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You’re going to hear a lot of people tell you that Vegas is no place for kids, but those people are usually people who haven’t been there with kids and haven’t actively looked for things to do in Las Vegas with teens.
Vegas is a wild place, there’s no arguing about that. It’s well known for its gambling, nightlife, and debauchery, but honestly, it’s really the movies that give it that impression.
In reality, Las Vegas has a wealth of attractions that are teenager-friendly, just ask our teens! We’ve been to Vegas twice with them as teens and tweens (and with their friend’s and cousin!).
If you want to avoid the seedy side of Vegas, you absolutely can! The quality of your vacation is all about what you want to get out of it.
In case you’re wondering, yes, you can take your teens to a casino, as long as you don’t “loiter.” The idea is that you can walk through to see all the fun, but don’t engage or allow them to gamble, of course.
If you’re planning to visit Vegas with teenagers, then below are some suggested things to do in Vegas from our teenagers. Some activities in this post will be a drive from Vegas. You can hire a car here for a decent price OR I’ve left links for your tour options as an alternative to self-driving.
Things to Do in Vegas for Teenagers
Las Vegas Strip
Never underestimate how much a teen will enjoy walking down the Las Vegas Strip and seeing the buzz.
The strip, which extends for 3 miles along South Las Vegas Boulevard, from the Stratosphere Tower to the MGM Grand, is famous for its high-rise upscale casino hotels, shopping malls and restaurants, performance venues, and attractions.
The majority of things to do in Vegas are connected to this strip and is always a bustling scene with lots happening and going on.
Snap Selfies with Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Sign
We’re all about the internet these days, and of course, no trip would be complete without taking an iconic “I was here” selfie for Instagram. What better place to capture the “I was in Vegas” holiday snap than from the “Welcome to Fabulous Vegas” sign?
This 25-foot monument was built in 1959 by Las Vegas-based Western Electric Displays (aka Western Neon) and was considered a gift to the city by the designer.
The sign is a classic landmark of the city and one of the most famous monuments in the USA. It can be found on the Las Vegas Strip next to the airport.
Take a Day Trip to the Grand Canyon
One of the biggest draws to visiting Las Vegas is to either get married or visit The Grand Canyon – we chose the latter for our trip with our teens.
The Grand Canyon is one of the Seven Wonders of the World and is an iconic landmark not to be missed, especially since Vegas is only around a 2.5-hour drive to the West Rim of the Grand Canyon.
There are two ways to take a day trip to the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas, either by hiring a car and driving or by booking a guided tour.
It’s best to leave early in the morning to make the most of your day, especially if you want to explore the South Rim as well, which is about a 4.5-hour drive from Vegas.
If you don’t want to spend all day in the car, then I recommend just visiting the West Rim of the Grand Canyon, which is where you’ll find the iconic Skywalk viewpoint.
Make sure to bring plenty of water, sunscreen, and comfortable shoes for walking.
The Grand Canyon is a place your teenagers have probably heard so many stories about, and even learned about in school, and even the grumpiest “it’s just a hole in the floor” teenager will be amazed by the stunning views and vastness of the canyon.
If you have outdoorsy teens, there are plenty of hiking trails and viewpoints where you can get lesser-known views for photography and wildlife spotting.
Zip Line along FLY LINQ Zipline
FLY LINQ Zipline is a unique way to see the iconic Vegas Strip skyline from a new angle. Feel the rush of flying through the air along a 1,121-foot high wire, 114 feet in the air, while soaking up views of glamorous hotels, fountains, and street performances.
Our teens love ziplining, we’ve been doing it since they were kids. It’s not only a way to embrace the thrill of the ride, but it also puts them outside their comfort zone and provides a sense of freedom and independence.
There is also a Slotzilla Zip Line inside the covered section of Fremont St in Downtown Las Vegas.
This attraction is also included on the The Go City Attraction Pass.
The Adventuredome Indoor Theme Park at Circus Circus
If your teens love theme parks, then they will love The Adventuredome at Circus Circus, which is an indoor theme park filled with a variety of rides and attractions, including roller coasters, bumper cars, laser tag, and arcade games.
Located within a climate-controlled dome, it’s the best indoor activity in Vegas for when you need to escape the Nevada heat!
The Adventuredome offers a mix of adrenaline-pumping rides and classic carnival games. You can ride the iconic carousel or climb the rock climbing wall and bungee jump – there’s something for the whole family to enjoy.
Hike in Red Rock Canyon National Park
If you want to get out into nature but don’t want to go too far from the city, Red Rock Canyon National Park is just a 25-minute drive from The Strip and is a great place to find hiking trails that cater to all abilities and ages.
There are 26 trails to choose from, but the most popular trail is the Calico Tanks trail, which is just 2.2 miles and takes around 2 hours to complete.
