3 Days in Las Vegas: A Vegas Trip Itinerary
How to spend 3 days in Las Vegas
Looking to spend 3 days in the Las Vegas area? Find things to do and see, the best casinos, popular hotspots, delicious eats, adventures off The Strip, and more in Sin City. Keep on reading for your perfect Vegas itinerary!
There is SO much to do and see in Las Vegas; from the glittering lights, to shows, events, clubs, casinos and more, it can be a bit overwhelming to figure out how to plan your trip, but you can bet on the fact that you’ll never be bored here!
With that being said, 3 days in Vegas is doable, however, I think 4-5 days is best — this way you’re not rushing around trying to see and do it all.
The best time to visit Las Vegas
Las Vegas gets HOT in the summer! It may be a dry desert heat, but the sun is strong and temperatures can reach a scorching 120 degrees. For that reason alone I recommend that you do not visit Las Vegas in the summer months unless you plan on staying indoors or lounging in a cold pool!
The best seasons to visit Vegas are winter, spring, and fall. Winter is the slowest season, which means less tourists, but it can get chilly! Average winter temperatures range from nightly lows of 27° to daily highs of 66°. The spring season is the busiest; the weather is mild and temperatures are around 70-90 degrees. In the fall, temperatures range from 70 to 90 degrees.
For the least amount of crowds, the best month to visit Vegas is February; winter is coming to a close, which means temperatures are starting to warm, and the busy tourist season has yet to begin.
Another good month to visit Vegas is October. You may still see some crowds, but it’s not too bad, and temperatures hover around the 80s so the pools are still open to enjoy a sunny dip! Tip: Make sure to check pool schedules before booking!
Weekends can be very busy, so if you’re looking to visit Vegas with minimal crowds, during the week is best!
How to get around the Las Vegas area
Rent a car
If you don’t want to spend your money or waste time waiting on a driver, you can rent a car! The airport has tons of rental car options, and Turo is available as well if you prefer to rent from a local.
Taxi / Uber / Lyft
Taxi’s, Uber, and Lyft are all available in the Las Vegas area, plus each casino has a designated pickup and drop-off location, so you will always be able to find a ride when you need one!
Las Vegas Monorail
The Las Vegas Monorail is a 3.9 mile elevated train system that connects to major casinos and popular attractions on The Strip. The trains arrive every few minutes and make stops at each location at the back of each hotel. Get your LV monorail passes here!
Hop on/off tour bus
Looking for another cool way to get around the Las Vegas Strip? Take a hop-on/hop-off bus tour! Ride the strip on a double-decker bus and explore popular sites at your own pace with unlimited hop-on/hop-off access. Buses operate daily from 10am to 6pm. Book your hop-on/hop-off bus Vegas sightseeing tour here!
Where to stay in Vegas
There are tons of places to stay in (and around) Las Vegas, so you’ll have no trouble with finding accommodation. However, finding the perfect place depends on your preference, budget, and needs.
The Las Vegas Strip offers tons of creatively themed casinos that will magically teleport you all over the world! Here’s a few of the most popular Vegas hotels:
Stay at The Venetian for the best Italian food and gelato, explore their massive indoor shopping plaza designed to look just like the streets of Italy, complete with both indoor and outdoor canals with gondolas driven by singing Gondoliers.
Stay at Paris Las Vegas for a Parisian experience! This hotel lives inside a real-life replica of the Eiffel Tower where you can live out your own “Emily in Paris” fantasy of strolling the cobblestone streets of a Parisian-inspired village where you can shop the latest designer fashion trends and dine on gourmet French cuisine.
Stay at The Luxor and turn back the sands of time to visit ancient Egypt. This hotel was built in the shape of a pyramid, complete with a massive Sphinx guarding the front entrance.
Stay at Caesars Palace for some Greek food, marvel at their towering marble columns and Roman architecture, enjoy a show at The Colosseum, or make a wish as you toss a coin into The Fountain of the Gods.
Stay at New York, New York and get a taste of the Big Apple! This casino is complete with a replica of famous New York City sights like the Statue of Liberty and Brooklyn Bridge.
To find more casinos on The Strip, see the map below!
And if you’re looking to stay somewhere off the busy Las Vegas Strip, there’s no shortage of beautiful local hotels nearby as well! My favorites include Green Valley Ranch (15 mins from The Strip), M Resort (16 mins from The Strip), and Sunset Station (22 mins from The Strip).
