Need Las Vegas help!

[leslie826]

DH and I will be headed to Vegas for the first time in September. Flight and hotel are already set. Now what? Shows? Are there any ways to get discounted tickets? Grand Canyon? Bus or helicopter? Any recommendations will be greatly appreciated!

 

[NYEmomma]

There's several kiosks/stores in Vegas that sell discount tickets to shows/attractions on the same day. I *think* it was this company: http://www.tix4tonight.com/locations.html

The one we went to was across the street from the Wynn by a mall. You've got to go fairly early in the morning & there's a line, but there were a LOT of shows to choose from and the prices were great. We picked one of the super campy, topless shows because we knew Vegas was a one time trip (I had NO interest in going whatsoever) so if you're only doing Vegas once, I felt like we needed to do all the cliched Vegas stuff, lol.

 

[robsmom]

How fun. Have not been to vegas in a few years and you just planted a seed that we are due for a trip. How long willl you be staying, where are you staying, and do you have a car.

The Grand Canyon is going to be a 5 hr drive, i personally would not do a bus. The helicopters are going to be expensive but if you just want to see it, may be the way to go. We actually took a rental car and drove. we stayed on night in one of the lodges and it was fabulous, but it was a lot of driving for a quick visit because you need to do some driving in the actual park to get to different overviews.

I would recommend a trip to the Hoover Dam. It is only about an hour and is worth seeeing. the tour is very interesting. Red Rock Canyon is also a short drive and nice to see. If you do not have a long trip and don't want to do the helicopter, I would choose these over the grand canyon and save that for another trip.

The best activity for the daytime is probably just walking the strip. The hotel/casinos are beautiful. You can easily spend a few hours in some of them, especially if you shop and do some of the rides/attractions. I would go to the Mirage to see the white tigers and the Bellagio to watch the fountains.

As far as shows, i am not sure what your taste or interests would be. If you like Broadway shows, there a usually a few showing. I think Jersey Boys is one now. We thought Danny Gans was great. I would try one of the cirque de soleil shows. My husband is not a fan, but i think it is worth doing at least once and many people love them.

 

[cheerbop]

I agree wtih the PP. You can easily spend many hours walking around and in the hotels! WOW! Some of them are attractions themselves!
Just remember that there is a lot of walking and things look closer than they appear.
I have seen many shows in Vegas. We loved Phantom of the Opera and also Celine's show. Her tickets are pricey, though. We have also seen a couple of the Cirque de Soleil shows and they are always a fantastic bet.
Make sure you pickup all the magazines and brochures you can because there are lots of coupons to be had!!!!

 

[dward1961]

We went last October for the first time, it was warmer than we expected but nice. We stayed at Harrah's (middle strip) it was ok, no problems.

I bought a Gift Certificate from Restaurant.com for BB King at the Mirage and was very happy with the choice.

We also spent time walking up and down the strip stopping in each resort to check them out, and the shows outside at night (free) were neat to see.

We did rent a car headed to Zyon National Park, Bryce Canyon (spent the night) and to the Grand Canyon the next day before heading back to Vegas. Bryce Canyon at sunset and sunrise is a once in a lifetime beautiful sites. And if you have never been to the Grand Caynon you need to see it at least once IMO.

We figured we would see as much as we could, not knowing if we would ever go back.

 

[Jack&Ryan'smom]

Yes there is lots of walking!!!! Bring comfy shoes!! Was there in Oct. and had such a great time. We saw Barry Manilow and LOVED it!!! Tickets were only like $75 for the cheapest seats but the place was so small I felt very close to the stage. It's fun just to walk around all the casinos/hotels. We never even ventured off the strip. Have a great trip!

 

[ICF]

We were then in Oct and enjoyed the Hoover Dam.....I would get there early in the morning as later in the day when we left the traffic was a disaster. There was bridge work going on then so perhaps that has been finished and traffic is back to normal. I would guess the backup was for at least 5 miles.

We loved Red Rock. It was only about 15 mins from the strip and was beautiful to see. It's pretty much a self guided tour in your car and you can stop as often as you like to get out and explore the terrain. We would highly recommend that.

We skipped the Grand Canyon due to the lenght of the drive and actually -- since we were there for a week -- decided to drive to LA and spend the night there instead. It is only about a 4 hour drive and having never been there before thought it was worth the drive to see it.

