Are you planning a family vacation to Las Vegas, Nevada? If so, here are free things to do with kids on your trip for a weekend.
42 million people visited Las Vegas last year and with so many visitors, it’s no surprise you will find plenty of adult entertainment in Las Vegas ranging from casinos, world-class resorts and restaurants and of course shows.
But is Las Vegas kid-friendly?
We recently visited it for a long weekend and were surprised that Las Vegas, and its surrounding areas, have more to offer than it meets the eye.
What to do in Las Vegas with Kids
Las Vegas was built for entertainment and developed by the resorts, so most of the attractions will be housed in the hotels lining the Las Vegas Strip. The resorts are like cruise ships – encompassing everything you might ever need in its property. You can sleep, relax, dine, gamble and party without ever leaving the resort.
With that said, you could easily spend half-day visiting each hotel in Las Vegas, so today I am highlighting 3 that were able to see during this trip.
What to know before you go
You will know you are in Las Vegas when you exit your flight, because the first thing you will see will most likely be slot machines. Yes, you can gamble without ever needing to leave the airport.
Transportation to the hotels can be provided for free by the resort or if that is not an option, take a taxi or a car service vs. renting a car to avoid costly parking fees. Most of the resorts are located at the Strip, only 3 miles from McCarran International Airport (LAS).
The Strip is a for 4 miles stretch of road lined with resorts and casinos and is super popular with visitors. You can people watch, hop from hotel to hotel and see things that only Las Vegas can offer. If the weather is nice, it can be quite entertaining to just sightsee the Strip itself.
If you plan to visit Las Vegas with kids, you might want to take advantage of the monorail which connects the resorts and runs almost 24/7. Kids under 5 years old ride free of charge and older kids and adults can take advantage of a multi-day pass option.
Bellagio Resort
The Bellagio is famous for its flower displays and it didn’t disappoint. We visited during Chinese New Year and the decorations were amazing, including a huge “Jade” gate, a couple of dragons and a huge pig and bounty- this is the Year of the Pig.
In addition to the flower display, the Bellagio has the most stunning display of Chihuly art right next to the flower display. A ceiling covered in the artist’s glass work.
There is more to the Bellagio than these three things and my regret this trip was that I didn’t get to see the art installation by Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama called to Infinity and Beyond. I am still kicking myself for this one.
So if you are visiting Las Vegas, check out what is on display in the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art.
Don’t miss out on the Bellagio Patisserie which serves light lunches, gelato, drinks and the most scrumptious desserts that are truly mouth watering. Take a few seconds to appreciate the ceiling-to-floor chocolate waterfall display!
If you love Cirque du Soleil, then the Bellagio is home to the famous O show and also has a restaurant themed after it appropriately named Cirque.
And if you love pampering, check out the Bellagio spa which offers day passes for visitors and hotel guests and a la carte treatments.
Venetian Resort
When I last visited Las Vegas – 20 years ago- a lot of resorts did not exist, so during this trip, I wanted to check out the Venetian and the famous Gondolas and St. Mark’s Square.
You can shop to your heart’s content while being serenaded every once in a while by a gondola “driver”. If you are traveling with toddlers, they will love running around St. Mark’s Square and watching the gondolas go by- at least my little guy did.
If you are traveling with older kids- 10 and up – they may enjoy the MINUS5º ICE EXPERIENCE – which is technically an ice bar, but allows kids 12 and over to experience it before 9 pm. Kids 10 and older may also enjoy the current attraction which this month was THE VOID – a virtual reality experience for Star Wars fans.
The Venetian also had an impressive Chinese New Year display which included a humongous pig covered in gold leaf! I just can’t imagine how long and how much it cost to have the entire pig covered in gold.
Caesar’s Palace
Home to some top headliners like Mariah Carey and Celine Dion, Caesar’s Palace is definitely more adult centered, but it’s a good place to look at different architecture.
One thing to note is that we found the best valet parking value at Ceasar’s which cost us $7 for an hour vs. $9 at self-parking at the Bellagio.
They also had a very nice Dragon display for Chinese New Year.
An unexpected find at Caesar’s was the National Geographic exposition of several well known photographs that were not only in display, but also for sale. This is the first exposition in which National Geographic is showcasing several artists’ work in one room. As a travel photography lover, it was a highlight of the trip for me.
My husband and I got away for a lunch date at Caesar’s and even got to play a little at the casino.
Additional Things to do with Kids in Las Vegas
There are several other kid-friendly activities in Las Vegas we didn’t have a chance to check out this trip, but are worth mentioning.
The Children’s Museum, The Aquarium, The Kings Tournament, the World’s Tallest Observation Ferris Wheel and of course the Marvel’s Avenger Station.
Some comedy, magic and performance shows like Cirque du Soleil are also for all ages and if you have a child that is old enough to sit still, it could be a great family activity.
If you have active kids and want to get outdoors during your trip, stay tuned for my next post on some unexpected places in Nevada.
Visiting Las Vegas during colder months will score you very good deals on resorts so check out the best hotels for kids in Las Vegas below.
Have you traveled to Las Vegas with Kids? If so, what were your favorite kid-friendly activities?
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Ro Torretta
You need to come back again!!!! ❤️
Jana
Real soon!