resorts, the most famous of which are at the Bellagio, Caesars Palace, Cosmopolitan, and Wynn. The best buffets typically cost about $80 a person for a weekend dinner. Lunch is your best value at most buffets when they are around half price, breakfasts are cheapest and often have a great spread too. Do not forget that tipping your buffet waiter at least $1 per person/drink is customary. You can leave cash on the table at the end of your meal or tip the cashier at the counter on a credit card. Some buffets give "early bird" discounts, which means that if you arrive early the price is a few dollars lower.

Drink

Individual listings can be found in Las Vegas's district articles In Las Vegas, free drinks are often offered to gamblers, even those playing 5-cent slot machines. You should tip the waitress at least $1 per drink; failure to do so will likely cost you free drink privileges. Although it is officially NOT allowed per the lawbooks, drinking on public sidewalks and other areas on the Strip and Downtown is rarely if ever enforced. Thus it is entirely common to consume alcohol in public areas, including the public sidewalks within the Las Vegas city limits which includes all of Downtown, The Strip and close-by areas. Again, as previously mentioned, over-intoxication and disorderly conduct is frowned upon, so stay within your own limits. On special occasions (New Year's Eve and Independence Day for example) there may be bans on glass bottles and/or aluminum cans for the Strip and the Downtown area. Plastic cups and sports bottles are allowed at these times and either provided at purchase or often available at hotel/casino exit doors. When inside a casino or hotel there is seldom any restrictions on carrying drinks from one bar, restaurant or playing location to another with the exception of some showrooms and theaters where it will be clearly posted. Individual shops may also have rules about carrying in food and drink of any kind. The towns of North Las Vegas, Henderson and other outlying areas have very different regulations forbidding removal of alcohol from bars, etc. so check with your host or doorman if in doubt. Many bars and liquor stores are open 24 hours a day. There are also posted laws for convenience stores, grocery stores and other retail liquor outlets restricting consumption in the immediate vicinity. Most of all, always drink responsibly and realize that the hot, dry desert air in the summer months can have very adverse health effects on people consuming alcohol such as rapid dehydration and deadly heat stroke, even after dark. Drink plenty of water as well!

Nightclubs/dancing

There is a club or lounge in nearly every hotel and casino. Most clubs remain open until 4AM, with various after-hour clubs available for the truly hard-core partiers. Drink prices can range anywhere from $4–8 for a domestic bottle of beer, $8–10 for well drinks made with cheap generic liquor, and $200 or more for a bottle of spirits. Clubs are always busy on weekends, and may also be packed during weekdays at places that have Service Industry Night (SIN), usually Tuesday to Thursday, when locals working in the service industry have their night off. A good way to find out what places are hot in Vegas is to look up the "Vegas" or "LV" hashtag on social media services like Instagram or Twitter. The reason is that club and event promoters alike cleverly utilize the services as a way of reaching their audiences to announce specials, celebrity appearances, and guest list availability. They usually post a flyer of the event and include their cell number, so that you can text them and let them know the male-to-female ratio in your party. Groups with higher women-to-men ratios tend to have better offers for guest list entry, drinks, etc. Most promoters usually work for specific establishments, but generally connect you to other promoters in their networks who work for the establishment you ask for. The top clubs will charge entry of $15 or more. Exceptions may include those who have reserved a table, those who get there early, ladies, and locals. Expect to wait in a line for 10 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the night. It is usually best to arrive before 10PM; while the club may be emptier, the line will be shorter and you may avoid paying a cover charge. Sitting at a table often requires a bottle purchase and if you stop making purchases, they will ask you to vacate the table so that someone else can occupy the table. Some nightclubs have official dress codes that, for example, advise against wearing hats, shorts, flip flops, sandals, sneakers, athletic wear, ripped or oversized clothing, or steel toe shoes. Day clubs are usually open in the months between April and September.

Ultra lounge

An ultra lounge is a mix between a lounge and a night club, but the difference to "real" night clubs is tiny and vanishes completely when the DJ pulls out hard-core dance hits.

