Here’s a strange fact to welcome you into this article; the famous saying that ‘’whatever happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas’’ wasn’t uttered by Elvis. Neither was it coined by a very regretful person several thousand dollars down on the Hangover.
Nope, it was actually dreamt up by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and the advertising agency R&R Partners as a way of implying that beyond the City of Sin’s poker tables and roulette wheels, there was plenty of other raucous, frivolous fun to be found.
Did a marketing team come up with ‘Sin City’, too? Perhaps. But if the mantra of whatever happens here, stays here was actually followed strictly, then who would provide all the tips of what to do in Las Vegas? We’d all be going in blind.
Fortunately for those visiting without insider tips on where to go, here at IDEAL, we’re not so good at keeping secrets. With that in mind, here are 11 must-do things in Vegas for an unforgettable trip.
Take Advantage Of The Restaurant Scene
Foodies rejoice! Las Vegas is one of the world’s premier places for fine dining, attracting top notch chefs from all over the world. Here, you’ll find the crème de la crème of the cooking world, with temples of gastronomy rubbing shoulders with more down-to-earth diners, and everything in between ready to satiate even the most voracious appetite.
But with so many great options, it can be hard to know where to feed yourself. Sometimes, the paradox of choice can grip you so hard that you just end up going hungry.
Don’t. Firstly, there are Vegas’ legendary all-you-can-eat buffets, which have evolved significantly in recent years. Many hotels now offer elevated buffet experiences that blend the traditional all-you-can-eat concept with higher quality ingredients and more sophisticated presentation. Some venues have introduced reservation systems and premium tiers to enhance the dining experience and reduce wait times.
While every casino has a dedicated buffet, perhaps the most famous (and officially the largest) buffet of all is the Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace. After several renovations and refinements over the years, it continues to set the standard for Vegas buffets with its vast selection of international cuisines, live cooking stations, and upscale atmosphere that feels more like a high-end food hall than a traditional buffet.
These all-you-can-eat buffets, whilst certainly a Las Vegas must-do experience and admittedly heaps of fun, don’t provide the best food in the city. Instead, hone in on the Chinese food found in Sin City, tailormade to suit the authentic tastes of the throngs of the nation’s tourists who flock here.
Read: 5 IDEAL tips for eating out in Vegas
Take A Ride
There are plenty of things to ride in Las Vegas, with highs and lows all part of the Sin City experience. Get your highs in a totally above board way by booking a ticket on…
- Ventian Gondola Ride – Sure you’re in Las Vegas, but you can also feel like you’re in Italy, and no trip to Vegas would be complete without experiencing a gondola ride at the Venetian. There are both indoor and outdoor gondola rides here, each offering “unique views’’ of the canals. The best time to take a ride is undoubtedly at dusk – romantic and almost, but not quite, believably Venice.
- The High Roller – Want to see the Sin City lights from a particularly stunning vantage point? The High Roller, on the promenade at the LINQ hotel, is the tallest Ferris wheel in the world, standing at nearly 168 metres tall. That said, if you’re keen to ride a record breaking wheel in Vegas, be warned; construction is underway on the Ain Dubai, which is set to clock in at 250 metres and open in the near future. Better get on board quickly!
- The Strat – Head to the Strat Hotel and take a ride to the top of the SkyPod – the 1,149 foot-tall tower which is the tallest freestanding observation tower in the United States. Here there are a whole load of adrenaline pumping thrill rides to enjoy, including the Big Shot, Insanity and X-scream, the latter of which sees you dangle over the edge of the Skypod and look out over the Las Vegas Strip. You can even do a sky jump off the side of the SkyPod should you wish to see Vegas from a completely different angle.
A Helicopter Ride – Taking a helicopter ride over the Las Vegas Strip at night is an unforgettable experience, make no mistake. But better still is a helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon, which brings us to our next point….
The Grand Canyon
Providing the perfect antidote to all the noise and light pollution of Vegas proper, it’s definitely worth making a trip to the Grand Canyon while you’re in the city. At just a four hour drive away from Vegas – in US terms, practically a chip’s throw – it’s well worth checking out to appreciate the incredible contrast of America’s sprawling scenery against its major urban centres.
For something more manageable, the Red Rock Canyon Conservation Area (which isn’t the same as the Grand Canyon, by the way) is just 20 miles from the Las Vegas strip. Here you can hike, have a picnic whilst admiring 3,000 foot high red rock, and rent a car or motorcycle and take the 13 mile Scenic Drive which loops through the conservation area.
