Welcome to Vegas: she’s ritzy, she’s glitzy, and she’s yours for the taking after touching down on the tarmac in your Southwest Airlines seat. But for first-timers, this sprawling queen of the desert can be overwhelming, to say the least; follow our day-by-day itinerary to get the very most out of your first time.
Friday night
Check into the Bellagio, one of the city’s finest and most famous hotels. There’s no need to leave the confines of this Italian dream tonight; sample tasty Tuscan cuisine with Osteria del Circo’s delightful pre-theater menu, before checking out Cirque du Soleil’s mesmerizing show, O. One of the most ambitious projects that Cirque du Soleil has undertaken, O requires the 10,000-square-foot stage at The Bellagio to be transformed into a million-and-a-half-gallon pool where acrobats twist and turn in sync with one another.
Saturday
It’s time to get out of the hotel; head to the buffet at Encore Las Vegas, voted the best in the city in 2009 by the Las Vegas Review Journal, where you can load up on carbs to your heart’s content. Refreshed and refueled, spend your Saturday doing what Sin City does best: gambling. Casino-hopping is the best way to take in the city’s sights and sounds, so move from one to the other at your own pace. Be sure to drop a few dollars at The Venetian, The Mirage, MGM Grand and Caesars Palace, if nowhere else (check out Sports Book at the latter).
When you’ve tired of the tables, head to Mr Lucky’s 24-7 at the Hard Rock Hotel, where you can enjoy the off-the-menu Gambler’s Special: a steak and shrimp combo served with mashed potatoes and a side salad. Open 24 hours, this coffee shop is popular with locals and visiting celebs because of its relaxed atmosphere, rock ‘n’ roll style and comfort food. Although not on the Strip itself, Mr Lucky’s is worth going the extra mile for, and you might want the walk to help work off the calories after your surf and turf feast.
Spend the remainder of the afternoon shopping at the Premium Outlet and stock up on big-name labels for discounted prices. There are two outlets on either side of town, but we recommend the North option in downtown for over 150 shops and discounts of up to 65 percent. On your way back, stop off to watch the fountains outside of the hotel dance to music and lights to create a beautifully choreographed show.
Finally, wrap things up with drinks and light bites at the in-house Caramel Bar Lounge. If you’ve still got energy left to burn, slip on one of your designer bargains from your retail therapy session and try your luck at getting into the Bellagio’s ultra-exclusive Bank Nightclub. Once your feet are on fire, drift back to your room and into a deep slumber between sumptuous sheets.
Sunday
When you finally wake up, ignore the hangover from the night before; it’s a new day, it’s a new dawn, and your life is about to become more adrenaline-filled. Make your way to Flyaway Indoor Skydiving, where you’ll find all the fun of jumping out of plane without actually jumping out of a plane. Leap into the vertical wind tunnel clad in a jumpsuit and helmet and enjoy the priceless feeling of weightlessness.
Finish off your final day with a lap or two around the track at Richard Petty. Taking place at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway – northeast of the city – the Rookie Experience will buy you eight laps together with the instruction from a pro. If you don’t quite trust yourself in the driver’s seat, you can always go for a ride-along in the safe hands of a professional.
Sticking to the speed limit, make your way back to the hotel and prepare to check-out and bid farewell to Sin City.
