30 Things to Do in Vegas for Turning 30 (November 2017)
Visiting Las Vegas had always been a dream of mine since being a little girl. I never believed it would actually become a reality…
I’ve always been drawn to the bright lights and the city, so when planning this trip, there was no doubt in my mind it was going to be a 10 day long adventure. Every time I mentioned my trip to people who had been previously they would say “you only need a few days” and “you’re going for too long” - but I was determined there was more to do in Vegas than just gambling and the desert.
Of course, you could go for a few days and have a great time; ultimately it depends what you want to get out of the trip. Me personally, I like each day to be full of adventure and have no patience for sitting round a pool. No disrespect to anyone who likes those kind of holidays, but they’re just not my vibe..
So, how do you even make a trip like this?
It’s all about the planning!
I’ve lost count of the amount of hours I’ve spent at the laptop researching activities and compiling lists of shows, activities and days out to maximise the time available whilst on vacation. I also secure all bookings and the tickets before leaving the UK. This, in my opinion, significantly reduces the time you spend queuing for tickets whilst on your trip and also ensures you have a clear plan for each day in advance so you’re not wasting time.
It’s also worth, if you’re celebrating a special occasion, messaging the companies before to let them know. They may not acknowledge it, however some will go the extra mile to make your time extra special.
So, what did we get up to for 10 days?
Stay at the Bellagio
Bellagio Fountains
You must have seen the Bellagio at some point? If not, where have you been hiding? The Bellagio is a beautiful hotel, located centrally on the strip. Sure, its on the pricey side of the spectrum when it comes to available accommodation, but in my mind this hotel is an iconic part of the Vegas scene and I was desperate to stay there. It’s also huge. When walking in to the lobby, I struggled to comprehend the size; it was insane. Our room faced the back of the property; we could have had a fountain view, but for the upgrade cost, I personally didn’t think it was worth the extra. I would rather put the money towards activities considering we weren’t planning to spend much time in the hotel.
Bellagio Fountains
The fountains are the one thing you always see on advertisements for Vegas and the shows didn’t disappoint. Shows occur throughout the day and the fountains are synchronised to a range of music tracks which they cycle throughout the day and evening. It can get super busy around the fountains when the shows are on, so I would recommend arriving a little earlier than scheduled to secure a good spot. Check the Bellagio website for specific timings during your visit.
Valley of Fire
We hadn’t heard of the valley of fire until I started researching the area. The valley of fire is situated outside of Vegas, but there are organised tours which run here from the strip.
What sets this area apart is the colour of the rocks, they are red as opposed to the usual sandy colour. The rock formations, the scenery and the history in this area are stunning and provide breathtaking views as well as great photo opportunities
We used ‘Pink Jeep Adventures.’ as they appeared to have the best offering at the time and run small group tours. The tour in total lasted 6 hours and we travelled in a luxury tour trekker direct from the hotel. They also provided water for the journey and the tour guide was lovely, attentive and ensured everyone had the photos they needed to preserve the memories of the trip.
Death Valley
Again, Death valley is outside of Vegas and there are organised tours which run here from central Vegas. We used ‘Pink Jeep Adventures’ for this trip as well and this trip was slightly longer at nine hours. The tour picked out the main highlights of the surrounding area including the ‘Devil’s Golf Course’, ‘Badwater Basin’ and ‘Dante’s View’
All three of these places provide unusual scenery and stunning views, not to mention, beautiful colours.
Visit all Four Gordon Ramsay Restaurants
Hell’s Kitchen wasn’t open at the time we visited Vegas - we literally just missed it; which I was gutted about, but nevertheless we love Gordon Ramsay and watch all of his shows, so it seemed only right to experience all four of his Vegas restaurants.
‘Gordon Ramsay Steak’ was my favourite and provided the best steak I have ever had in my life.
GR Fish and Chips, is more aimed at fast food, take out audience. I’m not usually one for curry sauce, but this curry sauce was something else. More please!
GR Burger provided exactly what it said on the tin, an incredible burger.
GR Pub and Grill within the Caesar’s palace hotel also provided a GR take on typical pub favourites.
Linq High Roller Wheel
This is essentially similar to the London eye, except bigger and with a Vegas twist. It’s located quite centrally on the strip and is across the street from Caesar’s Palace. Some of the pods on the wheel have bars within them and provide a 30 minute ‘happy half hour’ (don’t forget to tip your host).
