November weather: sweater days and cold nights
November is autumn in Las Vegas, and it cools quickly. Typical highs average about 66–68°F (19–20°C), sliding from the low 70s in the first week to around 60°F by Thanksgiving, with overnight lows around 45–50°F (7–10°C). It is still sunny, roughly eight to nine hours a day, and dry, with rain on two or three days in a typical November as the first Pacific systems arrive. The first frost in the outlying valleys usually comes late in the month.
The day-to-night swing becomes the defining feature. A sunny 68°F afternoon walking the Strip is pleasant in a T-shirt; the same spot at 11pm is 48°F and breezy, and the wind funnels between the towers make it feel colder. Wind is moderate, with an occasional front bringing a gusty, sharply colder day. Mornings are crisp and clear and are the best time for the desert, which is at its most comfortable for walking; the Grand Canyon South Rim can already see snow and is beautiful for it.
Formula 1: the week the Strip becomes a race track
The Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix typically runs in the second half of November, and it transforms the city for about a week. The circuit runs down Las Vegas Boulevard itself, past the Sphere, Wynn, Venetian, Caesars Palace, Bellagio and the rest of the center Strip, which means grandstands, catch fencing, pedestrian-bridge closures and rolling road closures for several days before and after the race. The race itself is at night, and the track build-up starts weeks earlier with lane closures and barriers that affect traffic through much of the month.
Prices behave like a Super Bowl and a New Year's Eve combined for the race weekend. Rooms at the resorts on the circuit sell as packages with race-view rooms and hospitality attached, minimum stays are common, and nightclub tables and restaurant reservations along the track are priced for the occasion. Rates the week before and after the race have historically been softer as the city recovers, and in some years leisure demand during race week has been lower than expected, producing late deals. Check the official site and our F1 guide for tickets, closures and hotel strategy.
Thanksgiving weekend
Thanksgiving, on the fourth Thursday of November, often falls within days of the Grand Prix, which makes the second half of the month unusually intense. Thanksgiving itself is a strong weekend for Las Vegas: the big resorts run holiday buffets and prix-fixe dinners that need booking well ahead, the sportsbooks fill for the NFL games, the Bellagio Conservatory has usually switched to its holiday display and the Strip is busy with families and groups avoiding cooking. Rates for Wednesday through Saturday of Thanksgiving week run high, and the Friday and Saturday nights are among the priciest of the month outside race weekend.
Thanksgiving Day itself, oddly, is one of the quieter days on the casino floor, and Sunday and Monday after the holiday tend to be discounted as travelers head home. If the Grand Prix and Thanksgiving fall in the same week in your year, the whole stretch is expensive; if they are separated, the days between them can be a bargain. See the holidays guide and the best buffets for Thanksgiving dining.
Crowds and hotel prices: the calm first half
The first half of November is one of the best-value stretches of the year. The October convention crush has ended, the leisure crowd has thinned with the cooler weather, pools are closed and the F1 build-up has not yet peaked. Midweek rates at Strip resorts drop well below October's, weekends are moderate and the weekday-to-weekend swing returns to its normal shape. Crowds are light: walk-in tables at good restaurants, open show seats and quiet pool-less afternoons that are perfect for the spas and the shopping corridors.
Veterans Day, in the middle of the month, brings a modest long-weekend bump. Then the Grand Prix and Thanksgiving push the second half into peak pricing. A few mid-size conventions run in the first two weeks, mostly manageable. If you want November at its cheapest, target the Sunday-to-Thursday nights in the first ten days, or the days between F1 and Thanksgiving if your year separates them. For value tactics, see how to get a hotel deal and Las Vegas on a budget.
Pool status in November
Pool season is over. The large complexes close between mid-October and early November, and by mid-November only the year-round heated pools remain, typically one per resort at the properties that offer them, with short hours and minimal service. On a sunny 68°F afternoon a heated pool is pleasant, but the walk out of the water is cold and by Thanksgiving it is a hot-tub month. Dayclubs are closed until spring.
What replaces the pool is the spa, which is excellent in November: the big resort spas at Encore, Caesars Palace, Aria, Cosmopolitan and Resorts World offer day passes and are uncrowded midweek. Hot tubs at the year-round pools stay open. If you want a swimming trip, choose another month; if you want a room with a view rather than a pool deck, November is where the value is. See the best pools for which resorts keep a heated pool open.
What to pack for November
Layers, with a real jacket for the nights.
- Mid-weight jacket or coat for evenings and any windy day
- Sweaters or a fleece for layering; a T-shirt is enough in the afternoon sun
- Comfortable closed walking shoes; the Strip walk is a pleasure in November
- Sunglasses and sunscreen; the sun is still strong at midday
- Warm layers, hat and gloves for the Grand Canyon or a Red Rock morning; both can be near freezing at dawn
- Smart-casual evening wear; the holiday-season dining scene leans dressier
- Ear protection and comfortable shoes for long days on your feet if you are here for the Grand Prix; grandstand seats are far from the resorts
The full checklist is at our packing list.
Best things to do in November
November is a walking, hiking and eating month. Red Rock Canyon, Valley of Fire and Hoover Dam are comfortable all day, and the Grand Canyon South Rim in late autumn, with thin crowds and the chance of snow on the rim, is one of the best day trips of the year; see Grand Canyon day trips. On the Strip the Bellagio Conservatory transitions to its holiday display, the resorts begin decorating for the season, and the outdoor ice rink at the Cosmopolitan usually opens on the Boulevard Pool deck.
The Grand Prix, if you are here for it, is a spectacle with or without a ticket: the practice and qualifying sessions are visible from many pedestrian bridges and high-floor rooms, and the fan zones and concerts run all week. Football fills the sportsbooks every weekend, the Golden Knights are in full season at T-Mobile Arena and the Raiders play at Allegiant Stadium. Shows and residencies are strong, and the cooler weather makes the Neon Museum's evening tours and the Mob Museum ideal.
Who November suits
Budget travelers: the first ten days of November are among the best values of the year; the second half is not. Couples: excellent early in the month, with crisp nights, open tables, the spas and the first holiday lights. Motorsport fans: the Grand Prix is the reason to come and worth planning a year ahead. Foodies: Thanksgiving dining in Las Vegas is a real event, from buffets to the steakhouses.
Families: good for a Thanksgiving-break trip built around day trips, the holiday decorations and indoor attractions, but no pools; see Las Vegas with kids. Conventions: a few mid-size shows early in the month. Anyone who wants to avoid disruption: stay well clear of race week, when the center Strip is fenced, the bridges are closed and getting from one resort to the next can take an hour.
