Las Vegas in a Day: What to Do With 24 Hours

Las Vegas in a day is a legitimate visit, because Las Vegas is essentially a theme park that happens to have gambling. The Strip concentrates almost everything worth seeing within walking distance, the hotels are spectacles in themselves, and the city runs 24 hours without any pretence that normal time rules apply. One day gives you the full experience, compressed.

Getting In and Out

Harry Reid International Airport is around 5 miles from the Las Vegas Strip. Taxis and rideshares are cheap and take around 15 to 20 minutes. The airport is one of the most efficient in the US for arrivals and departures.

Morning (or whenever you wake up)

Las Vegas doesn't really have a morning in the traditional sense, but if you're arriving early or have a full day, the Strip is best seen on foot. Walk from the MGM Grand at the southern end to the Wynn at the northern end: around 4.5 kilometres of hotel lobbies, casinos, street performers, and spectacle.

The interiors of the major hotels are worth walking through even if you don't gamble. The Bellagio conservatory, the Venetian canal, the Wynn gardens, and the Luxor's pyramid interior are all free to walk through and genuinely impressive as feats of design and engineering.

Afternoon

The Bellagio Fountains run every 30 minutes during the afternoon and every 15 minutes after 7pm. They're free, they're remarkable, and they're worth timing your walk around.

Lunch at one of the hotel buffets is the Las Vegas experience: excessive, varied, and better value than the fine dining restaurants in the same buildings. The Wynn, Aria, and Bellagio all have good options.

After lunch, if you want to try gambling: slot machines require no knowledge and let you control your spending. Table games (blackjack, roulette) are more interesting but require understanding the rules. The casino floor at the Bellagio is one of the most atmospheric in the city.

Evening

Fremont Street in downtown Las Vegas is a 20-minute taxi ride from the Strip and a completely different experience: older casinos, lower stakes, and the Fremont Street Experience, a LED canopy that runs the length of a pedestrian mall. It's kitsch and loud and worth one visit.

The High Roller observation wheel (the world's tallest) on the LINQ promenade gives a brilliant elevated view of the Strip and the surrounding desert at night.

What to Skip

Day trips to the Grand Canyon South Rim are very long (around 5 hours each way by road). The West Rim is closer but less spectacular. Both require a full day.

The Vegas shows are excellent (Cirque du Soleil, Sphere events, residencies) but require advance booking. Not realistic for a spontaneous one-day visit.

Las Vegas is one of those places that people either write off or get hooked on. Our Las Vegas guide covers how to make the most of a longer visit.