The Best Non Gambling Things To Do In Vegas

Las Vegas may have earned the nickname ‘the Gambling Capital of the World’ because its 170 casinos are the most on the planet, but there is so much more to do than just gamble here.

More than 40 million people visited Vegas in 2023 and while most will play a game or two there is plenty to explore, see and do outside of the slots and card games. In this comprehensive guide to the best non gambling things to do in Vegas we will examine all the other amazing things you can do on a visit to Sin City.

• Things to do in Vegas other than gamble
• Other non gambling things to do in Vegas

Things To Do In Vegas Other Than Gamble

In this section we will look at the best things to do in Vegas other than gamble, including the Grand Canyon, Downtown and Fremont Street walking tour, The Strat, Welcome to Las Vegas sign and Valley of Fire State Park.

Grand Canyon

Escape the hustle and bustle of the Strip by getting out into nature and visiting the Grand Canyon National Park – one of the best non gambling things to do in Vegas. It is one of the world’s top natural attractions with around five million visitors a year, with the South Rim open all year (weather permitting) and the North Rim generally open from the middle of May to mid-October. A steep-sided canyon shaped by the Colorado River in Arizona, the Grand Canyon is around 275 miles away from Las Vegas and will take just over four hours to drive. If you go as part of a tour your guide will point out must-see spots on the way along the famous Route 66 too.

It makes a perfect day trip to experience the breathtaking views of the canyon which drops over a mile deep with visitors given a National Park South Rim and Village Tour as well as three hours to explore the entire area at your own pace. An exhilarating option to witness the Grand Canyon from the sky is by helicopter which takes just 60 minutes from Vegas and offers incredible views of the Hoover Dam on the way. From the air you’ll be able to take in the spectacular landscape in its entirety and you’ll land in the canyon and be able to explore on foot as well. Adventurous folk may want to visit by car and plan a hike down to the river and back up in a day, while there is also rafting, running and skydiving in the area.

Downtown and Fremont Street Walking Tour

Las Vegas can be overwhelming especially at first so we recommend you take a two-hour guided tour of downtown and Fremont Street to become familiar with the city and showcase the many things to do in Vegas other than gamble. The tour starts at the corner of Fremont Street and Main Street which is known as the site where Las Vegas was officially established in 1905 when the first settlers arrived.

You’ll then explore Fremont Street which has been made popular thanks to iconic films, television shows and books over the years. You’ll be treated to a detailed history of the street – often referred to as the Fremont Experience – hearing where Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack used to hang out and taking in the flashiness of neon signs everywhere. You can then check out the revamped Fremont East neighborhood which has been labeled the Greenwich Village of Las Vegas due to all its highly-rated restaurants, shops and new attractions. You’ll stop off at Downtown Container Park and see the park structures made of partly recycled shipping containers – a great spot for kids to play.

The Strat

Another one of the best non gambling things to do in Vegas is The Strat where you can climb the 1,149 ft observation tower – the tallest in the United States and second only in the entire Western Hemisphere to the CN Tower in Toronto, Canada. Take in the vast Las Vegas skyline from the top of the tower’s two observation decks on levels 108 and 109, with gourmet sandwiches, ice cream and cookies available at 108 Eats and hand-crafted cocktails at 108 Drinks.

The indoor and outdoor deck has fun interactive video maps and swanky retail shops too, while thrill-seekers can enjoy a range of rides. Take the plunge with SkyJump – a controlled descent spiraling you down the tower – or get fired 160 feet into the air at 45 miles an hour with the Big Shot. The X-Scream roller coaster tips you over the very edge of the tower from nearly 900 feet in the air and propels riders head first nearly 30 feet over the edge of the tower for truly sweat-inducing fun.

If you’d prefer to enjoy the stunning views in a little more peaceful circumstances try the Top of the World restaurant and its dining room that rotates 360 degrees every 80 minutes. The award-winning menu offers steaks and a selection of seafood complemented by fresh and seasonal ingredients, but be sure to dress smart to meet the upscale dress code. There is even a chapel in the clouds for those who want to get married in the sky!

Welcome to Las Vegas Sign

Get back down to ground level and visit the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign, found just to the south of the Strip. An iconic spot to take a picture and one of the best things to do in Vegas other than gamble, you will probably have to queue but there is usually someone there who will take it for you for free. This famous Vegas landmark was designed by Betty Willis at the request of Ted Rogich, a local salesman who sold it on to Clark County, Nevada. The sign is considered to be the official southern end of the Strip.

Valley of Fire State Park

Under an hour’s drive from Vegas out into the wilderness of the Mojave desert is the Valley of Fire State Park, renowned for its glorious 40,000 acres of bright red Aztec sandstone that dates back more than 2,000 years. The visitor center offers exhibits on the park’s geology and history and the nearby region, with the park open from sunrise to sunset every day. Campers can also stay overnight, while there are many intriguing hikes available offering various lengths and terrain.

