Las Vegas is a real amusement paradise that pulls in more than 37 million visitors yearly. One might think: "what are all these millions of visitors looking for in this warm desert city?" Most of these visitors mainly come to enjoy the amusement this city has to offer.

Gambling
Of course Las Vegas is well-known as the biggest gambling city in the world. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week you can, in the beautifully luminated ( theme) casinos that Las Vegas has, gamble.
You can bet your money at the Sports-Book, at Keno, Roulette, Blackjack, Poker, Craps or play at the numerous different slot-machines.
Be aware! One may only gamble if you're 21 years old or older and children are not allowed in the casino.

Las Vegas harbours hundreds of casinos. One even bigger or more beautiful than the other. When you play the slot-machines regularly, I advise to become a member in the "Players Club" at your favorite casino. They'll give you one of their " Casino Members' card" with which you can save points when you gamble at their slot-machines. Later you can redeem these points for gifts, money or for a free night stay. So don't forget to stick your card in the slot-machine when you start to play. Of course you shouldn't forget your card when you're done playing.

Also when you play at the tables frequently and you attract the attention of the casino staff there is the possibility that they'll reward you. They could give you a better hotel room for example. They call this a "upgrade".

Are you a very big gambler or a so called "High Roller" , then Las Vegas is paradise. At the airport there will be a limousine that will take you to your hotel suite for free. In the hotel and casino you'll be spoiled by the staff. You won't have to pay for food, the drinks are free and you'll get free tickets for shows and sporting events.

If you belong to the elite of " High Rollers" then you're a "Whale". This select group of about 200 super rich gamblers spend many millions of dollars during their gambling trips. These Whales are so important to the casinos that they're flown in especially in private jets. Of course they will then get the most beautiful and biggest penthouse, including private butler.
The private host or hostess will make sure that the Whale is short of nothing. All their wishes will be granted. This service can go very far at times, but the host is willing to take the risk. A Whale alone can be good for one or multiple day- turnover for the Casino. They don't want to lose a guest like this, so he'll be treasured.

Finally, a wise advise for the ones who are gonna give the gambling a try: put a certain limit to the amount your going to gamble with and stick with this. Las Vegas has a lot to offer, even when one doesn't like to gamble.
 

The Strip
When you walk the Strip for the very first time, the most important street in Las Vegas, you'll be short of eyes. The huge Hotels on the Strip are mostly built according to different themes and they are definately worth to view from the outside but also from the inside.
One will make you feel like you're in the old Egypt (the Luxor) and in the next Hotel in the Middle Ages ( Excalibur). You'll be in New York, Monte Carlo, Paris or Venice in no time.
Each and every theme-hotel is actually an attraction to itself, where you can enjoy yourself for many hours.

During the day the huge Hotels are already beautiful, but at night they really come to life due to their many, many neon- and other kind of lighting.
From the light bundle shining from the top of the Luxor Hotel, the luminated Paris to the dancing lighted fountains at the Bellagio Hotel.

Even with the millions of visitors every year in Las Vegas one doesn't have to be afraid that one might not find a hotel-room there.
Whether you're a gambler, a tourist or a convention-visitor: Las Vegas has a lot of mega-hotels where you can book a room relatively "cheap".
These rooms are priced attractively to bind the guests to their hotels because they know very well that the profits are made in the casino's.
The prices for the different hotel-rooms vary each day and period (conventions, holidays).
On a Friday and Saturday the prices are much higher than other days.

The Strip is pretty long, from the Mandalay Bay to the Stratosphere it's about 4.4 miles.
When you're on the Strip for the first time you won't notice this at first.
Hotels seem to be close to each other but this is just deceit, due to their enormous measurements.
When you're in Las Vegas for a few days, I'd scout the Strip on foot as much as possible, and next to that maybe with your own car ( parking at the Hotels is free), taxi, the Las Vegas Strip Trolleys, the bus (301) and not to forget the monorail.
 

Don't feel like walking anymore? Take the bus or the monorail!

Monorail
There is a monorail connection between Mandalay Bay - Luxor - Excalibur, Monte Carlo - Bellagio and the Mirage - Treasure Island. There's also a monorail connection between the MGM Grand and the Sahara Hotel.
This last monorail connection was opened July 2004 and consists of 7 stops. Click here for the route!
It's intended to extend this monorail towards Down Town and Mc Carren Airport at a later time.
More about this >>>monorail

Amusement
The millions of people that visit Las Vegas every year don't just come for gambling or for one of the many congresses or conventions. They also come for top-amusement.
Las Vegas is also leading when it comes to top-amusement. Many top-artists perform weekly in different hotels. Next to that, many hotels have their own top-artists and/or shows.

A beautiful show that you should see is The Blue Man Group.
This group consists of bold and blue-painted men that, in an original and very musical way amuse their audience with their remarkable instruments.

Cirque Du Soleil is not unknown in Las Vegas. Each year their shows pull in many ten-thousands of visitors. Their first show Mystère is being performed at Treasure Island for ten years now and is according to many the best show. Mystère - a cast of 70 acrobats, clowns, comedians, actors and musicians from around the world.

