The Cost of Travelling to Las Vegas

“All inclusive Las Vegas trip for just $399” – you might have come across such lucrative advertisements over the internet. Don’t make a fool out of yourself by believing such cheap gimmicks. Forget about a satisfactory experience, you won’t get more than a shabby downtown hotel room and cheap red-eye flight out of such a deal.

Make no mistake, Las Vegas is an expensive tourist destination. You can’t expect to have an enjoyable Las Vegas trip on a shoestring budget. A tour of Las Vegas requires a heavy wallet if you intend to cover all the glamour and glitz the place has to offer.

So before planning a trip to the ‘Gambling Capital of the World’, make sure that you are in a position to afford the luxurious experience without stretching yourself too thin from a financial perspective.

How Much Does a Trip to Las Vegas Costs?

Wondering how much money you need to spend on a memorable trip to Las Vegas? The major costs will include visa fees (if you are an international tourist), airline fares, accommodation charges, food expenses, local transport costs, and the costs of enjoying the entertainment avenues. You must also account for miscellaneous spending like buying souvenirs and offering service tips etc.

The ultimate cost of travelling to Las Vegas would largely depend on your geographic location. Airfares constitute a sizeable percentage of the overall cost and hence the domestic US travelers would find themselves at an advantageous position. Besides higher airfare, the international tourists would additionally need to account for visa charges and custom duties – thus increasing the total expenditure significantly.

To give you a better idea about Las Vegas trip costs, here is an approximate break-up of the major costs involved. Please note that our analysis caters to the average cost and it should only be taken as a reference. The actual cost may vary depending on a number of factors like your preference for luxury and the timing of your tour.

Major Costs Involving a Las Vegas Trip

Airline Fares

Of course, airfare largely depends on where you are flying from. For an inter-city US traveler, the average airfare would cost around $300 for a round-trip flight per person. If you are not averse to boarding a red-eye flight, then you may hope to get the trip covered within $200.

For international tourists, however, the airline charges can take a significant upward curve. European travelers may have to shell out around $1000 for a round trip. That’s the average fare if you book the tickets well in advance. A last minute plan can make your wallet lighter by as much as $2000. So better plan your travel with enough time at hand.

If you are travelling from one of the Asian countries, the airfare could cost more. For example, the average one-way airfare from New Delhi to Las Vegas is around $1000, making it $2000 for a round trip flight. However, if you are looking for immediate travel, you may have to shell out an additional 40-75%.

If you are on a strict budget, then it’s better to avoid the peak-seasonal rush. The fare usually skyrockets during the Christmas time. Same holds true for other festive seasons like Easter, Halloween and Valentine’s Day. That’s why budget travelers prefer to plan their Las Vegas tour during the offseason.

Visa Charges (for international tourists)

The application fee for US tourist visa is $160 (B-2 visa). The validity is 90 days. It is highly recommended to get your visa approved before you make other bookings. It will save you the troubles and money if your visa application gets rejected. The USA immigration authorities are quite strict about granting a visa to foreigners and every year a good number of visa applications get rejected due to various reasons.

Cost of Accommodation

Accommodation can get quite expensive in Las Vegas. Las Vegas being a bustling tourist destination, it should hardly come as a surprise. Even a decent double room in a budget hotel can cost you $100 per night. Hotels in prime locations are obviously more expensive. If you desire to taste the luxury of posh five-star accommodation, you must be willing to shell out in excess of $350 per night.

When you take the average cost of mid-range hotels, it usually comes up to around $150 per night. So if you are planning for a 4-days trip, you should set aside $600 just for your stay.

Food Costs

You will be amazed by the range of restaurants available in Las Vegas. It can get incredibly inexpensive (or expensive) depending upon where you decide to eat. Tourists on a tight budget can find all-you-can-eat buffet meals for just $20. Specialized fine-dine restaurants would invariably cost a lot more. Same holds true for snacks and beverages. Just to experience the real taste of Las Vegas, you must plan atleast one outing at one of the famed fine-dine eateries which can cost you $100 per person.

