Las Vegas Off the Strip: A Girls Trip Guide

It’d been almost 20 years since I’d partied on the Las Vegas Strip in my 20s. It was magical: a dozen study abroad friends met up from all across the country after graduation to have a big celebration and a bit of debauchery. We had a blast at the clubs, the buffets, and maybe had a cigarette or seven and a free well drink at the slots at 3am.

Here’s Vegas in 2008!

Fast forward two decades and I’m a little more tired, but I still have that night owl spark. When the opportunity arose to go back to Vegas two decades later, I jumped in head first. This was a multi-gen trip revolving around my cousin’s wedding, but we secured a fairy godmother to take my young children and extended a couple days so I could really enjoy some fun and interesting experiences. I had a blast with my fellow lady cousins, and even my mom and aunt got in on the adventures.

Since we were staying away from the main drag, we decided to not go near the iconic Strip and stick to some lesser-appreciated parts of Vegas and beyond.

So if you want a little more low-key girls trip or family reunion with still some of the fun, or you’ve done the Strip so much you’re ready for a change, here’s the side of Las Vegas not everyone sees.

Jump to a section

• Why skip the Strip for a girls trip
• Where to stay: Red Rock Casino, Resort & Spa
• Eat your way through Red Rock
• Off-Strip adventures
• Dipping into the Strip in small doses
• More Pure Wander girls trip guides

Why skip the Strip for a girls trip

Girls trips in your 20s are a journey, and often a rite of passage. But into the 30s and 40s, you might be looking for something a little less fast and flashy. That doesn’t mean skipping Vegas all together when with friends on a getaway. You can most definitely find cozy rooftop bars with killer happy hours, Americana attractions, upscale dining without an impossible reservation list, and even natural wonders.

And obviously, if it’s your first time in Vegas or you’re not sure when you’ll be back, go dip a toe into the action. Go wild at one of the massive Vegas buffets, see the Bellagio fountain show, or catch a concert at the Sphere (I’m a little sad I didn’t get there yet).

Another good thing about not focusing on the most popular area is the simplicity of rides. Catching one there or to Fremont Street from an off-Strip hotel is often easier, less traffic too. All the ride share drivers we spoke to were so happy to have a ‘break’ from not driving up and down the jam-packed road.

Where to stay: Red Rock Casino, Resort & Spa

Now as a visitor, I just assumed you had to stay right in the middle of it all, along the skyline you see everywhere filled with twinkling hotels. But there’s plenty of options away from South Las Vegas Boulevard. I landed with Red Rock Casino, Resort & Spa as a base for the trip, about 20 minutes from the Strip in Summerlin. Rumor was this is where the locals come for staycations and having fun in the desert.

I can see why this is the place to be off-Strip. It still has the electric fun of a casino and a vibrant pool scene, without overcrowding and any messiness.

Depending on your group, there’s lots of different layouts to choose from when it comes to rooms and suites. Ours was cozy and overlooked the Red Rock Canyon, which was a welcome natural sight to all the flashy glitz elsewhere.

You could easily stay on property, never leave, and still feel like you had a “Vegas” experience. Everything from upscale restaurants and chic bars to lounges, high roller spaces, a massive spa, and gift shops are all accessible steps from your hotel room. One of my favorite features was the sprawling pool area with a main dipping pool and several smaller ones for a quieter vibe (there’s also an adults-only pool, which is the perfect thing for a girls trip).

Of course, we wanted to see more away from Red Rock Resort, but the time spent there was just as fun, thrilling, and relaxing as all the other experiences to be had in the city. If I lived closer it would definitely be a place to go for a long weekend too.

Eat your way through Red Rock (and beyond)

We had a few chances to leave the resort to have some great meals, but really there was no need, as there’s many different spots to dine on property, from casual to exclusive. I know Las Vegas is famous for their food. Living up to that reputation, I didn’t have one mediocre experience while at Red Rock: everything was delicious.

Lucky Penny

Open 24 hours, Lucky Penny is the all-day cafe and our go-to perky breakfast spot. Think fluffy pancakes, the Penny Benny, and the Vegas Cheesesteak. It also serves classic café cocktails like the Farmer’s Market Mary if you’re starting the day Vegas-style.

Yard House

Casual American spot with a wall of taps and a big menu. Perfect when the group can’t decide on one thing, and a solid pre-show pit stop if you’re heading to the Strip later.

Naxos Taverna

Mediterranean-inspired, perfect for an elegant dinner with the girls sharing small plates and fresh bites. The heirloom tomatoes and feta were unreal. The adjacent Red Rock Oyster Bar at Naxos has over 25 types of fish and the famous pan roast if you want to keep going seafood.

