The Ultimate Family-Friendly Las Vegas Travel Guide

When people think of family-friendly vacations, Las Vegas is probably quite low on that list. Sin City doesn't necessarily scream, "BRING YOUR KIDS!", but our most recent trip to Las Vegas proved to be more family-friendly than I was expecting.

​I have been coming to Las Vegas with my own parents since I was a kid and have many fond memories at the arcades at Circus Circus, Luxor and Treasure Island, spending hours on the water slides at the Flamingo hotel and the lazy river at Mandalay Bay, watching the fountain show at Bellagio and going back for thirds at buffets for every meal. As a young adult, I returned with my girlfriends to explore the nightlife, learn how to play craps (and lose track of time on the craps tables with $1 beers), and discover some of my favorite restaurants in Las Vegas.

I've been to Vegas dozens of times over the last three decades and have never had a bad trip. While a lot has changed since COVID (the arcades, Rio carnivale, pirate shows and many of the buffets are gone), there is still a lot to love and a lot of fun to be had when visiting Vegas as a family.

Where to Stay: Vdara, the Most Family-Friendlly Hotel in Las Vegas

When picking a family friendly hotel in Las Vegas, there are several criteria that I look for. The most important factor for me is proximity to where I want to go and things I want to do. I also need my hotel to be smoke-free when I am traveling with kids. And lastly, as a parent, I care about family-friendly amenities like bathtubs, kitchenettes, family-friendly pools, a 24-hour market, etc. Considering all of these factors, we booked our most recent stay at Vdara and thoroughly enjoyed it. I would definitely say that Vdara is the most family-friendly hotel in Las Vegas.

Vdara is the most family-friendly hotel in Vegas because:

1. It is a non-smoking, casino-free hotel that smells like a spa the moment you walk in
2. It is centrally located by Cosmopolitan and Aria and, as part of the MGM family, earns points for MGM Rewards members
3. All of the rooms are suites with deep tubs and kitchenettes that include a fridge, stove top, microwave/oven, pots, pans, plates, utensils, etc. Basically everything a family could need during their stay
4. There is a 24-hour on-site market for middle-of-the-night milk or snack runs
5. We had access to the pool at Aria because the one at Vdara was closed for the season. In late January, the weather was nice enough to go to the pool but not crowded at all
6. The price was reasonable for the size of the suite and amenities available. We were able to book through our Chase Sapphire Reserve card with points and only needed to pay for the resort fee and parking during our stay
7. The staff were incredibly friendly and helpful
8. The environment was calmer than other hotels on the strip

Where to Eat: Family-Friendly Restaurants in Las Vegas

EAT Downtown Las Vegas

Yardbird at the Venetian

Holstein's at Cosmopolitan

There are so many incredible family-friendly restaurants in Las Vegas that you could probably eat at a different one every week and never run out. Over the years, I’ve tried dozens of spots ranging from casino food courts to high end like Giada’s at the Cromwell and everything in between. On our most recent trip to Vegas, we ate at a restaurant for three meals a day with our kids and all of them were surprisingly accommodating and welcoming to children. Here are our favorite family-friendly restaurants in Vegas:

EAT Downtown Las Vegas
Owned by chef restaurateur Natalie Young, EAT is a cozy, trendy spot north of the strip with local coffee and delicious food. We loved the deviled eggs (the whites are deep fried!), chilaquiles and truffled egg sandwich. Our waitress and all the staff were incredibly friendly, chatting with our kids and making sure we had fresh cups of coffee to go.

Yardbird at the Venetian
We made reservations for dinner at Yardbird on a Friday night and it was hands-down our favorite meal of the week. The staff was incredibly welcoming for families, happily joked around with our kids, and provided attentive service and the food was impeccable. We ordered fried chicken and waffles, short rib, buttermilk biscuits, mac and cheese, and Southern street corn and loved every bite. I would highly recommend every dish we tried. 

