Las Vegas
Las Vegas
OVERVIEW
Las Vegas, also known as Sin City, is an iconic city famous for its mesmerising lights. It is known as a playground for the rich and famous and this exciting city features many themed hotels, bars, restaurants, casinos, incredible shows and performances and has a intoxicating, vibrant nightlife. You could eat at a celebrity chef’s restaurant, watch an A-list megastar perform and dance the night away to the beats of a superstar DJ all in the same night. This electrifying destination of extravagance never fails to entertain its visitors no matter the time of day or night.
Las Vegas, situated in the the Mojave Desert in the state of Nevada, is a major metropolitan area surrounded by desert vegetation and dry mountain ranges. Las Vegas is the most populated city in Nevada and has a population estimated around 600,000.
GET THE GUIDE
Las Vegas Travel Guide
BEST TIME TO VISIT
Las Vegas has a largely desert climate with little rainfall all year. July is the hottest month averaging daytime temperatures of 31°C (88°F) whilst January is the coldest month with average daytime temperatures of 7°C (44°F).
Spring
Spring runs from March to May with comfortable daytime temperatures hovering around 21-25°C (70-80°F).
Summer
Summer runs from June to August and is the hottest period of the year with average daytime temperatures of around 31°C (88°F), but some days the temperature can reach over 38°C (100°F).
Autumn
Autumn runs from September to November. It is still quite hot in September with temperatures becoming more comfortable in October with average daytime temperatures of 19-24°C (65-75°F).
Winter
Winter runs from December to February when the weather is a lot cooler with temperatures ranging from 1-15°C (34-60°F). It is also a busy period with all the parties around New Year’s Eve and events, such as the hugely popular CES convention around this time of year.
The best time to visit weather wise would be from March to May and September to November where you’ll experience the most moderate weather, although it’s always best to pack a couple of layers as the temperatures dip once the sun goes down. There are some great hotel deals to be had around the Christmas period.
TRANSPORT
For one of the cheapest and most convenient ways to get around Vegas we suggest combining walking with a monorail pass, you can get pretty much anywhere along the strip using the monorail. You can purchase monorail tickets at most of the stations or online if you wish, the prices start at 11 USD for a day’s unlimited travel with an increasing discount for more days purchased, a 7 day pass will cost you 50 USD. Please note the monorail only runs up till a certain time of night, generally around midnight–2:00 am depending on the day.
The Vegas Monorail
Although the monorail stops at MGM, if you walk over the bridge across the strip to Excalibur there is a free monorail to Mandalay Bay. If you get on at Mandalay Bay the monorail stops at both the Luxor and the Excalibur.
Deuce Bus
The Deuce bus stops near most of the Las Vegas hotels/casinos and it also stops at the Town Square Mall and the Las Vegas Discount Mall. a 24 hour pass will cost 8 USD and a 3 day pass will cost 20 USD.
Taxis
A normal taxi tariff in Vegas is 3–4 USD per km but traffic is usually quite heavy around the strip so it will likely cost you more. There are other options such as Uber and Lyft which are slightly cheaper. Bear in mind that some hotels have a separate pick-up area for Uber and Lyft taxi’s than the normal taxi rank so check carefully where you need to meet the driver.
AVERAGE COSTS
The currency is US Dollars (USD), note denominations are $1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100.
There are ATM’s everywhere around Vegas but your bank will most likely charge a fee to use these, we would suggest to avoid exchanging money at the airport or hotels as these offer the worst rates. Generally the casinos are the best place to change money as the rates are usually favourable (after all they would rather you stayed in their casino and spent that hard earned cash).
We suggest for any purchases, credit card is the best option as there are many credit cards out there with 0% transaction fees.
Average costs (prices in USD)
- A strip hotel $150–$250 plus resort fees
- Taxi from airport to the strip $18–$30
- Ticket to a top show $100–$150
- Pint of beer in hotel bar $6–$8
- A bottle of water $1–$2
- A regular coffee $3–$5
- Cocktail in hotel bar $12–$15
- Breakfast in a hotel for two $30
- 3 course dinner and drinks in strip hotel restaurant for two $200–$300
Read our guide on how to save money in Las Vegas.
ATTRACTIONS
There is so much to do around Las Vegas and it’s so easy to get distracted along the way, you could spend a day or two just walking around the strip marvelling at its many themed hotels and casinos.
Bellagio Fountains
Witness the mesmerising light and water show which runs every 15–30 minutes in front of the iconic Bellagio hotel. The start times vary depending on the day of the week. A wide range of musical works have been selected for the shows from classical, to popular music and Broadway shows. There is nothing like seeing them in person, the official website states and it’s true, watching the fountains that span more than 1000 feet move in perfect timing with the music and soar up to 460 feet in the air is something that will stay with you forever. Try to see them at least twice as every show is different.
Cirque De Soleil Shows
These fantastic 90 minute shows have been a part of Vegas for more than 20 years. There are six in total — The Beatles Love, KA, Michael Jackson One, Mystere, O and Humanity. They run throughout the year and are on almost every night at different world class theatres along the Strip. We saw the Michael Jackson One show at Mandalay Bay and it was incrediable.
Caesars Palace Casino & Forum Shops
This complex is simply huge; there is a massive casino floor, 120 speciality shops and even a 50,000-gallon aquarium. The Forum Shops alone cover an area of 636,000 square feet.
The Big Apple Coaster At The New York New York Hotel
This heart-stopping coaster features a 180 degree “heartline” twist and dive manoeuvre and now includes a virtual reality experience. Riders are equipped with virtual reality headsets and take on the role of a scientists chasing an alien that has escaped its research facility. Tickets are $20, although an all day pass can be purchased for $26 for the thrill seekers wanting to ride it more than once.
