Las Vegas with kids? Yes, contrary to common belief, traveling to Las Vegas with kids can be a lot of fun. I recently traveled to Las Vegas with my 9-year-old boy and the teenage boy. We had a very tight schedule, but we had a ton of fun. I wanted to share the trip plan so that anybody can plan their trip to Las Vegas with kids and make it fun for them as well.
First few times when I traveled to Las Vegas I was stunned by the grandeur. But slowly I did not find much to do over there as I do not like to gamble. During my last business trip to Las Vegas, I stayed in MGM Grand and watched the David Copperfield show. I was simply spellbound by the magic show and decided to bring my kids to Las Vegas so that they can also have a magical experience. So this Christmas we planned a short trip to Vegas with David Copperfield show and many more.
David Copperfield’s magic show is in MGM Grand, so we decided to stay there. However, to make the rest of the show to be fun-filled, I purchased the 2-day Go-City pass for Las Vegas from Groupon, which allows you to experience many shows and activities at Las Vegas. I got the pass for $130 for adults and $125 for the child. But, for each person, we experienced $500 worth of shows and activities. So, this pass is definitely worth it.
Day 1 – Arrive and Dine-in at an Iron Chef Restaurant
1. Arrive at Las Vegas
Arrive at Las Vegas, check-in to the hotel and relax
2. Dinner at Iron Chef Restaurant
I wanted to dine at an iron chef restaurant in Las Vegas. My family’s favorite is Japanese cuisine. So we decided to dine-in the Iron Chef Morimoto Las Vegas restaurant at MGM Grand. It was expensive ($$$), but it was worth it.
Day 2 – David Copperfield show and more
1. Pickup 24 hrs Monorail pass
We started at around 9:30 AM in the morning after having breakfast in the hotel. First thing first – arrange for easy and quick transportation. Go-City pass provides a 24 hr monorail pass. So we picked up the monorail pass from MGM Grand station. Here is the list of Monorail stations.
2. Pickup V-Theater show ticket
With Go-City pass, we could watch 1 shows per day at Las Vegas V-Theater, located at Miracle Miles shop at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino. We picked up the tickets early in the morning for the evening show. For the first day, we chose to watch The Ultimate Variety Show at 8 PM.
3. Visit Avengers Museum
After picking up the ticket, we took an Uber to go to the Avengers Museum located inside the Treasure Island. My boys really enjoyed the interactive Avengers museum.
4. Lunch at Señor Frog
Next to the Avengers museum, there is a restaurant Señor Frog inside Treassure Island. With the Go-City pass, the drink is free and the food is 20% off in that restaurant. So we have a big lunch at that place
5. Madame Tussauds Museum
After lunch, we walked to the Madame Tussauds museum at the Canal shops at Venetian. It was across the street from Treasure island, around 5 to 7 min walk. Kids had fun posing for pictures with their favorite stars.
6. Recharge at Hotel Room
We headed back to our hotel room at MGM Grand taking the Monorail from Linq station. We had a reservation for David Copperfield’s magic show at 4 PM. We got a few minutes to rest and dress up for the magic show.
7. Amazing David Copperfield Magic Show
By 4 PM we reached the David Copperfield Theater for the magic show. I can only say that the kids were speechless and spellbound. It is probably one of the best shows in Las Vegas.
8. CSI: The experience
Our next stop was CSI: The experience inside MGM Grand, where we played the role of a crime scene investigator to solve a crime mystery with forensic crime labs. It was quite interesting
9. The Ultimate Variety Show at V-Theater
After that, we grabbed a quick dinner, took a little bit of rest at the hotel room and headed back to the V-Theater at Miracle Miles shop taking the monorail. There was a long line for entry to The ultimate Variety show, but it was worth it. Nothing beats the ultimate variety show for entertainment for the entire family, It consists of comedy, acrobatic and Manu other skillful acts.
Day 3 – Zip Lining and more
1. Pickup V-Theater show ticket
The next day, we start at 9 PM. Our Monorail pass was valid for 24 hrs and it was going to expire at 10 AM. So went for our last Monorail ride to go to the V-Theater. We wanted to watch the Nathan Burton show, but unfortunately, it was all sold out. So got the 7:30 PM ticket for the show Mentalist
2. Brunch
When in Las Vegas you need to take time to have an elaborate Brunch at least once. So we sat down in Planet Hollywood cafe to have a sumptuous elaborate brunch. My foodie boys enjoyed it a lot.
3. Fly Linq Zipline
Next, we headed for zip lining to Linq casino and resort. This time we just walked through the strip. It was around 15 minutes to walk. It was our first time doing zip lining. Initially, I was scared, but as it started, I actually enjoyed the zip lining over the strip. Boys just loved the experience. Note that they do not allow the kids weighing below 64 lbs.
4. High Roller Observation Wheel
Next stop – High Roller Observation Wheel It is at the same place as the zip lining. It was a relaxing ride to the high roller observation wheel enjoying the view of Las Vegas and the surroundings
5. Escape Room
Our next destination was Number 1 Escape Room located at East Tropicana Avenue. It is a little far away from the strip, so we had to take Uber to get there. We were lucky to get a reservation at 4 PM as somebody canceled it. But it is absolutely recommenced to call them ahead of time to book a spot. It was the first time for me and my younger son at the escape room. We absolutely loved it!
6. Recharge at Hotel Room
We got a little bit of time to recharge at the hotel and eat dinner before going for the last event for the day. It was a hectic day, but we enjoyed every moment.
7. V-Theater Show
We headed to V-Theater to watch the magic show Mentalist. The difference with David Copperfield’s show is that it uses fewer props and relies more on the probability to predict the results. My younger son loved it a lot!
Few Useful tips
Where to stay in Las Vegas
Choosing the hotel in Las Vegas can be a daunting task. If you are not visiting to attend a particular event in a particular resort, you have to consider the cost of the hotel and the distance of the activities that you would like to attend. We stayed at MGM Grand as the David Copperfield show was our main attraction. But considering the other activities we did, we should have stayed in a more central location in the strip. I would recommend staying at Bally’s, Paris or Planet Hollywood.
Best way to move around in Las Vegas
Monorail: Since the Go-City pass comes with 24 hrs Monorail pass, using Monorail is a good way to move around in Las Vegas. But it may involve a long walk between the Monorail station and the destination casino/ mall. In order to optimize the time, you may have to consider walking or Uber
Uber: Every resort/ casino has a dedicated pick up area for Uber. For the short rides between the hotels. Uber is a good option. Usually, it costs $8 – $12 to move around the casinos.
Things to do before you go
Before you reach Las Vegas, consider the following.
- Book a hotel to stay (Preferably in the strip)
- Buy the Go City pass from Groupon
- Buy the show ticket that you are interested in, but not covered by Go-City Pass
- If you are interested in Fine Dining at Iron Chef restaurant, choose the restaurant and make a reservation
- Make a booking for Escape Room
- Have the Uber/ Lyft app ready on your phone.
Save Recipe