The 9 Best Day Trips From Las Vegas
Check out our list of the 9 Best Day Trips From Las Vegas to plan your perfect vacation! Las Vegas day trips are perfect for staying in Sin City. Las Vegas is a city that never sleeps. A fabulous city of gambling, entertainment, concerts, and great food. Located in the middle of the desert, it is also a great starting point for day trips around Arizona, Nevada, or California. Being in Las Vegas is also worth taking a break from the hustle and bustle of the city and admiring the surrounding wonders of nature. So, in this article, we’ll show you The 9 Best Day Trips From Las Vegas.
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The 9 Best Day Trips From Las Vegas – Introduction
Below, we recommend the 9 best day trips from Las Vegas. We believe Las Vegas is the perfect base for exploring the Southwest and the most iconic places in the USA. Organized trips are worth considering if you have little time and want to get to know attractions as accurately as possible.
Las Vegas day trips with transportation and guides will be the best solution. We only recommend proven and popular trips with the highest customer reviews. Most of them we experienced ourselves. Also, all pictures were taken by my partner Chris and me during our several trips to Las Vegas.
TRAVEL TIP: If you’re planning a multi-day visit to Las Vegas, check out our ready-to-go and complete 3 days Las Vegas Itinerary and our Las Vegas Photo Shoot Locations. If you’re planning a trip on your own, check out our Utah National Park Road Trip itinerary from Vegas and Arizona Road Trip Itinerary from Las Vegas. We visited Las Vegas many times, and it’s a perfect place for road trips!
Day Trips from Las Vegas – Grand Canyon Helicopter Tour
#1 of the best day trips from Las Vegas is a trip to Grand Canyon National Park. One of the most beautiful places on earth and one of the most popular in the US. Staying on the Grand Canyon rim is a lifetime experience.
Grand Canyon is immense—a mile (1.6 km) deep and up to 18 miles (29 km) wide. The colorful rocks display millions of years of geologic history. At the bottom of the gorge, the Colorado River meanders like a ribbon. The vistas are breathtaking.
It is possible to take a helicopter Grand Canyon tour from Las Vegas, which will be absolutely unforgettable trip. During this flight, you will see America’s most iconic natural wonder from the best perspective. You can even choose between a Grand Canyon helicopter flight during the day or a luxury and romantic flight at sunset. One of the reviews is: “From takeoff to landing, this was a tremendously exhilarating experience. Breathtaking view, a skilled pilot, and the small group made for a wonderful time. Highly recommend this tour“.
A more affordable Grand Canyon West Rim Airplane Tour might also be a great option.
You can check reviews and book your dream flight here.
If you must choose only a day trip from Las Vegas, choose a helicopter flight. It is the most delightful adventure. The Grand Canyon seen from above is breathtaking, and only from this perspective will you realize the power of nature and that man is only one of its elements. The views are stunning. It’s a lifetime experience.
Day Trips from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon National Park
Perfect as a Las Vegas day trip, it is the most popular place in the Grand Canyon – South Rim. Following our guide, you can get there by coach, minibus, train or your own car. But if your time for seeing this wonder of nature is limited, consider a day trip from Las Vegas. South Rim offers the best scenic spots and trails in the Grand Canyon National Park.
A great option is a Grand Canyon South Rim Day Trip from Las Vegas. It is an all-day trip. This tour offers a balance between guided and free time at the most stunning part of the Grand Canyon. You will have time to explore the South Rim, traveling along the Rim Trail, with scenic stops at Bright Angel Trail, Yavapai Point, and Mather Point.
Another option for day trips from Las Vegas is the Grand Canyon West Rim Tour by bus. If you like thrills, walking on the glass-bottom Grand Canyon Skywalk with the abyss under your feet is for you.
Check our detailed travel & photo guide to the best Grand Canyon Viewpoints from South Rim.
Day Trips from Las Vegas – Horseshoe Bend
Another place in Arizona that will always remain in your memory. Horseshoe Bend & Antelope Canyon near Page are perfect for a one-day trip from Las Vegas.
Horseshoe-shaped incised meander of the Colorado River is one of the most spectacular views of the US. Furthermore, it is easily accessible via a short hiking trail, a 1.5-mile (2.4 km) round trip from a parking area.
Day Trips From Las Vegas – Antelope Canyon Tours
Antelope Canyon is one of the most visited and photographed slot canyons in the southwest of the United States. It was formed over millions of years due to sandstone leaching by flash floods. The canyon is divided into Upper Antelope Canyon and Lower Antelope Canyon. During this fantastic guided tour, you will see Lower Canyon.
