Off to Vegas for a long weekend at teh end of March - Thurs to Sun.
Have got Penn and Teller booked (saturday night).
I'm aware that without prior planning, we'll wander around looking at all teh amazing things to do, never choosing any, and eating in the same place 3 times...
Thoughts and ideas and suggestions (also, what to avoid) would be of use!!
Grand canyon champagne breakfast - expensive, but ? worth it..
Zipline?
All on Black?
As it's only a few days, we do need to be specific!
Ta muchly!
DrP
Surely..................coke and hookers
[edit]... on a zipline in the Grand Canyon, whilst eating breakfast
The water park was the best thing we found.
Rob the vault at the Bellagio?
Drive down the Strip with a lion in your car ?
[img] 
[/img]
Dez..the wifey was talking about the water park. is it 'silly' to go to Vegas for a water park?
Will look into it!
DrP
We did a helicopter ride over the grand canyon, would liked to have landed in there if we'd had the cash, I'd do that.
I want to do the machine guns but the mrs wasn't interested so YMMV
Best thing was a tour of the hoover dam, but this was back in the day (2005) before all this (current lot of) terrorism stuff so I don't know how far they'll let you in now. We were allowed down in to the bit where the pipes went through, it was ace.
Also went for a swim in lake Mead, more manky than it looked on CSI, but it was there so had to be done.
Never did the tables, didn't have the bottle, but I did risk a 99c hotdog and lived to tell the take.
The water park is excellent!
Enjoyed that and the helicopter trip to the Grand Canyon.
The rides on the top of the Stratosphere are good fun too.
Might be a decent exhibition on at The Venitian?
Grand canyon champagne breakfast - expensive, but ? worth it..
Highlight of our trip except - the concierge at our hotel persuaded us that a late afternoon trip was better. The colours of the sunset over the desert and the shadows on the canyon were just amazing; in full on daylight it flattens everything a bit apparently.
And then the pilot flew us down the strip in the dark on the way back in, with Elvis on the in-flight headphones. pure unadulterated, top of the range cheese.
And Bellagio fountains
The best thing I did in Las Vegas was leave it, about 15 minutes after collecting the car from the airport 😉 . Drove to Grand Canyon, got up early and walked to the Colorado River and back (with salty snacks, as they are forever fond of telling you). Was the day before their total eclipse, which I wasn't able to stay for. The Hoover dam is worth a visit on the way back.
And machine gun Las Vegas if you must.
Triple rainbow...woah........
😉
Some good tips, thanks y'all.
RE the chopper flight - book in advance..all firms much of a muchness??
DrP
Visit Freemont Street for a giggle. Lots going on, as you'd expect. we ate @ Joe Vicari Italian restaurant in The D Las Vegas (make sure you book before you go though). Hotel and casino were a bit different 😯 to the Bellagio where we stayed, but the food was awesome. Not cheap, but worth it. Take the tram/metro to the SLS and get a taxi the rest of the way.
See the disappointment on the American's faces when they get weighed and realise that they're not heavy enough (over 350lb) for a free meal @ The Heart Attack Grill 😯
Yard house behind The Flamingo for burgers and sports bar chilling
We pre-booked a couple of things and got a decent deal on The Gondolas @ The Venetian, lunch somewhere and Madame Tussauds. Also shopped, flew in a helicopter and had lunch in the Grand Canyon.
We had a bit of a plan and still ran out of time to do all we wanted. Good excuse for a trip back
This was our highlight too
Highlight of our trip except - the concierge at our hotel persuaded us that a late afternoon trip was better. The colours of the sunset over the desert and the shadows on the canyon were just amazing; in full on daylight it flattens everything a bit apparently.And then the pilot flew us down the strip in the dark on the way back in, with Elvis on the in-flight headphones. pure unadulterated, top of the range cheese.
I'm with TiRed on this one. Best thing is the road out of there. This excerpt from machinegunsRus linked above sums it all up really:
Our assortment of gun packages will allow you to loose the reins on your inner badass and show our Las Vegas Gun Girls what kind of man you really are.
RE the chopper flight - book in advance..all firms much of a muchness??
