Las Vegas · Family of Four · 3 Days on the Strip, No Gambling · Updated September 2026
We landed in Las Vegas late on a Thursday night, about an hour behind schedule, and took a cab to the Marriott Grand Chateau with two tired kids and all of our bags. The weather was warm enough to swim, which mattered, because the last time Vika and I were in Vegas together was a spring break about eighteen years ago and it was cold enough that we needed jackets. This time the kids were asking about the pool before we had even checked in.
Before the trip, a friend asked us the question we suspect a lot of families ask. What are you going to do in Vegas? You don’t gamble and you’re going with kids. This is our answer: three full days on the ground, a real itinerary we actually followed, what worked, what we would skip, and one five dollar slot machine. The bill for everything is at the bottom.
All three days, start to finish, in about sixteen minutes.
Our 3 Day Las Vegas Itinerary With Kids at a Glance
We flew in late and flew out in the afternoon, so this was three days of doing things, with a travel day on each side. Here is how it shook out, in the order we did it.
- Day one: breakfast at Paris, a walk up the Strip, Area 15 and Omega Mart, the Forum Shops, dinner at Sushi Roku, and Mystère at Treasure Island.
- Day two: a slow pool morning, Area 15 again, The Buffet at Wynn, the Venetian, sunset on the Eiffel Tower, and the New York New York roller coaster.
- Day three: a long walk south, the free tram, the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign, a Zoox robotaxi, dinner at Joe’s, and Mat Franco at the Linq.
Where We Stayed, and Why It Shaped the Whole Trip
We stayed at the Marriott Grand Chateau, a Marriott Vacation Club property half a block behind Planet Hollywood, on points. It is a three minute walk to the Strip, and once you are back at the pool it honestly does not feel like you are on the Strip at all. Josh said it reminded him a little of being on a cruise, and I think that is exactly the point.
The two bedroom suite had a full kitchen, so breakfast most mornings came from a Walgreens run instead of a restaurant, and there was no resort fee, which on the Strip is almost unheard of. And the rooftop pool on the thirty eighth floor was a fun surprise that first night. I wrote up the whole suite, including the shower we did not love, in our Marriott Grand Chateau two bedroom suite review. If you would rather see it, here is our ten minute video tour of the suite.
Day One: Area 15, Sushi at the Forum Shops, and Mystère
Lesson one came before breakfast
We walked out that first morning assuming we would just find breakfast. We did not have a reservation, the first place was full, and the second had a long line and nowhere to sit. We ended up with a quick reservation at Alexxa’s at Paris, on the patio across from the Bellagio. Vika and I split an Alaskan crab omelette, and the kids each had the pancakes with mascarpone and chocolate chips, which were some of the fluffiest pancakes any of us can remember.
Pro tip: in Vegas, make the breakfast reservation the night before. The Strip wakes up late, and the good patios fill up anyway.
From there we walked north, up and over the pedestrian bridges, through the free flamingo habitat at the Flamingo and past the new Hard Rock construction.
Area 15 taught us the most expensive lesson of the trip
We took a rideshare out to Area 15, which sits off the Strip, and learned something right away. Cab stands are right out front at the hotels, but getting to our rideshare pickup was about a ten minute walk through the hotel, the garage and an elevator. With tired kids and hot parents, take the cab.
Area 15 is a warehouse full of immersive art, and the headliner is Omega Mart by Meow Wolf. It looks like a grocery store full of ridiculous products, until you open a fridge door and walk through it into something else entirely. For Vika and me, Omega Mart was the highlight of the whole place.
Here is where we got it wrong. We bought four of the Level 3A multi attraction passes on a promo at $138 each. Vika took one look at the list and said she only wanted Omega Mart, so she returned her pass on the spot and bought a single Omega Mart ticket. In hindsight, her plan was the one to copy. The kids and I did Omega Mart plus the zip line, the laser maze and a flying simulator that first day, and I would say we had fun, but not two days and a few hundred dollars of fun.