Other Non Gambling Things To Do In Vegas

In this section we will examine other non gambling things to do in Vegas such as visiting museums, watching live sport, eating out, seeing a show, the Hoover Dam and Bellagio Fountains.

Museums

One of our favorite non gambling activities in Las Vegas is visiting one of the many museums such as the Neon Museum which features signs from old casinos and other businesses, with a restored lobby shell from the defunct La Concha Motel acting as its visitors’ center. The Neon Museum officially opened in 2012 and runs a range of tours showcasing different elements of the signs, which are considered by Vegas locals, business owners and government organizations to be artistically and historically significant to the culture of the city. The museum has exhibits in three main areas – restored signs throughout downtown and the Strip, the Neon Boneyard and North Gallery.

The Mob Museum is found downtown and is dedicated to all the artifacts, stories and colorful history that constitute organized crime in the US. Formerly home to the Las Vegas Post office and Courthouse, visitors can survey the exhibits showcasing various hearings, massacres, money skimming operations, mob violence and law enforcement wiretapping over the years. There is a Wall of Mobsters detailing notable mobsters from numerous crime families, while you can even sit in a replica electric chair and listen to actual wiretaps. The Las Vegas Natural History Museum – also found downtown – showcases exhibits focusing on various subjects ranging from dinosaurs and marine life to mammals and Ancient Egypt. Great fun for the whole family, the museum put on regular events worth checking out too.

Watch Sport

Sports fans can choose from many different teams if you want to catch some live action on your visit to Vegas. The Las Vegas Valley is home to three major professional teams – ice hockey outfit Vegas Golden Knights of the NHL, football side Las Vegas Raiders of the NFL and women’s basketball team Las Vegas Aces of the WNBA. The Vegas Golden Knights were only founded in 2017 and play their home games at the 17,500-capacity T-Mobile Arena on the Strip, winning their first Stanley Cup championship in 2023 after overcoming the Florida Panthers.

The Las Vegas Raiders play their home games at the 65,000-capacity Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, southwest of Vegas. Headquartered in Henderson, Nevada, the team was founded in 1960 as the Oakland Raiders and moved to Los Angeles from 1982 to 1994, returning to Oakland in 1995 and eventually moving to Las Vegas in 2020. Super Bowl champions in 1976, 1980 and 1983, since relocating to Sin City the Raiders’ best season was in 2021 when they lost the wild card playoffs to the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Las Vegas Aces play their home matches at the 12,000-seater Michelob Ultra Arena inside the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on the Vegas Strip. The team was launched in 1997 as the Utah Starzz and spent 2003 to 2017 based in San Antonio, Texas before moving to Vegas in 2018. They are co-owned by NFL legend Tom Brady and won the WNBA championship in both 2022 and 2023. These are some of the best non gambling things to do in Vegas, but we must admit sports betting in Nevada is even better when you do it at a live game.

Eat Out

One of the most popular activities in Las Vegas besides gambling is eating out and as Las Vegas has grown up so has its culinary scene, evolving from the steakhouses and buffets that once fuelled visitors to incorporate the best celebrity chefs and master sommeliers in the game. You can find great spots for just about any type of cuisine, ranging from fine dining on the Strip to local favorites in nearby neighborhoods. There are almost too many to name so we’ll list just a few – Mizumi, Picasso, NoMad, Naxos Taverna, HaSalon and Cipriani.

See a Show

One of the best things you can do in Las Vegas is to go and see a show and regardless if you’re visiting this week, this month or this year you’ll find something to keep you entertained. From concerts and comedy to magic and dancing, the array of options is plentiful with first-timers advised to check out Cirque du Soleil with multiple venues showing it along the Strip or the Blue Man Group at the Luxor Hotel and Casino. If you want something a little bit different, how about a poolside concert at The Cosmopolitan or seeing your favorite band when they come through Vegas, a racy burlesque show or a hole-in-the-wall comedy club.

Hoover Dam

You may be able to visit as part of your Grand Canyon trip but the Hoover Dam certainly deserves a look. Constructed between 1931 and 1936, this concrete dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River cost over 100 lives with its generators providing power for public and private utilities across Nevada, Arizona and California. It is now a major tourist attraction bringing in seven million people a year, not surprising for one of the world’s most impressive engineering marvels. Explore deep inside the dam on a guided tour or combine your trip with a leisurely cruise of Lake Mead.

Bellagio Fountains

You can’t leave Vegas without experiencing the Fountains of Bellagio, a musical fountain show that is performed in a 8.5-acre man-made lake outside the front of the Bellagio Resort on the Strip. The show is one of the iconic sights of Las Vegas, using over 1,200 water nozzles and nearly 5,000 lights to shoot water as high as 460 feet in the air. Sometimes stages are built on the lake to host events like musical performances incorporated into the fountain show. They are widely visible and typically viewed by onlookers from the sidewalk of the Strip and don’t cost anything, usually taking place every half-an-hour from the afternoon right up until midnight.