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 8 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’ notorious all-you-can-eat buffets. However, because of the pandemic, many buffets are having to remimagine themselves, with hotels like The Wynn offering punters a whole new all-you-can-eat experience without you ever having to leave your seat. Their buffet can now be served to you table side – with more of an emphasis placed on individual plates than all-you-can-eat platters. There are also hand-sanitizer stations dotted around and a newly introduced policy of utensil provisions being changed every 15 minutes.
While every Casino has [had] a dedicated buffet, perhaps the most famous (and officially the largest) buffet of all is the Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace. In May, it reopened following a mulit-million dollar makeover and the introduction of reservations to make the whole experience tailored to the guest’s safety and wellbeing.
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.
Anywhere which sees this many discerning tourists from one country naturally needs to raise their game accordingly. From hand-pulled noodles at Beijing Noodle No. 9 to delectable dim sum at Orchids Garden, all the way to the amazing Peking duck at Wing Lei, Vegas is one of the best places in the US for Chinese cuisine.
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 stone’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.
*Please bear in mind that gambling can be addictive and should only ever be done for fun and a flutter, rather than to make money. Please play responsibly – click here for more info on doing just that.*
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.
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. Do be warned that some venues are currently closed, and others are operating at restricted capacity.
ENJOY THE 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.
ENJOY 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.