Sin City

Two icons, one show, one meal. Stop there.

• Fountains of Bellagio
• Bellagio Conservatory botanical lap
• Sphere Experience
• Cirque du Soleil O
• Lotus of Siam

House rules

• Heat rule 90°F+ for half the year; pools or AC midday, walk after sunset, hydrate constantly
• Strip walk rule longer than the map suggests; Tropicana to Wynn is 3 miles end-to-end, plan in segments
• Resort fee rule every hotel charges $30-50 per night not in the rate; add it before comparing
• Tipping ladder dealers $1-5 per bet won, cocktail servers $1-2 per drink, valet $2-5, bellhop $2 per bag, pool cabana staff 20%
• Cabs vs ride-share taxi from Harry Reid airport (cheaper); ride-share everywhere else
• Reservation rule top restaurants and shows book weeks ahead; Sphere films, Cirque, fine dining all sell out
• Indoor connector rule hotels are connected; use skybridges and casino floors as AC routes between properties
• Cabana rule book ahead; dayclub and hotel pool are different scenes, dayclub has cover and table minimums
• Sports book rule every casino has one; the Westgate SuperBook is the canonical, Circa is the modern, Caesars has the most action
• Convention rule CES, F1, Super Bowl, EDC, March Madness; rooms double in price, plan around or for them

Iconic

• The Strip the icon itself; walk Bellagio to Caesars at minimum, the whole length is the trick most first-timers fall for
• Fountains of Bellagio every 15-30 minutes; the front-row spot is from the footbridge to Cosmopolitan
• Bellagio Conservatory botanical lap; the seasonal installation, free 24 hours
• Sphere the new icon; exterior is its own experience, Postcard from Earth is the entry-level film, residencies are the splurge
• Venetian Grand Canal and gondolas indoor canals, the painted ceiling
• Eiffel Tower Viewing Deck at Paris Las Vegas; the Strip view at half the height
• High Roller at LINQ Promenade; the world's tallest observation wheel
• Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign south end of the Strip; the canonical photo stop, free parking nearby
• The Strat tower north end; observation deck, thrill rides on top
• Wynn and Encore floral installations seasonal, free, gorgeous indoor displays

Museums

• The Mob Museum downtown; the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, the speakeasy in the basement
• The Neon Museum (Neon Boneyard) downtown; the nighttime tour is the move, book ahead
• National Atomic Testing Museum Paradise; the Nevada Test Site history, Smithsonian affiliate
• Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art rotating exhibitions, small, focused
• Madame Tussauds Venetian; for kids or completists

Downtown and beyond

• Fremont Street Experience the LED canopy, zipline above; do it once, leave when it gets dense
• Container Park downtown; shopping and dining inside shipping containers, the praying mantis sculpture
• Arts District walk for galleries, coffee, bars, and shops

Strip North

• Wynn and Encore Steve Wynn's resort complex; the floral installations, the gardens, the upscale anchor
• Resorts World the newer mega-resort; multiple casino brands, Crockfords luxury wing
• The Strat the tower marker for the north end; observation deck and thrill rides
• SAHARA revived north-Strip property; Bazaar Meat by José Andrés

Strip Center

• Bellagio lane fountains plus conservatory; the postcard Strip
• Cosmopolitan the design-led hotel; The Chandelier bar, Secret Pizza, é by José Andrés
• Caesars Palace the classic; Bacchanal Buffet, Forum Shops
• Aria and Vdara CityCenter; modern, Carbone, glass towers
• Park MGM Eataly, Dolby Live (Lady Gaga residency)
• Venetian and Palazzo Grand Canal, painted ceilings
• Paris Las Vegas Eiffel Tower Viewing Deck

Strip South

• MGM Grand Joël Robuchon, the largest hotel in Vegas
• Mandalay Bay Mandalay Bay Beach pool, the Shark Reef Aquarium
• NYNY, Excalibur, Luxor themed older properties; for the vibe
• Allegiant Stadium and T-Mobile Arena Raiders, Golden Knights, concerts, Super Bowl host

