The famous Las Vegas landmarks worth your time are the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign, the Luxor Pyramid, the Bellagio Fountains, the High Roller, the Sphere, the STRAT and Fremont Street. A good pick is easy to reach, looks different after dark, and costs little or nothing to see. If you have one evening, see the sign, the fountains and Fremont Street. If you want views, choose the High Roller or the STRAT. If you like architecture or technology, save time for the Luxor and the Sphere.
The real problem is time. The Strip runs about four miles, Downtown sits several miles north of it, and a landmark that looks close on the map can take far longer to reach in evening traffic. Visit them in the wrong order and you spend your night in a car instead of in front of the fountains.
This list runs from the south end of the Strip to Downtown, so you can follow it as a route. Each pick covers what it is, what it costs, when to go and who it suits. Another Side Tours was founded in 2007.
1. Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign
What makes it famous
Designed by Betty Willis and installed in 1959, the sign stands in the median at 5100 Las Vegas Boulevard South, the south end of the Strip. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. Technically it sits outside the Las Vegas city limits, in the community of Paradise.
Photography is the only reason to go. Expect a short line of people waiting for a clean shot. The sign looks best at sunrise or after dark, when the crowd thins or the lights are on.
Treat the sign as a 20-minute photo stop, not a destination.
Cost, timing and who it suits
The sign suits every visitor because it is free and quick. If you would rather skip the parking and the line, The Famous Las Vegas Tour runs from the sign to Downtown in about 2 hours for $169 per guest, with a two-guest minimum. A group of four pays $676. The Famous Magic Mountains Tour ($199 per guest, about 3 hours) adds the Seven Magic Mountains art installation outside town.
- Cost: Free
- Time needed: 15 to 30 minutes
- Best time: Early morning or after dark
- Best for: First-timers and photographers
2. Luxor Pyramid
What makes it famous
The Luxor is a 30-story black glass pyramid that opened in 1993, guarded by a replica of the Great Sphinx. A beam of light shoots from its apex every night and is one of the most powerful in the world. It is the easiest landmark to spot when you land at the airport at night.
Next door, Excalibur adds a full medieval castle to the same stretch of the Strip. You can see both in one stop, and a free tram connects Luxor, Excalibur and Mandalay Bay if your feet are tired.
The Luxor looks best at night, when the glass goes dark and the beam turns on.
Cost, timing and who it suits
Walking in costs nothing, and the casino level lets you see the pyramid’s hollow interior. The Luxor suits architecture fans and families with kids, who tend to love the castle next door. On The Las Vegas Tour ($199 per guest, about 3 hours, climate-controlled luxury van), guides tell the history behind Strip landmarks like this one. It is a private tour with a two-guest minimum.
- Cost: Free to see and walk through
- Time needed: 30 to 45 minutes including Excalibur
- Best time: After dark
- Best for: Architecture fans and families
3. Bellagio Fountains
What makes it famous
The Bellagio Fountains are a choreographed water show on the resort’s lake, with jets that reach as high as 460 feet. They run to a changing playlist of music, and they have been part of the resort since it opened in 1998. Across the street, Paris Las Vegas shows off its half-scale Eiffel Tower replica, so one crosswalk gets you two postcard shots.
Each show lasts only a few minutes. Most visitors watch one, then keep walking, which is the right call.
Watch one show from the rail after dark, then move on.
Cost, timing and who it suits
Shows run from the afternoon until midnight, more often in the evening. Start times shift by day, so check the Bellagio’s site before you plan around one. Arrive early on weekends to claim a spot at the rail. The fountains suit couples and anyone doing a first walk on the Strip. For context on the hotels you pass, the Las Vegas Strip Walking Tour ($99 per guest, about 1.5 hours, two-guest minimum) meets in the ARIA lobby and tells the back-stories of famous hotels and landmarks.
- Cost: Free
- Time needed: 15 to 30 minutes
- Best time: Evening, after dark
- Best for: Couples and first-time Strip walkers
4. High Roller
What makes it famous
The High Roller is a 550-foot observation wheel at the LINQ Promenade, opened in 2014 and still one of the tallest of its kind in the world. A full rotation takes about 30 minutes, which is slow enough to take photos. Air-conditioned cabins hold up to 40 people.
