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Las Vegas · 3–4 days

Las Vegas in a long weekend: the Strip, the pools, the shows and the clubs

An honest guide to a Las Vegas long weekend — where to stay, which weekends to avoid, when the pools are actually open, how table minimums and resort fees really work, and how to plan the dinners, shows and clubs (and pace yourself) — ideal for a hen or group trip.

Las Vegas is built for a long weekend: everything you want is on one dazzling Strip, and the days have a natural rhythm — dayclub pool parties in the sun, big dinners and shows in the evening, nightclubs until late. It's one of the world's great group and hen-party destinations, but the same advice applies whoever you are: pick a central hotel, book the headline pools, tables, shows and clubs ahead, and pace yourself so the weekend lasts.

It is also the one trip you really can't improvise. The weekends that go wrong usually do so for one of four reasons: arriving on a big event weekend without knowing and paying triple for the room, planning a pool party in a month when the dayclubs are closed, bringing someone under 21 on a trip built around places they can't enter, or turning up at a club as a group of twelve with no table and no plan.

When to go

• Spring (March–May) — the best all-round season. Warm days, pools opening, pleasant evenings. The dayclubs usually open for the season in March or April.
• Summer (June–August) — very hot, with average July highs around 40°C and nights that barely cool. Peak pool-party season, and perfectly doable if you live by the pool in the day and stay inside in the afternoon. Not the time for desert hikes.
• Autumn (September–October) — the other sweet spot. Still pool weather, hot days easing, and the dayclub season winds down, generally by some point in October.
• Winter (November–February) — mild, sometimes chilly at night, and usually cheaper, but most dayclubs are closed and the pool scene is quiet. Great for shows, restaurants and the desert.

Check the calendar before you book

Las Vegas prices are driven less by season than by events, and a big convention or race weekend can multiply room rates and empty restaurants of tables. The ones to check for:

• CES, the giant tech show, in early January.
• EDC, the Electric Daisy Carnival festival, in May.
• The Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix in late November, which closes roads on and around the Strip for days, as well as sending prices soaring.
• New Year's Eve, big boxing and UFC fight nights, and major residencies' opening weekends.

More generally, Friday and Saturday nights cost far more than Sunday to Thursday. A Thursday-to-Sunday trip, or even Sunday-to-Wednesday, can halve the hotel bill.

How long, and where to stay

Give it three to four nights, in one hotel. Moving hotels in Vegas is a waste of an afternoon.

The key thing to understand is scale: the Strip is about four miles long, and it is much further than it looks. The resorts are so enormous that walking "next door" can take twenty minutes, through a casino, across a bridge and through another casino. Staying in the centre — roughly from Bellagio and Caesars up to the Venetian and Wynn — means most things you want are walkable.

• The Cosmopolitan — stylish, central, with the Marquee dayclub and nightclub in the building; great terrace suites for groups, and balconies, which are rare on the Strip.
• Caesars Palace — huge, central, with Absinthe on site, the Bacchanal buffet and the Forum Shops.
• Bellagio — classic glamour, the fountains outside the window and 'O' in the building.
• The Venetian and Palazzo — all-suite rooms that suit groups sharing, with a walkway to Sphere.
• Wynn and Encore — the most polished of the big resorts, with Encore Beach Club; a little further north.
• Fontainebleau, at the north end, opened at the end of 2023 — new, stylish, with its own dayclub and nightclub, but a longer walk or ride to the centre.
• Mandalay Bay, at the south end, has a genuinely good beach-style pool complex with a wave pool and lazy river — better than a dayclub for a mixed-age or more relaxed group.
• Downtown around Fremont Street is cheaper, older-school and more fun than its reputation, but it is a 15–20 minute ride from the Strip.

For groups, book a suite or adjoining rooms together, on one reservation if the hotel allows, so everyone is in one place and the "where are you?" messages stop.

Resort fees and parking

Almost every Strip hotel charges a nightly resort fee on top of the room rate. Since new US rules took effect in May 2025, hotels must show that mandatory fee in the headline price rather than springing it at checkout — though taxes can still be added at the end, and a room that looks cheap on one site may simply have been showing a different total elsewhere. Many resorts also charge for parking. For a group, compare the full per-night cost including fees and tax, not the room rate.