The average dining budget per person, including the cost of drinks, would be around $75 per day. So while planning your food expense, you can anticipate a cost of $300 per person as a rough estimate for a 4-days trip.

Local Travel and Sightseeing Costs

The local travel would include the taxi fare to and from the airport to your hotel. The economy taxi fare from the McCarran International Airport to the central business district is around $40 one way. In addition, you should also consider the costs of travelling to various tourist attractions, casinos, and shopping centers.

If you limit your excursions to the Strip alone, you can probably cover the travel costs within $50 per day. Then there is, of course, the entry fees to particular tourist attractions (such as the Mandalay Bays Shark Reef, Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum). All in all, local sightseeing and intra-city travel won’t cost you more than $100 per day.

However, trips to the famed Hoover Dam, the Grand Canyon and other attractions on the outskirts of city limit would invariably cost you much more. If you are quite inclined to catch a glimpse of everything Las Vegas has to offer, then you should have an additional $150 budget – on top of the usual local sightseeing costs.

Entertainment

Las Vegas is known for its entertainment quotient. Live musical events, theatricals, celebrity nights and magic shows – you name it and Las Vegas has got you covered. The tickets are usually priced in the range of $50-$100 per person. If you plan to catch a couple of major shows, we suggest you include $150 per person on an average.

Gambling Expenses

A trip to Las Vegas without indulging in gambling is a crime. It’s one aspect where your pre-determined budget can go for a toss. If you are not an instinctive gambler and just want to have a great time, then we would suggest you assign $100 per day as gambling expenses. You may end up spending around $300 if you can’t resist the temptation.

In case you get lucky, you might be able to cover the cost with your winnings and still have a few bucks in savings. But that’s not guaranteed, and rather a rarity. The glamour of Las Vegas wasn’t built by losing money on gambling. It’s actually the other way around – i.e., the tourists loss is the city’s gain.

Cutting the long story short, if you must go gambling everyday on your 4-days trip, then you can roughly set aside $500 as your gambling expenses.

Miscellaneous Costs

Quite often it’s a neglected aspect, but in fact, the miscellaneous expenses can reach a significant cumulative figure if you are not careful. Buying souvenirs can be costly in Las Vegas. The tips that you pay for various services must also be accounted for. All in all, a $100 for a 4-day trip would be appropriate for an average budget traveler.

Overall Expense for an All-inclusive Las Vegas Trip

Domestic US travelers might be able to cover a 4-days Las Vegas trip within $1500, but the international tourists would need to bear some additional costs. If you sum things up, a satisfying trip to Las Vegas would cost an international tourist around $2000 – excluding the airline ticket charges.

Planning early can be the key to minimize expenditure on air travel. If you manage to book your flight tickets well in advance, you can hope to limit the overall expenses to around $3000 for a 4 days trip to the Sin City.

However, if your sole purpose behind visiting Las Vegas is to get your eyes rolling on the fancy casinos, and experience an extravagant lifestyle, we have an even cheaper solution for you. Simply, browse the web and discover some reliable online casino websites and you are good to go.

Most online casinos provide all the features and fun that you would otherwise experience in Las Vegas. The decked up websites, welcome bonus, easy withdrawal and deposit along with live customer support. If you want to take the thrill to the next level, you can even play live dealer casino games wherein a live dealer supervises the game, and gives you a perfect feel of Las Vegas casinos.

What’s more, since most online casinos are mobile-friendly, you can play at anytime and anywhere. The only catch here is to crosscheck the minimum wagering requirements and choose a casino which is reputed enough, and you’re good to go!

That said, if you have enough cash with you and if you can handle the expenses associated with a trip to Las Vegas, definitely, nothing can beat the experience that you’ll get. But if you are on a shoestring budget, we will highly recommend you to satisfy your appetite by playing online casino.

What would you prefer? Do let us know in the comments below!