Las Vegas with kids, really? Sin City may not be an obvious location for a family vacation, but we had a blast. As full disclosure, gambling and night clubs weren’t a draw before we had kids, so it was no biggie to forego completely after kids. Many families wonder if it’s expensive to travel to Las Vegas. Because Vegas offers more hotel rooms than any other US city. Competition for amenities and value is intense, and mid-week hotel prices are quite reasonable compared to similar hotels almost anywhere else, even including the standard resort fees. The weather is nice most of the year, and kids find the Strip’s “neon canyon” as entertaining as adults. Las Vegas Boulevard (aka the Strip), has been named as the world’s most visited tourist attraction with almost 40 million annual tourists and offers shows and activities for all visitors. We loved our trip and would go back in a heartbeat because there are so amazing things to do in Las Vegas with kids.
We visited Las Vegas when I was six months pregnant with our first son and then again seven years later with our three kids, aged 7, 4 and 6 months. During our “babymoon” trip, we flew into and out of Las Vegas and also traveled to Grand Canyon National Park, Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park. We would love to visit Bryce and Zion with kids, especially after reading 10 year old Andrew’s review of Zion, but we weren’t able to add those on during our 2015 trip to Las Vegas, which was inspired by our oldest son’s desire to see the Grand Canyon. We flew to Las Vegas, where we spent a few days at the beginning and end of the trip and visited Grand Canyon National Park and Sedona in the middle.
Our hotels in Las Vegas have been highlights of our visits. Our favorite hotel on the Strip is the Bellagio, which featured a gorgeously appointed room that had an amazing city view. We could check out the water fountain shows from our room.
Off the Strip, our favorite resort is Red Rock Casino, Resort & Spa, which is located about 15 miles west of the Strip. We booked a night at Red Rock after such a lovely stay at sister Station Casinos hotel, Green Valley Ranch, Casino, Resort & Spa. Both resorts are significantly more low-key and relaxed than those on the Strip. While Green Valley is more conveniently located close to the Airport, the scenery surrounding Red Rock gives it its edge.
We have also enjoyed some great meals, including the one of the most popular buffets on the Strip, Bacchanal Buffet in Caesars Palace. Bacchanal opened in 2012 and has been ranked as the top Las Vegas buffet by USA Today. We enjoyed the modern food presentations in this upscale restaurant. Our favorite Thai meal was at Lotus of Siam, which was rated as the best Thai restaurant in the U.S. by Gourmet Magazine. It’s located in a strip mall not far from the Strip, and the food was quite tasty. Here are five fun family activities to consider when visiting Las Vegas with kids:
Las Vegas Kids’ Activities
#1: Visiting Las Vegas’ Casinos
Las Vegas hotels and casinos are lavishly themed and fun for kids of all ages. Most of the interesting parts of the casino complexes are separated from the gaming sections and have nothing to do with gambling.
Caesars Palace is the Strip’s oldest hotel that opened in 1966. This opulent resort features reproductions of Roman statues and the high-end Forum Shops mall. Kids will particularly enjoy the moving statues at the Forum.
The Bellagio is a $1.6 billion resort that opened in 1998 with an Italian theme. The main lobby of the Bellagio features Fiori di Como, an installation of 2,000 colorful handblown glass flowers designed by Dale Chihuly. My kids loved the flower displays in the Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Gardens, which were decorated for the Lunar New Year, the Year of the Sheep, at the time of our visit. As a bonus, there is no admission fee for the Conservatory.
The Venetian is the world’s second largest hotel with more than 7,000 suites and beautifully recreates Italy’s most romantic city with reproductions of famous frescoes and Venice landmarks. The gondola ride through the mock canals and outdoor man-made lake is a popular attraction.
The Luxor is a 30-story bronze pyramid, named after the Egyptian city, and opened in 1993. The entrance is through the legs of a giant Sphinx, a recreation of the Great Sphinx of Giza. A xenon light beam is projected from the apex of the pyramid at night and can be seen from planes as far as 250 miles away and supposedly from space, too. The hotel elevators (aka “inclinators”) travel along the inclines of the 350 foot pyramid at a 39 degree angle.
We also enjoyed Mandalay Bay’s tropical theme, the Excalibur’s medieval theme inspired by King Arthur and his knights, and Paris Las Vegas‘ Parisian cobblestone streets.
Families with children can walk through most casinos but cannot stop. Note that the distances between casinos are deceivingly large, and driving is the best way for families to get around. Luckily, the casinos generally offer free parking, even for non-gamblers. Because the weather was ideal, we did walk to the nearby casinos on either side of us and across the street but drove when visiting further casinos. We also took advantage of the free tram that runs between the Excalibur, the Luxor and Mandalay Bay.