It requires a bit of rock scrambling, adding to the adventure level, and provides epic views of the Las Vegas skyline and famous Red Rock formations that this park is famous for.
If you want an all-round trail that showcases the best of the park’s natural beauty whilst not being too strenuous, this is the perfect trail.
We also did a fantastic guided horseback riding tour here. It was a 90-minute ride through a dry river bed with stunning view of the Red Rocks and spring Mountains in front of us. The adventurous trail involved a few rocky hills through a narrow gorge.
Night Time Helicopter Ride
This may be an activity for a special occasion, but there can be no doubt that any teen would be thrilled at the chance of soaring through the skies in a helicopter!
The views of the Las Vegas skyline from above are unmatched, and if you take a tour at sunset, you get the best view of the city in the golden hour sun and see the bright city lights illuminating at night.
Visit The Venetian Hotel
There are many hotels in Vegas, but I would say the most famous one is The Venetian Hotel, which is well-known for its architectural replicas of some of the top sites in Venice!
We visited Venice with our teens one summer, and it’s amazing and nostalgic for us to explore the Grand Canal, see a replica of the Rialto Bridge, the Piazza San Marco, and the Column of Saint Theodore.
The architecture and interior design alone are sure to wow every member of your family, but The Venetian is more than just a hotel (come on, of course, it’s Vegas!). The hotel is also home to a huge convention center with performances from globally recognized artists such as Christina Aguilera, and Jess Glynne, and for us grown-ups, REO Speedwagon. See performance schedules here.
There’s also a shopping mall and, of course, a casino, which you’ll probably avoid with the teens.
We also like Caesar’s Palace (we also visited Rome with our teens) and the buffet at the Paris hotel is the best! (also visited Paris with our teens!!) While the real thing is much better, it was nice to have a taste of it again.
See Rock Formations in Valley of Fire State Park
Another fantastic nature spot to explore within an hour’s drive of Vegas is Valley of Fire State Park, known as Nevada’s oldest state park.
It’s famed for its unique, bright red rock formations, petrified trees, and ancient petroglyphs that are more than 2,000 years old.
You can read our complete guide to visiting Valley of Fire State Park from Vegas here.
You can hire a car here or join this guided tour from Vegas.
Take Selfies at The Neon Museum
One thing Vegas is not short of; it’s neon lights. You might be amazed and dazzled (quite literally) by all the bright lights of Vegas.
If for some reason you’re not tired of the lights, you might want to check out The Neon Museum, a vibrant and blinding display of neon signs collected from old casinos, motels, and businesses across Vegas.
The highlight of the museum of the Neon Boneyard, an outdoor graveyard of sorts for neon signs.
This is a unique place to appreciate the uniqueness of Vegas and its illuminated art history, as well as take Gram-worthy photos for the socials. Check out this evening open bus tour to the Neon Museum.
Ride the High Roller Ferris Wheel
If you have younger teens, or perhaps tweens, then riding the High Roller, a gigantic Ferris Wheel at the LINQ, is a great way to see the Vegas skyline without the need to launch yourself along a zip line.
At 550 feet tall (167.6 meters), the High Roller certainly lives up to its name! We didn’t realize how high we were until we reached the top. The views over The Strip and surrounding mountains were incredible. The girls and their teen friends loved it!
Play Vintage Games at the Pinball Hall of Fame
Since visiting the Pinball Museum in Asheville, not too far from our home in Raleigh, we can vouch that playing antique pinball machines is a hit with our teens!
Located across the street from the “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign (in case you didn’t think the sign was worth the effort to see on its own) is the Las Vegas Pinball Hall of Fame Museum, which is a huge 25,000 square feet venue filled with nothing but antique pinball machines.
And the best thing is, you can actually play the machines! This is one for mom and dad to feel nostalgic over and share memories of playing analog arcade games as teenagers, with their own teenagers. What a special family bonding moment!
Visit the Atomic Testing Museum
Another great educational thing to do in Vegas with teens is visit the Atomic Testing Museum, a museum that tells the story of America’s nuclear weapons testing program at the Nevada Test Site.
They may have seen the Oscar-winning movie, Oppenheimer, when it came out in 2023 or studied about the atomic bomb at school, but there is no better way to see the extent and effect of nuclear testing than from this museum.
It may not be a happy story to learn, but it’s an important one, and a great way to open up conversations about war and politics with your teenagers, who may be developing opinions of their own around such topics.
I also visited the B-Reactor on the Hanford Nuclear Site, which was part of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park in Richland, Washington State. It was a little distressing but also great to see.
Catch an Evening Show
Another reason people visit Las Vegas is for the wide variety of shows, concerts, and events you can attend.
You can see world-famous artists such as Adele, who perform in regular weekend concerts, stand-up comedy shows, magicians, performance artists, and much more.
There is bound to be a show that suits every member of your family. We personally loved Mystere by Cirque du Soleil, which is one of the longest-running performances in Vegas right now.
