What to do in Vegas | An Alternative Itinerary

Las Vegas has the nickname ‘Sin City’ for good reason. Gambling, alcohol, partying and everything in between are heavily promoted. Let’s face it; this culture is the key reason most people visit the infamous city. I have never really been a girl who is in to many of those things. My version of gambling is going for Mayfair on the Monopoly board, hoping that somebody doesn’t get Piccadilly Circus. Despite this, a weekend in Vegas is on every travel blogger’s bucket list. If anything, it serves as a fantastic base to explore some of the surrounding area. For those of you like me, I thought I’d share some ideas of an alternative way to do Vegas. This city has enough entertainment for anyone!

An Alternative Way to do Vegas

Visiting the Grand Canyon

What beats seeing a natural wonder of the world? When you go to Las Vegas, you just have to visit the Grand Canyon if you haven’t been there before. I strongly recommend going with Grand Adventure Tours; these guys really treat you well. They took us on their sunset tour of the canyon (blog post coming soon). Not only that, but we got to see the Hoover Dam and the town of Seligman on Route 66! To top it off, we even got a free breakfast from McDonalds! The day starts very early (you’ll be up at around 06:00!), and you won’t get back until nearly midnight. However, the views that you see and the memories you make beat any night out. Plus, if you were hungover for it, it wouldn’t exactly be much fun now would it?

Alternatively Max Tour offer a range of highly rated Grand Canyon tours which all look brilliant. You could even combine your visit with Antelope Canyon or the Seven Magic Mountains. Both of which are on my bucketlist for my next trip to Vegas!

What to do in Vegas | Go to a Show

We all have a grandparent who has said in the past ‘Vegas is like Disneyland for adults’. This is partly said because of the vast number of shows that they have going on. Music, comedy, Cirque du Soleil – there is something for everyone. Before you go to Vegas, check out what shows are running on the days you are there. I would suggest to book them as soon as possible. You may get lucky and see a star there. Elton John, Britney Spears and Bruno Mars have all played at the prestigious venues in Vegas.

Be a Proper Foodie

When we were in San Francisco, a gentleman at Mama’s Café said that the food in Vegas was incredible. To cut a long story short, he certainly was not lying. The variety of all the tasty treats you can get is amazing. I think that each part of the strip offers something new and exciting.

We had lunch at the Bellagio based off the recommendation we were given, and were served an impressively sized burger. As the day went on we had different slices of pizza, a multitude of different ice cream flavours, cookies and cakes from Carlos’ Bakery (which were simply divine). We also stuffed our faces in the Hershey’s factory in our hotel, the New York New York. With one day in the city, we barely scratched the surface on the amount of different food. However, we need to return to try some authentic food outside of the strip. From what I hear that’s good too!

See the Habitat Enclosure at the Flamingo

One of the highlights of our day in Vegas was seeing the habitat enclosure within the Flamingo hotel. As I’m sure you know by now, flamingos are one of my favourite animals. Of course, I wanted the chance to see them up close.

The habitat enclosure is also home to various other birds. Some of which like the pelicans and ibis’ live in the enclosure, but others are wild and live happily within the trees there. Look carefully and you will see red plastic feeders dotted around the enclosure. These are used for feeding hummingbirds. We were lucky enough to see one whilst we were there. It really made us feel as if we weren’t in the giant city of Las Vegas. Whilst you’re here, why not also go for a drink and cool down a little bit too?

Explore the World

One of the things that makes Las Vegas so famous is the differently themed hotels. From Venice to Paris, you have a bounty of different places to explore. Most of these hotels also have little gimmicks that they throw in to make them stand out from the crowd. The New York New York has a large rollercoaster, as well as a Brooklyn-themed street labyrinth filled with different foods to taste.

The Parisian also has a replica of the Eiffel tower, which costs a lot less to go up than the original. Although it is a bit shorter, the views across Vegas are great. If you time it right you can watch the Bellagio’s dancing water show from a different perspective! My one piece of advice is do not go on the gondola’s at the Venetian… I do not think that they aret worth the money they charge…. Unless you enjoy being rowed about a swimming pool for ten minutes in a gondola that is?

Shop ‘til you Drop!

If it’s getting a bit too hot outside, why not enjoy the air-conditioned hotels a bit more? Some of them, such as Caesar’s Palace, have a large shopping district filled with many different shopping experiences. Here you will find jewellery, high-fashion and so much more. There are also some quirky shops, such as antique stores that sell memorabilia from famous films such as Star Wars and Grease. The shopping streets all are beautifully decorated too, again making you forget you’re in the middle of Las Vegas and transferring you to somewhere a bit quieter and a little cooler.

Travel Through Time

Ever wondered how the Mafia built Las Vegas, and how they changed it into the city that many people love? Why not visit the Mob Museum, which explains exactly how they did it as well as the story of Las Vegas. For those seeking somewhere a bit flashier (no pun intended), visit the Neon museum. This superb museum showcases all of Las Vegas’ greatest hits of neon signs, as well as other iconic things from Las Vegas’ past. As well as these two, there are many other cool museums to explore, such as the Hollywood Car Museum and the Pinball Hall of Fame.

Be Thrilled

One thing I would have done (but I’m terrified of heights) is the SkyJump at the Stratosphere. Here, you can free-fall before eventually being slowed down enough to safely come to the ground at a safe speed. If this is just a bit too much excitement for you, then there are other rides at the top of this impressive building for you to try out, but be warned, they are all still not for the faint-hearted!

What to do in Vegas | Alternative Evening Activities

When it gets dark, one of the first things you just have to do is watch the water show at the Bellagio Hotel. Even if you have seen it in the day, it is a totally different beast in the evening and offers something completely different and unique.

These shows run every half an hour (on the hour and at half-past), so be sure to get there early to get a good view. After this, why not then go to the Cosmopolitan which is really quite nearby, and venture up to the Chandelier for a drink. If you don’t really drink alcohol like myself, then there are plenty of tasty alternatives to choose from. Plus, just think of those great selfies and stories you can take on top of that?? After a drink, I whole-heartedly recommend going to the New York New York for some tasty, all-American grub to fill you up before bed.

Final Thoughts – An Alternative Way to do Vegas

I hope that this post gave you a few ideas on an alternative way to do Vegas. This city has so many different possible things to do, and although there are many parties that go on constantly, you can have just as much fun without going to them if you don’t fancy it. If you don’t want to gamble, put a dollar or two in a machine anyway, because even if you win a few cents, you still can claim you won in Vegas!

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What to do in Vegas | An Alternative Itinerary