Spending the holidays in Las Vegas? Don’t miss these festive things to do.
Skipping our regular blog schedule this week, but wanted to leave you some tips if you happen to be spending Christmas in Las Vegas! Before we headed to visit family in Atlanta, we hunted down the best events and best Christmas displays in Las Vegas.
You best prepare yourself, because the Strip will be insanely busy on Christmas day since everything is open. Restaurants will be packed and buffets will be double the price. While there is a lot to see and do, here’s what we thought would be worth your while (plus a more comprehensive list below).
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Last Updated: December 22, 2023
13 Ways to Have the Perfect CHristmas in Las Vegas
1. Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Gardens →
3600 S Las Vegas Blvd, 89109, map
Dates: December 2, 2023 -January 6, 2024
Hours: 24/7
They have the best Christmas displays of any Vegas hotels. Best of all it’s open 24/7 and it’s free.
We checked out many of the other hotels, and they just don’t do Christmas displays like Bellagio does. Also, the Fountains of Bellagio is now set to some Christmas classics perfect for the holiday season.
See More: Christmas at the Bellagio Over the Years
2. Here Kitty Kitty Speakeasy: A Here Kitty Kristmas
3000 S Las Vegas Blvd, 89109, map
Dates: TBA to Early January
Hours: 4:30 PM – 4 AM
Here Kitty Kitty Vice Den is a speakeasy hidden in the food hall at Resorts World. Right now, it’s completely decked out in Christmas decor, so go while it’s still there! Here’s a video to give you a clue on where it is and show you what it looks like this year. The decor will change seasonally.
You don’t need a password to get in; you just need to know where it’s located. Depending on when you go, plan on a wait. On weekends or busier nights, there can be a 30 min wait or up to an hour and a half.
See More: How to Find the Speakeasy Hidden Inside the Mob Museum
3. Cosmopolitan Ice Skating Rink →
3708 S Las Vegas Blvd, 89109, map
The Ice Rink hours this year are:
- Dec 2-15, 2023 | Mon-Fri 4 PM – 11 PM, Sat-Sun 12 PM – 11 PM
- Dec 18, 2023 – Jan 2, 2024 | 12 PM – 11 PM
- Dec 24-25, 2023 | 12 PM – 12 AM
Strap on your ice skates and enjoy this unique ice rink that gives you views overlooking the Las Vegas strip. It now features a new experience of snow showers.
They also have special events like movie nights, a skating dog, DJs, and more.
See More: our Guide to Ice Skating at the Cosmopolitan
4. Winter at the Terrace, Green Valley Ranch
2300 Paseo Verde Pkwy, Henderson, 89052, map
Dates: Opens November 24th
Hours: Sunday to Thursday 4-9 PM, Friday to Saturday 4-11 PM
The Winter at the Terrace outdoor pop up lounge at Green Valley Ranch is where you can enjoy holiday-themed cocktails and food inside an igloo or at a fire pit.
Note: Walk-ins are welcome, but they recommend reservations since they get booked up quickly. They are already booked through the end of December. The Igloos have a food and beverage minimum and may be reserved in two-hour blocks.
See More: 7 Best Things to Do at Green Valley Resort Las Vegas
5. Glittering Lights Las Vegas Motor Speedway
7000 Las Vegas Blvd N, 89115, map
Dates: Nov 9, 2023 – Jan 7, 2024
Hours: 4:30-9 PM Sun – Thur and 4:30-10 PM Fri, Sat, & Hoildays
Tickets: $39+ per vehicle
This drive through holiday lights display is one of the largest in the country and by far the largest one we’ve driven through. Along the 2.6 mile course, you’ll see 5 million lights and 1000 display elements.
A portion of your ticket goes towards children charities in Southern Nevada and Goodwill, and if you buy any concessions, it helps support Boy Scouts.
See More: 17 Best Places to Spend Christmas in USA
6. Ethel M Chocolate’s Annual Holiday Cactus Garden Lights →
3600 S Las Vegas Blvd, 89109, map
Dates: November 3 – December 31, 2023
Hours: 5-10 PM
Tickets: $2 (it goes to support Help of Southern Nevada and Three Square)
The Ethel M Chocolate Factory is one of our favorite spots to visit in Vegas at Christmas. Their Botanical Cactus Garden is decked out in Christmas lights and you can see them from 5 pm to 10 pm. See the regular factory tour we took here.
