10 Things to Do in Las Vegas for Adventure Lovers

Get ready for daring adventures by day before hitting the Vegas Strip after the sun goes down for glamourous shows and lavish casinos.

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January 16, 2020

By: Erin Gifford

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Thrilling Daytime Adventures in Las Vegas

Las Vegas is well known for its glitz and glamour, lighting up the night sky with neon casino signs. But there's a lot to do in Vegas during the day too, especially for adventure seekers. Scramble across red sandstone for sweeping desert views or fly across five city blocks superhero style. You can even venture out to the Grand Canyon and still make it back in time to shower for dinner and a show. An adrenaline rush is lurking around every corner. Here's what you've got to do to make the most of Las Vegas by day.

Scramble Rocks at Red Rock Canyon

Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is a mere 30-minute drive from the Las Vegas Strip, yet it's a world away for adventurers. Here, you'll find rugged hikes and rock scrambles across chaotic sandstone for all levels of outdoor enthusiasts. The well-worn 2.2-mile Calico Tanks Trail richly rewards with jaw-dropping views of the Las Vegas skyline. On the strenuous 4.6-mile Turtlehead Peak Trail, sit and savor sweeping 360-degree views across the canyon once you reach the panoramic summit perch.

Jump Off the Stratosphere Hotel

One of the most intense adrenaline rushes in all of Las Vegas can be found on the Las Vegas Strip, high atop the Stratosphere Hotel. The SkyJump is an open-air leap from the iconic Stratosphere Tower. You'll fall 855 feet at speeds up to 40 miles per hour, most likely while screaming the entire time. Talk about an adventure. It's Guinness Book-worthy too since SkyJump is officially listed as the "highest commercial decelerator descent facility." Jumpers free fall from the 108th floor of the Stratosphere.

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Race Dune Buggies Across the Desert

Gear up in a helmet and goggles, then strap into a dune buggy to race across the high desert with Sun Buggy Fun Rentals. As part of the off-road Vegas Mini Baja Chase, the goal is to chase the "Dunies" (expert drivers) across challenging terrain, like dunes, valleys, gravel and creek beds. Drive as fast as you like in this high-intensity chase event that Rolling Stone has called a "best near death experience." Sun Buggy Tours also offers more tame off-road buggy tours for those who want a less intense adventure across the dunes.

Fly Across a Zipline, Superhero-Style

In downtown Las Vegas, get ready to see five blocks of Fremont Street from 114 feet up in the air with SlotZilla. Keep your eyes open because at speeds of up to 40 miles per hour, you'll reach the landing platform at the Golden Gate Hotel & Casino in no time. SlotZilla offers adrenaline seekers two ways to fly across Fremont Street — a zipline and a zoomline. Both are thrilling, but only the zoomline sends flyers arms forward, superhero-style across five blocks of Vegas-style fun, including live music and street performers.

Be Awed by Valley of Fire State Park

Valley of Fire State Park is Nevada's largest and oldest state park. Located in Overton, this unearthly landscape of magnificent rock formations is an hour northeast of Las Vegas, but it's well worth the drive. Orange, pink and red sandstone rocks create breathtaking vistas around every bend as you wind your way through this geologically impressive state park. The 1.5-mile Fire Wave Trail wows with a striped landscape that rivals that of The Wave in Arizona, only minus the highly coveted — and extremely difficult to obtain — hiking permit.

Race Exotic Sports Cars

At Exotics Racing, take your pick of more than 50 exotic supercars, including Ferraris, Aston Martins, Lamborghinis and Porsches to ride or drive on the fastest racetrack in Las Vegas. There are no speed limits, so drivers can race their cars around seven turns on each lap at speeds topping 200 miles per hour. Up the exhilaration factor (if that's even possible) by adding on the "Police Car Ride Along" package in which a police car driven by a stunt driver chases other cars around the track.

Take a Helicopter to the Grand Canyon

Yes, you can go to the Grand Canyon on your next visit to Las Vegas. You can even land 4,000 feet below the rim in a helicopter in time for a champagne toast and light picnic lunch. As a bonus, you'll still have plenty of time to shower up for an evening Cirque show when you return to your hotel. The Grand Celebration Tour with Papillon lasts up to 4 1/2 hours (hotel to hotel) and wows with absolutely spectacular views of the Hoover Dam, Grapevine Mesa and, of course, the Grand Canyon.

Savor Bold Flavors on a Walking Food Tour

For culinary adventurers, sign up for a walking food tour with Lip Smacking Foodie Tours in Las Vegas. Eight different walk and eat tours are offered that range from 2 1/2 hours to 5 hours of noshing on flavorful fare. On the Arts District Lip Smacking Tour, chefs serve up dishes that engage all the senses as participants learn about iconic murals and artworks across the Arts District. On the popular Lip Smacking Boozy Brunch Tour, guests sample three of the city's best brunches, as well as breakfast cocktails and mocktails.

Race Go-Karts

Double your track-focused fun with super fast go-karts at Vegas Superkarts, a new racing attraction run by Exotics Racing. Drivers can reach speeds up to 50 miles per hour in gas-powered go-karts on the longest and fastest outdoor go-kart track in Las Vegas. You'll be overflowing with adrenaline as you take on 14 turns, including sharp hairpin turns, across this nearly half-mile long asphalt track. Go alone or ride with a friend in a two-seater go-kart.

Go on a Pontoon Boat Cruise on the Colorado River

From Las Vegas, you can take a helicopter to the Grand Canyon, but you can also fly to Grand Canyon West in a small plane. You'll then hop in a helicopter to descend to the canyon floor before boarding a pontoon boat to cruise along the Colorado River. But wait, there's more. As an add-on, you can walk the popular Skywalk, a glass bridge that extends 70 feet over the edge of the Grand Canyon. You can do all this in one day too. It's just seven hours from hotel to hotel.

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10 Things to Do in Las Vegas for Adventure Lovers

Related To:

Shop This Look

Thrilling Daytime Adventures in Las Vegas

Scramble Rocks at Red Rock Canyon

Jump Off the Stratosphere Hotel

Race Dune Buggies Across the Desert

Fly Across a Zipline, Superhero-Style

Be Awed by Valley of Fire State Park

Race Exotic Sports Cars

Take a Helicopter to the Grand Canyon

Savor Bold Flavors on a Walking Food Tour

Race Go-Karts

Go on a Pontoon Boat Cruise on the Colorado River

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