Heading to Las Vegas? We share the best things to do in Vegas besides gamble, so you know what to see and do on your trip.
Las Vegas is just incredible and offers so many things to see and do. We actually got engaged here and there are so many romantic things to do in Las Vegas! In honesty, it isn’t a place you go to ‘find yourself’ and ‘explore an interesting culture’… it is a place you can go and have fun, relax and let loose a bit. On that note, here are 10 things to do in Las Vegas.
Explore the hotels
It may sound obvious but one of the best things to do in Vegas is to explore and enjoy the magnificently themed and over the top hotels. The south of the strip is home to New York New York, Luxor (the Egyptian themed resort), fairy tale resort Excalibur and Mandalay bay with its shark habitat.
The Cosmopolitan, in the centre of the strip, is a favourite of mine; with its sweeping and impressive chandelier and crystal glittery objects everywhere. Spend some time visiting the Eiffel Tower in the Paris hotel followed by a viewing of the Bellagio fountains performance to music – just opposite the Paris hotel in the centre of the strip.
For Hangover fans, head to Caesars Palace for its elaborate theming or watch the Volcano eruption at The Mirage on the north end of the strip. Another favourite of mine is The Venetian Hotel; it’s worth spending some time in its popular shopping area or taking a Gondola along the Venice styled waterways.
Fremont Street Experience
Head to Fremont Street for an evening of fun and gambling for half the price of the strip. Here you can find some of original casinos that made Vegas so infamous. A light show plays across the canopy ceiling during the evenings and you may even choose to take a Zipline across the top of this street.
There are plenty of bars and casinos to keep you entertained including the famous Heart Attack Grill. You can get a photo with a million dollars cash in Binion’s Casino or check out the massive Shark Tank (as seen on TV) at the Golden Nugget hotel – rather impressive even if you don’t watch or have ever heard of the show.
A few blocks down you can explore the Mob Museum or for the dare devils, why not try a scorpion shot at Nacho Daddy. The street is a little further our from the strip so jump on a DEUCE bus for a cheap ride.
Stratosphere
Although this hotel is quite far from the central strip, the Stratosphere is worth a visit and is popular with residents and tourists alike. You can choose to take a Sky Jump from the towers deck or ride the Big Shot, X-Scream or Insanity ride; with all rides towering over the city of Las Vegas and rather stomach wrenching! For a more relaxed time at the Stratosphere, head the Observation Deck in the early evening and watch the sun set over the desert and strip or wine and dine at the Top of the World revolving restaurant. There are lots of things to do in Las Vegas for Couples and a meal at the top of the Stratosphere is one of our favourite.
Head to a club
Check out a DJ at one of the hot Vegas clubs. Hakkasan is a favourite of ours, found in MGM with residence DJ’s including Tiesto and Hardwell. Avoid the queues by booking tickets on the clubs website beforehand.
Book your tickets for nightclub entrance before you head out to save money and massively cut down the queue for entrance.
See a show
Whether its a Cirque De Soleil or an ageing singer, nothing beats the over-the-top glitz and glamour of a Vegas Show. Book tickets in advance for cheaper prices. Our top choice would be the Beatles inspired performance entitled LOVE at The Mirage, cheap tickets can be found on BestofVegas.com and AttractionTix.
Remember Cirque De Soleil theatres are usually fairly small so there is no need to sit near the front, save money by sitting further away but still get an impressive view.
The Linq wheel
A new addition to the strip, The Linq hotel offers a variety of restaurants, bars and casinos as well as a large observation wheel named the ‘High Roller’.
Adventure Dome
Visit Vegas’ own mini indoor theme park based in the Circus Circus hotel. Rides can be paid for individually or all day passes are available for $31.95 for an adult pass, with the park open from 10am to midnight.
Neon Museum
A little hidden gem, the Neon Museum Boneyard is where all the old neon signs are stored. Hour tours can be booked via the website with day and night tours available.
Bryce, Grand or Red Rock Canyon
Apart from the heat, there is little else about Vegas that would remind you that you’re in the middle of a desert. Rent a car or join a tour group and head out to visit one, two or all of the nearby Canyons and national parks.
FREE THINGS TO DO IN LAS VEGAS
Helpful Resources
What to pack
- No matter where we travel to, I always take these trusty hand sanitizer’s and a mini first aid kit.
- We love these toiletry bags (especially great for smaller bathrooms) and choose a laptop bag like this as our hand luggage.
- We keep our devices charged on long travel days with these lightweight battery packs and bring these worldwide travel adaptors on all our trips.
- I still struggle not to overpack so stick to using an expandable suitcase like these, over backpack and always take my trusty luggage scales to avoid being charged at the airport.
Travel essentials:
- We LOVE this camera for our travel photography.
- For a cheap, easy and compact camera, we use this to vlog and take photographs.
- We use this travel drone (but make sure to check drone laws in your chosen destination first).
- This is our favourite travel Insurance because it covers so many activities and travel situations that could arise on longer trips but also offers year coverage.
20 Comments
Good tips you got here! May I add a few? Valley of Fire State Park is definitely worth a visit as well, and only an hour or so away from Las Vegas. It has gorgeous red sandstone landscapes, but be warned, it’s scalding hot out there!
Another one, also about an hour away from Las Vegas: the Hoover Dam. An impressive dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River. Except some other tourists here as well though.
Oh awesome thank you for adding some too! We would love to visit the Valley of Fire State park – it looks INCREDIBLE!
Wow! So I have a comprehensive all things to do list when I am finally there in Las Vegas! To be honest I had only heard about the magnificent hotels and casinos there. The property Stratosphere, performances and canyons are a great addition to that list. And yes you are right it’s a place to let yourself loose, will definitely try everything out here!
Thank you for pointing out that Vegas has so much more to offer than just the casinos. A very useful list
I would like to try out the adventure dome. Is the $31 for rides alone? Thanks for sharing. All I know about Las Vegas was the vibrant he nightlife. Desert,and canyons is new! Thanks for this new info!
although I could try my luck on gambling but I would most likely by clicking portraits and doing street photography. Thanks for the tips
You know, I wonder if Vegas gets more visitors from the armchair than it does physically. We see so much of this city in TV series and Hollywood movies, that I often wonder how true the pictures painted are and ultimately what hidden city lies underneath it all.
I myself, have never been, but after reading this post I’d love to visit and experience some of thrill that seems to fill the city’s haunts. I also really like the sound of the Neon Museum. If I ever get a chance to fly across from Europe, that will probably be the first on my list.
Now that you mention it… I kinda want some witty travel writer write a tongue-in-cheek ‘finding myself’ article set in Las Vegas now. xD It would be hilarious!
The Neon museum sounds like it would a rad random thing to do 🙂
I loved Fremont street colorful lights too. Very cool guide to Vegas. One can never cover everything I bet. So much noted from this post for my next visit. I prefer roulette over blackjack , which one do you prefer?
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Since y’all aren’t big gamblers , I would suggest just playing the slots on your next visit to Vegas, stick to the penny and nickel slots. Stick a $20 in the slot and away you go. Tables are kinda complicated and you still have a waitress to bring you drinks as long as you’re gambling just remember to tip your waitress when she brings you drinks.
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