 

[chalee94]

i would separate vegas and the grand canyon - too far to travel, it's just not worth it. do a grand canyon trip later.

tix4tonight is a great suggestion. i enjoyed cirque's "LOVE" since the beatles' music provides an entry point. lots of worthwhile shows to choose from.

lots of free stuff as well. wandering around the casinos and seeing the architecture in resorts like the venetian and caesar's palace is worthwhile.

agree on there being lots of walking if you are staying on the strip (best way to go IMO). have comfortable shoes, stay hydrated (the dry desert air will take a lot out of you if you are not careful) and plan to get a lot of exercise.

 

[Pakey]

I go to Las Vegas about 4 times per year. It's a wonderful place, even if you are like me and do not gamble.

Grand Canyon is too far if you are doing a short visit to Las Vegas. The helicopter tours are very nice but pricey. I think the one we did last year was $800 per person. While it was a novelty, I do not think it was worth the money and I'm glad my company picked up the tab for it (I was playing tour guide to visitors from China).

The Hoover Dam is worth the trip. If you do not have a rental car, you can arrange a bus trip there/back through your hotel. The tour into the dam is not as good as it was pre-9/11 but it's still fascinating.

I've never seen a headliner show in Las Vegas that I didn't like. I have seen all of the Cirque shows except Zoomanity and I have seen many of the music/variety/comedy/etc shows also. My favorite is Beatles Love but they are all good shows.

Make sure to leave yourself enough open time in your plan to really walk and see the hotels on the Strip. I never get tired of it. Each hotel is about a half mile apart (they don't look it) so expect to do a lot of walking. I walk the entire Strip from Mandalay all the way to the Fashion Mall and back so it is doable. There is also the Deuce bus which is a very inexpensive way to travel up and down if you do not want to do that much walking. The monorail is a novelty but I find it to be a pain to use as it sits so far back.

I see you are going in September. It could still be very warm. I was there last year mid-August and it was 114 on the Hoover Dam.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Tix4tonite may have slightly discounted tickets for the top tier shows, but they won't be the 50% discount at which most of their tickets are offered.

Another good place for show ticket discounts is goldstar.com - they send you a weekly alert of what's available, tickets run from the occasional free to 50% off, and you can print the vouchers yourself.

Also, the ticket concierge desk (not to be confused with the box office) in many hotels can help. Sure, most of their tickets are full price - but they have discount offers too. Between that and Goldstar - I wasnt in the mood to be up and out by 10 AM any day on vacation - I saw four shows for $150 in December, including the classic 'Jubilee!'.

Couple of notes on posts above: Danny Gans is no longer with us but Gordie Brown does great impersonations; and yes, the construction at Hoover Dam is done, the bypass bridge is open, and traffic should be running smoothly.

If you want a really great deal on home cooking, try Hash House-a-Go-Go at the Imperial Palace, or the original on West Sahara if you have a car. One entree could feed three people!

 

[bookgirl]

There are a couple of places along the strip that advertise discount tickets but really from what I could tell the only "discounts" were for the lesser attended lounge type shows. Big shows with headliners or big productions weren't really all that great of a deal and once you add on the service fee they charge it's not a big savings. We attended Love which is a Cirque show and got a much better discount with a flyer that they handed out at the actual resort and then we just walked up and bought them direct with no added fees.

Go to the players clubs and sign up that will often get you a discount and if anything go to the box office ask for any specials (late or early shows, slow nights, etc) they will often come up with some sort of discount on thier own.

Also pick up those free flyers you see everywhere, they often have discounts in them.

As far as the tours go, they have alsorts of discounts being handed out as you walk the strip. Just watch out for the porn slappers when taking the handouts.

Have fun.

 

[girli565]

If you rent a car you can drive to the hoover dam and the west rim of the grand canyon all in the same day. We did this in June a few years ago and again this past December. The west rim is the one with the skywalk which is so much fun! The road is now almost all paved so you only have to off road a bit. When we went in June a few years ago it was all off road, lol. This past december there was almost all road now. It was great!

 

[Scambone]

I saw a couple of Cirque shows in Vegas two years ago. All of them were amazing. You should check out the website to see if any appeal to you. 'O' is performed in water while Ka has a vertical stage that moves. Those two stick out in my mind the best.