Stroll Down Fremont Street
That said, we missed the glitz and glamour after a while out there in the wilderness, so it’s back to Vegas proper we head.
When visiting Las Vegas it’s important to remember that there’s life beyond the main drag, and the Fremont Street Experience is often said to be Las Vegas’ second most famous ‘strip’. Before the Strip with a capital S rose to prominence, this was the iconic centre of the fun and frolics in Sin City.
Today the experience covers six downtown blocks, with much of the live entertainment, performance and theatrics free to watch. For all the frivolity on offer, we think it’s well worth stepping away from the city’s Bright Lights to stand under some only slightly dimmer.
What’s more, the Fremont East District of Downtown Vegas plays host to the city’s up and coming, on-trend food scene, so it’s definitely worth getting a bite here. And while you’re here, it’s on Fremont Street that you’ll find a record-breaking slot machine…
Visit The World’s Biggest Slot Machine
Of course, soaking up the experience inside the casinos is a must when you visit Vegas, even if you’re not planning on having a flutter or playing slots.
But if you are just a spectator to the coins dropping and the chips falling, then there are worse places you can live vicariously than at the Slotzilla Zipline, on Fremont Street. Standing at 128 feet tall and 11 stories high, it’s adorned with a giant arm, huge dice, massive coins, cinematic video ‘reels’ and loads of other overblown Vegas iconography.
Should you be keen on actually having a go, then the Excalibur Hotel & Casino houses the Megabucks slot machine, which saw the biggest ever jackpot of its kind won in 2003. A 25-year-old LA software engineer (who chose to remain anonymous) wagered $100 on a spin and came away with winnings of $39.7 million! Wow. That said, the coins didn’t tumble out in 10 cent denominations for days and days; instead, the casino paid out the money via bank transfer in 25 annual installments of $1.5 million each. That’ll do nicely.
Though there’s a common misconception that slots are just pure luck, there is actually an art to this thing. It’s first wise to understand how the game works before chancing your one arm on the Strip.
Enjoy The Tables, Responsibly
Let’s address the elephant in the room – or rather, the roulette wheel in the casino. You can’t visit Las Vegas without at least dipping your toe into the world of table games, where fortunes are won and lost with the turn of a card or the roll of a dice. But here’s the thing: the house always has an edge, so the key is to treat it as entertainment rather than an investment strategy.
The tables offer some of the most social and exciting experiences Vegas has to offer. There’s something genuinely thrilling about the camaraderie around a craps table when everyone’s cheering for the shooter, or the quiet intensity of a blackjack game where basic strategy can actually give you decent odds. Poker rooms buzz with a different energy entirely – here, you’re playing against other punters rather than the house, making it as much about reading people as reading cards.
If you’re new to table games, it’s worth getting familiar with the rules and basic strategies before you arrive. Many people practise with live casino games online first, which offer the authentic experience of playing with real dealers via video stream – it’s a brilliant way to learn the ropes without the pressure of a busy Vegas floor. Sites like Virgin Games allow you to do so without any significant initial deposit; here you can take your time, ask questions, and get comfortable with the pace of different games from the comfort of your own home.
Before you even step foot on the casino floor, set yourself a strict budget – money you can afford to lose entirely – and stick to it religiously. Leave your cards at home and bring only cash; when it’s gone, it’s gone. Many seasoned Vegas visitors swear by the “entertainment budget” approach: think of your gambling money the same way you’d budget for theatre tickets or a fancy dinner. You wouldn’t expect to get your money back from those experiences, and you shouldn’t expect to leave the tables richer either.
The golden rule? Never chase your losses. That’s when entertainment becomes problematic, and Vegas stops being fun. Set time limits as well as financial ones, take regular breaks, and remember that the free drinks flowing at the tables are designed to loosen both your inhibitions and your grip on your wallet. Play smart, play within your means, and you’ll have stories to tell rather than regrets to nurse.
Catch A Show
No trip to Vegas would be complete without catching a show, with circus performance, acrobatics, burlesque, fireworks, water displays, magic, covers bands and big-name pop stars all found here. Basically, even the most fickle tastes will be satisfied when it comes to finding performances to watch in Sin City.
The city’s resident shows have become institutions in their own right – Cirque du Soleil operates multiple permanent productions across different hotels, each offering a completely different theatrical experience. From the aquatic artistry of ‘O’ at Bellagio to the mystical journey of “Mystère” at Treasure Island, these aren’t just shows but full sensory experiences that have redefined what live entertainment can be.