If Omega Mart is what your family wants, and I think for most families it is, buy single tickets and do it in one day. We bought ours at the desk, but if you would rather lock it in before you go, Viator sells the single Omega Mart admission, and Viator is where we book most of our tours. Every number is in our Area 15 with kids breakdown.
Out on the sidewalk afterward I asked Josh what he thought. His review, word for word: “Very fun zone, especially if you’re a kid.” His one tip was just as practical: don’t book anything else that day, so you can do everything in one go if you want to.
We grabbed tacos from the food truck right outside, then stopped at a Walgreens on the way back for snacks, because in Vegas there is a Walgreens or a CVS on what feels like every block.
The Forum Shops, Sushi Roku and a donut with a jar of Nutella in it
Inside the Forum Shops at Caesars, the ceiling is painted like a sky, and walking through it felt a lot like some of the streets we had walked in Rome. There is a free Atlantis show every hour on the hour, so plan around it rather than waiting for it.
Dinner was Sushi Roku right in the Forum Shops. We loved the first round so much we ordered another roll, and the kitchen made hand rolls for the kids even though they are not on the dinner menu. Afterward the kids talked us into Cafe Lola, where their Nutella donut had, and I am not exaggerating, more Nutella than donut.
Mystère, and the one thing we did not love about walking the Strip
Then we walked to Treasure Island in ninety degree heat. It is a dry ninety, not a Chicago ninety, but the air conditioning still felt great. The one thing I am not a fan of is walking through the casinos to get anywhere, because people are smoking everywhere, and with kids you walk through a lot of casinos.
Mystère, the Cirque du Soleil show, was worth it. They do not allow video inside, so you will have to trust me: there were multiple jaw dropping moments with the acrobats, a lot of genuinely funny gags, and I would see it again. We compared it with the other show we saw in our Mystère and Mat Franco review.
Day Two: A Pool Morning, Area 15 Again, the Wynn, and the Eiffel Tower at Sunset
Day two started slowly, on purpose. The kids were in the pool, Josh played table tennis on the pool deck, and the drinks were not nearly as expensive as the spots right on the Strip. If you are traveling with kids, a hotel that is a few minutes off the Strip gives you all the activity when you want it and a quieter pool when you do not.
Then we went back to Area 15 to use the rest of our passes. Josh got a golf simulator, Emily did a VR attraction, and the candy store run turned out to be the kids’ favorite thing at Area 15, which says something about the passes.
The Buffet at Wynn looked great but let us down
Dinner was The Buffet at Wynn. It is a beautiful room, the crab legs and the caviar were the highlights, and the desserts were better balanced than I expected. The food overall tasted good. But the whole family agreed it was not worth the money or the hype, and next time we will skip buffets and just go to good restaurants.
The Venetian, the Eiffel Tower, and a roller coaster to end the night
We walked it off through the Venetian, where yes, those are real gondolas, indoors, on a canal inside a shopping mall. Then we went up the Eiffel Tower at Paris for sunset and waited for the Bellagio fountains. Watching the fountain show from straight above was spectacular.
Would we do it again? Probably not, and I want to be honest about why. It was a great experience once. Next time I think we would watch the fountains from right in front of the Bellagio, and maybe check out the Ferris wheel or the Stratosphere instead.
We ended the night at New York New York for the roller coaster, which Josh had asked to ride after dark. It is a fun coaster and I would go again, but it is not the smoothest. If you are used to the newer coasters at Six Flags, expect a little more shaking.
Day Three: The Sign, a Free Tram, a Robotaxi, and a Magic Show for a Wife Who Hates Magic
Day three was the long walk south. Lunch was Tom’s Watch Bar at New York New York, which was tasty, and was not the most cost effective meal of the trip. Then, walking past Excalibur, we realized there is a free tram from Excalibur to Luxor to Mandalay Bay, and it saved our feet on the way down to the sign.
