Guide to Transportation in Las Vegas – Bus Pass & Monorail

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One of the less exciting parts of planning a trip to Sin City is figuring out the transportation in Las Vegas. The good news is that most of the top attractions in Las Vegas are on or near the Strip.

Guide to Transportation in Las Vegas

This means that you can walk to many hotels and activities or catch one of the Las Vegas shuttles. There are also trams at Las Vegas‘ major hotels and the quick and convenient Las Vegas monorail.

In this article, I’ll share all the ways to get around in Las Vegas as well as transportation to and from the airport. By the end of this guide, you’ll be an expert in Las Vegas’ public transportation system!

1. Shuttles
2. Monorail
3. Trams
4. Taxis
5. Rental car
6. Buses

Also, keep an eye out for my helpful map for the Las Vegas trams and monorail.

Public transportation in Las Vegas – The best way to get around Las Vegas

Las Vegas’ public transportation is quite good, so you shouldn’t have any issues getting around. If you’re wondering how to get around Vegas without a car, don’t worry.

Public transportation in Las Vegas – The best way to get around Las Vegas

Below are all your transportation options, including the Las Vegas monorail, shuttles, trams, and taxis. There are also several Las Vegas bus passes available, which you can read all about below.

Las Vegas shuttles

You can find shuttles from the Las Vegas airport to the Strip and free shuttle buses at several hotels.

Shuttle from Las Vegas airport to the Strip

If you’re arriving in Vegas via the McCarran Airport, you’ll need to find a way to get to your hotel. Fortunately, there are several ways to do this.

First, you can use the airport shuttles to the Las Vegas Strip and downtown. Currently, there are three shuttles: the Airline Shuttle, Bell Trans Shuttle, and Super Shuttle. The shuttle buses run 24 hours a day, but the trip takes longer than it would with a private transfer (30-50 minutes compared to 10-15 minutes).

I’ve compared the pricing for all three below. A quick note about shuttles is that you should tip your driver! In general, $2-$3 should be fine.

If you’d prefer a private transfer from the airport to the Las Vegas Strip, you can book a ride here. Unlike the shuttle buses, the private transfers can go directly to your hotel, and they’re much quicker.

Free shuttle in Las Vegas

Once you’ve checked into your hotel, it’s time to explore Sin City. The Downtown Loop is a free shuttle on Las Vegas Strip and offers transportation to the Arts District, Fremont Street, and other downtown attractions.

It runs from 11 am – 6 pm Monday-Thursday and 3 pm – 10 pm Friday-Saturday. In total, the free downtown shuttle has 12 stops:

• Bonneville Transit Station
• Symphony Park
• Las Vegas North Premium Outlet
• City Hall
• Fremont Street Experience
• Circa Resort
• Mob Museum
• Fremont East Entertainment District
• Pawn Plaza
• Arts District North
• The STRAT
• Arts District South

Hotel shuttles

Several off-the-Strip hotels offer complimentary trams, although they usually only to go their sister hotels and casinos. Still, these Las Vegas shuttles can be convenient if you’re staying at the resort and exploring nearby attractions.

Monorail in Las Vegas

Another convenient Las Vegas transportation option is the Las Vegas Monorail. The monorail spans the length of the Las Vegas Strip from MGM Grand to Sahara Las Vegas.

The Vegas monorail stops at seven major hotels and attractions:

• MGM Grand
• Paris Hotel
• Caesars Palace
• The LINQ Hotel & Casino
• Las Vegas Convention Center
• Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino
• Sahara Las Vegas

This is one of the quickest Las Vegas public transportation options since the monorail comes by every 4-8 minutes. It runs from 7 am-2 am Tuesday-Thursday; 7 am-3 am Friday-Sunday; and 7 am-midnight on Monday.

You can check the Las Vegas monorail prices below and get your pass here.

Las Vegas monorail map

You can see all the stops for the Las Vegas monorail on this map.

Las Vegas monorail map

Trams

Yet another transportation option is one of the Las Vegas trams. There are three Las Vegas tram routes on the Strip, and they’re great for quickly getting from one attraction to another. Plus, they’re free!

While they only go to their respective sister casinos, they’re major Vegas hotels, so they’re still convenient.

Aria Express (Bellagio-CityCenter-Monte Carlo Tram)

The Aria Express is a Las Vegas tram connecting the ARIA, Bellagio, Vdara, Cosmopolitan, and Park MGM resorts. It runs 8 am-9 pm Monday-Thursday and 8 am-2 am Friday-Sunday.

