The Las Vegas Strip looks compact on a map and behaves like a small city on foot. Getting around well is mostly about knowing which of your options is fast, which is free and which only looks convenient. Here is how the pieces fit together, with the caveat that fares, hours and routes change, so check the operator's own page before you rely on any detail below.

How far the Strip really is

The Strip runs about four miles from Mandalay Bay to the STRAT. Walked non-stop, that is roughly one and a half to two hours; with crowds, bridges, photos and detours through casinos, plan on two to three. Nobody should try it end to end in one go. Treat the Strip as a series of neighbourhoods and walk within one at a time.

Three things make walking slower than it looks:

  • Casino mazes. Resorts are designed so the shortest path to the exit is not the shortest path through the building. Allow time to find the street.
  • Pedestrian bridges. At the big intersections you cross on elevated walkways with escalators and elevators rather than at street level. They add minutes, and you should use them.
  • Heat. In summer, midday walking between resorts is genuinely tiring. Go early, go late, or go inside.

The free trams (and what they do not do)

Two free trams are running on the Strip, and both only connect resorts under the same owner. They are conveniences, not a transit system, and they do not cover the length of the boulevard.

  • ARIA Express links Bellagio, the Crystals shopping center and ARIA, and Park MGM in the center of the Strip. It is useful for hopping between the CityCenter-side resorts.
  • Mandalay Bay tram links Excalibur, Luxor and Mandalay Bay at the south end. Check which platform you are on, since the stops differ by direction. An indoor walkway also joins the three resorts if you would rather walk.

A third tram, between Treasure Island and the former Mirage, no longer runs because of the Mirage's closure and redevelopment. Hours for the two active trams are posted by MGM Resorts and can change, particularly around events.

The monorail

The Las Vegas Monorail runs along the east side of the Strip, behind the resorts, from SAHARA in the north to MGM Grand in the south, with stops that also include the Convention Center and Westgate. It is paid, and the stations sit at the back of casinos, so budget time to walk to and from the platform. It makes sense for a long north-south hop when traffic is bad or for reaching the Convention Center. Fares and late-night hours vary by day, so look at the monorail's own site.

Buses: the Deuce and SDX

The regional transit agency, the RTC, runs the Deuce, a double-decker bus along the Strip and into downtown that operates around the clock. In the daytime it runs roughly every 10 to 15 minutes along the Strip, and less often overnight, according to the RTC's August 2026 timetable. The SDX, short for Strip and Downtown Express, makes fewer stops and is the faster choice between the Strip and Fremont Street. Visitors need a Strip pass rather than a local fare; you can buy passes in the rideRTC app, at ticket machines or on board with exact fare.

Two things to know for late 2026. First, the RTC has proposed fare changes this year, so do not rely on a number you read elsewhere, including here. Second, the RTC has announced a modified schedule and routing for the Deuce around the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix, from 17 to 25 November 2026, with possible further changes tied to race construction. If you travel in November, check the rideRTC app.

Rideshare and taxis

Uber and Lyft work everywhere, and for most hops longer than a mile or two they are the practical answer. Expect surge pricing around show times and late on weekend nights, when everyone leaves at once. Every major resort has a rideshare pickup area, often a long walk from the casino floor. Taxis queue at stands outside hotels and cannot be hailed from the street.

Plan the return trip Getting dropped at a restaurant or theater is easy. Getting a car after a sold-out show is the hard part. If your show lets out at the same time as several others, walk a block or two from the main entrance, or wait twenty minutes before requesting.

From the airport to your hotel

Rideshare pickup at Harry Reid International Airport is in the parking garage. From Terminal 1, take the elevator to Level 2 and cross the pedestrian bridge; the pickup area is to the right. From Terminal 3, go up to Level 1, cross the bridge to the garage and go down to the Valet Level. Taxis wait outside baggage claim. A free shuttle runs between the two terminals if you end up in the wrong one. The airport has warned of lane closures in the connector tunnels through December 2026, so allow extra time on departure day.

Getting to the shows

Most Strip shows are inside the resort you are already walking through. A few are not, and the distance matters. WOW – The Vegas Spectacular plays at the Rio, west of the freeway, with a 7 PM show Tuesday through Sunday; the practical way there is a short rideshare from the center Strip, and you can buy tickets through Ticketmaster. At the other end, ROUGE is at The STRAT on the north Strip, 18+, at 9 PM Tuesday through Sunday. From the center Strip it is a rideshare or a long bus ride, and you can book direct with The STRAT. Neither is far in a car, but neither is a casual walk from the middle of the Strip, so plan the trip rather than improvising.

For a quick sense of how our show pages sort venues by area, see the show directory.

Day trips and rental cars

You do not need a car for a Strip-and-downtown trip, only for day trips such as Red Rock Canyon or Hoover Dam. Parking at many resorts is no longer free, so rent for that day rather than the whole stay.

A quick decision guide

  • Within one resort cluster: walk, or use the free tram if there is one.
  • Strip to downtown: the SDX or Deuce is cheap, rideshare is faster.
  • A long north-south hop with no traffic worries: monorail.
  • After a show or late at night: rideshare, and be patient.
  • Airport: rideshare or taxi; follow garage signs for pickup.

Walking, trams and buses combine well. A first-timer's day might be a morning walk in the center Strip, a tram to a neighbouring resort, a bus downtown for the evening and a rideshare home. For more on structuring your days, read our first-time guide and how many days you need.

Transit information was checked against operator and airport sources in October 2026 and can change without notice.