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So you want to go to Las Vegas, but you’re not sure when you should plan your trip. You might have heard horror stories about how dramatic the prices for things like airfare and hotel stays change based on when you’re traveling. Maybe you’ve never been before, and you want to make sure your first visit to Sin City is perfect.
No matter your reason for asking when the best time to visit Las Vegas is, this post has the answer.
I’ve organized the post into sections based on considerations that matter to people. How you prioritize these factors is, of course, up to you and your temperament. Just understand that Vegas is almost a completely different destination during some time periods other than others.
Here’s an example:
I’m a really big guy—tall, but also overweight. As a result, I don’t do well in the heat at all. One of my main considerations when planning a trip to Vegas is to look at how mild the weather is.
You, on the other hand, might love lying by the pool and working on your suntan. We’re going to think the best time to go to Las Vegas is different. (I don’t swim or hang out beside the pool.)
These considerations can also affect where you stay. Since I don’t swim, the presence of a swimming pool at the hotel is a non-consideration for me. One of my traveling companions smokes, though, so I want to make sure to book a property that has at least some smoking rooms available.
Here are some suggestions and ideas for the best times to visit Sin City based on various considerations.
When Will You Find the Best Weather in Las Vegas?
Different strokes for different folks, right?
Below I’ve included details about what you can expect from the weather in Las Vegas based on the month you’re thinking about going. I hesitate to say when the best weather is because of the reasons I explained in the introduction of this post. I do provide some further comments about the weather in Vegas following the monthly breakdowns.
January – The average daytime temperature is in the 50s, but at night, it’s close to freezing (32 degrees). You’ll need winter weather clothing if you’re visiting Vegas in January.
February – It’s colder in Vegas in February than it is January, with an average daily high of 50 degrees or less. The average nighttime temperature is similar to that in January. You’ll want to bring winter clothes.
March – Spring comes early in Vegas. The average daily high is close to 70 degrees, which is mild weather by almost anyone’s standards. It still gets into the low 40s at night, though, so bring warm clothes for the evenings.
April – The average daytime temperature in Las Vegas in April is close to 80 degrees. For most people, that’s pretty mild, but I’m sensitive to the heat, so that’s getting a bit warm for me. I’ll be wearing shorts and short sleeves in April in Vegas. It cools off considerably at night though—50 degrees.
May – The average daytime temperature in May is closing in on that 90 degree mark. That’s hot to me, but for many people, it’s comfortably warm. The evenings in May are about like the evenings in April, though.
June – Summer is getting started in June, and you can expect average temperatures of close to 100 degrees during the day. The nights are pleasant at close to 70 degrees, though. Don’t believe what they say about it being a “dry heat,” by the way. Hot is hot.
July – Las Vegas is in the desert, remember? In July, the average daytime high is over 100 degrees. At night, you’re looking at 75 degrees. If you’re going to Vegas in July, book a hotel with a pool so you can lounge around in something skimpy.
August – It’s about the same as July, really. Summertime in Vegas.
September – Things start cooling off, if you can call it that, with average daily highs of around 95 degrees. The evenings, at least, are getting cooler—in the mid 60s.
October – The average temperature during the day in October is around 80 degrees. That’s too hot for me, but just perfect for many of my readers. It starts getting into the 50s during the evenings, though, so bring a jacket for after dark, anyway.
November – This is when I’m going this year! The average temperature during the day is slightly less than 70 degrees, which is just perfect for a fat, middle-aged writer like myself. At night it gets down to 40 degrees. Even I think that’s cool-ish.
December – The average temperature in Las Vegas in December is around 57 degrees. It gets close to freezing at night. Dress like it’s winter, because… well, it’s winter.
Hotel pools are usually closed because it’s too cold from November through February (4 months). If you want to spend time in an outdoor pool, that’s 1/3 of the year that’s bad for visiting Vegas.
The weather is mildest in the spring or fall months. That doesn’t matter much to some Vegas visitors, though. I know some serious poker players and gamblers who never leave the casino anyway, so the temperature outside makes them no difference.
But a lot of Vegas visitors love to do outdoorsy stuff these days—golfing is growing more popular all the time. There are some great outdoor attractions near the city, too, if you like to hike or go boating.
For mild weather, consider the following months in the spring:
- March
- April
- May
For mild weather in the fall, think about:
- October
- November
- December
Keep in mind that it starts getting hot in late May, and it starts getting cold in late December.
Also, since it’s a desert destination, Las Vegas has swings in the weather during the winter. It’s usually a mild winter compared to the rest of the country, but you still have the possibilities of rain, snow, and winds.
Prices for Traveling to Vegas during the Week versus the Weekend
Unless there’s a convention or special event in town, you’ll get better prices (and fight smaller crowds) if you travel to Vegas Sunday through Thursday. Fridays and Saturdays are prime time in Las Vegas, so travel rates go up dramatically on the weekends—often even double what they would be if you booked during the week.
For example, Super Bowl weekend is huge in Vegas because who doesn’t want to put some money down on the game and party all weekend during the event? And what better place to do that then fabulous Las Vegas?
The World Series and the NBA championship are also big dates in Las Vegas.
Some examples of big conventions that are going to affect airfare and travel prices over the next year include:
- MAGIC Marketplace Fall Show 2018 – August 13 through August 15
- 2018 Mr. Olympia – September 14 through September 15
- Consumer Technology Association – January 8 through January 11 (This is one of the biggest conventions of the year.)
Your choice of hotel makes a difference, too. Some hotels host entire conventions. If it’s a big hotel, no big deal, but if you have a small property that you enjoy, and it’s hosting a convention on certain dates, that might spell trouble. You might be unable to book a room, or even if you do get a room, it might be far more expensive than you’re used to.
You can find a convention calendar here.
The best days and times of the week to arrive are on Tuesday or Wednesday morning, although Monday afternoon is also great. Thursday morning isn’t too crowded, either.
What Time of Year Can You Get the Best Las Vegas Deals?
If you just want to travel to Vegas when the airfare and hotel prices are best, you should shoot for December. The trick is to pick dates in December that aren’t during the National Finals Rodeo and that aren’t during the week before New Years.
Don’t try to travel to Vegas during the National Finals Rodeo. It’s one of the biggest sporting events in the year, as it’s the big final championship event. Vegas has been home to the NFR for years, and it looks like that will continue until at least 2024. In 2018, the event takes place from December 6 through December 15.
I checked round trip flights from Dallas during that time period, too. You can fly round trip for $115 per person on those same dates. You could even get first class tickets during that time period for $687 per person.
Keep in mind that the prices I’m quoting here are the prices that I’m finding available for those dates as of the day I’m researching this post. The rates are based on availability, so they can change dramatically by the time you read this post.
You can also save some money traveling in January. The summer months (June, July, and August) are also affordable travel dates.
But regardless of the month you travel during, the prices for the rooms and the airfare go up on Friday and Saturday nights. Travel is a supply and demand business, so prices go up on the weekends when there’s a lot of demand and less supply available.
Conclusion
There’s no bad time to visit Las Vegas, really. Your choice of when to go is obviously going to be affected by what dates you can get off work, find a babysitter, and otherwise maneuver your trip around the rest of your busy life.
But you still have preferences related to weather, crowd sizes, and prices.
When you take these things into account, and when you think about what you now know about Vegas conditions during various times, it becomes easy to answer the question, “When is the best time to go to Las Vegas?”