The 21+ rule

This one catches out mixed-age groups every year. You must be 21 to gamble, drink, or enter the nightclubs and almost all the dayclubs — and ID is checked constantly, often more than once at the same venue. Many hotels also require the person checking in to be 21, and car rental is typically 25. If anyone in the group is under 21, plan around family-friendly pools, shows and restaurants, and check each venue's policy before booking. Everyone should carry physical photo ID — a passport for overseas visitors — at all times; a photo of it on a phone will not get you in.

Pools and dayclubs

A dayclub is a pool party with a DJ, and it is the quintessential Vegas afternoon. Marquee Dayclub at the Cosmopolitan and Encore Beach Club at Wynn are the long-standing big names; the newer resorts have their own. Most run only in season (roughly spring to early autumn) and mostly Thursday to Sunday, with the biggest DJs on Saturdays and Sundays.

• General admission can mean a long queue in the sun, and entry is often cheaper or free for women and more expensive for men — which matters when you're splitting costs fairly.
• Daybeds and cabanas come with a minimum spend on food and drink rather than a fixed price. On a big Saturday that minimum can run to thousands of dollars, before tax and gratuity, which are typically added on top. Split between a group of ten, a cabana can end up costing not much more per head than everyone queuing and buying drinks separately — and you get shade, a place to put your things and a host.
• Hotel pools are usually for that hotel's guests only. If you want a relaxed pool day, choose the hotel for its pool.

Shows

• Sphere — the huge spherical venue next to the Venetian, opened in 2023, with a wraparound screen inside that is unlike anything else. It hosts immersive films, including The Wizard of Oz at Sphere, and concert residencies. Pay attention to the seating section: some lower seats have part of the image overhead.
• Cirque du Soleil's 'O' at Bellagio — the water show, still spectacular after more than twenty-five years.
• Absinthe at Caesars — an adult, riotous circus-cabaret in a small tent. Crude, very funny, and a group favourite.
• Magic Mike Live at the Sahara — the hen-party classic, and genuinely good fun.
• Residencies — big-name singers and comedians play runs of dates; check the calendar for your exact nights, because they are what sells out first.
• The free ones — the Bellagio fountains every fifteen to thirty minutes in the evening, and the Fremont Street Experience light canopy downtown.

Dinners

Las Vegas has some of the best restaurants in America, and some of the most overpriced. For a group, the one thing that matters is booking early — tables for eight or more at the popular places go weeks ahead on Friday and Saturday nights, and many restaurants require a set group menu above a certain party size.

• A buffet brunch — the Bacchanal at Caesars is the famous one. Go on the first morning when appetites are highest.
• A big group dinner with a party atmosphere — places like Beauty & Essex or Catch work well for hens and birthdays.
• A proper steak night — every major resort has a serious steakhouse.
• Somewhere off-Strip — Chinatown on Spring Mountain Road, a few minutes' drive west, has the city's best-value food.

Tipping is expected everywhere: typically 18–22% at restaurants (check whether a group gratuity has already been added), a dollar or two per drink at a bar, and something for housekeeping and valet.

Nightclubs

Omnia at Caesars, XS at Wynn and Marquee at the Cosmopolitan are among the long-running names, with newer clubs opening at newer resorts. Line-ups and open nights change constantly, so check the calendar for your dates rather than assuming.

• Table service means booking a table with a minimum spend on bottles, which gets the group in together, skips the queue and gives you a base for the night. It is expensive, and on a big night it is the only reliable way to keep a large group together.
• Guest lists, often offered by promoters on the Strip or online, can get groups — especially groups of women — in free or cheaply, sometimes with drinks. They are legitimate, but entry is never guaranteed and the queue can be long.
• Dress codes are enforced: typically no trainers, shorts, sportswear or baseball caps for men. Check before you pack.

Beyond the Strip

One morning in the desert makes a huge difference to a Vegas weekend, especially the day after a big night.

• Red Rock Canyon — about half an hour away, with a 13-mile scenic loop through red sandstone and short walks. From October to May, daytime entry to the scenic drive needs a timed reservation booked in advance.
• Valley of Fire State Park — about an hour north-east, with extraordinary red rock and ancient petroglyphs. Go early; it is dangerously hot at midday in summer.
• Hoover Dam — around 45 minutes away, and more impressive in person than it sounds.
• The Grand Canyon — the West Rim, with the glass Skywalk, is about two and a half hours' drive; the far more beautiful South Rim is around four and a half hours, which makes it a very long day trip. A helicopter flight, some landing in the canyon, turns it into a half-day.

