As one of the most visited gay travel destinations in the U.S., Las Vegas offers an abundance of bars, clubs, and events catered to the queer community. In this article, we give you an insider's look at some of the must-visit spots to experience LGBTQ+ nightlife in Las Vegas. First, let's talk about the iconic "Fruit Loop" on Paradise Road just east of the Strip. This historic neighborhood is home to some of the city's most beloved gay bars and clubs, with a friendly, welcoming vibe.
Virgin Hotels Las Vegas
🌟 Pro tip – For the best LGBTQ+ friendly hotel in the Fruit Loop, within a short walk of the best gay bars and clubs, we highly recommend and prefer to stay ourselves at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas.Â
For those seeking a more upscale scene, certain spots on the Las Vegas Strip cater to a sophisticated LGBTQ+ crowd. Think chic lounges, trendy nightclubs, and dazzling drag shows. So, grab your dancing shoes, adjust that glitter crown, and get ready to paint the town rainbow!
Neon Museum in Las Vegas
And don't forget to explore Downtown Las Vegas! This revitalized area boasts hidden gems like chill cocktail lounges, the fabulous neon museum, and a new LGBTQ+ hotel called Bent Inn & Pub.
Piranha Nightclub – The most famous of the gay clubs in Las Vegas. This massive multi-level venue with go-go dancers, drag performances, theme nights, and high-energy vibes will keep you moving all night long. We’ve been coming to this legendary venue for years, and it’s aways a wild, fun, good time.
Piranha Nightclub
Sexy Go-Go Dancers
We also love the shirtless bartenders and the dozen or so sexy go-go dancers strategically placed around the club. For an unforgettable experience, reserve a VIP table with bottle service, or book one of the meet and greet packages with the famous queens from RuPaul’s Drag Race that regularly perform at the club.
Gipsy Lounge
Gipsy Lounge – Located across the street and with the same owner as Piranha, the recently reopened Gipsy Lounge is a sophisticated LGBTQ+ venue that’s hosted notable figures in the past such as Liberace, Bette Midler, Joan Rivers, Janet Jackson, and yes, RuPaul. Weekly events include screenings of Drag Race which are often hosted by former contestants.
Quadz Video Bar
Quadz Video Bar – For late night drinks, head to Quadz, which is open 24-7. This laid-back gay bar offers a welcoming space to unwind with friends, belt out your favorite tunes at karaoke, or simply relax and enjoy the friendly atmosphere. It’s also located just across Paradise Road from Piranha, Gipsy and just steps from Virgin Hotels Las Vegas.
The Garage
Happy Hour
The Garage – Just beyond the Fruit Loop, The Garage is the locals' pick for the best gay bar in Las Vegas. This quirky, auto-body shop themed bar offers a relaxed vibe with pool tables, shuffleboard, and a very popular happy hour with great drink specials.
Body Shop Theme and Gaming at the Bar
In addition to friendly bartenders and regulars, The Garage offers gaming at the bar. They also have outdoor seating, however, you can smoke inside this popular bar. It's worth pointing out your clothes will smell like smoke if you plan to continue your night out in the Fruit Loop or on the Strip!
Charlie's – Recently, a few of Vegas’ most popular gay bars have closed, including Charlie’s, thankfully just temporarily while they look for a new space. Stay tuned for updates here. In addition, please note the Eagle and Freezone have both permanently closed according to their websites and/or Instagram pages.
Pool Club at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas
As a bonus, we include three of our top picks for LGBTQ+ day life in Las Vegas along with our recommendations for places to stay: Pool Club at Virgin Hotels – For one of the best gay-friendly pool parties, this Fruit Loop hotel offers day passes for locals and non-guests. In addition, we highly recommend lunch with delicious cocktails at Kassi Beach House located poolside. The Kassi Margarita is our favorite. And did we mention all of the bars have sexy bartenders and servers? Virgin Hotels is also the unofficial gay hotel in Las Vegas.
Temptation Sundays at Luxor –If you're ready to party loud and proud, this legendary LGBTQ+ pool party is a must. Returning for its 15th season, Temptation Sundays continues to be THE place to see and be seen in Las Vegas. To stay where all the action is, book a room at the Egyptian themed Luxor Hotel.
Back Splash at Bent Inn – For Vegas' newest LGBTQ+ pool party, join the fun on Sundays with a day pass for Splash Back. Located in downtown Las Vegas just a short walk from the Fremont Street Experience, this gay-owned hotel is a fantastic new addition to the LGBTQ+ community in Las Vegas.
Travel Insurance – Don’t forget to add global travel medical insurance that covers you while traveling outside of your home country. We recommend and use Safety Wing. They offer plans for travelers, digital nomads and expats. If you're already abroad, no worries. Safety Wing makes it easy to purchase insurance even if you are already abroad.
Most health coverage in the U.S. for example does not cover you in Mexico, thus it’s extremely important to protect yourself from out-of-pocket costs due to a medical emergency. We learned this the hard way which you can watch on YouTube: Our First Trip to the Emergency Room in Mexico. To learn more about Safety Wing, check rates and availability.
Hotel Discounts – Book with Hotels.com to save 10% or more on over 100,000 hotels with Member Prices. We regularly find better prices as a member and love the free room upgrades when available.
Travel Experiences – Discover authentic, unforgettable experiences and explore the world with Viator, a TripAdvisor company. We consistently use Viator in our travels, and they offer excellent customer service when needed. Â
🌟 Pro tip – When we visit a new destination, we like to see what tours are available from local providers. We suggest you sort or filter the results by rating versus recommended for you to find the best tours in the area.
Car Rental – Should your travel plans call for hiring a car, we use rentalcars.com to search the best prices among the major car rental companies. With flexible rentals, no hidden fees, and price match guarantee, we feel confident booking with them. Just make sure to book with your Chase Sapphire Reserve for extra protection like primary car rental insurance.
Virtual Private Network (VPN) – Enjoy unrestricted access worldwide, enhanced privacy, and complete security while on the go. More specifically, ExpressVPN hides your IP address and encrypts your network data so no one can see what you’re doing. One click, and you’re protected. In addition, ExpressVPN defeats content restrictions and censorship to deliver unlimited access to video, music, social media, and more, from anywhere in the world. For CNET's Best Overall VPN and our favorite for travel, we strongly recommend you add ExpressVPN to all of your devices.
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Hi gorgeous, and welcome to our LGBTQ+ travel blog! We're Andy and Trai, a gay couple traveling the world with PRIDE 🌈 …and our rescue dog, Pattie!
After meeting in San Francisco in 2018 and later moving to Chicago, we decided to quit our jobs in 2021, sell everything, and become Two Gay Expats. For over two years, we explored the best of gay Mexico while waiting for our house, Casa Cangrejo, to be completed in Tulum. We got married at The Beach Tulum in 2020 and became Mexican permanent residents in 2022.
Today, we continue to travel around Mexico and the world to show you our favorite places. If you'd like to follow our adventures, subscribe on YouTube and join us on Instagram.
