All The Reasons Why Las Vegas Should Be Your Next Weekend Getaway
If you’ve never been to Las Vegas, you might wonder: why all the hype? It’s pricey, loud and, not to mention, extremely hot! But there’s a reason why this particular Strip of land is the top choice of revelers and celebrators across the USA: there’s truly something for everyone. Whether you’re planning a bachelor or bachelorette party, looking for a romantic getaway or celebrating a birthday, anniversary or just the simple fact that it’s great to be alive, the Las Vegas Strip is equipped and always ready to host you with surprising hospitality and grace. As we fly home from Las Vegas for the third time in three years, a new travel tradition it seems, it occurs to us that we have some tips and tricks for making the most of our time on the Strip that you might find useful.
What the Las Vegas Strip is and what it’s not.
Las Vegas is a desert city in the state of Nevada that is famously known for the Las Vegas Strip or, more commonly, the Strip. The Strip is anchored by Las Vegas Boulevard which is lined with high-end and boutique resorts offering any and all types of entertainment and experiences. Just about anything could be had along the Strip for a shockingly fair price. Think Ocean Drive, Miami without the beach but with 50 times more luxury.
While Las Vegas is frequently viewed as a place of excess with temptations and debauchery aplenty, we would like to offer a different perspective. To us, the Las Vegas Strip is a place of hospitality, where the mantra seems to be “try-not-to-say-no.” Added to this, the Strip is also a place of unique experiences and a certain type of freedom where everyone can express themselves as they choose. You can probably imagine then why such a place would earn notoriety but the thing to keep in mind is that everyone on the Strip is there to have a good time, whatever that might mean to the individual, and that most people are respectful. When it’s all said and done, the Strip is a very small part of a very large city that is home to tons of welcoming, hardworking people, many of whom are working their butts off to show us a good time. So, if you’re worried about what to expect, don’t be! Just show up and let the Strip and the amazing people of Las Vegas sweep you off your feet!
Where to stay?
The hotels along Las Vegas Boulevard are enormous with most modeled after a particular place or theme and each offering their own casinos, fine-dining restaurants, pools, spas and theaters. Some resorts even contain full malls like the Venetian Hotel, for example, that houses the luxury mall known as the Grand Canal Shoppes. Room rates can sky-rocket or drop dramatically based on season as well as events going on in the area. Make sure to pay close attention to resort fees when booking. A lot of booking sites will show rooms with rates sometimes as low as $40 per night and you may not notice the resort per-night fees that are due later at the hotel.
These fees can run from $50 dollars and up per night so pay attention to your bill when you’re finalizing your reservation so that you won’t have to deal with that shock later. There are other fees to keep an eye out for like late checkout and early check-in fees, but these are hard to miss as you would have to discuss these scenarios ahead of time with the hotel. One cool little trick that we learned on our most recent trip was to ask for a room upgrade if we arrive before check-in time. Most of the hotels won’t allow early check-in for free if you arrive early, however if you ask to upgrade your room, you’ll likely be presented with a better room that is ready immediately. So, you avoid paying early check in fees and get a fabulous room where you can kick off those high heels ASAP for just a little bit more per night. What’s not to love, right?
If you’re a first-time visitor, consider booking a hotel that is central on the Strip as this will make the other hotels and their considerable amenities more accessible if you plan on walking. We’ve stayed in some of the “high-end” resorts as well as smaller, chain-hotels along the strip and can say that we found all our rooms to be clean with hospitable staff. The amenities at the more expensive hotels were, as expected, more extravagant and the restaurants tended to be better overall but keep in mind that you can make reservations at any of the various hotel restaurants without booking a stay at that hotel as they are all first-come-first serve. Another factor to consider when picking a hotel is whether you’re interested in the shows offered at the hotel. Staying where your desired entertainers are can be a great time saver. We definitely recommend against agonizing too much over where to stay though. Just pick a place that looks attractive to you that has an equally attractive price tag and get ready to have an epic time!
When to visit Las Vegas?
Given that Las Vegas is essentially an oven for a substantial part of the year with temperatures so high that we could literally feel ourselves slowly braising in our own sweat, we try to avoid the hottest season of all, summer, and visit any time between fall and early spring (October to April). Our favorite time to visit is definitely winter when temperatures mostly stay at or just below 60 degrees allowing us to roam as we please without having to constantly seek shelter. Of course, we don’t always get to choose when events we want to attend will occur, so we have visited the city in the summer, winter and late spring. Honestly, there doesn’t seem to actually be a late Spring in Las Vegas as the last two times we visited, May and June, we were faced with temperatures upwards of 100 degrees making it difficult to walk even a few feet along the Strip without completely melting into a puddle. If you can’t avoid a hot-season visit to Vegas then make sure that you invest in good quality SPF-rated clothes because, although being considerably less sexy than the average Vegas outfit, it’ll keep you from burning to a crisp or worse!
Should you rent a car?
