Las Vegas Travel Guide

Geography

Many visitors never venture more than a few hundred feet/meters away from the Strip, the 4-mi-/7-km-long stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard that's lined on both sides with casino-hotels. Because so much is concentrated on one street, it's easier to understand the layout of the city if you break the Strip into sections.

The South Strip begins near Harry Reid International Airport, extends north to Harmon Avenue and includes the major intersection where the Strip meets Tropicana Avenue. Center Strip runs from Harmon north to Spring Mountain Road and includes the busy Flamingo Road intersection. The North Strip goes from Spring Mountain to just north of Sahara Avenue.

The second major area of interest to visitors is downtown (sometimes referred to as Glitter Gulch), a few miles/kilometers north of the northern end of the Strip. There the casinos are smaller, older and less lavish, but the area has its own theme attraction: the Fremont Street Experience outdoor light show.

The rest of Las Vegas rambles out east and west of the Strip.

History

Although nomadic native tribes inhabited the Las Vegas area for thousands of years, the place didn't get its name until a young Spanish scout, Rafael Rivera, discovered the grassy valley with its water supply, naming it "Las Vegas," which means the meadows in Spanish.

The building of a fort by Mormon missionaries and the discovery of precious metals in the 1800s led to more interest. Just after the turn of the 20th century, Las Vegas became established as a small railroad town on the line connecting Salt Lake City and Los Angeles.

Several acts by the U.S. government spurred the city's growth. The first was the construction of Hoover Dam in the early 1930s, which brought an army of workers to the region. During World War II, a magnesium-processing plant and a U.S. Army base were established.

Before that, the Nevada state government had lent a hand by making quick divorces easy and legalizing gambling. Following the war, Bugsy Siegel was the first organized-crime figure to imagine Las Vegas as a major gambling center, a vision that soon came true—though Bugsy didn't live to see it happen.

In the 1960s, millionaire Howard Hughes bought a big piece of the Vegas action when he moved into the Desert Inn in 1966. When the hotel management asked him to leave the following year, he bought the hotel.

Soon corporations, rather than underworld figures, were operating the casinos, turning them from gambling halls to legitimate "gaming" businesses. Entertainment flourished as Elvis Presley performed his first Vegas show in 1969 at the International Hotel (now the Westgate Las Vegas).

Through it all, the city grew. The population made significant leaps in the 1980s as businesses discovered the state's tax advantages, and the boom continued through the 1990s. In 1995, the Fremont Street Experience opened to attract visitors to the downtown area.

Las Vegas has become a major travel destination, spurred on by its increasingly colossal hotels and an expanding number of trade shows and conventions.

While major construction projects ebb and flow with the economy, there is a lot happening in Sin City. The year 2016 saw the arrival of the highly anticipated 20,000 seat T-mobile Arena fronted by the Strip's first park. The park links the NYNY hotel and the Park MGM (formerly the Monte Carlo) and showcases giant metallic shade trees, the 40-foot tall "Bliss Dance" sculpture and fountains.

The US$8.5 billion CityCenter complex includes three hotels, two residential towers, a high-end shopping complex, and a slew of restaurants and bars. The Aria resort and casino is the centerpiece and crown jewel of the complex, and the 3,000-room Resorts World Las Vegas, located where the Stardust once stood, is gaining accolades.

The bottleneck where Interstate 15 and Highway 95 meet near the Strip, known as the Spaghetti Bowl, has completed an expansion known as Project Neon, which has eased traffic congestion.

Sightseeing

The world-famous Las Vegas Strip is a brilliantly lit corridor of themed and classic casino-hotels stretching for more than 3 mi/5 km along Las Vegas Boulevard.

The flashing signs and lighted facades make walking the Strip a memorable—if crowded and exhausting—experience day or night. Free sidewalk shows that cost millions to design and maintain—such as the fountains at Bellagio—are designed to lure visitors.

CityCenter brings together five world-class architects in a thoroughly modern way; others present world-travel fantasies that cover the four corners of the earth. Inside, you'll find attractions such as circus acts, wild-animal habitats, fine art, an ever-expanding variety of casino games, spas, shopping and one of the world's best collections of dining options in a single city.

Close to the Strip in both distance and wattage is downtown Las Vegas. The highlight there, literally, is the Fremont Street Experience, a five-block promenade covered by a high-tech canopy that displays an elaborate light show set to heart-thumping music several times a night.

Most people are so enamored by the Strip they don't venture beyond it to take advantage of other area attractions. For example, the Smith Center for the Performing Arts offers world-class theater, dance and music performances.

The city seems to host a local festival every week, and the September-May weather is ideal for bike races, marathons, hiking and other activities.

Nightlife

The city's stage shows are the way many visitors fill their nights. The lineup is extensive and ever-changing, so get your hands on an up-to-date schedule and make your plans as early as possible. Most Concierge desks at major hotels on the Strip publish weekly show guides. Some of the long-running favorites: O (water-themed circus show by the famed Cirque de Soleil at Bellagio); Mystere (another Cirque de Soleil production, this one at TI-Treasure Island).

