Las Vegas thrill rides

If you're a bit of an adrenaline junkie and need your daily fix of dare-devil thrill rides then Las Vegas is your location. One of the best places to stay to put you in the middle of the action would be the Stratosphere Las Vegas which includes the Stratosphere Tower. At 1,149 feet high this is the tallest observation tower in the U.S. and one of the most popular and exciting attractions among Vegas Strip hotels. But that's just the beginning - this exceptional Las Vegas hotel includes several one-of-a-kind roller coaster and thrill rides ... at the top of the tower! Another hotel heavily into its thrill rides is Circus Circus with its on-site Adventuredome which is America's largest indoor theme park. New York New York is another great option which has its own exhilarating roller coaster, one of the most popular thrill rides in Las Vegas.

Adventure Canyon at Buffalo Bill's
At first glance this might look like your typical log ride but Adventure Canyon stands apart from the rest by being the first interactive log ride in the world. Adventure Canyon has a 35 ft shoot which riders splash down but once they reach the bottom, rather than the ride being over, the fun continues as they take part in an electronic shooting gallery. Armed with pistols handed out at the start of the ride, passengers continue floating their way through scenes of the Wild West. Illuminated targets show what to shoot at, and riders may be surprised when some of the shady characters shoot back … well, unless they've read this first of course!

Adventuredome at Circus Circus
Welcome to the Adventuredome, America's largest indoor theme park housed inside a five-and-a-half-acre glass dome, complete with pink trim. The Adventuredome at Circus Circus is filled with action and thrills for the whole family, young and old. The first ride you encounter once you're inside is The Sling Shot which shoots you up toward the ceiling at 4G's and brings you back down at -1G. The ride is fast and packs a bit of a punch! If you're ready for a little spin on the fun side, thrill-seekers will enjoy the excitement of Disk 'O, which spins at an astounding 14 rotations per minute on its 100-foot roller coaster track. You'll find yourself spinning about in different directions the entire time. Another of the Adventuredomes' big rides is the Canyon Blaster. This high-speed roller coaster contains the only double-loop, double-corkscrew track in the United States and is certainly one of the best roller coasters in Las Vegas. Adventuredome's newest ride is currently Chaos. Chaos rises up amidst the criss-crossing tracks of the Canyon Blaster and then tilts, spins and throws its occupants about forwards, backwards, upside-down at a variety of speeds and directions. Sounds chaotic? Welcome to Chaos! Another big ride is The Inverter which as you can probably imagine, has you staring 'up' at all the action going on below and certainly has you hanging on to that little T-bar with a vice-like grip even if you are harnessed in as well. If all of this sounds just a little too extreme for you or you just want to try something a little more sedate then perhaps you should take a closer look at the Rim Runner. Riders travel downstream, twisting and turning, the trepidation of what's around the next corner building up until finally plunging down a 60-foot drop and getting thoroughly drenched. There are plenty of attractions that are less adventurous and plenty more aimed at children and the family such as the fun miniature golf course, laser tag, a games arcade, clown shows and bumper cars to name but a few.

Stratosphere Tower at Stratosphere
The Stratosphere Tower is located at the Stratosphere Hotel and, at 1,149 feet high, is the tallest observation tower in the U.S. The view from the top looking out of Las Vegas, especially at night when the strip is glittering in neon, is quite a sight to behold. There is however far more to the Stratosphere Tower than a nice view, hence it's inclusion in the thrill ride section of our Las Vegas holiday guide. First off, let me introduce the Big Shot. Once you are strapped in to your seat, Big Shot rockets you 160 feet vertically up into the air in an astonishing 2.5 seconds and under 4G's of force. As you reach the top you'll suffer the feelings of weightlessness as you slow before free-falling back down to the ground at -1G. You'll then bounce up and down several times before slowly returning to ground. I say 'ground' but you should also know that Big Shot's base is located 100 stories up on the top of the tower meaning you reach a maximum elevation of 1,049 feet including the tower! Insanity - The Ride is another popular attraction on the tower. Insanity spins its occupants at 40mph and at a thrilling 70º angle on a long arm that juts 68 feet out over the edge of the tower at over 900 feet above the ground. It's a massive rush and will leave you giddy with excitement when you get off. Lastly there's X Scream which is a roller coaster ride with a difference. Again, located over 900 feet above the ground, the track is only 69 feet long and heads straight out over the edge of the tower at a 30º downwards angle. The front seat definitely gives the most daring view as you feel like you're going to fall right off the end of the track. Just as you reach the end you come to a stop, gazing down to the ground far below, before slowly teetering back as the front of the track lifts up. You'll then teeter back and forth feeling as if you are about to go off the front of the track each time before returning safely to the tower.

Cloud Nine Balloon Experience
The Cloud Nine Balloon Experience is the world's largest, land-tethered helium balloon ride and holds up to 30 passengers, slowly rising to a height of 500 feet above the Strip. You'll appreciate magnificent views of the city's surrounding mountains as well as one of one of the best views of the Las Vegas Strip available. You have the freedom to walk around taking pictures from all angles and directions and enjoying the fresh air. The Cloud Nine Balloon Experience is environmentally safe, non-polluting and virtually silent and, despite it's size, uses less energy to rise up than a standard elevator. The Cloud Nine Balloon Experience can be found directly across from the Mandalay Bay Resort at the south end of the Strip and can be seen from miles away. The balloon ride leaves every 12 minutes and operates until 2am making for breathtaking night views of the dazzling neon-lit Strip.

Speed - The Ride
Speed - The Ride, located at the Sahara is a very popular Las Vegas roller coaster ride. This state-of-the-art roller coaster is launched out at full-speed over its first hill. Attaining speeds of 35 mph around the first curve, the carriages then dive into a corkscrew before plummeting underground through a mist-filled tunnel. True to it's name, Speed - The Ride reaches a staggering 70 mph as it loop-the-loop's moments later in the ride. Just as passengers manage to regain their breath, the roller coaster hurtles up a 224-foot tower before coming to a stop at the top. Riders then start to creep backwards to experience the entire journey in reverse and at equally high speeds.

The Roller Coaster at New York New York
The Roller Coaster at New York New York is a hugely popular thrill ride and one that's hard to miss as you amble down The Strip. Sitting in front of the New York New York hotel and backdropped by replicas of many famous New York landmarks including a 150-foot model of the Statue of Liberty and several of Manhattan's iconic buildings, you board the train for this thrilling ride in carriages that look like New York taxis. The ride begins with a steep 150 foot incline before sending you hurtling down the other side and into a series of loops, corkscrews and tight turns that leave you disorientated like no roller coaster you have experienced before and reaching speeds of nearly 70mph.

Las Vegas Skydiving
If the thrill of the casino doesn't do it for you, or the roller coasters just don't go fast enough, then perhaps you should consider a Las Vegas sky dive. There can't be many more picturesque landscapes than the beautiful Nevada desert backed by the magnificent Las Vegas skyline when viewed from a breathtaking 10,000 feet up! All the Las Vegas sky diving companies operate just outside the city, usually a 20 or 30 minute drive away. Most of the companies operate a hotel pick-up which is included in the price and the drive out to the airstrip only adds to the suspense as you gradually approach what for most will be their first ever sky dive. The mountains, desert and glittering cityscape combine to make sky diving in Las Vegas one of the most exhilarating locations to experience a tandem free-fall back to the ground from a starting height of just over two miles up!