If you’re strictly staying on the Strip, then a rental car really isn’t necessary. Getting from Harry Reid International Airport to the Strip takes about 15 minutes and can be easily done via rideshare apps for as little as $15-$20 one way. Walking is usually the preferred way of getting around the Strip itself as there’s so much to see enroute from one end of the strip to the next. That being said, it can take about an hour or more to traverse the main portion of the strip from end to end on foot. The walk can lengthen further if you stop to admire the architecture or want to browse the many shops along the way. Add in the potential need to periodically dodge the hot sun and you’ve got yourself a close to 2-hour walk.
An alternative to walking is the Las Vegas Monorail which serves the Strip only and has various stops at some of the major resorts along Las Vegas Boulevard. The monorail does not leave the boulevard so getting lost would take some real talent. Click here to purchase tickets.
Ride share options such as Uber/Lyft are also an easy and convenient way to get around the Strip but can be pricey even for these shorter trips. It cost us $20 one-way for a less than 1 mile Uber ride the last time we visited!
If you plan to go off strip and see the city and explore more of the beautiful countryside surrounding Las Vegas, then we highly recommend renting a car rather than taking long full-day tours as driving within the city and surrounding area is easy overall. Just be sure to book a hotel with free parking to avoid racking up unnecessary fees.
Do you REALLY need to know...? - Las Vegas Edition
That convenience is king on The Strip?
Of all the American cities boasting the moniker “city-that-never-sleeps,” Las Vegas is the only one that we’ve visited that actually delivers on this idea. Want to gamble all night? No worries; the casinos are open 24/7. Want dim-sum or tacos at 2am? Just call room service or walk 50 feet in any direction from your hotel’s entrance and voila! Practically anything and everything you could possibly want, or need is easily accessible on the Las Vegas strip making it the most convenient place in the world that we’ve visited so far.
That there’s no such thing as gloomy weather in Las Vegas?
We mentioned earlier that the heat can get intense in Las Vegas in the warmer seasons so you may have guessed by now that rain isn’t a common occurrence here and you’d be right. The city has been known to go almost a full year without a single drop of rain! If it rains while you’re in Las Vegas, then make sure to take lots of pictures as you’re witnessing what may be the only miracle you ever see. Of course, there’s a downside to the lack of rain, which is the relentless heat. The upside, though, is that there’s always glorious blue skies and you never truly have to worry about getting wet or your events being canceled due to bad weather. Just make sure to dress appropriately and stay hydrated as fainting is likely to really get in the way of your plans.
That you don’t need to spend a lot to have a good time?
This is a key take away when it comes to the Las Vegas scene. Spending more does not always mean better quality or even quantity for that matter. Paying a little more can go a long way when it comes to certain things like the luxuriousness of your hotel for example. Many hotels even pass on some savings by offering things like meal vouchers for their restaurants when you upgrade your room, which is great as you get an even nicer room and still save a pretty penny. We spent a few nights at the Wynn Hotel in Vegas on our last trip where we were offered an upgrade to our room on check in and received a $100 breakfast credit that we later used to try out two of their impeccable restaurants.
Where shelling out extra may actually hurt your bottom line and leave you unsatisfied is when it comes to food, drinks and entertainment. There’s plenty of options when it comes to shows, restaurants, bars and nightclubs with each offering something unique and trying to outdo the competition so no need to break the bank. Also, a little due diligence in the form of skimming some online reviews can help you get the best most for your money which is definitely a positive thing when you’re in casino land and those slot machines are calling your name. In all seriousness though, one of the most wonderful things about the Strip is that you can spend as much or as little as you want and still have a fantastic time.
That you should be prepared to toss your diet out the window!?
Can you think of a restaurant row in the USA where you could find a McDonald’s or a White Castle next to, not one but 5, celebrity chef restaurants? Well, don’t wrack your brain too hard because we can tell you that this does not exist anywhere other than on the Las Vegas Strip. From traditional fine dining venues like Amalfi by Chef Bobby Flay or CHICA by chef Lorena Garcia to street foods like birria tacos and fast-food joints like Popeyes Chicken and Biscuits; there’s something to suit every palate and budget on the Strip.
Choosing where to dine on our first visit to Las Vegas Boulevard was ridiculously stressful. We did tons of searching and planning and reservation-making because we wanted to try all the best restaurants only to ultimately realize how impossible a task that was. We ended up canceling some of those reservations and just following our noses. Unless you’re looking to try a specific restaurant, say for example Hell’s Kitchen by chef Gordon Ramsay, which is often fully booked months in advance, you really don’t need to make reservations months ahead of your trip. We got reservations for Emeril’s New Orleans Fish House the night before we wanted to go! We were also able to walk in for breakfast at some of the coveted restaurants like Tableau and Jardin at the Wynn.
