Things to do in Las Vegas in the morning

Morning is a great time to explore the eye-popping attractions that line the legendary Las Vegas Strip, when temperatures are still relatively cool and the streets less busy. Spot iconic Vegas landmarks like the Paris resort’s Eiffel Tower, the Luxor pyramid and sphinx and, of course, that most essential of selfie spots: the ‘Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas’ road sign. Note, however, that you’ll have to wait a little later in the day to catch the dancing Bellagio fountains and mad ‘Fall of Atlantis’ animatronics at Caesars Palace, which generally don’t kick off until afternoon or early evening. 

Don’t forget to wear comfortable shoes – end-to-end, the Strip spans some 4.2 miles, stretching all the way from the ‘Welcome’ sign to the STRAT at its northern end, only the tallest freestanding tower in the United States. You could of course also travel its length in rather more style – by jumping on the hop-on hop-off Big Bus, or by renting your own cute set of wheels in the shape of a zippy two-seater GoCar.

Sin City’s brunch culture is the stuff of legend. Here’s where you can feast like a Roman emperor at Caesars Palace’s aptly named Bacchanal Buffet, come over all ooh-la-la with Parisian pastries at Mon Ami Gabi bistro overlooking the Bellagio Fountains, or eat ‘til you pop at the Cosmopolitan’s all-day Wicked Spoon brunch buffet. Indeed, the possibilities for morning feasting in Vegas are pretty much endless, so there’s bound to be a brunch spot that suits your tastes, be that super-sized seafood spreads, eggs every which way, or bottomless bloody marys.

Located just a short drive west of Downtown, the epic Red Rock Canyon is some 200,000 acres of dust-blown Mojave Desert valleys, rust-colored sandstone stacks, towering cacti, and shy gray foxes. Rent a Cadillac and cruise the scenic 13-mile Red Rock loop with the top down. There’s plenty to see and do along the way, with multiple marked hiking trails if you fancy taking a closer look. Don’t miss the colorful cliffs and crevasses of the Calico Hills, the joshua trees, cholla cacti and panoramic views of La Madre Mountain along the easy Moenkopi Loop, and the ancient works of Native American art etched into the rock at the Petroglyph Wall near Willow Springs.

Discover more things to do outside Las Vegas here.

Like most major Vegas attractions, the Downtown district is best experienced pre-noon before the tourist crowds arrive. Here’s where to get a flavor of vintage Vegas, thanks to old-school icons like the Golden Nugget casino and Neonopolis wedding chapel where you can, should the mood take you, be wed by Elvis. Or indeed Gene Simmons. Explore the fantastical Fremont Street Experience, with its vast vaulted video-screen canopy, and mosey down to the Mob Museum, where you’re invited to bust out your best Capone impersonations as you immerse in Sin City’s shady past via firearms training simulators, a rogues’ gallery of Vegas mob ‘faces’, and a bona fide speakeasy serving up Prohibition-style cocktails (no, it's not too early in the day!).

Pro-tip: admission to the Mob Museum, a walking tour of historic Fremont Street and many more top Vegas attractions like the High Roller, Madame Tussauds, and Cirque du Soleil stage shows are included with a Las Vegas sightseeing pass from Go City. 

Read our full guide to things to do in Downtown Las Vegas here.

The Las Vegas Strip has a pool scene like no other place on Earth – think vast aquatic playgrounds complete with acres of artificial made beaches, ocean-sized wave pools, lazy rivers that rival the Amazon for length, and VIP cabanas with personal butler service. The Garden of the Gods at Caesars Palace is suitably decadent, with soaring Romanesque columns, sky-high fountains and a whopping seven pools. 

Glitzy Mandalay Bay is no shrinking violet either, thanks to an 11-acre oasis that boasts a sandy beach and some of the best poolside people-watching opportunities in town. Then there are the Venetian’s luxurious lagoons and dolce vita, the stunning Strip views from the Cosmopolitan’s rooftop pool, and the Mediterranean-style courtyards at the Bellagio. But for our money it’s all about Downtown’s legendary Golden Nugget: the only place in Vegas where you can ride a water slide right through the center of a 200,000-gallon shark aquarium. Fin-tastic!

This one’s a little bit of a cheat, because the High Roller doesn’t actually start rolling until midday. But here’s the thing: getting there for opening time is your best chance of avoiding long lines that will only get longer and longer as the day progresses, and particularly at sundown and after nightfall. The daytime views from atop this 550-foot high behemoth (currently second-tallest observation wheel in the world after the Ain Dubai, fact fans) are  nothing short of extraordinary, taking in the glitz and glamor of The Strip, Downtown Las Vegas, and the lakes and mountains of the Mojave Desert’s rust-red valleys beyond.

The Seven Magic Mountains – an eye-popping desert art installation by Swiss sculptor Ugo Rondinone – is best visited in the early morning for a number of reasons: 1. The earlier you go, the greater your chance of photobomb-free selfies. 2. Sunrise over these kaleidoscopic towers of stacked boulders – all cactus greens, cotton candy pinks and sherbet oranges – is a life-affirming sight to behold. 3. At this hour you may still have a mighty mescal hangover, making the whole experience even more trippy than usual. You’ll find the Seven Magic Mountains around 30 minutes south of Las Vegas, off Interstate 15.

Just because you can doesn’t mean you should. But this is Vegas baby, where you can play blackjack, Texas hold ‘em, craps and slots at any hour of the day or night. So why not at 5AM? Play high stakes roulette in the super-glam surroundings of the Wynn or Bellagio, or put on your best poker face at perennial faves like Caesars Palace (where you can of course also recreate your favorite scenes from The Hangover movie). Play slots (and ride the rooftop roller coaster) at the STRAT or make like an old-school mobster beneath the neon lights of the Golden Nugget. And all before breakfast.

Read our guide to the best casinos in Las Vegas here.