Lucille’s Smokehouse BBQ

The Smokehouse hit the perfect spot after a night of libation when we were on the hunt for something super satisfying the next day. Nothing beats a mild hangover like a rack of ribs. There’s also the Flying Pig Lounge inside Lucille’s for happy hour and live music on Saturdays.

Lotus of Siam

Of all the foodie experiences, Lotus of Siam was by far the standout. It’s received design awards for its immersive decor and escapism feel. Plus the dishes were so hearty, complex, and authentic to Thai cuisine (I’ve been to Thailand a few times). I wanted to try other places to eat but almost wish I stuck to this one the whole trip to sample even more dishes.

The Red Rock location is the family-run expansion of the original Lotus of Siam from chef Saipin Chutima, who’s been serving Northern Thai food in Las Vegas since 1999. The wine list has earned a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence. Try the Khao Soi (a coconut curry noodle dish) or the Nam Kao Tod (crispy rice salad) if you want her signature dishes.

Rouge Room

When the sun goes down, make a beeline for the Rouge Room, a 1920s-esque hotspot for famous DJs and gorgeous cocktails. There’s the classic lounge bar, then an open-air area toward the back for breezy nights under the stars.

My style isn’t often a giant resort, so the ability to find all these lovely corners of respite away from the casino excitement is what made Red Rock amazing in my mind: opportunities to let your hair down and party, while also welcoming a crowd looking to unwind and connect too.

Have a peek at all the options, because there was still plenty even though I tried at least two dining options a day at Red Rock during the trip. Below are a few more off resort to check out:

Honey Salt (10 min away): Always a neighborhood favorite, this hails from restaurateur Elizabeth Blau, as sophisticated comfort food with a gorgeous patio. Perfect for a relaxed girls dinner where you can actually hear each other.

Vintner Grill (15 min away): This is a contemporary American spot with a strong wine list and courtyard patio. It’s good for a slightly upscale night out without Strip prices.

Off-Strip adventures

Red Rock Canyon off-roading with Pink Jeep Tours

I wish I was a more avid hiker and outdoors person. But no matter where I travel, I do make a point to immerse myself in nature when I can, even if I land in the big city. That’s another great perk of Las Vegas: although you can have a great time off-Strip at attractions and bars, there’s even more to see only a few more minutes away in the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.

Late spring is HOT, so we opted for a tour instead of traditional hiking. Pink Jeep Tours (now branded Pink Adventure Tours) are iconic for really fun and interesting drives at places across the country. A fellow writer loved her tour in Sedona, so giving it a try just outside Vegas would be the perfect off-Strip activity.

With a mix of off-roading and cruising, my 4-hour Red Rock Canyon Classic tour was ideal for an afternoon of sunshine and a little adventure. They picked us up right at Red Rock Resort, which is close to the starting point at the visitor center (much quicker than a pickup on the Strip). We were lucky to have a small group, and the guide was eager to point out lots of cool flora and even some petroglyphs. We stopped to watch some talented rock climbers and soak up some sweeping mountain views too. Off-roading was a blast, getting bumped around and navigating the wild, untamed roads.

If you really want to devote a whole day to this, Pink Jeep also runs longer tours to the Grand Canyon West Rim (about nine hours round trip), Death Valley (10 hours), or Zion National Park (10 hours). It’s ideal to tick off some bucket list destinations in a day from Las Vegas.

The Neon Museum

The heat can get overwhelming in Las Vegas, so I love an after-dark activity in the cool air before heading out to eat and drink. The Neon Museum is an open-air space full of nostalgia, glowing lights, and a nod to Vegas yesteryear.

The best time to visit is when the sun is going down or right when it’s dark enough to catch all the signs in their full illuminated glory. It was wild to see relics from Siegfried & Roy’s controversial, legendary shows, the famous El Cortez prime rib dinner, and even a giant Hard Rock Cafe guitar up close. Seeing the Stardust sign was a highlight too.

Do note: no tripods or professional camera equipment are allowed. There’s plenty of opportunities to hire professionals if you want some great shots with your girls: or simply pick the friend with the steadiest hand.

Fremont Street (in small doses)

Grab a rideshare or even walk to Fremont near the Neon Museum: it’s a place you have to see to believe. We strolled down the pedestrian street, lit up like Christmas even at 1am, while zip line riders zoomed over our heads. We popped into a few places (like the Golden Nugget) to just see the spectacle.

If you want to see more neon wonders, they moved the iconic Vegas Vickie cowgirl to the Circa Casino on Fremont Street, a quick hop away from the museum. Also, my husband told me on the top floor there’s a silly mechanical pony quarter game that’s fun for a small group to just sit and decompress: he’s right, it’s still there among the brand new slot machines vying for attention.

