Las Vegas not only offers breathtaking casinos and themed hotels - the glittering metropolis also offers many sights in the surrounding area. Day trips to the Hover Dam, the largest dam in the USA, out into nature such as the Valley of Fire or even to the Grand Canyon National Park should be planned during your visit to Las Vegas. We present the highlights and sights in Las Vegas and give you tips on the best places to visit!
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Location
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Travel info
US state
Nevada
Year of travel
2003
2014
2015
2021
Last update
04.2022
Table of contents
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01 - Intro
Glitter, glamour, megalomania - that's why Las Vegas is unique and worth seeing!
Las Vegas is hard to describe in words - you have to experience it for yourself! The city in the Nevada desert is not only visually impressive when the illuminated casinos turn Las Vegas into a flashing firework display after sunset. It is also acoustically, when you watch the hustle and bustle on Las Vegas Boulevard - the Strip - and follow the ringing of the slot machines in the casinos. The fact is, visiting Las Vegas is like being transported to another world. This surreal oasis is a fairytale world, a fascinating, kitschy, colourful dream that promises variety, entertainment and quick riches. If you want, you can have the party of your life in Las Vegas, regardless of the consequences. Not for nothing does the saying go, "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas!"
Around the clock, 365 days a year, the city's neon lights flicker, the gambling machines clack and the roulette balls roll non-stop. Time of day and weather (despite year-round bright blue skies) become meaningless to the gamblers in the air-conditioned casinos. This is probably why Las Vegas is always worth a visit.
Besides the casino spectacle, Las Vegas offers a huge bouquet of entertainment: shows like Blue Man Group, The Beatles or Cirque du Soleil, regular concerts with Lady Gaga or Beyeoncé, magic from David Copperfield, comedy, variety, adult shows, boxing events, wrestling, discos ... the list is endless. There is nothing that does not exist in Vegas. There is something for every taste.
02 - Las Vegas Strip
A must in Las Vegas: Tour of the Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is the section of Las Vegas Boulevard known for its dense concentration of luxury hotels and casinos. Almost 7 kilometres long, one casino and theme hotel follows the next. And they are really something!
Which hotel you stay in depends (apart from the price) primarily on the theme the hotel is tailored to: do you prefer lions or Romans, do you like Venice or the Pyramids of Giza? Do you prefer pomp or ostentation? Whatever you choose, each hotel has its own character. And that's one of the reasons why Las Vegas is so crazy!
A walk along Las Vegas Boulevard, from the Luxor in the south to the Wynn in the north, is no longer an insider tip. This is exactly the area where there is the most hustle and bustle and where the coolest and most exciting hotels can be found. Just looking at the outside gives you an idea of how crazy it is inside. In the next section, we'll introduce you to some of the best casinos to visit.
The Strip on a Saturday lunchtime - the city comes alive in the evening.
03 - Theme Hotels
Las Vegas Trip Tip #1: Tour the Theme Hotels and Casinos
A grand tour of the luxury hotels and casinos is a must. You won't regret it! But be prepared to have flat feet afterwards. Because the kilometres accumulate. Here is a small selection from the wide range of spectacular casinos:
The Mirage
Every evening from about 6pm onwards, a volcanic eruption takes place every hour. Yes, you read that right! With heavy grumbling and hot flames, the volcano spews its lava 40 metres into the sky during this show. Of course, it's not real lava, but appropriately lit water. Don't miss it!
Ceasar's Palace
Hail Caesar! That's how the staff in their Roman clothes could easily greet you. Everything here is trimmed in white marble and red velvet. The ancient Romans always knew how to enjoy life.
Bellagio
Right next door is the pompous Bellagio. Every evening, a huge water show takes place in the pool in front of the hotel. High fountains play choreographically to the music and lighting. Beautiful!
The Venetian
The Venetian is - as the name suggests - modelled on Venice. The Rialto Bridge and the miniature St Mark's Square are just as spectacular as the gondolas on the water. What always impresses us in the Venetian, however, is the vaulted ceiling! It is painted with a blue sky including clouds, and so well that inside the hotel you have the feeling you are actually walking under the open sky. A must-see!
New York New York
The lower area of the casino is modelled on the streets of New York and Little Italy. There's also a roller coaster that rattles across the hotel and over your head. Really cool!
Luxor
A black, glass pyramid as a hotel. Outside the door is a huge sphinx, while inside everything is trimmed to ancient Egypt. Marble and (fake) gold will dazzle and impress you. If you feel like it, visit the Titanic exhibition.
04 - Neon Museum
Las Vegas excursion tip #2: Neon Museum
Las Vegas lives from its neon signs. Without them, the city would only be half as spectacular. The good old neon advertisements had their best time between the 1930s and 1980s. At the latest with the advent of LED, many of the old systems were dismantled and replaced by new LED technology. Fortunately, the city of Las Vegas had the presence of mind to collect numerous neon signs and house the old signs in a "Neon Museum".
