The best things to do in Las Vegas with family match your kids’ ages and the desert heat. Book a private guided tour if it is your first trip, Adventuredome if you have tweens, go-karts and BattleBots if you have teens, and the free Bellagio and Fremont shows if you are watching your budget. Add one day trip to Hoover Dam or Red Rock Canyon and you have a full week.
Las Vegas was built for adults, and that is the problem. Casinos sit much farther apart than they look, summer afternoons are brutal, and the Strip gets rowdier after dark. This list gives you eight picks, on and off the Strip, free and paid, with the costs, ages and timing that decide whether a day goes well.
We have guided visitors around Las Vegas since 2007, and this list answers one question: what is actually worth the time? Each pick below follows the same format so you can compare them quickly and build a plan.
1. Private Strip and Downtown tour with Another Side Tours
The Las Vegas Tour from Another Side Tours is a private, half-day city tour of the Strip and Downtown for $199 per guest, with a two-guest minimum. It suits first-time families who want the real highlights without hours of walking in the heat.
What families do there
A guide drives you through the Strip and Downtown in a climate-controlled luxury van and tells the stories behind the landmarks, from the city’s history to its architecture. Kids see the neon and the giant hotel facades from a cool seat, and you get answers to "what is that?" without searching your phone.
Because the tour is private, you set the pace. Ask for more time where the kids light up and skip what bores them. That matters in a city where the walk between two casinos can easily run a mile or more.
A private tour turns Las Vegas distances and heat from a problem into a plan.
Cost, timing and tips
Run the numbers before you book. Four guests at the listed rate come to 4 × $199 = $796 for about three hours. Ask when you book how children are counted and whether you need car seats, and choose a morning start, when the Strip is calmest.
- Duration: about 3 hours
- Route: the Las Vegas Strip and Downtown Las Vegas
- Booking: daily, with start times on request
- Group size: two guests minimum, any group size accommodated
- Cancellation: no refunds within seven days of the tour date, and ticket sales are final
2. High Roller observation wheel
The High Roller is a 550-foot observation wheel behind the LINQ, and it is the easiest big view in town for every age. A full turn takes about 30 minutes.
What families do there
Cabins are large and steady enough to walk around, so toddlers and grandparents manage fine. You see the whole Strip, the surrounding city and the red mountains in the distance. The LINQ Promenade below has food, shops and kid-friendly extras for before or after the ride.
Another Side Tours also sells a Private High Roller Tour. It gives your group its own pod, and the $400 price covers six guests, with bookings possible up to 35. That works for a birthday or two families traveling together.
The High Roller is the lowest-effort, highest-payoff view in Las Vegas.
Cost, timing and tips
Timing changes the ride. Go in late afternoon so you catch both daylight and the first lights, and buy tickets online to skip the line. Split the private pod six ways and it works out to roughly $67 each.
- Height: 550 feet
- Ride length: about 30 minutes (a private booking can also be about 2 hours with transportation)
- Private pod: $400 for six guests
- Location: LINQ Promenade, 3545 Las Vegas Blvd South
3. Free shows and sights, from Bellagio to Fremont
Free is a real option in Las Vegas, and it fits every age. The best free family things to do are the Bellagio Fountains and Conservatory, the Flamingo Wildlife Habitat and the Fremont Street light show.
What families do there
The Bellagio Fountains shoot choreographed water to music in front of the hotel, about every 30 minutes in the afternoon and every 15 minutes in the evening. Inside, the Conservatory is a flower garden that changes themes with the season, so a repeat visit still looks new.
At the Flamingo, the free Wildlife Habitat is a 15-acre garden with streams, waterfalls, exotic birds, turtles and fish. It is a calm break from the crowds. Downtown, the Fremont Street Experience runs a light show on four blocks each evening, with a zip line for anyone who wants to pay.
Free shows are where a Las Vegas family budget gets its breathing room.
Cost, timing and tips
Free still needs a plan. Check show times on the day, because schedules shift.
- Fountains: afternoon and evening, more often after dark
- Conservatory: free, with themes that rotate by season
- Casino rules: kids must stay on the aisles and away from the tables, and you cannot leave them there while you gamble
- Crowds: weekdays and daytime are tamer on the Strip, while evenings and weekends bring adult crowds
4. Adventuredome indoor theme park
Adventuredome is a five-acre amusement park inside Circus Circus, and it works for toddlers through teens. Because it is fully indoors, it is the best summer-afternoon rescue on the Strip.
What families do there
Thrill seekers head for the Canyon Blaster, an indoor double-loop, double-corkscrew roller coaster. Younger kids prefer the carnival midway, a hot-air-balloon-style ride and an arcade with about 200 games. A free daily circus act rounds it out.
Everything is under one roof, so there is no sun, no sunscreen battle and no heat exhaustion. When summer hits triple digits, an indoor coaster beats any pool.
When it is 110 degrees outside, an indoor coaster is the best air conditioner in town.
Cost, timing and tips
Plan on a half day. Measure your kids before you go, since ride height limits vary, and compare the ticket options before you buy so you pay for the rides you will actually use.
- Best for: ages 3 to 17, with the biggest thrills for tweens and teens
- Hotel link: Circus Circus is a budget-friendly family hotel, so staying there makes this a short walk
- Heat plan: save it for the hottest part of the afternoon
5. Shark Reef and the Golden Nugget Tank Pool
Two spots put families face to face with sharks. Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay works in any season, and the Golden Nugget Tank Pool downtown is a summer splurge.
