Best Thrill Rides in Las Vegas, Ranked by Scariness

FlyOver is a flight simulator ride near the Linq area where you dangle in front of a giant domed screen with wind and scent effects, soaring over landscapes. It feels like flying without any real danger.

This is the gentle entry. Great for families, people who hate heights, and anyone who wants the sensation of a thrill without the actual stomach drop. Worth it, especially on a hot day when you want air conditioning and a seat.

The Big Apple Coaster wraps around the New York New York casino with a hill, a loop, and a signature heartline twist that flips you upside down. It is a real roller coaster, rough and rattly in the classic way, with a great view of the Strip on the climb.

It is more fun than scary for anyone who rides coasters. The jerky old school ride quality is the main complaint. Solid pick if you want a true coaster on the Strip and the STRAT rides sound like too much.

Downtown on Fremont Street, SlotZilla launches you flying down the canopy over the crowd and the bands. There is a lower seated zip and a higher Superhero line where you fly face down like you are diving over the party.

The height is moderate, but flying over a packed street of people at night is a rush. Do the upper Superhero line if you want the better scare. This is the most fun per dollar on the list and a perfect downtown night activity.

Now we go to the top of the STRAT tower. Big Shot straps you to a seat and blasts you up the needle at the very top, past 1,000 feet, then drops you. You are shot straight up into the open sky with the entire valley spread out below.

The combination of speed and the fact that you are already at the highest point in the city makes this genuinely intense. Your brain does not know what to do with that height. This is where the real fear starts.

X-Scream is a giant seesaw that propels your car off the edge of the tower and leaves you hanging, tilted forward, staring straight down over a thousand feet to the street below. Then it does it again.

It is slower than Big Shot, which somehow makes it worse, because you get time to look down and think about it. If you are afraid of heights, this is the one that breaks people. I love it and I still grip the bar the whole time.

SkyJump is the scariest thing in Las Vegas. You suit up, walk to the edge of the tower platform over 800 feet up, and you jump off. It is a controlled guided descent down a wire, but you are stepping off a ledge a thousand feet in the air with the Strip below you.

Nothing else compares to the moment you actually step off. If you want the single most terrifying experience in this city, this is it. Everything else on this list is a warm up.