Vegas, baby. Two words that inspire many to hop a last-minute plane ride to a world-famous mecca of luxury and decadence and toss their cares to the wind.
Are you considering Las Vegas as your next destination? Well, if you are not, why not? Las Vegas offers something for everyone. It is the ultimate party hot spot where you can find anything you desire in the city that never sleeps.
Gambling is what Las Vegas is famous for, and while this is not the only reason to go, it certainly continues to be popular. But there is though far more to Vegas than gambling, from Broadway, famous entertainers, museums, shopping, and more.
Ever since I first saw the glittering lights of the Las Vegas Strip, I’ve raved enthusiastically to anyone who’ll listen about America’s so-called ‘Sin City’. Despite being too young to drink or gamble during that first visit, I wasn’t bored for a second.
Who can be bored with the sights of Paris, Venice and Hollywood on your doorstep (in hotel form)?
There’s definitely more to the city than casinos and themed hotels, but that glitzy, buzzing Vegas of the movies – filled with slot machines, nightclubs, champagne and limos – is absolutely real. And it’s what makes the place so incredibly exciting to be in.
So if you’ve never seen it, add it to your hit list now. It’s hard to believe that a city famous for legalised gambling – something that’s so not a big deal for Europeans – could be packed full of fun, culture and seriously nice holiday hot spots. No wonder it’s the stag party capital of the world!
Here’s my handy beginner’s guide to Las Vegas with top tips how to make the most of the experience and not spend a fortune.
Las Vegas Travel Booking Resources
These are my favourite companies to use when I travel.
• Search cheap flights with Skyscanner.
• Find the best deals on hotels on Booking.com.
Las Vegas Tours & Activities
• Book sightseeing tours & attraction tickets on GetYourGuide or Viator.
Weather & Best Time to Visit
If it’s not warm in Vegas, it’s hot. You can generally expect clear skies and scorching temperatures of up to 36 degrees if you head to this desert town in June, July or August so if that sounds a bit much for you, stick to spring when the weather’s much milder.
Though if you’re flying out during off season (anything other than summer), double check the shows and pools you’ve got your eye on aren’t closed.
Getting There
For the full US experience, there are loads of road trip routes and bus tours that take in the sights of Las Vegas; you can drive up Interstate 15 from LA through the beautiful Mojave Desert in about four hours. If you’d rather go by plane, the flight time to McCarran International Airport is around 10 hours from Europe and then you’re just two miles from the action.
Where to Stay
One of your first decisions after deciding upon a trip to Las Vegas is to book your hotel. The over-the-top accommodations throughout the city range from classic Sin City decadence to unique, less expensive accommodations.
Room rates in Vegas are frequently priced to entice. Some comparison sites for example, currently lists affordable accommodation options for less than $100! While costs fluctuate with availability, the site provides real-time pricing options for vacationers in search of the ultimate Vegas deal. Airbnb and rentals can also offer significant savings.
Cosmopolitan Las Vegas features two, 50-story towers located directly in the heart of the Vegas strip. A grand total of 2,995 rooms and condo-style rooms with expansive terraces and distinct touches that transform each room into a spectacular place to return to after a day, and evening, of fun.
You can find some great budget accommodation that’s right in the thick of it and doesn’t lose any of that Vegas magic, like the Las Vegas Hostels for around £13 a night or Circus Circus at just £16 per double.
Sleeping in a huge, extravagant hotel on The Strip (that 4.2 mile stretch of South Las Vegas Boulevard famous for its resorts and casinos) is obviously an incredible experience but you don’t need to fork our for a bed just to enjoy this hotel wonderland.
Eating and Drinking
Happy hour deals offer a source of cheap eats for Vegas visitors. Wolfgang Puck Pizzeria and Cucina features several $7 bite-sized bar food items in a happy hour menu that lasts all day long.
Snacks of note include baked polenta with sausage and peppers, grilled pork belly and a chilled mushroom antipasto plate. Matt Reider of Canuck Abroad, a Canadian travel Web site, favors late night dining for the best deals.
