Vegas Tips for First Timer

[Erica Ladd]

Any advice? Just DH and I and we’ve never been!! Long weekend maybe. We’d like to stay on the strip with easy access to as much as possible. Also looking at a day trip somewhere? Maybe rent a car but just for the day - can we get it at the hotel and return it to the airport?

Any tips or ideas are welcome!!!

 

[SueInBoston]

Back in Feb, I priced out renting car at hotel and returning at airport but the cost is much higher. I ended up taking a taxi to the airport to pick up the car.

If you like nature and hiking, Red Rock Canyon and Valley of Fire are both great day trip destinations.

 

[FreeTime]

We always rent our car for the day when needed by going to the Westin on the strip next to the Flamingo and across the street from Bally’s. There is an enterprise there that usually has good rates.

Non-chain restaurant that is good is Batisa’s Hole in the Wall. Expect a long wait.

Hoover Damn and standing on it to kiss from a different state while being together is usually a stop for us. Red Rock is nice.

 

[kymom99]

If you can, avoid weekends. Way more crowded.

Mirage is mid strip and not crazy big. MGM is probably my favorite.

You can hire a car and driver to drive you around. One time we actually went to Hoover dam and red rock in a limo.

 

[CynBeth]

I don’t know if it has changed but the few times we have visited used to really like the breakfast buffet at Paris.

 

[gmi3804]

Non-chain restaurant that is good is Batisa’s Hole in the Wall. Expect a long wait.

That's the Tony's Town Square of Las Vegas - strictly EYE-talian for those who don't know better.

Try Ferraro's for Italian that's actually good. They have an award-winning wine list too.

 

[Erica Ladd]

Thanks for all the replies! Love the idea of having someone drive us around lol. DH mentioned Hoover dam. I’ll check out the hiking places next! Food ideas are also super welcome here!

And there are sooo many resorts it’s hard to know what to look for besides convenient location and and somewhat special as a first trip there…

 

[Erica Ladd]

I don’t know if it has changed but the few times we have visited used to really like the breakfast buffet at Paris.

Where is Paris? Is it stand alone or at a resort?

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

We were just in Vegas Labor Day staying at The Encore. We stayed at The Encore in December 2021, The Wynn & Bellagio March 2021, Excalibur June 2019 and Hilton Grand Vacations on Paradise (street just behind the Strip) in October 2017. Additionally I have stayed at Mandalay Bay back a long while ago and my husband had stay at The STRAT (formerly Stratosphere).

1) Things appear closer than they are walking-wise. Vegas is set up with pedestrian walkways and pedestrian bridges and sometimes have you going out of your way to get to your destination. There is a lot of walking between the resorts even if they look like they are right there

2) We've been staying weekdays because of hotel offers with The Wynn/Encore and it is less busy during the week but it can still be quite busy this past trip a few weeks back was the busiest since 2019; it's rebounded from the pandemic. Pricing at the resorts varies heavily throughout the year. You can stay at the Wynn for $119 OR $1,000 just depending on the time period. Big events will often raise the pricing. Our most recent offer from Wynn/Encore (sent to us a week after we left lol) has the select weekdays at $119 but $259 for Friday and Saturday nights (these are deal rates only good for specific time periods of the year).

3) Check for restaurants that are better to have a reservation for, additionally finer dining are more likely to have dress codes and want reservations.

4) We rent a car the whole trip and use it throughout the trip often cutting out some walking time especially if we're at Wynn/Encore as they are towards the end of the Strip by parking at resorts (majority do charge timed parking). Alternatively to get around the Strip there is The Deuce (buses), Monorail (which we rode a lot in 2017 and some in 2019) and cabs as well as uber/lyft. There is a free tram that goes from Aria resort to Bellagio to Park MGM. There is a free tram that goes between Mandalay Bay, Luxor and Excalibur. There is a free tram between T.I. (Treasure Island) and Mirage although with Mirage having been sold and eventually being turned into Hard Rock not sure the future of that. Flamingo has flamingos and other fish and birds you can see.

