The Las Vegas Strip, end to end: the back story

About The Las Vegas Strip, end to end: the back story

By the ULTIMATE Las Vegas Editorial Team

The Strip is Las Vegas Boulevard South, about four miles of resorts from the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign in the south to the STRAT tower in the north. Here is how it fits together, from south to north.

South Strip

Start at the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign, installed in 1959. Heading north you pass Mandalay Bay, with its beach, Shark Reef and the Four Seasons, the pyramid of Luxor, the castle of Excalibur, New York-New York with its roller coaster, and MGM Grand, home of Joël Robuchon and KÀ. T-Mobile Arena and Park MGM sit between them, and the former Tropicana site is where the Athletics’ ballpark is rising.

Centre Strip

The centre is the postcard: ARIA and the Shops at Crystals at CityCenter, the Cosmopolitan, the Fountains of Bellagio, Paris Las Vegas with its Eiffel Tower, Caesars Palace and the High Roller at the end of the LINQ Promenade. The Venetian and Palazzo face the former Mirage site, where Hard Rock is building, and Sphere glows behind the Venetian.

Everything on the Strip is further away than it looks.

North Strip

North of Fashion Show come Wynn and Encore, Resorts World, Fontainebleau, SAHARA and finally the STRAT tower, with its observation decks and thrill rides more than 900 feet up. The Las Vegas Convention Center lies just east.

Getting along it

Distances between resorts are longer than they look, and pedestrian bridges and escalators add time, so wear comfortable shoes. The Monorail runs behind the east side from MGM Grand to SAHARA, the Deuce bus runs along the Boulevard, and taxis wait at every resort.

Our advice: walk the centre Strip after dark, from Bellagio’s fountains to the Venetian, and take the Monorail or a taxi for the longer hops north and south.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with The Las Vegas Strip, end to end: the back story before you go.