The Neon Museum - or Neon Boneyard - houses more than 150 neon signs from the old open-air casinos, including illuminated advertising installations from casinos such as the Moulin Rouge Hotel, Stardust, Golden Nugget, Sahara, Desert Inn, Caesars Palace, and many more.
During the 2-hour guided tour, you'll learn about the history of each sign, who designed it, where and how it was made, and most importantly, about the casino where it was displayed.
If visiting during the day, don't forget the sunscreen. Even more impressive is a visit to the Neon Museum of Las Vegas in the evening, when the sun has set. Then the old signs are switched on once again and come to life.
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05 - Hoover Dam
Excursion tip for Las Vegas #3: Hoover Dam - the largest dam in the USA
Lake Mead is located just 50 km southeast of Las Vegas. It is an important water reservoir, energy supplier and recreational centre for the region around Las Vegas. Unfortunately, the water supply is decreasing year by year, which is why the entire Lake Mead Recreation Area is increasingly losing its holiday value. The Hoover Dam, the largest dam in the USA, is worth seeing here. It dams up the Colorado River to Lake Mead. The view down from the 180-metre-high dam wall is impressive! As you cross the dam, you cross the state borders of Nevada and Arizona. And at the same time the associated hour difference. This is pure time travelling!
While the view down from the dam is not for people with a fear of heights, you can get an even better view of the area: South of Hoover Dam, Interstate 11 runs over the Mike O'Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, connecting Las Vegas in Nevada with Kingman in Arizona. Just before the Hoover Dam Visitor Center, there is a car park from which you can access the bridge. From the 270-metre-high bridge, you can admire the Hoover Dam and part of Lake Mead from a bird's eye view. Don't worry: thanks to a high parapet, you are very well protected from the approaching motorway traffic. Nevertheless, we would like to warn you that the view from up here is definitely only suitable for those with a head for heights!
Lake Mead dams up in front of Hoover Dam (water level from 2021)
View of Hoover Dam from the Mike O'Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge (2021)
06 - Valley of Fire
Trip Tip for Las Vegas #4: Valley of Fire
Tired of the hustle and bustle of the city and looking for some peace and quiet in nature? From Las Vegas it's only a 1-hour drive to the Valley of Fire. The state park gets its name from the fiery red sandstone formations that seem to really burn in the sunlight. Some very impressive rocks with spectacular names like Elephant Rock, Crazy Hill or Fire Wave are waiting for you as well as some very nice hiking trails. The Valley of Fire is a great contrast to Las Vegas. We have summarised everything there to experience in a detailed report on the Valley of Fire.
Sunset in the Valley of Fire
Rock formation "Fire Wave" in the Valley of Fire
07 - Seven Magic Mountains
Excursion tip for Las Vegas #5: Seven Magic Mountains
A few miles southwest of Las Vegas, directly on the Las Vegas Freeway I-15, you will find the Seven Magic Moutains. Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone designed the seven colourful stone colossi and placed them along Interstate 15 in the middle of the Ivanpah Valley. The location was carefully chosen by the artist: It is meant to be a symbol between naturalness and artificiality, because surrounded by the desert and mountains, the Magic Mountains are reminiscent of naturally formed rock pillars, but are man-made.
In our opinion, the Seven Magic Mountains are not worth an extra trip, but if you are travelling on the I-15, a stop at the Seven Magic Mountains is definitely worthwhile.
Sunset at the Seven Magic Mountains
08 - Red Rock Canyon
Trip tip for Las Vegas #6: Red Rock Canyon
Red Rock Canyon offers another piece of nature and a break from the turbulence of Las Vegas. This area offers a beautiful scenic drive, great views and some trails for hiking. You can reach Red Rock Canyon in about 30 minutes by car from Las Vegas. Similar to the Seven Magic Mountains, we don't consider Red Rock Canyon to be one of the top destinations in Las Vegas. However, if you have enough time, it is definitely worth a visit.
Red Rock Canyon Loop near Las Vegas
09 - Grand Canyon
Trip tip for Las Vegas #7: Grand Canyon
Finally, the "thickest chunk" on the list of the best excursion destinations around Las Vegas: the Grand Canyon, the largest canyon in the world! Again and again it is communicated that you can make a good day trip to the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas. Theoretically this may be true, but practically it is not. The drive to the South Rim (the southern edge of the Grand Canyon) as well as to the North Rim stretches over a length of about 400 km, which means at least 4 hours of driving (each way). That's only manageable if you want to get a quick look at the canyon.
However, as the Grand Canyon National Park is huge and offers an immense number of beautiful viewpoints, we strongly advise you to plan plenty of time for a visit (at least a full day). Think of the visit as a building block on your round trip, which can be perfectly combined with Las Vegas. You can find all the details about the Grand Canyon in our travel report Grand Canyon National Park.
The Grand Canyon is too far away for a day trip from Las Vegas - so plan plenty of time!
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