Where the South Strip starts and ends
The South Strip runs from the Mandalay Bay and the "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign at the southern tip of the resort corridor north to the Tropicana Avenue intersection and a little beyond it to Park MGM and the Cosmopolitan's southern neighbour, Aria. Along that stretch, on the west side, sit Mandalay Bay, Delano, Luxor, Excalibur, New York-New York and Park MGM. On the east side are MGM Grand, the Signature towers behind it and the site where the Tropicana stood until it was demolished in 2024 to make way for the Athletics' ballpark.
Behind the west side, across Interstate 15, is Allegiant Stadium, home of the Raiders, reachable on foot from Mandalay Bay via the Hacienda Avenue bridge in about 15 to 20 minutes. This corner of the Strip is also the closest to Harry Reid International Airport, which is why South Strip hotels are a sensible pick for late arrivals and early departures.
The character is more spread out than the centre and less polished than the north, but it also has some of the biggest pool complexes and the most consistent mid-range value on the boulevard.
The resorts, from south to north
- Mandalay Bay — the upscale anchor with the wave-pool beach, Shark Reef, a convention centre and the Four Seasons and Delano hotels inside its footprint.
- Luxor — the black glass pyramid with inclined elevators, a sky beam visible from the air and the cheapest rooms of the three linked by the tram.
- Excalibur — the castle: family-friendly, often the lowest room rate on the Strip, home to the Tournament of Kings dinner show.
- New York-New York — the skyline facade, the Big Apple Coaster, Hershey's Chocolate World and a lively pedestrian corner at Tropicana.
- Park MGM — the smoke-free, more design-led MGM property with Eataly and the Dolby Live theatre, plus the NoMad hotel tower.
- MGM Grand — the giant across the road, with the Grand Pool, Garden Arena and KÀ.
Between New York-New York and Park MGM, The Park is a landscaped pedestrian street that leads to T-Mobile Arena, home of the Golden Knights. It is one of the nicer places on the Strip to sit outside with a drink.
Getting around: the tram, the monorail and the bridges
The South Strip is easier to navigate than its size suggests because of two rail links. The free Mandalay Bay–Excalibur tram runs between Mandalay Bay, Luxor and Excalibur, with an express car that skips Luxor. It usually runs from mid-morning until around midnight; check the posted hours. From Excalibur, pedestrian bridges cross Tropicana Avenue to New York-New York, MGM Grand and the Tropicana site, so you can reach four corners without touching the road.
The Las Vegas Monorail starts at MGM Grand and runs up the east side of the Strip to the Sahara, with stops for Horseshoe and Paris, the Flamingo and the LINQ, Harrah's and the LINQ Promenade, the convention center and Westgate. Single rides run about $5 to $6, with day passes in the $13 to $16 range as of 2026; see the official site for current fares. It is the fastest way from the South Strip to the centre if you are staying near MGM Grand.
The Deuce bus stops along the boulevard, rideshares pick up at designated lobbies, and the transportation hub covers all of it in detail.
Walkability: honest distances
Within the South Strip, the walking is manageable. Mandalay Bay to Luxor is 10 minutes via the indoor walkway, Luxor to Excalibur another 10, Excalibur to New York-New York five minutes over the bridge, and New York-New York to MGM Grand five more. Park MGM is a further 10 minutes north through The Park.
Leaving the section is where it gets long. Park MGM to Bellagio is 20 to 25 minutes, and MGM Grand to Caesars Palace is a solid 30. Mandalay Bay to Bellagio on foot is 45 minutes or more. In summer those walks are genuinely unpleasant between noon and 6pm; the tram-plus-monorail combination or a $12 to $18 rideshare is money well spent.
One quirk worth knowing: the west-side resorts from Mandalay Bay to Park MGM connect almost entirely indoors or via covered walkways, so on a hot day you can cover most of the section without much direct sun.
Who should stay on the South Strip
The South Strip suits three kinds of traveller. Value seekers: Excalibur, Luxor and often New York-New York and MGM Grand run $40 to $150 a night midweek as of 2026, well below centre prices, though resort fees of $40 to $50 apply everywhere. Families: the pools at Mandalay Bay and MGM Grand are the best on the Strip for kids, Excalibur is unashamedly family-oriented, and New York-New York has the coaster and the arcade. Event-goers: anyone with tickets at Allegiant Stadium, T-Mobile Arena, the MGM Grand Garden Arena, Dolby Live or the Michelob Ultra Arena can walk home afterwards instead of fighting for a rideshare.
It suits fewer people who want to be in the middle of things at night. The South Strip empties earlier, the restaurant choice is thinner outside Mandalay Bay and Park MGM, and you will spend on transport to reach the centre each evening. For a compare-and-contrast, see hotels and resorts.
Eating and drinking down south
Mandalay Bay has the deepest bench: Aureole with its wine tower, StripSteak, Libertine Social, Border Grill and Kumi, plus Rivea at the top of Delano with the best south-facing views on the Strip. Park MGM's Eataly is a food hall that works for a quick, good, moderately priced meal, and Bavette's inside Park MGM is one of the city's best steakhouses. MGM Grand carries Joël Robuchon, L'Atelier, Hakkasan, Morimoto and Tom Colicchio's Craftsteak.
For cheap eats, Excalibur and Luxor food courts are functional rather than memorable, and New York-New York's Il Fornaio and the Shake Shack on the Tropicana corner get you fed for under $20. Off-Strip, a $10 rideshare west reaches the restaurants on Spring Mountain Road in Chinatown, which is where the locals go.
What is changing on the South Strip
The demolition of the Tropicana in October 2024 left a large empty lot on the east side of the Tropicana intersection, and construction of the Athletics' ballpark on that site is under way with an opening targeted for the 2028 season. Expect construction traffic and detours on Tropicana Avenue and the boulevard through 2027. Bally's, which owns the site, has said a new resort will eventually rise beside the ballpark.
MGM Resorts has been renovating steadily: Mandalay Bay rooms were refreshed in 2024, Luxor rooms and Excalibur towers have been rolling through updates, and the tram cars were replaced. Always check the official site for pool closures and renovation notices if you are booking a room specifically for a view or a pool.
For the wider picture and how the South Strip compares to the centre and north, go back to the Strip hub.