A sensible 4-night hen or group weekend

• Thursday · arrive. Land at Harry Reid International, ten to fifteen minutes from the Strip. Check in, a gentle first dinner, the Bellagio fountains, early-ish night — jet lag from the UK is eight hours and it hits on day two.
• Friday · the big day. Brunch buffet, then a dayclub cabana in the afternoon. Back to the room to reset, a group dinner at 8, a show at 10 — Absinthe or Magic Mike Live — then a club if anyone has anything left.
• Saturday · the desert and the headline night. A relaxed morning at Red Rock Canyon or a helicopter flight, pool in the afternoon, then the nightclub table you booked weeks ago, after a steak dinner.
• Sunday · slow. A late brunch, a quiet pool, Sphere or 'O' in the evening, and Fremont Street if the group still wants neon.
• Monday · home. Most flights back to the UK leave in the afternoon or evening and land the next morning; ask the hotel for late check-out or a bag hold.

Good to know

• ESTA. UK and many other visitors need an approved ESTA travel authorisation before flying. Apply well ahead and only through the official US government site — lookalike sites charge extra, and the official fee has risen in recent years.
• Book everything ahead — cabanas, club tables, show tickets and group dinners sell out, especially on weekends and event dates.
• Getting around. Rideshares have dedicated pick-up areas, usually in a hotel's parking garage, which can be a long walk from the lobby. The Las Vegas Monorail runs along the east side of the Strip, and the Deuce bus runs its length.
• Heat and hydration. The desert air is very dry and the sun is fierce even in spring. Drink water constantly — especially on a dayclub day with alcohol.
• Smoking is still allowed on most casino floors, so rooms and corridors near them can smell of it. Ask for a non-smoking floor.
• Set a gambling budget before you arrive and treat it as entertainment spending, not an investment. Take cash out for it in advance rather than using the casino ATMs, which charge high fees.

Common questions

When is the best time to visit Las Vegas?

Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to October) are ideal — warm days, open pools and comfortable evenings. Summer is very hot, with average July highs around 40°C, though it is peak pool-party season; winter is mild and cheaper but most dayclubs are closed. Beyond the season, check the event calendar: CES in January, the EDC festival in May, the Formula 1 Grand Prix in late November and New Year's Eve all push prices up sharply, and Friday and Saturday nights always cost much more than midweek.

How many days do you need in Las Vegas?

Three to four nights — a long weekend — is the sweet spot: enough for a dayclub afternoon, a couple of shows, the big dinners, a club night and a morning in the desert at Red Rock Canyon, without burning out. Many groups arrive on Thursday and fly home on Sunday or Monday. Stay in one hotel for the whole trip rather than moving.

Where is the best place to stay in Las Vegas?

A hotel in the centre of the Strip — such as the Cosmopolitan, Caesars Palace, Bellagio, the Venetian or Wynn — puts you within walking distance of most of the pools, shows and clubs. The Strip is about four miles long and much further than it looks, so a hotel at either end means more rideshares. For groups, book a suite or adjoining rooms together, and compare the total nightly price including the resort fee and tax rather than the headline room rate.

Can you go to Las Vegas clubs and pool parties if you are under 21?

Generally no. You must be 21 to gamble, drink alcohol, or enter nightclubs and almost all dayclubs in Las Vegas, and ID is checked repeatedly. Many hotels also require the person checking in to be 21. Groups with anyone under 21 should build the trip around family-friendly hotel pools, shows and restaurants, and check each venue's age policy before booking. Overseas visitors should carry their physical passport as ID.

Is Las Vegas good for a hen or bachelorette party?

Exceptionally — it is one of the world's top destinations for it. Dayclub pool parties, group-friendly restaurants and nightclubs, plus shows like Magic Mike Live and Absinthe, make a weekend easy to fill. The keys are booking cabanas, club tables, show tickets and group dinners well in advance, understanding that cabanas and tables work on minimum spends plus tax and gratuity, and making sure everyone is 21 or over.

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