The Best Las Vegas Family Itinerary

When you think of Las Vegas a family trip is probably not at the forefront of your mind. But wow there are a lot of family friendly things to do in Vegas. There are plenty of family friendly hotels right on the strip, Las Vegas is very budget friendly and there are plenty of things to do with kids.

I’ve put together this Las Vegas family itinerary to help you have your best family trip to Las Vegas. This Las Vegas itinerary is 4 days, but you could make it shorter or longer depending on your time available and I’ve given some more ideas of things to do with kids in Vegas if you want to swap out some of the attractions.

This post may contain compensated links. Learn more here.

Getting to Las Vegas

Las Vegas makes a great addition to a road trip but for most of us, we will be flying.

The main commercial airport is McCarran International Airport centrally located not far from the Las Vegas strip.

There are several international flights that service Las Vegas and a number of domestic airlines. These include budget carriers such as Spirit, Allegient, Frontier as well as the premium US carriers like Delta, American Airlines and United.

I have a system that I use to research flights as I like to find a balance between cost, comfort and convenience. I’ll cover that in a future post. Sign up to my newsletter or follow me on social media if you want to know when it goes live.

We ended up flying directly to Las Vegas with Spirit airlines and returned with a stopover on Delta. The 1.30am departure on the return flight with Spirit just seemed too painful even though the tickets were half the price.

Getting from the airport to your hotel:

Las Vegas airport is very close to the Las Vegas Strip so getting from the airport is cheap and easy. Taxi is the most expensive, Uber is cheaper and there is also a bus for those visiting Vegas on a budget. Some of the hotels also provide complimentary transport so that is worth checking.

Read this post if you are travelling to Las Vegas with a baby

If you are travelling in a taxi car seats are not required by law (but safety should be your first consideration), in an Uber you will need to provide your own car seat for children under 6 years old. On this trip we took a Mifold car seat for the 4-year-old and the 7 year old didn’t use a car seat.

Don't overlook Las Vegas for a family destination. The city is super family friendly with a load for kids to enjoy. Click To Tweet

Where to stay on your family trip to Vegas?

There are a number of accommodation options in Las Vegas. Larger families might want to consider staying in an Airbnb.

Read this post for more reviews of the best hotels with kids in Las Vegas.

I wanted to stay in a hotel on the Las Vegas Strip and after checking a few third party booking sites managed to find a good deal at the Venetian.

Treasure Island, The Mirage and The Pallazzo are all located close together at the top of the strip. New York, New York Hotel and Excalibur are other options midway along the strip.

Mandalay Bay is also very popular for families due to the aquatic attractions and waterpark, it is at the bottom end of the Strip in a quieter area, a Monorail can be caught from Mandalay Bay to other attractions along the Las Vegas Strip.

Read Next: Free and Inexpensive things to do on the Las Vegas Strip

What can kids do in Las Vegas?

When you think of Las Vegas images of roulette tables, pokey machines, bachelor parties and feathered showgirls might come to mind. And you would be right, there are all these things but there is also so much more.

The energy of Las Vegas is very appealing to kids with flashing neon lights, roller coasters sprouting from the top of hotels,.

sites like the Eiffel Tower that they will recognise from books and Disney movies, and almost year-round sunshine keeping swimming pools open even through winter.

If you are thinking of taking your kids to a show I highly recommend Vegas.com for discount tickets. Click here to search your dates for available deals. 

There is also a lot to see with kids in Las Vegas without spending any money. There are many free sites to visit in Las Vegas so it is an easy place to keep the kids happy without dropping cash at every turn.

You can check out a huge list of free things to do with kids in Las Vegas here.

I would recommend spending 2 to 5 days in Las Vegas. If you are spending more than 3 days you will have time to include a day trip from Las Vegas such as to the Hoover Dam, Death Valley or Red Rock Canyon.

This is the 4 day Itinerary that we followed and you can also customize it to suit yourself. If you would like to include some more shows or organised tours check out this website, after checking a few of the different tour websites this one consistently came out ahead.

Las Vegas Family Itinerary

Las Vegas 4 day Itinerary:

Day 1

Buffet Breakfasts are hugely popular in Las Vegas, all you can eat and bottomless mimosas does sound very appealing. They do tend to be expensive, but deals can often be found on Groupon or by dining at off peak times .

Queues can get long during the weekend and over the holiday period, you can even buy VIP passes to skip the queues!

Since we were visiting during Thanks Giving, a time known for astronomical buffet queues we decided to give it a miss and instead opted for diner food at Denny’s. We went twice during our trip and though the service was a bit slow the food was good.

After your fill of breakfast burn off some of those calories by making your way along the strip.

First stop Flamingo Hotel. Here you will find a sun filled open air bird enclosure with flamingo’s, parrots and hummingbirds, an oasis of calm just off of the strip.

Further along the strip stop to admire the 1/3rd replica of the Eiffel Tower at the Paris Hotel. It is possible to go to the viewing platform you can check out ticket prices here.

