ValidaTrip / Things to do in Las Vegas
Things to do in Las Vegas in December 2026
By ValidaTrip Research · Updated May 20, 2026
Quick answer: Las Vegas in December 2026 usually runs near 14C by day, 4C at night, with about 3 rainy days.
Dated picks to verify first include The Wizard of Oz at Sphere and Bodies - The Exhibition.
Check the event list and public holidays below before assigning fixed dates.
Events, festivals, and public holidays for Las Vegas, United States, in December 2026.
The point is making sure the places you already want to see are actually open on the days you'll be there.
Planning a Las Vegas trip in December?
Paste the recommendations you've collected — from friends, a ChatGPT itinerary, or blog listicles. ValidaTrip checks every place against your December dates: opening hours, closures, what needs booking ahead, and which Las Vegas events overlap your trip.
No account needed to try it.
Month context
Las Vegas in December: weather, seasonal timing, and what changes.
Las Vegas weather in December
High
13.8°C
Low
4.2°C
Rain
3d
10mm
9.5h daylight
What to prioritize in December
Prioritize Bellagio Fountains and Conservatory, Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, High Roller Observation Wheel, The Venetian and Grand Canal Shoppes, Caesars Palace and the Forum Shops. Festival timing to check: America's Party.
What's month-specific in December
- December 31
America's Party
New Year's Eve in Las Vegas. It's a big deal—the strip is closed off to cars so it's all pedestrians, and it gets packed with people welcoming in the new year.
Dates to check
Events, festivals, and closures in Las Vegas.
Events & festivals in Las Vegas, December 2026
Dates and ticketing change constantly — treat this as a starting point and confirm anything you'd build a day around.
- Dec 1 – Dec 31
- Dec 1
- Dec 1
- Dec 1 – Dec 31
Ethel M Chocolate Factory Holiday Cactus Garden
Holiday lights display in the cactus garden at the Ethel M Chocolate Factory, a popular seasonal highlight. — Free admission; factory tours may require booking.
via GPT Festivals
- Dec 1
- Dec 1
Show all 40 events for December
- Dec 1
- Dec 1
- Dec 1
- Dec 1
- Dec 1
- Dec 1
- Dec 1
- Dec 1
- Dec 1
- Dec 1
- Dec 1
- Dec 3 – Dec 31
- Dec 3 – Dec 31
- Dec 3 – Dec 31
- Dec 4 – Dec 31
- Dec 4
Downtown Las Vegas First Friday Holiday Market
Special holiday edition of the monthly arts and culture festival featuring local artists, food, and live music. — Free entry; some vendors may accept cash only.
via GPT Festivals
- Dec 4 – Dec 31
- Dec 4 – Dec 31
Alice Cooper & Criss Angel: WELCOME TO OUR NIGHTMARE
Arts & Theatre · Magic & Illusion
via Ticketmaster
- Dec 4 – Dec 31
- Dec 5
Las Vegas Great Santa Run
A festive 5K run where participants dress as Santa Claus to raise money for local children's charities. — Registration required in advance; limited spots available.
via GPT Festivals
- Dec 5 – Dec 31
- Dec 5 – Dec 31
- Dec 6 – Dec 31
- Dec 6 – Dec 31
- Dec 9 – Dec 31
- Dec 11 – Dec 31
- Dec 12
Las Vegas Holiday Parade
Annual holiday parade featuring floats, marching bands, and festive performances along the Las Vegas Strip. — Free to attend; arrive early for best viewing spots.
via GPT Festivals
- Dec 12 – Dec 31
- Dec 13 – Dec 31
- Dec 16 – Dec 31
- Dec 18 – Dec 27
Las Vegas Nutcracker Ballet
A traditional ballet performance of The Nutcracker, held at a major Las Vegas theater. — Tickets must be purchased in advance.
via GPT Festivals
- Dec 19 – Dec 31
- Dec 26 – Dec 31
- Dec 31
Las Vegas New Year's Eve Celebration
Annual New Year's Eve party with fireworks, live music, and festivities along the Las Vegas Strip. — Public event; some venues require tickets or reservations.
via GPT Festivals
Public holidays & closures in December 2026
On these dates banks, government offices, and many attractions in United States close or switch to holiday hours. Worth checking before you pin a must-see to one of them.
- Dec 25Christmas Day
City context
What Las Vegas is known for before you choose what to prioritize.
Known for
City context
Las Vegas sits in the Mojave Desert, with the Strip, Downtown, Fremont East, Chinatown on Spring Mountain Road, Summerlin, and Arts District turning casino resorts, shows, desert parks, and convention traffic into one travel market. The city is not only the Strip, but the Strip remains the practical spine for first-time hotel, dining, nightlife, and spectacle planning.
Food & drink
Local flavor
Las Vegas food runs from casino tasting menus and celebrity-chef restaurants to Chinatown noodle shops, Korean barbecue, oyster bars, steakhouses, buffets, and late-night tacos. Use the Strip for destination dining, Spring Mountain Road for Asian food, Fremont East for downtown bars, and the Arts District for breweries and smaller restaurants.
Things to do
Attractions and sights to consider in Las Vegas.
Things to do in Las Vegas
Map of top sights in Las Vegas
- 1Bellagio Fountains and Conservatory
- 2Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area
- 3High Roller Observation Wheel
- 4The Venetian and Grand Canal Shoppes
- 5Caesars Palace and the Forum Shops
- 6Mob Museum
- 1
Bellagio Fountains and Conservatory
4.8★ · 40,840outdoorOpen dailyBellagio opened in 1998 on the Strip, with the choreographed lake fountains facing Las Vegas Boulevard and a seasonal conservatory inside the resort. The pedestrian bridge network links it to Caesars Palace, Paris Las Vegas, and Cosmopolitan.