5) We use the rental car to venture off strip to Downtown/Fremont (although bus routes do go there) from time to time or exploring other off strip properties (which tend to have better odds too and based on my experience that rings true) as well as doing things like breakfast off strip or visiting Ethel M Chocolates where you can watch them make it. In 2017 we did Hoover Dam and Red Rock Canyon.

6) Paris is the name of a resort. Our fav breakfast place is located there called Mon Ami Gabi. Another good breakfast place Hash House A Go Go although we have not opted to go back since 2019 favoring Mon Ami Gabi. Hash House A Go Go has 2 locations you'd likely go to 1 at the LINQ on the Strip (very busy) and 1 located at Plaza hotel near Downtown which is less busy than the LINQ but also has a less Vegas-y atmosphere because of that despite being located in a casino/hotel.

Another dining place we like is Scarpetta at Cosmopolitan primarily for their braised short rib which has a rotating sauce, we recently ate at Rivea located at Delano (next to Mandalay Bay) which is up on the highest level of the hotel and offers great views although it was too hot for them to be seating outside (we went during the excessive heat wave a few weeks back). Rivea exceeded our expectations giving Scarpetta a run for its money. While there are plenty of deals to be had for food Vegas is a pricey place overall for food and drink. Ocean One (located in the Miracle Mile shops which is basically a shopping mall) is a place where you can get inexpensive food.

7) Bellagio (centrally located across the street from Paris) has fountains to watch during the day and night. During the day a show runs every 30mins switching to every 15 mins during the evening. These are must watches IMO especially for a first timer. They have a set arrangement of multiple songs played. Wynn also has their fountain style show (really more of a waterfall) called Lake of Dreams. That runs every half hour from dusk on. While not as stunning as Bellagio Fountains they do put on a good show one would not expect. This show is not viewable from the street. You must enter the resort and either dine on their several resorts that have patios, get a drink at the outdoor bar or utilize a smaller but adequate free viewing area to watch it. Still if you have time it's worth at least seeing one show. For a first timer I would focus on Bellagio fountains. Additionally if you like sampling some beer there is The Beer Park which is outside seating with games you can play (although we don't) and because it's located above street level you can catch glimpses and hear a bit of Bellagio Fountains.

8)Bellagio also has a rotating display of flowers and plants (a primary focus on flowers) in what they call the Conservatory and Botanical Garden it's a rather large walk through display so don't just think "it's flowers NBD" it's worth a pass through. You can check out online when their display is scheduled to end. For instance we got the tail end of the summer display which closed just a few days after we left. They then change the whole area out for the next season which will be fall.

9) While location on the Strip may be important depending on the person pay attention to costs including resort fees, that depends on your budget but as I said the pricing of Vegas resorts fluctuates, I tend to describe it as a very volatile area. TBH while Bellagio is def. nice as far as the grounds and room and it was a place we always said we love to stay there we prefer Wynn/Encore even though Bellagio is much more conveniently located. Even then we stayed at the Wynn and between March 2021 and after that they had refurbed the rooms and we found it was not quite to our liking based on pictures and videos, etc so we now prefer Encore. We'd also like to stay at Venetian/Palazzo which are similar in price/size/etc to Wynn/Encore but haven't yet.

Tons and tons more to mention but ask away if you have particulars

 

[AustinTink]

If you prefer a 100% non-smoking hotel and casino, I highly recommend the Park MGM. We had a nice sized suite, it was just right. There is an Eataly in the hotel just off the casino with excellent food and so many options. You can take the monorail tram from the Park MGM to the Bellagio with stops in between at the Aria. From the Bellagio, you could easily walk to other mid-strip hotels.

 

[AustinTink]

Where is Paris? Is it stand alone or at a resort?

Across from the Bellagio, around the middle of the strip.

