Las Vegas is perhaps the world’s largest “museum” of extravagance, a large theme park with many various attractions where the only purpose is to have fun. Let’s discover the main attractions to see and the best things to do in Las Vegas beside gambling.
A trip along the west coast of the United States is not complete if you do not visit the city of Las Vegas. The city of the game par to mention its myth also owes its myth to the many films in which it was portrayed. Very often the city is defined as a large theme park. But here you don’t just come to play, for many it is the starting point for the visit of the Grand Canyon.
Located in the heart of the Nevada desert, Las Vegas doesn’t offer historic buildings or monuments, but great hotels and spectacular casinos where everything revolves around the game and the fun. This city is the largest leisure and entertainment centre in the world, where lights and neon transport the tourist in a unique experience.
The city was founded in 1905 but it was from 1941 that began, with the legalization of gambling, to gain worldwide fame as the gambling capital of USA.
What are the best things to do and see in Las Vegas
Among the top things to see and do in Vegas, the gigantic and luxurious casino hotels within them occupy the top spot. The Nevada city is all blown away by these immense pleasure and fun structures, and for the unruly lifestyle.
Explore The Strip
USA, Nevada, Las Vegas, elevated view of the urban landscape illuminated with Bellagio fountains
Once you pass the famous “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign along Las Vegas Boulevard South, you can quickly reach The Strip, the 2.5-mile-long central section of Las Vegas Boulevard.
This famous street is lined with huge palaces, many built with a distinctive theme and home to wonderful shows, luxury hotel rooms, and fine dining. Here you’ll find the most iconic monuments and the best things to do in Las Vegas, including the Bellagio fountains, the Eiffel Tower in Las Vegas, the pyramid and the sphinx that belong to The Luxor and The Venetian’s Grand Canal.
The Strip is particularly impressive at night, when the city is illuminated by an endless succession of glittering neon signs. The Strip technically runs from Mandalay Bay at the south end (home to an aquarium and an artificial beach) to the Stratosphere casino on the north side, where the country’s tallest observation tower is located (from its top you can take the perfect photo of Las Vegas).
If you make it, you can walk the Strip. Alternatively, the Deuce bus offers rides from the Fremont Street Experience in downtown Vegas to the southern end of Las Vegas Boulevard. The monorail is another option, traveling from MGM Grand and Sahara Avenue. Finally, you can choose to book a series of guided tours.
Fremont Street Experience
In downtown Las Vegas, there’s Fremont Street, a unique pedestrian zone with unique attractions. Fremont Street was initially dominated by classic casinos, a little dated and less frequented. But now, this section of downtown Las Vegas is once again ready to compete with The Strip to grab the attention of visitors. A four-block section of Fremont Street was covered with a canopy of LED lights that illuminate and color the sky.
Every night there is a fantastic musical and visual spectacle, known as the Fremont Street Experience. The attraction includes the immense Viva Vision light show with 12.5 million LED lamps and a 550,000 watt sound system. The area also has several other attractions, such as food stands, souvenir shops and the Zip-line SlotZilla which sits 10 floors above the pedestrian walkway.
The six-minute light show occurs every hour between 6pm and 1am at night, while the zip-line runs from 1pm to 1am (open until 02:00 on Friday and Saturday).
Fremont Street Experience is one of the best things to do and sights to see in Vegas and you can visit it at any time of the day or night. Access to the area is free, though some of the attractions located under the Viva Vision canopy will have an additional cost.
The Venetian Hotel
The Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas is located on “The Strip” across from Treasure Island. It is one of the best resorts in the city and has many interesting tourist attractions. Visitors can stroll through the themed commercial gallery, built to resemble the city of Venice, complete with blue skies, canals and gondolas.
Singers, waders and “living statues” recreate the typical scene you’ll probably encounter in the real Venice. The hotel has also recreated Venice’s main attractions such as the Rialto Bridge and the Bridge of Sispiri, along with many others. Gondola rides are a fun way to see the complex. For a whopping 29 euros per person, you can take a gondola ride along the Grand Canal at any time between 10am and 11pm.
