The Road to DEF CON 33

DEF CON 33

August 7-10, 2025

Las Vegas Convention Center

3150 Paradise Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89109

Preparation

Travel

At DEF CON

Post-Event

Preparation Phase

Registration Options

Early Bird

$540 USD

Until May 23, 2025

Regular

$560 USD

May 24 - July 18, 2025

Late

$580 USD

July 19 - August 1, 2025

On-site

$500 USD (Cash Only)

At the event

DEF CON is cash-only at the door. No credit cards accepted on-site.

DEF CON Training

DEF CON Training runs August 9-12, 2025 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Early Bird Discount: $200 off all trainings until May 31, 2025

There will be an evening social mixer for trainers and students on August 11, hosted by Jeff Moss and Seeyew Mo.

More Training Info

Venue Information

DEF CON 33 will be held at the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) West Hall, with official hotel blocks at the Venetian, Sahara, and Fontainebleau. The venue offers approximately 800,000 square feet of space with all villages, contests, talks, and events under one roof.

Las Vegas Convention Center - West Hall

3150 Paradise Road, Las Vegas, NV 89109

The LVCC will open each day by 08:00, and close Thursday through Saturday at 02:30. Sunday will close after closing ceremonies, typically around 18:00 (Pacific Time).

Official Hotel Room Blocks

Venetian

Book Now

Sahara

Book Now

Fontainebleau

Book Now

Or call (833) 702-7272 from 06:00-22:00 daily

Booking through the official room blocks helps support DEF CON and often includes special rates and amenities.

Transportation Options

Las Vegas Monorail

The Las Vegas Monorail provides a quick connection along the Strip, with trains arriving every 4-8 minutes at seven stations including the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Hours: Monday 7am-midnight; Tuesday-Thursday 7am-2am; Friday-Sunday 7am-3am

LVCC Loop

The Las Vegas Convention Center Loop is an underground transportation system that quickly transports passengers throughout the 200-acre campus using Tesla vehicles. It reduces a 25-minute walk to less than a two-minute ride.

Access via three stations: West Station (near West Hall), Central Station, and South Station.

Taxis & Rideshares

For taxis, go to the West Convention Center entrance: 3150 Paradise Road

Estimated taxi fare from airport to LVCC: ~$29

Rideshare (Uber/Lyft): ~$20-25 to the Strip

Parking

Parking is available at the LVCC, with the closest options being the Diamond and Silver lots.

Venue Amenities & Health

Amenities

• Water fountains and modern bottle filling stations throughout all 3 floors (bring your bottles!)
• Multiple chill-out areas for attendees to sit, rest, hack, and socialize
• Exclusive food court with options including Dunkin' Express, Metro Pizza, Brand Burgers & Fries, Fancy Wok Asian Kitchen, Go Natural, and The Roost Farm Fresh Chicken
• Secure DEF CON WiFi provided by the DEF CON NOC team

Health & Safety

• LVCC air filters have a quality rating of MERV 13 with increased replacement rate
• Masks strongly recommended (masks will be available on-site)
• Test kits available on-site with resources for testing and treatment
• ADA assistance available through Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (702-892-0711)

Preparation Checklist

Register for DEF CON (online or plan for cash on-site)

Book hotel accommodations through official room blocks

Arrange transportation to Las Vegas

Consider DEF CON Training (Early Bird until May 31)

Prepare your gear (laptop, batteries, chargers, etc.)

Create a custom badge or swag to share

Bring cash for purchases (many vendors are cash-only)

Bring a refillable water bottle for the water stations

Plan which villages and talks to attend

Travel Phase

Travel Tips

• Secure your devices before travel (full disk encryption, updates)
• Be cautious with public WiFi - use a VPN
• Pack for variable temperatures (conference rooms can be cold)
• Stay hydrated - Vegas is hot in August!
• Bring basic medications and a first aid kit
• Pack extra batteries and power banks

Las Vegas Information

Average August temperature: 90-105°F (32-40°C)

Transportation options from McCarran International Airport:

• Taxi: ~$25-30 to the Strip
• Rideshare (Uber/Lyft): ~$20-25 to the Strip
• Shuttle: ~$15 per person

At DEF CON

Villages to Explore

Explore over 30 specialized villages covering topics from AI and aerospace to hardware hacking and voting security. Each village offers hands-on experiences, talks, and demonstrations from experts in their respective fields.

Adversary Village Aerospace Village AI Village AppSec Village AI Cyber Challenge Biohacking Village Blacks In Cyber Blue Team Village Bug Bounty Village Car Hacking Village Cloud Village Crypto Privacy Village Data Duplication Village Embedded Systems Village GameHacking.GG Ham Radio Village Hardware Hacking ICS Village IoT Village Lock Pick Village Malware Village Maritime Hacking Packet Hacking Payment Village Physical Security Village Policy Village Quantum Village Radio Frequency Village Recon Village Red Team Village Social Engineering Village Telecom Village Voting Village

And many more!

Contests to Participate

Test your skills in over 20 different competitions ranging from capture the flag and cryptography challenges to hardware hacking and social engineering contests. DEF CON contests offer something for every skill level and interest.

Capture the Coin PhreakMe Darknet-NG Capture the Packet Car Hacking CTF Cloud Village CTF Crack Me If You Can AI Cyber Challenge DC's Next Top Threat Model Beard and Mustache Contest DEF CON MUD Scavenger Hunt Embedded CTF The Gold Bug ICS Village CTF Hardware Hacking CTF Octopus Game EFF Poker Tournament BIC Village CTF Blue Team Village CTF

And many more exciting contests!

Communities to Connect

Connect with diverse hacker communities from around the world, including groups focused on specific demographics, interests, and technologies. These communities provide spaces for networking, learning, and finding your people within the larger DEF CON experience.

DC NextGen DEF CON Groups DEF CON Groups VR Hackers With Disabilities Hard Hat Brigade La Villa Lonely Hackers Club Retro Tech Diana Initiative VETCON Women in Security Queercon DC Maker's Community Cryptocurrency .edu Community Badgelife

And many more communities!

During the Event

• Arrive early for popular talks
• Keep devices charged
• Be cautious on the DEF CON network
• Network and make connections
• Check the schedule daily for changes
• Stay hydrated and take breaks
• Use the Hacker Tracker app to navigate the schedule

Community Resources

Forums Discord Mastodon

Post-Event

After DEF CON

• Share your experience with the DC916 community
• Apply what you've learned to your projects
• Watch recorded talks you missed
• Stay connected with people you met
• Start planning for next year!

Share Your Experience

We'd love to hear about your DEF CON experience! Join our monthly meetup to share what you learned and experienced.

Join Our Discord

./ defcon_tips.sh

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The 3-2-1 rule: 3 hours of sleep, 2 meals, and 1 shower per day minimum.

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