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Las Vegas New Year's Eve route inspiration

Las Vegas New Year's Eve

Rooftop fireworks, a car-free Strip, red rock

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3 days through The Strip, Red Rock Canyon.

Las Vegas New Year's Eve is a 3-day curated route with 2 destinations and 15 places to eat, see, and do. Preview stops and timing, then plan it in TripsCircle.

  1. 1
    The Strip on the Las Vegas New Year's Eve route

    Destination 01

    The Strip

    9 places

    Two nights on the Boulevard for rooftop fireworks, the Sphere and long dinners.

    • America's Party fireworks near The StripPhoto: Ryan Gallup · CC BY 4.0

      America's Party fireworks

      Grucci's eight-minute midnight show fires from casino rooftops along the Strip, including Caesars Palace, ARIA and the Venetian.

      Tip Stand mid-Strip near Flamingo Road to see several rooftops at once.

      SeeCenter StripFree15 minMidnight
    • Sphere countdown near The StripPhoto: Y2kcrazyjoker4 · CC BY 4.0

      Sphere countdown

      The Sphere's LED Exosphere runs the official city countdown, with global midnight countdowns from early evening.

      Tip Best seen from the Venetian's north side or the LINQ Promenade.

      SeeCenter StripFree30 min11:30 pm
    • Fountains of Bellagio near The StripPhoto: Matt Kieffer · CC BY-SA 2.0

      Fountains of Bellagio

      Choreographed fountain shows on the Bellagio lake every 15 minutes in the evening, free from the Strip railing.

      Tip A good spot before midnight with the Paris tower and several launch rooftops in view.

      SeeCenter StripFree20 minAfter dark
    • Eiffel Tower Restaurant near The StripPhoto: Andrek02 · CC0

      Eiffel Tower Restaurant

      French dining room 11 floors up the half-scale Eiffel Tower at Paris Las Vegas, with windows over the Bellagio fountains.

      Tip Ask for a window table facing the fountains when booking.

      EatCenter Strip$$$$2 hrDinner

    • Picasso

      Julian Serrano's Spanish-French restaurant at Bellagio since 1998, hung with original Picasso works and facing the fountain lake.

      Tip The patio sits right at the fountains.

      EatCenter Strip$$$$2 hrDinner

    • Joël Robuchon

      Robuchon's formal tasting-menu room in the MGM Grand Mansion, open since 2005 and the Strip's classic splurge.

      Tip Reserve well ahead for Dec 30; NYE is a set menu.

      EatSouth Strip$$$$3 hrDinner

    • XS Nightclub

      Encore's poolside nightclub, open since 2008, books headline DJs for its ticketed NYE countdown.

      Tip NYE tickets and tables sell out weeks ahead.

      DrinkNorth Strip$$$$4 hrLate
    • Fremont Street Experience near The StripPhoto: Daniel Lobo · CC0

      Fremont Street Experience

      Downtown's pedestrian mall under a block-long LED canopy, which typically hosts a ticketed NYE street party with live bands.

      Tip A lower-key alternative to the Strip, with its own countdown.

      DoDowntown$$3 hrNight
    • The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas near The StripPhoto: Cygnusloop99 · CC BY-SA 3.0

      The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas

      Center-Strip resort whose terrace rooms have private balconies, rare on the Strip, many facing the Bellagio fountains.

      Tip Fountain-view terrace rooms give a private view of the rooftop show.

      StayCenter Strip$$$$
  2. 2
    Red Rock Canyon on the Las Vegas New Year's Eve route

    Destination 02

    Red Rock Canyon

    6 places

    Sandstone desert 30 minutes west for a clear-headed Jan 1.

    • Red Rock Canyon Scenic Drive

      A 13-mile one-way loop past the Calico Hills and the Keystone Thrust, with trailheads and pullouts along the way.

      Tip Timed entry is required Oct 1 to May 31 for entry between 8 am and 5 pm.

      Outdoors$2 hrMorning

    • Red Rock Canyon Visitor Center

      BLM visitor center at the start of the Scenic Drive, with desert exhibits and an outdoor tortoise habitat.