It was nearly 20 years ago but the fact they're still going is a sort of recommendation. http://www.papillon.com/
We booked ours through the hotel concierge who got us a 'deal' (and I assume a deal for himself too 😉 )
Save your money and go to Blackpool instead. If you really must go then hire a car and do some sight seeing away from the place
Wander round through all the different casinos and the spectacles within - St Marks Square in the Venetian, inside the Luxor, Volcano at the Mirage, Fountains at the Bellagio etc etc. Sideshow is the people that are there - if you like people watching it's truly a fascinating place... To walk the whole strip and see inside every casino / each spectacle would probably take you the best part of a day.
The Shelby Museum is also well worth a look, if you are a petrolhead, complete with a free guided tour (yes, free, in Vegas!)
Piano Bar to the side of the dealing room in New york New york
Two grand piano facing one another... as the evening gets going they take requests and by the end of the night it's one side of the bar singing against the other.... really rather good.
The ride at the top of the Stratosphere (not the little roller coaster, the shoot up in the air thingy ) Do it at night with the Strip laid out, in all its bright light glory.... feels like you are sitting up there with your feet dangling of the edge... and check out the helicopters BELOW you.
Have fun
I'm with TiRed on this one. Best thing is the road out of there.
As am I. The entire place is designed to part you from your money. Walk into a building, there's a bloke on the door with his hand out. I went years ago on a shoestring budget for a friend's holiday and didn't have the greatest of times. I stopped giving doormen handouts in the end and put up with their shitty looks, I just didn't have the cash to keep giving it away and they must have been making a fortune. Also as a vegetarian you'd think a tourist trap would be awash with options; it is not, I lived on chips for a fortnight.
The best place I found to be isn't there any more, which was the Star Trek experience in the Hilton. It was also the cheapest place we found for drinks (Quark's Bar).
If I had the money, I'd have loved to have done the Grand Canyon flight. I did manage a couple of shows, Cirque du Soliel was very good.
Oh yeah, the Stratosphere's worth a visit, good shout.
Hire Harleys for the day. Out through the desert to Lake Meade and the Hoover Dam, back to town to be heading down the strip as night falls.
Walk the strip & take in the free shows outside the hotels (this volcano will erupt every 30 minutes for your convenience) amazing entrances though the conveyor belts only go one way, in! Many have theme park rides (or in the MGM a theme park in the backlot) if that's your thing.
Hotels have free gambling lessons, our guy was full of Vegas stories, had a great time but we declined going to the real tables after our course.
We went to one all you can eat, the food was good but seeing a supersized woman waddling along with two dinner plates of dessert put me off.
If you are from the UK just seeing the desert is something, though locals will be mystified. Grand Canyon / Hoover Dam if you had more time Bryce Canyon and Zion.
Chopper to the Canyon is a must. We did a tour that included rafting down the Colorado and it was incredible.
The rollercoaster at NY NY is worth a look and quite cheap (for Vegas). There's also a diner that does incredible sandwiches there too that are the size of a door step.
Fremont Street has improved beyond recognition but still shows the less glamorous side of the town.
Breakfast and belinis at the restaurant outside Paris.
Steak at Fix in The Bellagio.
Have a game of roulette or black jack. Just to say you did, I'm not a gambler but felt I had to and did quite enjoy it.
Walk into a building, there's a bloke on the door with his hand out.
Will get my high-fives ready... 😉
I hate tipping for the sake of it..will just get used to it i suppose..
So, it looks like Canyon chopper trip is a must do..
Really want to do the sandwich place at NY NY after seeing it on a yankee food show..
I'm aware teh place is a spectacle - will just lap it up and wince at the bill after!
DrP
Like others I'd get out of vegas asap. We did a river rafting trip down the colarado river from Peach Springs.
A quite surreal day in the company of a native american guy called Michael Jackson
Canyon chopper, jump off the stratosphere a proper buzz!
Eat at Lotus of Siam.
Then leave. It's a dump. I have to go a few times a year for work. Can't wait to leave every time.
Have a days guided mtb in the desert - Vegas's hidden treasure. McGills have guides and bikes to hire
We walked to the Nuclear museum. A way off the strip.Not bad.
And I loved 'O' just the staging of it was crazy. May not be a lot of folks cup of tea. But it's the only place in the world to see it. Not cheap.