Sleep

Individual listings can be found in Las Vegas's district articles Las Vegas is a very peculiar destination - and hotels in Las Vegas have a lot of peculiarities that you won't find in other cities.

The vast majority of visitors to Las Vegas arrive on Friday or Saturday nights and stay for the weekend. As such, room rates can seem ridiculously cheap from Sunday-Thursday night but zoom upwards on weekends. Travelers can plan a trip to their advantage: by staying, say, Sunday through to Thursday, you can save a bundle on hotel rates, and take advantage of package deals that may include a show, meals, and gambling coupons—occasionally worth more than the cost of the hotel room. With some exceptions, hotels and other sleeping establishments will not allow anyone under age 21 to reserve a room due to on-site gambling. For those of age 18-20, it is strongly recommended to research and reserve in advance of arrival. A bad surprise at check-in are "resort fees". Many hotels in Las Vegas collect this fee on top of the room charge (typically between $10 and $20 per night, but can sometimes be more like $50) when you check in. You won't get around paying it, even if you claim that your hotel booking website had indicated the total price as final. The resort fee is apparently an attempt at introducing low-cost airline-style pricing to hotels: splitting up the price into an attractively cheap basic fee, and charging the customer for almost everything separately. Thusly, in Las Vegas, the resort fee typically "covers" the use of the swimming pool and of the fitness center. Some hotels do not collect resort fees. It may be worth it to ask the front desk to remove this fee, especially if you had a bad experience with your stay. However, keep your expectations low but be polite and reasonable. In Las Vegas hotels, even the resort fee does not always cover hotel amenities that are included for free in hotels in the rest of the world. These charges may be eye-poppingly expensive. Most Las Vegas hotels charge separately for use of the fitness center with rates, around $20 to $40 per visit. Local calls are usually billed, and wireless internet is generally at least $12 per day. Unless the service is clearly marked as free, it is better to use your own cell phone or mobile router. In-room coffee may cost more than twice as much as the coffee shop down the street. The mini-bar, which you might think is a convenient in-room refrigerator, but which they think of as an electronically monitored, vibration-sensitive, highly profitable vending machine that will charge you the moment you move or lift any item off its sensor pad, is another poorly marked trap for travelers. Not only are the items overpriced – especially for bottled water, whose price generally is around $8–10 per small bottle, but which can be as high as $25 – but putting your own items in the in-room refrigerator may cost you $25 or $50. If you need to use a refrigerator (e.g., to store medications or breast milk), talk to the front desk about your options. A few hotels ban all outside food and beverages. Most don't object to carry-out food, but few permit guests to bring large amounts of outside booze to a room, as that can lead to noise complaints and safety concerns. Due to the flamboyant and lively atmosphere of most casino hotels, you may not get a good night's sleep, especially on weekends or during busy tourist seasons. Drunken parties and associated recklessness are frequent occurrences in most of the motels and hotels on the Strip. Most hotels will send security personnel up to disperse loud parties or to warn drunk patrons to keep the noise down if you call the front desk, but their effectiveness may vary. Quiet alternatives include the Four Seasons Hotel, Vdara, Waldorf Astoria, and Skylofts at MGM Grand. In Las Vegas parlance, the words "hotel" and "casino" are interchangeable. There is a big difference between casino hotels and mainstream hotels without gambling. Casino hotels tend to be large (often with a long walk from the parking to your room and often via the gambling floor). The size of casino hotels means that they often have a wider range of services (restaurants, bars, shops, coffee shops, etc.) and many facilities have long opening hours or are open 24 hours.

Off the Strip

Along the main roads leading off the Strip are a wide variety of accommodations, ranging from basic budget motels to splashy, full-size resorts every bit as expensive as those on the Strip.

