Is the Las Vegas Monorail Worth It? Pass Prices and Coverage
6 min read
Every first-timer asks me the same thing about the Monorail: is this the thing that gets me from the airport to my hotel? No. It is not. And that single misunderstanding causes more confusion than anything else in this town.
I have ridden the Monorail more times than I can count, usually when my feet are done and the Strip sidewalk feels like a treadmill that never ends. It has a real use. It also has real limits. Let me break down exactly when it is worth your money in 2026 and when you should just walk or grab a rideshare instead.
What the Monorail Actually Covers
The Monorail runs along the EAST side of the Strip only, behind the casinos, not down Las Vegas Boulevard where the action is. That is the first thing people get wrong. You do not see the fountains or the lights from it.
The seven stops are MGM Grand, Bally's/Horseshoe (Paris area), Flamingo/Caesars Palace, Harrah's/The LINQ, the Las Vegas Convention Center, Westgate, and the Sahara at the north end.
Notice what is missing. There is no stop at the airport. None on the west side at Bellagio, Aria, Cosmopolitan, or Mandalay Bay. None downtown at Fremont Street. If your hotel is on the west side, the Monorail involves a long walk just to reach a station, which usually kills the point.
Pass Prices and How the Math Works
You buy single rides, or you buy day passes for 1, 2, 3, 4, or 7 days. A single ride costs more than you would expect for the short distance, so the break-even comes fast.
Rough rule: if you plan to ride three or more times in a day, the 1-day pass beats single tickets. If you are staying multiple nights on the east side and want a car-free trip, the multi-day passes get cheaper per day the longer you go.
Buy online or through the app before you ride. The fare is the same, but you skip the kiosk fumbling, and the app keeps your pass on your phone.
When It Is Genuinely Worth It
If you are staying at MGM Grand, Bally's, Paris, Flamingo, Harrah's, The LINQ, or Westgate, the Monorail is a real asset. You can hop from the south end to the Sahara in under 15 minutes and skip a 45-minute sweat-soaked walk.
It shines for convention-goers. The Convention Center stop drops you right at the doors, and during big shows like CES the rideshare lines stretch into the parking lots. The Monorail glides past all of it.
It is also clutch in July and August when the heat makes outdoor walking miserable. Climate-controlled and fast beats baking on the sidewalk.
When It Is a Waste
If your hotel is on the west side, skip it. Walking from Bellagio or Aria across to a Monorail station, riding, then walking back to your west-side destination is slower than just walking the Strip directly.
If you are a group of three or four, a rideshare split four ways often costs about the same as four single Monorail tickets and drops you at the door. Do the quick math before you commit.
And if you are heading downtown or to the airport, the Monorail does nothing for you. That is a Deuce bus, rideshare, or taxi job.
Better Alternatives for Certain Routes
The free trams on the west side cover the gaps the Monorail misses. One connects Bellagio, Vdara, and Aria. Another links Mandalay Bay, Luxor, and Excalibur. Those cost nothing.
The Deuce bus runs 24 hours up and down the Strip and continues downtown to Fremont, which the Monorail cannot touch. It is slow in traffic but cheap and covers both sides.
For airport runs, it is rideshare or taxi every time. Plan that into your budget and forget the Monorail exists for that trip.
Frequently asked
Does the Las Vegas Monorail go to the airport?
No. The Monorail has no airport stop and never has. Use a rideshare, taxi, or shuttle from Harry Reid International to your hotel.
Is the Monorail or rideshare cheaper?
Solo, the Monorail usually wins if you ride a few times a day. For groups of three or four splitting one car, rideshare is often comparable and drops you at the door.
Does the Monorail run all night?
It runs late but not 24 hours, with hours stretching past midnight on weekends. The Deuce bus is the true round-the-clock option.