      Tip Confirm Jan 1 hours with the BLM before driving out.

      SeeFree30 minMorning
    • Calico Tanks Trail near Red Rock CanyonPhoto: The Cosmonaut · CC BY-SA 2.5 ca

      Calico Tanks Trail

      A 2.5-mile round-trip scramble through the Calico Hills sandstone to a seasonal water tank and a view back to the Strip.

      Tip Starts at the Sandstone Quarry pullout on the Scenic Drive.

      OutdoorsFree2 hrLate morning

    • Calico Basin

      Area just outside the Scenic Drive with the Red Spring boardwalk and sandstone walls; no timed entry needed.

      Tip The fallback if Scenic Drive reservations are gone.

      OutdoorsFree60 minMorning
    • Spring Mountain Ranch State Park near Red Rock CanyonPhoto: Thomas Farley · CC0

      Spring Mountain Ranch State Park

      Historic ranch under the Wilson Cliffs, with a cabin, blacksmith shop and short trails; Nevada State Parks runs First Day Hikes here.

      Tip The two guided Jan 1 hikes in 2026 required reservations.

      Outdoors$1.5 hrMorning
    • Peppermill near Red Rock CanyonPhoto: J.R.Ramos · CC BY-SA 2.0

      Peppermill

      Round-the-clock Strip diner since 1972, with oversized breakfasts and a neon lounge built around a fire pit.

      Tip Open 24 hours, so it works before or after Red Rock.

      EatNorth Strip$$60 minBrunch

The moments that shape this trip.

Planning Las Vegas New Year's Eve.

On Dec 31 the Strip closes to cars and becomes the country's largest walking party, ending with an eight-minute Grucci fireworks show fired from casino rooftops along the Boulevard. Spend Dec 30 on a long dinner at Picasso or the Eiffel Tower Restaurant and the Bellagio fountains. On NYE, eat early, walk the closed Strip from the Sphere's countdown to the fountains, and either stay outside for the rooftop show or book a club like XS; Fremont Street downtown throws its own party. Jan 1 is for Red Rock Canyon, 30 minutes west: the 13-mile Scenic Drive, a Calico Hills scramble, a guided First Day Hike at Spring Mountain Ranch, then a late breakfast at the Peppermill.

Good for Groups who want the biggest free street countdown in the US, then a desert morning to recover.

When to go

America's Party fireworks start at midnight and last about eight minutes; the 2024 show fired from nine rooftops and the 2025 show from ten, adding about 600 drones launched from the Las Vegas Event Plaza across from Wynn. The Sphere has hosted the official countdown since NYE 2024, with global city countdowns from 5 pm. In 2024 I-15 Strip off-ramps began closing at 5:30 pm, Las Vegas Boulevard closed from 6:30 pm and was fully car-free between Spring Mountain Road and Reno Avenue by 8 pm. The street is free; clubs, rooftop bars and Fremont Street are ticketed. Large bags, coolers and strollers are not allowed on the Strip. Midnight is cold desert air, typically low 40s F. Red Rock's Scenic Drive needs a timed-entry reservation Oct 1 to May 31 for entry between 8 am and 5 pm.

Getting around

Walk: once the Strip closes, cars and rideshares cannot reach resort fronts, and pickups move to back-of-house zones with long waits after midnight. The Las Vegas Monorail along the east side of the Strip typically runs late on NYE, and RTC has offered free bus rides on New Year's Eve in past years. Fremont Street is a 15-minute ride north on the Deuce before the closures. For Jan 1, rent a car or book a tour: Red Rock Canyon is 17 miles west of the Strip on Charleston Boulevard (NV-159), and Spring Mountain Ranch is 5 miles further south.

Tips for your crew

  • Book Red Rock timed entry on Recreation.gov when slots open; Jan 1 morning sells out.
  • Have dinner by 8 pm on Dec 31; after the closure, crossing the Strip between resorts takes far longer than it looks.
  • Bridges and resort balconies facing the Boulevard fill early; the Bellagio fountain railing and the Paris side give a view of several launch rooftops.

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