Christmas in Las Vegas: A Perfect 3 Day Weekend for the Holidays

Each year, it has become a tradition to spend a few days before Christmas in Las Vegas. There really isn’t a better time to visit — the hotel rates drop, the weather isn’t unbearably hot and there are a lot less people (from conventions or annoying bachelorette parties!). Plus, we love the very Vegas-style holiday decorations.

Christmas in Las Vegas – a fun time to visit!

Below is our latest itinerary for a weekend in Las Vegas around the holidays. It strikes a nice balance of busy and relaxation (but you know, mostly busy since it’s us!). If you have a few more days, consider some of our previous Vegas recommendations here. And soon enough you’ll be wondering, too — when did you start enjoying Vegas?

DAY 1 – ARRIVE ON FRIDAY FOR YOUR CHRISTMAS IN LAS VEGAS ADVENTURE

• 2 pm, depart Los Angeles by car (4-5 hours drive)
  • Consider breaking up your trip along the way. We enjoyed a quick detour to Freed’s Bakery, a favorite spot among locals.

• 8 pm, arrive Las Vegas and check into your hotel. We stayed at The Venetian for two nights.
  • Check around online, especially for Cyber Monday deals in November. We paid $150 a night.

• 9 pm, Dinner at Tao, located at The Venetian. We recommend the seats at the sushi bar and ordering the giant fortune cookie!

• 10:30 pm, Drinks at Rosina Bar
  • This is an Art Deco-inspired bar in The Palazzo with craft cocktails and champagne. It’s a classy spot and so not your typical Vegas bar!

• Midnight, Time to hit the sack (or continue on!). We had a long day on the road, so I was definitely ready for bed!

DAY 2 – SATURDAY

• 9 AM, Wake up and explore The Venetian Grand Canal Shops, a large indoor shopping mall.
  • I personally love Houdini’s Magic Shop for unique gifts.

• Pick up some breakfast and pastries. And no, I’m not ashamed to admit that I ate 4 cookies that morning! Okay, maybe a little guilty.
  • Bouchon Bakery has incredible baked goods and breakfast sandwiches.
  • Celebrity Chef Buddy Valastro’s bakery is also nearby but the baked goods weren’t all that great (and way overpriced).

• 10 am, Depart the strip for Red Rock Canyon for a 3 hour electric bike tour with Red E-Bike Tours ($99 per person).
  • This was our favorite thing we did all weekend. It didn’t take long for me to realize just how well suited the e-bikes were for Red Rock. The e-bike can be adjusted from level zero (if you want to work your butt off) to level 4 (if you want some extra pep!). We soon discovered that the second stretch would be mostly uphill. Crank it up to 4!

• 2:30-3:30 pm, Drive back towards the strip, but first make a quick stop to unwind after your 17-mile e-bike ride at the very cool Gäbi Coffee & Bakery.

• 4 pm, Join the 90-minute Pop Culture Tour of Downtown Fremont ($29.99 per person)
  • Los Angeles is known for its Hollywood stars and film studios. But did you know about Las Vegas’ long and deep ties to Tinseltown? I sure didn’t! This unique walking tour covers Vegas history, pop culture and other topics
  • Location: Meet on steps of Mob Museum

• 6 pm, Grab dinner in Downtown Las Vegas. You’ll find some of the best restaurants here like Carson Kitchen (which has incredible mac n’ cheese), Le Thai (try the tender Waterfall Beef) and Therapy (um, red velvet waffle chicken sliders!).

• 7 pm, Head back to The Mob Museum to check out their speakeasy saloon known as The Underground.
  • You’ll need a password, which you can easily find on the museum’s Instagram story. We asked the security guard out front. But let’s just say, he wasn’t anywhere close to the real password. After a few failed attempts at finding the entrance (seriously, I think we walked around that building 5 times!), we eventually figured it out.

• 9 pm, See a late-night Vegas show. We asked several locals about the best shows to see and they unanimously recommended either Absinthe or Opium.  Both are variety shows with edgy humor.
• 10:30 pm, After your show, head to the very romantic SkyBar.
  • This is one of our favorite spots in Las Vegas, located in the Waldorf Astoria (previously the Mandarin Oriental Hotel) with floor to ceiling windows that overlook the Vegas strip.

• Midnight, Another late night! Exhausted yet? Head back to your hotel for the night.

DAY 3 – SUNDAY

•  8-9:30 am, Relax in the comfy hotel room (like Kevin), or go for an early morning stroll (like me!). I love walking around Vegas in the morning before the late-night party crowd wakes up!
• 10 am, Head out from the hotel and drive 20 minutes to hike Sunrise/Frenchman Mountain 
  • Location: 6885 E Lake Mead Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89156
  • On Google, enter “Frenchman Mountain Trailhead”
  • This is no easy hike! Come prepared with hiking boots, hiking poles (essential) and only attempt if it’s in the winter since there is no shade. It took us about 2 hours to complete with very little stopping.

• 3-5:00 pm, You’ll be ready to relax those legs after the hike. Head to our other favorite Vegas hot spot to the massive Qua Spa (Open 6 am – 8 pm daily, with entry to the spa running $55 Monday-Thursday and $65 for Friday-Sunday).

• 5:30 pm, Now that you’re rested, head over to Titanic The Artifact Exhibition (at the Luxor Hotel)
  • Another major highlight for the weekend. This museum took us about 1 hour to walk through, but gave such an insightful look at the Titanic story. If you love the movie, you’ll really like this exhibition.
  • Entry isn’t cheap ($35 per person), but we felt like it was worth it to see all the artifacts recovered from the bottom of the sea.
  • Insider’s tip: Check in on Yelp and you’ll get a free audio guide. We love a deal!

• 8 pm, Sadly, our time is coming to an end. Before hitting the road, we grabbed dinner at the casual and brand new Hattie B’s at the Cosmopolitan Hotel.
  • Hattie B’s is from Nashville and is known for it’s hot fried chicken. If you’re sensitive to spicy, but sure to get the mild version.
  • While you’re there, head towards the back of the restaurant (past the cashier) to see Ghost Donkey. It’s a hidden speakeasy, and is like stepping back into the 1970’s disco era inside!

• 9 pm, And that’s it! Another great itinerary that is not your typical Vegas vacation. Now its time for the long drive back to Los Angeles. Though, unlike other times of the year, the road is pretty much empty in December. Another great reason to visit Vegas during the holiday season!