Horseshoe Bend & Antelope Canyon attractions are on the Navajo Nation territory and are close to each other due to the worth of doing it during a day trip from Las Vegas. The best idea is to visit Horseshoe Bend just before sunset. The most spectacular light in Antelope Canyon is around noon. So, it is a perfect combination.
One of the reviews is: “I would totally recommend this trip. It’s worth your time and money. We were part of a small group and the person who drove our van, believe his name is Anthony is an amazing guide. He gave us amazing details throughout the journey and also helped us take some beautiful pics . It can get a little exhausting considering it’s a 15 hr day tour but it is totally worth it. Quick review of the Antelope Canyon: We had a tour of the lower canyon which is beautiful. One of the most beautiful natural wonder you will ever see.”. Read more & Book your trip here.
If, for some reason (claustrophobia, breathlessness, crowd) narrow slot canyons are not for you, consider combining Horseshoe Bend with Lake Powell trip from Page. It’s a fantastic experience with 30–minute air flight!
TRIP TIP: We love Antelope Canyons in Arizona. You must book a guided tour to get there. We visited most of them. If you don’t know which slot canyon to choose, you can check out our tips, photos, and reviews from Lower Antelope Canyon Tours, Upper Antelope Canyon Tour, and Antelope Canyon X Tours.
Day Trips from Las Vegas – Death Valley Tours
Death Valley National Park is also one of the best Las Vegas day trips, the hottest, driest, and lowest National Park in the US. Here you can check our detailed guide to Death Valley.
The park is located on the border of Nevada and California, so it’s an excellent idea for a day trip from Las Vegas.
It’s worth taking a full-day guided tour from Las Vegas to Death Valley. Why? Because you will see one of the most desolate places on earth. You can learn about Death Valley’s history, landscape, and wildlife. You will also see other desert highlights like the old ghost town of Rhyolite, Furnace Creek, Artist’s Palette, Badwater Basin, Zabriskie Point, and more.
In this below-sea-level basin, steady drought and record summer heat make Death Valley an area of extremes. That’s why is much safer to take a guided tour of this park.
Death Valley is the lowest point in North America. At 282 feet below sea level (86 m), Badwater Basin is a surreal landscape that tricks the senses.
Day Trips from Las Vegas – Lake Mead Trip
Another option for day trips from Las Vegas might be Lake Mead. It is America’s First & Largest National Recreation Area. Only 45 minutes driving from Vegas, you can enjoy the warm breeze. Amazing landscapes and brilliant blue waters offer swimming, fishing, boating, and camping activities.
So, if you like water adventures, Lake Mead Kayaking from Las Vegas is the perfect way to get away from the cities. It is a fantastic water experience along the colorful bluffs and hidden beaches that line Lake Mead’s dramatic shoreline.
Lake Mead is an artificial lake created by damaging the Colorado River and damming its waters with the Hoover Dam, built in 1931-1936. At maximum capacity, Lake Mead is 112 miles (180 km) long, 532 feet (162 m) at its greatest depth, has a surface elevation of 1,221.4 feet (372.3 m) above sea level, and is 247 square miles (640 km2). You can book your trip here.
Day Trips from Las Vegas Valley of Fire Hiking Trip
If you like outdoor activity and hiking, as a Vegas day trips, you can consider the Valley of Fire hiking trip. It will be a perfect rest from the hustle and bustle of the city. This state park is one of the most colorful places in the west, and the rocks are all the colors of the rainbow.
Furthermore, Valley of Fire State Park is about an hour’s drive from Las Vegas, so it’s a perfect destination for a day trip. Several movies were filmed here, including Star Trek Generations, Viva Las Vegas, The Professionals.
You have 12 official trails to choose from, varying in length and difficulty. Below are some most exciting and interesting.
The Fire Wave Hike is only a 1.2-mile trail that offers the most stunning vistas and immerses you in the landscape. The trail follows a faint sandy path and then switches to traversing sandstone to get to The Fire Wave.
White Domes Hike is a scenic one-mile loop hike. It was a movie location for The Professionals from 1965.
The Rainbow Vista is a short one-mile trail that leads to a small cliff with a view out into Fire Canyon Wash.
TRIP TIP: It is a desert & sunny area, so take lots of water. If you don’t know what else to pack for a hike, check our Day Hiking Packing List.
Day Trips from Las Vegas – Nostalgic Route 66 Trip
Get your kicks on Route 66! As a day trips from Las Vegas. U.S. Route 66, known as the Main Street of America or the Mother Road, originally ran from Chicago, Illinois, through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona before ending in Santa Monica, California. It was established on November 11, 1926, covering a total of 2,448 miles (3,940 km).