Downtown

• Circa Stadium Swim base, adult-only, sportsbook anchor
• Fremont Street Experience the LED canopy, zipline, the old Vegas energy
• El Cortez oldest continuously-operating casino; lower stakes, less polished
• Container Park shopping and dining in containers, the praying mantis
• Symphony Park Smith Center performing arts campus, the Mob Museum nearby

Off-Strip

• Arts District galleries, coffee, bars, shops; Esther's Kitchen, Velveteen Rabbit, Sparrow + Wolf adjacent
• Chinatown (Spring Mountain Road) the most underrated food corridor in Vegas; late-night noodles, hot pot, dessert, Korean, Vietnamese
• Paradise off-Strip casinos, Hard Rock area, Atomic Museum

Suburbs

• Summerlin Red Rock Casino, Downtown Summerlin shopping, the Las Vegas Ballpark; the quieter local feel
• Henderson and Green Valley M Resort, Green Valley Ranch, Ethel M chocolate factory and cactus garden
• Lake Las Vegas resort area east of the city; Westin and Hilton properties

Strip walks

• Strip core lap Bellagio to Caesars; the densest icon stretch, use indoor connectors when heat wins
• Bellagio to Cosmopolitan fountains start, then cut through for hidden bars
• Venetian lap Grand Canal plus the indoor arcade loop for AC resets
• LINQ Promenade short lane, High Roller anchor, low planning
• Strip south stretch MGM to Mandalay Bay; Allegiant Stadium views, less foot traffic

Indoor connectors

• Bellagio-Cosmopolitan-Aria skybridge spine the core AC route center Strip
• Caesars-Forum Shops-LINQ the east-side AC route, retail-heavy
• Venetian-Palazzo-Wynn walk indoor and outdoor mix, the gardens and canal
• MGM-NYNY-Park MGM skybridge south Strip AC route

Downtown walks

• Arts District loop galleries, coffee, bars, and shops; the canonical off-Strip walking neighbourhood
• Fremont Street keep it short; the LED canopy, the zipline, the older casinos
• Container Park to Symphony Park downtown walking spine
• East Fremont (Fremont East District) craft cocktail bars, less neon-tourist

Outdoor and canyon

• Red Rock Canyon scenic drive 13-mile loop, short hikes, 30 min from the Strip
• Valley of Fire scenic drive red rock formations, more dramatic than Red Rock
• Springs Preserve in-city botanical garden, native desert plants, less crowded
• Lake Mead waterfront the marinas, hot during summer, perfect Nov-March
• Hoover Dam crossing walk across the dam, Mike O'Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge

Best default picks

• Cirque du Soleil O at Bellagio; the water-stage canonical Cirque, the one to see if you see one
• Absinthe at Caesars; the burlesque-circus-comedy hybrid, adult, the Strip's better small-room show

Sphere

• Postcard from Earth Darren Aronofsky's immersive film; the canonical first-Sphere-visit, daytime showings
• Sphere residencies rotating multi-month runs; check the current programme (Eagles, Phish, Backstreet Boys, etc.)
• V-U2:UV if running; U2's immersive concert was the inaugural residency

Cirque du Soleil

• KÀ at MGM Grand; the rotating-stage spectacle
• Mystère at Treasure Island; the longest-running, family-friendly
• Michael Jackson ONE at Mandalay Bay; the music-driven Cirque
• Mad Apple at NYNY; the New York-themed variety

Residencies and concerts

• Adele at the Colosseum Caesars; check current run dates
• Lady Gaga at Dolby Live Park MGM; the Jazz & Piano show plus pop residency
• Usher, Bruno Mars, others rotating residencies across Strip venues
• Lake of Dreams at Wynn free outdoor light-and-water show

