There are plenty of fun things to do in Las Vegas away from the massive casinos lining the Strip. However, it can be difficult to get to these attractions if you don’t have a car.
If you do plan on renting a car while in Las Vegas, you’ll be in a great position to experience the city like a local. These are some things that you’re definitely going to want to do off of the Strip if you have a car.
I added a few of the most popular things to do off of the Strip to map below. This will give you a good idea of what attractions are close by. All of them are within a 30 minute drive of the Strip.
1. Take a Daytrip
Most of the attractions on this list are located within the city of Las Vegas, but there are also a bunch of popular destinations located right outside of the city.
A few of the major ones are the Grand Canyon, Lake Mead, the Hoover Dam and Zion National Park.
It’s important to note that some of these attractions are a pretty far away. They require that you commit at least a half-day, or even a full-day, if you plan on visiting. But regardless of the time commitment, they are worth visiting.
I made a complete list of all the best daytrip spots near Las Vegas in this article. Most of the attractions in that post are within a 3-hour car ride of Las Vegas.
- Drive time: 30 minutes to 5 hours
- Distance from the Strip: 15-350 miles
- Cost: Depends on destination
2. Downtown Las Vegas
Fremont Street in Downtown Las Vegas is only about 10-15 minutes north of the Strip. There’s a ton to do here, and it’s extremely easy to get to Downtown Las Vegas with a car.
Some of the attractions that you’re going to want to check out in Downtown Las Vegas include the Mob Museum, Slotzilla Zipline, Pawn Stars, Heart Attack Grill, Donut Bar, Neon Museum and the Smith Center for Performing Arts.
Also know that the gambling odds at many of the casinos in Downtown Las Vegas are better than the casinos on the Strip. So if you plan on doing some gambling while in Vegas, you’ll definitely want to check out Fremont Street.
- Drive time: 15 minutes
- Distance from the Strip: 7 miles
- Cost: Free
3. Shopping at Outlet Malls
There are nearly a dozen shopping malls on Las Vegas Boulevard, but the best malls are found off of the Strip. Having a car makes it much easier to get to them.
The Las Vegas North Premium Outlets and the Las Vegas South Premium Outlets are both located about 10 minutes away from the Strip. You’ll find amazing deals on major designer brands at these outlets.
Some of the stores with outlet locations include: Coach, Nike, PacSun, Michael Kors, Calvin Klein, Dolce & Gobana, lululemon, Levi’s and Disney.
- Drive time: 10 minutes
- Distance from the Strip: 5 miles
- Cost: Up to you
3. Waterparks
If you visit Las Vegas during the summer, there are two major waterparks open. They’re located about 20 minutes off of the Strip, so you really can’t get to them without a car.
Cowabunga Bay and Wet ‘n’ Wild are must-see attractions if you have kids. Each park has over a dozen rides that will keep you occupied for the entire day. Admission for both parks is about $30 for kids and $40 for adults. They are open from April until September.
- Drive time: 20 minutes
- Distance from the Strip: 10 miles
- Cost: $30-$40
4. Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Sign
Technically the Welcome to Las Vegas Sign is located on the Strip, but it would be a pain to walk to. You have to walk 15-20 minutes down a busy road to get there, so having a car really helps. It takes less than 5 minutes to get to the sign while driving, and parking is free.
- Drive time: 8 minutes
- Distance from the Strip: 2 miles
- Cost: Free
5. Seven Magic Mountains
Seven Magic Mountains is an iconic art installation found about 25 minutes outside the city. It’s an extremely popular spot to get social media pictures. It helps to have a car since an Uber out to Seven Magic Mountains will cost about $40 each way.
- Drive time: 25 minutes
- Distance from the Strip: 20 miles
- Cost: Free
6. Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Las Vegas Motor Speedway is another popular attraction in Las Vegas that requires a car. If you want to take your favorite exotic sports cars around the track for a test drive, you’ll want to stop by. You’ll have your choice of Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Porsches, or whatever your dream car is.
If you visiting in the winter, you’ll also want to check out the Glittering Lights display at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. It’s an impressive 2.5 mile drive-thru holiday light show. Tickets costs about $20 and show is about 30 minutes long.
- Drive time: 20 minutes
- Distance from the Strip: 17 miles
- Cost: $100-$500
7. Off-Roading
If you like the idea of test driving a car, you may also want to go off-roading. Not with your rental car, but with a dune buggy! There are a couple places on the edge of the city that allow you to take dune buggies, race trucks and razors out on a desert track.
Off-roading will cost a couple hundred bucks but it’s a ton of fun. There are actually several places near the Strip that will drive you out to the tracks, so you won’t have to use your rental car.
- Drive time: 5 minutes
- Distance from the Strip: 2 miles
- Cost: $100-$350
8. Red Rock Canyon
Red Rock Canyon is one of the most popular hiking spots near Las Vegas. It’s really close to the city, requiring only a 25 minute drive from the Strip. Red Rock is also a fantastic spot to snap some Instagram pictures.
- Drive time: 25 minutes
- Distance from the Strip: (13 miles)
- Cost: $15
9. Lake Las Vegas
You’ll want to stop by Lake Las Vegas if you have a car. They have a number of watersports including tubing, cable wakeboarding, stand-up paddle boarding and flyboarding (similar to a water pressure jet pack). They also have a large aqua park with an obstacle course, slides, swings and trampolines.
Lake Las Vegas is approximately a 30 minute drive from the center of the city. All of the attractions here cost under $50, except Flyboarding which costs $79.
- Drive time: 30 minutes
- Distance from the Strip: 25 miles
- Cost: $30-$80
10. Golfing
If you like to golf, you’ll be happy to know that Las Vegas has over 50 golf courses within 45 minutes of the Strip. There are a few courses close the the Strip (like the Wynn Golf Course), but you’ll get better deals at the courses further away.
Cheaper courses include Chimera Golf Club and Boulder Creek Golf Club. You can realistically play 18 holes at these courses for between $50-$150.
- Drive time: 5 minutes to 45 minutes
- Distance from the Strip: 1-30 miles
- Cost: $50-$500 depending on the course
11. Pinball Hall of Fame
You may want to check out the Pinball Hall of Fame if your a fan of arcade games. It has over 200 retro pinball and arcade games. It’s free to enter, and games only cost between 25 cents to a dollar.
- Drive time: 10 minutes
- Distance from the Strip: 2 miles
- Cost: Free
12. Escape Rooms
If you’ve never been to an escape room, it’s a game where you and your friends are locked in a room and have to complete challenges and puzzles. You have an hour to complete the challenges and escape.
There are a couple of these within 10 minutes of the Strip. They offer a nice break from the typical glitz and glamour of Las Vegas. Every escape room is different, but most cost about $40 per person.
- Drive time: 10 minutes
- Distance from the Strip: 3 miles
- Cost: $40
This post is part of a series comparing the best rental car companies in Las Vegas. Check out the next article in the series comparing the best rental car companies at the airport in Las Vegas.
