Las Vegas

Las Vegas is an urban metropolis sprawling nearly 140 square miles in the desert Southwest. Despite Sin City’s size, the vast majority of people are only familiar with the four miles of Las Vegas Boulevard known as the Strip. Home to more than half of the 20 largest hotels in the world, Las Vegas is known as a neon playground of unparalleled extravagance and an open invitation to overindulge. Those who get past the glitz and glam of the Strip are likely to find local charm in downtown Las Vegas, adventurous activities throughout the rest of the city, and lots of wide open desert to explore beyond.

LAS VEGAS, USA - JANUARY 1, 2018: New Year fireworks on Las Vegas Strip on January 1, 2018 in Las Vegas, USA. The Strip is home to the largest hotels and casinos in the world.

Photo By Lucky-Photographer/Shutterstock

Overview

When’s the best time to go to Las Vegas?

Las Vegas is hopping between Memorial Day and Labor Day, when visitors crowd around the pools and in air-conditioned casinos during the day in order to beat the 100-degree-plus temps outside. The months bookending summer are also warm but a bit more forgiving; March and October are particularly pleasant. December and January are the slowest tourism months of the year, but the city dresses up in holiday fashion, so those who visit are in for a festive experience.

How to get around Las Vegas

McCarran International Airport (LAS) is located close to the Strip. A taxi is often the fastest and cheapest form of transportation into town. Traveling to the hotels along the Strip will cost between $20-$26.

It is fast and easy to walk from one Strip casino resort to another. Distance on Las Vegas Boulevard can be deceiving, however, and those going more than a few resorts away may want to catch a cab. Taxis can only be picked up at the resorts; drivers are not permitted to drop off and pick up on the Strip. Public bus routes 301 and 302 also service the Strip. Free monorails connecting many of the properties in the MGM Resorts International group, and the Las Vegas Monorail has stops on the east side of the Strip.

Can’t miss things to do in Las Vegas

Near downtown Las Vegas you’ll find the Neon Museum, which is where the city’s vintage neon signs go to live a second life. The visitor center happens to be situated in an iconic piece of Las Vegas history, and learning about the building’s past is the perfect beginning to a tour through this attraction. This activity has become increasingly popular over the years, so buy tickets in advance to ensure a spot on a tour.

Food and drink to try in Las Vegas

Once upon a time, Las Vegas was known for its expansive buffet spreads, and while there are still buffets in nearly all the city’s properties, these days dining experiences are focused much more on quality than quantity. Foodies flock to Las Vegas to dine at restaurants known for their celebrity chefs and their extensive wine lists. Several interactive culinary experiences—Vegas Uncork’d, Epicurean Epicenter, and the World Food Championships, for example—give visitors the opportunity to learn about food, how best to pair it with a variety of beverages, and sometimes how to prepare a similar dish in their own kitchens.

Culture in Las Vegas

Though Las Vegas isn’t heavy on the museums, the Mob Museum, Neon Museum, and Natural History Museum help provide a historical and cultural context for the city. Performances abound on the Strip and in venues downtown, but the Smith Center for the Performing Arts offers the broadest range of speakers, dance groups, musicians, and Broadway shows. For fine art, check out the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art and wander the halls of both Wynn and Encore resorts.

Spring and fall are the busiest festival months in Las Vegas. Art walks, the annual Renaissance Festival, and family-friendly foodie events take place throughout the city. More organized and publicized events—such as Carnivale, Gay Pride and First Friday—are found on the Strip and in downtown. The city’s biggest and most extensive festival, Life Is Beautiful, is a four-pronged, multiday festival of music, cuisine, education, and art experiences.

Local travel tips for Las Vegas

The notion that Las Vegas is only for gamblers is an antiquated preconception, and locals roll their eyes when people say they won’t visit because they don’t like casinos. Many residents never step foot in a casino but embrace the city’s other offerings. Many out-of-towners find it hard to believe that anyone actually lives in Las Vegas, but beyond the Strip, the city is very much like most large cities. To find the locals hanging out in “touristy” areas, head downtown to the locally owned lounges and bars.

Guide Editor

Matt Villano and JoAnna Haugen. JoAnna Haugen is a Las Vegas-based freelance travel writer with work published in more than 50 print and online publications.

Read Before You Go
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Resources to help plan your trip
Take a day trip to the southeastern corner of Las Vegas and the Arizona border for a quick day break from the city. With more than 250,000 people, Henderson is a legitimate city with dining and entertainment attractions while Boulder City tends to be a bit more low key in character. Just beyond Boulder City and Lake Mead is the Hoover Dam and the Mike O’Callaghan–Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, one of the highest bridges in the United States.
If you have a couple extra days in Las Vegas, consider taking a day (or overnight) trip to Arizona and one of the country’s most famous natural wonders, the Grand Canyon. With lots of wide open wilderness to explore, the Grand Canyon is a wonderful day’s escape from Las Vegas, especially if the crush of the crowds is starting to overwhelm and overstimulate.
Burlesque, Broadway shows, and Cirque du Soleil: Pick your flavor—any flavor—when it comes to the best stage shows in Las Vegas. More visitors than ever are buying tickets to see one of the many shows in Las Vegas, which seem to get more extravagant year after year. If you’re not sure which Las Vegas show is right for you, choose a showgirl classic like Jubilee! or a Cirque du Soleil standard such as Mystere.
Lake Las Vegas’ “oasis” moniker refers both to its calm, quiet atmosphere away from the Strip—and its man-made lake in the middle of the desert. More laid-back than originally planned, the lovely community offers hotels, lake activities, and a quaint Mediterranean-style village.
Celebrity chefs feature in their own reality televisions shows, have taught daytime talk show hosts how to create their famous dishes, and have written books . . . and now, in Las Vegas, they’re cooking your food, too (well, sometimes). Restaurants conceptualized by celebrity chefs are all the rage in Las Vegas, and most high-end casino resorts have at least a couple restaurants that have big names tied to them.
Lake Las Vegas’ “oasis” moniker refers both to its calm, quiet atmosphere away from the Strip—and its man-made lake in the middle of the desert. More laid-back than originally planned, the lovely community offers hotels, lake activities, and a quaint Mediterranean-style Village.
Though you can never do everything, you can still experience a lot if you only have three days in Las Vegas. With a long weekend, you can catch a show, stay out late, eat a nice meal, visit a locals’ haunt, hit the classics, and get out of town for a day trip. Las Vegas has a lot to offer for those willing to cram three days full of only-in-Las Vegas moments.
When The Cosmopolitan joined the Las Vegas scene, it did not disappoint. With innovative designs and unique concepts that appeal to experiential travelers, it has truly redefined what is possible and appreciated at a Vegas hotel. Guests can gamble 24/7, dance until the early morning, and catch concerts in two venue spaces, but the property’s arts program, quirky shops, and interesting dining options have created an ambiance unlike that found elsewhere in Vegas.
There are hundreds of things to see, attractions to enjoy, and places to eat in Las Vegas, but there are some must-do experiences that every traveler must have when they visit. This Las Vegas bucket list includes entertainment, restaurants, spas, and shops that can only be experienced in a uniquely Las Vegas way. For those who are visiting Las Vegas for the first time, and for those who are returning again, add these must-do experiences to your list.
Yes, there’s more than Las Vegas than the Strip! From adventure activities around Boulder City (call they for shuttle service info from the Strip) to the exploding downtown and less expensive off-Strip casinos (that also offer shuttle pickup from the Strip), seeing Sin City away from Las Vegas Blvd is easier than ever.
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