Mike and I spent a few glorious days in Las Vegas, Nevada earlier this year (April 2022) taking in the BTS Permission to Dance on Stage Concert (eep!!) as well as a Backstreet Boys show, and in between the shows, eating, drinking (and a bit of gambling), we also visited some Instagrammable locations in Vegas so I could put together this photo op spot blog guide!
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This was not our first—nor our last visit to the Strip (in fact at the time of publishing, Mike is also back in Vegas for a boys trip—we love Vegas lol), so I do plan on updating this guide with more Instagrammable Photo Op Spots on return visits.
Really, you’ll find some beautiful spaces all over the Strip, so this is not an exhaustive list by any means. I look forward to what Vegas adventures and Instagrammable areas you stumble upon!
And I hope this guide helps you plan your trip, and adds to your Las Vegas experience!
Guide to Instagrammable Photo Op Spots of Las Vegas, Nevada
Locations listed in random order!
Guide published: November 11, 2022
Guide last updated: November 11, 2022
Instagrammable Location: The Venetian
Note: Most photo op spots here are free to access however the gondola ride would cost $$$.
- Walking the grand halls of The Venetian is sure to take your breath away with its impressive pillars, arched ceiling and Italian artwork, you’ll forget for a moment that you’re in Vegas and think you’re in some grand building in Rome instead!
- While the resort’s hallways are usually packed (making it somewhat difficult to get a clear/clean photo), there are pockets of time when the hallways are incredibly clear and perfect for a photo—like in this photo Mike and I got below! That one is unedited, and actually empty except us and the nice couple who offered to take a photo of of us.
- I do admit the other two Venetian photos included I did try to use Google’s Magic Eraser to get rid of some people and it mostly worked (save for some patchy parts that you might not notice at first glance but now that I’ve pointed it out you may be able to tell lol). Still—stunning! And this does not include the Instagrammable Gondola Ride you can do here.
Instagrammable Location: The Fountains of Bellagio
Note: The Fountains of Bellagio show + photo op spots are free to attend!
- The Fountains of Bellagio are one of the most iconic sights to see in Las Vegas. Described as “the most ambitious, complex water feature ever conceived”—you’ll want to find a comfortable perch to sit, or spot to stand, to catch the show which runs every 15 or 30 minutes daily (dependent on time of day and whether it’s a weekday or weekend). Get creative with angles too—it’s also less crowded if you try to find a spot a little farther out from the typical viewing area.
Instagrammable Location: Luxor Pyramid and Sphinx
Note: The pyramid/hotel and Sphinx outside are free to access.
- The Luxor Resort & Casino is perhaps one of the most unique hotels on the strip, as it is built in the shape of a 36-storey pyramid (the elevators are fun because they ride up slanted!) It also includes a giant 110-ft tall Sphinx, which is the recommended Instagrammable photo op. The best view and access of the Sphinx is from the exit of the free Las Vegas Strip Monorail—the stop opens up right there!
Instagrammable Location: Excalibur Hotel & Casino (Monorail Pedway)
Note: Access to the monorail, pedway and hotel are free!
- The pedway connecting Excalibur Hotel to the Monorail stop can give you a nice shot of the hotel’s medieval times castle turrets. As with all suggested photo op spots, take time to walk around to find different views and angles!
Instagrammable Location: Paris Las Vegas Eiffel Tower
Note: You can snap photos of the tower for free from the Strip, or buy tickets for the Eiffel Tower Experience which takes you up 46 stories inside the tower for unique views of the Strip. You can also book a meal at the Eiffel Tower Restaurant.
- There’s lots of different angles you can get of the Las Vegas Eiffel Tower, which is a replica of the world-famous Paris, France landmark, including on the opposite side of the street (for a fuller view) or at a lower, pointed-up angle like we opted for during our day and night visits.
Instagrammable Location: AZILO Ultra Pool at SAHARA Las Vegas
Note: Most Las Vegas pools are Instagrammable! And many can be accessed even if you’re not a guest—for a fee. Be sure to check rates, opening hours (many are weather dependent), as well as age restrictions (21+, typically).
- Mike and I had just an absolutely wonderful experience for our Las Vegas pool day at AZILO Ultra Pool in the SAHARA Las Vegas hotel. Our visit was hosted (complimentary) as part of my Las Vegas Tourism social media work. Their day bed food/drink credit deal is a great one!! The food at this pool is really good! And the views and vibes—perfect. There’s 35,000 square feet of poolscape here, with plenty of day beds, lily pads, bars, private pools, lounge seatings, and VIP cabanas (and is open to non-hotel guests!) This was a huge highlight of our trip.
Instagrammable Location: Fashion Show Mall
Note: The Instagrammable Art and access to the mall is free!
- Fashion Show Mall often has pop-up art experiences depending on the time of year, but be sure to catch the colourful, Instagrammable stairs and heart art sculpture at the mall during your visit! Note the stairs may regularly change in colour/design.
