One Day in Las Vegas, Nevada with Kids!
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What to do in Las Vegas with kids
While Las Vegas is known for its vibrant nightlife and casinos, the city also has numerous things to do that are family friendly. You can find things to do from adventure, shows, shopping, exploring the venues in each hotel, trying new foods and much more. This guide will show you what you can do if you have only one day in Las Vegas with kids. Start by staying in a hotel with amazing pools at Mandalay Bay that every kid will enjoy. This hotel has multiple pools, lazy river, wave pool and food service at your lounge chair. My research for the best hotel on the Las Vegas strip with an amazing pool took me to Mandalay Bay.
If you prefer to camp, I have listed a great camping location at end of post.
Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Nevada sign
Before you start your tour of the Las Vegas strip, I recommend you stop and have your picture taken at the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Nevada sign.
This spot is open 24 hours daily. Parking near the sign is FREE but there are limited parking spaces. Once you park you will typically wait in a long line to take your picture in front of the sign. Reminder, in July the temps can get up to 114 degrees or higher. It is a dry heat, so it is manageable but very hot! There could be about a 30–40-minute wait to get your picture taken.
Cost: Free
Address: 5100 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas,
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Parking the campervan
Since we had our high-top campervan, we were unable to park at Mandalay Bay’s parking garage. We had to use the parking garage at the Excalibur Hotel due to the van’s height (8 ft 9 inches) and take the free tram from Excalibur back to Mandalay Bay. This is a covered parking garage. It was easy to figure out how to get back to the hotel, (other than carrying our luggage this distance) so don’t fret. There is a fee to park at these hotels of $30 per day if under 30 feet and $50 if over 30 feet. We have a Ram ProMaster with a high-top, so this was our only option.
We have parked at the MGM Grand hotel parking garage in the past and we were able to get our high-top camper van in there without a problem. I felt parking fees at the MGM Grand hotel were reasonable. Cost: The first hour is free, 1-4 hours is $15 ($20 on weekends) and up to 24 hours is $18 ($23 on weekends). If staying at the hotel this fee is included in your stay. At MGM they also require oversized parking to go to Excalibur Hotel’s parking garage.
Mandalay Bay Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip
The rooms at Mandalay Bay were spacious and extremely nice. The space was comfortable, and our room had a pool view.
Hotel Rooms
Our room came with two queen sized beds, TV, mini fridge, coffee maker, shower and a separate bathtub, desk, and extra chairs to sit in. Each room felt big enough for our family that we didn’t feel crammed into the space. From the lobby, you follow the signs posted near the ceiling to find your room. Room key required to use the elevator. You can book your hotel stay at booking.com or Trivago.com.
Pools
Pool view below, from our room. This is a great picture that gives you an idea of the layout of the pool area. With 11,000 acres of pools there is plenty to keep you busy or you can relax by the pool and people watch. Amenities included at this hotel:
Wave pool with sand beach
Lazy River. Bring your own tube (circular and under 48”)or buy one from the hotel for around $20 each
Lagoon
Moorea Beach Club for adults 21+ only
Several private and open pools
Cabanas and Gazebo’s to rent from $400 to $725
Beach Bar & Grill for lounge side service for food and drinks
Lockers are available for $20 day plus $10 deposit for key
Food at the pool
We were able to order food and drinks at Beach Bar & Grill from our loungers which was really nice and convenient. You can order food to be brought to you, or you can go into the Beach Bar & Grill to eat. Most of the pools and Beach Bar & Grill are closed in the winter months. Seasonal hours: 9am to 6pm.
Casino
There is a casino within the Mandalay Bay Hotel. We did not use the casino at this hotel, but we have at other hotels in the past. My husband does enjoy the slots and blackjack and he has enjoyed these options in the past. Just remember, kids are not allowed at the slot machines or tables.
New York New York Hotel
One of the hotels on the Las Vegas strip that we enjoy visiting with kids is the New York New York hotel. Besides the chocolate store, they have an amazing Big Apple Roller Coaster that my family enjoys riding. The roller coaster is longer than I anticipated and worth the price. Read more about the Big Apple Roller Coaster at this blog post.
Tour the Las Vegas Strip
Walking the iconic Las Vegas Strip could overstimulate you with all the lights, sounds and people. As you stroll the strip you will be mesmerized with the tall buildings and hotels, neon-lit resort lighting, elaborate themed hotels, and amazing architecture. There is so much to see along the strip from street performers, the water shows at Bellagio Fountains, erupting volcano at The Mirage, and high-end shopping. The walk is long from one end of the strip to the other and remember it is super-hot (104 or higher degrees) in the summer so come prepared with sunscreen and plenty to drink. We always stop at Walgreens on the strip to purchase water as needed (at night, the bar next door tends to have a rougher crowd so be aware). Remember the later into the evening you go the less PG rated it is.
Go into many of the hotels as you pass by. Each hotel offers a diverse amount of people, lively entertainment and each hotel is unique to their hotel theme. You can book your hotel stay at booking.com or Trivago.com.
For Chocolate Lovers
M&M’s World and Hershey’s Chocolate World are amazing places to visit if you love chocolate. I never knew how many varieties of chocolate there were until we visited these two places. The number of M & M’s and all of the different colors and flavors is amazing. So many colors to choose from within the 28,000 sq foot building that consists of 4 levels to explore. They not only have chocolate, but they also have some fun souvenirs at both locations.
