Las Vegas Nevada 7 Day Itinerary

If you’re picturing a Grand Canyon day trip from Vegas as a quick add-on to your week, stop and check which rim you actually mean, that decision shapes your whole schedule and a lot of itineraries get it wrong. More on that below. First, the rest of your seven days.

Day 1: Arrival and the Strip

You’ll land at Harry Reid International, not McCarran, the name changed back in 2021. Rideshare pickup is inside the parking garage, not curbside, with a flat $4.50 surcharge on every ride, budget $20-35 plus that fee for a mid-Strip hotel.

Bellagio or Mandalay Bay both work well for Strip convenience. The resort fee is mandatory though, $45-60 a night before tax, budget for it now so it’s not a surprise at checkout. Walk the Strip in the afternoon, catch the Bellagio fountains, free, every 15-30 minutes. Book a real show for the evening, Cirque du Soleil or the Beatles LOVE show at The Mirage are both worth it, ahead of time since good seats sell out.

Day 2: Downtown Las Vegas

Consider staying downtown for a night if you want a genuinely different feel, the Golden Nugget and The D both put you in the middle of Fremont Street. Downtown gives you more real Vegas than the Strip does these days, the Strip’s gotten increasingly corporate, and the odds at the tables downtown are better too. Catch the free canopy light show, visit the Neon Museum and Mob Museum if history’s your thing, and skip the SlotZilla zip line unless you specifically want it, it’s a paid add-on.

Day 3: Red Rock Canyon and Hoover Dam

Rent a car for this stretch. Red Rock Canyon is 20-30 minutes west, about $20 a vehicle plus a $2 timed-entry reservation required February through November, morning is best for hiking before the heat sets in. Hoover Dam is roughly 45 minutes out, worth combining with a stop at Lake Mead.

Day 4: Shopping and a show

The Forum Shops at Caesars cover the high-end shopping urge. Book an arena show or a comedy night for the evening rather than defaulting to a nightclub, better value and you’ll actually remember it the next morning.

Day 5: Grand Canyon, and here’s the correction

Now the rim question. The South Rim, the one with the classic National Park views, is 275-280 miles away and 4.5-5 hours one-way. That is not a day trip, it’s an overnight commitment, and any itinerary that tells you to casually squeeze it into a single day is setting you up for a miserable drive. The West Rim, home of the glass Skywalk and run by the Hualapai Tribe separately from the National Park, is about 120-130 miles and 2-2.5 hours each way, the actually realistic single-day option. Book a tour or drive yourself, and add a helicopter leg if you want the view from above and have the budget for it.

Day 6: Leisure day on the Strip

Use this day for anything you missed, the High Roller or a spa treatment both work. If buffets are on your list, know that a lot of the old names have closed, MGM Grand shut in May 2026, Luxor in 2025, Paris too. Bacchanal at Caesars is still worth the $55-90+ if you want the full spread; otherwise a solid sit-down restaurant is the better value now.

Day 7: Departure

Check out and head to Harry Reid International with buffer time. If a cab driver suggests the I-215 tunnel route, decline, that’s a known long-haul scam meant to pad the meter; ask for Swenson Street or Paradise Road instead.

Logistics that matter: parking isn’t free at most Strip resorts anymore, expect $15-25 self-park or $40-50 valet daily. The Monorail only covers the east side, MGM Grand to SAHARA, it won’t reach Bellagio or Caesars. Summer heat from June through August tops 110F, plan outdoor days for morning hours.