Elvis was right when he sang about the gambling and neon back in the days. Often referred to as the Disney for Adults, this city has grown to encompass world class shows, amazing luxury hotels, enough dining options to last a lifetime and a party atmosphere like no other. It is perfect for a weekend break, although it is less crowded if you visit during the week, and it would be amazing if you could spend a whole week here. Let me share with you my top Things to do in Las Vegas, the best places to stay and eat!
THE BEST THINGS TO DO IN VEGAS
Explore the Casinos and Hotels on foot
This is one of the best things you can do in Las Vegas, just walk around the casinos admiring each of the mega structures. Each casino is its own “little” world, each hotel and therefore its casino has a theme. You can travel to Venice, New York, Montecarlo, Paris, Egypt, you can even travel back in time to Caesar’s time, anything you can imagine you can find in these hotels.
The most modern hotels and casinos are admittedly Aria and the Cosmopolitan, both 5 star hotels. So if you want to visit hotels that will leave you in awe, don’t skip these casinos. Then head to the New York NY Hotel, which has a rollercoaster on the roof (for those adventurous thriller seeker people), as well as the very coveted Shake Shack (which I consider have some of the best burgers and shakes I’ve ever tried). Go to the Paris hotel to see a small replica of the Eiffel Tower and then head inside to the casino and hotel which is made to look like an old Parisian town. Continue heading south and visit the Caesar’s Palace, the Forum Shops are amazing, complete with an electric spiral staircase and moving statues. You can then move on to the hotels in the southernmost part of the strip, my personal favorites: The Venetian and Palazzo (sister hotels) and Wynn and Encore (sister hotels). The Venetian and Palazzo are very similar in architecture, italian architecture, complete with an indoor river cruise in Gondolas. The Wynn and Encore focus more on nature, flowers specifically, they have incredible jaw dropping permanent and temporary sculptures and exhibitions made out of colorful flowers. The perfect backdrop for amazing Instagram photos.
For families with young kids: you can visit the Excalibur hotel, a cartooney, medieval castle with a kid casino and a Medieval Times show. You can also head to Circus Cirus for a themed indoor adventure park and spend the afternoon in the rides with the kids. You can also visit the new Marvel Station exhibition at the Treasure Island.
See a show (or a few of them)
Las Vegas is the place where you can find shows of all kinds. From Cirque du Solei, concerts, to magic shows, to adult shows. There’s an array of shows to choose from, catering to every taste. I can vouch for a few of them, I always try to go to at least 1 show whenever I’m in Vegas. So far I’ve been to:
Michael Jackson ONE (A Cirque du Solei show at Mandalay Bay Resort)
Le Reve: The Dream (A Cirque du Solei at the Wynn hotel)
David Cooperfield (An incredible magic show at MGM Grand)
Mat Franco (Yes, Mat with only one T, I didn’t spell it wrong. It’s a great magic show with lots of audience interaction at The Linq Hotel)
And Medieval Times (which is a great family show for kids and adults alike since it includes dinner at the Excalibur hotel)
Downtown Las Vegas
Head to Fremont Street, otherwise known as Downtown Las Vegas for a different experience. I’ve only been here once, last time I was in Vegas, and I think that it is a must see and I regret not visiting this place in my previous trips. Fremont Street is a long, covered pedestrian mall with live entertainment, a zipline overhead and cheap casinos on every side. There’s a Fremont Street Light Show which is free and displayed on the LED roof of the street every hour on the hour between 6pm and 1am.
Watch the Dancing Fountains at the Bellagio and the Volcano at the Mirage
These are one of my favorite things to do when in Vegas. They are a must for me, a trip to Vegas isn’t complete without watching these spectacles. And the best thing of all? They’re free!
The next activities are pretty self explanatory, so no explanation needed:
Get you photo taken at the iconic Welcome to Las Vegas Sign
Take a Gondola ride at the Venetian
Ride the highest observation wheel at the Linq hotel
Shop till you drop at the Fashion Show Mall (my favorite mall in the entire world!)
WHERE TO STAY IN VEGAS
These are my four favorite hotels, I might be biased, since I’ve stayed at two of them and I visit the other two every time I’m in Vegas, but I think they are the best hotels. Plus they have the biggest rooms in all of Vegas, and you know what they say: Go big or go home!
Wynn Hotel
Encore Hotel
The Venetian
The Palazzo
BEST PLACES TO EAT (ACCORDING TO ME: A SELF PROCLAIMED FOODIE)
The best buffet for me has to be the one at the Wynn hotel, it has a great variety of food and at a very reasonable price (for Vegas, which is still expensive)
Now moving on to restaurants, I’m just going to write the names of the restaurants and dessert shops which I consider to be the best in Vegas, and I’ll write another post about this in the future, because these restaurants are so wonderful that they deserve a post of their own.
SW Steakhouse
Mizumi
The buffet (Wynn)
Red 8
Wazuzu
CUT
Buddy V’s Ristorante
TAO Asian Bistro
Delmonico Steakhouse
Carlo’s Bakery
Black Tap Craft Burgers & Beer (Shakes only)
Eiffel Tower Restaurant
Gordon Ramsay Steak
Gordon Ramsay’s Hell Kitchen
Shake Shack
Carmine’s
Just to name a few… just kidding. They are a lot of restaurants, but I can’t decide, I’m a foodie, there’s nothing I can do.
So there you have it – hopefully I’ve given you enough information to plan the perfect trip and given you a great list of Things To Do in Las Vegas to make sure you get the most from your visit and have an unforgettable trip. Don’t forget to let me know your own highlights and must do’s once you’re back! And if you liked this post please tweet, pin and share – I’d really appreciate it!