M&M’s World is open 9am to 12 am daily. Address: 3785 South Las Vegas Blvd
Hershey’s Chocolate World is open Sun-Thursday 9am to 12am and Fri-Sun 9am to 1am. Address: 3790 South Las Vegas Boulevard
Fountains of Bellagio
One of my other favorite places to visit is the Fountains of Bellagio. This iconic fountain is located at the Bellagio Hotel. They hold a spectacular water show in front of their hotel daily.
Cost: FREE
Hours: The fountain display runs Monday to Friday from 3pm - 7:30pm every 30 minutes and 8pm to midnight every 15 minutes. On Saturday, Sunday and Holidays it runs from noon - 7:30pm every 30 minutes and 8pm to midnight every 15 minutes.
Restaurant on the strip
Gordon Ramsay Burger
Next thing I wanted to do while in Las Vegas was to eat at a famous restaurant. I chose to eat at Gordon Ramsay Burger and it did not disappoint! I loved it and the food was amazing!! There was a wait when we arrived, but the line went relatively fast. The service was good, and I would recommend checking this place out when you are in Las Vegas.
Hours: 10am to 12am daily
Location: inside Planet Hollywood on the Las Vegas strip. Address: 3667 Las Vegas Blvd South
We took an Uber from our hotel to this restaurant and then walked the strip back to our hotel. Uber is super easy to use. Download the Uber app for details.
Buffet at the MGM Grand hotel
If you are looking for a variety of food that will satisfy all the kids, then you need to check out a Las Vegas buffet. The food options are endless, and you are sure to find something that everyone will eat. There are multiple buffets throughout the Las Vegas hotels, but we chose the one at the MGM Grand Hotel. Our service has always been good at this buffet.
Hours of buffet: They are open from 8am - 3pm, so get there early. There is always a huge line to get into the buffet so plan accordingly.
Cost: Price is $31.99 per adult and $17.99 for kids aged 5-11 Monday to Thursday and $37.99 Friday to Sunday for adults and $18.99 for kids 5-11. Kids under 5 eat free. (2024 prices). No reservations required.
Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower Restaurant is always fun to see and looks spectacular lit up at night. You will find this restaurant in the Paris Hotel located at 3655 Las Vegas Blvd S. Enjoy French dining for brunch or dinner and pair it with their large wine selection.
One day only must see and do list:
Stay at a hotel with an amazing pool and visit the casino (adults only)
Swim at the pools. Some hotels will allow you to use their pool for a fee if you are not staying at their hotel
FREE Las Vegas attractions:
Fountains at Bellagio
Take a picture at the famous Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign
Flamingo Wildlife Habitat and the Flamingo Hotel and Casino
Fremont Street Experience
Seven Magic Mountains (located 20 minutes from Las Vegas). Check out my blog post on visiting Seven Magic Mountains.
The Volcano at the Mirage hotel - fires every hour 8pm to 11pm
Circus show at Circus Circus hotel - daily performances
and so much more
Eat at the multiple diverse restaurants
Check out the buffets at each hotel for a multitude of food options
Shopping is available at each hotel but the high end luxury shopping is located at The Shoppes at Crystals. Hours: 9am - 10/11pm
Enjoy the rides such as the Big Apple Roller Coaster at New York New York for $19 per person or the Big Shot thrill ride at the Stratosphere Hotel.
Tour the city on The Big Bus Hop on Hop off sightseeing tour. Prices start at $55 for a day ticket.
and so much more……
Camping in Las Vegas at KOA
We have stayed at the Las Vegas KOA campground, at Sam’s Town to sleep. I made a reservation online right before we arrived and they had openings in June. They were closed when we arrived but someone showed up right away to greet us and check us in. We were parked right next to the restrooms which was really convenient. The restrooms were clean and they had a separate area for showers which were clean as well. This campground is 20 minutes from the Las Vegas strip.
Cost: varies depending on time of year and size of party. We paid around $67 for one night in June.
Amenities: electric sites, cement pads, pool, hot tub/sauna, laundry $, propane $, cable TV, free WiFi, community BBQ area, restrooms, hot showers
Laundry cost was $1.50 per washer and $1.50 per dryer. The machines were coin operated. They also have a pool next to the laundry room which my kids took advantage of while our laundry was washing/drying. There were also restrooms in the pool area. (2021 prices)
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We enjoy visiting Las Vegas as there is so much to do that allows us to see something different each time. Take time to snap a selfie next to an iconic landmark, shop at some world class shopping, seek entertainment at the multiple shows, and walk the famous Las Vegas Strip for an unforgettable time in the city that never sleeps. This post gives you an idea of what you can do in one day in Las Vegas with kids. With multiple options of FREE things to do, you could spend more than one day exploring the city.
What is your favorite thing to do in Las Vegas with kids? Comment below.
Enjoy the journey,
Meet the author: Jennifer
I am a girl who loves to travel and enjoys sharing expert family travel advice. I am a content creator and influencer on Instagram with years of travel experience and provide readers with advice, tips, and details on adventurous family travel and tips on saving money while boondocking or traveling across the US.
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