Other great Cirque du Soleil shows are "O", "Zumanity", "Ka" and "Love"

You can find the show " O " at the prestigeous Bellagio Hotel. This show is mainly in, around and over water. In a huge water-tank there are many beautiful acts performed. People that are afraid to get wet should not come here, the others will surely enjoy this great water-show very much.

Zumanity, is a lightly erotice show where acrobats and dancers show us the subject love in various sensual ways.
You can only enter this show when you're 18 or older. Zumanity is seen in the New York- New York Hotel.

You can find Ka, a epic story about twins that undertake a dangerous trip, at the MGM Grand Hotel. Sit back and enjoy this show full of acrobatics and exciting martial arts.

LOVE - Brings together the magic of Cirque du Soleil with the spirit and passion of the most beloved rock group of all time - The Beatles. Love is seen in The Mirage Hotel

The shows above are very popular so I advise you to make a timely
reservation to prevent disappointments.

Of course you can also visit concerts of world-famous pop-artists in Las
Vegas. One of the hotels where concerts are being held is, of course, the
Hard Rock Hotel.
 

TIP, TIP, TIP
Visit tickets2nite!!! At tickets2nite, which you can find at the Showcase
Mall ( at the big Coca- Cola bottle), you can order tickets ( with 50% off )
for different performances which are being held the same afternoon of
evening.
For opening hours you can visit their web-site.

For much lower prices you can, among other things, enjoy: the circus,
different roller-coasters, different animal-attractions, 3-D movies,
"rides", video games, "virtual reality" or a gondola-ride.

Next to that some hotels also have free attractions of which the beautiful
dancing fountains at the Bellagio Hotel, the spectaculair sea-battle at the
Treasure Island and the Freemont Street Experience are the most famous. If you want to enjoy the stunning views, then you should definately visit
the Stratosphere Hotel, with her 350 meters/1,149 feet high tower or the
Eiffel Tower at the Paris Hotel.
Be advised: for both attractions they charge an entrance fee.

Shopping
In many hotels you also have complete shopping-malls with "ordinary" to
luxury to very exclusive shops.
There are, among others: in the Alladin Hotel; the Desert Passage, in
Caesars Palace; The Forum Shops, in the Paris Hotel; le Boulevard and in the
Venetian; The Grand Canal Shoppes.
Whenever you're in one of these beautiful shopping-malls you should look up.
because of the colour-painted ceiling it's just like you're outside. yes,
even the blue sky and the magnificent clouds are being reproduced here.

If you want to shop even more: Las Vegas has a different "Malls",
"Outlets"and a lot of souvenir-shops and specialty-stores.In Las Vegas it's
really "shop till you drop"!

Las Vegas is a true shoppers-paradise!

Food & Drink
If all that shopping made you thirsty or hungry, then you're at the right
spot in Las Vegas. Las Vegas has a lot of restaurants ranging from very
common to very exclusive, where you can eat from
"all you can eat" buffets to "a la carte".

Las Vegas is famous for her many and very extensive buffets. Because of all
the offered buffets it is very difficult to make a choice.
To help you we made a Top 5.
Another buffet tip! The buffets in Las Vegas are very big and divers.
So have a good look around before you fill your plate.

In Las Vegas you'll also find a few theme cafés and restaurants where you can enjoy food and drink in surroundings that speak to your imagination. Think here about places like the Hardrock Café, Planet Hollywood, the Nascar Café, ESPN- Zone, Harley Davidson, Quark Bar & Restaurant, House of Blues and the Rainforest Café.

If you only want to enjoy a drink and / or dance, then you can go to one of the many bars, (night) clubs or lounges. Looking for trendy clubs and cool bars click here.
 

What else is there to see and do in Las Vegas?

Downtown Las Vegas
There has been a time in which the Strip took all the attention of the many tourists that visited Las Vegas thanks to her many " Theme- Hotels".
To make sure " Downtown " wouldn't succumb to the Strip, a couple of Hotels, Casino's and local authorities started the project Fremont Street Experience, which has been completed in 1995 and was moderated last in 2004.

At 90 feet high there is the largest screen in the world, Viva Vision. On the 525 yard long LED- screen you can enjoy beautiful light-shows every night.
The light- shows are being supported by a 555,000 Watt sound-system, spread over more than 200 speakers.

Would you already like to get an impression of these high-tech shows!? Then go to the Fremont Street Experience site to view online video-fragments of this show. There you can also find the program and description of the different shows.

Each night from 7 pm till midnight you can enjoy about 5 to 6 shows.
Click here for photos and a map of downtown Las Vegas.
 

Thanks to the Fremont Street Experience and the many activities on the streets there, Downtown Las Vegas attracts many millions of tourists again. When you're in Downtown Las Vegas, don't forget to visit old Las Vegas icons like "Vegas Vic", "Vegas Vickie" and Binions Horseshoe.