I have been to Vegas several times and had never been to the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign, and I wanted a family photo there for our LEGO Architecture skyline collection, because that is what we do: a photo at the place, next to the skyline set. A few tips. Go in the morning, or at night, when fewer people are lined up. Bring something cold to drink. And there are people working for tips who will offer to take your photo and can get a little pushy. It is fine. Just nod, say thank you, and keep going.
From there we tried Zoox, the robotaxi with no driver and no steering wheel, which was free when we rode it. The downside was the wait: close to an hour. The ride itself was smooth, every seat has its own climate control, and the kids spent the ride singing and arguing, which is to be expected. I would absolutely ride it again, I just would not wait an hour for it. The whole robotaxi story is in getting around Las Vegas without a car.
Dinner was Joe’s Prime Steak and Stone Crab, back at the Forum Shops, and it was probably one of the most cost effective meals we had in Las Vegas. Then Vika, who had planned the evening perfectly, walked us across to the Linq for Mat Franco.
Here is the review that matters. Vika hates magic, and she was amazed. We were sitting so close to the stage and we still could not tell how he was doing any of it. Keep your phone put away once it starts; they mean it.
Is Las Vegas Good for Families Who Don’t Gamble?
Yes. I would call this trip an eight out of ten, and I think the whole family would agree. There was something for everyone: the kids loved the shows, we loved the food, and Vika and I enjoyed just walking through Vegas, believe it or not. As for the gambling, I spent five dollars on a slot machine, only because we were there, and I did not miss anything.
Three days on the ground was the perfect amount of time for us. It is definitely a trip we would do again in a couple of years.
What We Would Do Differently Next Time
- Skip the buffet and put that dinner toward a good restaurant.
- Buy single Omega Mart tickets and do Area 15 in one day, not two.
- See one more show. Both of ours were highlights.
- Take an Uber or a cab instead of waiting close to an hour for Zoox.
- Watch the Bellagio fountains from the street, and try the Ferris wheel or the Stratosphere instead of the Eiffel Tower.
- Book a room facing the Strip, so you can watch the lights at night when you are back in the room.
- Leave the hotel a little earlier each day, and make breakfast reservations.
What Three Days in Las Vegas Cost Our Family of Four
The room was fully covered on Marriott Vacation Club points, with no resort fee, and we spent about $190 over the stay on pool food and drinks, plus a Walgreens breakfast run. The cab in from the airport was about $33, rideshares out to Area 15 ran about $43 and $37, and the ride to the airport on the way home was about $20.
Area 15 came to about $625 across two days, including the three passes, Vika’s Omega Mart ticket, snacks and the rides out there. Mystère was about $450 for four tickets and Mat Franco about $525, both booked on vegas.com. Sushi Roku was around $240 for the four of us, and The Buffet at Wynn was $260 for four with fountain drinks only.
How many days do you need in Las Vegas with kids?
For us, three full days was the perfect amount. That was enough for Area 15, two shows, the fountains, the sign and a pool morning without rushing, and we would not have wanted less.
Is Las Vegas good for families with teenagers?
I would say yes. The kids’ favorite parts were the shows and, somehow, the candy store at Area 15, and none of that has anything to do with a casino.
Do you need a car in Las Vegas with kids?
No. We walked most of the Strip, used the free tram between Excalibur and Mandalay Bay, and took cabs or rideshares for the airport and Area 15.
If you are flying United home, the United Club at LAS is worth adding to your departure day.
What Las Vegas shows are good for kids?
We saw Mystère and Mat Franco and would recommend both. I think Mat Franco is the stronger pick for families with older kids, and Mystère is the better fit for younger ones.
Is Area 15 worth it for families?
Omega Mart is, and I think it is the one thing at Area 15 worth building a day around. Unless you know your family will use most of the attractions, skip the multi attraction passes and buy single Omega Mart tickets.
Is there a Las Vegas hotel with no resort fee?
The Marriott Grand Chateau did not charge us one, and it had a full kitchen suite a few minutes off the Strip, which is a big part of why this trip worked for a family of four.