Views reach across the Strip, the desert and the mountains beyond. The wheel is a good way to see how the landmarks on this list sit in relation to each other.
Ride at dusk, and you see the Strip in daylight and with its lights on.
Cost, timing and who it suits
A standard ticket price changes with the time of day, so check the LINQ’s site before you go. Groups can book private pods through us. The Private High Roller Tour costs $400 and includes 6 guests, which works out to about $66.67 each. Up to 35 guests can be booked. It takes about 30 minutes, or 2 hours with transportation. The VIP High Roller & Open Bar Tour is $450 for 6 guests ($75 each), up to 25 guests, and suits birthdays and bachelor parties.
- Cost: Ticket price varies, private pods from $400
- Time needed: About 30 minutes for the ride
- Best time: Sunset
- Best for: Groups, celebrations and view seekers
5. Sphere
What makes it famous
The Sphere opened in September 2023 and stands roughly 366 feet tall and 516 feet wide, just east of the Strip behind the Venetian. Its outside is covered in LED panels that display giant images after dark, from eyeballs to planets. Inside, immersive screens and sound serve concerts and films.
It is the newest landmark here, and the only one that is mostly a screen. Its images change often, so you will not see the same sphere twice.
You do not need a ticket to enjoy the Sphere, because the outside is the show.
Cost, timing and who it suits
Seeing the exterior is free, and you can spot it from many places on the Strip. Tickets to events inside vary a lot by show and seat, so confirm prices on the venue’s site. The Sphere suits technology fans and concert-goers.
- Cost: Free from outside, tickets vary for events
- Time needed: 15 to 20 minutes outside, 2 hours or more for a show
- Best time: After dark
- Best for: Tech fans and concert-goers
6. The STRAT
What makes it famous
The STRAT, formerly the Stratosphere, rises 1,149 feet at the north end of the Strip. It opened in 1996 and is the tallest freestanding observation tower in the United States. The observation deck gives a full-valley view, and a revolving restaurant sits near the top.
Thrill rides top the tower, including the Big Shot and the SkyJump, a controlled descent. Ride availability depends on weather, and wind can close them.
The STRAT gives you the widest view of the valley, but you pay for it in distance.
Cost, timing and who it suits
Observation deck tickets vary by day, and rides cost extra, so check the STRAT’s site first. It sits apart from the central cluster of landmarks, so pair it with a ride or a drive. It suits heights lovers and sunset watchers. If you want an aerial view without the tower, the Vegas Views Helicopter Tour ($149, 12 to 15 minutes, semi-private flight over the Strip) departs from 6075 S. Las Vegas Blvd.
- Cost: Deck tickets vary, rides extra
- Time needed: 1 to 2 hours
- Best time: Sunset
- Best for: Thrill seekers and view lovers
7. Fremont Street Experience
What makes it famous
Fremont Street is the heart of Downtown Las Vegas, the original city center that dates to 1905. Since 1995 a canopy of LED screens has covered the pedestrian mall, and free light shows play above your head after dark. Neon signs, including the Vegas Vic cowboy, line the street.
Downtown has a different mood from the Strip. It is older, grittier and more local, with casinos that date back decades. The Neon Museum and the Mob Museum are close by.
If you only see one landmark off the Strip, make it Fremont Street.
Cost, timing and who it suits
Walking the street is free, and extras like the SlotZilla zipline cost more. Plan 1 to 2 hours in the evening. Fremont suits nightlife fans and history lovers. The Ultimate Downtown Vegas Tour ($249 per guest, about 4 hours, two-guest minimum) traces the city’s story from its founding to its mob-era glamour. That context turns neon into history.
- Cost: Free, with paid extras
- Time needed: 1 to 2 hours
- Best time: Evening
- Best for: Nightlife fans and history lovers
Plan your landmark route
If you are short on time, see the sign, the Bellagio Fountains and Fremont Street. Add the High Roller or the STRAT for views, and the Sphere and Luxor for architecture. Most of these cost nothing to see, so the real cost is your time, and evening is the best slot for almost all of them.
If you would rather have a local guide handle the route and the stories, browse our private Las Vegas tours.
