4.1: Getting from here to there 4.2: Walking: The casino crawl 4.3: Cabs are an option 4.4: Buses ...and the strip trolley 4.5: Monorails and trams 4.6: Rental cars can be a burden

Monorail runs from MGM to Sahara Hotel

4.5 Monorails and Trams

Las Vegas Monorail - (702) 699-8200

The futuristic Las Vegas Monorail opened on December 24, 2004 ...its seven stations connecting the major Strip resorts. (Previously the monorail only stopped at Bally’s and the MGM Grand.) It was supposed to open early in 2004 but mechanical problems caused a delay of several months. The privately-funded monorail system is owned and operated by the non-profit Las Vegas Monorail Company.

The 3.9-mile Z-shaped route stops at the (South Strip) MGM Grand; (Center Strip) Bally’s/Paris; Flamingo/Caesars Palace; Harrah’s/Imperial Palace and the (North Strip) Las Vegas Convention Center; Las Vegas Hilton; and the Sahara. A route map of the monorail can be found here. The new trains operate 7 days a week from 7 a.m. until 2 a.m. and make the entire run in about 15 minutes.

Hint! Take the strip bus or trolley – rather than the monorail – if you want to go to North Strip hotels other than the Sahara. It will save what can be a long walk from the Sahara. The monorail does not go downtown.

The high-tech $650 million transportation system consists of up to nine air-conditioned trains of four cars ...each running on a single rail. Each train will seat 72 passengers with standing room for an additional 152 riders. It travels at a top speed of 50 mph and travels behind the hotels parallel to the east Las Vegas Strip corridor. Plans are to eventually extend the monorail into downtown on the North and to the airport on the South.

There are 5 types of tickets available to visitors. A one ride fare now costs: $5; two ride tickets are available for $9.00 and ten rides for $35.00.  A one day unlimited ride pass costs $15 ...three days for $40.   Be aware that the unlimited ride three day monorail tickets are available online only.  All other tickets may be purchased at ticket vending machines located inside each monorail station and the adjoining station properties. We recommend you purchase a 10 ride ticket.

This map not only shows the Las Vegas Monorail route, but also the other trams that operate in Las Vegas.

Las Vegas Trams

There are three other trams in Las Vegas that run on the west side of the strip. Unlike the Monorail, these trams are free.

(1.) The Bellagio Hotel to Monte Carlo Hotel tram links the center and South Strip. It had been closed due to construction at the Bellagio Hotel, but recently reopened.  It now makes a run every ten minutes, twenty-four hours a day. At the Bellagio, you’ll find the indoor boarding platform near the front desk (hotel lobby) and Conservatory (botanical garden). It's near the "Street of Dreams" shops at the Monte Carlo. It is not known just how long this tram will continue operating since the Boardwalk Hotel (between the Bellagio and Monte Carlo) is scheduled for demolition.  When construction starts in 2006, the tram that operates at the rear of the hotel will close.

MGM Mirage's Project City Center

Eventually, there will be a west-side of the Strip monorail that will link all of the MGM Mirage properties from the Mandalay Bay on the south to Treasure Island on the north. The current Bellagio to Monte Carlo tram will close to make way for Project CityCenter ...a 5 billion development which will include a 60-story, 4,000-room hotel and casino.  The rumors are that the west-side monorail will open sometime in the 2009 to 2010 time frame.