As if it’s not hard enough to pick a spot to eat, many of the restaurants also have impressive buffets to choose from. We, of course, had a difficult time choosing yet again but ultimately decided to try the most popular Las Vegas buffet: the Bacchanal at Caesar’s Palace. Might as well go with the “best” first, right? For $75 dollars per person, we had unlimited access to perfectly prepared seafood, beautifully crafted small plates like T-bone lamb chops with chimichurri, juicy prime rib and smoked brisket, and so, so much more. We were given 90 minutes to conquer the buffet, a near impossible task, and felt slightly rushed at the end but the staff did not firmly enforce the time limit and there were no lines at the service stations, so we were able to move along quite well. In retrospect, it was a good thing we had a time limit because we were so full when our time was up that taking shallow breaths and moving short distances were monumental challenges. If you haven’t had the opportunity to try one of these buffets, we highly recommend that you add it to your to do list and remember, stretchy pants are your friend here!
We guess what we’re really trying to say in all this is that whether you want a simple meal, or a full-on foodie experience Vegas has you covered. Like the scrumptious chocolate chip red velvet cotton candy pancakes that are a melt-in-your-mouth bite of heaven from Jardin, the Las Vegas food scene is nothing if not decadent!
That Las Vegas has more things to do than there are hours in the day?
Need a break from the casinos and don’t want to lounge at the pool or browse miles of designer stores? Why not take in an iconic Las Vegas show? You probably only need to walk a few feet from your hotel’s casino to its theater to have your mind blown by an incredible performer. Everything from burlesque to magic to comedy shows are right at your fingertips! And you most likely don’t even need to buy tickets in advance to get great seats! As we mentioned before, we were able to snag tickets to the Magic Reinvented show on a whim 5 minutes after the show started! Not impressed? On our first visit to Las Vegas, on the spur of the moment once again, we boldly walked right up to a comedy club with a celebrity comedienne headlining and snagged tickets just before the show started.
Of course, this is not how it’ll work out every time so we do suggest buying tickets ahead of time if you can for certain shows like the Penn and Teller show or Circ Du Soleil since these definitely can sell out. Oh, we should also mention that if you’ve seen a Circ du Soleil performance anywhere other than Las Vegas and enjoyed it then you should seriously consider attending one on the Strip. We saw KA at the MGM and still have goosebumps. Our new Las Vegas goal is now to see a Circ du Soleil show each trip until we’ve seen them all!
If you’re looking for something more casual, then you can check out the various art installations, the wax museum or one of the many hopping nightclubs. You never know when Marshmellow or Steve Aoki or some equally awesome performer might be in town! It’s also pretty common to find great concerts on the Strip as many musicians and singers take up residence in the city for several months so that they can perform as often as possible. Keep an eye out for the various music festivals that make their way to the Strip too! In fact, our last visit to the Strip was primarily to attend the Sick New World festival. We have to give a shout out to the organizers of the festival for their thoughtful arrangement of the 12 hours of epic, non-stop music from System of a Down, Korn, Incubus and Evanescence to name just a few of the incredible performers present that day. The venue was all outdoors and uncovered and the weather was the typical Las Vegas blue skies and 96 degrees of intense heat but there were plenty of free water stations, bars and shaded areas so that we didn’t dehydrate or pass out. The festival food and drinks were pricey as expected but 10 notches higher in quality than what we’d ever had at other concerts. Think hibachi, lobster rolls, and ramen with handmade noodles! You know how some people say you can’t have your cake and eat it too? Well, they just haven’t seen Sick New World in Las Vegas yet!
That there’s so much more to see in Las Vegas besides the Strip?
Although staying on Las Vegas boulevard and being pampered constantly for the entirety of your vacation might sound tempting, going off the Strip if you have the time can pay dividends. You could take a helicopter tour of the city or rent a car and checkout some of the local neighborhoods, dives, and, of course, the food. Driving in the area is generally easy and gas prices are affordable enough so don’t be afraid to live a little like a local if you get the chance. If you do decide to go for it and rent a car, we highly recommend that you visit the Kitchen Table in Henderson, NV, about 20 minutes away from the Strip, to start your day with their world class Monkey Bread and Buttermilk pancakes!
Then set your GPS to Hoover Dam or the West Rim of the Grand Canyon and continue on to see the mighty Colorado river and the remarkable landscapes it has created. Feeling a tad more adventurous? Then why not drive out a little further to Death Valley National Park and feel what it’s like to stand in one of the hottest places on Earth!
If driving is not an option, then don’t despair because there are lots of companies offering tours to these destinations from the Strip. We do want to mention that the West Rim of the Grand Canyon is on an Indian Reservation and visiting requires a guided tour that can be booked online in advance. Buying your entrance ticket online is only necessary if you drive yourself to the reservation and likely won’t be an issue if you’re traveling with a tour group as the tour tickets usually include the entrance fees.
Whether you choose to spend your days amidst the flashing lights and ever-present cheer of the Strip or to venture off and take in the, by contrast, quiet and unique landscapes surrounding the city, we’re confident that you’ll leave Las Vegas content but with a long to-do list for the next time you visit!
