Golden oldies: grown-up fun for older folks in Las Vegas

Older visitors to Las Vegas might reasonably balk at some of the more high altitude/high octane Strip attractions. After all, octogenarians and rooftop roller coasters don’t often mix. But you’re never too old for a heart-pumping helicopter ride, right? Hands down one of the best ways to experience the Strip’s famous neon lights, the 15-minute sunset trip takes passengers high above Sin City, affording quite excellent bird’s-eye views of iconic Las Vegas attractions including the dancing Bellagio fountains, replica Eiffel Tower and ever-changing exterior of the Sphere. 

But choppers ain’t the only way to experience the Strip. You might prefer instead to hop on the Big Bus, which operates both daytime and after-dark services. The day tour is designed to let you hop on and off at Strip and Downtown attractions as you please, while the night tour is a continuous two-hour circuit that takes in the best of the city’s neon-lit casinos, hotels and other oversized Strip highlights.

Prefer to be the master of your own destiny? Rent a cute two-seater yellow GoCar for the hour: enough time to travel the length of the trip – from the ‘Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign’ to the soaring STRAT – while waving regally at curious pedestrians as you cruise on by.

Sure, the kids probably won't thank you for gambling away their inheritance. But you only live once, so don’t miss the chance to hit up the roulette tables and one-armed bandits when in the planet’s betting capital. Seriously though, can you even say you’ve been to Las Vegas without having even just one or two rolls of the dice in these great cavernous money pits? No, dear reader, you cannot. Try high rollers like Caesars Palace and the Venetian for old-school Rat Pack-style glamor, or opt for less showy Downtown and off-Strip joints like the iconic Golden Nugget on Fremont Street and low-key Red Rock Casino with its splendid mountain views.

Check out our guide to all the best casinos in Las Vegas.

The Las Vegas High Roller is an absolute behemoth. Soaring 550 feet over the Strip, it’s one of the tallest observation wheels on the planet, second only to the ridiculously lofty Ain Dubai. The views from up top are, as you might imagine, nothing short of extraordinary, spanning the glitz and glamor of The Strip, Downtown Vegas, and the rugged martian landscapes of the rust-red Mojave Desert beyond. 

Everyone knows about the Bellagio fountains, those great skyscraping geysers that wow with their balletic displays on the daily. But there’s more to this Strip stalwart than a few jets of water. Did you know, for example, that the Bellagio also boasts a botanical garden and an art gallery among its many attractions? Well, now you do. 

Pop by to catch the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art’s latest showstoppers; past exhibitions here have celebrated giants of 20th-century art including Warhol, Lichtenstein and Picasso. The Conservatory & Botanical Gardens is no less impressive, thanks to colorful displays of flamboyant floristry that will make your eyes pop. Exhibits change with the seasons, with the OTT December holiday spectacular being a gloriously camp annual highlight.

Just because you’re not (quite) old enough to remember Prohibition, doesn’t mean you won’t get a kick out of the marvelous Mob Museum in Downtown Las Vegas. Come over all Al Capone as you try your hand at the firearms training simulator and check out the ugly mugs that make up the museum’s rogue’s gallery of old-school gangsters. There’s even a subterranean speakeasy serving authentic Prohibition-Era cocktails. Enter through the secret door in the parking lot, keeping your eyes peeled for dodgy fedora-wearing gentlemen lurking in the shadows…

Unlike you, the exhibits at this massive al fresco museum have served their useful purpose and have been consigned to the retirement home. But the Neon Museum has given these old-timers a whole new lease of life, as evidenced by their popularity in the many hundreds of Instagram reels uploaded here by awestruck sightseers every week. Seek out classic old-school signage including leading lights from the Hard Rock Cafe, Sassy Sally’s, Moulin Rouge and the Stardust. You can visit any time of day and late into the evening, but the smart money’s on after-dark visits to see the signs in all their kaleidoscopic neon-lit glory.

Everything about Las Vegas is supersized, from the mega hotels and casinos to the burgers. Don’t be fooled by what may look to the naked eye like short walking distances: they’re often much further than they appear, meaning older folks with mobility issues should make maximum use of public transport systems including the Las Vegas Monorail, The Deuce and the Downtown Loop to get from A to B comfortably.

Likewise, there are several oversized attractions beyond the neon lights of Sin City, way out in the wild Mojave Desert. We’re talking epic road trips to the picturesque South Rim of the Grand Canyon, a trundle to the masterpiece of 20th-century engineering that is the Hoover Dam, or a hike through to the soaring cacti and sandstone stacks of Red Rock Canyon. Every one of these awesome attractions could be the dictionary definition of the phrase ‘bucket-list experience’. 

Discover more things to do outside Las Vegas here.

It will come as little surprise to anyone who has been paying the slightest bit of attention that Vegas really knows how to put on a show. There are dozens of world-class performances to choose from here, with something to suit all ages and tastes. Want to see household names performing their greatest hits in concert? Try the MGM Grand, the Colosseum at Caesars Palace or relative newcomer Sphere at the Venetian. Between them, these legendary venues have hosted the likes of U2, Mariah, Elton, Adele and Frank Sinatra. There are also plenty of aerial acrobatics, thanks to Cirque du Soleil shows at venues across town, plus magic shows, tribute acts and more. Heck, you can even check out those little blue drumming dudes (no, not The Smurfs) at the Luxor, where the Blue Man Group has been in residence since 2015.

Better yet, plenty of productions run matinee performances meaning that, if you’re the type who likes to be tucked up in bed with a hot cocoa by 9PM, there’s a show for you, too.