Top 10 Things to Do in Las Vegas

Las Vegas Top Ten Things to Do

Is it possible to have a “casino-free” vacation in Vegas without rolling the dice or spinning the Wheel of Fortune?

Yes!

We just returned from the “Entertainment Capital of the World,” a city known for gambling, and discovered there are lots of adventures, exciting shows, restaurants to relish, luxurious spas, posh pools, and spectacular sights to experience outside the casino.

Find out our list of top ten recommendations – what to do, where to stay & dine!

1. SlotZilla Zipline:

One of the top adventure attractions in Las Vegas is SlotZilla and first on our list of top ten things to in Las Vegas! A zip line that takes adventure-seekers to new heights. SlotZilla offers two ways to fly, the lower “Zipline” (77 feet) and upper “Zoomline” (114 feet), where you fly up to 12-stories high at 40 miles per hour, through old downtown Las Vegas.

We choose the upper Zoomline and flew “superhero-style,” for birdlike views of the Fremont Street Experience – the party that never ends in Vegas. After you get strapped in, you begin your flight coming out of the multi-million dollar SlotZilla, the world’s largest slot machine, that features Las Vegas icons such as over-sized dice, a martini glass, a pink flamingo, coins, video reels, a giant arm and two 35-foot-tall showgirls, adorning SlotZilla, one on each side. Fly SlotZilla!

2. Stratosphere Rides: 

After riding 2 of the daredevil attractions at the top of the Stratosphere – Insanity and XScream, we were ready for more!  Next visit, we will ride BigShot and dive the SkyJump!

X-Scream: This ride catapults you headfirst 27ft. over the Tower’s edge, and then you dangle weightlessly 109 stories in the air, and then the ride snaps you back to the Tower to go through this 3 more times!

Insanity: After crawling into a seat held by a giant mechanical arm holding you 900ft. high over Las Vegas, you dangle and twirl as you stare straight down on the Strip!

SkyJump: This is a scream-inducing leap off the Stratosphere Tower from 829 feet, with the Guinness World Record for highest controlled descent, “Freefalling” at speeds topping 40 mph.
BigShot: This ride takes you straight up 160 ft in the air, and you’ll get some “Gs” like a Top Gun pilot, then freefalling back to launch.

3. Museums:

We visited two museums this trip – the Mob Museum  & Neon Museum.  We recommend both!
The Mob Museum, The National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, introduces visitors to the history of organized crime and law enforcement. We learned about the origins of the Mob through interactive exhibits, artifacts, and engaging videos that bring the Mob stories to life.

“working the mobster look?”
It’s an eye-opening experience that gives insights to organized crime’s impact on the world, and the ongoing battle between the Mob and the law.

Next in our list of top ten for Las Vegas– The Neon Museum is devoted to preserve the city’s most iconic art form – the neon sign.

The museum visitor center is located in the restored lobby shell from the old La Concha Motel, and the neon boneyard houses signs from old motels, casinos and other businesses. The guides are excellent and give great background to the cycles different hotels have gone during its history. They recently received a donation for the Hard Rock Cafe guitar and be the new largest installment in the boneyard, make sure to see it when it arrives and help its restoration here!

4. Art Galleries & Installations:

You can find museums, art galleries throughout Vegas.  There’s even a Jeffrey Koon’s Popeye in the Encore!

We visited the controversial public art installation in the desert called Seven Magic Mountains.  Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone created these colorful stacked boulders standing up to 30 feet high. Located about 10 miles south of Las Vegas, near Jean Dry Lake and Interstate 15.  Many visitors love the pop of color in the stark desert, and some naturalists don’t care for it.  Opened in May 2016 and will be available to view for 2 years.

5. Visit Old Town Las Vegas:

Called the Fremont Street Experience, you can walk down the 5-blocks pedestrian street, and see the Old Vegas, lit up with neon and LED signs, where visitors find all kinds of performers and characters dressed up in costume.

6. Walk the Strip: Best way to see Las Vegas is to walk the Strip, but you can also take the city bus and ride the entire stretch.

7. Surrender to a Spa & a Pool –

What’s our favorite spa? Encore!

Runner Up: the Wynn

Spa photos courtesy of Wynn Resorts

Favorite Pool?  Bellagio!

8. Shopping, shopping, shopping….

There are shops and cafes lining the Strip! You’ll find high end boutiques at The Wynn, Crystal Shops, and The Forum Shops at Caesar’s Palace, and more at Fashion Show Mall – you’ll find everything on your shopping list.

9. Entertainment:

A must on our casino free las vegas trip! See the Beatles Love Show where Cirque du Soleil performs – spectacular!

Photo courtesy of Mirage Resorts Beatles Love

10. Don’t Miss! The Bellagio Fountains – 

The best FREE show in Las Vegas!

Outside of Las Vegas…

1-3 Day Trips: Visit the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, Horseshoe Bend, the Vermillion Cliffs, Lake Powell, or Monument Valley!

We drove from Nevada to Utah and Arizona in one day to visit Antelope Canyon.  It was worth the 9 hrs round-trip drive!  There are several tour operators, and we choose Ken’s Tours to walk through the narrow slot canyon, where you’ll witness one of the best light shows in the world.

Photo Credit: Mother Nature

If you’re looking for a luxurious place to stay in a pristine wilderness, check out Amangiri – it’s over the top amazing!  We visited for a site tour and lunch, and were completely mesmerized by the simplicity of the architecture and the natural beauty surrounding the resort.

On a budget?  Consider the Courtyard Marriott in Page, Arizona – it’s very nice and centrally located.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]