Things to do in Las Vegas When It's Hot Outside

UPDATED JULY 2024By <a href="#author-bio">Stuart Bak</a>
Silhouette of man drinking water on a hot day

It’s built slap bang in the middle of one of the planet’s hottest deserts, so it should come as no surprise that Las Vegas can get uncomfortably warm from time to time. Indeed, it’s not uncommon to experience triple-digit days between June and September, when the mercury hits a sweltering 100°F on the regular and has even been known to top out at an earth-scorching 115°F. 

So yeah, Sin City simply sizzles in summer. But fear not: there are plenty of ways to beat the heat in Las Vegas, from lazy rivers and frozen cocktails to ice rooms and air-conditioned mega malls. Here’s our guide to the best things to do in Las Vegas when it’s hot outside.

Ice Ice Baby

Woman holding ice cream cones designed to look like animals

So you’ve donned your Saturn-sized sun hat, slathered on the sunscreen and kept well hydrated with chilled water, but you’re still overheating like a faulty gasket. Good news: Las Vegas caters for precisely this issue and you never have to walk far before stumbling upon some fine purveyor of frozen drinks, extravagant ice creams, boozy popsicles or other thirst-slaking concoctions. Hit up Sticks and Shakes on the Strip for a quite dizzying selection of gelato and milkshakes (literally hundreds of flavor combos available), or head to the colorful Best Friend bar at Park MGM for some of the best spiked slushies in town. The signature CrazyShakes at Black Tap in the Venetian – spectacular frozen confections topped with candy, cookies and whole slabs of cake – are pure Las Vegas. Dive in!

Pool the Other One

Swimming pools at the Bellagio resort in Las Vegas

Huge aquatic playgrounds abound in Sin City, where man made beaches, staggeringly large swimming pools, VIP cabanas, poolside cabanas and servers that could be models are de rigueur. And let’s face it, floating down a lazy river, pina colada in hand, is probably just about all you’re good for in this heat anyway, right? The Bellagio, Mandalay Bay, the MGM Grand… take your pick. The modestly monikered Garden of the Gods at Caesars comes complete with epic Romanesque columns, statues and fountains, as well as a whopping SEVEN pools. Meanwhile over at the Golden Nugget, you can ride a water slide right through the middle of a 200,000-gallon shark tank. Only in Vegas. 

Get Wet and Wild

Kid at a water park

More water-based activities await at Cowabunga Canyon Waterpark, a bumper 40-acre attraction that presents dozens of inventive ways to cool off in the hot Las Vegas sun. We’re talking high-octane water slides with names like the Ricochet Racer and Boomer Wrangler, the massive Cadillac Shores wave pool, the Piñata Falls play area (complete with refreshing 1,100-liter tipping bucket), and the thousand-foot-long Cactus Creek lazy river. A fine way to keep the kids entertained (and cool) all at the same time.

Get Outta Town!

Mount Charleston in Nevada.

Temperatures on majestic Mount Charleston in Clark County tend to be around 20-30 degrees lower than in the city during summer, making this fine natural wonder a great choice for escaping the Las Vegas heat. The scenic drive northwest out of Sin City is worth the journey in itself, as the otherworldly landscape transforms from the rust reds and arid heat of the desert floor to a cooler alpine environment. This lush wilderness, all pine forests, wildflower meadows and crashing waterfalls, offers a wide range of hiking opportunities, from canyons to high summits. Steel yourself for the 16-hour round-trip ramble to Charleston Peak, 11,916 feet up, where intrepid explorers are rewarded with life-affirming views of Death Valley, the Sierra Nevada, and Las Vegas itself. 

Splash the Cash

Neon casino sign in Las Vegas

It goes without saying that Las Vegas is no slouch when it comes to indoor entertainment. Casinos, malls, bars, buses: every square inch of Sin City real estate is air-conditioned to within an inch of its life, the welcoming Arctic blast that greets you in every single doorway providing the most straightforward solution available to beating the desert heat. And, here in the world’s entertainment capital, it’s near-impossible to run out of fun ways to occupy yourself. Where, then, to begin? You could try your luck in any one of dozens of Vegas casinos: keep your cool at the Cosmopolitan’s craps tables, go for gold at the old-school Golden Nugget downtown, play hundreds of slots at the STRAT, and recreate your favorite scenes from The Hangover at Caesars Palace.

A gondolier at the Venetian resort in Las Vegas

Assuming you haven’t just bankrupted yourself at blackjack, you might also consider taking yourself off to one of the city’s mega malls. These great cavernous cathedrals to capitalism are lovely and cool inside, meaning the only thing at risk of going into meltdown is your credit card. Try window-shopping the Venetian’s upscale Grand Canal Shoppes, where a gondola ride on the replica of Venice’s Grand Canal may be just enough to distract you from that eye-wateringly expensive Dior choker you’ve been coveting.

