I went to Las Vegas sceptical and came back converted. Yes, the Strip is loud, tacky, and designed to extract money from tourists – but it does so with such commitment that you cannot help but be impressed. The Bellagio fountains are genuinely spectacular. The buffets are excessive in the best possible way. I watched people lose thousands at blackjack tables and felt grateful for my £100 gambling budget that lasted three days. The Hoover Dam day trip was unexpectedly excellent, and Red Rock Canyon provided a welcome break from air-conditioned casinos. Set a budget, accept that the house always wins, and enjoy the spectacle.
Las Vegas sits in the Mojave Desert, a neon-lit city that shouldn’t exist and knows it. The Strip is a 4-mile stretch of themed mega-resorts, each trying to outdo the last with fountains, replicas of world landmarks, and casino floors the size of football fields.
Whether you’re here for gambling, shows, pool parties, or just to see what all the fuss is about, Vegas delivers. It’s loud, excessive, and makes no apologies.
The Strip vs Downtown
Most first-time visitors stick to the Strip (Las Vegas Boulevard South). This is where you’ll find the famous casinos – Bellagio, Caesars Palace, The Venetian, MGM Grand, and the pyramid-shaped Luxor. Walking the Strip takes longer than it looks on maps. What appears to be a short distance is actually miles when you factor in the length of each property.
Downtown Las Vegas (Fremont Street) is the original Vegas – grittier, cheaper, and with a different vibe. The Fremont Street Experience has a massive LED canopy overhead showing light shows after dark. The casinos here are older and the table minimums lower. It’s about 15 minutes by taxi from the Strip.
Best Things to Do
Free Attractions
- Bellagio Fountains – Choreographed water shows every 15-30 minutes. Best viewed at night. Free and genuinely impressive.
- Fremont Street Experience – Free nightly light shows on the world’s largest LED screen.
- Mirage Volcano – Erupts nightly at 8pm, 9pm, and 10pm. It’s dated but still draws crowds.
- Fall of Atlantis Show – Animatronic show at Caesars Palace. Entertainingly cheesy.
- Hotel lobbies and architecture – The Venetian’s indoor canals, Bellagio’s conservatory, and Caesar’s Forum Shops are free to explore.
Paid Attractions
- High Roller – 550-foot observation wheel with views of the Strip. Go at sunset for the best photos. Around $25-35.
- Stratosphere (now The STRAT) – Observation deck plus thrill rides at 1,149 feet. The rides are terrifying if that’s your thing.
- Mob Museum – Surprisingly good museum downtown covering organized crime in America. Worth the $30 entry.
- Neon Museum – Outdoor collection of vintage Vegas signs. Book the night tour.
Shows
Vegas shows range from Cirque du Soleil productions to residencies from musicians who should have retired years ago. Check what’s on during your visit. Cirque shows like “O” (water-based) and “KÀ” (martial arts) are consistently good but expensive ($150+). For magic, Penn & Teller at the Rio remains the gold standard.
Second-tier ticket booths on the Strip sell discounted same-day tickets to shows with empty seats. It’s hit or miss what’s available.
Casinos and Gambling
If you’ve never gambled, Vegas is easy to learn. Table games have minimum bets (usually $15-25 on the Strip, lower downtown). Slots take any amount. The house always has an edge – that’s how the casinos afford the fountains.
Blackjack has the best odds if you learn basic strategy. Craps is loud and social. Roulette is straightforward but the house edge is high. Slots are designed to be addictive; set a loss limit before you sit down.
Most casinos are open 24 hours. They’re windowless by design – you’re not supposed to know what time it is.
Where to Stay
Budget: Excalibur, Circus Circus, Luxor. Expect $50-100/night on weekdays, more on weekends. These are older properties, but the rooms are fine.
Mid-Range: LINQ, Park MGM, Flamingo. $100-200/night. Better locations and newer rooms.
Luxury: Bellagio, Wynn, Venetian, Cosmopolitan. $250-500+/night. These are the properties you see in films.
Know this: Room rates fluctuate wildly. Weeknights are cheap. Weekends, holidays, and major events (boxing matches, conventions, F1 race weekend) triple prices. Also watch for “resort fees” – mandatory charges of $30-50/night on top of the advertised rate.
Food and Drink
Every casino has multiple restaurants, from cheap food courts to celebrity chef venues. You can eat extremely well or extremely cheaply in Vegas.
Budget eating: In-N-Out Burger near the Strip. Food courts in casino basements. Tacos El Gordo on the north Strip.
Buffets: Vegas buffets are famous but not the bargain they once were. The Bacchanal at Caesars and Wicked Spoon at Cosmopolitan are considered the best.
Fine dining: Gordon Ramsay, Guy Savoy, Joel Robuchon, and dozens of other celebrity chefs have restaurants here. Expect $100-300/person.
Drinks: Free drinks while gambling, though you’ll wait ages for them and tip $1-2 per drink. Poolside drinks are expensive ($15-20 cocktails). Bars everywhere.
Day Trips from Vegas
The desert around Vegas is spectacular. These trips are worth the drive:
Hoover Dam – 45 minutes from the Strip. An engineering marvel built during the Depression. Tours run daily.
Grand Canyon (West Rim) – 2.5 hours by car. The Skywalk glass platform is here. The more famous South Rim is 4.5 hours away – too far for a comfortable day trip.
Red Rock Canyon – 30 minutes west. A 13-mile scenic loop through red sandstone formations. Good for hiking and a break from the Strip.
Valley of Fire – 1 hour northeast. Nevada’s oldest state park with red rock formations and petroglyphs.
Death Valley – 2 hours away. The lowest, hottest, driest place in North America. Go in winter or spring, not summer.
Practical Tips
Getting around: The Strip is walkable but long. The Deuce bus runs the length of the Strip for $6/2 hours or $8/24 hours. Taxis and rideshares are everywhere. The monorail runs behind the east-side casinos but doesn’t reach the airport.
Best time to visit: Spring (March-May) and fall (September-November) have comfortable temperatures. Summer hits 40°C+ and winter nights get cold. Prices are highest during major events and conventions (CES in January, March Madness in March).
Tipping: Tip everyone. Dealers, cocktail waitresses, valets, housekeeping. $1-2 for drinks, $5-10 for good dealer luck, $2-5/night for housekeeping.
The airport: Harry Reid International (LAS) is close to the Strip – 15 minutes by taxi ($20-25) or rideshare. Slots in the terminal confirm you’ve arrived.
What to Skip
- Timeshare presentations – They offer free show tickets or cash. It’s not worth the 3-hour hard sell.
- People handing out cards on the Strip – They’re advertising escort services.
- Street performers demanding tips after unwanted photos – Just keep walking.
- Buying water from people with coolers – Way overpriced. Buy from convenience stores.
Vegas is designed to separate you from your money. Set a budget for gambling, another for entertainment, and stick to them. The city is built for excess, but you don’t have to participate in all of it.
Explore More
- Four Queens Resort and Casino Las Vegas
- Hilton Grand Vacations Club Las Vegas Strip
- Hotels on the Las Vegas Strip
- USA Travel Guide
