What counts as the North Strip
The North Strip runs from Sands Avenue and the Venetian up to Sahara Avenue and the Strat, about a mile and a half. On the east side, from south to north: the Venetian and Palazzo with Sphere behind them, Wynn and Encore, the Las Vegas Convention Center, Fontainebleau and then the Sahara. On the west side: the Mirage site where Hard Rock is under construction, Treasure Island, the Fashion Show mall, Resorts World, Circus Circus and a run of empty lots before the Strat.
This is the section that was half-dead a decade ago, when the unfinished Fontainebleau, the Stardust lot and the abandoned Echelon site sat idle. Since 2021, Resorts World, Sphere, Fontainebleau and the convention center's West Hall have opened, and the Hard Rock project will replace the Mirage's volcano with a guitar-shaped tower around 2027. It is now the most modern stretch of the boulevard, though the gaps between resorts remain long.
The gaps are real
The defining feature of the North Strip is distance. The Wynn to Resorts World walk crosses the boulevard and then passes the Fashion Show mall frontage and a long stretch of nothing; call it 20 to 25 minutes. Resorts World to the Sahara is another 20 past Circus Circus and vacant land. Fontainebleau to the Venetian is 20 to 25 minutes along the convention center and Wynn's golf course wall. Nothing here is a five-minute stroll except Venetian to Wynn and Wynn to Encore.
Transport helps more here than anywhere. The monorail's convention center and Sahara stations serve the east side. The Vegas Loop Tesla tunnels connect the convention center to Resorts World, Westgate and Encore in a few minutes for a few dollars per ride as of 2026. The Deuce bus runs the length of the boulevard. Rideshares between North Strip resorts cost $10 to $15 and are the sane choice after dark or in summer heat. The transportation hub covers each option.
The luxury tier: Wynn, Encore and Fontainebleau
Two of the three most expensive resorts on the Strip are here. Wynn and Encore, opened in 2005 and 2008, remain the benchmark for service and finish, with the Lake of Dreams show, the only on-Strip golf course and a restaurant line-up that draws locals. Fontainebleau, opened in December 2023, matches them for room quality and adds a Miami-beach-house aesthetic, a huge spa and a theatre.
Both cater to visitors who want polish and calm over proximity to the Four Corners. Rates start around $250 to $350 a night midweek as of 2026 and climb steeply for weekends and events; resort fees are at the top of the market at $50 to $60 plus tax. If your trip is about pool days, long dinners and one or two shows rather than walking the boulevard, the North Strip luxury tier is a good place to spend money.
Resorts World, Sphere and the convention corridor
Resorts World, opened in 2021, is the North Strip's other headline: three Hilton brands, a massive pool deck, the Famous Foods street-eats hall and a theatre that has hosted major residencies. It sits opposite the convention center's West Hall, which tells you who fills its rooms Monday to Thursday.
Sphere, opened in September 2023 behind the Venetian, is the thing everyone wants to see. The 366-foot LED exterior is free to view from the Sands Avenue side and from the Venetian's upper parking levels; the shows inside, currently films and concert residencies, run roughly $70 to $300 as of 2026 depending on seat and event. Booking and detail are in the attractions hub. The Venetian's Palazzo tower and Wynn's Encore are the closest hotels; if a Sphere show is the anchor of your trip, stay at one of them.
The budget end: Circus Circus, Sahara and the Strat
The northernmost blocks are the cheapest on the Strip for a reason. Circus Circus, dating to 1968, has the Adventuredome indoor amusement park and free circus acts on the midway, and rooms often under $50 midweek, but it is dated and a long way from anything. The Sahara was renovated in 2019 and is a decent mid-budget option with a monorail stop. The Strat, technically at the Strip's northern edge, has the 1,149-foot observation tower with thrill rides and the SkyPod restaurant, and rooms that are cheap because you are a 40-minute walk from the Wynn.
These make sense for visitors on tight budgets who plan to use the Deuce bus or monorail, or for those who want to split time between the Strip and Downtown, which is a $10 to $15 rideshare from here. The stretch of boulevard north of the Strat toward Downtown is not somewhere to walk at night.
Who should stay on the North Strip
Convention attendees, obviously: the West Hall is on the doorstep and Wynn, Encore, Resorts World, Fontainebleau and the Westgate all sit within a short walk or Loop ride. Luxury travellers who value quiet: Wynn and Fontainebleau feel more like resorts and less like malls. Sphere-bound visitors: Venetian, Palazzo, Wynn and Encore. Shoppers: the Fashion Show mall is the biggest on the Strip, the Wynn Esplanade and Grand Canal Shoppes are nearby.
It suits fewer first-timers on short trips, because the free sights of the Center Strip are a 20-to-30-minute walk south, and fewer families, since the pools and attractions here skew adult. The hotels hub has side-by-side comparisons.
Eating on the North Strip
The North Strip punches above its weight for food. Wynn and Encore carry SW Steakhouse, Lakeside, Mizumi, Sinatra and Delilah, all serious and all expensive. Resorts World's Famous Foods hall is the best casual meal in the section, with Singaporean, Malaysian and Thai stalls at $12 to $20, plus Wally's wine bar and the Kusa Nori sushi room. Fontainebleau lists Mother Wolf, Komodo, Papi Steak and Don's Prime. The Venetian side adds Bouchon, Delmonico, Mott 32 and Estiatorio Milos at the Grand Canal Shoppes and the Palazzo.
For budget eating, the Fashion Show mall food court and the Sahara's casual spots will do. Chinatown on Spring Mountain Road is a five-minute rideshare west of Resorts World and the best value dining in the city; the dining hub has the picks.