West of I-15

This article comprises the part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area that is West of I-15, but south of Summerlin Parkway and US 95.

Many just-off-strip attractions and lodging can be found here, as well as Chinatown Vegas along a 3 mile stretch of Spring Mountain Rd. (representing other ethnicities besides just Chinese).

Get in

Rideshares or taxis will provide the most convenient access to destinations near The Strip, especially if you don't have a designated driver among your group.

The Rio and The Palms can be accessed by walking along W Flamingo Rd. Walking is not recommended to other destinations due to the distance involved in the oppressive heat.

More distant destinations, such as Summerlin or particularly Red Rocks Canyon are best accessed by car, although there are bus routes throughout the area as an alternative option.

By bus

If you must get in and around by bus, it's not totally horrific in the Las Vegas area as it could be in many western U.S. cities. Bus service in West Las Vegas, west of I-15, as well as Las Vegas and Henderson, is provided by the Regional Transportation Commission (RTC). Fares are $2 per bus ride. However, it may be more useful to purchase a 24-hour pass for $5 when boarding the bus. If you plan to be in the area for a while, RTC also sells a 5-day pass for $20 at many supermarkets and check cashing institutions, but this pass is not available on the bus itself.

By taxi

Taxi service in North Las Vegas is handled by calling for a taxi and then waiting for it to come and pick you up. Do not expect to hail a cab off the street as though you were in New York City or Chicago. Taxis are only plentiful and easily accessible at McCarran Airport, hotels on the Las Vegas Strip, or Downtown Las Vegas where they are queued up waiting for passengers. Outside of these areas, expect to call a cab and generally wait 20-40 minutes for it to come to you.

See

• 1 Springs Preserve, 333 South Valley View Blvd, ☏ +1 702 822-7700. Daily 10AM-6PM. A large complex in the center of the city that features a Desert Living Center, interactive wildlife shows, galleries, museums, various gardens, and historical and nature trails. $18.95 adults, $17.05 seniors/students, $10.95 youth (discounts for Nevada residents and active military).  
• 2 Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas, 309 S Valley View Blvd, ☏ +1 702 486 5205. Tu-Su 9AM-5PM. Adults $19.95, Nevada Residents $9.95, Children 18 & under free. (updated Jun 2018)
• 3 Las Vegas Chinatown Plaza, 4255 Spring Mountain Rd (about 1 mile west of Treasure Island, Take a westbound CAT Route 203 bus from the intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard and Spring Mountain Road). Chinatown Plaza is where Chinatown in Las Vegas was born and designated as Chinatown in 1996. The Mall is a place to experience Asian culture, baked goods, dim sum, and an Asian market are available to explore. Throughout the year the mall hosts various cultural events such as Lunar New year. Since then the area have grown to include 20+ other surrounding strip malls with a wide range of businesses, including restaurants, shops, and other establishments catering to the Asian community. Visitors can find restaurants serving Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Thai cuisine, with everything from dim sum and noodle soups to sushi and Korean barbecue on the menu. click here for a list of other strip malls surrounding Chinatown Plaza along Spring Mountain Rd. (updated Feb 2023)
• 4 Hollywood Cars Museum, 5115 Dean Martin Dr (Located at the Hot Rod City dealership off the I-15 by the Strip, west of Luxor), ☏ +1 702 331-6400. Open daily. A 30,000 square foot car museum featuring vehicles that have appeared in over 100 films and TV shows. Visitors can see, among others, several James Bond cars, Knight Rider's KITT, Batmobiles, and a Back to the Future Delorean. $20 per person; kids under 16 are free with a paid adult. Cash only. (updated Dec 2021)
  • Liberace Garage, 5115 Dean Martin Dr. (inside the Hollywood Cars Museum), ☏ +1 702 331 6400, contact@liberace.org. A gallery operated by the Liberace Foundation that exhibits several of Liberace's cars including a mirrored Rolls Royce and rhinestone-studded Dusenberg. This exhibit comes from the now defunct Liberace Museum. Tour package can include transportation to and private viewing of the Liberace Museum Collection located inside Michael Jackson's home, Thriller Villa. Included with Hollywood Cars Museum ticket. (updated Feb 2018)

Do

"The Spine" inside Area15.