Cool Cultural Highlights

Tourists at the 'Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas' sign

Thankfully there are plenty of alternative indoor attractions that are far less likely to break the bank. Ride the (fully air-conditioned) Deuce bus for a cost-effective way of seeing some of the Strip’s highlights, including the Bellagio fountains, the Mirage volcano and the iconic ‘Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas’ sign. Or drop by one or two of Sin City’s rather awesome museums: the Pinball Hall of Fame contains more than 150 fully operational old-school arcade classics, while The Mob Museum charts the history of organized crime in the USA and – bonus alert! – comes with its own with Prohibition-style subterranean speakeasy, serving real cocktails.

Then there’s the cooling effects of the lush vegetation in the Bellagio’s eye-popping Conservatory & Botanical Gardens. Or the fantastical, futuristic worlds to be found inside Area15 and the epic Las Vegas Sphere, both, of course, air-conned up to the hilt.

Chill Out!

A marmot in the snow

Still too hot? You need to get yourself over to the opulent Qua Baths & Spa at Caesars Palace. Inside the Arctic Ice Room, the mercury drops to a teeth-chattering 55°F – not quite cold enough for snow in the real world, but this is the surreal world of Las Vegas, baby, so snow you shall have nevertheless. There’s also ice to rub on your skin should you feel inclined to do so. Believe us when we say it won’t be long before you’re begging for some of that circulation-reviving 100-degree outdoor heat!

Save on attractions, tours and activities in Las Vegas

Save on admission to Las Vegas attractions with Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram for the latest top tips and attraction info.

Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak
Freelance travel writer

Stu caught the travel bug at an early age, thanks to childhood road trips to the south of France squeezed into the back of a Ford Cortina with two brothers and a Sony Walkman. Now a freelance writer living on the Norfolk coast, Stu has produced content for travel giants including Frommer’s, British Airways, Expedia, Mr & Mrs Smith, and now Go City. His most memorable travel experiences include drinking kava with the locals in Fiji and pranging a taxi driver’s car in the Honduran capital.