I liked walking around at night taking in places I'd seen in films. The place is actually a massive chore to walk around but I quite enjoyed it.
A weekend is long enough.
Having said that we're about to use it for the start and end for a big road trip. Cheap hotels though.
I got married there 3 years ago and a week wasn't enough!
I really wanted to fire some guns (but didn't get chance to). Didn't get around to doing the Grand Canyon. I got my first tattoo and spent the rest of the week just gawping at everything.
Hell of a place 🙂
I got married there 3 years ago and a week wasn't enough!I really wanted to fire some guns (but didn't get chance to). Didn't get around to doing the Grand Canyon. I got my first tattoo and spent the rest of the week just gawping at everything.
Were you in a movie as well? 🙂
Get dressed up as Elvis.
You can call yourself Dr. Pelvis.
Did a hike from Black Canyon To the Colorado, and then Kayaked with a stop for lunch. Fully guided and was fantastic. https://evolutionexpeditions.com/kayaking.html
Mcghies bike shop up near Red Rock do guided rides on the MTB trails in Red Rock canyon, really quite good. http://mcghies.com/articles/private-hiking-and-biking-tours-pg327.htm The road riding is pretty good too.
O is a must see, we were blown aware by the scale of it and the sets.
The Eifel Tower restaurant in Paris is very good and you can see the Bellagio fountains whilst you're eating.
You could spend a couple of nights just wandering up and down the strip visiting all the different 'attractions' in each one. It is cheesy to the extreme but it is a spectacle. If you like people watching it can be quite an eyeopener (e.g. seeing the same person on the same slot machine when you retire to bed and still there when you get up for breakfast!).
We didn't do any gambling (well, 5 mins on a slot machine before boredom kicked in), but the strip will keep you entertained for a day or two.
No rush to go back, but then we did do a few nights in the Grand Canyon afterwards as a polar opposite experience so thats kinda ticked off the bucket list.
Worth mentioning...
I went in October and the post brexit exchange rate was terrible. As a consequence it cost even more of a fortune. Trump may have actually helped this a little now however!
Time to ride? Bootleg Canyon for the day (uplifts on a weekend) and you can go see the Hoover Damn at the same time.
Red Rock area is good hiking.
Be aware that all trips from Vegas to the Grand Canyon only go to the West Rim.
I'm sure it's mega impressive but it's not the Grand Canyon you see in all the photos. That's the South Rim and it's a lot further away. We hiked from the South Rim for three days and never heard a helicopter...
[url= http://www.papillon.com/general-information/compare-canyon-rims ]West vs South [/url]
Plane or chopper ride over the GC.
Hard Hat Tour of the Hoover Dam.
Drive out to Red Rock Canyon
Stratosphere rides.
Watch other people throw away the equivalent of a years wages in three roles of the dice.
DO NOT drink cocktails till you can hardly stand at the yellow Submarine, especially the blue cocktails......
I had a very traumatic poo the next day.......
It was BLUE! Bright blue and it stayed that way for 3 days.........WTF did they put in it?
As am I. The entire place is designed to part you from your money. Walk into a building, there's a bloke on the door with his hand out. I went years ago on a shoestring budget for a friend's holiday and didn't have the greatest of times. I stopped giving doormen handouts in the end and put up with their shitty looks, I just didn't have the cash to keep giving it away and they must have been making a fortune
I've been 3 times, 2007 with the wife and 2012 & 2013 with different groups of friends, and i can honestly say I have never experienced that ever, just a polite nod and a "how are you today ?" was the only interaction with the doormen .
Also as a vegetarian you'd think a tourist trap would be awash with options; it is not, I lived on chips for a fortnight.
The wife is a vegetarian, so I know exactly where you are coming from there.
She got a little fed up with the only healthy food place being Subway.
Not that she mentioned it ...................much 😆
Sounds dreadful.
I note that the majority recommendations of "things to do in Vegas" actually seem to be outside of Vegas...
Get pleasantly drunk on the highball Margaritas at Jimmy Buffets 5 o clock somewhere bar (attached to the Flamigo Casino) as you watch the world go by.