- The art piece, titled “Heartfullness,’ is by artist Katy Boynton, and is a steel sculpture featuring pieces “repeatedly broken and pieced back together. While it may be damaged and pieces may be missing, this weathered heart is stronger and infinitely more interesting. Life presents many things that can break the heart, but true happiness comes from overcoming those obstacles and mending your heart in every way imaginable to love again.”
Instagrammable Location: Park MGM
Note: Accessing this photo op spot (and the hotel—and all hotels in Las Vegas) are free!
- Walking through Park MGM, the only smoke-free hotel and casino on the Las Vegas Strip (yay! more of that please), you’ll come across this human-sized cut photo frame designed to turn you into art. Don’t be shy and hop up for a photo!
Instagrammable Location: Area15 (inside + outside)
Note: You can check out the art outside Area15 for free, and even enter Area15 for free, but will need to buy passes to access different immersive experiences.
- Area15 is “wanderland of art, music, and amusement” located just off the Las Vegas Strip, and it is a really awesome place to visit. There’s tons of art inside and out—and the paid immersive experiences are really cool. This is also where I had probably the greatest beef brisket of my life (at The Beast restaurant inside Area15).
- Outside Area15, find incredible, larger than life Instagrammable art pieces like the Pulse Portal from Davis McCarty, or In Every Lifetime I Will Find You by Michael Benisty (see all art at Area15).
- Inside, you’ll find lots of murals and Instagrammable experiences including Museum Fiasco, Wink World, and Meow Wolf’s Omega Mart (which is way more Instagrammable than what you see through the main window! We didn’t get to visit this trip but definitely on our next).
- Note: Our ticket into Area15 was covered as part of my Las Vegas tourism work.
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Instagrammable Location: The Las Vegas Strip
Note: You can get so many different views of The Las Vegas Strip from really any vantage point or location along the strip. There’s lots of pedways connecting all hotels on either side of the strip, so you’ll find yourself walking these pedways quite a fair bit (it’s the Vegas Experience lol) so day or night, there’s going to be opportunities to snap a photo on, along, or from one of the pedways.
- While I am generally partial to daytime photos due to effortless lighting, there is something pretty special about the Las Vegas Strip all lit-up at night.
Instagrammable Location: Find a Colourful Wall
The photo below of me enjoying a classic giant Vegas drink along the Strip, in front of a colourful blue wall, is from a visit several years back before I was noting photo op locations, so I can’t tell you exactly where this is, or if it hasn’t been painted something entirely different at this point, but my general rule of thumb is if you spot a coloured wall—snap a pic! It’s Instagrammable.
Instagrammable Location: Capture Moments at a Vegas Show
Note: most Vegas shows and concerts cost $$$.
- Many tourists descend on the Las Vegas Strip to catch a Vegas show! Our April 2022 trip was centered around the BTS Concert at Allegiant Stadium and the Backstreet Boys show at Caesar’s Palace. Regardless of the show, you’ll likely find some Instagrammable moments.
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Instagrammable Location: Really, anywhere along the Strip!
There’s nothing quite like the Las Vegas Strip. You can really snap nice photos (and see a lot of cool sights / take in a lot of experiences) anywhere along it. Who knows what you’ll come across!
Instagrammable Location: Welcome to Las Vegas Sign
Note: most Las Vegas signs are accessible for free (there are a few smaller ones in the airport!) and the main Welcome to Las Vegas sign landmark is also free to visit + snap photos
- The sign is located at 5200 Las Vegas Blvd S at the south end (start) of the Las Vegas Strip and is an iconic landmark in Vegas!
- You can expect crowds of people there at any time of day taking photos.
- It doesn’t cost anything to take photos—use your own cameras and phones. However usually there are enterprising professional photographers hanging around and offering to take pro pics (with immediate print outs) for you if you’d like to pay.
- You’ll have to go twice (day and night) to ensure you get the sign lit-up too!
- For our April 2022 visit we did not head out to the main sign but snapped one at the airport on our way home lol (not as Instagrammable of course as the main landmark).
- But there is also a cool sort of dystopian Welcome to Las Vegas sign at Area15 as well!
Shout out to: Arcadia Earth (no longer in Las Vegas, but avail in NYC)
I took too long to blog about this photo op spot since my April 2022 visit because it’s no longer in Las Vegas (weeps) but the photos ops and its concept were so good I still wanted to share and shout out to it—as it’s still got a location in New York City if you happen to be headed there.
Arcadia Earth is an immersive, Instagrammable, augmented reality museum and experience that uses stunning visuals and backdrops to also educate you on what’s happening to the planet, and encouraging climate action.
Arcadia Earth is described as an environmental storytelling platform of immersive experiences designed to inform, inspire and activate our community to positively impact our planet.
For instance the first photo below is a room made entirely of plastic bags—meant to illustrate and educate on plastic bag waste on the planet (9.5 million plastic bags are used per minute around the globe. 🤯😭).
Highly recommend you check it out if you’re in New York City as the Las Vegas location is gone.
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And that’s all from me, for now!
As I mentioned, we love visiting Vegas—so with more visits and more photo ops, I plan to add to this resource. There’s so much to see and do, and so many photos to be snapped in and around The Strip, I hope this gives you some ideas of some ‘must stops’ on your trip.
Linda
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