My jam-packed 3 day Las Vegas itinerary
If you’re anything like me, you love a good mix of sights, eats, and adventure (which is why I’m super excited to now be a Vegas local). So when my friend Deanna of Everything Dee came to visit Las Vegas for the first time, I wanted to give her the full Vegas experience with a side of exploration! Even though she was only visiting for 3 days, we managed to jam-pack them with lots of popular Las Vegas must-dos and off the strip sights! Based on my recent “tour guide” experience, I’ve created a 3 day itinerary below to inspire your trip to Las Vegas!
TIP: I recommend booking night flights in order to give yourself enough time to explore during the day!
Day 1
See the iconic Las Vegas sign
I recommend getting here as early as possible! We arrived at 8am on a Sunday morning in February and thankfully only had to sit on a short line, go any later and you will definitely see longer wait times. If you’re in a rush or don’t want to wait to photograph the sign head on, shoot from an angle and stand off to the left or right side of the sign. If you’re driving, they have a free parking lot right in front!
Grab some breakfast near the Vegas sign. Here’s a few recommendations:
The Broken Yolk Cafe (4 mins from the Las Vegas sign)
Scrambled (14 mins from Las Vegas sign)
Cafe Lola (15 mins from Las Vegas sign)
Visit the Seven Magic Mountains
If you have a car (and time) head to Seven Magic Mountains. This free art installation is just a 20 minute drive from the Las Vegas sign and features 7 towers of colorfully painted stacked rocks displayed in the middle of the desert.
Explore the Las Vegas Strip and visit these popular hotspots:
(starting from South Las Vegas Blvd)
Mandalay’s indoor shark aquarium - Book your aquarium tickets here!
The Luxor pyramid & Sphinx
See the Excalibur castle
New York New York Statue of Liberty and Brooklyn bridge
Head inside The Cosmopolitan to admire the gorgeous sparkling 44-foot chandelier
Visit the Bellagio for a daytime fountain show (runs every 30 minutes from 3pm to 7pm) and/or head inside to explore the seasonally decorated Conservatory Gardens
Stop by Caesar’s Garden of the Gods fountain located outside the Forum Shops
Walk by the Mirage to admire the waterfalls and volcano (if you have time later at night stop by for their volcano show before the casino removes it for their rebrand)
See Treasure Island’s pirate ship
Head across the street to admire the Venetian’s Italian-inspired architecture. Go for a gondola ride if you have time!
Visit the flamingo wildlife habitat at the Flamingo Las Vegas
Stop by Paris Las Vegas to admire the Eiffel Tower
Have lunch on The Strip. Here’s a few recommendations:
Black Tap Bar (try one of their delicious unique milkshakes!)
The Sugar Factory (try one of their famous goblet drinks!)
Cañonita food truck (great for a quite bite! - located right outside Cañonita restaurant)
Ride the High Roller OR Take a helicopter tour
The High Roller is a 30-minute London Eye inspired enclosed ferris wheel that takes you 550-feet above the Las Vegas Strip for some epic views. You can ride this day or night depending on your view preference. Purchase your High Roller ticket here!
If you’re feeling a bit more adventurous (and you have the time & money) take a helicopter tour! I recommend this helicopter tour that offers a late afternoon flight with views of the Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, Grand Canyon West rim, and ends with a nighttime ride over the Las Vegas Strip!
Grab dinner and/or drinks on The Strip! Here’s a few recommendations:
Tao Asian Bistro
Cañonita
Mon Ami Gabi (TIP: If possible, ask for seating outdoors or near the window so you can see the Bellagio fountain show across the street)
SUSHISAMBA
Nacho Daddy
The Chandelier Bar
Beer Park (This is located above Mon Ami Gabi and overlooks the Bellagio fountains)
Skybar
Head to the Bellagio to watch the nighttime fountain show
The famous Bellagio fountains look even more magical at night so try to catch a show if you can (runs every 15 minutes from 7pm to midnight).
Day 2
Do some sightseeing and/or hiking at Red Rock Canyon
Just 30 minutes from the Las Vegas Strip lies the beautiful Red Rock Canyon. You can choose to drive through the 13 mile loop, make stops along the way, or hike one of the 20+ trails. Red Rock is open daily from 6AM until 8PM throughout summer and open 6am to 5pm daily from November through February. The park fee is $15 per vehicle. Reservations are required from October 1 through May 31.
Don’t have a car? There are tons of ways to tour Red Rock here or you can rent a car!
Visit the Stratosphere’s SkyPod Observation Deck
At a height of 1,149 feet, The Stratosphere (aka “The Strat”) is the tallest freestanding tower in the United States. Not only can you get 360 degree views of Las Vegas, but you can also enjoy 4 thrilling rides, as well as food and drinks. Purchase your entry ticket here!