The Venetian Casino is one of the best places on the Strip in Las Vegas due to its size, décor and variety of games (including poker, slots and blackjack). There’s also a Madame Tussauds wax museum, a Canyon Ranch Spa, 10 pools, the TAO nightclub, and several shows ranging from comedy to theater. You don’t pay to enter and visit the complex, but on-site attractions cost.
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Bellagio Resort and the Fountain Show
What to do in Vegas besides gamble – Visit the Bellagio Hotel, one of the best hotels in Nevada?
The Bellagio Resort in Las Vegas is considered the most upscale resort in the city. This impressive hotel complex offers a wide variety of attractions including an art gallery, botanical gardens, spa, and lounge, along with some of the best restaurants in Las Vegas. Beyond the lobby is an exhibition area with themes ranging from spring botanical exhibitions to fascinating art shows.
The most impressive and famous feature is the spectacle of the fountains. In front of the Bellagio, the dancing fountains perform a beautiful show, choreography of jets of water fired into the air to the playing of music. From the sidewalk, visitors have a front-row view. This is often described as the top free attraction to see and best things to do in Las Vegas.
Paris Hotel and the Eiffel Tower
The Paris Hotel on The Strip is one of the most easily recognizable resorts in Las Vegas. The property offers a swirling tour of the capital’s most iconic French: you’ll find a replica of the Arc de Triomphe, a décor reminiscent of the Paris Opera, the Louvre and a 46-story, smaller replica of the Eiffel Tower.
You can enjoy the 360-degree views from the tower observation deck for a fee of 16 or 22 pounds (depending on whether you visit by day or night). Located in the Eiffel Tower there is a restaurant that offers beautiful views of The Strip and the dancing fountains of Bellagio.
Mirage Hotel – Erupting Volcano and Secret Garden
The Mirage Hotel is easy to identify while walking along The Strip. In front of the resort there is a volcano, which erupts at regular intervals. At night, the glowing red fire erupting is one of the most unique sites visible from the sidewalk.
Inside the Mirage is the Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat. Here, visitors can see a wide variety of exotic animals in their natural environment, including white lions. Dolphin Habitat contains a large number of trained dolphins in its 2.5 million litre pools of water.
New York-New York Hotel in Vegas
You’ll have no problem finding New York-New York: its fake Manhattan skyline – complete with scale models of famous Big Apple attractions like the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building and the Brooklyn Bridge – occupies almost a whole block of The Strip. The New York-New York Hotel in Las Vegas is across the street from the MGM Grand Hotel and Hotel Excalibur Resort.
There are also many other entertainment options, including a variety of shows like Cirque du Soleil’s “Zumanity.” New York-New York is also home to Hershey’s Chocolate World, which offers more than 800 types of Hershey chocolates and candies.
For most visitors, the highlight of a visit to New York-New York is a ride on the Big Rock Rollercoasters. Travelers can hop on the roller coaster, navigate through the fake Manhattan skyline, and enjoy excellent views of the South Strip for .15 (or .26 euros for an all-day “Scream Pass”).
Caesar’s Palace and The Colosseum
Perhaps one of the most famous of all Las Vegas resort hotels, Caesar’s Palace continues to evolve. Caesar’s Palace is a huge complex in the middle of the Strip, complete with every kind of entertainment imaginable. The hotel is closely associated with the performances held in its huge concert hall known as “The Colosseum“.
The best artists (including Celine Dione and Elton John) perform here for long periods and shows are often booked well in advance. Visitors planning a trip and hoping to see a show here will need to check the dates and availability of tickets as soon as possible.
Luxor Hotel – One of the Best Places in Las Vegas
Another distinctive-themed hotel, at the southwestern end of the Strip, is the Luxor Hotel. Designed with the theme of ancient Egypt, the hotel has the shape of a pyramid, with a sphinx that proudly overlooks the street.