Local Tip: No reservations are needed this year.
See More: Ethel M Chocolate Factory and Botanical Cactus Gardens
7. Enchant Christmas Las Vegas
1650 S Pavilion Center Dr, 89135, map
Dates / Hours: November 24 – December 31, 2023
Tickets: $34+ for adults, $25+ for children
Enchant Christmas is back at the Las Vegas Ballpark this year. It’s part Christmas light maze, part ice skating rink, and park Christmas market.
Note: Ice Skating is an additional fee.
See More: Best Things to Do in December in Las Vegas
8. Magical Forest at Opportunity Village
6300 W Oakey Blvd, 89146, map
Dates: November 25-27, December 1-4, December 8-11, December 15-31, 2022 (Closed Christmas Day)
Hours: 5:30 – 9 PM
Tickets: $22 (deals on multiple tickets)
The Magical Forest celebrates its 31st year with activities that locals have come to love. Visit with Santa, ride the slide or carousel, get bites to eat at the food trucks, or take a ride on the Forest Express Passenger Train. Tickets include all of the rides and every dollar spent at the Magical Forest goes towards programs and services for people with disabilities at Opportunity Village.
See More: 25 Best Las Vegas Photo Spots with Tips from a Local
9. Nightmare Before Christmas Speakeasy at Mas Por Favor
3879 Spring Mountain Rd, 89102, map
Dates: November 22 – December 28, 2023
Hours: 3 PM – 2 AM
Mas Por Favor in Chinatown is transforming into a Nightmare Before Christmas-themed restaurant and bar this holiday. It’s the speakeasy within the taco shop, and you can get themed drinks and food.
All the drinks were too sweet for my taste, but we enjoyed the Sandy Claws Tacos. You can the reel from our visit here.
See More: The Ultimate Las Vegas Food Bucket List
10. Santa in the Shipwreck at Shark Reef Aquarium
3950 S Las Vegas Blvd, 89119, map
Dates: December 16-24
Hours: 10 AM – 4 PM
Tickets: $29-36 Adults, $24-31 Children
Make your visit to the Shark Reef Aquarium memorable by visiting during the holidays. Children under 12 will receive a complimentary photo with Santa Claus and may even spot Janta Jaws. Stick around until 4 PM, when Santa puts on a SCUBA suit and swims with the sharks.
11. Rouge Wonderland →
11011 W Charleston Blvd, 89135, map
Dates: Holiday Menu Through Dec 30, 2023 / Wonderland Decor Through Jan 2, 2023
Hours: Thurs / Sunday 5PM – 12 AM, Fri-Sat 5 PM – 1 AM
Get drinks and enjoy live music at this beautiful lounge at Red Rock Casino. There holiday decor transforms the space and there are photo ops too. It gets busy, so make reservations.
12. Pawliday LIghts & Roaring Nights at The Lion Habitat Ranch
382 Bruner Ave, Henderson, NV 89044, map
Dates: December 22-23
Hours: 5-7 PM
Visit the animal residents at The Lion Habitat Ranch at night with dazzling holiday lights. There will be holiday themed enrichment, hot chocolate and snacks for the humans, and all general admission amenities will be available, like giraffe feeds, lion feeds, and more.
13. Rockin’ Christmas at the M Resort
12300 Las Vegas Blvd S, 89044, map
Dates: November 17 – December 31, 2023
Hours: Tues-Sun 6 PM – 10 PM (Closed Mondays)
Tickets: $39.99-79.99
This is the newest holiday attraction this year and it’s the world’s largest drive-through animated light show. See the millions of LED lights and hundreds of moving displays in a mile-long drive.
Closed This Year
Snow Tubing at the Winter Parq at the Linq Promenade
3545 S Las Vegas Blvd, 89109, map
There are decorations, music, carolers, and snowfall every half hour making it the perfect backdrop for Vegas at Christmas. Also, right behind the High Roller is now a 30 ft tall hill made of real snow for tubing (Cost: $5 a ride or $20 for an all-day pass)
Every hour, there’s a holiday light show and snow at the fountain stage.
