Las Vegas is one of those places that everyone has to experience in their lifetime, even if you’re not a gambler. The people watching alone is worth the trip! Over the years I have been to Las Vegas numerous times and each trip brings new adventures. Almost like a completely different location with every visit. Here is my Las Vegas Travel Guide full of recommendations that I have experienced, as well as what I’m looking forward to on my next visit.
What to Know
Climate: Las Vegas is extremely hot in the summer and cool in the winter. It’s a desert afterall! Make sure you check the weather forecast before you leave so you can pack accordingly! Also, most (if not all) pools are not open in the wintertime in accordance with Las Vegas laws.
Expenses: Everything is expensive in Las Vegas. Be prepared to spend extra on food and drinks while there.
Transportation
Uber/Ride-sharing: Take an Uber over a cab. You are charged a $3.50 fee just to get into a cab, plus if you pay with a card you’re charged another $3 on top of your fare.
Walking: The strip is very easy to navigate, but it’s a lot bigger than you think! Bring comfortable shoes.
Cabs: I recommend taking a ride-share like Uber over cabs solely for the fact that they charge you as stated above. But if it’s unavoidable, they are reliable modes of transportation in Las Vegas.
Where to Stay
The Aria Resort is one of my favorite places to stay at in Vegas. Their pool is a mini oasis and their rooms are very nice.
I stayed at The Mirage when visiting Las Vegas on a girls trip once. This hotel was perfect for us and the pool was a ton of fun!
What To Do
Top Golf
I am not a golfer, but I had the best time at Top Golf. Even when I was done trying to hit the ball, I could just lounge there and watch. The views are amazing and, surprisingly, the food was really good. Plus, if you go in the summertime and request a bay on the top level, you can lounge by the pool. (Which you can do whether or not you’re playing. Just walk in and head to the top. It’s free!)
Top Golf should be on everyone’s list, not just your Las Vegas travel guide.
Pro tip: Ask for a tour from Mr. Ed. He’ll give you all of the insider tips.
Titanic Exhibit in the Luxor
If you are into history, especially of the Titanic, then this is a must see. There is an actual piece of the Titanic in this exhibit! It was very interesting how they put it all together and made you feel as if you were on board. Each room would tell stories of the passengers who were on board and the reasons why they were traveling on the Titanic. It was very well put together. To be honest, better than I expected.
Dueling Pianos in New York New York
We stumbled upon this one afternoon so it was just one piano player at the time, but it was so much fun! I am a sucker for a piano bar though. Next time, we plan to actually make a reservation for the dueling pianos at 8. It’s a $25/person cover for the evening festivities but well worth it in my opinion!
Where To Eat
We didn’t eat one bad thing in Vegas. All of the food was really good! These are the places we ate at, but most of them we just stumbled upon. In my opinion, unless you have your heart set on something specific, don’t plan your meals. Just eat at the best place closest to you.
TAP
We at at TAP in the MGM Grand while we were waiting for our rooms to be ready. It was really good and I would recommend it if you’re hungry and at the MGM. Nothing to write home about, just good bar food!
Eiffel Tower Restaurant
The Eiffel Tower Restaurant in the Paris hotel was one of the only things that we had planned for this trip. The food was amazing and the views of the Bellagio fountains and the strip were so good! This restaurant was pretty expensive, obviously, so be aware of that going in. For us, this was a one time thing. I love food but I don’t need to pay an arm and a leg for it.
Grimaldi’s Pizzeria
We love a good pizza. So, naturally, we were on the hunt for one the second we touched down. Grimaldi’s in the Venetian was really good! Our server left a lot to be desired, but I won’t hold that it against the resaurant. Again, if you’re hungy and in the Venetian, this place was really good! But not a must-eat.
Hash House A Go Go
If you don’t want to wait in a long ass long to eat at Hash House, go at 8 am. A ton of people had recommended this place to us, and I’ll say this: The food here was good! I got the chicken & waffles which I’d never had before. But it wasn’t worth all of the hype, in my opinion. If you are hungry and you stumble upon, go. But it’s not worth the walk to the other side of the strip that we took.
Il Fornaio in New York New York
We were catching a show at New York New York so just wanted something that was convenient. Il Fornaio was another Italian restaurant where the pizza did not disappoint!
What I Would Pass On
Zumanity
We definitely wanted to catch a show while in Vegas. Zumanity was recommended to us by numerous people! (I’m starting to catch a trend here that we have nothing in common with the people we spend time with! lol) Overall, the show was good, just not great. The performers were extremely talented and it was funny. The whole premise of the show is that they perform topless which just distracted from the show, in my opinion.
The MGM Grand
In all things in life, you get what you pay for. I know a lot of people are in the mindset of: You don’t spend a lot of time in your hotel room so what does it matter? I’m not one of those people. Our rooms were so dark there was probably something hiding in our closet the entire time. Not to mention all of the issues we had with the not having hot water in the shower. We had to make numerous calls to the front desk for a few issues. Overall not a great experience for our rooms.
But it wasn’t just the rooms. Even the casino wasn’t our vibe. I would say it’s meant for people who are really coming to Vegas to rage. It’s loud and extremely smoky compared to the other casinos we were in. So keep that in mind before booking!
Fremont Street
First, if you go to Fremont Street, take an Uber not a cab! The cab ride down there was 3x our Uber ride back. And then I’m not exactly sure what you’re supposed to do when you get to Fremont Street. There wasn’t that much to look at. One cool thing was the artists who were spray painting landscapes. But that was it. It wasn’t for me.
Fremont Street is on almost every Las Vegas travel guide, so I recommend at least doing it once.
What We Want to do Next Time
Go during warmer weather
One of my favorite things to do in Vegas is to just lay by the pool and drink pina coladas. Afterall, I want to actually relax on my vacation and Vegas requires a lot of walking. The pool at the Mirage and at the Aria are really nice! I would even do my research to find a pool that was 21+ so you don’t have to worry about kids running around if that bothers you.
Hoover Dam
This is just something that I feel like I need to see in my lifetime. We didn’t have time to do it this trip, but will definitely do it next time.
Neon museum
I’ve heard good things about this museum but it didn’t fit into this trip. It’s kind of like the Hoover Dam, I want to see it but it’s not a must.
Overall, we had a great time! What are your Vegas tips? Do you have a Las Vegas travel guide that you recommend? I’ll need them for next time!
Looking for more Las Vegas travel guides? The Blonde Abroad is the travel guru and I trust what she recommends! Click here.
Disclaimer: When it comes to travel, I only make recommnedations from my experiences or experiences from trusted resources. If I make a recommendation that I have not personally vetted, I will link the source so that you can gather more information!
Pin this for later:
