Popular Non-Gambling Activities in Las Vegas

"Why would anyone visit Las Vegas without gambling?"

You've probably heard that line a few times if you're planning a non-gambling trip to Sin City.

Whatever your reason for choosing to avoid the casinos, you're not alone. The crowds of people (and piles of tourist dollars) that flow into Las Vegas these days have less to do with roulette wheels and blackjack tables than ever before. These days, just 36% of all income on the Strip comes from gambling. Compare that to the mid-80s, when bets made up 60% or more of total Strip revenue.

The city is doing well, in spite of the reduced cash-flow at the casinos. Home prices are up – surprising news for a city hit hard by the burst of the housing bubble less than a decade ago. Unemployment is down – another surprise, especially considering casinos haven't been in a hiring mood. The New York Times reported on this phenomenon last year.

Have we reached peak Vegas? It looks like the city is becoming less of a gambling hotspot and more of a plain old tourist destination. Of the 40 million visitors last year, a significant portion are said to have avoided casinos altogether. According to the city, 1 in 4 visitors were in town for a conference, meeting, or other work or school-related event, and spent not one penny at a casino.

On this page are some tips to help you pick a non-gambling activity. We've also included a list of gambling-free activities that we recommend to Vegas visitors. These are divided into the four categories you can see below. If you'd like to go straight to any of these categories, you can just click on the relevant button.

Picking a Non-Gambling Vegas Activity

Any visitor to the city will have to decide whether they're going to gamble or not at some point. You've already made that decision, so picking something to do won't be hard. The good news is, an entire tourist industry has popped up in Las Vegas to entertain and serve guests who don't want to gamble.

Las Vegas is a metropolis with all the trappings of a great city. It has a burgeoning art and music scene, its home to several semi-professional sports teams, and the city's built-in tourist draw in the forms of casinos also brings entertainers, musicians, and live shows all year long. If you don't want to gamble but you complain that there's nothing to do in Las Vegas, you're just not doing it right.

When it's time to pick something to do in town that's not in a casino, start by answering the questions below. You'll be able to narrow down all your choices to just a few based on your answers.

Now let's look at how the answers to these questions can help you decide what to do.

The part of Nevada where Bugsy Siegel and his cronies chose to construct a gambling haven is not exactly an easy place to live. Vegas is miserably hot for six months of the year, and since this is the desert, it can get annoyingly-cold in the winter, or even in the evenings in the summer.

Once you start considering all the ins and outs of the timing of your trip, from the weather to the crowds to the availability of certain activities, you'll realize how important this step is.

Depending on the weather, you may prefer an indoor activity or one that's (at least partially) outside. The Spring Mountains and Carpenter Canyon nearby are a great retreat from the city for outdoors types, but not if it's 112 degrees or below freezing. At the same time, if you're in Vegas on one of those rare perfect desert days, with clear, dry air and a bright blue sky, it'd be a shame to sit inside all day.

We usually choose to visit the city between the months of March-May (average high 78 degrees) or October-November (average low 52 degrees). That gives us twenty weeks out of the year when we can expect weather that's at least bearable. Why do we shy away during the winter? Believe it or not, more tourists visit between December and February than any other month, and we find activities a lot more enjoyable when they're not over-crowded.

The facelifts that saved Las Vegas tourism in the 80s and 90s went a long way to turning a once-seedy gambling town into a family vacation spot. But Vegas is also a natural setting for romance, so lots of activities for couples are available, too. Then again, you may be alone, at a boring sales conference or team-building weekend, looking for something to do by yourself to kill time.

For example, a stroll down the Strip to see the sights and do some people-watching is a great couple's activity, and it can even work with a small group of friends. We wouldn't recommend that a group of fifteen school children and their five chaperones attempt it, though. Vegas is crowded and you'll spend more time trying to keep your group together than enjoying the scenery.

Knowing the exact size of the group that's taking part in an activity is more than just good planning – you'll probably need to know it when making reservations or buying tickets anyway. There are plenty of things to do in Vegas that don't involve gambling, but it's still a tourist town, so prepare to pay by the head for certain activities.

Whether you're one person looking to kill a few hours between meetings or a large multi-family reunion touring the town together, it's important to consider activities appropriate for the people in your group, and one way to consider that is by their age.

