Popular tourist destination for out of town Americans and foreigners to come gamble, party, get wild, and enjoy a weekend of “omg, can’t believe I did that” style of debauchery. But Vegas is more than just that.
The world-famous “sin city” Las Vegas is well known for inspiring famous phrases like “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.” A pseudo-luxurious lifestyle of opulence, dressing up, eating out, and living an (affordable) fancy life for the weekend.
For grown-ups…Vegas offers many hotels, gambling, fine-dining, nightlife, shows, shopping, beautiful European-inspired architecture, water fountains and light shows, and decorative installations to fill your camera. It’s beautiful and caters well to adult entertainment.
For families and non-party animals…there are family-friendly activities, shows, mini-amusement parks, games, and also nearby national parks featuring beautiful desert landscapes.
You could certainly catch the general vibe of Las Vegas within a day, but spending the whole weekend would be nice to give you time to enjoy the hotels, walk the strip, gamble, drink, see a show, and eat at nice places. 3 days is good to do city and tourist things. With another day for hangover-recovery or enjoying nearby desert landscapes.
Where to stay:
- Vegas strip:
- South end – the area you’ll see first if you’re driving in from California or Arizona. You’ll see the big light beam coming up from the giant Luxor pyramid hotel. And then see the classic old hotels like New York, Excalibur, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, etc. These used to be “new” like 30-40 years ago. MGM Grand and Mandalay Bay has many big events. I don’t recommend staying in the south end unless you have a specific reason.
- Middle – think of the area from Caesar’s Place to the Venetian. Best area on the strip IMO, feels close to the best parts of the strip, and you can walk in both directions (just 30 mins max). Useful in case you want to meet up with people at different times of day and also get back to your place conveniently. If you’re not staying in the middle, it may cost you more money in taxi/Uber rides to get around.
- North end – area from Circus Circus up to the STRAT Hotel (formerly called “Stratosphere”). Things start to feel a little more dead from here. Walking south has more action. Walking north is quiet for many blocks until you reach Downtown Las Vegas. I wouldn’t stay here unless you have a specific reason. It’s my least favorite area of the strip.
- Off the strip – there are many good hotels and cheaper options if you stay off the strip just a block or so. It’s a good idea if you have a car or don’t mind using Uber. Keep in mind that parking your car at one of the hotels on the strip is really expensive (~$30), so it might seriously be cheaper, more convenient, and better use of your time to just stay on the strip and get the full experience especially if that’s what you came for. I would only stay off the strip if you also plan on doing things other than being on the strip.
- Downtown Vegas (aka “Old Vegas”) – this is actually a reviving part of Las Vegas. Full of fun things to do and see. Also lots of lights, visual stimulation, street performers (even more than on the strip), family-friendly, also much cheaper hotels and restaurants. It’s still very authentically Las Vegas, but just not THE tourist fancy Vegas hotel experience that you get on the strip.
- Henderson – residential area of Las Vegas and not that far off the strip (15-20 mins drive?). I would only stay here if you have a car to get around, and/or want a giant party house or backyard with pool etc. And not really looking for the tourist Vegas experience.
The “Vegas strip” refers to the busiest part of Las Vegas Blvd with all the hotels and lights. It’s the main part of vegas that everybody comes for, and has just about everything you need. Staying at a hotel on this strip makes the most sense since you only have to go outside and all the action is right there. Just go outside and you’ll see tons of people, lights, and totally visual experience…fountains and street performances, music and sounds, pirate show, etc. Staying on the strip is also most convenient if you don’t have a car.
Most people going to Vegas are probably driving from California or Arizona (everybody else flies in), and will see the south end of the strip first. Now there used to be stereotypes about which demographic of people would go to which hotels and where they would stay on the strip. Such as old people stay in the south end or off the strip, those with kids and families staying in the north end, and the party folks would stay in the center. But recently, it seems many hotels have remodeled or even rebranded so you’ll see a good range of hotels for all demographics on all parts of the strip.
The most important factors for choosing your hotel location depends on:
- Your main reason for visiting Vegas – are you here to be a general tourist? Or are you there for a specific sports event, concert, club, etc? Obviously being closer or in the actual hotel of the event would keep you in this vibe and meet other like-minded partipants.
- If you plan to walk the strip – the safest part to walk the strip is staying in the middle, this way you can walk one direction one day and the other direction the other, and have seen the entire strip easily. It also helps if you want to party and get crazy drunk and not be too far from your place or your stranger-hookup’s place.
- If you have a car – this allows you to be further off to save money, or perhaps you wanted to avoid the strip entirely (and its traffic, chaos, etc).
Hotels:
- Cosmo, Aria, Venetian, Wynn, Encore – these are nice hotels with really nice clubs (both day & night). Perfect to meet other party people and also reflects well on you if you want to take somebody back to your room. Guys wanting to take girls back to their place, take note of this!
- Caesars Palace, Paris, Harrah’s – general hotels for people just doing regularly gambling and shopping.