Take a tour of the Neon Museum
The Neon Museum (aka “The Neon Boneyard”) is an outdoor exhibit where you can view their collection of more than 250 vintage Vegas neon signs that have been either restored or preserved since it’s establishment in 1996. On your tour you’ll see all types of old vintage signs from historic casinos and businesses like Moulin Rouge, Showboat, The Hard Rock, and more. You can visit during daytime hours, or at night when they illuminate some of the signs (not all of the signs in the Boneyard are in working order, but it’s still awesome to see the working ones lit up). You can purchase your ticket in person or online.
Fremont Street Experience
Fremont Street (aka “Downtown Las Vegas”) is literally an experience! The Fremont Street Experience is a five-block entertainment district in historic downtown Las Vegas where you can grab drinks, hit up a casino for some gambling, ride the SlotZilla Zipline, enjoy the entertainment of live street performers & free live music, do some shopping, watch a free nightly light show from 6pm-2am on the Viva Vision: the world’s largest digital display screen that lines the ceiling and runs the length of the Fremont Street Experience, and more! PSA: They even host free concerts as well (check their events page for info on upcoming concerts).
Want the full Fremont Street Experience? Take a 2 hour walking tour of Fremont Street to learn about the history, stop by famous casinos and bars, see popular sites, and more! Book your Fremont Street tour here!
Stay on Fremont Street for dinner and bar hopping
There are tons of restaurants and bars on Fremont Street to choose from! Here are some recommendations:
Downtown Terrace
Eureka! Discover American Craft
Therapy
Park on Fremont
Le Thai
Pinches Tacos
Bin 702
Oak & Ivy
The Laundry Room
Traveling to Vegas with a group of 4 or more? Check out this Fremont Street Bar Crawl tour!
Day 3
If you don’t have a car, I highly recommend you rent one for this part of the trip! I’ve created this schedule from personal experience and think this is the best route for a day road trip through this part of Vegas! If you don’t have the time to make stops, you can definitely enjoy this part of the trip right from the car!
Valley of Fire
About 1 hour from Las Vegas is the famous Valley of Fire National Park. There is a $10 fee for in-state vehicles and $15 for out of state vehicles to enter the park (you can pay with cash or credit card). Here’s a few things you must do and see (in driving order from Las Vegas):
Beehives
Fire Cave/Windstone Arch
Arch Rock
Atlatl Rock
Balanced Rock
Rainbow Vista
Fire Canyon / Silica Dome
Crazy Hill
Fire Wave Trail
The White Domes Trail
As you head back down Mouse’s Tank Road, stop and take a photo from the road or hike up a rock for an elevated view!
Seven Sisters
Stop at the parking lot before the exit and walk over to Elephant Rock (the view from the road is okay, but I recommend you hike up just a little above Elephant Rock to get the full impact!)
Don’t want to explore Valley of Fire on your own? Book a Valley of Fire tour here!
Lake Mead
Valley of Fire is located about 20 minutes from the northern tip of Lake Mead. After you leave the park, just follow Rte 167 South (aka Northshore Rd). Enjoy the sights as you drive through the mountains, stop along anywhere you like to do some exploring or hiking, or hit up a bay or beach for a dip in the lake. If you have time, here are some spots I recommend (you can easily find these on Google Maps):
Northshore Rd Overlook
Redstone - This is a spot I like to call the “mini Valley of Fire” due to its red rock formations. Stop here for a quick bathroom break, enjoy some views from the picnic area, or take a quick easy hike along the Redstone Dune Trail that features a .5 mile loop.
Sunset View Scenic Overlook
33 Hole Overlook
Rocky Point Overlook (right next to 33 Hole)
Boulder Beach
Hoover Dam
From the South exit of Lake Mead Recreation Area, the Hoover Dam is about a 10 minute drive away off of Rte 11 (aka Purple Heart Highway). Stop at Boulder Dam Bridge Parking Area and walk up and midway across the bridge for a full scale view of the Dam, drive towards the Visitors Center to find parking and walk along the path for view of the Mike O'Callaghan–Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge from the Dam, take a photo at the point where Nevada and Arizona meet, and/or follow the road up to an overlook for a photo from behind the Dam facing the bridge.
That’s a wrap on my jam-packed 3 day Las Vegas itinerary!
If this schedule seems too busy, or you’re looking to spend more time on The Strip, feel free to adjust it to fit your specific needs. Enjoy your trip to Sin City!
Are there any places on this itinerary that you’re dying to see or do you feel like I missed anything that’s worth a mention? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
