Best Time to Visit Las Vegas

Short answer: March to May, or October to mid-November. Days are warm and dry, the Strip is pleasant to walk, and the desert parks are at their best.

Weather is only half the story here. Las Vegas prices are driven by the event calendar. A big convention can double hotel rates on the same dates you picked for their good weather, and weekends are almost always more expensive than weeknights. Check the convention calendar before you book. CES in early January fills the city, and so do major fights, concerts and sports weekends. The Formula 1 Grand Prix in November closes parts of the Strip and pushes prices up for days. Arrive on a Sunday, leave on a Thursday, and you'll pay far less for the same room.

Summer, from June to September, is extreme. Daytime temperatures regularly pass 40°C (104°F), nights stay hot, and walking between resorts becomes a trial. It is pool season, though, and the day clubs and resort pools are the reason many people come. Several trails in Valley of Fire close for the summer because of the heat, and any hike needs a dawn start. Summer storms can bring sudden flash floods, which is why you'll see dry washes signposted all over the valley.

Winter is mild in the day and cold at night, sometimes close to freezing (pack for it with our what to wear guide). It's the quietest time outside the holidays and CES, with the lowest room rates. New Year's Eve, with fireworks from the resort roofs and the Strip closed to cars, is the exception, and rooms sell out early.

Season at a glance

• March to May: warm, dry, busy on spring break weekends.
• June to September: very hot, pool season, summer storms.
• October to November: warm days, cooler nights, Grand Prix week.
• December to February: cool days, cold nights, cheapest rooms except New Year and CES.

Desert parks by season

Red Rock Canyon needs a timed-entry booking for most of the day from October to May, when it's busiest; in summer the reservation drops away, but so does any chance of a comfortable midday walk. Our day trips guide has the details.