Note: This year, we didn’t see any tubing, but we did see Christmas decor and a tree along the promenade.
See More: The LINQ Promenade Guide – What to Eat, See, and Do
Snow Carnival at M Resort
420 S Rampart Blvd #240, 89145, map
This is a brand new event this year in Las Vegas and is great if you have young kids. There is a train ride, slow snow tube ride, an area to throw snow balls, build snow men, and mini slide, and a large tubing slide. You’ll also find drink and food vendors, and photo opps with falling snow.
All the attractions are geared towards young kids, but it’s a great place to take them to play with snow right here in the city.
Blitzen’s Antler Attic
420 S Rampart Blvd #240, 89145, map
This pop-up bar is super fun! As you enter, they guide you through the space and you pick an ornament out. You are then set up at a table where you paint, order drinks, and enjoy snacks. When you’re done, there are plenty of spaces to lounge, an arcade area, and more. It’s a great activity for friends or date night.
Santa’s Experience
410 S Rampart Blvd, 89145, map
If you’re looking for a spot with tons of photo ops, check out Santa’s Experience at Tivoli Village. You get a chance to walk through over two dozen photo spots and you even end with a photo with Santa.
Map of CHristmas Attractions in Las Vegas
More Christmas Trees and Christmas Lights
Las Vegas at Christmas wouldn’t be complete without hunting down the biggest, prettiest Christmas trees.
- City of Henderson WinterFest 2023 – Great for the whole family. Tree Lighting Dec 1, 2023.
- Cosmopolitan Ice Rink
- Holiday at The Park
- Fashion Show Mall
- Flamingo Holiday Festival – The Flamingo Wildlife Habitat will transform into a pink winter wonderland
- The LINQ Promenade – Tree Lighting TBA
- Lake Las Vegas Hometown Holidays
- Mystic Falls Park Winter Wonderland – Tons of decor, laser light show, and snow
- New York New York Christmas Tree (the ribbon tree pictured below)
- The Palazzo Waterfall Atrium and Gardens Display
- Tivoli Village
- Holidays at Town Square – has a beautiful 45 ft Christmas tree, a chance to take photos with Santa, and a play area for kids. Plus, it’s your rare chance to see snow in Vegas.
- Venetian Christmas Tree – 65 foot tall with 50,000 lights is in the center of Doge’s Palace plaza. The Grand Canal Shoppes also has decorations you can check out.
- Winter’s Village at Green Valley Ranch and Red Rock Casino
- Wynn’s Winter Wonderland (December)
See More: 15+ Best Things to Do at the Venetian Las Vegas
More Christmas Events in Las Vegas
- Area 15 Naughty List
- Downtown Summerlin Rock Rink
- Grand Canyon – a great spot to explore to stay outdoors
- Las Vegas Santa Run – December 2, 2023
- The Nightmare Before Christmas at The Portal, AREA15
- Opportunity Village’s Magical Forest
- Red Rock Canyon – nothing special for the holidays, but the weather is perfect for exploring!
- Santa in the Shipwreck at the Shark Reef Aquarium on the weekends
- Springs Preserve Holiday Express
More Christmas Shows in Las Vegas
- A Very Terry Christmas (Nov 24 – Dec 30, 2023)
- Santa Jam, Palms (Dec 10, 2023)
- Smith Center Shows (Lindsey Stirling Snow Waltz Tour, Christmas with the Makaha Sons, etc)
- Tournament of Kings Holiday Dinner Show
See More: 13 Las Vegas Shows You Can’t Miss
Where to Take Santa Pictures in Las Vegas
- Boulder City Santa Express
- Ethel M Holiday Cactus Garden – book ahead of time
- Fashion Show Mall
- Galleria Mall
- Silverton Aquarium’s Scuba Santa (weekends in Dec)
- Shark Reef Aquarium
- Town Square
Where to Eat in las Vegas on Christmas
Finding a spot to eat on Christmas Day in Las Vegas isn’t too difficult. A lot of restaurants are still open. Keep in mind that prices may be higher and some places will have special menus. A lot of spots are also short on staff, so have patience, and it’s always a good idea to make reservations. Here are some options to check out. We haven’t eaten at a lot of these spots but did make notes next to the ones we did.