Continue reading

The Grand Canyon
Blog

Things to do Outside Las Vegas City

No-one ever said that someone who is tired of Las Vegas is tired of life. And that’s because, quite frankly, Sin City can be *exhausting*: the 24-hour hustle and bustle; that constant neon glare; all those glitzy casinos, shows, restaurants, pools and rooftop bars vying for your attention; the overwhelming chaos of the Strip. It’s no surprise that, after a couple of days of high rolling, frazzled travelers often find themselves ready to recharge. The good news is that there are plenty of great things to do outside Las Vegas city. Hey, just because it’s in the middle of a desert doesn’t mean there aren’t dozens of eye-popping natural (oh ok, and man-made) attractions to discover, many within an hour of the Strip. Indeed, its desert location is what makes it such a fine destination for out-of-town excursions. The best of both worlds, if you will. So saddle up and join us on our rundown of some of the best day trips from Las Vegas, including: The Grand Canyon Hoover Dam and Lake Mead Seven Magic Mountains Red Rock Canyon Mount Charleston The Grand Canyon There are a number of ways to experience the Grand Canyon. Indeed, you may well be able to pap it from your flight into town (assuming you’re sat on the right side of the plane, that is). But can you really say you’ve ‘done’ the Grand Canyon if you haven’t set foot in it? No, dear reader, you cannot. So go on: book yourself a thrilling helicopter ride for spectacular (and close-up) aerial views as you cruise over the south or west rims of this epic natural wonder, before touching down among its iconic rust-red rocks and hardy desert wildflowers. You’ll have plenty of time for a wander and/or to stuff your camera roll full with enough selfies to fill your Insta feed for a year. Many operators also offer bolt-on experiences like champagne picnics and birthday celebrations for those ultimate #humblebrag souvenir snaps. The sunset ride back into Vegas ain’t too shabby either, as you soar over the neon-lit Strip against a backdrop of blazing desert skies. Magical. Seven Magic Mountains You could be forgiven for thinking you’ve been hitting the mescal too hard when you first lay eyes on the Seven Magic Mountains, a trippy Mojave Desert art installation by Swiss sculptor Ugo Rondinone, around 30 minutes south of Las Vegas. The sculpture consists of seven gravity-defying towers of boulders, some teetering as high as 35 feet tall! But that’s not all: these desert totems are painted in a kaleidoscope of colors – sky blue, mint green, flamingo pink – making for quite the eye-popping sight against those big azure desert skies. The installation is visible from Interstate 15, but is far more impressive up close. Take a good pair of walking boots and get there early to beat the crowds. Spring Mountains National Recreation Area You probably didn’t come to Las Vegas expecting snow. But snow is what you can have on a trip out to the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area, or simply Mount Charleston as the locals know it. This is one of the (ahem) coolest things to do outside Las Vegas city limits, and is only about an hour north of the Strip. Temperatures here tend to run around 20-30 degrees lower than the city, making this fine natural wonder and Mount Charleston, its frequently snow-capped star, an excellent choice for escaping the Las Vegas heat. The scenic drive out of town is impressive enough in its own right, as the landscape transforms from those heat-hazed Martian reds to a coole, greener alpine environment. But the park’s lush wilderness, all pine forests and crashing waterfalls, is nothing short of spectacular.  There’s a vast variety of hiking opportunities here, and it’s also where you can spot gnarly bristlecone pines, among the most ancient living trees on the planet, some of them many thousands of years old. Take the relatively unchallenging Bristlecone Loop, or steel yourself for a 16-hour round-trip ramble to Charleston Peak, nearly 12,000 feet up in the clouds, where views, on clear days, of Death Valley, the Sierra Nevada, and Las Vegas, provide quite the stunning reward. Red Rock Canyon There’s a variety of ways you can enjoy the epic natural wonder that is Red Rock Canyon: 200,000 prehistoric acres of rust-colored sandstone stacks and cacti-crammed valleys. The canyon’s location just a few miles west of downtown makes it one of the easiest things to do outside Las Vegas. Rent a pink Cadillac and cruise there in less than half an hour (top down and ‘Viva Las Vegas’ blasting out at maximum volume, natch). There’s a scenic 13-mile driving loop, from which it's possible to access most of the hiking trails, from short casual rambles to steep, glute-straining ascents. You can even book guided half- or full-day horseback hacks through this extraordinary wild landscape, keeping peepers peeled (and camera at the ready) for hidden waterfalls, ancient Native American petroglyphs, and the twitching ears of curious jackrabbits along the way. Check out some of the hiking trails here. Hoover Dam and Lake Mead The Hoover Dam is one of those feats of early 20th-century engineering and ingenuity that will leave your jaw on the floor from the moment you set eyes on it. The dam’s shapely curves aren’t just there to look good either: it’s an arch-gravity dam, which means the pressure of the water against its specific curvature actually makes it stronger. Impressive. As with most out-of-town Vegas attractions, there’s a whole menu of ways to visit the Hoover Dam and its reservoir (the biggest in the United States, fact fans), Lake Mead, where its possible to go boating, swimming, water skiing and more. You could take a helicopter ride for aerial views, or get there by coach and set foot on the thing, taking in panoramic views from the Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge some 905 feet above the Colorado River. The latter is available with the Go City Las Vegas attractions pass, which includes access to dozens more Sin City bucket-listers for one money-saving price. Check it out here. Save on Tours, Attractions and Activities in Las Vegas  Save on admission to Las Vegas attractions with Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram for the latest top tips and attraction info.
Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak
Woman wearing sunglasses and a party hat
Blog