Meanwhile, magic remains king in Vegas, with illusionists like Penn & Teller at Rio and David Copperfield at MGM Grand continuing to baffle and delight audiences night after night. And let’s not forget the tribute acts – whilst they might sound a bit naff on paper, Vegas does them with such flair and production value that they become spectacular shows in their own right.
How on earth to narrow down your itinerary? Well, your hotel’s concierge will be able to take down your specific tastes and advise you accordingly. What’s more, your hotel is a great first stop for accessing tickets, too.
See Some Art
Though Vegas is notorious for its ostentatious displays of wealth and debauchery, it’s nice to know it has a more sensitive side, with Sin City’s art scene one of the most cutting age in the world. Here’s four of our favourite places:
Las Vegas Murals – Check out the 7th street downtown area of Las Vegas and its incredible murals, which are dotted all around in such a way that it feels like a massive outdoor art gallery.
Seven Magic Mountains – We’re fond of the offbeat art installation Seven Magic Mountains where stacks of funky fluorescent rocks aim a nod at Stonehenge. Rock and roll the dice, indeed.
The Neon Museum – A place where the city’s old-school neon signs go to die. Not only visually arresting, it’s also a fascinating cultural artefact of the way in which Vegas has changed over the years.
Free Range Art Highway – If you’re looking for something different, leave the neon lights behind and take a road trip down US Route 95. Also known as the Free Range Art Highway, it runs between Las Vegas and Reno, and lining the road are colourful murals, crazy sculptures and other odd objects rising from the desert floor.
Check Out The Beach Mandalay Bay
Hey, who said that being in the middle of the desert should stop you from hitting the beach? Sure, it’ll be a manmade affair, but in the case of Vegas, that leads to a certain degree of perfection, don’t you think?
One of the world’s biggest swimming pools, and certainly one of Sin City’s most iconic, Mandalay Bay Beach is a mini-manmade city made of water and wonder, and sits on a whopping 11 acres of prime Vegas real-estate.
There are eight different pools in total, including a 1.6 million gallon wave pool which can generate waves of up to 6ft; try riding one of those after an all-you-can-eat buffet! Actually, don’t.
For a slower pace, there’s a lazy river with a mellow current where you can gently float along on a rubber ring. Oh, and there’s also a beach with 2700 tons of real Californian sand – yep, it is quite literally a beach in the middle of a desert; a weird concept, perhaps, but this is Vegas, after all.
Go On A Shopping Spree
Las Vegas isn’t just about losing your shirt at the poker table – it’s also about buying several new ones to replace it! The city boasts some of the most spectacular shopping experiences in the world, where retail therapy reaches entirely new heights.
The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace pioneered the concept of destination shopping in Vegas, with its Roman-themed architecture, animatronic shows, and spiral escalator that’s become an Instagram sensation in its own right. Meanwhile, The Shops at Crystals at CityCenter offers a more contemporary luxury experience, housing flagship stores for the world’s most exclusive designers.
For something uniquely Vegas, head to the Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian, where you can shop whilst gondoliers serenade you from the waterways below. It’s delightfully over-the-top in that quintessentially Vegas way.
And here’s an insider tip: many of these shopping centres stay open well past traditional retail hours, because in a city that never sleeps, why should the shops? Perfect for when you’ve had a good night at the tables and fancy treating yourself to something special.
Experience The Nightlife
When the sun goes down in Sin City, that’s when the real party begins. Vegas nightlife is legendary for good reason – where else can you dance until dawn in a club that spans multiple floors of a casino, with world-famous DJs spinning tracks whilst punters sip cocktails that cost more than most people’s weekly shopping?
The city’s nightclub scene is second to none, with venues like Omnia at Caesars Palace and XS at Wynn setting the global standard for opulent party experiences. These aren’t just clubs – they’re theatrical productions complete with acrobatic performers, LED light shows, and sound systems that could power a small town.
For a more sophisticated evening, Vegas’ rooftop bars offer stunning views of the Strip whilst you sip expertly crafted cocktails. The SkyBar at Waldorf Astoria and Foundation Room at Mandalay Bay provide the perfect backdrop for those Instagram-worthy sunset shots.
And if you’re feeling particularly flush, consider booking a VIP table – it’s eye-wateringly expensive, but the bottle service, premium location, and bragging rights make it a properly authentic Vegas experience. After all, you’re not just paying for the drinks; you’re paying for the story you’ll tell for years to come. If, of course, you decide you’re actually allowed to tell them. Which brings us back, full circle and full of ideas, back to our introduction. Enjoy Vegas!