Stratosphere Tower Rides
For the adrenaline junkies out there this is the place to head when in Vegas. There are three rides at the top of the 1,149 feet tall tower and they are not for the faint-hearted. The Big Shot shoots you up a further 160 feet in the air, Insanity spins you round on a mechanical arm 64 feet over the Tower edge and Scream catapults you headfirst 27 feet over the Tower edge, leaving you dangling in the air. Various tickets are available starting at $25/$30 for the Tower entrance and 1 ride. For those of you that just want to watch the Tower entrance is $20/$25. Prices vary depending on the day of the week.
Eiffel Tower Experience At Paris Las Vegas Hotel
This half scale replica of the Eiffel Tower offers wonderful 360° views of the Strip and beyond. Visiting at sunset is recommended to watch this incredible city turn from day to night. Tickets can be purchased in the gift shop next to the entrance and vary depending on if you visit in the day or at night. Day admission is $16 and night admission is $22.
Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Garden
Each season this amazing 14,000 square-foot space is transformed by talented horticulturists and designers into a remarkable floral display. They create five different outstanding displays throughout the year, starting with Chinese New Year and ending with a holiday display after Thanksgiving.
Neon Graveyard
A two acre outdoor exhibit which is home to more than 200 pieces of Vegas signage. There are one hour tours available. Day tours cost $19, with the night tour costing $26.
Fremont Street
Visit here for a crazy, entertaining night. The old style Vegas area has shows, live performer’s, casino’s, bars, restaurants and the Viva Vision Light Show featuring 12.5 million LED lamps and a 550.000-watt sound system. Adventure-seekers could also ride the SlotZilla Zip Line down the length or half length of Freemont Street. Tickets start at $25 for the Zipline or $45 for the Zoomline. The Zoomline is higher and longer than the Zipline and allows riders to fly “superhero-style” rather than seated.
AREA GUIDES
The Strip
Las Vegas Boulevard, commonly referred to as “The Strip” is the main hub of the city. Most of the huge, well-known hotels and casinos are situated along here, each of them as grand and imposing as the next. The Las Vegas Strip is not officially defined, but what is commonly referred to as “The Strip” starting at Mandalay Bay Hotel and ending at The Stratosphere Hotel and Casino is about 4.2 miles (6.8 km) long.
This is where you will find the dancing Bellagio fountains, the Eiffel Tower, an ‘active’ volcano and the gondola’s of Venice. It is an exciting place to be come day or night and it’s hard to describe the sheer magnitude of the hotels, shopping malls, theatres and nightclubs you will walk past or visit along The Strip.
Although the hotel prices do vary along the strip, if you choose to stay along this stretch of street you will pay for the privilege. Also bear in mind that no matter which hotel you choose you will still find yourself quite far from another hotel, casino or attraction you want to visit, even if it looks close on the map or seemingly close to where you are stood. This is due to the hotels being even larger than they seem when you’re stood up close next to them, the time it takes to actually leave your own hotel and the time spent having to go up, down and around several pedestrian bridges.
The famous “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign is located down the street from the Mandalay Bay Hotel and some may argue that is really where The Strip begins.
Fremont Street & Downtown
Situated about a couple of miles from the north of The Strip, this area is known as the vintage Vegas. This is where you will find the famous Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino and the 40-foot neon cowboy, Vegas Vic. The popular area of Fremont Street is home to the World’s largest video screen, which is on a huge overhead canopy that shows free Viva Vision light shows throughout the evening. Every sign, hotel and casino is drenched in neon along this modernised, but historic street of Vegas. This area feels somewhat grittier than the Strip and some of the street performers are a little quirky, which makes this a great alternative night out from the Strip in more casual surroundings.
East & West Of The Strip
A couple of blocks west of the Strip you will find a few more casual and budget friendly hotels and casinos. These hotels tend to have regular local visitors and offer more of a relaxed and family-friendly atmosphere. This area is a little more residential with supermarkets and bakeries doted around the streets. The east of the strip is also budget friendly and has a student population due to the University of Nevada Las Vegas being situated here. There are also large golf courses, shopping malls and convenient access to the Las Vegas Convention Centre.
Henderson
This area to the south-east of Las Vegas is the second largest city in Nevada and is more removed from the Strip and the casino culture. This area is an ideal base for exploring Lake Mead and Hoover Dam and you will also find the Ethel M Chocolate Factory and the Cactus Garden located here.
INTERESTING FACTS
- The cost of running the Luxor pyramid’s shining light is $51 per hour.
- There are over 300 weddings per day in Las Vegas, making it the top wedding destination in the US.
- With 3,933 rooms, the Bellagio hotel has more rooms than the number of residents in Bellagio, Italy.
- Frederick W. Smith, the founder and CEO of FedEx, saved his company by gambling in Las Vegas. He took FedEx’s last $5,000 to Vegas and won $27,000 while gambling on blackjack, paying for the company’s $24,000 fuel bill.
- The Las Vegas Strip is the brightest place on Earth when looked at from outer space.
- The Bronze lion outside of the MGM Grand Hotel weighs 50 tons, is 45 feet tall and 50 feet wide, making it the largest bronze sculpture in the country.
- The Mirage Hotel’s iconic golden windows actually got their colouring from real gold dust used in the tinting process.
- The largest sum won on the Las Vegas slots was at the Excalibur in 2003. After putting in $100, a 25 year-old software engineer won $39 million, beating the odds at the time for 1 in 16.7 million.
- The white circles around the letters of the word ‘welcome’ on the Las Vegas sign are supposed to portray silver dollars. They were incorporated into the sign because Nevada is known as The Silver State.
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