Though exceptions exist for every rule, grandma is probably not going to enjoy the same activity as a teenager. A newlywed couple is unlikely to appreciate the finer points of the birding tour favored by an elderly couple. And almost none of them would appreciate the same kind of entertainment as a toddler.

One trick to get around this problem is to look for activities that are enjoyable for a wide range of different ages. A day at Lake Mead could include a variety of activities to suit every person in your group. An evening playing in a video game arcade, on the other hand, would only be of interest to kids, unless there was an activity nearby that would interest adults.

Obviously you'll need to prepare a budget for your trip, whether that's $1 million or $1,000. Sticking to your budget is easier when you don't involve gambling, but trust me, you can still spend a ton of cash on non-gaming activities in Sin City.

Vegas is a luxury-oriented city, so you'll find plenty of high-dollar activities that cater to guests with deep pockets. But thanks to increased visitation by families with kids, the city is also great for families who don't have high roller budgets. Believe it or not, you can even find plenty of free activities, thanks to the growing native population and local support for the arts.

Yes, this is the home of the $1,000 martini and the $40,000-per-night hotel suite, but it's also the home of the free Bellagio Conservatory and the $4 shrimp cocktail. Given a little planning and an understanding of your budget, you can plan an amazing non-gaming adventure in Las Vegas without breaking the bank.

This one's important. Different people are looking for Vegas activities for different reasons. Are you killing time? Do you want to find an educational activity for the kids? Just looking for some classic Las Vegas entertainment? We can think of a million reasons why a person would be looking for something to do besides gambling, and probably a million different activities that are perfect for it.

Let's say we're looking for an activity for a group of high school students in town for a science fair. Clearly they're looking for an experience that's at least a little bit educational. Sending them to Brooklyn Bowl would be a popular but ridiculous choice – we'd probably suggest they check out the Mob Museum instead. Still fun, still educational, and still in line with the purpose of their visit.

Armed with the answers to the above questions, look through the rest of this page and find out which non-gaming activities we regularly recommend to tourists who visit the city. Decide which activity might be right for you, based on the size and makeup of your group, the time of year, your budget, and your purpose for the activity.

Best Luxury Activities

We'll offer some budget-friendly recommendations later, but we want to get the ritzy stuff out of the way. Let's face it, a ton of people visit Vegas for a little taste of the high-roller lifestyle. The activities below have nothing to do with gaming, and everything to do with experiencing the best of the best. Though these activities aren't budget-friendly, they will likely lead to some excellent vacation memories.

Best Activities for Couples

It's easy to get married in Las Vegas. Unlike other states, Nevada doesn't require a blood test or a waiting period. City laws in Las Vegas make the process even easier – you fill out a form, pay $60 cash, show your ID, and within minutes you can get married. This led to a huge wedding industry in the city, one which tourists have fueled ever since.

But it's not just newlyweds who hit the city together – people have glommed on to the idea of the city as a hotspot for romance. Romantic activities abound. Here are some of my favorites.

Best Activities for Families

It's never been easier to find activities for the whole family in Las Vegas than it is these days. Thanks to changes in the demographics of visitors to the city, you can spend a week in the city with your family without even realizing that legal gambling is going on. Here are some awesome family-friendly activities to consider on your next non-gambling trip.

Best Free Activities

You don't have to be broke to look for a free activity. The suggestions below are great time-killers, but many of them are also classic tourist sites that are on our personal "can't-miss" list. You don't have to spend a lot of money to have a good time in Las Vegas – in fact, you don't have to spend any at all.

Some Final Words

Las Vegas has become a hotspot for trade meetings, conferences, concerts, and school trips. Sure, legal gambling is huge business in the metro area, and in the state of Nevada, but it's becoming less and less important to the local economy.

As the city changes to meet the needs of travelers, the availability of non-gambling activities increases. These days, you can plan any sort of trip you'd like, from an educational family visit to a museum all the way to high-dollar entertainment and spa services. The kind of activity you take part in while visiting Las Vegas depends on the needs of the group you're in. We hope the tips above have helped you find something sin-free to do on your stay in Sin City.