- 2
Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area
4.8★ · 25,789outdoorOpen dailyThe conservation area west of the city has a 21km scenic loop, red sandstone cliffs, Calico Hills, hiking trails, climbing routes, and desert viewpoints. It is about 30km from the Strip and works best with a car.
WikipediaTimed-entry reservations apply for the scenic drive during peak season windows.
- 3
High Roller Observation Wheel
4.6★ · 31,321outdoorOpen dailyThe 167.6m wheel opened in 2014 at the LINQ Promenade and gives 30-minute Strip views from enclosed cabins. It is near Harrah's, Flamingo, and the Las Vegas Monorail.
Show 7 more sights
- 4The Venetian and Grand Canal Shoppes
- 5Caesars Palace and the Forum Shops
- 6Mob Museum
- 7Sphere
- 8ARIA, Cosmopolitan, and CityCenter
- 9The Neon Museum
- 10Fremont Street Experience
Areas and routes
Neighborhoods, day trips, and getting around Las Vegas.
Las Vegas neighborhoods
Each district has its own character — knowing which one you're in changes what's realistic to fit in a day.
The Strip
The Strip is resort-scale and theatrical, with Bellagio, Caesars, Venetian, Wynn, ARIA, Cosmopolitan, MGM Grand, shows, casinos, restaurants, and pedestrian bridges.
Downtown and Fremont East
Downtown is older and louder, with Fremont Street Experience, Golden Nugget, Mob Museum, bars, murals, smaller casinos, and the Fremont East entertainment district.
Chinatown and Spring Mountain Road
Chinatown is food-first, with Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, and dessert spots lining Spring Mountain Road west of the Strip.
Arts District and 18b
The Arts District has galleries, breweries, vintage stores, murals, First Friday crowds, and Main Street restaurants between the Strip and downtown.
Summerlin and Red Rock edge
Summerlin is suburban and desert-facing, with Red Rock Canyon access, Downtown Summerlin shops, golf, trailheads, and calmer hotels west of the Strip.
Henderson and Green Valley
Henderson and Green Valley are residential and resort-adjacent, with local restaurants, casinos, parks, M Resort, and practical routes toward Hoover Dam.
Day trips from Las Vegas
Doable as a long day or comfortable as an overnight — each one is a destination on its own.
60km / 45min by car from the Strip
Hoover Dam and Lake Mead
The Colorado River dam, Mike O'Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, powerplant tours, and Lake Mead viewpoints make the closest classic day trip.
85km / 1h by car from the Strip
Valley of Fire State Park
Red sandstone formations, petroglyphs, Fire Wave, Mouse's Tank, and desert road views work as a half-day or full desert route.
200km / about 3h by car from the Strip
Grand Canyon West
The Hualapai-run west rim has the Skywalk, canyon viewpoints, and tour infrastructure, but the long drive makes it a full-day commitment.
Getting around
The Las Vegas Monorail runs behind the east side of the Strip, while free resort trams connect Bellagio-Aria-Park MGM, Mandalay Bay-Luxor-Excalibur, and Mirage/Treasure Island-side areas when operating. Walking distances are longer than they look, so use rideshare pickup zones, the Deuce bus for Strip-Downtown, and a car for Red Rock, Hoover Dam, or Valley of Fire.
How to plan Las Vegas in December
- 1
Anchor the month
Check the 40 dated Las Vegas events for anything that overlaps your exact December dates before assigning fixed sightseeing days.
- 2
Protect closure days
Hold flexible plans around the 1 public holiday in United States; museums, markets, and government-run sights can switch hours.
- 3
Group and validate
Group each Las Vegas day by nearby neighborhoods, then validate the saved places against your trip dates before exporting the checked route to Google Maps.
What to pack for Las Vegas in December
Pack from the monthly climate profile, not a generic Las Vegas checklist.
- Layerable daytime clothes for average highs around 14C.
- A heavier evening layer because nights average 4C.
- Sun protection and comfortable walking shoes; rain is usually limited this month.
How many days do you need in Las Vegas
4 days covers the main Las Vegas highlights at a realistic pace. Add 3 extra days if you want the listed day trips.
Is Las Vegas worth visiting in December
Yes. Las Vegas in December: 13.8°C high, 4.2°C low, 10mm rain over 3 days, 9.5h daylight. Mild and dry — shoulder-season sweet spot.
Validate your list
Turn this into a Las Vegas plan that actually works
All your recs in one place
Paste what friends, ChatGPT, and blogs gave you for Las Vegas. ValidaTrip pulls out each place and sorts it — no spreadsheet by hand.
Open on your dates
Every place checked against the days you're actually in Las Vegas, with timed tickets and reservation-only spots flagged while you can still get a slot.
Export to Google Maps
Send the cleaned, checked, and neighborhood-grouped plan to Google Maps so your Las Vegas days are ready to navigate.
Questions
- What's on in Las Vegas in December 2026?
- Around 40 notable events and festivals fall in December 2026, including The Wizard of Oz at Sphere, Bodies - The Exhibition, Eiffel Tower Experience. Dates and times change — confirm each before you build your day around it.
- Are there public holidays in Las Vegas during December 2026?
- Christmas Day (Dec 25). Banks, government offices, and some attractions close or run holiday hours on these days.
- Will the places on my list be open when I'm in Las Vegas in December?
- Not always. Opening days and hours vary by weekday, season, and holiday. Paste your Las Vegas list into ValidaTrip and it checks every place against the exact dates you're there, flagging closures before the trip instead of at a locked door.
- How do I plan Las Vegas days without crossing the city twice?
- ValidaTrip groups your places by neighborhood so each day stays in one or two areas instead of zig-zagging. It also flags what needs booking ahead, so timed tickets and reservations don't fall through.