Top 13 Things to Do on a Vegas Vacation
You’re going to Vegas, the capital of fun and luck. However, there’s one small problem with the trip. If you’re not a millionaire, you won’t be able to gamble every minute of your vacation time. Still, you will have to do something when you’re not gambling (Photo source).
Here are 13 things to do after you’re done winning.
1. Get a Look at The Strip
Even if you’re gambling elsewhere, you can’t pass on the possibility of seeing the Las Vegas Strip with your own eyes. The casinos that stand there are the epitome of gambling, they’re forming the image of Vegas in the movies. One casino with 50 years of history behind it, Caesars, even became a movie location. Get inside to see the casino that was the set for The Hangover and Iron Man.
Pass by Bellagio to see the beautiful fountains that draw crowds of tourists. It’s a great way for Bellagio to show off and invite people in, but you can enjoy the show for free if you want to.
2. Play Pinball
For the younger generation, pinball is a fun game that comes pre-installed on MS Windows. However, if you’ve been around long enough, you know that it’s pinball that started the arcade culture.
These machines predated video games that influenced our culture so much. The best ones are gathered at the Pinball Hall of Fame just a couple of minutes from the Strip.
Take part in the history of games, and take your skills from online to offline. Make sure to bring along a lot of quarters if you want to try all of the pinball machines.
3. Rent a Luxury Car
Sure, you can get yourself a red Cadillac convertible like in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and cruise the streets with your partner in crime, but it’s not what we’re talking about. In Vegas, you can afford one of the most luxurious experiences in your life.
Head to one of the racing tracks and rent a luxury car! Imagine hitting the gas in a Lamborghini or a Ferrari. These steel beasts can accelerate to a 100 km/h in split seconds, sporting the top speed of well over 300 km/h.
Sure, you can rent one for a day to travel between different casinos, but you can only feel the car as it was designed to be felt on the racetrack. A test drive won’t cost you much compared to gambling, but you’ll get enough adrenaline to beat the thrill of any casino.
4. Ride a Horse
Do you like animals more than cars, but still love speed? You can hop on a horse for a ride!
Many people are blinded by the lights of Vegas so much they forget that Nevada is ultimately a huge plane of grass. Coincidentally, it’s a great place to raise horses.
It’s no wonder there are so many farms and ranchos around Vegas that sell horse tours. Get out of town and go for a ride in your cowboy boots. Race your horse like you just robbed a bank, or take a slow mindful journey – the choice is yours.
5. See a Favorite Star
It’s no wonder Las Vegas is a place where millions of people from all around the world gather to have fun. Most big stars know this and capitalize on the people in the city.
If you checked what singers and bands give concerts in Vegas, you’d be amazed to see how many people you listen to are there. In fact, the show may become your primary reason to visit!
If you see a foreign star who would not visit the US for another couple of years, it may be worth calling in sick to work, hiring a company that writes papers for you to skip college, and heading to Vegas to see them perform live.
6. Visit Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil is originally from Canada, but Las Vegas has been its second home for many years. It’s arguably the best circus in the world. Even if you don’t like circus, this show is definitely worth seeing.
Cirque du Soleil shows let you immerse yourself into the story immediately. You will not be bored for a second, and the way the actors move and perform acrobatics is just stunning.
Also, despite its name, Cirque du Soleil doesn’t use animals, so it’s cruelty-free.
7. Experience Art
If you still have an urge to see something beautiful after the show, you can visit the Life Is Beautiful Festival. It’s only there for three days, so don’t miss the event if you’re in Vegas during this time.
You can wander the streets of Downtown Las Vegas to see it completely transformed by street artists. You can try artisan foods to challenge your taste buds. You can listen to lectures on the current events delivered by thought leaders. Ultimately, you can dance till the morning together with tens of thousands of people.
If you come around during the time of this festival, you should definitely give it a go.
8. Visit the Mob Museum
You must have seen Casino, right? If you did, you know that casinos in Las Vegas had some troublesome past. It’s connected to the mob and violence.
If you find the underworld fascinating, you should most certainly give it a try. You’ll see what the crime was like in Vegas back in those days, and how gangsters in other countries acted. You’ll also see how the police tried to fight organized crime.
The Mob Museum also gives its visitors the possibility to walk in the shoes of a cop. You can see how criminal labs operate and undergo firearm training.
9. Experience the Neon
Neon is one of the words that is closely associated with Vegas. The whole city is enveloped in bright neon lights, blinking and shining to get the attention of the crowd.
The Neon Museum helps you experience the neon that makes Vegas Vegas. The museum runs tours that show the marquees that became household symbols. You can see what the vintage Vegas looked like and learn more about the history of neon in the city.
10. Fall Off a Building
No, you don’t have to end it all if you’ve lost a lot of money gambling. But the thrill of this attraction will be far better than the anticipation you experience when looking at the roulette wheel.
If you’re not afraid of heights, go straight to The STRAT aka The Stratosphere, a thousand foot tower on the Strip. There, you can make a controllable jump from the top of the building. It’s weird to pay to be thrown off a building, but the experience is definitely worth it.
11. Fly Over a Canyon
If you liked The STRAT experience, but don’t want to do it again, there’s an option just for you. You’ll have to drive out of the city to Boulder City. There, you’ll find Red Mountain, a three thousand foot peak.
It got commercialized by the locals, and what they offer is just beautiful. You can hike the mountain and get down on a zip line. There are dozens of lines, and you can pick the one you like – from a slow descent with some time to observe the scenery to a drastic fast fall.
Make sure to come in the evening to see the sunset as you’re slowly cruising down. If you prefer speed, ask the people who service the line to descend Superman-style.
12. Hike in the Mountains
If you grew up anywhere near a forest, you may know how good hiking is. You stroll in the green scenery, you chew on a piece of bonfire-cooked meat while looking at the stars, and you feel the dew in the morning as you stretch after a long night’s sleep.
Well, in Nevada it’s different. If you want to go on a hike anywhere near Red Mountain and take a look at the Hoover Dam, it’s quite different to what you’re used to. It may as well be Mars.
The land is barren and rocky, and the whole scenery is in various shapes of red. Go on a hike, and you’ll feel like you’re one of the astronauts of the Mars One mission. Just don’t forget to get lots of water and sunscreen.
13. Relax in a Spa
Aren’t you tired by this time? If you did check out all the activities we offered you, you deserve a good rest in a spa. Chill in a sauna, and treat yourself to massage or a spa procedure. That’s a perfect way to end a long day in Vegas.