Tourist Information about Las Vegas
Las Vegas offers a variety of spectacular attractions and activities for visitors of all ages. Search here to learn more about some of the exciting things Las Vegas offers and enjoy every moment of your visit.
The water show in front of the Bellagio; St. Mark's Place and the canals within the Venetian; the Eiffel Tower replica at Paris Las Vegas; the lion habitat at MGM Grand; nightly volcano eruptions at the Mirage; the Luxor pyramid; the Roman streetscape at the Forum Shops in Caesars Palace; the Mardi Gras-style Show in the Sky at Rio's Masquerade Village; the view from the observation deck at the Stratosphere Tower; the Fremont Street Experience. This is Las Vegas!
Historically, Fremont Street is where it all began, from a small railroad stop at the turn of the century to one of the brightest streets in the world. For decades, Fremont Street was one of the best places to cruise in a convertible car but now the street has been closed off to traffic and it is a pedestrian paradise lined with kiosks, souvenir shops and, of course, many, many casinos.
Often, visitors to Las Vegas venture no more than a few hundred yards away from the Strip, the 3.5-mile-long stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard that's lined on both sides with casino hotels. Because so much is concentrated on one street, it is easier to understand the layout of the city if you break the Strip into sections. The South Strip begins near McCarran International Airport, extends north to Harmon Avenue and includes the major intersection where the Strip meets Tropicana Avenue. The Central Strip runs from Harmon north to Spring Mountain Road and includes the busy Flamingo Road intersection. The North Strip goes from Spring Mountain to just north of Sahara Avenue.
Downtown is located a few miles north of the northern end of the Strip. There the casinos are smaller, older and less lavish, but the area has its own theme attraction, the outdoor light show known as the Fremont Street Experience.
If you want to see what there is to do away from the casinos and bright lights, take a panoramic peek at nearby recreational areas such as the spectacular Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, Mt. Charleston and the quaint little town of Boulder City, the only town in the state of Nevada where gambling remains illegal.
City residents and visitors alike say there is no place like Las Vegas, Nevada anywhere else in the world!
If you're planning to travel to out-of-town sights or to spend a lot of time in the less-touristed parts of the city, rent a car. Otherwise, use a combination of your feet, the Strip trolleys and taxis to get around. Walking the Strip is one of the quintessential experiences of Las Vegas—the best way to see the astounding sights that line the street. Because of the daytime heat, try to explore the Strip at night when it's cooler and most active. You should also approach it in sections. The hotel/casinos stretch along the boulevard for miles, and you'll no doubt do a lot of walking within each of the massive resorts. Avoid walking the section of Las Vegas Boulevard between the north end of the Strip and downtown: The area is relatively deserted, especially after dark.
If you're confining your visit to the Strip and downtown, you won't need a car, and you will probably be better off without one. Traffic is congested along the Strip itself: Those who have to drive should quickly learn to use parallel streets to go north and south. In the rest of the city, there can be tie-ups, especially during rush hour. New roads and highways are being built, but the city's fast growth means that the roads are always playing catch-up with the ever-increasing number of vehicles.
Most Strip and downtown hotels offer free self-parking or valet parking, and both are available even if you're not staying at the hotel. Downtown hotels may require validation for free self-parking. Valet parking is always free, but a tip is expected. The municipal, county and Fremont Street Experience parking garages are also available downtown. The Convention Center has a visitor parking area just one block off the Strip.
The Strip Trolley is perhaps the most useful means of public transit for visitors. The trolleys operate between the Stratosphere (north) and Mandalay Bay (south) and stop at major properties along Las Vegas Boulevard. In addition, several of the major hotel casinos are connected by tram or another form of transit, but these are limited systems that operate only between select properties (Bally's and MGM Grand, for instance). The Fremont Street Downtown Neighborhood Trolley serves downtown. Citizens Area Transit (CAT) buses run throughout the city.
With more than 40 hotels, casinos and resorts providing lavish shows, you don't have to look hard for diversion in Las Vegas. In addition to the offerings of various casinos, there's the nightly Fremont Street Experience light-and-sound show, held in a pedestrian mall (every hour on the hour, 6 pm-midnight). The events listed below are in addition to Resort/Casino-related offerings.