In the 1980s, Route 66 fell in popularity due to the new Interstate Highway System. The new highway bypassed towns on Route 66. Businesses began to collapse, and cities were devastated. Local communities started to fight to keep the road alive as a “Historic Route 66.” Now, it’s almost ghost towns. So it’s worth visiting them during this Arizona Ghost Towns and Wild-West Day Trip as soon as possible.
Peach Springs, Kingman, Seligman, and Oatman are Arizona’s most popular places on the historic Route 66. Great idea as a Vegas day trip will also be Historic Oatman Mining Town and Route 66 Experience.
TRIP TIP: You will find more of our photos from the quaint towns on Route 66 in Arizona in this article.
Day Trips from Las Vegas – Hoover Dam Trip
If you are interested in engineering, take a trip to the Hoover Dam. It is a fascinating structure, just 30 minutes from the gambling city. So, it’s a perfect idea as a day trips from Las Vegas.
Hoover Dam is a concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the border between Nevada and Arizona. It was constructed between 1931 and 1936 during the Great Depression. Its construction was the result of a massive effort involving thousands of workers and cost over one hundred lives. On September 30, 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated it. The guided tour is approximately 4.5 hours, making for a perfect half-day adventure.
I just read one more article on Vegas and noted the day trip option of Grand Canyon from there. Now I see this and you have me all confused. I really wanna do that as well as the arches and the horse-shoe bend too. I guess, that just means more time in Vegas (ouch) Or can I combine them together for two days ….Guess I need to do some more research. Thanks for sharing the details either ways.
I was surprised at the number of day trips available from Las Vegas. We knew about going to the Grand Canyon. But there are other longer trips that might make sense too. Now I know why there were so many tour buses in places like Horseshoe Bend! I love that so many of these are trips to the outdoors. Such a change from Vegas itself!
The grand canyon is the best trip we have ever taken! We took this trip from Las Vegas! I didn’t know that there were so many other day trips you could take! horseshoe bend has been on my bucket list forever! The route 66 trip looks fantastic too!
Trip to grand canyon sounds great but, I want to spend my all day trip in Nostalgic Route 66. This road reminded me of the Disney Movie Cars, which I am amazed on the beauty of Peach Spring.
I love that Las Vegas is so close to so many beautiful natural wonders and that you can take day trips to see them. I have done Death Valley and the Grand Canyon from Vegas and both are fantastic trips. I would really love to do Horse shoe bend and antelope canyon next time as both have been on my bucket list for ages. It is a great idea to combine them into a day trip from Vegas.
Grand Canyon has been on my mind and now that I have had so many recommendations for it, cant wait for it. The pictures are amazing and took me on a virtual trip. It was good to know about the other trips too, so basically one needs to have enough time in hand and not just rush into things. Death valley and route 66 trip looks interesting to me.
Vegas is high on my bucket list and as I love day trips, then above mentioned day trips would also get added to my list. The first thing I would pick is Grand Canyon National Park trip as it is full of natural beauty and it would be great to see a wonder of nature. Another famous attraction is Hoover dam which would interest me. I would also love to hike around valley of fire and check out even lake Mead if I get more time.
Never seen the Grand Canyon with snow! Also, definitely will have to add Death Valley to my bucketlist, it looks insane. Thanks for sharing
I love this article! I love LasVegas, but I also know that everyone thinks that it’s just the Strip and it’s so much more!! Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon are simply stunning. I’d love to explore that area some more.
What a beautiful landscape this part of the world has! I have always fascinated by the horseshoe canyon and the arid landscape this national park has! Would love to visit and photograph these places some day!
I haven’t been to Las Vegas – actually, for a reason. I’m simply not the right person for all this brouhaha. Therefore, this post is perfect for me since the tours you’re introducing are totally down my alley. Obviously, I’d like to visit the Grand Canyon – but the Horseshoe Bend and Antilope Canyon look even more alluring.
An awesome list of cool places to visit from Las Vegas. How many of these trips could one do in a single day? Or better to spread it across multiple days?
So many incredible places to see, especially the Horseshoe Bend, Antelope Canyon and the Death Valley! Dying to go there 🙂
I’ve done only 5 of these! Wish I could do the longer ones.
These are such great suggestions as day trips from Las Vegas. We have been twice but never did any trips out. Would love to see the Grand Canyon but didn’t realise some of these are also near enough to see in a day trip 😊