Stay safe

The LVMPD is the primary law enforcement agency within Las Vegas and the unincorporated area of Clark County. There is also smaller agencies such as Henderson, North Las Vegas PD and city marshals along with state police. Be vigilant and do not leave any valuables visible in your car. If you are lucky enough to win a large jackpot, you can ask the casino to hold your winnings in its safe or to pay you with a check so that you are not walking out the door with a large amount of cash. If you insist on receiving all your winnings in cash, all casinos have security personnel available to escort you to your car or room upon request. Like most large tourism destinations, the Strip has its share of pickpockets, so keep your wallet in a front pocket or hold onto your purse. Major casinos are generally very safe. Casinos take security very seriously and have cameras recording almost every square inch of their property, as well as uniformed and plainclothes security personnel patrolling at all times. Drink and food spiking is not uncommon in tourist areas espically vegas. Be aware of where you purchase and consume alcohol and dont leave drink or food unattended. Drink spiking is often followed by other crimes such as sexual assault and/or criminals robbing victims and accessing your hotel room in which anything of value is taken. Street vendors selling water and other beverages do not have a permit to sell them and are frequently stopped by hotel/casino staff. Try to make sure whatever you're buying is sealed.

Additional information

Despite the advertising slogan What happens here, stays here, Las Vegas has laws that are vigorously enforced. Contrary to popular belief, prostitution is illegal in Las Vegas and all of Clark County, although it is legal at licensed brothels in a few rural counties of Nevada outside of the Las Vegas area. Pedestrians may drink alcohol from an open container on the Strip, but not in automobiles (not even for passengers) and the alcohol must be in a plastic container.

Driving dangers

Remain vigilant while driving. Las Vegas Boulevard ("the Strip") is notorious for fender benders and other traffic collisions as a result of the heavy stop-and-go traffic and the numerous distractions (electronic signage and water fountains) visible to drivers, heat, and copious alcohol consumption. Interstate 15 is routinely under construction to relieve its perennial traffic jams. The construction zones tend to have inadequate signage and poor lane markings, which combined with the large number of tourists results in frequent last-minute lane changes and in turn, many multi-vehicle car accidents. Many people are also driving intoxicated as well; Nevada has an unusually high frequency of traffic deaths with alcohol involved, and most of them happen near the Strip.

Go next

Though you might not expect it, Las Vegas is somewhat of an outdoor hotbed. In a days drive you can reach numerous national parks, state parks, preserves and wilderness areas. There are boundless opportunities for hiking, camping, rock climbing, mountain biking, skiing, 4x4 trails, watersports, dark sky gazing, etc. It continues to be a great home base for outdoor enthusiasts. Renting and traveling in a campervan has become more popular. As always, be sure to come prepared for the weather, follow fire restrictions, bring extra water and respect the rules of the land you are on.

Hoover Dam (east, ¾ hour car): is nearby, east of Boulder City.

Rock climbing and hiking

Spring Mountains, North of Red Rock Canyon. Five peaks over 11,000' which is Bristlecone Pine County. At 11,918 ft (3,633 m), Mt. Charleston reaches the treeless alpine zone and is Nevada's fourth highest peak. The geology is mainly limestone which soaks up rainfall and snowmelt up high and releases it in lower canyons. Carry plenty of water for hikes along the crest. Expect snow at higher elevations October to May or June. Lake Mead National Recreation Area (northeast, 1½ hour by car): hot springs. Grand Canyon (southeast, 4 hours by car via the Hoover Dam): it's quite easy to make a day trip from Vegas to Grand Canyon as there are a lot of tour companies advertising their services at almost every corner on the Strip. A typical bus tour takes includes transport to and from your hotel as well as lunch and costs $100–300/person depending on the tour company. There are also helicopter tours which are more expensive. Death Valley (west in California, 2 hours by car): lowest point in the Western Hemisphere and one of the hottest places in the world. Mount Whitney (west in California, 4 hours by car): highest point in the lower 48 states. About four hours west: two hours to Death Valley, a further two hours beyond Death Valley. Zion National Park (northeast in Utah, 3 hours by car): offers stunning scenery in a red-walled canyon.

More pictures of Las Vegas

From this destination's category on Wikimedia Commons. Each photograph is credited to its own author under its own licence.