Free Things to Do in Las Vegas: A Budget-Friendly Guide for Travelers Short on Time

Visiting Las Vegas but short on time and on a budget? No Problem!

Las Vegas is known worldwide for its casinos and extravagance, but to be quite frank, Sin City was never really on my bucket list.

But Las Vegas is also home to many great events, and when my husband found out that two of his favorite fighters, Canelo and Munguía, would be fighting in Las Vegas, the flight and hotel were booked right away!

Was I excited? Yes and no, to be quite honest. I am not at all a gambler and I would have much rather preferred a beach vacation but that was until I got to explore the city.

Vegas is so much more than casinos and lights. From shows to fantastic restaurants and amazing architecture, there's definitely something for everyone to explore.

We only stayed for three days because our main reason for visiting was strictly to see the fight, but I’m so glad we got to squeeze in a few other activities—and all of them happened to be FREE!

Las Vegas is the type of place you can explore for an entire weekend without having to spend a dime. But of course, if you want to shell out some cash, you are also in the right place for shopping, eating the best foods and attending the greatest events and shows in the world.

If you are like me and you prefer your money in your pockets instead of someone else's, keep reading because I am about to share how we spent very little on our trip and still had a blast.

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Visiting Las Vegas on a tight budget and schedule

Here’s the full disclosure on how much we spent for my husband and I to enjoy a 3-day budget friendly weekend in Las Vegas:

Hotel - Free

Airplane Tickets - Free

Food & Water for the entire trip - $100

Alcoholic beverages - $50

Canelo vs Mungia fight event - $900

Transportation (includes Uber and Bus) - $60

Activities - Free

Hotel and Airfare

You may be wondering why our hotel and airplane tickets were free and the answer is very simple, we accumulated credit card points and used them to pay for the hotel and the plane tickets.

We have a Chase Ink and a Chase Sapphire credit card which has great rewards and we always pay the entire balance so we never have to worry about paying for interest charges and it pays off when we want to take trips and pay for hotels and plane tickets with the points.

The fastest way to accumulate points on a new credit card is by accepting a promotion where they offer a certain amount of points when you spend a certain amount of cash within a time period. Then only use that credit card for that time period so you can take advantage of the deal and stack up your points.

You can sign up for a Chase credit card here and earn 60,000 points when you spend $4,000 in the first three months of your account being opened.

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Food, Water and Alcoholic Beverage

Instead of staying at one of the fancy hotels with a casino and entertainment, we opted to stay in a condo-like hotel with a kitchen. Not only was the hotel cheaper, but it also allowed us to cook our own meals, so we didn’t have to spend money eating out.

We stayed at Desert Rose resort and I am so glad we did. The hotel is right on the strip and very near the airport so our Uber ride was short, sweet and not expensive at all.

Find out more about Desert Rose and even book your trip here.

Now, as for the food, we had a food grocery order from Whole Foods that was delivered to our hotel 30 minutes prior to our arrival. We got chicken tenders, bread, cold cut, water, eggs and a few other things that were easy and quick to make. And although Whole Foods is not the cheapest grocery store, the total was about $100 and that included the tip.

Get a free 30 day trial of food delivery from Whole Foods.

For the alcoholic beverages, we bought a big tequila bottle and orange juice, and we each had a big tumbler that could accompany us pretty much every where we went. (except for the boxing event). This alone saved us a good amount of money because drinks can get pretty expensive.

Transportation

As mentioned earlier, our hotel was pretty close to the airport, so the Uber ride was around $25, and we also purchased a bus day pass for $8 per person.

If you are staying for 3 days or longer, definitely get the three day pass for only $20 per person and you will be able to go up and down the Las Vegas strip without having to do much walking.

You can find out more about how the bus passes work and even purchase them in advance here .

Activities and Event

The main reason we were in Vegas was to watch the Canelo vs. Munguia fight and the tickets were our biggest expense for the trip but it was totally worth it to see how happy my husband was to see his favorites fighters in a boxing match in person.

My husband is also Mexican and the fact that both Munguia and Canelo are also Mexican was another reason to be there and honor his raza.

But Las Vegas has so many free activities and entertainment that we didn't have to come out of pockets for anything else, so you too can enjoy Las Vegas on a budget.

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Here are some of the favorite things we saw and did for free in our budget friendly short trip to Las Vegas.

Free things to do and see in Las Vegas if you don't have a lot of time in the city.

• Bellagio Fountains: Watch the iconic fountain show set to music and lights outside the Bellagio Hotel.

• Fremont Street Experience: Enjoy the light shows, live music, and street performers in downtown Las Vegas.

• Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Gardens: Explore the beautifully designed gardens that change with the seasons.

• The Wildlife Habitat at Flamingo Las Vegas: Visit the serene habitat featuring flamingos, koi ponds, and lush gardens.

• The Arts District: Wander through this vibrant neighborhood filled with street art, galleries, and unique shops.

• Seven Magic Mountains: See the colorful art installation in the desert, located just outside of Las Vegas.

• The Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Sign: Take a photo at the famous Las Vegas sign on the south end of the Strip.

• Streetmosphere at The Venetian: Watch free performances of living statues, opera singers, and musicians in the Grand Canal Shoppes.

• Container Park: Explore this outdoor shopping center with unique stores, a playground, and nightly entertainment.

• The LINQ Promenade: Stroll through this outdoor shopping and dining area with fun events and street performers.

• Silverton Aquarium: Watch the mermaid show and see thousands of fish in this large aquarium inside Silverton Casino.

• The Grand Canal at The Venetian: Enjoy a stroll along the indoor canals that resemble Venice, Italy.

• The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace: Admire the Roman-themed architecture and enjoy the free Fall of Atlantis show.

• The Wynn Atrium and Lake of Dreams: Wander through the Wynn’s stunning atrium and see the Lake of Dreams light and water show.

• Pinball Hall of Fame: Visit this museum filled with vintage pinball machines, with free entry (though playing costs a small fee).

• The Circus at Circus Circus: Watch free circus acts daily at the Carnival Midway inside Circus Circus Hotel.

  
  

• Speakeasy at Planet 13: Although Planet 13 is geared towards mary jane users, you do not have to grab a doobbie to check out their speakeasy which is a hidden lounge where you can enjoy CBD infused drinks in a very calm environment.

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• M&M's World: Explore four floors of M&M's-themed merchandise and attractions.

• Hershey's Chocolate World: Check out the chocolate-themed store with a replica of the Statue of Liberty made of chocolate.

• Ethel M Chocolate Factory & Botanical Cactus Garden: Take a self-guided tour of the chocolate factory and walk through the cactus garden.

• Street photoshoot: Go full tourist and use the Las Vegas Strip as your photography studio. With so many photo ops, make sure that your phone has enough storage.

For more awesome Las Vegas experiences, check out my Las Vegas top experiences list on Viator to plan your trip and don't miss out on the creme de la creme attractions.

Las Vegas truly surprised me with its variety of free and budget-friendly activities. Even with a tight schedule and limited funds, we were able to explore the city, enjoy its unique experiences, and create lasting memories without breaking the bank. So, if you’re planning a trip to Vegas, remember that you don’t need a big budget to have a great time—just a sense of adventure and a willingness to explore beyond the casinos. Happy travels!