• 1 Area15, 3215 S Rancho Dr. (Along Desert Inn Rd. adjacent to I-15). Just a hop away from The Strip, Area15 is an experiential entertainment amusement complex that has become a top Vegas destination since it opened at the end of 2019. Blacklights and fluorescent decorations abound to create an other-worldly gateway into alternate reality experiences. Open to all ages until 9PM. (updated Feb 2023)
  • Meow Wolf Omega Mart: Omega Mart is an interactive art installation created by American Arts company Meow Wolf. Visitors can explore the "interesting" products for sale in the Omega Mart storefront, and discover the background of the unique grocery store through an alternate reality game. Family-friendly.
  • Illuminarium: The Illuminarium uses the latest in video projection and other technologies to create immersive sensory experiences. Family-friendly.
  • Liftoff: Ride a balloon 130 feet up and enjoy a 360 degree view of The Strip. Family-friendly.
  • Lost Spirits Distillery: Called the "Willy Wonka of Booze", tickets include drinks, a show, and a distillery tour.
  • There are also several different VR Experiences available at Area15.

• 2 Red Rock Canyon (Follow W Charleston Blvd. to the west, out of city limits). Features a scenic drive through Red Rock Canyon, taking about 30 minutes to complete. There are opportunities to park up and get out of the car whether to take in the view, or get moving with a hike. Getting there without a car is hard, though organized bus tours do exist. Reservations required October through May. $20 per vehicle. (updated Feb 2023)
  • A campground is open Labor Day–Memorial Day.
  • Rock climbing is possible year-round on hundreds of routes, though spring and fall tend to be most comfortable. Though the area does not receive much precipitation, if the sandstone becomes wet (from rain or snow) it becomes brittle and you'd be wise to avoid it for at least two day before checking if it dried out. See guidebooks for more information about specific routes.

A vista in Red Rock Canyon

• 3 Cowabunga Canyon, 7055 South Fort Apache Road, ☏ +1 702 979-1600. Water park on the west side of town. (updated May 2017)
• 4 Machine Guns Vegas, 3501 Aldebaran Ave. (Turn off Spring Mountain Rd. just west of I-15), toll-free: +1-800-757-4668. 9AM-6PM. Shooting range where you can use fully automatic weapons. Like many ranges in the Vegas area, they are tourist oriented, so interested foreigners to the US, or first-timers should not feel shy about dropping by and seeing what it's about. (updated Feb 2023)

Escape Rooms

• 5 Lockdown Escape Rooms - Sahara, 6376 W Sahara Ave, ☏ +1 702 960-1924, info@lockdownrooms.com. Noon-Midnight (reservation required). Three themed rooms for 2-6 players: Pharaoh's Curse, Wrongfully Accused, and Cursed Cabin, all rated medium difficulty. $35 per player. (updated Jul 2017)
• 6 The Basement - A Live Escape Room Experience, 3440 Polaris Ave, toll-free: +1 866 993-7227, info@escaperoomvegas.com. W-Th 5:30PM-11PM, F 5:30PM-1AM, Sa 11:45AM-1AM, Su 11:45AM-midnight (reservation required). Based on the original Basement in Los Angeles, this location has a pair of horror themed rooms that include the original Basement escape from a serial killer and a sequel called 'The Study'. One thing that sets the Basement apart from other escape rooms is the use of live actors in the experience. $50 per player. (updated Jul 2017)

At the Rio

The Rio has a reputation among frequent visitors and locals as a resort property that is run-down and well past its prime. While it's not recommended to stay here (at least, until its upcoming renovation), there are still some worthwhile activities.

• 7 VooDoo Zip Line, 3700 W Flamingo Rd (at the Rio Hotel), ☏ +1 702 388-0477. M-Th noon-midnight, F-Su 10AM-midnight. Las Vegas' second and highest zip line. The VooDoo zip line extends across the towers of the Rio Hotel and Casino where riders soar 400 feet in the air between the Rio's two towers, offering 360-degree open-air views of the Vegas valley. $28-$40 (age and weight restrictions apply). 
• 8 Penn and Teller, Rio, 3700 W Flamingo Rd, ☏ +1 702 777-7776. Daily at 9PM. Penn and Teller have been in showbusiness for nearly 30 years, and have kept their resident show at the Rio up to date throughout that time. A must-see for any fan of magic or comedy before the duo presumably retires in the upcoming years. $75-85. (updated Feb 2023)
• 9 Chippendales, Rio, ☏ +1 702 777-7776. The original all male revue. 

