I’ve had the fortune of visiting Las Vegas twice so far; its become a bit of a tradition! I love it there; the neon lights, the fun attractions, and just the fact that it’s a crossroads of people from all over the world. With all of this, you can definitely have fun in Vegas without all that crazy partying and gambling you see in movies (would not recommend, playing blackjack was the fastest $20 lost in my life).
Las Vegas has a special place in my heart and it is definitely a city worth visiting at least once in your life! Here are some ways to have fun here:
1.Marvel at the Hotels
This is a no-brainer. Not only is this activity completely free, it’s well worth it. The hotels in Las Vegas are beautiful and all have their own distinct themes. They basically make Vegas what it is. If you want to go to Paris, there’s the Paris Las Vegas hotel, complete with a mini Eiffel Tower waiting for you. If you want to visit Egypt, viola, The Luxor is just where you need to go! Each hotel is its own little world, filled with intricate details and amazing visuals!
Side Note: All of the hotels have air conditioning, so you can escape that dry desert heat, which is always a bonus.
Here are just a few of my favourite sights:
The glass flower ceiling, or Fiori di Como, inside The Bellagio.
The fluorescent blue fish tank in the lobby of The Mirage.
The replica Eiffel Tower outside of Paris Las Vegas.
There are just sooo many photo opportunities here!
2. Watch the Dancing Fountains
I know this should technically be part of my first point, since it’s free and part of a hotel, but the Fountains of Bellagio deserve their own spot on this list. They’re just a beautiful experience. I mean, these fountains have their own choreographed dance routine and actually sway to music!
Located right in front of the Bellagio hotel, they come on every 30 minutes between 3pm and 7pm, and every 15 minutes between 7pm and midnight. The crowds in front of these fountains can be insane, but you can see why!
Some famous songs played are:
- My Heart Will Go On – Celine Dion
- Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds -The Beatles
- Bad Romance – Lady Gaga
- Fly Me to the Moon – Frank Sinatra
- Believe – Cher
Fun Fact: Wynn hotel also has its own mini version of the Bellagio fountains.
3. Go on a Gondola Ride
Since The Venetian is inspired by Venice, it only makes sense that it has its very own gondola rides! You can either ride inside or outside the hotel. If you ride inside the hotel, you’ll be whisked away on a romantic journey…across a giant mall. This indoor gondola ride takes you past the many shops of The Venetian, and eventually to a replica of St. Mark’s Square, complete with a beautifully painted sky for a ceiling. The sky was so convincing that I genuinely felt like I was outside!
My friends and I decided to ride the outdoor gondola. The aquamarine water and white buildings really made everything pop, it was just breathtaking. Our gondolier was even classically trained in opera! He told us that he studied it for three years and even sang to us when we went under a bridge (bridges have great acoustics apparently). The ride itself was fairly short, but the scenery and singing made it a very immersive experience.
4. Try The Big Apple Coaster
Located at the New York- New York hotel, The Big Apple Coaster will definitely give you a thrill. I was scared to go on it at first, but afterwards, I really wanted to go again! It has everything you need, complete with a steep drop and upside down loop (so it’s not for the faint of heart)! Don’t miss out, it’s really fun. Tickets are $19, and $10 for a re-ride, which I’m sure you’ll want to do! There are lockers near the ticket area, just in case you’re scared of your purse flying through the air while on the ride (they do cost extra though, and they’re kind of a pain to operate).
Fun Fact: In true Vegas fashion, you can even get married on it! Essentially, you would sit at the front two seats with your spouse and say your vows in front of a minister that’s standing on the platform. After that, the roller coaster will start and you will take the literal “plunge.”
5. Walk Along the LINQ Promenade
The LINQ promenade is a walking area between the Flamingo and LINQ hotels. It’s a lively place filled with bars, restaurants, and specialty food shops. There’s also a very busy In-N-Out Burger there, for anyone who wants to sample an American fast-food staple. There’s also a cute little cupcake shop, called Sprinkles, that actually has a cupcake dispensing machine outside of it!
The most obvious part of the LINQ Promenade is the High Roller, which is basically a giant Ferris wheel that whisks you up 550 feet and gives you a view of Las Vegas from below. Tickets are more expensive at night, but for good reason. That’s when the city lights up and truly comes to life. You’ll get to see a classic panoramic view of Las Vegas, complete with neon lights and all.
Tip: If you want to view Las Vegas from above in the daytime, I would suggest going to the Eiffel Tower Viewing Deck at the Paris hotel. It’s right in the middle of the Strip and has great views. I actually took this picture of the Bellagio Fountains when on it.
6. Crash a Pool Party
There are a lot of club and party promotors walking around the streets of Las Vegas. They are looking for people to invite to their events, and most of the time entry is free for women (especially to clubs). My friend and I were actually approached by someone who told us about a pool party happening at the Flamingo hotel. Entry was free before noon and it came with a complementary mimosa. It sounded like fun, so we decided to go!
When we got there, it was bustling with music and people. Everyone was mostly doing their own thing and staying within their social bubbles, but it was still very fun being in that atmosphere and just observing everything going on! The drinks were pretty expensive, so we mainly just enjoyed the mimosa. Also, most of the lounge chairs by the pool were reserved (and reserving one was pretty expensive)! When my friend and I were taking pictures on them, someone promptly informed us of this and we had to get off haha. Overall, it was a great experience though.