- Kid Facts: Steve Wynn opened the Mirage in 1989 as the city’s first mega-resort, the largest hotel in the world and the most expensive hotel-casino ever constructed. Its success led to the transformation of the Strip as old casinos were torn down to make room for massive complexes styled after some of the world’s most desirable tourist destinations like Rome, Venice, Paris, Egypt and New York.
#2: Checking Out Las Vegas’ Outdoor Displays With Kids
The Bellagio’s 8.5-acre artificial lake features the famous dancing fountains, The Fountains of Bellagio. The 1,200 jets stream up to 460 feet into the air and burst choreographed water accompanied by over 4,500 lights. The fountain show runs every quarter or half hour in the afternoons and evenings. Make sure to check out the schedule. With different music showcased, it is enjoyable to watch more than one show! We were so glad we visited the Bellagio with kids.
The Mirage’s Volcano “erupts” at 8:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. each evening and also 10:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. Our kids were mesmerized by the fiery eruption, which we caught a few times during our stay. The Volcano fits in nicely with the Mirage’s Polynesian theme.
The Eiffel Tower in Paris is one of the world’s most recognizable icons. It is the #1 destination on my middle child’s bucket list. While Paris-Las Vegas’ half-scale, 460 foot Eiffel Tower replica is not a substitute, it fueled his desire to see it in real life. Years after our visit, my son remembers vividly how the Eiffel Tower replica was built around and into other buildings in the resort’s complex.
- Kid Facts: The Fountains of Bellagio were the largest fountain in the world when they opened.
#3: Visiting Pools at Las Vegas Family Resorts
The pools we have visited in Las Vegas are particularly extravagant and cater to guests of all ages. Most pools allow only guests to use their pool facilities, so it’s important to do some pool research before booking a resort or plan to visit one of the pools that permits non-guests with an admission fee. My daughter had her first pool experience at Garden of the Gods Pool Oasis at Caesars Palace and loved it. These pools are modeled after Roman baths and include Roman statues and reminded me of the Hearst Castle pool. Obviously, this was a memorable place to first experience a pool.
The pools off the Strip also have gorgeous pool facilities. We enjoyed the swimming complex at Red Rock Resort before heading to the Airport for our red-eye flight.
We particularly enjoyed the luxurious chaise lounges at Green Valley Ranch’s pool, which did not require an additional booking fee like many on the Strip.
Many resorts in Las Vegas also have complimentary spa indoor facilities for guests over 18, including an indoor hot tub. One downside to traveling to Las Vegas with kids is that adults have to take turns in order to enjoy these facilities.
- Kid Facts: I could find no interesting facts about Las Vegas pools, but almost all kids will love them!
#4: Visiting Las Vegas’ Red Rock Canyon With Kids
The natural red rocks just outside of Las Vegas are the perfect contrast to all of the artificial lights on the Strip. We thoroughly enjoyed the scenery of the sandstone and limestone cliffs when traveling to and from Red Rock Casino, Resort & Spa. We did not have a chance to hike the scenic loop at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area but definitely hope to do at least part of that hike on our next trip.
- Kid Facts: The Red Rock area was under an ocean 600 million years ago. Sandstones were deposited about 250 million years ago, and oxidation of iron in the sediments caused the red coloring.
#5: Visiting Las Vegas’ Hoover Dam With Kids
The famous Hoover Dam is a 726 foot dam located on the Nevada-Arizona border about 35 miles from Las Vegas. The water flow of the Colorado River used to rise dramatically in the spring and slow to a trickle in the summer and was therefore an unreliable water source. Hoover Dam was constructed to control destructive floods, ensure a steady water supply to the Colorado River basin and generate inexpensive electricity. The Dam continues to provide water and electricity to Nevada, Arizona and California. Las Vegas benefitted substantially from the influx of construction workers, who started arriving in 1931, the same year that gambling was legalized. By the time this engineering masterpiece was completed in 1935, there were a number of gambling clubs open in Las Vegas.
The top of the bridge is open to pedestrians and vehicles. We took the opportunity while visiting Hoover Dam to explain how a dam works. The boys were particularly interested in how the changing water depth effected the mountains on the water’s edge.
The half-hour guided power plant tour gives visitors the chance to see the still-functioning generators up close. We were amazed at the architectural detail inside the dam.
- Kid Facts: Construction of the Hoover Dam cost $49 million. At its base, the Dam is 660 feet thick (compared to its 726 foot height). The amount of concrete used could build a two-lane highway from San Francisco to New York.
There are so many wonderful things to do in Vegas for visiting families even after you strip out the gambling, shows and night clubs. Luxury accommodations are generally available at a significant discount compared to other cities. The casinos are a feast for the eyes, and buffets and famous restaurants provide a real feast. The hotel pools rival some of the best in the world, and we would love more Las Vegas family fun, especially because Vegas is conveniently located near Grand Canyon National Park and other amazing Southwest destinations. We definitely recommend traveling families consider a trip to Las Vegas for kids.