When you tell people that you’re planning a holiday to Las Vegas, they immediately think you have a bottomless pit of cash at home. “Sin City” has wrongly developed a reputation for being a place that only the rich and famous can enjoy.
That could not be further from the truth. In fact, if anything, Vegas is having to become more budget-conscious than ever before to keep visitors coming back to the Nevada desert, amid heightened competition from other world-leading gaming destinations such as Macau, Singapore and The Bahamas.
If you aren’t awash with holiday funds for your trip to Vegas, but you still want to get the best possible experience of Sin City, read on as we detail the best-value attractions on or near the Las Vegas Boulevard Strip.
Just before you move down the article, consider moving around the city. The strip itself is 4.5 miles from one end to the other and you won’t want to limit yourself to just that.
Let’s also not forget that despite the soaring fountains, Las Vegas is in the desert, though walking through the city does have its charm you will probably want to limit your wanderings.
So, if you don’t want your holiday budget unexpectedly swallowed up, save your cash by following these few tips.
- Avoid taxis, they can be overpriced and have been known to take scenic route to get that meter up. Consider using Uber or Lyft instead.
- Jump on the Deuce. This is easily the cheapest way of getting around. It goes from just south of McCarren Airport to the Freemont Street Experience downtown stopping off at all the hotels on the strip on the way. Not only is it the cheapest but it’s the most frequent, running round the clock and coming every 15/20 minutes.
Also consider the timing of your trip. With all there is to do and non stop flights in and out, Las Vegas is, expectedly, a very popular weekend destination, more so on holiday weekends.
If you can manage a mid-week getaway your pocket will sincerely, sincerely, thank you for it. The price of everything, from hotel rooms to lunch to shows are significantly cheaper mid-week.
Speaking of hotels, if you do your research and pore over comparison websites, you can find a good deal and extend your holiday budget.
Take in the Fountains of Bellagio at night
One of the most iconic visions of the Las Vegas Strip is the Fountains of Bellagio in the backdrop of the neon lights of the city. There are few more romantic evening activities in Vegas than to stand and marvel at the free fountain and light show that happens every 15-30 minutes during peak times. Each show is played to different music, so you can watch it multiple times and each time you’ll get a different experience.
Wander along the Fremont Street Experience
Image Credit : vegasexperience.com
If you speak to the locals of Las Vegas, they’ll often tell you that to get a “real” experience of the city you need to visit Downtown Las Vegas, just a short taxi or bus ride from the Strip.
Fremont Street is at the heart of Downtown Las Vegas and the Fremont Street Experience has to be seen to be believed.
Put simply, it’s a nine-block pedestrianized area of complete entertainment, characterized by the mile-long overhead canopy that offers a pulsating and immersive free evening light show.
There are plenty of free concerts staged on Fremont Street, as well as numerous street performers to enjoy – some of whom are crazier than others!
Consider investing in the “Las Vegas Pass”
If you have a modest holiday fund to spend on paid attractions and you want to make your hard-earned cash go as far as possible, we cannot recommend the Las Vegas Pass highly enough. Consider it your golden ticket to enter the biggest and best collection of attractions on the Strip.
You can pay for a one-day Las Vegas Pass or even a three or five-day Las Vegas Pass. It covers entry into some of the most popular Vegas shows, as well as attractions like the High Roller, helicopter tours of the Strip at night, and hop-on, hop-off bus tickets.
All of this is available with the Pass for a fraction of the combined walk-up price for each individual attraction. If you do plan on taking cash to Vegas for paid attractions, be sure to use the safe in your hotel room, as pick-pockets can quickly pinpoint those carrying large sums of cash around.
Explore the free attractions inside the Strip casinos
Each casino resort has a life of its own. With so many different themed resorts lining the Strip, there’s always something to see and do. Whether it’s the Flamingo Habitat or the Cosmopolitan’s stunning contemporary art collection, there’s plenty to keep you entertained.
And that’s before we’ve even mentioned playing cards in the casinos.
Poker fans may struggle to find a land-based room they can afford to play poker in on a budget.
That’s because most tournament buy-ins in Vegas start from at least $50, while Texas Hold’em cash games also tend to require at least $100 up front to get started.
It’s still a far cry from the value that their online counterparts provide, in terms of table traffic, micro-limit blinds and bonuses designed with recreational players firmly in mind.
All of this just goes to show that Las Vegas really isn’t as expensive as you might think.
There’s also plenty of low-cost transportation options around the city, including free monorails, while food and drink can also be as cheap or as expensive as you want, with plentiful all-you-can-eat buffet options ideal for budget-conscious travellers. Vegas really does have it all, even if you’re a savvy spender!
