April weather: as close to perfect as the desert gets
April in Las Vegas is the month the brochures are describing. Typical highs average about 78–81°F (26–27°C), starting in the mid 70s and reaching the high 80s by the final week, with overnight lows around 55–58°F (13–14°C). Rain is rare, usually one or two days at most, and sunshine runs around eleven hours a day. Humidity is very low, so 85°F in late April feels comfortable in the shade and warm rather than hot in the sun.
Wind is the one caveat. April is still spring-front season, and a couple of days each month bring strong afternoon gusts that can whip sand across the pool decks and briefly close the high-altitude attractions. Most days are calm. Evenings are the highlight: warm enough at 9pm to sit outside at a rooftop bar in a shirt, cool enough after midnight to want a light layer. By the last week of April you get the first genuinely hot afternoons in the low 90s, a preview of what is coming.
NAB Show: the spring convention spike
The NAB Show, the broadcasting and media technology convention, typically lands in the middle of April at the Las Vegas Convention Center and brings tens of thousands of attendees for roughly four days. It is not on the CES scale, but it is large enough to push Strip weeknight rates up meaningfully, fill the resorts nearest the convention center like Wynn, Encore, Resorts World and the Westgate, and book out steakhouses for corporate dinners. Rideshare surge around the convention center is heavy in the mornings and at closing time.
For leisure visitors the practical advice is simple: if your dates are flexible, stay clear of the NAB week, and if they are not, stay on the south or center Strip and you will barely notice it beyond the badge lanyards at breakfast. The weeks either side of NAB are the best April value, especially the midweek nights. April also has several smaller conventions, which is part of why weekday rates in this month are higher than in most of the year.
Viva Las Vegas, Easter and spring break
Viva Las Vegas, the rockabilly weekend, typically takes place over Easter weekend and fills the Orleans and surrounding hotels with vintage cars, pin-up contests and thousands of people in 1950s dress. It is one of the most photogenic events on the calendar and it spills into Downtown and Fremont Street, where the atmosphere over that weekend is unlike any other. Because it usually coincides with Easter, that weekend tends to be both busy and expensive, with families on school break adding to the crowd.
Spring break continues into the first half of April for many colleges, which keeps the party hotels and dayclubs lively on weekends. Easter itself is a mixed weekend: the Sunday brunches at the big resorts book solid, while rates for Easter Sunday night are often soft as families head home. If you are choosing between April weekends, the ones after Easter and away from NAB are typically the calmest and best value. See the holidays guide.
Crowds and hotel prices: high, and worth it
April is peak spring season. Weekend rates at mid-Strip resorts sit at or near their annual high outside of the major event weeks, and weeknights are propped up by conventions, so the weekday discount is smaller than in winter or summer, often only 30–50% below the weekend rate rather than the two-thirds you see in August. Resort fees do not change, so the total cost of a room in April is among the highest of the year at every tier.
Crowds match. The Strip sidewalks are busy from late morning to well past midnight, pool chairs at the popular complexes are gone by 10am on weekends, the fountain viewing rail fills before each show and restaurant reservations for Friday and Saturday should be made a week or two out. None of it is unpleasant, because the weather makes standing in a line tolerable, but it is not the month for spontaneity. Book shows, dayclub tables and dinners before you arrive; our trip planning checklist lays out the timeline. For value, look at off-Strip hotels or Downtown, where April rates are far lower.
Pool status in April: fully open
By April every resort pool in Las Vegas is open, typically from around 9am to 6pm, and the lazy rivers, wave pools and adult pools have joined the main decks. Dayclubs run most weekends and start adding Friday and sometimes weekday dates as the month goes on. Water is heated at the major resorts, and the air is warm enough that a pool day feels like summer without the risk of burning through the afternoon.
Because it is the first fully reliable pool month, April pool decks are crowded on weekends, especially at the resorts known for their pools: Mandalay Bay, Caesars Palace, Cosmopolitan, Encore and Resorts World. Cabana and daybed reservations, which go for a few hundred dollars up to the low thousands on a weekend depending on the resort, sell out for Saturdays. Midweek, the same decks are relaxed. See the best pools and pool season for chair strategy.
What to pack for April
April is easy to pack for: think warm days, mild evenings and full sun.
- Swimsuits, cover-up and pool sandals; you will use them every day
- High-SPF sunscreen and a hat; the April sun at altitude burns pale skin in under an hour
- Light layers for evenings and a light jacket for after-midnight walks
- Comfortable walking shoes plus dressier shoes for restaurants and clubs, which enforce dress codes
- Sunglasses, refillable water bottle and lip balm for the dry air
- A windbreaker if you are hiking; it can gust at Red Rock even on calm Strip days
Use our packing list to tick it all off.
Best things to do in April
Everything. April is the month when the outdoor and indoor sides of Las Vegas are both at their best. Day trips to Red Rock Canyon, Valley of Fire and Hoover Dam are still comfortable, particularly in the morning, and the Grand Canyon is warm without being hot. The pools are open, the rooftop bars and patios are at peak, and walking the Strip at night is a pleasure rather than an endurance event. The Bellagio Conservatory's spring display is usually up all month.
Culturally, April brings a big dance-music weekend at some of the clubs, the tail of the spring fight calendar and the start of the outdoor concert season at the arenas and the stadium. Golden Knights playoff hockey at T-Mobile Arena, if the team qualifies, makes the Park MGM and New York-New York area electric on game nights. For a full outdoor plan, see day trips; for the nightlife side, shows and nightlife.
Who April suits
Couples: the best month of the year for a romantic trip, with warm evenings, open pools and the desert at its prettiest. Families: excellent weather and full pools, though Easter and spring break weekends are crowded and expensive; the weeks after Easter are ideal. Groups: dayclubs and nightclubs are in full swing and the weather makes a pool-and-party weekend work as designed.
Budget travelers: April is a hard month. Rates are high across the board, and the usual midweek discount is muted by conventions. If April is the only option, stay Downtown or off-Strip, travel Sunday to Thursday and avoid NAB and Easter. Convention attendees: NAB is the big one; book early and consider the resorts within walking distance of the convention center. Anyone who hates heat: April is your last comfortable month until October.