Check out the free stuff like watching the fountain show in front of the Bellagio or the Sirens show in front of Treasure Island. Beware that the Sirens show has catchy music that you will hum for the rest of your trip.

Best food place in my opinion was capriotti's. It's a sandwich shop and I can't remember the name of the sub i got but it was awesome. Had turkey (not the processed kind but from the bird) with coleslaw, cranberries and a few other items on it. It was like thanksgiving dinner on a sub. Sounds kind of weird but it's amazing.

Tips: MGM is WAY easy to get lost in and dont use the elevators in the luxor unless you're staying there because you need a key to use them. we didnt realize that until we got stuck on a floor. I blame my dad for being curious of how the elevators work. haha.

OH and if you have a car they have a decent Disney store not too far away.

oh and if you're open minded there is a drag queen who does a magic show. Good price for a good show. Her name was cashetta, youtube her if you want

 

[usnuzuloose]

Inside the planet of Hollywood there is an Earl of Sandwich shop so so good and very reasonable. There are times if you check the internet you can find a code for the shows. There are the kiosks on the street. You can type in free things in vegas and find things that way as well. There are new hotels. The newest one that just opened is the Cosmopolitan. I will be back there in June. Have a great time you will not be board. There is so much shopping.

 

[kaytieeldr]

There are a couple of places along the strip that advertise discount tickets but really from what I could tell the only "discounts" were for the lesser attended lounge type shows. Big shows with headliners or big productions weren't really all that great of a deal and once you add on the service fee they charge it's not a big savings.

But it's a saving. Most ticket agents and box offices charge a service charge, and T4T was the first agency to offer any discount on headliner shows.

As for lesser-attended shows, I'll grant you the week I went the theaters weren't full. "Jubilee!" was probably 2/3 full... three days before Christmas, one of the slowest weeks of the year in Las Vegas. OP - call the Rio, see if they still have their special offer on Penn & Teller tickets (if you want to see them).

 

[gracie1]

We did the grand canyon when we were there, but we did the airplane ride through it. They send a huge party bus to pick you up at your hotel, take you to the airport and then you get on a small plane. It was awesome. I definately recommend seeing the grand canyon and hoover dam while you are there. Who knows if you will get back? And the pictures in the airplane are phenomenal!!

 

[kmedina]

I saw a couple of Cirque shows in Vegas two years ago. All of them were amazing. You should check out the website to see if any appeal to you. 'O' is performed in water while Ka has a vertical stage that moves. Those two stick out in my mind the best.

Best food place in my opinion was capriotti's. It's a sandwich shop and I can't remember the name of the sub i got but it was awesome. Had turkey (not the processed kind but from the bird) with coleslaw, cranberries and a few other items on it. It was like thanksgiving dinner on a sub. Sounds kind of weird but it's amazing.

Follow this link if you want to see a Cirque show. http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/ci..._EN&rrid=f02bf2ff-b653-4060-b8bf-e86dabb6fc0a
Sign up for an account. Book ASAP, because these specials go fast. This was just posted a couple of days ago. I really want to see Love, but the sales go away almost as fast as they open. DH and I do not want to pay full price. He better let me book this. Viva Elvis is good, but I prefered La Nouba.

The sandwich is called the Bobby. It is DH's favorite and he gets it every time we eat there. I am not a fan.

Check this website. It is one of my favorites. http://www.vegas4locals.com/

I live in Vegas, so let me know if you need any more tips. Some people already gave you some I would have given.

 

[kmedina]

I also get good deals from Groupon. If you do not already have a Groupon account, sign up. It will email you the local (Vegas) special each day. Just check the expiration date before you buy anything. You want to make sure it does not expire before you get here.

 

[medicjch]

We loved KA and O. If you like dueling pianos.......the Times Square Bar at NYNY is really fun. You can easily fill the days with shopping and just checking out the hotels.

 

[Noah]

Yes, there are a few stands around las vegas that sells discounted tickets. They have the ticker boards like those you see at the stock market that tells you what's available.
Here are the spots where you can find them:

@ fashion mall near Wyn
@ convention center dr near Riviera & Stardust
@ harley davidson cafe near Monte Carlo & Aladd