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Las VegasTravel Guide

United States5 stories

The neon oasis of the Mojave — casino palaces, spectacle on tap, and quietly one of America's most exciting dining cities, from celebrity tasting menus to late-night noodles.

Is Las Vegas right for you?

When to come

Spring and fall

Around 40°C by day in July, 14°C in December — recorded at the local weather station.

What it costs

It depends where you stand. There is a cheap version and an expensive one — the guides below say which is which.

What we've planned, and who for

We publish a multi-day route for this one.

Las Vegas is inWhere the food is the reason
When to go
January: around 15 degrees by day, 5 at night, 14 millimetres of rain, dry.
February: around 17 degrees by day, 7 at night, 20 millimetres of rain, dry.
March: around 22 degrees by day, 10 at night, 11 millimetres of rain, dry. We recommend this month.
April: around 26 degrees by day, 14 at night, 5 millimetres of rain, dry. We recommend this month.
May: around 31 degrees by day, 19 at night, 2 millimetres of rain, dry and hot. We recommend this month.
June: around 37 degrees by day, 24 at night, 1 millimetres of rain, dry and hot.
July: around 40 degrees by day, 28 at night, 10 millimetres of rain, dry and hot.
August: around 39 degrees by day, 27 at night, 8 millimetres of rain, dry and hot.
September: around 35 degrees by day, 22 at night, 8 millimetres of rain, dry and hot.
October: around 27 degrees by day, 15 at night, 8 millimetres of rain, dry. We recommend this month.
November: around 20 degrees by day, 9 at night, 8 millimetres of rain, dry. We recommend this month.
December: around 14 degrees by day, 4 at night, 11 millimetres of rain, dry.
Cold to hot, by dayDry to wetWhen we would go

Spring and fall

Average daily highs, recorded at Las Vegas (Harry Reid International Airport), 1991-2020 normals.

Where this comes from

NOAA / NCEI Summary of Monthly Normals 1991-2020 — Wikipedia box is in Fahrenheit and inches; converted to C and mm.

Budget level

Mixed

Typical cost profile for visitors

Combine it with
Plan itWhere to stay in Las Vegasad · Booking.comTours and tickets
On the map

Finding Las Vegas

Open in Google Maps Larger map
The stories

Reading Las Vegas

A steak-frites plate on a dark wooden table — sliced grilled steak beside a pile of herb-tossed french fries with a knife resting across the plate
01
Food

What to Eat in Las Vegas, Dish by Dish

Vegas quietly became one of America's great food cities. From the definitive steak dinner to shrimp cocktail lore and world-beating buffets — what to eat and where.

United States · 2 min
Red Rock Canyon west of Las Vegas, banded red cliffs below snow still lying on the higher peaks
02
Stays

Two Numbers Decide Where You Sleep in Las Vegas

The advertised rate and the map both mislead here, so work out what a night really costs and how far you will walk before you choose between the Strip's three stretches, Downtown and the locals' resorts.

United States · 10 min
A red diner tray holding two cheeseburgers and a pile of fries smothered in melted cheese and pink burger sauce, on a table in a red vinyl booth in Las Vegas
03
Food

Coffee, Cake and People-Watching in Las Vegas

The city built for spectacle turns out to be unexpectedly good at the quietest pleasure there is: a coffee, something sweet, and a seat with a view of the crowd.

United States · 9 min
The red sandstone escarpment of Red Rock Canyon outside Las Vegas, desert scrub running to its base
04
Hidden Gems

Green Las Vegas: Parks, Gardens and Easy Desert Escapes

Red sandstone canyons, a free cactus garden, a mountain range with pine forest and an indoor conservatory — the Vegas that exists outside the casino floor.

United States · 2 min
A white bowl of saucy rice with peppers, beans and chopped herbs, served with a wedge of garlic bread, at a restaurant in Downtown Las Vegas
05
Itineraries

Four Days in Las Vegas: Two on the Strip, Two in the Desert

The Strip, the desert, downtown and the working city each want a different kind of day, and the sequence you do them in is what decides whether the trip blurs into one long corridor of carpet.

United States · 10 min
In pictures

Las Vegas, framed

Aerial night view of the Las Vegas Strip with the Bellagio fountains mid-show, the High Roller wheel lit purple, and the Paris Las Vegas Eiffel Tower glowing gold
Photo: Julian Paefgen / Unsplash
Valley of Fire State Park, Las Vegas
Photo: Tobias Pfeifer / Unsplash
Art and music in Las Vegas
Photo: David Lusvardi / Unsplash
The Eiffel Tower replica at Paris Las Vegas lit up blue at dusk, framed by a palm tree.
Photo: Dustin Bowdige / Unsplash
Our picks

What we'd do in Las Vegas

See and do

Eat and drink

Where to stay

Before you go

Practical essentials for United States

Money

United States dollar (USD)

Language

English, designated the official federal language by executive order in 2025; Spanish is widely spoken in Miami, Los Angeles and the Southwest.

Power

Type A/B, 120V 60Hz

Getting around

New York runs entirely on OMNY, which takes a tapped contactless bank card or phone now that the MetroCard was withdrawn at the end of 2025; other cities have their own cards (Chicago's Ventra, Boston's CharlieCard, Washington's SmarTrip, San Francisco's Clipper), while Los Angeles and Las Vegas effectively require a car or ride-hailing.

Tipping

Tipping is expected rather than optional: 18-20% in restaurants, and bartenders, taxi drivers and hotel staff are tipped too.

Tap water

Tap water is safe to drink.

Driving

Right-hand side; there is no federal International Driving Permit requirement and many visitors drive on their home licence, but rules vary by state and rental firms may ask for an IDP, which must be obtained before you travel.

Emergency

911

Country-level guidance, checked against official sources. Currency, fares and entry rules change — confirm anything time-critical before you travel.

Keep exploring

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Griffith Observatory and its copper domes seen from above at golden hour, the lawns and paths of Griffith Park below and the Downtown Los Angeles skyline rising out of the haze on the horizon.
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The Golden Gate Bridge at dusk under a teal sky, viewed from a bluff above the strait
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A sunlit French Quarter street in New Orleans with colorful Creole buildings, iron-lace balconies hung with plants, street musicians, and bicycles on the sidewalk
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Cloud Gate, the mirrored bean-shaped sculpture in Millennium Park, reflecting Chicago's skyscrapers with visitors gathered beneath it
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The Washington Monument rising above pink cherry blossoms in full bloom along the Tidal Basin in spring
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Aerial view of Miami's Brickell waterfront, with high-rise towers lining Biscayne Bay and a palm-fringed shoreline drive curving below
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Aerial view of the Midtown Manhattan skyline at sunset, with the Empire State Building rising at the centre
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Courtyard of the Boston Public Library, Boston
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Vancouver's downtown high-rises packed along the waterfront, with boats moored below and the snow-capped North Shore mountains behind.
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The Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City seen from above, its cream marble facade crowned by a yellow-and-orange tiled dome, with crowds on the plaza below
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A Mexican market stall selling cacao beans, pepitas, pipián powder, dried herbs and spices loose by the kilo, under hand-lettered peso price signs
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Leslieville and Riverside, Toronto
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