Big Bus Las Vegas: Sightseeing Night Tour by Open-Top Bus
Meet at the kerbRecorded commentaryMax 48
From $59 per person
The Best Things to Do on a Las Vegas Night
The best things to do in Las Vegas at night divide cleanly into two lists: the ones that cost nothing and happen whether you turn up or not, and the ones worth buying a ticket for. Get the free list right first, because it is genuinely good and it sets the shape of the evening.
Five things after dark that cost nothing
Watch the Bellagio fountains from the lakeside rail
Every 15 minutes from 8pm to midnight, and the closer you stand the better the water sounds.
Stand under the Fremont Street canopy for a full show
On the hour from 6pm to 2am, six to eight minutes each, with three live stages underneath.
Walk the Bellagio Conservatory after 9pm
The seasonal display is open around the clock and the queue disappears once the fountain crowd moves on.
Photograph the Welcome sign at the top of the hour
Lit all night, free car park, and the queue for the front of it clears fastest between 10pm and midnight.
Watch the Exosphere change from a distance
Sphere's outer shell runs all evening and reads better from three blocks away than from its own doorstep.
What is worth paying for
Three things repay a ticket after dark, and they buy different things. Height — the High Roller's 30-minute rotation or the decks at The STRAT, both of which give you the Strip as a shape rather than a street. Distance — a helicopter flight, ten to twelve minutes that covers what would take an evening on the ground. And access — a club crawl that pays the cover charges and walks you past the door queue, or the Neon Museum's evening experience at $35 for an adult on the museum's own rates.
Everything else on a paid list is really transport in disguise, and that is not a criticism: getting from the Bellagio to Fremont Street and back is the problem most first-time visitors underestimate.
What only happens after dark
- The 15-minute fountain cycle. Before 8pm the show runs half as often, and the lighting is the half of it you came for.
- Viva Vision. The Fremont canopy shows nothing at all during the day; the first is at 6pm.
- The Neon Museum's evening experience. A different product from daytime entry, with light and sound across the Boneyard.
- The adults-only bus. One open-top departure runs at 8pm for over-21s with a welcome drink included.
- The club crawls. Both start after 8pm and run past midnight.
Which evening is yours
First time here, want the geography: the open-top bus. Two hours covers the Strip and downtown for less than any other format, and it makes sense of a city that is confusing on foot.
Travelling with children: the free shows, then a jeep or a guided van. Every club crawl and bar tour here is 21 and over.
Two of you, marking something: the dinner-and-flight package, the photographer-led walk or the sidecar. All three are built for two people.
A group who want a night out: the club crawls, which pay the covers and handle the driving. Agree the party size with the operator in writing first.
One evening and nothing else: a helicopter flight at 8pm, then the fountains on the walk back. Twelve minutes and a free show is a complete night.
Sixteen ways to spend the evening
Compared by what each one shows you after dark, what it includes and whether it collects you from your hotel.
How late everything runs
Published venue and operator times. Tour departure times vary by season and by day of the week.
| What | Starts | Last one | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fremont Street shows | 6:00pm | 2:00am | On the hour, free |
| Bellagio fountains | 8:00pm (15-min cycle) | Midnight | Free, wind permitting |
| Neon Museum evening | 6:00pm | Last entry 10:00pm | Closes 11:00pm |
| Night bus departures | 7:00pm | 10:15pm | Two to three hours |
| Helicopter flights | Dusk | Late evening | Ten to twelve minutes airborne |
| Club crawls | 8:00pm and 10:00pm | Stay until close | 21+ only |
| The Deuce bus | — | 24 hours | Every 15 minutes |
What to combine with what
The two halves of this city do not mix well in one short evening, and trying is the commonest mistake. If you have two hours, stay on the Strip: the fountains, the conservatory, the Exosphere and a walk to the LINQ fill it comfortably. If you have four, go downtown for a full Viva Vision show and come back; a guided departure does that leg better than a bus pass because it stops in the right places on the way.
If you have one evening and want height as well, take a flight first and the free shows afterwards — the flight is a fixed appointment and the fountains are not. The tour options page sets out which format does which, and every one of them is on Las Vegas Night Tours.
Evenings built around the things above
Las Vegas Helicopter Night Strip Flight Tour with Optional Dinner
Meet at the kerbFlight time 10-12 minDinner optional
From $99 per person
Las Vegas Nightclub VIP Entry with Party Bus
Meet at the kerbCover charges paidDrinks included
From $85 per person