Trams can help cut down your walk on Las Vegas Strip
November 14, 2024 - 6:30 am
First-time tourists to Las Vegas may be surprised to learn there are no rail-based public transportation options that navigate the entire Strip — but there are some segmented options.
If you’re looking for cheaper alternatives to cabs or rideshares and don’t want to walk, some tram systems are available around the Strip. But beware, their stops don’t cover the whole 4.2 miles – and the systems do not even connect on the same side of the street, so if you want to ride all three of them to get to your destination, prepare for some walking.
Here are the three tram options currently available on the Strip. A fourth tram, running between Treasure Island and the former Mirage, also used to exist but is not in service while Hard Rock International transforms the property during a three-year closure.
The Las Vegas Monorail
The longest option available to the public is the Las Vegas Monorail, a people mover owned by the local tourism authority board that is about four miles long and navigates around the east side of the resort corridor.
The 14-minute ride starts at Sahara to the north and ends at MGM Grand, cruising behind several major resort-casinos on the Strip and making stops at two off-Strip locations: the Las Vegas Convention Center and Westgate hotel-casino.
Locals can get tickets for $1 per ride, but must be purchased at the customer service ticketing offices, according to the website. Full tickets for a one-way ride are $6, or $5.50 if purchased online. Riders can also purchase unlimited daily passes for up to seven days.
Aria Express Tram
At the center Strip, MGM Resorts International operates a free tram that runs on an elevated track servicing Bellagio, Vdara, Park MGM, the Shops at Crystals and Aria.
The tram moves people between the MGM properties from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily.
Excalibur-Luxor-Mandalay Bay Tram
Servicing the south end of the Strip is another MGM-run tram. The free tram runs from 10 a.m. to midnight daily, with stops at Excalibur, Luxor and Mandalay Bay on the west side of Las Vegas Boulevard.
Contact McKenna Ross at mross@reviewjournal.com. Follow @mckenna_ross_ on X.