Las Vegas Travel Guide

Las Vegas Boulevard, known locally as the Strip, is the main artery of Las Vegas in Clark County, Nevada, running about 4.2 miles (6.8 km) from Mandalay Bay in the south up to the STRAT tower in the north. The resort-dense southern stretch is formally Las Vegas Boulevard South, which is what people mean by "the Strip." The road was once US Route 91, the main highway between Los Angeles and Salt Lake City before Interstate 15 took over, and today it carries local traffic with part of it also signed Nevada State Route 604. The resort lineup is itself a themed entertainment project: Luxor's pyramid and sphinxes, the Venetian's canals and gondolas, Paris Las Vegas with its half-scale Eiffel Tower, the Statue of Liberty and Empire State replicas at New York-New York, and Monte Carlo - later rebranded Park MGM - before the corridor opens into Aria, CityCenter and the 111-metre Sphere. El Rancho Vegas opened in 1931, but the real turning point was the 1946 opening of the Flamingo. For visitors the Strip is the attraction: the Bellagio fountains, the flamingos in the Flamingo habitat, the 14,000-square-foot Bellagio Conservatory, Wynn's Lake of Dreams, the Atlantis fountains at the Forum Shops and the five-block LED canopy show on Fremont Street are all free to see. One thing is gone: the Mirage volcano show closed in 2024 and the site is being rebuilt as the guitar-shaped Hard Rock Las Vegas, due to open in 2027. The free tram linking Mirage and Treasure Island also stopped in June 2024.

The Fountains of Bellagio are the best-known free sight on the Las Vegas Strip, staged on the 8.5-acre man-made lake in front of the Bellagio resort. Steve Wynn conceived the project after a trip to Bellagio on Lake Como in Italy; construction began in 1995 and the fountains opened with the resort on October 15, 1998 at a cost of about $40 million, making them the most expensive fountain build at the time. The water choreography was engineered by WET Design, the same firm behind the later Dubai Fountain. The lake holds 1,214 individual nozzles and roughly 4,500 underwater lights, and the tallest jets reach 460 feet (140 metres). Each show lasts about three to five minutes and plays to a single song; the playlist rotates through classical, opera, Broadway, pop and patriotic numbers, so two consecutive shows never repeat. They were the world's largest fountain show until Dubai Fountain opened in 2009. Watching is entirely free: no ticket, no reservation and no minimum spend. The best viewing spot is the railing on the Strip sidewalk directly opposite the resort's main doors, and the pedestrian bridges at either end give a different angle. The Bellagio Conservatory next to the lobby is also free and open 24 hours, with its floral displays rebuilt several times a year, and makes a good place to wait for the next show; the lobby ceiling holds Dale Chihuly's Fiori di Como glass installation. Because the show depends on open water, high winds can downgrade or cancel it - more common in windy spring and winter days. In 2026 the Formula 1 grandstand has been built over the lake, closing the sidewalk in front of the resort from mid-September to early November, with the November 19-21 race weekend affecting views and access.

The High Roller stands at the east end of the LINQ Promenade on the Las Vegas Strip, opened in 2014. At 550 feet (167.6 metres) it is the tallest observation wheel in North America, standing 107 feet above the London Eye and still holding that record; only Ain Dubai in Dubai is taller. The wheel carries 28 hand-blown Italian glass spheres that each hold up to 40 guests and are all air-conditioned. One rotation takes about 30 minutes, slow enough that boarding and unloading happen while the wheel keeps turning. This is not a thrill ride but a viewing platform with a bar inside it, and one turn takes in the centre Strip: the Bellagio fountains and Caesars Palace to the west, the Sphere and the Venetian to the north, and the desert valley with its ring of mountains on every side. A recorded audio guide narrates the history of Las Vegas and points out landmarks as they come into view. The cabins are floor-to-ceiling glass but not fully sealed, so anyone uneasy with heights should take a lower seat or the ground-level Happy Half Hour cabin. Outside drinks are allowed in standard cabins, though glassware, coolers and cases are not. The wheel runs an LED light show after dark, and the promenade around its base is free to walk, so you can photograph it without buying a ticket.

The Neon Museum in downtown North Las Vegas is dedicated to collecting, restoring and exhibiting retired neon signs from the city's history. Founded as a nonprofit in 1996 and opening its visitor center in 2012, the museum has preserved more than 200 classic neon pieces dating from the 1920s to the 1990s, including signs from casinos, motels, restaurants and clubs. The evening Brilliant! tour re-illuminates the signs with the help of projection technology, recreating the glow of vintage Las Vegas and offering a unique window into the evolution of the city's gaming and entertainment culture.

Fremont Street is located in downtown Las Vegas and is the original casino and entertainment district, much older than the later-built Las Vegas Strip. The most iconic feature is the Viva Vision canopy covering five blocks, 460 meters long, 27 meters wide and 27 meters high, composed of 12.5 million LED lights that present spectacular sound and light shows every night. The street preserves many classic casino neon signs and historic buildings, such as the Golden Nugget and Four Queens, exuding vintage charm. It also features the SlotZilla zipline, street performers, the Neon Museum, and numerous bars and restaurants, making it a must-visit to experience old Las Vegas atmosphere.

The Venetian is an Italian-themed luxury resort on the Las Vegas Strip, opened in 1999 and operated by Las Vegas Sands. Modeled on Venice, the second-floor Grand Canal Shoppes feature an indoor canal where gondoliers serenade passengers beneath a replica of the Doge's Palace and St. Mark's Square. With more than 4,000 suites, the Venetian is one of the largest all-suite hotels in Las Vegas, each suite with a separate living room and marble bath. The resort houses Madame Tussauds, the Blue Man Group theater, several Michelin-rated restaurants and the Tao nightclub. Together with the adjacent Palazzo, the Venetian forms one of the largest hotel complexes in the world. Bringing Venetian romance to the desert, it is the epitome of Las Vegas themed imagination and draws more than ten million visitors a year.