Las Vegas is a City that is quite unique in the world. Most Skylines are a collection of office blocks and residential buildings towering up due mainly to a lack of Space. Vegas is very different, Space is no real issue and the only reason for the towering skyscrapers of the Strip is pure flamboyance. This makes the Las Vegas Skyline really Iconic as the assortment of shapes and colors is really like nowhere else in the world. The mainly low-rise city that surrounds the Strip also adds to the image as the towers ride directly out of an otherwise flat plain.
It is natural then that people want to get the Best Views of the Las Vegas Skyline whilst when visiting. While most people stay on the Strip you are a bit enclosed by the City and cannot really appreciate its skyline from within. To Get The Best View of Las Vegas you need to get a bit further away and elevated. This is tricky as we have said most of the City is pretty low rise so getting above it can be challenging, and while the Valley is surrounded by high mountains these tend to be a bit far away to appreciate the City. This makes viewing the Cities Skyline a tricky activity.
There are, however, a number of fantastic Viewing Spots where you can get a real appreciation of the Strip in its full glory. These range from fantastic Natural viewing spots to paid attractions that get you up above the City “canopy”. We run through where To Get The Best View of Las Vegas in order of closeness first and then moving outwards to the more distant and all-encompassing views. Some of these are pretty obvious, and we point out the downsides of some of the more obvious ones.
The good news is some of the best views of the City are completely free, We make sure we point out the paid attraction and which are free. It is important to remember we are only judging this on the quality of the Skyline view. There are some EPIC views in Las Vegas that everyone should see, but they just do not quite qualify as a Skyline View.
The Strip
- Cost – Free
- Location – Map
The most blindingly obvious, but the View of the Skyline can be experienced fight from the Strip itself. Naturally, you are going to be contained within the skyline, and it’s not the whole skyline view you may be looking for but there are many great vistas looking up and down the strip.
Your Hotel
- Cost – Free (once you have paid for your room!)
- Location – Various
Strip view rooms can offer a fantastic Skyline view, however, there are many different types of Strip View and not all of them are panoramic Strip Views, some just look out directly onto the strip, offering views of just a couple of hotels, and others may look down the strip but due to the location on off half the strip.
The best Hotels for panoramic views are either the ones just off the strip or at either end of the strip. and while these locations offer fantastic Strip views there are other drawbacks to being so far from the action, namely needing to get a Taxi/Uber every time you want to go anywhere.
The Best Hotel Room for panoramic views are:
Mandalay Bay
Situated at the south end of the Strip the Mandalay Bay offers amazing views of the strip. These are essentially end-on views looking up the strip, but with a high “strip view” room you can see almost every hotel as you look right down the length of Las Vegas Boulevard.
Encore at The Wynn
At the opposite end of the Strip, the Wynn and its sister hotel the Encore sit proudly looking down the Strip. However the Strip View rooms in the Wynn are at a poor angle for great strip views, they look more west over Treasure Island and The Mirage, these are wonderful views but not full strip views.
The Encore is orientated the correct way and looks directly down the Strip. The only issue is the Wynn tower itself gets in the way a bit, the further to the right in the tower the better. Even with the Wynn partially blocking the view, from high floors these are simply breathtaking views of the City.
Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino
Being just a bit off-strip the Rio probably offers the best Strip view room of all! These are real panoramic views of the strip encompassing full left-to-right views of the entire strip. The rooms you want are the Masquerade tower strip view rooms, otherwise, the tower obscures your view slightly. From a high floor, the views are simply unbeatable, at least as far as panoramic Skyline views go.
Remember these are the best Panoramic view rooms, not scarily the best views (we would take a fountain view room any day), and defiantly not the best resorts, but we are just focussing on Skyline views here. For the best Strip Hotels read our guide here.
Rooftop Bars
- Cost – Various
- Location – Various
As we said Staying at these hotels has its downsides, we prefer to be far more central than a panoramic view hotel can offer, by its nature a panoramic view needs to be distant. The good news is there are still loads of options to get the view you want while staying more centrally. A simple answer is a rooftop bar. Both Mandalay Bay and The Rio have rooftop Bars offering exactly the same if not better views than their best suites.
This way you can drink in the view for an evening and still stay centrally.
Foundation Room – Mandalay Bay
Voodoo Lounge – The Rio
Read more about the Best Rooftop Bars in Las Vegas in our full Guide
The Strat!
- Cost – $20+
- Location – Map
We love the Strat, however, while the views from the top are amazing they are not what we call Skyline Views. There is just something about the angle and distance that means the buildings are just all jumbled up and do not represent a skyline.
We still highly recommend you visit, it’s an amazing view of the City and the Surrounding Valley, and there is a ton to do up there such as thrill rides, an amazing bar, and the terrifying Skyjump, it’s just not quite the perfect Pano View you might expect.
Eiffel Tower
- Cost – $24.50
- Location – Map
The Viewing Deck at the Eifel Tower offers one of the Best Views in all of Vegas. The Experience gets a bit of negative press, mainly due to the odd bad review and this being propagated by people who have never actually been up there. The truth is the View is utterly stunning. Offering expansive views right across the City, the Valley, and right down onto the fountains of the Bellagio.