Luxor, like all major resorts, offers a wide variety of restaurants and shopping opportunities. One of the highlights of this hotel is the ray of light that projects from the highest point of the pyramid and shoots towards the night sky. It can be seen from all over Vegas.
Mandalay Bay and Shark Reef
The Mandalay Bay Resort is located at the southwest end of the Strip, near the Luxor hotel. One of the key points of this complex is the Shark Reef Aquarium. The massive 1,300,000-litre reservoir contains a wide variety of sharks, fish, rays, reptiles and marine invertebrates. About 100 sharks from 15 different species and more than 2000 animals are on display.
The Shark Tunnel is the most impressive feature. Accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Shark Reef works with wildlife biologists to preserve endangered marine and lake populations and to rehabilitate injured animals.
High Roller Ferris Wheel
The High Roller Ferris wheel is located at the end of Linq’s waterfront, just off The Strip. This huge Ferris wheel has a height of 550 feet and takes thirty minutes for a full rotation, offering exceptional views of the Strip and the surrounding area.
Each cabin can accommodate up to 40 people. The views are particularly great at night, with the city lights shining, not to be missed among the best things to see in Las Vegas.
Visit the Stratosphere Tower in Las Vegas: prices, times and attractions
The Stratosphere Tower is an unmistakable building on the Las Vegas skyline. The tower stands at 1,149 feet (nearly 400 meters), and on the roof of the tower there are a number of thrill rides, including SkyJump, Big Shot, X Scream and Insanity.
For those looking for a little less adrenaline, at the top is an indoor and outdoor observatory that offers great views of the city. The Stratosphere Tower is the tallest viewing tower in the United States (about 350 m).
MGM Grand Hotel e CSI: The Experience
The MGM Grand Hotel, one of the best thing to see in Las Vegas is across the street from the New York-New York Hotel and on the corner with the Excalibur Resort Hotel. The MGM Grand Hotel offers all the amenities visitors expect to find at a luxury hotel, with above-average accommodations, an exceptional pool area, a multitude of restaurants, and numerous entertainment options.
One of the hotel’s most popular activities is CSI: The Experience, based on the popular CSI TV series, in which participants can test their detective skills.
Vegas Indoor Skydiving
Las Vegas indoor skydiving offers a truly unique experience. Here, visitors will be able to experience real skydiving, without a plane or parachute. Qualified instructors escort participants to a vertical wind tunnel where they are dressed in special equipment. Once the fan is turned on, anyone can float effortlessly in the air. No experience is necessary.
What to do in Vegas besides gamble – Madame Tussaud’s
Madame Tussaud’s in Las Vegas is located near the escalators leading to the Venetian Hotel on the Strip. Here, visitors can see their favorite stars preserved forever in wax. In many cases the figures are so realistic that it is almost disturbing.
The characters represented range from Elvis to Bradley Cooper and Sofia Vergara. Madam Tussaud’s general focus or theme is focused on the people associated with Las Vegas.
Try the Las Vegas Monorail
Whether you actually have to get somewhere or just want to take a ride on this fabulous car, the Monorail in Las Vegas offers weary travelers a smooth and efficient transport to the Las Vegas Strip area.
The system consists of seven stations: Sahara, Hilton, Harrah’s / Imperial Palace, Flamingo/Caesar’s Palace, Bally’s and Paris Las Vegas and MGM Grand. The Mirage and Treasure Island are connected by a tram.
Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Fans of fast cars will want to go to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Located in Clark County, 15 miles northeast of The Strip, the Las Vegas Motor Speedway is a 1,200-acre complex of multiple car tracks, perfect for speed fanatics.
Las Vegas Motor Speedway hosts NASCAR races and numerous other events. Several speed records have been set on the track. The Speedway offers many restaurants and camping is available for those who want to stay overnight.
Excalibur Hotel in Vegas
The Excalibur Hotel in Las Vegas is another themed hotel on “The Strip.” Medieval in character, the hotel features wild architecture, complete with turrets. The hotel has all the amenities a visitor can imagine with varied entertainment, a huge pool area, and a good assortment of restaurants.