Las Vegas trams

Mandalay Bay Tram (Mandalay Bay-Luxor-Excalibur)

The Mandalay Bay shuttle connects to the Luxor and Excalibur. It runs from 10 am-12 am daily and arrives every 5 minutes or so.

Mirage – Treasure Island Tram

The Mirage – Treasure Island tram goes back and forth between the two hotels. It arrives every 8 minutes and runs 9 am – 1 am Sunday-Thursday and 9 am – 2 am Friday-Saturday.

Las Vegas tram map

You can see all the Las Vegas tram routes on this map.

Las Vegas tram map

Taxis in Las Vegas

While taking a taxi in Las Vegas wouldn’t be my first recommendation, most hotels in Vegas have a 24-hour cab area. Other than these designated spots, taxis aren’t allowed to stop on the Strip. That said, you can book Las Vegas taxi service to/from your accommodation or to/from the airport. It’ll cost around $20-$25 plus a $2-$3 tip to take a taxi to the airport from the Strip.

Uber/Lyft

Likewise, most Vegas Strip hotels have a specific pick-up/drop-off spot for Uber and Lyft vehicles. I think this can be easier than hailing a Las Vegas taxi, and it’s typically cheaper. It costs about $15 for Uber/Lyft transportation to the Las Vegas Airport.

Rental car

If you really want to get around Las Vegas and the surrounding areas, consider a rental vehicle. We have a complete guide to renting a car in Las Vegas, but I’ll tell you here that we always use DiscoverCars if we want to drive during our travels.

Rental car in Las Vegas

With DiscoverCars, you can pick up your rental at the airport and return it to the same place or select a different drop-off location.

You could even rent an RV in Las Vegas and stay at one of the Las Vegas RV parks. This is a good option if you’re just passing through the city or planning on taking a longer road trip.

Bus passes in Las Vegas

Yet another option is to get a Las Vegas bus pass. There are several buses in Vegas, with the two most popular being the Deuce and SDX. In this section, I’ll share more about these buses and a few other bus routes on Las Vegas Strip and downtown. First, here is a comparison chart of the different bus routes, hours, and prices.

Deuce

Las Vegas’ Deuce bus arrives every 15 minutes or so and stops at most major Strip hotels. It operates 24/7 and makes over 25 stops, including the Fremont Street Experience, Arts District, Fashion Show Mall, Welcome to Las Vegas sign, and the Las Vegas Premium Outlets South. A one-day pass costs $8 while a 3-day pass costs $20.

SDX

The SDX bus in Las Vegas is the Strip & Downtown Express. As an express bus, it makes fewer stops than the Deuce bus and arrives every 12-15 minutes. The pricing is the same, and the SDX bus runs every day from 9 am to midnight.

CX Centennial Express

Since the WAX bus in Las Vegas is no longer running, I recommend taking the CX Centennial Express. The CX Las Vegas bus provides direct service to and from the airport and downtown. It runs from 5:30 am to midnight every day. A single ride costs $2 and one day costs $5. Multi-day passes are also available.

Hop-On/Hop-Off (Big Bus)

Finally, the Hop-On/Hop-Off Bus makes 9 stops and arrives every 20-30 minutes. It’s a great value because you can take the bus at your leisure and get the added benefit of a live tour guide. You can book your ticket ahead of time here.

Las Vegas Hop-On/Hop-Off Bus

Walking

You may be wondering, is Las Vegas walkable? The answer is yes, although it’s not always the most comfortable. Depending on when you go, the weather in Las Vegas can be extremely hot, so walking may not be a viable option. Also, if you’re venturing out at night, the tail ends of the Strip can be a bit dangerous.

That said, there are great walking tours around the city. I recommend this small-group tour of the Strip and this downtown walking tour. If you plan on doing multiple tours and attractions during your trip, you should get a CityPass. This way, you can save money on all those activities and take advantage of exclusive deals. We have a guide to Las Vegas attraction passes, although my top recommendation is the All-Inclusive Pass.

FAQs – Transportation in Las Vegas

To finish up, here are some frequently asked questions about getting around in Las Vegas.

That’s everything you need to know about Las Vegas’ transportation system! Hopefully, you feel more confident about getting around in Las Vegas. Be sure to check out the maps above and, if you have any questions, leave me a comment below. Have a safe trip!