Getting Married
In Las Vegas there are a lot of weddings. Every year 80,000 Marriages are being conducted in the many ( kitschy ) wedding chapels, locations that Las Vegas has.
You can get married Elvis-style, from your car ( drive-thru ), on a pirate-ship, in a helicopter, in Star-Trek surroundings, under water, in the Grand Canyon, on the Eiffel-Tower and....too many locations to name.
Each mega-hotel has one or more wedding-chapels/ locations by the way.

Las Vegas wedding packages

In Las Vegas, a lot of celebrities, like: Elvis Presley and Priscilla Beaulieu, Frank Sinatra and Mia Farrow, Mickey Rooney and Ava Gadrner, Michael Jordan and Juanita Vanoy, Bruce Willis and
Demi Moore, Billy Bob Thornton and Angelina Jolie, Dennis Rodman and Carmen Electra, got married. Of course a lot of these celebrities got divorced already and maybe got married again in Las Vegas.
Getting married in Las Vegas is cheap and if you like you can be hitched within 5 minutes, sometimes you don't even have to leave your car.
 

Looking for  Wedding Vows ! ? ! ?
In Las Vegas are many nice places to give each other your vows.

Sport (events/activities)
Boxing is the sport-event in Las Vegas. Each year many matches are being fought in different sports-arenas of the different mega-hotels.
Besides boxing you can also enjoy tennis-matches, horse-racing, K1-fights, Rodeo, Car-racing ( Nascar) and golf in Las Vegas.
Of course you can hit a tee yourself on one of about 50 golf-courses that Las Vegas and Vegas area has.
If you want more action you can also go water-skiing, sky-diving, mountain-biking, rafting or......
More info about this subject>>> What we'll do

Musea
Las Vegas counts different musea for young and old.
You can visit by example:

• Lied Discovery Children's Museum; an interactive museum for kids, where even parents could learn something.
• Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art; different art-pieces of different Masters like: Renoir, Picasso and Monet.
• Imperial Palace Auto Collection ( Imperial Palace ); more than 200 beautiful cars are located in this museum. Here you can also buy cars, juke-boxes and other nice items. Don't forget to print your complementary ticket at this site.
• Guggenheim Hermitage Museum ( Venetian Hotel ); different art-works from masters like Van Gogh, Gauguin and Cézanne.
• Guinness World of Records; museum with many bizar records.
  Liberace Museum; a museum about the legendary and extravagant Las Vegas performer Walter Liberace.
• Neon Museum is not a physical museum but an institution that makes efforts for the preservation of old Neon-signs.
  You will see a couple of these beautiful Neons in Neonpolis ( shopping mall Downtown) and other places Downtown. On their site you can see where.
• Las Vegas Natural History Museum; here you'll meet a moving Tyrannosaurus Rex and other beasts from the animal-world.
  Besides dead, set, animals you can also see living specimens.
• Nevada State Museum and Historical Society; museum about the history of southern Nevada.
• Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort; here you can find out things about the mormons, their missionary work and their influence on Las Vegas.
• Madame Tussaud's ( Venetian Hotel ); Which celebrities in wax will you meet here?

KIDS
Of course Las Vegas will always be a city that aims mainly at grown-ups that love to gamble and/or like to get entertained. To be sure that parents can gamble, go shopping or visit shows, the kids have to be entertained as well of course.

There are a few shows where children are very welcome as well.
Besides that, the most hotels have options to keep kids busy or entertain them. Think for example about the roller coasters, rides and arcades. Be sure not to forget to take the kids to the beautiful free shows: Fountains of Bellagio, The Volcano and the Sirens of TI.

Whenever you visit Las Vegas with your children then the Circus-Circus Hotel is recommended to stay in. This hotel has the biggest indoor theme-park in the country. Besides that there are a few circus-performances every day.
Another fun hotel is Excalibur.

The Showcase Mall next to the MGM Grand is a great place to take your kids. In this Mall you can find Game Works (video games/interactive), M&M's World and the World of Coca-Cola.
The building is very recognizable by the huge Coca-Cola bottle and the M&M commercials.

Would you like to plan something yourself or do you want to see what else there is to do for kids, then please visit this site, www.lasvegaskids.net and/or the column " What we are going to do".
In this column there are also a few animal attractions that are definitely worth to go to. Don't forget to visit Siegfried & Roy's rare white tigers.

Leaving Las Vegas
Of course Las Vegas in its self is beautiful but don't forget, when you have time for it, to visit The Hoover Dam or one or more of the next beautiful national parks, Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Death Valley Zion, Red Rock Canyon, Glen Canyon, Valley of Fire, Mount Charleston, Antelope Canyon. Some of these parks you can visit from Las Vegas, others you can visit during your trip through the south-west of the US.
More info on this>>> Leaving Las Vegas

Of course there will be a time where you will have to leave Las Vegas. Most of us will do this by car and others take a plane. Whenever you visit this beautiful city again in a few years, you'll be amazed about all the changes. Almost every year hotels & casinos are being built, and remodeled. One more beautiful, more luxurious or bigger than the other. Yes, Las Vegas will always amaze everyone.

 

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