 

[EACarlson]

I'll second Hash House a Go Go at the Linq. I was there in April right after it re-opened. It was fantastic but dead. I was told it was only their second night being open again. It's on my list to go back to. I spent 4 days at the Mirage for a work conference and never left the strip. The amount of time I spent just walking around and people watching at both Ceasar's and the Venetian astounded even me.
Be warned, there are no refrigerators in the rooms unless you pay for them. There are also a few Walgreens and CVS, go there to get drinks for the room rather than paying $6 for a bottle of pop.
Carlo's Bakery has cake vending machines in a few of the casinos. I had never seen that before.

 

[antmaril]

I was in Vegas in March. Have been there many times. We stayed at Bellagio, which is lovely and right in the center of the Strip. I agree that if you can go mid-week, it will be less expensive and much less crowded.

Over the years, I have stayed at the Flamingo, Treasure Island, Mirage, Planet Hollywood, Paris, Mandalay Bay and Bellagio. My favorite is Bellagio for the feel of it and the location. Rooms are quite large and have recently been renovated. I think my second choice would be Paris because it is across the street from Bellagio and we like the decor and theming.

Eating and drinking in Vegas is not cheap. Just know that before you go. We had dinner at Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen at Caesar’s Palace, which was fun (and very good j. We always have dinner at Mon Ami Gabi at Paris. Food is delish and the prices aren’t too bad. I recommend making some dining reservations before you go.

Whatever you decide - have fun!

 

[Schneewittchen37]

I've been a few times for leisure with DH and for conferences with work. I have strange ideas about this place:

1. I can vouch for MGM Grand or the Signature at MGM Grand. Both are great places to stay. I used to recommend the Monte Carlo too (but it was converted to Park MGM a few years ago, and I haven't been since, it was Old Skool Cool). Anyway, stay in as "nice" a casino on the Strip as you can afford, it's worth it to have the nice pools, good restaurants, easy access to shopping and shows, etc.

2. Whatever you do, do not gamble. Go for the sure thing instead - binge drinking! Nightlife! And shopping. I know a guy, he wanted to gamble and drink. Whelp. He missed the wedding the next morning, was out $5K and didn't remember how he got back to his room..... it's been about 17 years, maybe the groom has forgiven him, but we won't let him forget.

3. Pretend you're in college, do an around the world on the Strip. It's fun. Don't drive. Wear good walking shoes. Have a buddy or 3 with you. No more than one drink per bar. Mandalay Bay - Luxor - Excalibur (just a reminder that there is always a casino worse than the one you are staying at) - New York New York - Park MGM (former Monte Carlo) - Cosmopolitan - Bellagio - Caesar's Palace - Mirage - Treasure Island - Venetian - Harrah's - Flamingo - Bally's - Paris - MGM Grand - Tropicana.

4. Hit the lounges. No more than one drink per bar. Luxor used to have an amazing lounge, but I haven't been there in a long time....

5. Have at least one fancy meal. I highly recommend Le Cirque at Bellagio - it was a Michelin 1 star a while back. Other options to consider - Jaleo at the Cosmopolitan or Morimoto at MGM Grand.

6. Go shopping. Hit the Forum Shops at Caesar's Palace and the Grand Canal Shoppes at the Venetian.

7. Never eat fish at a buffet in the desert. You've been warned.

8. Catch a magic show. I saw Penn & Teller at the Rio, it was awesome.

9. Go to a club. I went to a show at Hakkasan at MGM Grand a few years ago. My middle aged butt danced with young attractive people all night long.

10. I have other rules, but I think the binge drinking... what was I saying?

 

[kdonnel]

Any advice? Just DH and I and we’ve never been!! Long weekend maybe. We’d like to stay on the strip with easy access to as much as possible. Also looking at a day trip somewhere? Maybe rent a car but just for the day - can we get it at the hotel and return it to the airport?

Any tips or ideas are welcome!!!

For a first trip and just a long weekend, I am not sure you have time for any day trips! There is so much to see and do in Las Vegas.

I would recommend staying midish strip for a first visit.

Want a smoke free resort then stay at Park MGM.
Want a party atmosphere then stay at Planet Hollywood.
Want a little more luxury than stay at Paris.
Want a more authentic old vegas stay then stay at Harrah's, Flamingo, or Linq.
Want a pool experience then Caesars, Mandalay Bay, Flamingo, or MGM Grand.