Production and variety

• Awakening at Wynn; modern Cirque-adjacent spectacle
• Tape Face Harrah's; wordless physical comedy, unexpectedly great
• Magic Mike Live Sahara; the touring-version live show
• V — The Ultimate Variety Show Planet Hollywood; budget variety
• X Burlesque and other adult shows for the burlesque circuit

Magic and illusion

• Penn & Teller Rio; long-running, more substance than most, intelligent magic
• David Copperfield MGM Grand; the long-form classic
• Shin Lim Mirage; close-up card magic, AGT winner
• Mat Franco LINQ; storytelling magic
• Piff the Magic Dragon Flamingo; comedy magic with the dog
• Criss Angel MINDFREAK Planet Hollywood

Comedy

• Brad Garrett's Comedy Club MGM Grand
• The LINQ Comedy Club
• Jimmy Kimmel's Comedy Club LINQ Promenade

Experiences and immersive

• AREA15 and Omega Mart the Meow Wolf installation; immersive, weird, photo-friendly
• Particle Ink at AREA15; immersive multimedia
• Lost Spirits Distillery AREA15; immersive distillery tour and tasting

Nightclubs and dayclubs

• Marquee Cosmopolitan; the flagship nightclub, dayclub on the rooftop
• Omnia Caesars; top-tier production nightclub, the chandelier
• Hakkasan MGM Grand; multi-level nightclub
• Tao Venetian; nightclub plus restaurant downstairs
• XS Encore; consistently top-rated, dayclub adjacent
• Drai's Beachclub and Nightclub Cromwell rooftop

Sports-first, guaranteed energy

• Stadium Swim at Circa, sports-first, works any month
• Winter Swim at Stadium Swim for heated cold-season pool days

Iconic mega complexes

• Mandalay Bay Beach sand-and-resort scale, check status and hours
• Caesars Palace Garden of the Gods Pool Oasis, multi-pool circuit

Dayclub energy

• Encore Beach Club flagship dayclub pool scene
• DAYLIGHT Beach Club at Mandalay Bay

Calmer decks

• Waldorf Astoria pool deck for low-chaos sun time
• Red Rock resort pools for a quieter local feel

High-impact Strip reservations

• é by José Andrés — intimate counter tasting menu, Cosmopolitan
• Joël Robuchon French fine dining, MGM Grand
• Guy Savoy French fine dining, Caesars Palace
• Bazaar Meat by José Andrés — meat-forward share plates, SAHARA
• Carbone Italian-American, Aria
• Nobu Japanese, Nobu Hotel at Caesars Palace
• Spago Wolfgang Puck, Forum Shops at Caesars
• The Mayfair Supper Club
• Wing Lei
• Best Friend
• Mon Ami Gabi

Off-strip anchors

• Lotus of Siam Northern Thai, Strip-adjacent institution
• Esther's Kitchen Arts District Italian, local favorite
• Raku Japanese charcoal grill, off-strip
• Yui Edomae Sushi serious omakase, off-strip
• Sparrow + Wolf Arts District, one of the most creative kitchens in the city
• The Black Sheep Spring Valley, Spanish-Vietnamese — locals go here specifically to avoid the Strip
• Flock & Fowl Chinatown, Hainanese chicken rice
• Monta Ramen Chinatown, the ramen locals eat
• Partage
• Shang Artisan Noodle
• Tacos El Gordo
• Chinatown corridor late-night noodles, hot pot, dessert

Buffets

• Bacchanal Buffet Caesars Palace, the benchmark

Steakhouses

• Bazaar Meat by José Andrés SAHARA; meat-forward share plates, theatrical
• SW Steakhouse Wynn; the better Vegas steakhouse, lake-view tables
• Jean Georges Steakhouse Aria; modern steakhouse, French influence
• Strip House Planet Hollywood; old-school red-walled steakhouse
• Lawry's The Prime Rib off-Strip institution; the prime rib service, cart-side carving
• CUT by Wolfgang Puck Palazzo; Beverly Hills export

