Cheap Times to Visit Las Vegas, Plus How I Stayed For Free!
I know that I typically talk about travel throughout the Pacific Northwest (hence the name of the blog), but we do occasionally travel even further! In recent years, we have traveled to Las Vegas several times and definitely want to share some tips and ideas with you! Are you wondering when the cheap times to visit Las Vegas are? Are you wondering how you can save money on your hotel rooms? You can ask my family, I am notorious for being cheap. I do not pay full price for anything, including travel and I do have some tips for you!
I should mention that we are not gamblers so we are not there to dump money in the machines or at the tables (as a matter of fact, in 5 trips to Vegas, we have gambled a total of $1 and that was just to say that we did. Anyway…if you are looking for ways to find great deals on trips to Vegas, look no further!
Cheap Times to Visit Las Vegas, Plus How I Stayed For Free!
Monday Through Thursday
Outside of any bit events or major holidays, the cheapest days of the week to visit are Monday through Thursday. You’ll see that this is true whenever you hop on to check prices. The weekends are significantly more expensive. The good thing is that Vegas is tons of fun every day of the week, so while Friday and Saturday might be a bit more lively, you can still find plenty to do Monday through Thursday.
When we visit, we always go for 3 or 4 nights, most of the time we do include at least one weekend night though. For example, we will go from Wednesday through Saturday. We save a lot of money by not including the Saturday night on our hotel bill. It’s not only the hotel though, airfare tends to be less expensive during the weekdays as well.
November Through February
While there are some year-round pools in Vegas, most of the hotel pools are closed from November through February and these tend to be the cheapest months to visit Sin City. This is definitely the time of year to find the best prices on a trip to Las Vegas as flights tend to be much cheaper during these months as well. Of course, that does not include holiday weeks or during major events happening in Las Vegas. This November, for instance, they will be having the F1 race in Vegas and prices are astronomical.
Not to worry though, if you haven’t yet experienced winter months in Vegas, you will be pleasantly surprised by how mild it is there! I’m used to dealing with cold and wet winters, so the winter temperatures in Vegas felt pretty great to me! Summer temperatures in Vegas can get extremely hot so really it’s not bad to avoid going during the typical summer peak season. Spring and late fall weather typically offer very good weather for visiting Las Vegas.
When No Major Events are Happening
I mentioned this a bit earlier in this post, but when you are planning a trip to Vegas it is imperative that you do your research and make sure there won’t be any major events happening during the time that you want to go.
Sports fans can tell you that some pretty major sporting events happen in Las Vegas often and during those times, prices always creep up a bit. Here are some of the key events that happen in Las Vegas that you want to avoid when choosing your trip dates:
- Super Bowl
- UFC Fights or Big Boxing Matches
- March Madness
- Consumer Electronics Show
- Las Vegas Convention
- National Finals Rodeo
All of these popular events tend to raise the price of a trip to Vegas, so try and choose dates when these events aren’t happening.
I was looking at planning a trip this fall but found that with the Sphere opening in October and F1 coming, there was just no way to save a significant amount of money on a trip during this time. We decided to scrap those plans and be patient. We are now planning to go next spring instead.
Avoid Spring Break and Other Peak Times
In addition to holidays and major events, you’ll want to avoid traveling to Las Vegas during the most popular times for visitors. These are times such as Spring Break, Memorial Day Weekend, Labor Day Weekend, New Year’s Eve etc. as prices tend to jump a bit in anticipation of the crowds. Choosing other times of the year will surely save you money and for those that prefer fewer crowds, it’s perfect!
As long as you choose your travel dates wisely, you can easily find cheap times to visit Las Vegas and save a lot of money on your hotel and plane ticket expenses.
Other Tips for Saving Money on a Trip to Las Vegas
Book Your Trip in Advance
While there are always exceptions, I have found that as long as I book our trip with 2-3 months’ advance notice, I am able to save quite a bit of money on hotels and flights and you’ll often find the lowest rates when you book early.
Stay in a Hotel that is Not on the Las Vegas Strip
Okay, so this is truly not as fun or convenient for those wanting the true Las Vegas experience, but I can promise you that you are almost always going to get a better deal if you choose to stay in an off-strip hotel.
Skip the Gambling
As I mentioned earlier, we aren’t gamblers so this really was no big deal to us, but gambling is how most people go through a lot of money in Vegas. There is a ton of stuff to do in Las Vegas that have nothing to do with gambling so don’t worry, you won’t be bored!
Use Public Transportation
Public transportation is the way to go in Vegas! Most of the moving around in Vegas you’ll do is on foot, but for those times that you want to go from the strip to Fremont or visa versa, you should consider doing so on a bus. Ubers and taxis can add up quickly and you can easily buy a three-day bus pass for just $20. Or, you can use the free tram between several of the casinos (Mandalay Bay, New York New York, Luxor, etc)!
Eat at Cheap Restaurants
Listen, Vegas is expensive. Like seriously expensive. But it doesn’t have to be. You may think that you need to eat at a restaurant in the casino where you are, but I promise you there are some really great restaurants outside of those too! There are some really good, really cheap restaurants inside of the miracle mile shops and oh my gosh can you find good, cheap lunches on Fremont! On our last trip there we found a restaurant that offered us some seriously amazing sandwiches for $3.75 each. I can’t buy lunch for $3.75 near me in Oregon.
