The ultimate guide to Las Vegas: tips, cost, itinerary and my favorites
Have you ever considered visiting Las Vegas? Well, I will be sharing with you the ultimate guide to Las Vegas: tips, cost, itinerary and my favorites.
Over Halloween weekend, I went to Las Vegas for 4 days and 3 nights and had a great time. As a fellow traveler, I’d like to share my experience with you. My first tip: visit Las Vegas on non-busy days—Sunday through Wednesday.
Sunday
Leave mid-afternoon. We left Seattle for a 3 p.m. flight on Sunday. Checked into our hotel.
Tip: Take Uber from the airport. We took a taxi—a big mistake—it cost us $32. I asked the taxi driver which is cheaper, taxi or Uber? He said Uber would be around $10 cheaper.
After settling in your hotel, have a good dinner. I recommend steak or anything filling, so you prepare yourself for a long, wild night ahead. We chose dinner at Gallagher’s Steakhouse located at the New York-New York Hotel. Expensive? Yes, but we wanted to have one good meal on our visit. The steak at Gallagher’s is amazing, after a 40-minute wait. We sat at the bar, which also serves dinner.
Tip: Don’t wear high heels! Don’t even bother bringing a pair of heals on this trip. Because we were going to dinner, I did and it was one of my few mistakes.
After dinner, we walked the strip, which is amazing at night. Be sure to stop at a few places and grab a drink as you do a little gambling. I must confess I don’t know the rules or how to gamble, but most of the bartenders were cool in teaching me how. Plus I had my Mr. Right 🙂
About midnight we headed to Fremont Street Old Vegas.
What a fantastic experience—the atmosphere, cool lights and colorful art. Our first stop was the Golden Nugget for a drink and a little gambling. PS: Every night we set a budget limit of how much we were willing to spend on gambling. We were OK to spend a little more or less. I’m not a big gambler myself. I estimate we spent about $40 to $60 per night.
The cool thing about Fremont Street is the different kinds of music playing all over. If you’re into old school, rock music, or hip hop you will definitely find your happy place here.
Monday
Breakfast at 9 a.m. at the famous SkinnyFATS Restaurant. The price for two people was a fair $30.
After breakfast, we took Uber to see the Seven Magic Mountains located 10 miles and 20 minutes from the strip.
After the Seven Magic Mountains, we headed back to the strip to take a picture next to the “Fabulous Las Vegas Welcome” sign.
Before noon, you can either take an Uber or walk to New York-New York and ride the roller coaster. We chose to walk, which took us about 30- 40 minutes.
At 1 p.m. we went to Planet Hollywood for lunch at Gordon Ramsay Burger. Tip: Next to Gordon Ramsay is the extra lounge, for a drink (super cool bartenders) and a little gambling.
By 4 o’clock when you’re ready for your first real drink, walk to Mandarin Bar and enjoy a fabulous view.
Party on and go straight to Skyfall Lounge for happy hour and one of the absolute best views in town. We got there just in time for the sunset and it was amazing. Tip: Be sure to check out the view from the bathroom, its super cool.
By 7 p.m. consider heading back to your hotel for a three-hour power nap. Your body by this time is super exhausted and welcomes the chance to recharge.
OK party animal, it’s 11 at night and you’re ready for a wild nightlife experience. Make your way to Marquee Nightclub, considered the best nightclub in Las Vegas. Tip: text a guy named Fox and he’ll get you on the guest list. I asked, and he said it was OK to share his contact with you, my dear reader.
Midnight to 3 a.m., if you’re feeling it, show off your moves in the dance floor. Trust me, you’ll definitely enjoy this club.
By 3:30 in the morning, it’s time to call it a night. Head back to your hotel and before you go to bed, l highly recommend soaking in the tub.
Tuesday
Breakfast options by 10 a.m.: Skinny Fats, Bellagio or Andiron Steak & Sea
By 11, head to Mandalay Bay and spend mid-morning at the wave pool (bring swim suits). Tip: If you’re not a guest at the hotel, you can pay $25 dollars for access to the wave pool, a bed which comes with an umbrella and VIP service. Because we were wearing Halloween costumes, the manager charged us only $25 dollars for two beds. One of the best deals yet 🙂
Power through the pain and kick the hangover with a bloody Mary and a BLT.
4 o’clock, go for a show at the Absinthe in Caesars Place. I hear it’s the best in Las Vegas.
Because it was Halloween, at 7 p.m. we went to a haunted house, the Fright Dome at Circus Circus, but we didn’t find it that scary. Honestly, I don’t recommend this place: the line was long and not worth the money—$86 for two. I suggest going to the Freakling Bros. Horror Show instead. I hear it’s pretty scary.
It’s 9 p.m. Ready for dinner? Head on over to Cabo Wabo Cantina. Tip: Be sure to pick a spot close to the strip so you can enjoy the stunning view of the Bellagio Fountains.
By 11 o’clock, you’re ready for another wild, great nightlife experience. We went to Hyde at the Bellagio and a man named Justin Mulroney got us on the guest list. Tip: Make contact with Justin. He is super cool and will get you on the VIP list (plus, he got us 2 free drinks).
Other clubs to check out on Tuesday would be Omania Las Vegas or TAO Las Vegas.
By 2 in the morning, make it an early night, but before returning to your hotel, stop at The Chandelier Bar for one more quick drink. After all, you only live once.
Wednesday
Our last day we had a 5:30 p.m. flight out, so we limited ourselves to 3 activities.
At 9 a.m. we packed our luggage and checked out of our room. Tip: We left our bags at the hotel so we could pick them up later on our way to the airport.
Breakfast at 10 options: Skinny Fats, Bellagio or Andiron Steak. Or, an option: head to the old town at the Golden Nugget and swim at The Tank, a pool at the Golden Nugget. Tip: Call ahead to make sure the shark slide is open. We didn’t get a chance to swim there, since on arrival, we were told the slide was closed for maintenance.
11:30 a.m. took Uber to Mandalay Bay to enjoy our last few hours soaking up the sun and sipping margaritas and long islands.
At 3:15 p.m. took Uber to the airport with a quick stop at the hotel to grab our bags. Tip: I didn’t know you can add a stop to your Uber ride. Note: this feature is available only on UberX, not UberPool.
Uber Transportation Cost
Our total cost for Uber for our entire Las Vegas excursion, including airport transportation, was just $220. Tip: Compared to Washington State, Uber is relatively expensive in Las Vegas. Though you save a bit when you use UberPool, you’ll end up wasting a lot of time. I highly recommend using UberX instead.
And there you have it my fellow traveler, our trip of 4 days and 3 nights in Las Vegas. Hope this itinerary gives you some ideas for customizing your visit to the entertainment capital of the United States—Las Vegas. Happy travels.
Full disclosure: This post was NOT sponsored neither have I received any financial compensation in any way.
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