Las Vegas: A Vacation Destination for Families
TouringPlans is pleased to welcome guest author Kelly Ybarra. Kelly is a Destination Specialist with the TouringPlans Travel Agency.
When you think of family vacation destinations, Las Vegas may not immediately come to mind. But Las Vegas is such a fun place to visit with kids of any age! There is so much fun to be had by all. Here is a look inside our family’s recent Vegas trip with two kids, ages 10 and 5.
For starters, the rooms at some of the resorts are really fun for kids. We stayed at the Palazzo in a Luxury King Suite – which is the most basic room available to book. It has a split set up with a lower living area that has a double sleeper sofa and an upper bedroom area with a king bed. The restroom has a walk-in shower and a stand alone large tub. Our kids loved that you could watch TV while taking a bath or shower!
We spent some time on the Strip as well as some time exploring off the Strip. We started our trip with a stop at the Hoover Dam. My 10 year old thought this was amazing! He is very into monuments and history so it was right up his alley. Unfortunately due to COVID the tours were not running. I did some reading up on what was typically available and I am certain they would have added to the experience, but it was still memorable even without. Depending on when you visit it can be extremely hot so make sure to bring some water and even personal fans. They do have vending machines with water available right in the parking area and some extra large cooling fans set up too.
A must stop for our football-loving family was Allegiant Stadium. We are not Raiders fans, but they did an amazing job with this stadium and it was a fun visit. They offer tours of the stadium and locker room, and you even get to go on the field. We did not get to experience this as the tours started the week after we were there, but we did visit the pro shop. It is huge and a lot of fun to explore!
Now for some fun stops for kids on the Strip! Just walking through the hotels is enough to keep everyone entertained! There are so many fun little things in each resort that you could easily spend a few days making your way down the Strip. I wish we had spent a couple extra days doing just this. We did visit several hotels and all the unique architecture and designs in each were so exciting for my two kids. My daughter loved Paris and the Eiffel Tower and my son loved walking through the casinos. You could take a Gondola ride at the Venetian, ride a Roller Coaster at New York, play in the Fun Dungeon Arcade at the Excalibur, or experience the Skypod & Observation deck at the Strat. There are so many more fun options at each hotel.
One of the things that Vegas is so well known for is their shows, and there are plenty to choose from that are appropriate for kids of all ages. We looked at several options and selected the Blue Man Group. Both my son and daughter LOVED it! The mix of comedy, music, audience interaction, and all around good fun family entertainment was a hit for all of us! I highly recommend this show for any families.
Good food and fun dining atmosphere is another popular experience in Vegas. Reservations are definitely recommended if there are particular restaurants that you are interested in, most restaurants offer a standby line as well. We opted for this since we really didn’t have any set plans for this trip other than the tickets for the Blue Man Group.
Our first night we went to the shops and dining floor of our hotel and walked around for a bit before deciding where to eat. We selected a restaurant and joined the standby queue. We were the second family in line and were seated within 20 minutes. The kids enjoyed trying some new fun foods but mostly they loved the seating of our table. We had 3 small round bistro style tables with a love seat and 2 over sized comfy chairs. The kids sat on the loveseat and they each had their own table and they thought that was awesome! It’s the little things.
Another night we opted for a fun sports restaurant setting which could not have been more perfect for my sports-obsessed son. He was able to watch the NBA finals which meant we could hang out longer and not have to rush back so he could catch the end of the game! We also had lunch at one restaurant where they seated you like normal, and again we had a loveseat and 2 comfy chairs for our table. At this restaurant there was a food truck set up inside the restaurant and you went up to the food truck and ordered your meal. We still had a waitress that served us our drinks and our meal. It was a fun twist on the traditional restaurant and traditional food truck experience.
We also took a drive to visit the Grand Canyon West for 1 night. About a 2.5 hour drive from Vegas, this was an unbelievable experience. We spent the night at the Grand Canyon West Ranch and it was perfect. There are about 30 or so small cabins at the ranch and they all have a porch on the front that overlooks the Grand Canyon. Hiking trails at the ranch provided the most perfect sunset experience and we also all woke up bright and early to enjoy the sunrise over the Grand Canyon.
At Grand Canyon West there is a small restaurant that overlooks the sky walk with amazing views. This restaurant has a very limited menu with only four meals to choose from. It is very efficient as they allow only a 30 minute window to have lunch so they can accommodate all of the guests wishing to enjoy these breathtaking views. The sky walk is a must do. We are all terrified of heights and it took some time watching others on the sky walk during lunch to work up our courage to go out on the sky walk, but I am so glad we did it. I would have definitely regretted our decision if we didn’t walk out there. This was an experience like no other. If you are in Vegas I would definitely take at least a day trip to experience this amazing destination.
And don’t forget to stop at the legendary Vegas sign for a quick photo op!
As you can see we packed in quite a bit during our short trip and there are so many more fun things to do. We cannot wait to go back and experience even more!
Have you considered a family trip to Vegas? Got any tips on sights you’d like to see? Let us know in the comments. And if you’d like to book a vacation like this one, the TouringPlans Travel Agency can help make your dream trip come true — anywhere in the world.
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The Las Vegas Pinball Museum is great. No glitz, no glamour – just lots and lots of modern and classic machines you can play for a reasonable price. SO MUCH FUN FOR ALL AGES !!!
I have to say, having traveled to Vegas for the last 30 years, it is somewhat perplexing that people bring children to visit.
Walking downtown I witnessed adult themed street performers being asked to pose for pictures with children and teenagers. So not appropriate.
And seeing strollers being pushed through casinos — normalizing gambling and adult entertainment where small children do not have the ability to contextualize — is just wrong.
Stick with Disneyland parents