Eat a Tony Romas on Freemont Street
Eiffel Tower does a nice breakfast menu
Hire a nice car for the day and go for a drive out of town.
Lounge around the Hotel pool all afternoon in the baking heat drinking beer
Have fun with the crazy people you will meet.
prawny - MemberBest thing was a tour of the hoover dam
You are Carlton Banks and I claim my £5.
ive been 3 times for a week each and still never seen a stage show or been to the Grand Canyon!
Done the rollercoasters and the waterpark but really we used to just pick a casino and pretty much hang out there all afternoon playing the tables and boozing until the clubs opened again.
I must be nearly 10 years older than i was the last time though so i think i'd be after a different experience these days.
If you like history and want to find out why vegas is in such a daft place I would recomend https://www.springspreserve.org/
My wife and I got married there by Elvis in 2002 (and returned to renew our vows in 2012) and the next morning took a helicopter flight (Sundance Helicopter Tours who are still running), down to the Grand Canyon for a champagne breakfast. That was awesome and well worth the money.
The piano bar in New York New York is well worth visiting at night, as is the Grand Square in the Venetian (lovely string quartets play there).
Circus Circus has a purpose built theatre for the Cirque du Solei, that's wicked.
Don't know if it's still there, but in 2012 the Luxor had an amazing Titanic exhibition running, with mockups of cabins and a 10 tonne section of the hull on display...just checked, still there!
We had fun doing the CSI experience in the MGM hotel. Best bit was when my wife, who watches every murder show on the telly, queried why we were trying to figure out the calibre of some bullets and I had to take her back to the murder scene and help her count the 'odd' number of 'eyeholes' in the victim's skull.
Last time we were there I also booked a guided MTB trip around Red Rock Canyon. Nice hire bike, an Ellesworth as I recall, fabulous scenery, just watch out for the frikken Chipmunks....they're everywhere!
Fun show we did, because we missed it first time round at the Excalibur (where we've stayed both times), was the medieval joust and banquet. Excellent stuff and Merlin was well impressed when he discovered we were Scots.
Other than that, most of our time there was spent gawping at stuff and drinking slushy cocktails...oooh, Dick's Last Resort! A bar in the Excaliber, brilliant place for a great laugh, good live music and food. Really funny place, they go all out to insult and embarrass the patrons. Google it, it was cracking good fun!
Debbie? 😆
Have a days guided mtb in the desert - Vegas's hidden treasure. McGills have guides and bikes to hire
this
Cheesy as it sounds (& probably is!) the guided open top bus tour, you'll probably see most of the places mentioned in the above posts.
Stratosphere at night but bring your I'd with you if you want a drink...(bring it with you everywhere)
Maverick helicopters for the Hoover Dam & Canyon flight. They land in the Canyon briefly to refuel. Will make you wish you booked a MTB trip though.
The machine gun range was an experience
A beer in the 'Tilted Kilt'
The sports bar in Caesers Palace, never seen so many huge TV screens all showing different sports
There is a bowling alley which has a live band who play requests....they were amazing
Cheers for the suggestions...
Naysayers - chuff off!!! 😉
Still looking onto which helichopper company to use - I want one out of LV it seems, not Boulder city - don't want too long a transfer time.
Thinking the water park might be fun.
I (and the wife) insist on a meal in Hooters...
Thinking I'll try the NY NY sandwich bar place..
DrP
Boulder City gets you a walk around the Hoover Dam and the adjacent bridge so there's more there than just a chopper pickup. When I went we rented a car for the day from the hotel for about $80. You can also go for a razz on a bike or zipwire at Bootleg Canyon renting a bike from these guys - http://www.allmountaincyclery.com/
Vegas strip meh.. like Blackpool on steroids.
The mountain biking there on the otherhand is fantastic.
Blue Diamond - Hire a bike and head out (ask Chris for directions)
Head out to the Badger Pass then up to take in 3 mile smile.
On the return you can choose Maverick (fast and flowing singletrack) or Night light - a little more techie.
Bootleg Canyon - masses of trails - ask in the bike shop!
Last day back to Red Rock Canyon - Cowboy trails - really techie rocky fun.
each night go drinking....
yeah second dirty dicks in the excalibur!! that was a funny night!