Korean

• Mother in Law's Chinatown; Korean comfort food, no-frills
• Soyo Korean Barstaurant Chinatown; Korean-Japanese, late hours
• Jjanga Sushi Bar & Oriental Grill Korean and Japanese fusion
• Honey Pig Korean BBQ, Chinatown

Vietnamese

• Pho Kim Long Chinatown; 24-hour pho institution
• District One Kitchen & Bar modern Vietnamese, Chinatown
• Sweet Spot Sandwiches bánh mì specialist
• Pho So 1 classic neighbourhood pho

Mexican

• Tacos El Gordo Strip and locations; the canonical Tijuana-style taco, late-night
• Casa Don Juan downtown; old-school Mexican, since 1996
• Mariscos El Pulpo seafood Mexican, off-Strip
• El Dorado Cantina Strip; non-GMO Mexican, locals' pick

Late-night and 24-hour

• Peppermill Strip institution since 1972; the fireside lounge, the late-night diner energy, the photo-worthy interior
• Mr. Lucky's at the Hard Rock 24-hour casino diner
• Du-par's at the Golden Gate 24-hour pancakes, downtown
• The Buffet at Bellagio after midnight when open late
• Capital Grille MGM Grand; late kitchen hours
• Secret Pizza after a show Cosmopolitan; the canonical late-night Strip slice

Coffee

• Mothership Coffee Roasters off-Strip; the canonical local third-wave, multiple locations
• Sambalatte off-Strip; Brazilian-influenced, brew-bar setup
• Vesta Coffee Roasters Arts District; small-batch roaster
• Sunrise Coffee off-Strip; locals' weekend pick
• PublicUs downtown; café-restaurant hybrid

Bookshops

• The Writer's Block downtown; the only independent bookshop in town, the artificial bird garden inside
• Amber Unicorn Books off-Strip; used books, the SF-style indie

Dishes to order

• Bellagio Buffet (Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars) the canonical Vegas buffet experience
• Steakhouse splurge SW or Bazaar Meat or Lawry's prime rib; the iconic Vegas dinner
• Tacos al pastor Tacos El Gordo; the late-night ritual
• Northern Thai at Lotus of Siam the dish-by-dish order, not the lunch buffet
• Sphere snacks and cocktail overpriced but part of the experience
• Bacchanal Buffet Caesars; the benchmark Vegas buffet

Buffets

• Bacchanal Buffet Caesars Palace; the benchmark, the seafood station
• The Buffet at Wynn consistently top-rated
• Garden Court Buffet at Main Street Station downtown; the budget option

Hidden

• Secret Pizza walk-up counter on the 3rd floor of Cosmopolitan, cash only, no signage

Strip staples

• The Chandelier three-level bar inside a chandelier, Cosmopolitan
• Ghost Donkey mezcal and tequila bar
• Vesper Bar Cosmopolitan, craft cocktails
• Ski Lodge
• The Dorsey
• Rosina

Downtown and off-strip

• Legacy Club rooftop bar at Circa, Strip views
• Velveteen Rabbit Arts District cocktail bar; the off-Strip anchor
• Herbs & Rye classic cocktail bar, off-strip; happy hour is the move
• Double Down Saloon punk dive bar, Paradise; the Bacon Martini, "ass juice"
• Golden Tiki Chinatown; the lavish tiki room

Speakeasies

• The Laundry Room downtown; speakeasy behind a laundry door, reservation-only
• The Underground at the Mob Museum downtown; Prohibition-era speakeasy in the basement
• Oak & Ivy Container Park; whiskey-focused, dark wood interior
• The Sand Dollar Lounge Spring Mountain Road; live music in a hidden room
• Frankie's Tiki Room 24-hour tiki bar, off-Strip
• Easy's Cocktail Lounge hidden inside Park MGM

