Las Vegas Strip

The 4.2-mile corridor of mega-resorts, casino floors, sportsbooks and wedding chapels between Mandalay Bay and the Sahara. The Strip is Las Vegas Boulevard South between Russell Road and Sahara Avenue, and it is not really in Las Vegas — it is in unincorporated Paradise. At 9pm on a Friday the sidewalk outside Bellagio is a slow shuffle of bachelorette parties, guys handing out escort cards, and families trying to see the fountains. Rooms at Bellagio or Wynn run $250-$500 midweek; Excalibur or Luxor at the south end will do $70. If crowds and cigarette smoke on casino floors bother you, skip it.This is where the site's whole concept lives: sportsbooks, nightclubs, chapels doing 20-minute weddings, and boardrooms above the casino floor. The good news is you can walk from Aria to Cosmopolitan to Paris in fifteen minutes via the Vdara sky bridge and Bellagio bridge. The bad news is the actual Strip sidewalk is slow, hot in July (110°F+), and the pedestrian bridges add another quarter mile every time you want to cross Flamingo Road.

Towns & villages

Where to base yourself

Downtown Las Vegas Summerlin Henderson

Good to know

Questions, answered

▸

Is it worth staying on the Strip or cheaper off-Strip?

On-Strip if you plan to gamble, club, or see shows — the walking savings alone justify $50 more a night. Off-Strip (Palms, Rio, Virgin Hotels) saves $80-$150 but you’ll spend $20-$30 a day on rideshares.

▸

How much are resort fees really?

$45-$55 per night at MGM, Caesars, Wynn and Venetian, plus 13.38% tax. A $150 room is $210 out the door. Circa, Downtown Grand and some off-Strip properties waive them.

Where to stay