- Circus Circus, Mandalay Bay, Excalibur – for families with kids. They have lots of kid-friendly stuff like shows, amusement parks, arcades, kid pools, etc. The best IMO is Circus Circus because it has more things and also better location (more central on the strip).
- Golden Nugget – typical offstrip hotel for old folks who just wanna be in Vegas for the vibe and gamble, but want a cheap stay and cheap breakfast options (lots of cheap steak and eggs promos). There are many others like this one. South Point is particularly popular for Filipino people.
- Signature – an example of fancier offstrip hotel for party folks who want something nice but cheaper than the hotels on the strip.
Please don’t get offended. These are all stereotypical generalizations.
Activities to do:
- Walk the strip** – just walk the entire Las Vegas Blvd with all the hotels, signs, and lights. If you’re on limited time, the best part is from the ARIA hotel up to the Encore hotel. But you can go as far south as the Las Vegas welcome sign to as far north as the STRAT Hotel. There are plenty of things to see.
- Bellagio water fountain & conservatory – outdoor has giant water fountain show with lights every 30 or 60 minutes or so, I forgot the interval. Looks nice at both day and night, perhaps more magical/romantic at night. Indoor has the conservatory with beautiful flower arrangements.
- TI pirate show – look up show times for this. You can see the show for free right from the street sidewalk.
- Caesar’s Forum Shops – good for shopping and Venetian-inspired decor. Very pretty.
- Many nice hotels – you’ll see tourist picture-worthy stuff like the Eiffel Tower at Paris hotel, or flower garden area inside the Venetian hotel. Just explore.
- Keep in mind there are also street performers on the walking bridges.
- Girls dancing on casino tables – this happens throughout numerous hotels.
- Viewpoints, landmarks, sunsets, hikes:
- The Las Vegas Sign – the big tourist “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign in old retro design with lights. Easy enough to walk to from the strip, but there’s also convenient parking right there for your car. It’s a fun 2-minute stop so why not stop by when you drive into town? It looks good at both day and night. If I had to walk to it, I’d just skip it.
- Downtown Las Vegas – is cool, fun, and worth seeing. Especially if you have kids, or are tired of the superficialness of the strip. Many things to do and see here, also everything is much cheaper.
- Shows:
- If you’re going to Vegas, you have to absolutely see a show. Music, circus, comedy, magic, etc. I think Cirque du Soleil or equivalent would be great (House of Ka is a nice big production if you never seen).
- Gambling:
- I don’t gamble so I can’t tell you the best places to gamble. But generally, you want a nice hotel where you’re staying or has many shows or things you like…since they often reward you free points or even free tickets to things that are happening on their properly.
- Parks, desert landscapes:
- Red Rock Canyon – nice national conservation area park just 20mins drive from Las Vegas. Lots of beautiful desert landscapes with big rocks, desert plants and animals, hiking trails, and other outdoor activities. It’s a really nice experience if you’ve never seen desert landscapes like this before.
- I recommend these 2 main things if you’re short on time:
- Drive through – through with your car and stop at the following points to take nice photos: Calico 1, Sandstone Quarry, High Point, Willing Springs (also has easy hiking trail), Pine Creek Canyon.
- Kraft Mountain Loop Trail – really nice 3.5 mile trail. About 2 hours total time.
- Valley of Fire State Park – 45 to 60mins drive from Las Vegas. As beautiful as Red Rock Canyon, this one is so much more impressive. Much more wow factor and diverse landscapes.
- Grand Canyon National Park – if you have the extra drive time, this is a can’t miss. One of the most beautiful things in America. Also worth seeing in different seasons of the year…and super easy to just do a drive through with your car for 2 hours stopping at the photo points. You can also take a private airplane or helicopter tour from Las Vegas to see over the Grand Canyon.
- Red Rock Canyon – nice national conservation area park just 20mins drive from Las Vegas. Lots of beautiful desert landscapes with big rocks, desert plants and animals, hiking trails, and other outdoor activities. It’s a really nice experience if you’ve never seen desert landscapes like this before.
- Arts, museums, culture:
Restaurants & Cafes:
- Pool brunch –
- Fancy dinner before going out –
- Pho Kim Long – hangover asian food, or before riding back.
Bars, clubs, and nightlife:
- There many clubs and bars everywhere. You’ll have to research online for what’s hot at the moment, and also what suits your music taste and crowd type.
Miscellaneous tips:
- Quick travel tips for the United States.
- Mobile hangover recovery – tons of mobile medical services who will come to you with an IV drip and other nutrients to help you feel better from a crazy last night.
- Buying drugs – ask for a trusted contact from a local. Try not to just buy from some random person…that’s how you get really terrible laced stuff and horrible things can happen.
Itinerary:
- DAY 1 – check into your hotel, go eat, and go party ASAP to meet people. Or see a show. Then afterwards, you can
Nearby towns:
- Grand Canyon National Park
Unfiltered notes: