It’s no secret that high rollers get VIP treatment in Las Vegas. But you don’t have to be a whale to experience some of the city’s most extravagant offerings. In fact, Las Vegas is all about appealing to every visitor—no matter the trip budget.

Here’s a closer look at some of the cheap things to do and free options for entertainment around town.

Free Attractions in Las Vegas

On the Strip and around Fremont Street, there's a plethora of free attractions waiting to be explored. Start your adventure in Downtown Las Vegas to explore the electrifying Fremont Street Experience, offering nightly live music, entertainment, and a spectacular daily light show at 6 p.m. And don’t miss the vibrant atmosphere of the Downtown Container Park, featuring various art installations, live entertainment, food vendors, and boutique shopping.

 

Elsewhere around town, there’s also the Aquarium at Silverton Casino Lodge, where a 117,000-gallon aquarium houses more than 5,000 exotic fish from around the world (and real-live mermaids put on shows every half-hour starting at 4 p.m. daily). Or make your way to The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace to witness the captivating Atlantis Show, featuring animatronic displays of nine-foot-tall talking statues amid dramatic fire and water effects. Art enthusiasts will love the Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art at UNLV, showcasing modern and contemporary pieces. Finally, round off your Vegas adventure with a visit to The Flamingo Wildlife Habitat at Flamingo Las Vegas, a family-friendly four-acre garden teeming with exotic birds, turtles and fish.

And, of course, no visit to Las Vegas is complete without seeing the mesmerizing Fountains of Bellagio and Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Gardens. The conservatory presents larger-than-life scenes made of thousands of flowers. On-site horticulturists change out the exhibit six times a year and you’ll never see the same thing twice.

Cheap Things to do in Vegas

The Pinball Hall of Fame, for instance, on the southern end of the Strip near the “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign, has hundreds of pinball machines, and they all still cost 50 cents apiece. If you like golf, bays at driving ranges such as Atomic Golf or TopGolf run anywhere from $40 to $80 per hour, which is a lot cheaper if you go with three or four friends. Then, of course, there’s Flight Club, a “social darts” experience inside the Grand Canal Shoppes. This venue charges $20 per person for 90 minutes in a private booth that includes an electronic dart board, a couch, and plenty of space for food and drinks. It’s perfect for a group of six or fewer.

If you have a car and you don’t mind driving, head out to Red Rock Canyon National Recreation Area for a day hike. It costs $20 per car to enter the 13-mile scenic loop road; from there, you can park and explore various canyons and hiking trails on foot.

Affordable Dining

There are lots of strategies for dining well on a budget. For instance, consider saving on a couple of meals and splurging on one. It’s easy to do this if you stay at a resort like The Venetian or Caesars Palace, both of which are connected to shopping malls with reasonably priced food courts, coffee shops and juice bars.

Las Vegas loves a happy hour, and you can dine like royalty at some of the best ones. Italian favorite Brera Osteria inside The Venetian Resort has a 3 to 5 p.m. aperitivo hour, where major deals include the pizzas (think the Vince, with mozzarella, mortadella, burrata, and pistachio) for half the price of the dinner menu. Elsewhere at The Venetian you can save on discounted drinks and food at Cañonita, a traditional Mexican restaurant that boasts views of the resort’s gondolas and specials, which are available weekdays from 2 to 5 p.m. Splurgy Scotch 80 Prime’s steakhouse in the Palms Casino Resort takes 50 percent off select menu items—including an eight ounce filet mignon!—when you order in on weekdays between 5 to 6:30 p.m. and after 10 p.m. There’s also Favorite Bistro at The LINQ Promenade, which offers a lively environment and tasty, affordable finger food and discounted drinks daily from 2 to 6 p.m.

And for the perfect pregame meal deal, check out TAP Sports Bar at Excalibur Hotel and Casino. It offers a 3 for $33 Value Meal, including an appetizer, soup or salad, and an entrée so you can fuel up before your team takes center stage.

Many eateries cater to both late-night owls and early birds. Take, for instance, Evel Pie in Downtown’s Fremont East Entertainment District, which offers pizza by the slice, with doors open until 2 a.m. on weekdays and 4:20 a.m. on weekends. For round-the-clock dining, head to Village Pub & Café at Ellis Island Casino, Hotel & Brewery. This establishment has earned its reputation for having incredible deals, such as its unbeatable top sirloin steak special. For a taste of Mexican cuisine at wallet-friendly prices, there’s Tacos El Gordo, with four locations in the Las Vegas area.

Specials for a Great Night Out 

When it comes to drinks in Las Vegas, expect to find some great deals and specials. If your group is interested in heading to a nightclub, keep in mind that most require ticketed entry or cover charges. Your best option is to look for a local promoter to help get you into a club, as the cost could be reduced or waived entirely. Promoters can be found all over the Strip: their main job is to help bring crowds to the clubs.

If you’re with your girl group, you’re in luck at the nightclubs, most of which will let you in free or for a reduced admission charge. (Many clubs have drink specials or will give you free drink tickets. For instance, Zouk nightclub often gives women two free drinks between 10:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m; TAO Nightclub has a one-hour open bar for women only on weekend nights. LAVO Party Brunch, Hakkasan Nightclub, and Jewel have similar specials.

Where to Stay

The Strip is known for its luxury resorts, but some might not know that Las Vegas Boulevard is home to many affordable hotels with world-class offerings as well. If value is what you’re looking for, be sure to check out Treasure Island – TI Hotel & Casino.

You can also find several budget-friendly hotels in Downtown Las Vegas, many of them right on Fremont Street. Take a look at El Cortez Hotel & Casino and Golden Gate Hotel and Casino if you’re looking for a great room rate.

How to Get Around

The Las Vegas Monorail is a secret gem and extremely helpful in getting around the Strip quickly. With stops putting you just steps away from some of the destination’s favorite resorts, why not save some time while taking a minute to kick back and enjoy the view? Fares are $5.50 for one ride or $13.45 for unlimited rides in a 24-hour period. You could also consider hopping on The Deuce, a double-decker bus that heads up and down the Strip all day, making stops at every resort along its route. Regular fares on that are $4 apiece.

For more ways to save on your next trip to Vegas, check out our free things to do in Las Vegas guide and current hotel deals and packages.