Las Vegas, also known as the Entertainment Capital of the World, Sin City, and City of Lights can provide any kind of vacation you can imagine. The city is extremely colorful and vibrant, making it an ideal destination for visitors looking to explore its entertainment, cuisine, nightlife, and nearby hiking.
Las Vegas is the biggest city in the state of Nevada and is enclosed by barren hills on all sides. The ‘Las Vegas Strip’ or ‘Strip’ is located at a 6.8 km stretch of the Las Vegas Boulevard that’s lined with resort hotels and casinos.
The city is the 29th most populated city in America with a population of 667,501 residents. Along with the buzzing city energy and night-life, you'll also have access to the beautiful, peaceful Southwest desert for hiking and sightseeing just a short drive away. In this article, we’ll cover the top attractions in Las Vegas that will help you make the most of your trip!
1. The Las Vegas Strip
Distance: 1 mile to City Center
Price / Hours: Free / 24x7
The Las Vegas Strip is a stretch of South Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark country, Nevada, and is known for its hotels, casinos, food, and musical shows. The Strip is known as one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world for its contemporary architecture, beautiful lights, entertainment offerings, skyline, and residential high rises, etc. All of these attractions are the driving force of the Las Vegas economy. There’s no way you can visit Las Vegas without seeing the Strip!
Some of the famous and free attractions visible from the Strip include: The Water Fountains at Bellagio (check online for the times of the music shows), The Volcano at The Mirage, The Fall of Atlantis, and Festival Fountain at Caesars Palace. You’ll enjoy people-watching, street performers, exploring the truly unique hotels & hotel lobbies, and finding lots of unique photo opportunities along the way.
2. The Venetian Las Vegas and The Grand Canal
Distance: 1 mile to City Center
Price / Hours: Resort fee starts from $56 (Gondola Tour extra) / 24x7 daily, Gondola Tours vary
The Venetian Las Vegas is a luxury hotel and casino resort located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada on the sites of the old Sand Hotel. Owned and operated by Las Vegas Sands, The Venetian replicates the highlights of Venice, with Gondola Rides along The Grand Canal — a giant indoor shopping mall.
For $29 per person (Monday to Thursday, weekends maybe a little bit expensive), you can take a Gondola ride along The Grand Canal anytime between 10:00 am to 11:00 pm. If you aren’t residing in the resort, you don’t legally have to pay the resort fee.
Visitors say that The Venetian Casino is one of the best on the Strip due to its size, décor, and variety of games. You will also find a brand of Madame Tussauds wax museum, pools, spas, The TAO Restaurant and Nightclub, and several interesting shows ranging from comedy to theater.
Regarding food and dining, you will surely have access to gourmet Italian eats here, as well as a long list of restaurants serving everything from burgers to noodles to fine dining Japanese.
3. Fremont Street
Distance: 3.7 miles to City Center
Price / Hours: Free / 24x7 daily
Located in the old downtown Las Vegas, Fremont Street is a pedestrian-only area full of attractions like food stands, souvenir shops, musical shows during the night, and a SlotZilla Zipline that sits 10 stories above the pedestrian walkaway.
You can visit the street at any time of the day and night. However, visiting Fremont Street is a bonus during the night as the street draws the entertainers, musicians, and character models.
The admission to the street area is free, though some attractions under the Viva Vision Canopy will cost extra.
4. The Neon Museum
Distance: 4.3 miles to City Center
Price / Hours: $19 day-time, $26 night-time (adults) / 3:00 pm to 11:00 pm (hours vary)
The Neon Museum aka the Neon Boneyard features signs from old casinos and other businesses displayed outdoors on 2.62 acres. The museum is home to more than 200 pieces of old Vegas signage including signs from iconic landmarks such as Caesars Palace, the Golden Nugget and Stardust.
The museum allows visitors to explore how Las Vegas went from a small mining shop on the way to California to ‘The Entertainment Capital of The World’.
Make sure you book your tickets in advance, as there are a limited number of tours available throughout the week. And, if you’re planning to visit the Mob Museum, you can purchase a combo ticket.
5. Red Rock Canyon
Distance: 15.3 miles to City Center
Price / Hours: $7 per vehicle / 8:00 am to 4:30 pm daily
Red Rock Canyon is situated 17 miles away from the southwest of Las Vegas and can be seen from the Las Vegas Strip. The conservation area showcases large red rock formations and the walls are up to 300 feet high, which makes them a popular hiking and rock-climbing destination.
It is one of the most beloved outdoor destinations near Nevada, that lets you enjoy the amazing red rock formations, numerous bird species, wildflowers, rare insects, and reptiles like Gila monster and desert tortoise – all in their natural habitat.
6. Hoover Dam
Distance: 24.4 miles to City Center
Price / Hours: Free ($10-15 extra for Visitor Centre) / 9:00 am to 5:00 pm daily
Built during The Great Depression (between 1931 and 1936), the 726-foot-tall Hoover Dam is an architectural marvel and is one of the tallest dams in the world. It is a concrete arch-gravity-dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, situated on the border between the U.S. states of Nevada and Arizona.
You can learn more about Hoover Dam by stopping at the Visitor Centre, which is open every day from 9 to 5. The center’s Exhibit Gallery features audio-visuals, a generator model, and a theatre, which shows a 10-minute film about the dam. Don’t forget to go to the Top Floor Observation Area to click some memorable pictures of the massive structure of the Lake Mead and the Colorado River. The open-air section of the dam has sidewalks and dam vistas and these areas are also free to visit.
Las Vegas is a city like no other. It showcases all the glitz and glam of city life, while also offering visitors access to the natural beauty and historic landmarks of the Southwest USA desert. other, is full of natural beauty. We hope that this article will help you make your own Vegas experience a reality!
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