I have stayed at Luxor(many times), Excalibur(once), Planet Hollywood(once), Park MGM(twice), Caesars(once), Encore(once), and TI(once). We have always had a blast and never been dissatisfied with the hotel.

As for things to do:
1. Make sure to visit downtown and the Fremont Street Experience. During the day if you want a calmer experience. During the night if you really want a party vibe.
2. See as many hotels as your feet will take you to. Each hotel is so unique. I love the immersive theming at NY NY, Paris, and Venetian.
3. Ride the monorail. It is a cheap way to visit lots of hotels. It starts at MGM Grand and would take you to Bally's/Paris, Flamingo, Harrah's/Linq, Westgate, and Sahara. From Sahara it is a quick walk to The Strat. Plus you can walk across the strip at each of those stops and visit hotels on the other side of the strip or hotels that were skipped on the same side of the street.
4. Ride the High Roller. During the day and again at night.
5. Visit Area 15 and Omega Mart.
6. Go to the National Atomic Testing Museum.
7. Visit a dispensary.
8. When downtown go to the Mob Museum.
9. Go see Brilliant at the Neon Museum. Make sure to get tickets ahead of time as it usually sells out.
10. Take a segway tour. My wife and I really enjoyed the tour we took and want to take one of the night or foodie tours in the future.
11. Go to the top of The Strat, again day or night or both.
12. Been to Hawaii and want a little Hawaii feel? Go to The California in downtown. There are also several L&L Hawaiian Barbeque restaurants in town. There are also several Hawaiian Cafes/Bakeries that sell Malasadas sprinkled around town.
13. Walk the strip at night and people watch.
14. Don't sign up for a timeshare presentation in exchange for free tickets to a show.
15. See one of the many variety shows, Absinth, Atomic Saloon, Opium, V, etc. They are all so good. I can't believe how entertained I was by a guy blowing bubbles. He blew a square bubble. A square bubble!
16. Eat at a buffet. Many have closed but there are still several. They mostly cater to breakfast and lunch during the week and add dinner on the weekends.
17. Plan your return trip.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

2. Whatever you do, do not gamble. Go for the sure thing instead - binge drinking! Nightlife! And shopping. I know a guy, he wanted to gamble and drink. Whelp. He missed the wedding the next morning, was out $5K and didn't remember how he got back to his room..... it's been about 17 years, maybe the groom has forgiven him, but we won't let him forget.

Don't go to Vegas for a wedding or for bachelor/bachelorette parties lol. That would be my advice. Drinking and gambling should be in moderation regardless. The one and only time I partied hard was going there for my 21st birthday (well a month later).

I do slots but don't drink at the slots not really my draw there, my husband does video or stadium poker and gets a drink or two while doing so. Obviously slots lose or win more money than video or stadium poker. We do get a drink at bars/lounges but we're often cashing in rewards from My Vegas app.

One thing to note is drinking is very expensive on average in Vegas. Many of the drinks we saw on menus can be $20 or more each time ($25+ was also common). When I went for my 21st b-day expensive back then was like $11.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

3. Ride the monorail. It is a cheap way to visit lots of hotels. It starts at MGM Grand and would take you to Bally's/Paris, Flamingo, Harrah's/Linq, Westgate, and Sahara. From Sahara it is a quick walk to The Strat. Plus you can walk across the strip at each of those stops and visit hotels on the other side of the strip or hotels that were skipped on the same side of the street.

I agree with this because we did this a ton back in 2017 and some in 2019. But a notation on this is the monorail is currently only one 1 side of the strip (expansion to the other side seems to waffle back and forth between greenlit and not), also because it was built after these places the entrances/exits are usually behind the buildings and there's a good walking distance to get to them often through the casinos. When we stayed at Hilton Grand Vacations on Paradise in 2017 the monorail was invaluable because we would walk just a few mins nextdoor to Westgate where they have a stop and go to the Strip so we used it as a main way to actually get onto the Strip but we found there's still a lot of walking involved with the stops because of where they are located at...sometimes it's an eternity to get to the stop. It will be interesting however to see how The Loop pans out in terms of convenience on this once more and more of the stops are done.

