Three months out or more: dates, flights and the room
Start with dates, because in Las Vegas the date sets the price. Check the best time to visit guide for weather and the events hub for the conventions and big weekends that double rates. If you can, shift the trip to Sunday-to-Thursday nights; the savings are large enough to fund a better resort.
- Book flights into LAS once dates are firm; fares into Harry Reid International Airport are usually cheapest six to ten weeks ahead outside holiday periods.
- Choose a Strip area and resort. Take the hotel picker quiz, then compare total prices including the $35–$55 nightly resort fee as of 2026.
- Sign up for the loyalty program of the resort group before booking; member rates are frequently lower than the public ones.
- If you want a major event, headline residency or Sphere concert, buy those tickets now; they sell out months ahead.
- Decide whether a Grand Canyon trip is in scope, because it adds a day and shapes everything else. See the combined itinerary.
Six to eight weeks out: shows, big dinners and day trips
This is when the experiences that sell out get booked. Cirque du Soleil shows have plenty of dates but the good seats at good prices go early for weekends. Any Sphere Experience slot at a specific time, celebrity-chef restaurants on Friday and Saturday, dayclub and nightclub tables, helicopter flights and Grand Canyon tours should all be reserved in this window.
- Pick one anchor show per night at most. Use the show tickets guide to buy from the box office or official partner rather than resale.
- Reserve your one or two important dinners through the resort or restaurant site; weekend prime-time tables at well-known rooms go quickly.
- Book day trips and tours. Hoover Dam guided tours, Grand Canyon flights and Red Rock tours all have limited daily capacity.
- If you are traveling as a group, agree a budget, collect deposits and nominate one person to hold reservations.
- Decide on a rental car. For a Strip-only trip skip it; for day trips book now, and note that parking at most resorts is $15–$25 a day.
Two to four weeks out: the itinerary and the apps
Now sketch the days. Put each night's show or dinner in a calendar with the venue, start time and how long it takes to get there; then fill the days around them by Strip section so you are not crossing four miles of sidewalk twice a day. The itineraries hub has ready-made plans for two to five days that you can adapt.
- Install the apps you will use: your airline, your hotel's app for mobile check-in and digital key, a rideshare app with a payment card attached, the RTC transit app for Deuce bus passes, and the ticketing apps that hold your show tickets.
- Load your show tickets into the official app and screenshot the barcodes in case of poor signal.
- Check ID requirements: every adult needs government photo ID for hotel check-in, casinos, bars and clubs, and a passport if visiting from abroad.
- Decide on attraction passes. The Go City guide explains when they pay off.
- Book a spa treatment, a pool cabana or a special brunch if they are part of the plan.
The week before: money, weather and the small things
- Check the forecast and adjust. Summer heat means shifting outdoor plans to mornings; winter means packing a jacket for the evenings.
- Withdraw cash for tips and any gambling budget. Casino ATMs charge $8–$10 per withdrawal as of 2026, so bring what you need.
- Tell your bank you are traveling if it still asks, and set a daily spending limit on the card you gamble with.
- Confirm every reservation: hotel, show, dinner, tour. Note cancellation deadlines.
- Read the resort's check-in time and early check-in fee, and its parking, pool and pet policies.
- Look up the free shows: Bellagio fountain times, the Fremont Street canopy schedule, the Conservatory display.
- If you are going to a nightclub, check the dress code and put your name on a guest list. See the guest lists guide.
- Pack using the interactive packing list, which remembers what you have ticked off.
Packing essentials most people forget
The full list lives on the packing list page, but a few items cause more regret than any others when missed. Comfortable, already-broken-in walking shoes: you will do 15,000–25,000 steps a day. A refillable water bottle, because resort water is $6 a bottle and the desert air dehydrates you faster than you expect. A light layer for over-air-conditioned casinos and cool nights even in summer. Sunscreen and a hat for the pool. Nightclub-appropriate shoes and a collared shirt if any club nights are planned. A portable phone charger, since you will use maps, tickets and rideshare all day. Any medication in original packaging, plus a small first-aid kit for blisters.
In winter add a proper jacket for nights near 40°F. For desert day trips add sturdy shoes, extra water and a printed map, because cell coverage drops quickly outside the city.
Arrival day: from the plane to the pool
Harry Reid International Airport sits right beside the south Strip, so the transfer is short. Follow the signs to the official rideshare pickup areas on the parking-garage levels; a ride to the center Strip typically costs $15–$30 depending on surge, and taxis are metered at similar rates. The transportation guide covers the cheaper bus option and shuttle services.
- Use mobile check-in if the hotel offers it and go straight to the room; if it is not ready, drop bags with the bell desk and hit the pool.
- Ask at check-in about the resort fee, parking and any fee for early check-in, and confirm the checkout time.
- Make a drugstore run for water, snacks and anything forgotten; there are several on the Strip.
- Keep the first evening loose: a walk to the fountains, a casual dinner, an early night. Save the show for day two.
Every day of the trip
- Start outdoor activities early; be inside or by the pool from late morning to late afternoon in summer.
- Carry ID, a card, some cash for tips and your phone charger. Leave passports in the room safe.
- Stay in one section of the Strip per day and use trams, the bus or a rideshare to change sections.
- Confirm show start times in the app that morning; venues sometimes shift performances.
- Eat one big meal and one cheap one. Happy hour is 3pm to 6pm almost everywhere.
- Tip as you go: $1–$2 per drink, $3–$5 for housekeeping each morning, $2–$5 per bag, 18–22% at restaurants.
- Set a daily gambling limit and stop when you hit it.
- Check tomorrow's plan before bed and book any rideshare for an early tour the night before.
Departure day
Checkout is usually 11am and late checkout costs extra or requires loyalty status; ask the night before. Review the folio for resort fees, parking and minibar charges before you leave the desk, because errors are common and easier to fix in person. Bell desks will hold luggage for free or a small tip if your flight is later, which frees you for a final brunch or a last swim.
Allow 60–90 minutes from the Strip to LAS gates on a normal day and more on Sunday afternoons and after big events, when rideshare queues and security lines both swell. Use the airport's app or website to check terminal and security wait times; the airport has two terminals and your airline determines which. If you are driving, return the rental to the consolidated car facility and take the free shuttle to the terminal, which adds 20–30 minutes.