Tip: So if you want to live it up a bit and visit a party, just be open to people approaching you on the Strip (use your judgement of course!). There are many promoters walking about that can tell you about cool events.
7. Spend a Day at Red Rock Canyon
Venture into the desert by visiting Red Rock Canyon. It’s a 25 minute drive from the Strip and there are plenty of bus tours that go there. We flew over this desert when arriving to Las Vegas and it was striking even from above. Red Rock Canyon is known for its vibrant red colour (oxidized iron, the same reason Mars is red!), beautiful rock formations, and unique desert wildlife.
It’s also filled with history. This desert has fossils that are millions of years old! Also, you can find pictograph and petrograph walls that feature ancient carvings and handprints from the Native Americans that once lived on the land.
Most bus tours can be around $100, but they come with an experienced tour guide that can lead you around the area and bring up interesting facts. This can be good, especially if you’re not old or experienced enough to rent a car. If you do decide to save some money and rent a car, the park entrance fee is $15 for the day.
8. Take a Picture with the Las Vegas Sign
This just has to be done. Sure, it’s tacky and a bit far away from the rest of the Strip, but it’s worth that classic photo! The Welcome to Las Vegas sign is located at the southmost part of the Strip, with the closest hotel being Mandalay Bay. So you could either walk there, or hop on The Deuce and get off at the Las Vegas Sign stop (the stops are all named after the places they stop in front of, it’s very convenient I know!).
For some reason I expected the sign to be bigger, it just seems larger than life in most of the photos you see of it! Also, the empty background in most pictures of this sign can be deceiving. On the other side, there is a massive line-up of people! The person taking the photo of you will end up being the person that was behind you in the line, that’s just how it works.
The Deuce: The Deuce is a double decker bus that rides along the Las Vegas Strip and operates 24/7. Tickets are $6 for two hours, $8 for 24-hours, and $20 for a three day pass. You can either buy tickets on the bus or at the various ticket vending machines scattered across the Strip. Kill two birds with one stone and use it as a sightseeing bus!
9. Discover the Fremont Street Experience
If you aren’t getting enough neon lights on the Strip, you’ll definitely appreciate the Fremont Street Experience. It’s located in historic Downtown Las Vegas (you can get there by taking The Deuce and travelling northbound). The Fremont Street Experience is a giant mall that’s covered by an LED canopy (as seen in the picture above). This Viva Vision light show is the world’s biggest video screen and runs 24/7, displaying amazing graphics. It’s definitely one of the first things you’ll notice!
There are many bars and souvenir shops here, as well as a stage with live musical acts. This is also a hub for street performers! One of the most interesting things I noticed was a bar with go-go dancers that actually danced on the tables! It really represented the Vegas spirit and fit the atmosphere well.
Fun Fact: Downtown Las Vegas is where Las Vegas was originally founded. It has some of Vegas’ oldest hotels and casinos.
10. Visit All the Cool Shops
Every Las Vegas hotel is lined with stores; the city might as well be a giant shopping center! It truly has everything, from luxury brand stores to unique specialty stores, so it won’t hurt to do some window-shopping. Some interesting places I went into include a celebrity autograph store at Treasure Island, a specialty soap store at The Venetian, and a kiosk at Excalibur that shucks oysters right in front of you and turns their pearls into customizable jewelry.
Additional Musings (there are a lot!):
- Download the POP! Slots app. It’s a slot machine game that allows you to apply the points you earn towards actual discounts on Las Vegas hotels and entertainment!
- Since Las Vegas is in the middle of a desert, there will be a lot of dry heat. For me it wasn’t that bad, it felt kind of cozy actually, but one of my friends was really struggling with it. So definitely bring a water bottle with you. You’ll also be walking a looot (it takes a while to walk from hotel to hotel, despite them seeming so close by), so dehydration is something you’ll have to watch out for.
- You have to pay to take photos with the people in costumes. The standard rate is $20 per photo. My friend actually agreed to take a photo with these two men dressed in superhero costumes and then they asked for $20, so definitely make sure you’re willing to pay before taking that snap.
- There are long distances between pedestrian crossings, so make sure you’re on the right side of the Strip!
- Visit Eggslut for breakfast, you won’t regret it! It’s located in The Cosmopolitan hotel and serves delicious sandwiches with soft scrambled eggs in the middle.
- There are slot machines everywhere in Vegas, even at the airport!
- If you look remotely young, expect to get carded in every casino you enter. I first went to Vegas when I was 21 and we got carded by intimidating security guards everywhere!
- There are cars that drive around the Strip with advertisements wrapped around them. The owners of these cars actually get paid to advertise various things on their cars!
- Speaking of advertisements, you know how Las Vegas has legal prostitution? Well, there are people that walk around the Strip and hand out escorts’ business cards! You’d be surprised how many little old ladies I’ve seen doing this. They were so easy to get, that one of my male friends started collecting them like Pokémon cards!
- Take a cheeky photo in front of a wedding chapel, Vegas is full of them! Here is a picture of my friend “proposing” to me :).