If you’re not prioritizing the Strip though, you don’t need to spend a lot of time here either, as it’s something with a similar vibe but at a much lower frequency.

Museum of Ice Cream (opening 2026)

I love the Museum of Ice Cream in Boston with the kids (and without). Las Vegas is adding its own massive edition this year at AREA15. The details sound incredible, as does the size: 30,000 square feet of ice cream bars, exhibits, hotel suites, and the biggest sprinkle pool to date.

Other adventures worth considering

A few more options I’d add for groups with extra time or different interests:

Hoover Dam. About 45 minutes from Red Rock by car, the Hoover Dam tour is one of those bucket-list visits that’s worth a half-day. The Powerplant Tour is the easier one, and the Dam Tour goes deeper into the engineering.

Mount Charleston. When summer hits 110°F, Mount Charleston (about an hour northwest of Red Rock) sits at 8,000 feet and can be 30°F cooler than the valley floor. The Lee Canyon area has hiking, and there’s a small lodge for lunch.

Springs Preserve. A 180-acre cultural and ecological campus on the Las Vegas Valley’s original water source. Good for a relaxed half-day with the Nevada State Museum, botanical gardens, and shaded walking paths. Better for cooler months.

Seven Magic Mountains. The seven-pillar stack of brightly painted boulders in the desert south of Vegas (about 30 minutes from Red Rock) makes for an iconic girls trip photo stop. Free to visit, and worth it just for the wow shot.

Dipping into the Strip in small doses

Now you’re hopefully here for the guide about off-Strip Vegas, but I’m happy to offer a few recommendations too on the main drag, of course.

It’s been a minute since I’ve indulged in this side of the city, but here’s a few quick ideas:

Classic Vegas buffets: The most-praised upscale buffet is the Bacchanal at Caesars Palace (Vegas’s largest, with over 250 dishes). The Wicked Spoon at Cosmopolitan is more curated and modern. Both run around $80-100 per person for dinner. Many of the iconic Strip buffets shuttered post-pandemic, so the lineup is smaller than it used to be.

Iconic Strip experiences worth the photo stop: The Bellagio Fountains run free shows every 30 minutes (every 15 minutes after 8pm). The Venetian’s gondola rides through the indoor canals run about $39 for a shared ride, $159 for private. The Big Apple Coaster at New York-New York is the same screaming-on-the-Strip experience you remember, around $25.

The Sphere: While not directly on the Strip, it’s the most buzzed-about addition to the Las Vegas lineup right now. The shows playing when we visited weren’t of interest so we skipped it, but I’d love to come back sometime and see something legendary (I heard Rocky Horror will be there in the fall). Huge bands, movie screenings, and immersive shows all take over this rotating, visually-wild venue year-round.

Shows worth catching. Cirque du Soleil still has the strongest Vegas residencies: O at Bellagio (the water show, iconic) and Mystère at Treasure Island (the original, still beloved). For comedy, Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club at MGM Grand books rotating headliners and is reliable for a good night out. For something more old-school, the Mob Museum downtown runs a working speakeasy (The Underground) in the basement that’s a fun add-on.

Plan your off-Strip Las Vegas trip

Here’s a few practical things to know before you book, especially if Vegas without the Strip is new to you:

Where to fly into and how to get to the off-Strip resorts: All flights still come into Harry Reid International Airport (LAS), about 15-20 minutes from Red Rock Casino, Resort & Spa via Uber or Lyft (usually $30-40, depending on surge). Most off-Strip resorts in Summerlin offer airport shuttles, and many ride share drivers actually prefer the off-Strip routes (less Las Vegas Boulevard traffic).

Do you need a rental car? Up to you. Ride share between Red Rock Resort and Fremont Street runs roughly $25-30 each way, and the Strip from Red Rock is similar. If you’re planning to do Red Rock Canyon on your own (without a Pink Jeep tour) or you want to combine the trip with Hoover Dam or Mount Charleston, a rental makes sense. For pure resort-plus-Strip-cameo trips, ride share is easier and you’ll save on parking fees.

When to go: Spring (March-May) and fall (September-November) are the sweet spots. Daytime temperatures are warm but not punishing, and pool weather is perfect by April. Summer in Vegas runs 100-110°F and limits the Red Rock Canyon experience to early morning or sunset slots. Holiday weekends spike prices and crowds, though New Year’s Eve at Red Rock has a different vibe than the Strip mayhem if that appeals.

How long to stay: Three to four nights is the sweet spot for an off-Strip Vegas girls trip. Two feels rushed once you factor in Pink Jeep + Neon Museum + one Fremont evening. Five-plus opens up day trips to Hoover Dam, the Grand Canyon’s West Rim, or Zion.

More Pure Wander girls trip guides