Under $100 Las Vegas

Visiting Vegas on a budget doesn’t mean you have to stay in your hotel room the whole time. Most inexpensive places require going off the strip or heading downtown, which allows you to really see all of the city. If you’re willing to skip standing in line and paying an outrageous cover charge just to get in to a club, only to spend a month’s rent on drinks, then check out these ways to have fun without breaking the bank.

Start your day at Mr. Mamas for a down-home breakfast, and get a four-egg omelet, potatoes and toast for $6.50, or French toast for $4.25. Now that you’ve fueled up for the day, get out and see all that the city of Vegas has to offer, including free attractions. If you want a taste of nature, check out the aquarium at the Silverton Hotel, and catch a mermaid show while you’re there too, or walk through the beautiful conservatory and botanical gardens that change with the seasons at the Bellagio. While you’re at the Bellagio, head outside and watch their famous fountain display. If you have a sweet tooth, take a tour of the chocolate factory at M&Ms World, or check out Hershey’s Chocolate World. For kids and kids at heart, head to Circus Circus and catch one of their circus acts, then play the wide variety of carnival and arcade games nearby. For just $29.95 per person, take the kids to the Adventuredome Theme Park where everything is based off of their favorite cartoon shows and movies.

For lunch, fill up on tasty tacos for around $2 each at Tacos El Gordo, or you can hit up the old standard, In-N-Out Burger. If your tastes are more refined, casually stroll off those lunch calories at the Fine Art Gallery inside the Bellagio for $16, or admire the exotic cars at the LINQS Auto Collection for $11.95 for adults. You know the weather is going to be hot, so cool down at one of the many pool clubs at hotels both on and off the strip. If there isn’t one at the hotel where you’re staying, it will cost around $10–20 to enjoy one at another hotel.

Enjoy a secret dinner deal in the Hard Rock Hotel for just $7.77 at Mr. Lucky’s, which includes steak, three grilled shrimp, a choice of potato or broccoli and a salad. It’s not on the menu — you’ll have to ask your server — and is available around the clock. For nightlife, skip those overpriced hotel clubs, and spend the evening in fabulous Downtown Las Vegas. The Arts district downtown is home to independent shops, galleries and neighborhood bars, such as Artifice, which is a casual neighborhood lounge with delicious drinks, boutique wines, an eclectic music program and three different rooms to lounge in featuring paintings and photography by artists in the city and around the world. DTLV’s premier entertainment destination is the Fremont Experience. From light shows and live music, to the famous zip line ($20), there is never a shortage of entertainment here.