Las Vegas is a desert city of about 679,000 people in Clark County, southern Nevada, and the centre of a 2.4-million metro area. It is known for the casino resorts of the Las Vegas Strip, the vintage neon of Downtown and Fremont Street, big-name shows and restaurants, and easy day trips to Red Rock Canyon, Hoover Dam and Valley of Fire.
Best souvenirs
Authentic items worth bringing home.
Authentic used casino chips, dice and playing cards
Cancelled decks (with a corner clipped or hole punched) and drilled dice from real casino tables, plus collectible chips from closed casinos.
Price: $2-10 for cards and dice; $5-100+ for collector chips
Where: Gamblers General Store (800 S Main St) and casino gift shops
'Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas' sign souvenirs
Magnets, shot glasses, snow globes and T-shirts featuring the 1959 sign designed by Betty Willis.
Price: $5-30
Where: Bonanza Gift Shop (2440 S Las Vegas Blvd)
Tiki mugs
Limited-edition ceramic tiki mugs designed for local bars.
Price: $25-60
Where: Frankie's Tiki Room (1712 W Charleston Blvd) and The Golden Tiki (3939 Spring Mountain Rd)
Ethel M Chocolates
Nevada-made boxed chocolates; the factory and botanical cactus garden in nearby Henderson offers free self-guided tours.
Price: $10-60
Where: Ethel M stores at the Strip casinos and the factory at 2 Cactus Garden Dr, Henderson
Local art and neon-themed prints
Prints, ceramics and jewellery by Las Vegas artists, often featuring neon signs and desert landscapes.
Price: $15-300
Where: Arts District galleries and The Neon Museum gift shop (770 Las Vegas Blvd N)
Discounted designer brands
End-of-season designer and mid-range American brands at outlet prices.
Price: 25-65% below retail
Where: Las Vegas North Premium Outlets and Las Vegas South Premium Outlets
Traditional markets
Where locals shop and travellers find treasures.
Downtown Container Park
Open-air shopping centre built from shipping containers, entered past a fire-breathing praying-mantis sculpture.
Where: Fremont East (Downtown)
Hours: Shops generally open daily from about 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM (later Fri-Sat); 21+ only after 9:00 PM
Chinatown Plaza
The original 1995 anchor of Las Vegas Chinatown, with a Tang-dynasty-style gate and an Asian supermarket.
Where: Chinatown
Hours: Daily; most shops roughly 10:00 AM-9:00 PM, restaurants later
Gamblers General Store
Long-established gaming supply store selling to casinos and the public.
Where: Downtown
Hours: Daily, daytime hours
Bonanza Gift Shop
Billed as the 'World's Largest Gift Shop', a 40,000 sq ft souvenir warehouse on the north Strip.
Where: North Strip (opposite Sahara)
Hours: Daily, from morning until late evening
Arts District (18b) Vintage and Antique Shops
Cluster of vintage, antique and gallery shops along Main Street and Charleston Boulevard south of Downtown.
Where: Arts District
Hours: Varies by shop; most open late morning to early evening, busiest on First Friday
Shopping districts
Neighbourhoods known for retail.
Malls & modern shopping
Air-conditioned, international brands, and food courts.
The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace
Roman-themed luxury mall with about 160 shops and restaurants linked to Caesars Palace.
Hours: Sun-Thu 10:00 AM-9:00 PM; Fri-Sat 10:00 AM-10:00 PM (store hours may vary)
Grand Canal Shoppes
Mall spanning The Venetian and Palazzo with indoor canals, singing gondoliers and St. Mark's Square street performers.
Hours: Sun-Thu 10:00 AM-11:00 PM; Fri-Sat 10:00 AM-midnight (store hours may vary)
Fashion Show Las Vegas
The Strip's largest conventional mall, with weekend runway shows and free parking.
Hours: Mon-Sat 10:00 AM-8:00 PM; Sun 11:00 AM-7:00 PM (store hours may vary)
The Shops at Crystals
Daniel Libeskind-designed luxury mall at CityCenter, linked by free tram to Bellagio and Park MGM.
Hours: Daily 10:00 AM-11:00 PM (store hours may vary)
Miracle Mile Shops
Mid-range indoor mall wrapping around Planet Hollywood, with a free indoor rainstorm show.
Hours: Sun-Thu 10:00 AM-11:00 PM; Fri-Sat 10:00 AM-midnight (store hours may vary)
Las Vegas North Premium Outlets
Open-air outlet centre on the north side of Downtown, reachable by RTC Deuce bus from the Strip.
Hours: Mon-Sat 9:00 AM-9:00 PM; Sun 9:00 AM-8:00 PM (holiday hours vary)
Las Vegas South Premium Outlets
Enclosed outlet centre a few miles south of Mandalay Bay, cooler than the North outlets in summer.
Hours: Mon-Sat 10:00 AM-8:00 PM; Sun 10:00 AM-7:00 PM (holiday hours vary)
Downtown Summerlin
Outdoor shopping and dining district about 20 minutes west of the Strip, near Red Rock Canyon.
Hours: Mon-Sat 10:00 AM-9:00 PM; Sun 11:00 AM-6:00 PM (store hours may vary)
Tivoli Village
Small upscale open-air centre with cobblestone lanes opposite Boca Park.
Hours: Daily; most shops roughly 10:00 AM-7:00 PM, restaurants later
Meadows Mall
Enclosed neighbourhood mall off US-95 serving residents rather than tourists.
Hours: Mon-Sat 10:00 AM-8:00 PM; Sun 11:00 AM-6:00 PM (store hours may vary)
Bargaining tips
Negotiate like a local.
Prices are fixed in malls, outlets and casino shops; bargaining is not expected.
Haggling is acceptable at antique and vintage shops and for higher-priced items at gaming supply and independent stores, especially when paying cash.
At the Premium Outlets, collect the free VIP coupon book from Simon's website or the information centre for extra discounts.
Sales tax of 8.375% is added at checkout, so the shelf price is not the final price.
Major US holiday weekends (Memorial Day, Labor Day, Black Friday) bring the biggest outlet discounts.
Customs & restrictions
What you can and can't take home.
International visitors cannot reclaim US sales tax; there is no tourist tax-refund scheme in Nevada., Check home-country customs allowances for duty-free goods before buying high-value designer items., Cannabis is legal to buy in Nevada for adults 21+, but it is illegal under US federal law to take it across state lines or onto flights, and illegal to import into most countries.