Many restaurants and buffets offer steep discounts between the hours of 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., advises Reider, providing penny-pinching meal opportunities for night owls and early birds alike.
If you are staying in one of the big hotels, your breakfast will likely be enormous so stock up on bacon and waffles first thing. Or pop over to Red Velvet Pancakes on North Buffalo Drive for brunch and wolf down a whipped cream and chocolate covered stack. Mmmm.
Just the rest of your Las Vegas experience, you can customize your meals. If you love Mexican food, do not leave Vegas without stopping in to Viva Mercado’s for the best Mexican fare. Try Thai at Komol’s or if burgers are more your style, go to Burger Bar for the very best burger in Las Vegas.
Then later on, if you fancy a meal with a view, head to Stratosphere’s 845 feet high Top of the World where the food’s as good as the vista. Of course all the hotels have restaurants; if you enjoy a bit of theatre at dinner time, you’ve got to check out the Tournament of Kings at the Excalibur Hotel. It’s a brilliant medieval banquet full of jousting, fireworks and dancing, and the food’s pretty good too.
Fancy a cocktail? There are bars everywhere so you’ll be spoiled for choice. Try a punch bowl at the trendy Downtown Cocktail Room, or a glass of champers at the Chandelier Bar – housed inside a huge crystal chandelier – in the Cosmopolitan Hotel.
The Vegas Strip is home to a mind boggling amount of bars and pubs, each with an impressive collection of bottles. Wine drinkers will rejoice when they visit the Aureole, a four-story wine tower, and single malt enthusiasts won’t want to leave Craftsteak.
Getting Around
Looking for the easiest way to get around during your decadent fun fest? Try the Las Vegas monorail, which operates a virtually continuous circuit of transportation between the main venues on the Vegas strip.
To navigate the main strip, walking from place to place is easy but it can get seriously hot if you visit in summer – this is the desert after all – so you might decide to jump in a cab for any serious distances.
If your desired destination is a little too far away to find your way to on foot, I recommend the Deuce – a popular double-decker bus – to travelers looking to save money. This bus services the Vegas strip around the clock, with 24-hour passes ringing in an only $7.
For affordable site-to-site transportation without all of the stops and starts that come along with bus travel, consider the Las Vegas Monorail. The $12 one-day pass allows unlimited transportation between all of the major stations along the strip, with climate-controlled cars that are clean and comfortable.
If you really want to get around in style, hire a limo! It might sound tacky but it’s such a fun way of seeing the sights and if, like me, you don’t mix in the sorts of circles that send limousines to pick you up on a regular basis (one day, mark my words!), it’s a novelty you won’t forget.
What to See & Do
While there are countless experiences in Las Vegas worth your tourist time, part of the fun of Vegas is wondering down the street, popping into whatever resort takes your fancy and seeing what crazy facilities they have on offer. You could hire a limo for the ultimate tourist and Vegas strip experience.
Here are some of the top things not to miss when in Vegas.
Gamble
Hit up iconic Caesars Palace, or spin the roulette wheel at the Casino Royale. If you lose your shirt playing poker at the legendary Golden Nugget that’s okay, because you can then slip down one of the waterslides that run through a central shark tank. What else is there to see in one of the most lively cities in north America?
Fountain Show at the Bellagio
Ok, so let’s assume you’ve got gambling on your to-do list already (although you have to go see the gorgeous fountain show at The Bellagio – every half hour between 3 and 8 pm and then every 15 minutes until midnight).
Culture
For a bit of culture you could try the Atomic Testing Museum, the Natural History Museum, the Planetarium or the Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort Historic Park. No other place on earth could have both the Liberace Museum, full of all that sparkles and shines. It also houses The Atomic Testing Museum full of weapons testing exhibits, seriously.