Next stop is M&M World, this 3-level store is filled with M&M merchandise and a huge wall of pick your own M&M’s in a variety of colours and flavours. Even if you aren’t a sweet tooth it is worth looking. There is even a real Nascar to view on the top floor.

The highlight of our visit to M&M world was the 4D cinema which screens for free every 30 minutes. It was showing “When Red Lost his M”. Funny escapades of the lovable Red and Yellow.

Read Next: The best Florida family itinerary to include Disney and more.

Optional Extra $$

Cross the road to New York, New York Hotel to ride the rooftop roller coaster which gives fantastic views down the Las Vegas Strip or play some games in the arcade. Kids must be 137cm or 54″ to ride. 

Head back to the hotel for some pool time, shopping or a nap.

For dinner many restaurants have happy hour prices if you dine early. Head out for dinner before heading to see the Bellagio fountain, after dark the fountain is lit up. Choreographed to music the Bellagio fountains are a must-see free thing to do in Las Vegas.

Day 2

This morning head to the Venetian or Caesars palace. In the Venetian, you will see gondolas being punted along the indoor and outdoor canals with the gondoliers serenading their passengers as they pass through the recreated streets of Venice.

Optional Extra $$

Take a gondola ride and experience it for yourself. Prebook during peak times to avoid the queues. Find more information here.

Caesars Palace is similar to the Venetian with cobbled floors a ceiling painted like a clear summers day and Roman style fountains to visit.

A strange animatronic show “Atlantis” plays every half an hour in one of the fountains, expect fire and dragons, fun to see though the plot of the story is hard to follow. There is also a small aquarium housing tropical fish on the back of the fountain that you can view while you wait for the show to start.

Head across the road to the Linq and the restaurant Hash House A Go Go. Here you’ll find hearty American fare like the iconic fried chicken and waffles, named as one of the best in the country by the New York Times.

The fried chicken cooked with sage is the best I have ever eaten. Yum. The meals are huge so consider splitting one with your kids.

Bellagio Hotel Attractions

Head back to the Bellagio and check out the flower display in the conservatory, this changes seasonally. Leave via the main lobby doors to view the Bellagio fountain in the daytime, if you catch the first show of the day you will be treated to 2 shows, the first being the national anthem.

See a show

In the afternoon take in a Matinee show. There are so many to choose from and many are suitable for kids. Comedy shows, magic, music and Cirque du Soleil. Can’t find a good matinee? Head back to the hotel to rest and head to an evening show instead.

For popular and new shows, you’ll want to book as soon as you know your dates to get the best deal. If you are willing to be more flexible, then you can save a lot by booking last minute with Vegas.com or at one of the ticket tonight stands along the strip.

We went to Blue Man Group which is great for kids. Physical comedy, percussion and audience interaction. The front row wears ponchos to protect from splashes and the audience is covered in toilet paper by the end of the show. My kids thought it was a hoot, and my 4-year-old tells me it was her favourite part of our trip.

In the evening be sure to check out the Volcano at the Mirage Hotel.

Day 3

Today is the day for a day trip.

Popular day trips include visiting the Hoover Dam and Red Rocks Canyon. Visiting on Thanks Giving weekend the expected crowds for both these places was expected to be at an all time high.

Hiring a car is the easiest and cheapest way to visit these sites which can also be visited by bus tour or private shuttle.

We ended up taking a helicopter ride to the Grand Canyon, initially we had taken this off the table due to cost but in the end, we decided to take the opportunity for this bucket list experience and save money on other parts of our trip. It was AMAZING!!! You can read all in a future post but in the meantime check out these options to visit the Grand Canyon.

If you want to do a similar trip don’t leave it to the last minute to book like we did, there are deals to be found by booking early or using sites like Groupon.

Head to Fremont Street in the evening. Freemont Street is old Las Vegas, the 5 block pedestrian area of restaurants, casinos and shops is all undercover, you can see it from the plane as you fly in and out of Las Vegas. Free entertainment, concerts and performers are regular attractions along Freemont Street.

Read Next: Your family friendly guide to Acadia National Park, Maine

Day 4

For those on a budget take this last day to soak up the sun by the pool or check out some more of the free activities listed here.

If you still have some money to burn (or won some money at the casino after the kids were in bed) then head to Circus Circus. A permanent circus is in residence here and performs free shows throughout the day, check out the schedule to see which act is performing when.

Circus Circus is also the home of the Adventuredome, an indoor amusement park and arcade with rides suitable for all ages.

4 days was a great amount of time to feel the buzz and energy of the city without being overwhelmed. We didn’t get to do everything we wanted to though, I didn’t do any gambling! I would have loved to get to a Cirque du Soleil show, go to the Wynn hotel to see the flower sculptures and lake of dreams and spent some time playing old-school arcade games or enjoying some rides at Circus Circus. I will definitely be planning another trip.

Have you been to Las Vegas, maybe you went before kids. What did you think? Share any of your opinions and thoughts below, I’d love to hear about your experience.

PIN IT: