Though Las Vegas may not seem like the ideal place to take the family however it is an amazing place with so many family friendly attractions, The kids will love the bright lights while the bigger kids (Mum and Dad!!) will be amazed by the casinos, shopping and restaurants in Vegas. Unlike Australia all the Las Vegas casinos allow kids to walk through the casino as long as they do not stop and linger by a poker machine or card table.
The Vegas casino’s are all continually trying to be bigger and better than each other and as a result you can get fantastic deals, excellent food and and great entertainment. Some of the casinos on the strip are linked by walkways and there is even a tram that links Mirage to Treasure Island so you can go from place to place without outside into the hot Vegas sun (It rained when I was there but I’m told its hot)
Accommodation
There is no shortage of accommodation in Las Vegas with over 200 different accommodation types. Some of the most popular family hotels on the strip include the Mirage, Venetian, New York New York, Mandalay Bay and of course Treasure Island Hotel & Casino. Visit our hotel booking site for a wide range of deals from various hotel providers.
Restaurants
All of the hotels have many different types of restaurants from 5 star dining to all you can eat buffets. There are celebrity restaurants from chefs like Gordon Ramsay or Wolfgang Puck or chain venues like Hard Rock Cafe or Planet Hollywood. Then of course it wouldn’t be the USA without is plenty of fast food in McDonalds, KFC, Subway and many others. Our favourite restaurant was the Cheesecake Factory in Caesar’s Palace and we visited twice for big portions and a great family atmosphere. Another great family restaurant is Bubba Gump’s which is part of a chain and has a Forrest Gump theme and fantastic seafood menu.
Shopping
Vegas has high-end shopping centres like the Forum shops at Caesar’s Palace, Planet Hollywood or Via Bellagio where you can shop in style at fashion icons Tiffany’s, Gucci or Cartier. Visitors from Australia generally love going to Vegas Premium Outlets which have 2 convenient locations north and south of the strip. Fantastic bargains are on offer especially for items like jeans or runners.
Attractio
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The Las Vegas strip is Americas home of entertainment with shows, concerts and sporting events occurring all year round.
- Magicians – You can see magicians like David Copperfield, Penn and Teller or Criss Angel.
- Stage Shows – Fantastic stage shows like Michael Jackson ONE, O or Mystere.
- Concerts – All big name artists tour Vegas so depending on when you are there you can see concerts from Celine Dion, Rod Stewart or even Bon Jovi.
- Theme Parks – Indoor theme parks like Adventurezone or the crazy stratosphere at the top of tower.
- Hotel Attractions – All the main hotels have their own attractions like Treasure Islands Pirate show, Mirage Volcano, New York New York roller-coaster or Mandalay bay shark reef.
We saw Mac King who did a fantastic family friendly magic show and also the amazing Beatles Love show from Cirque du Solei at the Mirage and our kids loved the Bellagio Fountains.
Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon in Arizona is considered to be one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the world and is located not too far from Las Vegas. Papillon sightseeing company offer some fantastic helicopter tours for the family to visit this amazing place or you can take a bus tour out on a day trip. The Grand Canyon is well worth the visit if you are going to Vegas.
Getting to Vegas
Las Vegas is only 1 hour flight from Los Angeles and is serviced by most of the big American airlines including Virgin America. You know your are in Vegas when you can see the pyramids at Luxor from your plane window and there are poker machines at the airport!!. Another fantastic way is to hire a car and drive from Los Angeles which takes about 4-5 hours over the mountains and through the desert and you get to see the iconic “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign.
To check out the best airfares currently on offer to Las Vegas from all Australian cities Click Here or search your preferred dates below