There's also David Copperfield at the MGM Grand, Mat Franco at the LINQ and Blue Man Group at the Luxor. Vegas! The Show at Planet Hollywood is the only performance left in town featuring traditional Las Vegas showgirls.

There are many options for afternoon shows. The Mac King Comedy Magic show is consistently rated as one of the best shows in town at bargain prices (Harrah's).

Many touring music and comedy acts make stops in Vegas. Among the venues showcasing such headliners are Encore Theater and the Chelsea Cosmopolitan (rock and pop stars), House of Blues at Mandalay Bay (rock 'n' rollers), Grand Garden Arena at MGM Grand, Park Theater, Caesar's Colosseum and T-Mobile Arena (all kinds of big names) and the Orleans (lots of oldies, lots of country).

Burlesque shows are as popular as ever on the Strip and include the long-running Fantasy at the Luxor and the famously controversial Crazy Girls at Planet Hollywood. Popular male-review shows include Thunder from Down Under at Excalibur, and Chippendales at the Rio.

Nightlife hardly ends with the big shows, however. For those who want to dance, there's no shortage of options. The majority of the popular spots are found in the big hotel-casinos. The nightclubs are standing room only unless you book a table with bottle service. Because of the high price of drinks at the clubs, it is often a better deal to go with bottle service.

Not surprisingly, a lot of comedians try to make their mark in Vegas. The area's comedy clubs spotlight the up-and-comers striving to make the leap to the casino showrooms. Vegas nightspots do their best to live up to the town's round-the-clock reputation. Some literally do stay open 24 hours a day, but the closing time for most ranges 2-5 am. The atmosphere at night spots can vary wildly on different nights, so if one place isn't happening that evening, it doesn't mean it won't be hopping the next night.

Although Vegas is known as a casual place, most nightclubs refuse entrance to those wearing jeans, shorts, flip-flops or tennis shoes. Those dressed in evening clothes usually get to the head of the line. So dress up and enjoy. Don't forget your wallet if hitting the clubs. Cocktails generally start around US$18 and go up from there.

The city enforces curfew on the Strip as well as downtown to prevent partying by minors. Anyone younger than 18 without a parent or guardian could risk a fine of up to US$300 if they're found within the area bordered by Main Street, Ogden, Bridger and Maryland Parkway 9 pm-5 am. The area includes the Fremont Street Experience and Fremont East.

Dining

Las Vegas receives much well-deserved attention for its ever-expanding selection of fine restaurants. Most every superstar chef has at least one establishment, and it seems that Vegas has more Wolfgang Puck restaurants than McDonald's franchises.

It's hard to argue with the quality at many of these places, but the emphasis is definitely toward those with large spending budgets or on an expense account. Homegrown restaurants are hard to find because most of them are outside of the hotels. On the plus side, those who don't often find themselves in trendsetting food cities such as New York, Chicago and Los Angeles will be happy to know that they can get a taste of all of them (and more) in Las Vegas. Most top restaurants offer tasting menus, prix-fixe meals and other money-saving ways to attract diners. Ask about special menus when you make your reservation.

The move toward upscale dining can be seen in unlikely places: Even the famous all-you-can-eat buffets have become more expansive and elaborate—and they're not necessarily the dining bargain they once were. Expect to pay US$7-$39 for a breakfast buffet, US$8-$36 for lunch and US$13-$51 for dinner. You'll pay top dollar for the weekend Sterling Brunch at Bally's (US$90), with offerings that include rack of lamb, beef Wellington, fresh broiled Maine lobster and Nicolas Feuillatte champagne.

Hotels are trying to redefine their buffets by catering to different crowds and appetites. Many buffets have individual cooking stations where food is served to order. Culinary way stations include fresh pizza- and bread-baking areas, active rotisseries and carving stations, deli sandwich stations, seafood displays, sushi tables and the option to add bottomless wine or beer to your experience, with an added fee.

One thing, however, hasn't changed when it comes to buffets: standing in line. The rule of thumb is that a long line equals good food, but be prepared to wait up to 90 minutes on holidays if you choose such favorites as the Bellagio buffet—unless you want to take advantage of a great "counter play" there: Simply walk past the line into the buffet and take a seat at the bar, where you can pay the bartender for your meal rather than wait in the cashier line. In general, you can't make reservations for buffets, except for the top-dollar ones such as the Sterling Brunch at Bally's, where reservations are required.

General dining times are 7-10:30 am for breakfast, 11:30 am-2:30 pm for lunch and 5:30-11 pm for dinner, with many restaurants extending their hours on weekends. Also, some casinos have a 24-hour dining spot, although choices have become slim over the years. Las Vegas restaurants are all smoke-free.

Expect to pay within these general guidelines, based on the cost of dinner for one, not including drinks, tax or tip: $ = less than US$20; $$ = US$20-$50; $$$ = US$51-$100; and $$$$ = more than US$100.