Round the World Las Vegas Style
Okay it can be a little cheesy, but the themed resorts in Vegas are something to see. Check out the variety of landmarks from the Eiffel Tower at Paris Las Vegas, the gondolas in homage to Venice and St. Mark’s Square at the Venetian.
You may be far from New York, but you can still see a hint of the Big Apple at New York New York with the recreations of both the Empire State Building and Central Park. Fancy a New York themed rollercoaster?
Hop on at the New York New York. Prefer the romance of a Parisian street or a gentle gondola right? Get yourself down to the Paris Las Vegas and the Venetian. Film fans should definitely check out the enormous MGM Grand, complete with movie merchandise, Cirque du Soleil and The Rainforest Cafe.
Get Your thrills Las Vegas Style
Insane rides are something you may not expect, but can certainly find in Las Vegas. Visit the Stratosphere, the tallest building in Nevada is home to Big Shot, X Scream and Insanity: the Ride.
Shows
You can not leave Las Vegas without taking in a show. See Jabbawockeez, the world famous dance crew at the Monte Carlo Las Vegas or the Cirque du Soleil, Criss Angel or check out if any world famous singers are playing, popular names include Elton John and Lady Gaga.
Car Fan?
They like their racing in Vegas, so there are loads of chances to go for a high speed joy ride, like at the Dream Racing Driving Experience, the American Muscle Car Challenge and the Richard Petty Ride-Along. Or to make the most of the desert experience and embrace your inner cowboy/girl, take the Wild West Sunset Dinner Horseback Ride through Moapa Valley, or, if you’re an early riser, the Maverick Breakfast Ride.
Treat Yourself
Fancy something a bit posh? Book any treatment at The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas and receive complimentary same-day access to common-area amenities, including heated relaxation chairs, vitality pools and personal experience showers. With face and foot treatments priced below $100, this can be an affordable Vegas spa strategy to spend the day in decadence.
Blue Man Group
Performing live at the Venetian, this performance art group puts on an unforgettable show that is part techno, part musical feast and completely unforgettable. Blue Man Group is great to see with girlfriends, as a couple and is even appropriate teen entertainment. If your show funds are limited during your holidays in Las Vegas, consider budgeting this one as your performance of choice.
MGM Grand’s Lazy River
For pure water-based fun the whole family will enjoy, check out the lazy river experience at the MGM Grand. Open during the warmer-weather months, this winding river of pool water boasts rideable currents, waterfalls and an ever-changing environment as you ride your way through on inner tube, boogie board or simply on your own.
Enjoy a Buffet at the Bellagio
Considered the premier food buffet experience in Las Vegas, the Bellagio buffet features seafood, an extensive salad selection, numerous desserts and other succulent num nums. It’s a definite must-do on any visit to Vegas. Bonus? The Bellagio fountains are famous around the world for their outstanding water shows that are free for all Vegas visitors.
Spa Day at the Mandarin Oriental
Two stories and 27,000 square feet of ooh-la-la. That’s what you can expect from a visit to the Mandarin Oriental Spa in Las Vegas, Nevada. There’s literally something to suit everyone with couples’ suites, a dedicated yoga studio, heated lounge chairs and a number of water experiences and spa therapies.
Alternative Things to Do
After something a bit less energetic? You could go shopping at the Zombie Apocalypse Store and grab a pink machete and try your hand at the zombie shooting gallery. You could take in the vista from the 550 foot High Roller ferris wheel. Or jump on the hop-on-hop-off double decker bus and see all the sights in one go. No other place on earth could have both the Liberace Museum, full of all that sparkles and shines. It also houses The Atomic Testing Museum full of weapons testing exhibits, seriously.
Places to Visit Near Vegas
Oh, and if you’re not scared of heights, you’ve got to take a helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon. Considered one of the natural wonders of the world, it really is a breathtaking sight and well worth the short journey for the photos alone.
Convinced yet? Book a flight to Las Vegas and go hunting for your cheap, quirky or over-the-top accommodation, too. View my USA travel tips for more options.