Las Vegas, USA-5-day-itinerary

Five Days in Vegas: Costs First, Fun Second

Five nights on the Strip means five nights of resort fees, $45-60+ each, taxed, mandatory, added at checkout regardless of what you booked at. Parking’s no longer free either: self-park $15-25 a day, valet $40-50. Do the math before you pick a hotel, since the nightly rate you see online is never the number you’ll actually pay.

Where to Stay:

  • Budget: The LINQ Hotel + Experience, Flamingo Las Vegas.
  • Mid-Range: Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, Paris Las Vegas.
  • Luxury: The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, Bellagio Las Vegas.

Transportation:

  • Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) is the current name; it stopped being McCarran in 2021. Rideshare pickup is inside the parking garage, not curbside, and every Uber or Lyft trip carries a flat $4.50 airport fee on top of the fare.
  • The Strip is walkable but bigger than it looks, roughly 4.2 miles end to end, and heat makes distances feel longer.
  • The monorail only runs the east side, MGM Grand to SAHARA. It doesn’t reach Bellagio, Caesars, or Wynn, so don’t count on it if you’re staying west-side.
  • Buses cover more ground but the routes get complicated; rideshares are simpler but surge hard on event weekends.

Things to Know:

  • Set a gambling budget and treat the casino as entertainment, not a plan to make money.
  • Vegas heat is real, especially June through August. Hydrate constantly and wear sunscreen.
  • Tip 15-20% at restaurants, bars, and for drivers.

Day 1: The Strip Itself

  • Morning: Arrive at Harry Reid, check into your hotel, note the resort fee on the folio.
  • Afternoon: Walk the Strip past Bellagio, Caesars Palace, and The Venetian.
  • Evening: A show, Cirque du Soleil, Blue Man Group, or a headliner if the schedule lines up. Dinner beforehand at a buffet: Bacchanal at Caesars is the best of what’s left but runs $55-90+; Wynn’s buffet is a solid, slightly cheaper alternative. Skip planning around MGM Grand’s or Luxor’s buffets, both have closed for good.

Day 2: Views and Downtown

  • Morning: High Roller observation wheel at The LINQ, roughly $25-35 depending on time slot; check current pricing since it shifts.
  • Afternoon: The STRAT tower (the rebranded Stratosphere) still runs its thrill rides, Insanity and X-Scream among them, if you want the adrenaline stop.
  • Evening: Fremont Street Experience downtown, with the free Viva Vision canopy light show after dark. Dinner options on Fremont Street run cheap and casual, or try the Golden Nugget’s steakhouse if you want something more upscale.

Day 3: History and Fine Dining

  • Morning: The Neon Museum, genuinely one of the better historical stops in a city that mostly bulldozes its own past.
  • Afternoon: The Mob Museum, a solid deep dive into organized crime history in Vegas and beyond.
  • Evening: Joel Robuchon or Gordon Ramsay Hell’s Kitchen for a splurge dinner. Both are legitimately good, and both are priced like it.

Day 4: Canyon and Shopping

  • Morning: Red Rock Canyon, about 20-30 minutes west by rental car. Between February and November you need a $2 timed-entry reservation plus a roughly $20 per-vehicle entrance fee, so book the slot ahead, not day-of.
  • Afternoon: Forum Shops at Caesars or Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian for retail.
  • Evening: Free Bellagio fountain show, then dinner at Lago by Julian Serrano for Italian or Bazaar Meat by Jose Andres for modern American.

Day 5: Wind Down, Depart

  • Morning: Slow breakfast at your hotel or a Strip cafe.
  • Afternoon: Pool, spa, or one last casino session. Skip casino-floor ATMs, which charge $5-8 in fees; use a bank ATM instead.
  • Evening: One last dinner, then depart from Harry Reid International.

Tips:

  • Book shows and attractions ahead, especially around event weekends.
  • The Bellagio fountains and Fremont Street’s canopy show are both free and worth building an evening around regardless of budget.
  • Casino rewards programs are worth joining even for a five-day trip; the comps and discounts add up.
  • Carry a reusable water bottle. The heat doesn’t care how many casinos you’ve been in.