Sports books as social venues

• Westgate SuperBook Westgate Resort; the largest, the canonical Vegas sportsbook
• Circa Sportsbook downtown; the largest stadium-style book, three-story screens
• Caesars Sportsbook Caesars Palace; high-stakes action
• Westgate Lounge sportsbook-adjacent watch parties

Karaoke

• eKaraoke Chinatown; Korean-style private rooms
• Sing Sing Karaoke Chinatown; private rooms, late-night
• Dino's Lounge Strip-adjacent; open-mic karaoke dive bar, since 1962

Half-day and short escapes

• Red Rock Canyon 30 min west; 13-mile scenic loop, short hikes, the close-in nature anchor
• Valley of Fire 1 hour northeast; red rock formations, more dramatic than Red Rock
• Mount Charleston 45 min northwest; 30°F cooler than the Strip, the heat escape, pine forest
• Hoover Dam half-day; tour or drive across, the Memorial Bridge for the photo
• Lake Mead day trip; boat rentals, hot springs hike, Nov-March best
• Springs Preserve in-city; native desert botanical garden, museum
• Ethel M Chocolate Factory and Cactus Garden Henderson; free tour, holiday lights in December

Day trips

• Grand Canyon (South Rim) 4.5 hours by car or 1 hour by air; full-day commitment, helicopter tours are the shortcut
• Helicopter Strip night flight 30-min tour; the canonical Vegas experience
• Death Valley National Park 2 hours; winter trip only, Badwater Basin, Zabriskie Point
• Mojave National Preserve 1.5 hours; quieter than Joshua Tree, Joshua trees, desert solitude
• Pahrump and Nevada wine country 1 hour west; quieter, low-key tastings

Overnight worthy

• Zion National Park 2.5 hours; the Narrows hike, Angels Landing (permit required), worth two nights
• Antelope Canyon 4.5 hours; guided tour required, one of the most photographed places in the US
• Bryce Canyon 4 hours; the hoodoos, pair with Zion as a Utah loop
• Joshua Tree National Park 3.5 hours; the Mojave-Colorado desert meeting point
• Sedona 4 hours; red rocks, hiking, the spiritual-tourism town
• Lake Powell and Page, Arizona 4.5 hours; pair with Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend

Conventions and conferences

• CES (Consumer Electronics Show) early January; the biggest tech conference in the world, room rates double, sidewalks crowded
• Magic Live! August; the magicians' annual gathering
• AVN Adult Entertainment Expo January; iconic Vegas, runs alongside CES
• SEMA Show November; the automotive specialty trade show, plus the convoy of show cars

Sports anchors

• March Madness mid-March through early April; sportsbooks and viewing parties citywide, the canonical sports weekend
• NFL season September through February; mega sportsbooks and Stadium Swim at Circa
• Super Bowl in Vegas when hosted (Allegiant Stadium); the Strip energy peaks
• Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix November; the Strip becomes the track, dates vary by year
• UFC and boxing year-round; T-Mobile Arena fights are the canonical Vegas fight night
• NBA Summer League July; UNLV venues, every team plays
• NHRA Las Vegas Nationals April and October; drag racing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
• PBR World Finals May; the rodeo's biggest event
• National Finals Rodeo first full week of December; the canonical NFR, citywide energy
• Vegas Golden Knights October through April; hockey at T-Mobile Arena

Festivals and culture

• EDC Las Vegas May; Las Vegas Motor Speedway, three nights of electronic music
• Life Is Beautiful Festival September; downtown music and arts festival
• Bite of Las Vegas October; the food festival
• Las Vegas Restaurant Week spring and fall; the prix-fixe windows at top rooms
• Cherry blossom season at Bellagio Conservatory spring installation; check dates
• Pride Las Vegas October

Holiday season

• New Year's Eve on the Strip the canonical Vegas NYE; fireworks from rooftops
• Christmas at the Venetian ice rink, gondolas decked out, the photo-friendly Strip stop
• Bellagio Conservatory holiday installation late November through early January
• Ethel M Cactus Garden lights Henderson; free, drive-out worth it