In my early twenties, Las Vegas, Nevada was THE destination when you turned 21. An easy 3.5 hours or so from Southern California, going to Vegas was almost a right of passage to party it up in your beautiful youth. Now in my near 40's and with two little boys, I couldn't imagine taking my kids there. But, let me tell you how wrong I am! There are a lot of family friendly things to do on the strip as well as amazing day trips you can take, making Las Vegas a perfect launching pad for a great family adventure. Let me show you the family side of the Las Vegas strip and the cool adventures less than hours away!
In this post, you'll find:
Where to Stay in Las Vegas
For our spring break trip, we ended up staying in north Las Vegas, not too far from the strip. This was because I wanted to be just a little closer to the two day trips we were doing in the area and to have easy access to Spring Mountain Road, where all the off strip food spots are. However, staying right on the strip is not a bad idea either, especially so you can be close to everything you'll need. There are so many family friend options! Here are just a few below and is by no means an inclusive list, so make sure you do your own research too.
Mandalay Bay
This hotel's most awesome feature has to be their pool, or to be more accurate, their water park. It has waves that come to shore just like a real beach and sand too! There's also a decent aquarium which I'll talk about later!
Circus Circus
Another obvious choice is Circus Circus, a hotel built around a circus theme with an awesome pool, arcades, carnival games, and more!
The Mirage
Home of Siegfried and Roy's famous white tiger and other show cats, this hotel has not only kid friendly pools, but a Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat you can visit.
The Bellagio
Known for its massive water fountain and water display, the Bellagio also puts on a seasonal display in their main entrance that changes themes often.
What to Do on the Strip with Kids
Area15
Area15 is an immersive entertainment district off the Interstate 15, which hugs the Las Vegas strip. It is free to enter (and to park), but you must book an entry ticket online (learn more here) and it becomes a 21 and over space after 10pm. We came here after dinner on our last night in town and wanted to see what it was all about before booking any activities inside. The area outside had a few really cool art installations, giving you a taste of what's within (more cool artsy stuff). Once inside, you can walk around to take a peak at the different experiences that includes ax throwing, arcades, museums, and so much more. I have to mention, especially if you have young children like mine (7 and 5 years old), it is dark inside, and is lit up with colorful lights, and has loud music. My kids have never really been in an environment like that before, so it scared them a little, which didn't allow us to do any of the experiences. But, I do think it's a cool place and would be fun if you had kids that aren't so sensitive as mine!
Shark Reef Aquarium at The Mandalay Bay
This was our last stop before heading out of town towards Death Valley. The website says you have to make reservations online for a timed entry, but upon arrival, I saw that they do sell tickets in person as well. I have to admit, I had high expectations for this aquarium, especially since it touts 1.3 million gallons of water and being one of the largest in North America. However, we had membership to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, California, a much newer aquarium with really amazing exhibits and a state-of-the art facility upgrade recently, so my bar is maybe a little unfairly high. There are some really interesting shark species we've never seen before like the sawfish and some really beautiful giant rays. My boys especially loved seeing the komodo dragon and my favorite exhibits were the jellyfish and the lion fish; they're so mesmerizing to watch! It will take about 30-45 minutes to get through the aquarium, longer if you really slow down and soak it all in.
The Fountains of Bellagio
If weather permitting and you're out walking the strip, try to time a visit to catch the fountain show put on at the Bellagio Hotel. It is iconic and a sight to see! Learn more here about the show schedule.
Pinball Hall of Fame Museum
This is an 'off the beaten path' type of attraction located by the famous Las Vegas sign. We didn't get a chance to make it here, but it is a large collection of pinball machines you can play, with the earnings collected by the machine donated to various charities. So if you have kids that love games and want to get away from the lights of the strip, this is a cool stop to check out. Learn more about it here.
Bodies...The Exhibit
If you've never been to an exhibit like this, you should definitely check it out. We visited this years ago but it is still very cool to see real bodies displayed to reveal the human anatomy in such a fascinating way. It is super educational, and maybe a little creepy, but worth a visit! Learn more here.
Enjoy a Buffet
You really can't visit Las Vegas without enjoying a buffet! On our last morning heading out of Las Vegas, we took the kids to brunch at The Buffet at The Wynn. Probably the best part of this buffet, besides the yummy savory options available, is the dessert section. It is complete with a crepe station, a gelato bar, a froyo machine, and the best oatmeal cookies there is! My boys couldn't get enough of it and after this buffet experience, they were asking for buffets for the next week. If you plan to visit a buffet, make sure you make a reservation online, although when we arrived, there was a small queue for walk-in guests.
3 Day Trips from Las Vegas
Seven Magic Mountains
Technically not a day trip, but Seven Magic Mountains is a quick stop before you reach the Las Vegas strip and is a great chance to stretch your legs. This is a colorful art installation by Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone, featuring seven totems created from boulders sourced locally. They are brightly painted and is such a fun sight against the barren desert backdrop. It is free and you expect to spend about 30 minutes here, appreciating the sight and taking lots of pictures as we did. You can learn more about it here! After this, we headed to lunch to get ready for our next stop!
Red Rock Canyon
After lunch, we timed our entry into Red Rock Canyon for the 2-3pm slot. It is a quick 30 minutes from the Las Vegas strip and doable as just a scenic drive, or you can get out of your car and really explore what the park has to offer. You can read all the details of our visit to Red Rock Canyon here!
The Valley of Fire
The next day, we headed out for our next adventure, The Valley of Fire State Park. It is about one hour away from the Las Vegas strip and was the perfect day trip. The red rock formations are just out of this world beautiful! You can read all the details about our day trip to the Valley of Fire here.
Death Valley National Park
Leaving Las Vegas, we headed to the final destination of our spring break trip, Death Valley National Park, which is less than 2 hours away. Death Valley is so underrated and I promise you, it'll surprise you with its unique beauty. You can read all the details about our trip to Death Valley here!
If you're from Southern California like us, you can do this trip in reverse, hitting up Death Valley and then heading into Las Vegas. This spring break road trip last 4 days and 3 nights, full of adventures and beautiful sights that we couldn't get enough of! I hope you find this guide useful to plan your very own trips to some of the best places outside of the Las Vegas strip! As always, happy planning!
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