Things to do in Las Vegas for a Birthday

Birthdays are precious things, a rare opportunity to make a whole day all about you. And, unless you’re the British monarch, you’ll only get to be this self-indulgent once every 365.25 days, a total of maybe 80-90 times in your lifetime.  Want to smash your special day right out of the park? There’s perhaps no better place to do so than Las Vegas, the hedonistic neon-lit Nevada playground that’s widely considered to be the entertainment capital of the world. Is Vegas fun for a birthday? Heck, you might as well ask if the Pope is a Catholic. Read on for our fun-packed guide to all the best things to do in Las Vegas for your birthday, including adrenalin-fueled activities, spectacular spa days, exciting live extravaganzas and, of course, a spot of birthday roulette. Las Vegas Birthday Ideas #1: Cake! Everything about Sin City feels supersized, technicolored and, well, magnificently and flamboyantly OTT. And the cakes in Vegas are no exception. There are dozens of bakeries on and around the Strip. Follow your nose for delectable French fancies at Patisserie Manon, Délices Gourmand, and Bouchon Bakery at The Venetian. Or pick up a face-sized wedge of the good stuff at the self-explanatory Cheesecake Baker, where the kaleidoscope of flavor options includes tiramisu, matcha, butterscotch and black forest. Rainbows of freshly baked doughnuts are the order of the day at Pinkbox and there are TV-famous gateaux to be had at Freed’s. Heck, it’s your birthday. Go wild, get sinful, and try 'em all! Las Vegas Birthday Ideas #2: Thrills and Spills Adrenalin junkies rejoice! Las Vegas is where it’s at for high-octane birthday adventures. It doesn’t matter how old you are: the appropriately named X-Scream roller coaster which teeter-totters over the edge of the STRAT hotel some 866 feet above the Strip will make you feel gloriously intensely alive. Likewise the Big Shot, which fires riders straight up the STRAT’s mast to a dizzying 1,081 feet above terra firma. For something (marginally) less terrifying, hit up the SlotZilla zipline at the Fremont Street Experience downtown, or head out on a skydive over the Strip or Grand Canyon. Top tip: all of these experiences are best enjoyed before cake, rather than immediately after, for fairly obvious reasons. Las Vegas Birthday Ideas #3: Next-Level Pampering The proliferation of mega-resorts in Las Vegas means football-pitch-sized spa centers are par for the course. Make like an emperor or empress and spend your day fully horizontal in the treatment rooms, snowy Arctic ice zone and balmy Roman baths at Qua Baths & Spa in Caesars Palace, where a 24-karat gold collagen facial massage is just about as decadent as it gets. Or mosey on down to the distinctly 21st-century Spa at Wynn, where the opulent surroundings and broad range of treatments have earned a coveted Forbes 5-star award. Meanwhile, the simultaneous head-and-foot Euphoria massage in The Spa at Encore has to be experienced to be believed.  Las Vegas Birthday Ideas #4: Pink Jeep Tour It’s your birthday, so you’ll want to kick back, put your feet up and make someone else do all the hard work. Which is where Pink Jeep Tours come in. All you have to do is choose your adventure – think in-depth guided drives along the Strip, cruises to Red Rock Canyon, and even 10-hour round-trips to Badwater Basin in Death Valley – climb into the titular shocking-pink 4WD and let your driver take up the slack, leaving you to soak up all the very best of Las Vegas and beyond without lifting a finger. Las Vegas Birthday Ideas #5: Roll the Dice You’re in Vegas and it’s your birthday. Frankly it would be rude not to try your luck in one of the dozens of casinos for which Sin City is famous. Get your glam on at some of the glitziest addresses on the Strip. We’re talking winning streaks at The Wynn, blackjack and bubbly at the Bellagio, and poker in Paris. Or go old school Vegas at Caesars Palace, the Golden Nugget and the Fremont. Top tip: many casinos, including the Wynn, Excalibur, Luxor and MGM Grand, offer free casino credit on your birthday. So grab your ID, stake your claim, and get ready to roll! Las Vegas Birthday Ideas #6: Buy Yourself a Birthday Gift Vegas’s arsenal of credit card-melting activities isn’t just limited to gambling, dining and entertainment you know. No! There’s world-class shopping to be had too, much of it with eye-watering Vegas price tags to match. But, hey, it’s ya birthday, so get yourself over to The Venetian, where the Grand Canal Shoppes boast some of the most luxurious brands in town, and gondola rides along the replica of Venice’s Grand Canal might just be exciting enough to distract you from that four-figure designer watch you’ve been ogling… Las Vegas Birthday Ideas #7: The Grand Canyon Outdoor types will struggle to resist the lure of the Grand Canyon, just a short and spectacular helicopter or plane ride out of Las Vegas (or a long and rather less wow coach trip). For our money, helicopter rides are the best value, affording quite remarkable panoramas and the flexibility to touch down among the canyon's rust-red rocks and wildflowers for bolt-on champagne picnics and other special birthday experiences. The sunset ride back along the Strip against flaming orange and bruised purple skies, as the city lights up with its trademark neon glow, is the kind of unforgettable experience of which Las Vegas birthday dreams are made. Las Vegas Birthday Ideas #8: Showtime! Fancy taking in a show? You’re spolit for choice in Vegas. Hit up the legendary Colosseum at Caesars Palace to experience some of the planet’s biggest music and entertainment stars up close (Cher, Mariah, Elton, Celine and Adele have all had residencies here), or catch one of the ubiquitous Cirque du Soleil spectaculars at major hotels across town. Then there’s the Blue Man Group at the Luxor and countless other live spectaculars, including magic shows, musicals, comedy, cabaret and more up and down the Strip and beyond. Fill your birthday boots! Save on attractions in Las Vegas  Save on admission to Las Vegas attractions with Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram for the latest top tips and attraction info.
Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak

Have a 5% discount, on us!

Sign up to our newsletter and receive exclusive discounts, trip inspiration and attraction updates straight to your inbox.

Thick check Icon