We found some great deals on Vegas.com – thanks to Johnny Jet for that tip. The Go City Attraction Pass also includes several shows in Las Vegas.
Visit The Mob Museum
Located in downtown Vegas, The Mob Museum offers a provocative look into America’s organized crime history.
As well as walking through the exhibits and learning about America’s biggest mobs and gangsters, there are also interactive workshops and experiences that kids and teens will love.
Look out for the Crime Lab experience, where you can work as a forensic scientist and learn how to look for fingerprints and create DNA profilers, or take part in the firearm simulator training experience, where you role play as law enforcement and have a split-second to decide whether to shoot or stand down.
We enjoyed this far more than I thought. There are some sections younger kids may not want to see!
Try An Escape Room
Looking for a family bonding moment? Nothing says “family bonding” more than being locked in a room with your teens and having to solve clues to find your way out!
Escape rooms are increasingly popular ways to spend quality time as a family. In Vegas, there is no shortage of them as well!
A great, teen-friendly escape room is Lost Escape, which has four rooms of varying difficulty, so whether it’s your first time or fifth, there’s a room to meet your skillset.
“The Fortune Teller” room is particularly popular and is designed for medium-level skill sets and features a live actor in the room (separated from you).
If you think escape games may be too scary, they also have a “Floor is Lava” experience where you need to get from one side of the room to the other without falling in the “lava.”
Get Lost in Omega Mart
Omega Mart is a cool and unique art installation that’s impossible to put the surrealness of into words.
It’s essentially a huge supermarket, except behind every door or within a box of cereal, you could be opening a doorway to a new world full of neon installations and optical illusions.
Part art installation and part playground, Omega Mart ignites curiosity and allows every visitor to use their imagination in a whole new way.
Created by Meow Wolf, this interactive grocery store is like a labyrinth of Instagrammable, never-ending rooms of art!
Where to Stay in Vegas with Teens: Mandalay Bay Hotel
Finding a hotel that’s suitable is probably the hardest part of planning a trip to Vegas with teens.
My personal recommendation for a kid-friendly hotel is Mandalay Bay Hotel because if all else fails, it has an incredible outdoor swimming pool with a lazy river and wave pool.
The 11-acre aquatic playground has a large lounge lagoon for mom and dad to enjoy, plus cabanas with an artificial beach, so you can feel like you’re by the ocean when you’re actually in the concrete jungle of Vegas.
There is also the onside Michelob ULTRA Arena, a 12,000-seater venue that hosts some highly acclaimed shows, and it also houses the Shark Reef Aquarium.
If your teen is feeling tired and lazy, at least there are plenty of things to do at the resort, which I don’t have to tell you makes for an easy life for everyone!
See prices and availability for Mandalay Bay Hotel here.
Tips for Teens Traveling to Vegas
To make your trip more successful, here are some words of advice about traveling to Vegas with your teenagers. These tips have helped us in the past when we’ve visited cities with our teenage girls.
- Sit down with your teenagers before your trip and pick out age-appropriate activities and attractions in advance. Engage them in the planning process, and they will appreciate the trip more.
- Set clear expectations and boundaries for behavior and curfew, especially if they stay in their own room in a hotel. You don’t want them wandering off at night.
- Plan a down day or two, where you simply sit by the hotel pool and relax. Vegas can get overwhelming, and hot, so you may need time to recuperate between adventures.
- Stay at a hotel with a pool and other amenities for teens. It doesn’t have to be the Mandalay Bay Hotel we recommended, but make sure it has some entertainment for them.
- Plan some time to explore the various shopping malls and outlets for some retail therapy, teens always love to shop and Vegas is well known for it!
- Discuss responsible gambling and alcohol consumption with your teens before you go, so they are aware of what they are seeing when they see it. It’s unlikely you can keep them from seeing it while you’re there, even if you try. Educate them and talk about your core values around these topics. Rather than shy away from it, be open to talking about it. Allow your teens to learn from you.
- Encourage open communication and be flexible with the itinerary. Plans can change, and moods can change, so don’t be too strict on what to do and when.
- Study this Vegas on a budget tips!
Final Thoughts on Visiting Vegas with Teens
Vegas is the most unique city in the USA, and there really is something here for everyone.
As parents of teens, we’re always looking for educational opportunities for our daughters, and we want to show them a different side to life whenever there’s a chance – you can be sure Vegas delivers this in spades.
While a lot of people tend to shy away from Vegas for family vacations, we see it more as an opportunity to have mature conversations with our girls, teach them about the responsibilities of life, and give them a chance to foster some independence and make responsible choices.
After all, they won’t be teens forever, and we want them to have the best start into adulthood they can.
We hope this guide gave you some inspiration for what to do in Las Vegas with teens and that there are a few activities on this list that speak to your family.
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