 

[Mysterian]

For a first trip and just a long weekend, I am not sure you have time for any day trips! There is so much to see and do in Las Vegas.

I would recommend staying midish strip for a first visit.

Want a smoke free resort then stay at Park MGM.
Want a party atmosphere then stay at Planet Hollywood.
Want a little more luxury than stay at Paris.
Want a more authentic old vegas stay then stay at Harrah's, Flamingo, or Linq.
Want a pool experience then Caesars, Mandalay Bay, Flamingo, or MGM Grand.

I have stayed at Luxor(many times), Excalibur(once), Planet Hollywood(once), Park MGM(twice), Caesars(once), Encore(once), and TI(once). We have always had a blast and never been dissatisfied with the hotel.

As for things to do:
1. Make sure to visit downtown and the Fremont Street Experience. During the day if you want a calmer experience. During the night if you really want a party vibe.
2. See as many hotels as your feet will take you to. Each hotel is so unique. I love the immersive theming at NY NY, Paris, and Venetian.
3. Ride the monorail. It is a cheap way to visit lots of hotels. It starts at MGM Grand and would take you to Bally's/Paris, Flamingo, Harrah's/Linq, Westgate, and Sahara. From Sahara it is a quick walk to The Strat. Plus you can walk across the strip at each of those stops and visit hotels on the other side of the strip or hotels that were skipped on the same side of the street.
4. Ride the High Roller. During the day and again at night.
5. Visit Area 15 and Omega Mart.
6. Go to the National Atomic Testing Museum.
7. Visit a dispensary.
8. When downtown go to the Mob Museum.
9. Go see Brilliant at the Neon Museum. Make sure to get tickets ahead of time as it usually sells out.
10. Take a segway tour. My wife and I really enjoyed the tour we took and want to take one of the night or foodie tours in the future.
11. Go to the top of The Strat, again day or night or both.
12. Been to Hawaii and want a little Hawaii feel? Go to The California in downtown. There are also several L&L Hawaiian Barbeque restaurants in town. There are also several Hawaiian Cafes/Bakeries that sell Malasadas sprinkled around town.
13. Walk the strip at night and people watch.
14. Don't sign up for a timeshare presentation in exchange for free tickets to a show.
15. See one of the many variety shows, Absinth, Atomic Saloon, Opium, V, etc. They are all so good. I can't believe how entertained I was by a guy blowing bubbles. He blew a square bubble. A square bubble!
16. Eat at a buffet. Many have closed but there are still several. They mostly cater to breakfast and lunch during the week and add dinner on the weekends.
17. Plan your return trip.

Wow, just googled Area 15 and Omega Mart, I need to see these.

In this day and age, I'm surprised the Park MGM is the only smoke-free resort in Vegas.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Wow, just googled Area 15 and Omega Mart, I need to see these.

In this day and age, I'm surprised the Park MGM is the only smoke-free resort in Vegas.

I do think the smoking is lessened due to the pandemic. Our trip a few weeks ago had the most smoke with our March 2021 and December 2021 having such little. I believe mask wearing and reduced tourism helped on that. But even with more people smoking it was not near the levels (yet at least) as in 2017 where I was blowing black gunk from my nose (I have allergies and smoke does irritate it).

However, weed is everywhere absolutely everywhere. You will smell weed a lot now in Vegas (been that way since 2017). Originally Excalibur was the one hotel notorious for this smell but honestly I even smelled it ever so slightly though by the wall of our room in Encore a few weeks back. Inside the resorts you're not likely to smell weed the same as cigarette smoke but you'll encounter it from guests on their bodies as well as out and about walking.

 

[gmi3804]

The Neon Muesum is one of the more unique and nearby off-the-beaten-path things to see, and is quintessentially Las Vegas.