Las Vegas Books: The Best Travel Guides and Books about Las Vegas

When it comes to Las Vegas, buying a travel guide is often a hard thing to do for visitors. Things change so quickly out here that the books are often outdated almost as soon as they are printed. That’s one of the reasons I started this website because I wanted to help people keep on top of what’s really going on here in Vegas.

While many Las Vegas Travel Guides are quite frankly worthless, there are some good ones out there that can help you plan your vacation.

Here is our list of the top Las Vegas Travel Guides and Books

The Unofficial Guide to Las Vegas 2017

Whether you come to Vegas once a month, once a year, or are just planning to come to town on business, The Unofficial Guide to Las Vegas will quickly become your go-to guide for planning the ultimate Vegas experience. Even as a local this book has some great tips, but for those who have never been here, this book is an indispensable piece of information that you shouldn’t pass up.

The Book is jam-packed with ratings, tips, and advice on everything from hotels and restaurant to shows, attractions, and information on Downtown Vegas, The Strip, and even Off Strip sites.

Frommer’s EasyGuide to Las Vegas 2017

Keeping up with this constantly changing city isn’t an easy task, but local Las Vegan Grace Bascos has devoted years to chronicling the evolution of Las Vegas, and has updated this year’s Frommer’s Guide with everything you need to know from a local Las Vegas perspective. After all, why listen to someone who only visits here to write a book, when you can get the inside scoop from an actual local?

Not only does the Frommer’s EasyGuide to Las Vegas talk about the traditional gaming aspects of the city, but the author goes far beyond just gaming and has taken into account the fact that a lot of people now travel to the town for many other reasons than just gambling. This guide is a great book for travelers who are looking for those other aspects of Las Vegas, the ones most books ignore or don’t know about because the author doesn’t live in the city.

Las Vegas – 2017 (The Food Enthusiast’s Complete Restaurant Guide)

Las Vegas is a food lover’s dream come true. The town is packed full of everything from diners, drive-ins, and dive bars to world class 5-star restaurants run by celebrity chefs. For food lovers, Vegas is a different kind of playground!

Las Vegas is a city exclusively given over to life’s guilty pleasures; The Food Enthusiast’s Complete Restaurant Guide helps you with one of those pleasures and guides you through the top restaurants and food experiences in the city.

The book has something for everyone. From the budget conscious traveler to the guy who is coming to Vegas to experience things that you can only find in this one of a kind town, you are guaranteed to find something that will have your taste buds dancing.

Lost Las Vegas

If you’re interested in seeing where Las Vegas began, and checking out some of the original iconic Las Vegas landmarks, then this book will take you back in time to the way Las Vegas used to be.  The book is a journey back into the roots of Las Vegas, a look at the glitz and glam that made this city, and quite honestly the way many people wish it still was.

The book is an excellent vintage pictorial for visitors who want to either remember the good old days or for those who want to explore the town and see firsthand how things have evolved and how the town has developed into the city it is today. The book is packed full of breathtaking color pictures, information, and stories of Vegas from the 1940’s through today.

Roadside History of Nevada (Roadside History Series)

There is much more to Nevada than just Las Vegas, and if you’re willing to travel outside of the bright lights and step your feet outside the casinos, then I promise you are in for an experience you will not forget. From ice ages to expeditions, Paiutes to pioneers, and dams to divorce seekers the Roadside History of Nevada gives you a chance to enjoy and explore the historical and geological sites of Nevada.

While some of the areas in this book will require you to take at least a day trip away from the city, the book is organized along the roadways and will give you a good idea of what you’re in for when you take the adventure. The Roadside History of Nevada is divided into six chapters: Interstate 80 (The Emigrant Trail), Reno and the Lake Tahoe Area, US 50 (The Loneliest Road in America), US 95 and US 6 (The Silver Trails), US 93 (The Mormon Trail), and The Las Vegas Area.

Afoot and Afield: Las Vegas and Southern Nevada: A Comprehensive Hiking Guide

If you made it this far, then you probably are starting to notice a theme; there is so much more to this city than you’ve been told. Las Vegas is actually an outdoorsman’s paradise. People from all around the world travel to the Southwestern desert areas around the city to explore, hike, and see some of the most awe-inspiring scenery in the world.

Afoot and Afield is an awesome hiking guide that will take you through the more popular destinations like Red Rock Canyon, Valley of Fire, Death Valley, and Mt. Charleston, while giving a you an inside look at the secret lesser-known areas like Anniversary Narrows, Arrow Canyon, Bowl of Fire, and the Wee Thump Joshua Tree Wilderness. The hikes covered in the book range from easy strolls to challenging treks; it includes information on distance, time, elevation change, difficulty, and trail-use notes.

Nevada Ghost Towns & Desert Atlas, Vol. 2 Southern Nevada-Death Valley

The desert Southwest is chalked full of towns long forgotten; these Ghost Towns are a piece of our heritage and history that are rarely seen or talked about. For those that like to get out there and explore the history of how the West was won, I highly recommend checking out one of the many long forgotten Ghost towns within a couple of hours of Las Vegas.

Nevada Ghost Towns & Desert Atlas is a well-researched guide to more than 1100 desert destinations in Southern Nevada’s scenic backcountry. The book is packed with maps, vintage photos, and information to help you scout out trips to these ghost towns and early mining camps.