Thanksgiving in Las Vegas – things to do in November

With so many people choosing today to stay home with family today, it's the Las Vegas tourist's time to shine. Check which attractions are open (not all will be) and plan an itinerary that ticks off some of the most popular. Today, for example, is perhaps the best day to mosey down to Madame Tussauds. Because, sure, you can get up close to Beyoncé, Kourtney Kardashian, Elvis and Iron Man here any old time, but rarely will you get to do so with so little waiting time, meaning you can nab those essential Miley and Riri selfies, sink Wolf Pack Shots in the Hangover Movie Bar and buy a wax cast of your own fair hand before moving swiftly on to the next big Vegas bucket-lister.

The Las Vegas Big Bus doesn't operate on Thanksgiving (fear not, it will be back tomorrow), but you should take advantage of reduced Thanksgiving Day traffic to ride the Deuce bus along the Strip – pausing for snaps at the iconic 'Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas' sign (professional photo shoot for the win) and catching dancing fountains at the Bellagio and the Wynn's Lake of Dreams. The Downtown Loop shuttle operates a reduced service on Thanksgiving, ferrying you (for free!) to multiple cool attractions, many of which are open and (at the risk of laboring the point) less busy than usual today. We're talking the Fremont Street Experience, the mighty Mob Museum, and the old-school signage boneyard that is the Neon Museum, which is particularly spellbinding (for fairly obvious reasons) after sundown.

Pro-tip: the Las Vegas pass from Go City bags you discounted entry to more than 50 tours, attractions and museums across Sin City, many of which operate on Thanksgiving. 

If you're going to indulge in a spot of retail therapy, it may as well be in Las Vegas and it may as well be on Black Friday, when sales are at their absolute peak. Now, Vegas ain't short of a mega-mall of six, with shopping options that run the gamut from replica's of St Mark's Square in Venice (complete with gondolas) to hangar-sized outlet malls and hipper-than-thou Downtown container parks. Take a deep dive into our pick of some of the best in town, then – credit cards primed for action – fill your boots, and maybe even buy several new pairs while you're about it.

Yes, things are starting to feel a little busier in Sin City today, but don't let that put you off wielding your Las Vegas pass to take in another handful of top-tier attractions. If you're in the vicinity of the LINQ Promenade, consider riding the High Roller Observation Wheel. Soaring to a knee-knocking 500 feet above terra firma, it's the tallest wheel of its kind in the Western Hemisphere and, unsurprisingly, promises knockout views across the Vegas skyline to those red-tinged deserts beyond. Back on the ground, mosey along to Favorite Bistro or Sweet Sin, where Las Vegas pass holders have $$ to spend. 

The weekend starts here or, in Vegas parlance... it's shoooowtime! The nightlife here is of course legendary. Music legends who have held Vegas residences include Cher, Mariah, Liberace, Sinatra, Madonna, Adele and Elton, so yeah, we're talking top-tier entertainment. Catch touring musicians and world-class DJs at the likes of Caesars and the MGM Grand, or go for comedy, conjuring and burlesque at the STRAT, Jimmy Kimmel's Comedy Club, Flamingo and others. It should go without saying that discounted access to mutiple Vegas shows is included with the Go City attractions pass. Take your pick from Cirque du Soleil at the MGM Grand and New York-New York, ROUGE burlesque at the STRAT, Downtown comedy, a Bee Gees tribute show and much more!
 

By Saturday, Vegas will be noticably more busy than it was two days ago on Thanksgiving. In other words: a great time to skip town and take in one of the many wonders you can reach on a day trip. You'll find several such excursions bundled with the Las Vegas pass of which, natch, the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam are two of the most sought-after.

Board the coach for the epic round-trip to Hoover Dam, where the chance to get up close to one of the 20th century's greatest engineering feats is just too good to resist. You'll enjoy unparalleled views from the Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, which straddles the Colorado River and Black Canyon, some 905 feet above terra firma.

The road trip out to the Grand Canyon takes you to the scenic South Rim of the planet's most gorgeous gorge, a natural wonder of fantastical rock formations, colorful crevasses and beautiful wildflowers. Drink it all in on a guided stroll from Mather Point to Yavapai Point.

Back in Vegas, spend your last evening in town ogling a selection of the city's festive holiday displays, each sure to give your Insta reels a seriously sparkly upgrade. First up, the Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Garden will usually have had its seasonal makeover by now, so expect eye-popping decorations fashioned from flowers, plus supersize displays starring glittery polar bears, soccer ball-sized baubles, a skyscraping Christmas tree and more colored lights than you can possibly count. Bonus: entry to this enchanting botanical extravaganza is completely free!

Want more? Oh, go on then. Hit up the Cactus Garden in the grounds of the Ethel M Chocolate Factory for three acres of bristly beauties bedecked with festive lights, baubles and trinkets. There's even a family of animatronic reindeer. And, because it would almost be rude not to, why not consider combining with a decadent chocolate-tasting experience while you're there? By the way, the Ethel M Cactus Garden is also free to enter.

Alternatively, the Magical Forest at Opportunity Village is also dressed in its festive finery at this time of year. Kids (and grown-ups) of all ages won't fail to be charmed by this woody winter wonderland, where a Christmassy carousel, Forest Express train rides and funnel cakes are sure to keep the vibe energetic.