DIY Travel in Las Vegas
Despite the fact that Las Vegas is the place where “what happens in Las Vegas, stays in Las Vegas,” we are going to break the rules and tell you about our favorite things to do there. If you are interested in the shows, and there are many, then please check out our Theaters Post. If you are more interested in hotels, food and things to do then please read more.
Booking Vegas
If you are planning on visiting Las Vegas, there is no place better than Vegas.com to book your hotels and shows. We use them every time and we have had great service. We had a number of shows canceled on us during the Covid pandemic. We got refunds for every cancellation and great help in rebooking. Check out our Famous Theaters Post to learn more about Las Vegas shows.
VEGAS.COM – THE OFFICIAL VEGAS TRAVEL SITE
Las Vegas. The Strip
There are two main areas of Las Vegas, the Strip and the Downtown area. The Strip is where you will find these well known hotels. The Mirage, Bellagio and Paris as well as Caesars, MGM, Venitian, and at least another couple of dozen other great hotels, highlight The Strip.
There are great restaurants on The Strip. Many of which are owned or associated with the top famous chefs in the world. In the Paris Hotel, Martha Stewart just opened her first restaurant. It is designed to makes you feel like you are in her home in Bedford, NY.
One of our favorite restaurants, but very expensive, at the north end of the strip, in the Sahara Hotel, is Bazaar Meats, by Jose Andres. As with all that is Jose Andres, this is over the top!
Thomas Keller’s restaurant, Bouchon, at the Venetian is a great place for brunch. Okay, you can eat other great meals there as well. But we like it first thing in the morning after a night on the town.
Downtown, Las Vegas
The Downtown Area is where Las Vegas started and it also has its share of fun. It is a bit of a HIdden Gem, given its lower status to the Strip. There is a zipline goiing down the center of downtown. And, there are also plenty of bars with just walkup windows off the main street. If you want to stay downtown, Marriot’s Grand Chateau is a new downtown hotel. It is clearly in a class of its own.
However, when it comes to finding Hidden Gems, our #1 favorite place to get a good inexpensive meal is a place know as “Secret Pizza.” It is hidden away on the second floor of the Cosmopolitan, near the Jaleo restaurant. It is not unanimous that they have the best pizza in the city. But it is clearly our number one place to get a good inexpensive meal on The Strip. There are also a number of Hidden Gem restaurants that are not as expensive as those mentioned above. One we like, still on The Strip, is “THE Steakhouse at Circus Circus”.
Save Money, Eat in the Las Vegas Suburbs
There are at least two other restaurants we like, but out to the west of the city. Getting there mandates a car or Uber ride. Our favorites areThe Black Sheep, and Sparrow + Wolf. Both offer a great meal, at about half the cost of the trendy restaurants on The Strip. For more information about restaurants see Our Favorite Restaurants.
Hoover Dam
Visiting the Hoover Dam from Las Vegas is a bit of a trip, but it is well worth your time. The views and the amazing engineering that was involved in building the dam is quite impressive. You can drive out and get a great tour of the dam up close or fly over in a helicopter on your way to visit the Grand Canyon. Either way, you will get a great view of an incredible engineering accomplishment. You can book a tour here with Get Your Guide.
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