What families do there
Shark Reef has about 14 exhibits, including a touch pool with rays, sharks and horseshoe crabs. Mandalay Bay also has a large pool complex with a wave pool and a lazy river, which many families pair with the aquarium.
At the Golden Nugget, the centerpiece is a 200,000-gallon shark aquarium with a three-story waterslide that runs through a transparent tunnel. The resort says the slide is open to all ages. You do not need a room, only a day pass, sold seasonally from May to November.
Shark Reef is the rainy-day pick, and the Tank Pool is the one your kids will talk about for years.
Cost, timing and tips
Pools run on a season, so check dates first. Many resort pools sell day passes with prices that change by date, so book early for the best rate.
- Shark Reef: indoor and air-conditioned, good at any time of year
- Tank Pool: day passes May to November, with Shark Days in July (feedings, diver Q&A and a scavenger hunt)
- Another splash option: Mermaid School at Silverton, a 90-minute swim for ages 7 to 15
- Check height rules before you queue for the slide
6. AREA15, Spy Ninjas HQ and go-karts off the Strip
If your kids have outgrown casino-hotel attractions, head off the Strip. AREA15, Spy Ninjas HQ and a go-kart track are all a short rideshare away.
What families do there
AREA15 is an immersive art complex with Omega Mart, the Wink World infinity mirror rooms and Birdly VR for older kids and adults. Spy Ninjas HQ, about three miles from the Strip, covers 55,000 square feet. It has a Mini Ninja playground for ages 2 to 7, a five-level Ninja Tag course and a VR arena.
For teens, our Go-Kart Racing Experience runs head-to-head races in 4-stroke gas karts on an outdoor track. Drivers must be 14 or older and at least 55 inches tall. If your group has eight or more people, our Las Vegas Scavenger Hunt is a two-hour option at $99.
Off-Strip Las Vegas is where families get hands-on instead of just looking.
Cost, timing and tips
Match the stop to the age group. Budget $35 per race for the go-karts, so two races cost $70. Each race lasts about eight minutes, and the track is open daily from 10 am to 5 pm.
- AREA15: allow most of a day, and keep it for ages 8 and up
- Spy Ninjas HQ: strongest for ages 2 to 12, with a VR arena for older players
- Go-karts: teens 14+ at 55 inches or taller, no refunds within seven days of the date
- Scavenger hunt: about 2 hours, $99, groups from 8 to 300+
7. Family shows, BattleBots and the Sphere
Shows are where Las Vegas does something no other city can. The family-friendly choices are BattleBots: Destruct-A-Thon at Horseshoe, Cirque du Soleil productions and the Sphere Experience.
What families do there
BattleBots: Destruct-A-Thon runs daily with five to seven full-scale robot fights packed into 90 minutes, with commentary from the original show host. VIP tickets add backstage tours where kids meet the builders and see the machines up close. It is loud, fast and good for STEM-curious kids.
Cirque du Soleil has long been the go-to for family-friendly acrobatics, though the lineup rotates, so check which shows are playing. The Sphere Experience pairs an outdoor exhibit of robots and holographic art with a film inside the dome, and runs about 90 minutes in total. Confirm the current format before you buy.
Book the show first, then build the rest of the day around it.
Cost, timing and tips
Late shows mean a night on the Strip, and that is when the crowd turns adult. Ask for early showtimes and take a rideshare door to door.
- Age rules: every production sets its own minimum age, so check before buying
- Prices: they swing by date and seat, so compare a few dates
- Pacing: pair a show with a quiet morning at the pool
- Seating: sit near an aisle or exit with younger kids
8. Day trips to Hoover Dam, Red Rock and beyond
A day trip is the best value family move in Southern Nevada. Red Rock Canyon, Hoover Dam, Valley of Fire and Grand Canyon West give kids open space after days of neon.
What families do there
Red Rock Canyon is a 20-minute drive from the Strip and works for short hikes and a scenic loop. Hoover Dam is about 40 minutes away and gives kids a real engineering story. Our Ultimate Hoover Dam Tour is a private trip of about three hours at $249 per guest with a two-guest minimum, and a Power Plant Tour add-on costs $99 per guest. You can see all the Hoover Dam tour options on our site.
Valley of Fire has red sandstone, petroglyphs and sights like Elephant Rock and the Fire Wave. Grand Canyon West sits on Hualapai Nation land, not in a national park, and is a full-day outing. Seven Magic Mountains, a field of painted stacked boulders south of the city, makes a quick photo stop.
One desert day gives kids something Las Vegas never will: room to run.
Cost, timing and tips
Four guests on the Hoover Dam tour come to 4 × $249 = $996, and the Power Plant add-on for all four brings it to $1,392. Leave early, carry water and avoid midday summer hikes.
| Trip | Drive from the Strip | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Red Rock Canyon | about 20 to 30 minutes | short hikes, scenery |
| Hoover Dam | about 40 minutes | history, engineering |
| Valley of Fire | about 1 hour | red rock, petroglyphs |
| Grand Canyon West | about 2.5 hours each way | big views, a full day |
Building your family itinerary
The strongest Las Vegas family trips pair one big attraction a day with one free stop and plenty of downtime. Keep the Strip to daytime hours, put one desert day in the middle, and pick the shows your kids’ ages allow.
If you want a local guide to handle the driving, the heat and the guesswork, book a custom family tour in Las Vegas and we will build the day around your kids.
