What are some "don't miss" things to see or do in Vegas?

Question

I'm going the weekend of the Oct 21st and 22nd. Its been over 15 years since i've been there.

Answer 1

Some great answers here... so I'll reiterate... see a Cirque du Soleil show. The latest is LOVE at the Mirage, set to the music of the Beatles... great show. The best 'value' Cirque show for the ticket price is Mystere at the Treasure Island, in my opinion. Le Reve at the Wynn is also a fabulous show... not technically Cirque, but created by some of the same people. (If you decide to see a show, get your tickets directly through the hotel box office... there are a ton of brokers who charge waaaaaaaaay above face value for the popular shows, don't fall for it! All Cirque shows take place at MGM- Mirage properties... and they all own their own hotel names as their web urls..... so Mirage is www.mirage.com, Treasure Island is www.treasureisland.com, MGM is www.mgmgrand.com, Bellagio is www.bellagio.com, etc.... now that I think of it, New York New York is actually www.nynycasino.com... but Zumanity is probably the weakest of the Cirque shows, only because it's a smaller production.)

Definitely hit the Bellagio for the fountain show... but make sure you go inside also. They have a beautiful atrium garden, a small but great art museum, and their lobby is actually considered an 'attraction'... it's amazing what a hotel can do with billions of dollars in gambling revenue.

Other fun things... check out the shark reef at Mandalay bay if you like Aquariums. If you like nightclubs, check out Jet at the Mirage... state of the art lighting grid run by the best lighting operator in town. Flamingo has a nifty outdoor pool area open to the public... complete with penguins, and of course flamingoes. If you like roller coasters, the best one is Speed at the Nascar Cafe portion of the Sahara.

If you like steak, treat yourself to Stack at the Mirage... not cheap, but the steak is so good you can skip the potatoes... yummmmm!

If you're a nature fiend, spend a few hours at Red Rock Canyon... great hiking and October is the perfect weather for it.

Oh yeah.... and stop by the Venetian, even it's only for a walk through their shopping mall...which of course has a canal running through it, complete with gondola rides.

I also know the secret for winning at the craps tables... but I won't tell you that unless you give me best answer =)

Have fun and play safe.

Answer 2

Wow, only 2 days? This will be a whirlwind viewing....

If you have not seen the Fremont Street Experience, it is a must see. The technology is amazing, considering you are standing on the street outside and watching a computerized light show.
http://www.vegas.com/attractions/off_the_strip/fremontstreet.html

If you have never seen it before, the Titanic Exhibit is still in Vegas at that time. It is an exhibit of salvaged artifacts, that have been recreated in the setting of the Titanic. When I saw this exhibit in Chicago, it recreated a gang-plank to enter just as passengers would. You were presented with a name of a passenger. At the end of the exhibit, a large wall listed all the passengers of the ship, and you could find the name of the passenger you were given to see if you would have survived the ice berg. http://shop.vegas.com/shows/showtimes2.jsp?show=712&lang=en

If you are sports oriented, there is the Richard Petty Driving Experience... http://www.vegas.com/sports/recreation/richardpetty.html

If you have not made your flight plans, choose a flight that is coming into Vegas at night so you can see the lights of the Strip. If you are already set in flight, there are some companies (located on the Strip) that will do a night time flight over the city so you can see the lights. It is truly awesome to see at night.

Of course you have to save time for:
Mirage - volcano
Paris - Eiffel Tower
Luxor - Pyramid
Venitian - Canal rides (both inside building and outside weather
permitting)
New York, New York -The Roller Coaster
Flamigo - Wildlife Habitat -- penguins in the desert
Rio - Masquerade Parade
Caesars Palace - Forum shops and the Fountain shows... don't
miss the Atlantis Show (or Cheesecake Factory)
M&M World
Bellagio - Fountains

Try this website, it lists several things happening in Vegas...

http://www.vegas.com/attractions/?f=subhp&t=mattrt

Two days is really not enough to see it all. However, since you have been there before, you might be able to prioritize a bit better.
This question has really made me want to go back to Vegas... see you there!!

Answer 3

If you like Sushi, go to Sushi Roku (Caesar's Palace @ Forums). It's the best sushi I've ever had.

Definitely check out a Cirque show. I particularly recommend Ka. It should still be playing at MGM Grand.

Also, take advantage of as many free things as possible. A lot of people go to one of those Timeshare presentations and end up getting tickets to a show and a free dinner. Just make sure you say NO to what they're offering. You get treated like a King for a couple of hours in hopes that you BITE.

Other than that, just have fun and do what you want. There's so much to see and do that you won't have time to do everything. You're definitely going to have to make another trip out there.

Whatever you do, have fun!!!

Answer 4

Bodies Exhibit
Where: Tropicana
Cost: $24
Hours: 10 AM - 11 PM

Shark Reef
Where: Mandalay Bay
Cost: $15.95
Hours: 10 AM - 11 PM

Seasonally-themed Botanical Gardens:
Where: Bellagio
Cost: Free
Hours: 24/7 (I think)

27 Foot Tall Chocolate Fountain
Where: Jean-Philippe Pâtisserie in the Bellagio
Cost: Free (The pastries they sell there are kinda pricey. Very good, though)
Hours: Mon. - Thurs., 7 AM - 11 PM; Fri. - Sat., 7 AM - Midnight

Answer 5

wow, 2 days won't be enough. You need to go downtime to the Fremont street. The light show is great, there are performers on the corners and the food and gambling is less expensive. It also has a friendlier atmosphere. Speaking of atmosphere don't forget to go to the top of the stratosphere for a great look of the city. P.S. do both these things at night.

Answer 6

I was there 6 years ago & video tapped a light show on Fremont street like I never seen beforor since. Circu Circus has live circus shows. went to see a show where all the women were really men dressed as different stars,couldn't tell them from the real one,eeexcept for Marylin Monroe,who by the way kissed me on my bald head,YUK! you won't have enough time to begin to do it all in a life time.

Answer 7

The fountains at Bellagio are awesome. I was there last weekend. Margaritaville at The Flamingo is a good place to eat/drink. They're right across the strip from one another.

Answer 8

There is actually a museum showing the history of the U.S. Atomic weapons tests in the late 40's and 50's, with film archives, etc. Haven't seen it yet, but it looks interesting.

Answer 9

if its in your budget you must check out a cirque show, aswell a nice and free thing to do is see the water show outside the bellagio at night, but to be honest everything there is something to see, im there every month. just have fun with it, there is also a human anatomy exibition at the tropicana going on which is really quite interesting

Answer 10

Go to the circus O'lay best show in Vegas