Holsteins
Known for their Bam-Boozled Shakes, Holsteins at the Cosmopolitan offers decadent grown-up milkshakes blended with vodka, whiskey or liqueur and plain shakes for the kiddos. To go along with their drinks, parents can order gourmet burgers like the Gold Standard, Billionaire Burger or a Veggie Burger while their tiny counterparts can enjoy beef slider or grilled cheese sandwiches. We visited on our second night in Vegas and our entire family finished our meals with smiles on our faces.

Water Grill
If your family craves fresh seafood, head over to Water Grill, located at Caesar’s Palace. With an extensive menu featuring everything from oysters to perfectly grilled fish, this upscale seafood restaurant offers a culinary experience for everyone in the family. My son particularly loved the crab noodles (which he stole from my husband), I enjoyed their fish tacos and both my kids and I had fun visiting the crustaceans in their tanks.

What to Do: Family-Friendly Las Vegas Activities

​Las Vegas offers a myriad of activities that will keep the entire family entertained. Here are a few of the activities we did with our kids on a recent trip (and one activity we didn't do but wish we had):

Discovery Children's Museum:
Calling all Blippi fans--this one is for you (err... I mean, your kids)! Located in downtown Las Vegas, the Discovery Children's Museum is a treasure trove of interactive exhibits and educational fun. There is a three-story interactive tower built into the side of the building with a plethora of engaging activities. Our kids spent almost a whole day in the water play area, the art studio, the dress up theater and the car race. It was super fun for the parents too! There’s a gift shop with light snacks but bring your own coffee and let your kids loose. The best part is that you can get 50% off admission as part of the ACM (Association of Children's Museum) Reciprocal Network!

Downtown Container Park:
A unique and vibrant destination, the Downtown Container Park is built entirely from recycled shipping containers. It’s been on my list to visit for many years and the timing didn’t work out unfortunately for our most recent trip. I didn’t want to leave it off because one of our waitresses also recommended it for kids. What’s great about the Downtown Container Park is the variety of shops, eateries, and even a playground with a giant treehouse slide all in one place. Every evening there’s a sunset drum circle to wake up the praying mantis statue. It's the perfect spot for kids to burn off some energy while parents relax and enjoy the lively atmosphere.

Bellagio Water Show:
On our second night, we strolled along the iconic Las Vegas Strip. It’s always been a little bit seedy but if anything, the city has gotten better and more considerate. While it was crowded, I felt safe the entire time and everyone we encountered was friendly and welcoming to families. As part of our walk along the strip, my kids wanted to take pictures with characters and we made sure to stop at the Bellagio Hotel to watch the water show. Even though I’ve seen these fountains dance a hundred times, it still felt new to me because they change up the music often. This time, the fountains were choreographed to Uptown Funk. While watching the show was fun, it was even more entertaining and precious to watch my kids’ reactions.

Cirque du Soleil Show:
This is for the slightly older kids (or bring ear muffs for younger kids who are sensitive to loud noises). We took our children (my daughter was 3 and son was almost 5 at the time) to Mystere at Treasure Island. It is billed as being family friendly and there were lots of kids in attendance. It’s also one of the more affordable Cirque du Soleil shows in Vegas. Unfortunately for us, we forgot to bring ear muffs for our son and the show was late in the day and the kids were overtired which was the perfect storm for my son wanting to leave after 30 mins. Learn from our mistakes.

On a side note: what I saw of Mystere I thought was super bizarre and I was not a fan. There isn’t really a plot or a theme like other Cirque shows and it was hard to follow what was actually happening. The show starts with a giant man baby and then there’s dancers and Taiko drums and acrobats? Reviewers on Yelp are also confused. 

The great thing about going to Las Vegas with kids is that there is endless entertainment on the strip and you could easily spend a whole week just hanging out at the pool, eating and people watching.

Have you visited Las Vegas with kids? If so, let me know your favorite activities and restaurants in the comments below!

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