Sports

• 10 Las Vegas Aviators (Las Vegas Ballpark), ☏ +1 702 386-7200. A Triple-A baseball club, the Aviators have been in Las Vegas longer than any other professional sports team. The Aviators began as the Las Vegas Stars in 1983, changed their name to the Las Vegas 51s, a reference to Area 51, in 2001, and became the Aviators for 2019 and beyond. They have won 2 Pacific Coast League crowns and 10 division titles. The team opened a new ballpark in Summerlin in 2019. $5 to $30.  
• College basketball tournaments, Orleans Arena. Of the four NCAA Division I conferences that hold their men's and women's basketball tournaments in the Las Vegas area, two of them hold those events at Orleans Arena, part of The Orleans hotel/casino complex. The West Coast Conference and Western Athletic Conference both hold their men's and women's tournaments in early March, with the winner of each tournament receiving its league's automatic berth in the NCAA men's or women's tournament. 
• 11 Las Vegas Raiders (NFL), Allegiant Stadium, 3333 Al Davis Way. NFL (Football) team that began playing in Las Vegas in 2020 after relocating from Oakland.  
• UNLV Rebels (NCAA), Allegiant Stadium, 3333 Al Davis Way. The new stadium is also home to the local Division I college football team, the UNLV Rebels. While most other UNLV teams play on their campus near Harry Reid Airport, the football team plays here. Uniquely, the Rebels play on an entirely different surface from the Raiders—the Rebels play on a permanently installed artificial surface, while the Raiders play on a grass field that slides in and out as needed.  

Buy

• 1 Downtown Summerlin, 1980 Festival Plaza Dr (Sahara Ave and 215 Beltway), ☏ +1 702 832-1000, Info@DowntownSummerlin.com. Located in the western outskirts of Las Vegas, Downtown Summerlin offers 125 stores, restaurants and entertainment venues located in a 106-acre shopping district. Downtown Summerlin hosts 30 dining establishments and is in proximity of many other restaurants nearby as well as the Red Rock Casino. Plans exist to expand the area to 400 acres. Opened in 2014.  

Eat

• 1 Monta Noodle House, 5040 Spring Mountain Road (Off Spring Mountain Rd. just west of S Decatur Blvd.), ☏ +1-702-367-4600. 11:30AM-11PM. A small ramen shop along Spring Mountain Rd. serving authentic bowls of soup for cheap. A welcome reprieve from the prices that many may be used to paying on The Strip. $12 for a sizeable bowl of ramen. (updated Feb 2023)
• 2 Zippy's, 7095 Badura Avenue (South of Highway 215 near the Rainbow Blvd exit), ☏ +1 702 997 8117. This sole mainland outpost of the much-loved Hawaiian plate lunch chain is a testament to Las Vegas' nickname of the "ninth island". In terms of the menu, fans of Zippy's know what to expect, including a wide variety of plate lunches and other Hawaiian specialties. (updated Jul 2024)

Drink

• 1 Frankie's Tiki Room, 1712 W Charleston Blvd, ☏ +1 702 385-3110. Authentic tiki bar with lots of great decor and potent drinks. Look for the pink neon sign. 

Sleep

Budget

• 1 Palace Station, 2411 W Sahara Ave (off I-15 near the Strip), ☏ +1 702 367-2411. A modest hotel that's part of the local Station Casinos chain, with lower rates and better games than those typical of Vegas hotels.  

Mid-range

• 2 Gold Coast Hotel & Casino, 4000 W Flamingo Rd, ☏ +1 702 367-7111, toll-free: +1-888-402-6278. A full service hotel with a casino, eight restaurants, a 70 lane bowling alley, 711 hotel rooms. Free shuttle to the Strip, free valet parking, fitness center. Views of the Strip.  
• 3 The Orleans, 4500 W Tropicana Ave, ☏ +1 702 365-7111. A New Orleans French Quarter and Mardi Gras-themed casino. Affordable and family friendly. Includes an on-site arena that hosts the men's and women's basketball tournaments for the West Coast Conference and Western Athletic Conference every March.  
• 4 Westgate Flamingo Bay, 5625 W Flamingo Rd, toll-free: +1-866-731-7258. One and two bedroom villas equipped with a full kitchen, whirlpool tub, spacious living room and a fireplace. 2½ miles from the Strip. 

Splurge

• 5 Palms Casino Hotel & Palms Place, 4321 W Flamingo Rd, ☏ +1 702 942-7777. A great view of the Strip from the Ghostbar. A Maloof casino.  
• 6 JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort and Spa, 221 N Rampart Blvd, ☏ +1 702 869-7777. Resort that includes the 40,000 sq foot Aquae Sulis Spa & Salon.