The Skyline view is naturally split as the Tower is quite central, but there are great views both looking north and south, so combined you really get the whole of the Strip. It’s still not the perfect Skyline view but it’s pretty cool.
Check out our full review here
The Highroller
- Cost – $34.75
- Location – Map
Another Paid attraction getting you high above it all to take in the view. The Skyline is a little imperfect from the roller, the Wheel itself gets in the way and it’s not quite far enough away t offer a panoramic view. It is however utterly spectacular.
Photography is very tricky however as you can see the pod reflects so much light back and the curved shape makes cutting through nearly impossible!
Everything you need to know about the Highroller can be found here
Helicopter Tour
- Cost – $80-100
- Location – Various
While it may feel a little indulgent a Helicopter tour of the Strip is actually really quite affordable in Las Vegas. From as little as $80 you can take to the Skies and get the most incredible views, you can imagine. These are short flights only 12-15 mins flight time, but that is all it takes to soar down the strip and soak in the stunning skyline of the amazing city from the best possible vantage point
These Helicopter flights are one of the Best Ways to view the City but as an alternative, we tried something just a little bit different, we actually hired our own plane to fly us down the Strip! This may seem incredibly indulgent and into the realms of “millionaire” Celebrity activity, but the reality was it was really affordable and down to earth.
We had the advantage that I was training for my Pilots license at the time, but anyone can rent an airplane and pilot and take to the skies!
Read more about that adventure here.
Las Vegas Attractions Pass
All of the Above paid attractions are available on one or another of Las Vegas’s attraction passes. These are a great way to save money while visiting paid attractions, so if you are considering any of the above, including the helicopter flight you could save quite a few dollars and get to experience more of the City with one of the following attractions passes.
Free Locations
Of course, you should never have to pay just to see a Skyline, the City is open to all, and getting the perfect view of it is nothing more than finding that perfect spot. Here we look at some of those must-see locations where you can pull up and just drink in the view.
McCarran Airport
- Cost – Free
- Location – Map
Unlike Most Cities Airports Macarran bordered right onto the Las Vegas Strip, this combination of close proximity and large flat open space right next to the Stip offers really good Skyline opportunities. The issue is the security situation at the airport means stopping for photos or accessing the best locations is problematic. However, catching your first glimpse of the City from your aircraft window is always a pretty amazing sight.
Hangover Carpark – The Luxor
- Cost – Free
- Location – Map
You can always trust Hollywood to find great locations, they literally have teams of people whose job it is to seek out the perfect shooting sites, and when the Hangover want an empty space with a looming Vegas Skyline in the rear of the shot, this is where they came.
This empty parking lot at the edge of Macarran offers some impressive unobstructed views of the North Las Vegas Properties. The location is quiet and off the beaten path so you can take your time and get some great shots of the City.
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Hangover 3 Carpark
- Cost – Free
- Location – Map
Once again the Hollywood Location Scouts came up trumps with a wonderful raised parking lot that offers unobstructed views of the entire Las Vegas Skyline. The Trail is heavily used for Mountain Bikers, but the parking lot offers stunning views out over the City.
There is a lot of building work going on and access can sometimes be tricky but the trailhead is protected and you should be able to get up there. This is a great spot at sunset as arriving in daylight is easier and safer, but you can still see the City in its evening glory.
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East Lake Mead Boulevard – Skyline View
- Cost – Free (approached from Las Vegas as the north end of the road has a toll)
- Location – Map
Many people imagine Arriving in Vegas, clearing a mountain pass, and the whole city soaring into view announcing their arrival in Sin City. The truth is, for most routes into the City the Skyline view is a little unimpressive, either a glimpse of the strip’s towers or a distant and obstructed view. The majority of visitors come in on the I-15 (those that do not fly) and while this is one of the better views it’s still a long way from what people imagine.
The View from East Lake Mead Boulevard is EXACTLY what you imagine. A rugged mountain pass gives way to a perfectly framed view of the City, especially dazzling at night. The view is reasonably close, elevated, and encompasses the entirety of the strip.
There are plenty of pullouts and elevated outcrops you can climb up fr the perfect view. Really if you are looking for the perfect view of Vegas in all its glory then the Skyline Viewing point on East Lake Mead Boulevard is about as good as it gets.
Unfortunately, very few people arriving in Vegas come this way as you pass through the Lake Mead Recreation Area which has a fee to enter, and is not a direct route from anywhere in particular. This unfortunately means driving up the route from Vegas before turning around to get the view.
Frenchman Mountain
- Cost – Free
- Location – Map
If driving all the way out to the East just for the view seems over the top consider this short 4.4-mile hike up to the top of Frenchman Mountain. The Trailhead starts on East Lake Mead Road and takes you up 2000ft of elevation to the summit of the mountain that offers more stunning views of the City.
Along with Amazing Skyline Views, you get views of the whole Las Vegas Valley, with Mount Charleston and the Spring mountains in the distance, and also the Barren expanse of the Mojave desert the other way including glimpses of Lake Mead.
It’s a tough climb but the views of the City one way and the Martian landscape the other make it very rewarding.
Have Your Say
Have we missed a great Skyline Location? Let us know in the comments below and we can check it out and add it. Where is your favorite spot for viewing the Skyline? Have you tried any of our suggestions? What did you think of them? let s know in the comments below, and if you have any questions fire away.