- Bacchanal Buffet, Caesars Palace (Buffets, 💰💰💰💰)
- Barry’s Downtown Prime, Circa (Steakhouses, 💰💰💰💰) – one of the best steakhouses in town
- Bazaar Meat by Jose Andres, Sahara (Steakhouse, 💰💰💰💰) – one of our favorite restaurants for steak and try the cotton candy foie gras
- Blossom, ARIA (Chinese, 💰💰💰)
- Bottiglia Cucina & Enoteca, Green Valley Ranch (Italian, 💰💰)
- Bugsy & Meyer’s, Flamingo (Steahouses, 💰💰💰)
- Carmine’s Italian Restaurant, Caesars Palace (Italian, 💰💰💰)
- Du-Par’s Restaurant and Bakery, Summerlin (Breakfast & Brunch, 💰💰)
- Eiffel Tower Restaurant, Paris (French, 💰💰💰)
- Giada, The Cromwell (Italian, 💰💰💰) – we went years ago and thought it was just okay
- Guy Fieri’s Vegas Kitchen & Bar, The LINQ (American, 💰💰)
- Hell’s Kitchen, Caesars Palace (American, 💰💰💰)
- Hofbrauhaus, Off Strip (German, 💰💰)
- Jardin, Wynn (American, 💰💰)
- Jing, Summerlin (Asian Fusion, 💰💰💰)
- La Strega, Summerlin – one of our go-to Italian spots in town (Italian, 💰💰💰)
- Mercato Della Pescheria, The Venetian – good food and great views of St. Mark’s Square (Italian, 💰💰💰)
- Nobu, Caesars Palace (Japanese, 💰💰💰💰)
- Restaurant Guy Savoy, Caesars Palace – one of the best prix-fixe meals we’ve had in Vegas (French, 💰💰💰💰)
- Ri Ra Irish Pub, Mandalay Bay (Irish, 💰💰)
- SoulBelly BBQ, Downtown (BBQ, 💰💰)
- STK, The Cosmopolitan (Steakhouses, 💰💰💰💰)
- Suhisamba, The Venetian (Asian Fushion, 💰💰💰)
- Sushi Roku, Caesars Palace (Japanese, 💰💰💰)
- Trevi, The Forum Shops (Italian, 💰💰)
See More: 49 Best Places to Eat in Las Vegas
Christmas Neighborhoods in Las Vegas
Sometimes the best way to celebrate the holidays is to see how our neighbors celebrate and decorate their homes. Here are some of the best houses and neighborhoods to check out in Las Vegas.
- 2975 Maverick St, 89108, map
- 5219 Masters Ave, 89142, map
- 8313 Clear Falls St, 89085, map
- 730 Bollons Island, Henderson, NV 89002, map – Golden Knights House
- 1054 Desert Olive Ct, Henderson, NV 89002, map
- 8408 Hirsch Mountain Dr, 89131, map
- Spruce Hill Court, 89148, map – 5 houses synced to music
- Wavering Pine Drive, 89143, map
- 4601 Gonzales Drive, 89130, map – huge display set up in their garage
- 742 Triple Crown St, Henderson, NV 89015, map
- 3018 Scenic Valley Way, Henderson, NV 89052, map
- 2410 High Vista Drive, Henderson, NV 89014, map
- 862 Teal Ave, 89123, map
Let us know if you know of any other notable houses or if you visit any of these spots and they are no longer there.
Best Places to Stay
Planning Checklist
- Get comprehensive insurance for your trip.
- Download these helpful language apps.
- Find a great deal on Las Vegas hotels.
- Arrange a rental car for your trip.
- Book a tour for your visit.
- Get airport lounge access.
- Buy a travel charger to keep your devices charged.
- Get a new backpack for your trip.
- Buy a Las Vegas travel guide.
- Pack the appropriate shoes for your trip.
- Don’t forget your in-flight essentials.
- Save money on attractions with Go City.
How will you be spending your Christmas in Las Vegas?
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“Discovery consists not of seeking new lands but in seeing with new eyes” – M. Proust
Esther + Jacob
Esther and Jacob are the founders of Local Adventurer, one of the top 5 travel blogs in the US. They believe that adventure can be found near and far and hope to inspire others to explore locally. They explore a new city in depth every year and currently base themselves in Las Vegas.
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