Enjoy the Many Free Attractions in Las Vegas
Believe it or not, this city that is known for being so expensive is actually filled with lots of free attractions and activities! My first time in Las Vegas, I was shocked by how many things we found to do for free!
Not only am I here to help you find cheap times to visit Las Vegas, I’m here to help you have fun without breaking the bank!
Here are some of the best things to do for free in Vegas:
The Wildlife Habitat at The Flamingo
Head on over to the Flamingo Hotel and check out all of the flamingos, exotic birds, turtles, koi fish, and the beautiful lush garden.
The Bellagio Fountains
The Bellagio Fountains are one of the most recognizable attractions in Vegas and it’s completely free!
The Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Sign
You simply cannot go to Las Vegas without getting a picture of yourself under the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign!
The Neon Museum
The Neon Museum is one of the coolest attractions in Vegas and it’s totally free to visit! You can take a stroll through this outdoor museum to see all kinds of vintage neon signs from throughout the city and throughout the years of the city’s past.
The Conservatory and Botanical Gardens
Head on over to the Bellagio to see the stunning indoor garden. You’ll be in awe of the stunning floral displays too!
Walk Through the Bellagio
After you visit the indoor garden, be sure to take a stroll through the Bellagio Resort. The famous Tuscany-inspired resort will make you feel as though you are visiting the famous Italian city.
Hershey Store, Coca-Cola Store, M&M Store
Sure these are all stores, but you don’t have to spend any money here and they are just so cool! In the M&M store, for example, there is an entire wall of M&Ms!
Container Park
The container park near Fremont Street is such a neat place! You’ll find a selection of restaurants and stores all created with shipping containers. It is full of artistic fun sites!
Fremont Street
There are countless ways to spend money on Fremont Street, but it’s not required. You can be endlessly entertained for zero dollars! There are several stages on Fremont all featuring musicians, comedy acts, dancers, etc. You can also see hundreds of entertainers and talented artists in their circles throughout the street. Also, be sure to keep an eye on the ceiling and watch the light show! It’s fun!
The Silverton Aquarium
At the Silverton Hotel and Casino, you can find this impressive aquarium that is filled with thousands of tropical fish, sharks, and stingrays!
The Ethel M Chocolate Factory
The Ethel M Chocolate Factory allows free self-guided tours where you can sample their yummy goodies and see how their chocolate is made.
The Mirage Atrium
The Mirage Hotel has a beautiful atrium that you can visit for free! Here you will see beautiful displays of seasonal plants, flowers and even animals!
The Wildlife Habitat at the Mirage
Another great freebie at the Mirage is their Wildlife Habitat. Here you can see birds, exotic fish, and many other animals throughout the tropical oasis.
How I Have Scored Free Nights Hotel Reservations in Las Vegas
In addition to finding cheap times to visit Las Vegas, it’s also good to know how to save on your stays in sin city.
I am all about saving money on those hotel reservations! I have now found two different ways to save money on our hotels when we visited Vegas. On two separate trips, we have had one free night stay, which brought the price of our 3-4 night stay down significantly. Here’s how I did it:
MyVegas App Games
Okay, I don’t typically play games on my phone, but I discovered this little trick a while back. Playing the games on the MyVegas apps allows you to earn rewards points which can then be turned into hotel/casino comps which can include FREE rooms! I scored enough loyalty points to get a complimentary night at Mandalay Bay.
Hopper App
The Hopper app is great for giving promos and credits (you get these for taking trips purchased through Hopper or sharing with friends) and on our trip to Vegas last year we were able to get a free night at Excalibur! We actually stayed at Mandalay Bay for most of our trip, but we ended up booking an earlier flight than we expected so we decided to stay the first night for free in a different resort. It worked out well for us!
How to Find Discounts on Cirque Du Soleil Shows
I was lucky enough to get to watch the Cirque Du Soleil show KA during one of my trips to Las Vegas and let me tell you, it was amazing! It truly was an experience that I will never forget. I have wanted to take my entire family to a Cirque show ever since, but until recently I didn’t know how to find any deals on these shows and the ticket price is pretty high, especially when you have a family of 5. I now know that you don’t have to pay face value for shows though! If you are looking for how to score deals on these shows, check out these tips:
My Vegas App
Again, the MyVegas apps are a great way to earn rewards that you can then turn into discounted Cirque Shows. Just today I spotted a 20% off discount for Michael Jackson One.
MGM Resorts
When I discovered how much I loved Las Vegas I instantly signed up for an MGM rewards account. Not only can you save up to 20% or more off of your hotel room this way, but you can also find show discounts!
BOGO or 1/2 Price Ticket Booths
Okay, I have not actually seen these yet, but I didn’t know to look for them until recently. I have friends who have told me that they were able to buy show tickets the day of the show at BOGO or 1/2-price ticket booths on the strip.
I will definitely be looking for one of these the next time we plan to see a show.
Do you have any more tips on how to find cheap times to visit Las Vegas?