As it was my birthday - we opted for one of these and it was great, but ultimately you need to weigh up the difference in cost between a standard pod and a bar pod and work out how much you can drink in 30 minutes to decide whether this is a worthwhile option. It provides a different take on the experience for sure, rather than just looking at the view. We went at night, so you can see the bright lights from the city.
Volcano at the Mirage
This is a free show on the outside of the Mirage hotel. They have a cool show on the water which involves the hotel’s volcano erupting and fireballs. It’s great to watch if you’re passing. Shows are at select times on most evenings - check out their website for more info.
Drinks - Minus 5 ice bar
We have an ice bar in London, I’ve been meaning to go for ages, but haven’t yet managed to fit it in, so we thought we should incorporate this in to our Vegas trip. When we went in 2017, the bar in the Venetian hadn’t long opened, so we thought we’d give it a shot. We opted for one of their premium experiences aptly named ‘V-ICE-P’ which offered the use of premium coat, souvenir hat, two ice cocktails and a souvenir digital photo. It was definitely cool down there! There was plenty of ice sculptures to pose with along with prop signs, however I wish it was a little busier while we were there. I think maybe we went too early in the evening. Nevertheless, the cocktails were nice and provided in ice glasses, which was a nice touch to the experience. If it was busier, there definitely would have been more of a party atmosphere which is what I was hoping for.
See the Hoover Dam
Helicopter Ride
Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon
These three, we incorporated in to one trip. When going to Vegas, the Grand Canyon is an absolute must see. There are several ways to get to the canyon from Vegas, but we opted to use Papillon and embarked on their ‘Grand Celebration’ tour at sunrise. We were collected from the hotel and taken to a local airport in boulder city where we then flew (in a very tiny plane) to the Canyon airstrip. On route, we flew over the enormous Hoover Dam. If we had more time, I would have definitely arranged a ground tour to the Hoover dam to see it up close, but we just couldn’t squeeze it in to the itinerary and there was other things higher on my list.
When we arrived at the Canyon, we jumped in a helicopter and descended in to the canyon itself. I had never experienced a helicopter before, but I loved it - and I got the front seat!
We then took a boat up the Colarado river (this was included in our tour) and went up the canyon for a short period of time.
There was also the option to include the sky bridge within this tour - a bridge made of glass which extends over the canyon. If you’re the adventurous type and not afraid of heights, this is a good addition but maybe not advisable if you suffer from acrophobia! During our tour, there were no phones allowed on the bridge, however there are professional photography staff who will take photos for you which you can purchase at the end for a fee.
Stratosphere Rides
Since I beat my anxiety, I now love rides so these were a must to tick off. There are three rides on top of the 350m structure. There’s a drop tower, a rotational ride which spins you over the edge (my fav!) and a tipping ride which tips you over the edge and rolls you back. All three were great if you’re a thrill seeker and are looking for something different to do in Vegas.
Dinner - Eiffel Tower Restaurant
This restaurant is located in the Eiffel tower in Vegas at the Paris hotel and has a strict dress code policy - so if you dine here, make sure you take note of the rules. We dined early evening to increase the chances of securing a table by the window overlooking the strip. We also had a show to attend in the evening, so wanted to ensure we’d have enough time to enjoy the meal.
This restaurant is a popular one and the food didn’t disappoint. it is on the pricey side though.
Bellagio Conservatory
The Bellagio has art installations in their conservatory for visitors to enjoy which change throughout the year and are free to non hotel guests. During our visit, it was a ‘fall’ theme using flowers, sculptures and incorporating water.
It was impressive and provided something to do between activities.
Show - ‘O’ at the Bellagio
This is a Cirque Du Soleil show which is hosted in the theatre within the Bellagio hotel and featured acrobatics and water. I’d never seen a show quite like this before and I don’t want to ruin it - but if you have the budget and the time, you should definitely go and see it. Warning, if you sit in the front row, you may get wet! You may also get chosen for some audience participation.
Top of the (Vegas) Eiffel Tower
This is located in the Paris hotel and is around half the height of the actual Eiffel tower in Paris. You reach the top by elevator and there’s a viewing platform which provides 360 degree views of Vegas. Time it right and you can see the Bellagio fountain show from the top, which is a different take on watching them from the ground. You can also get some good photos from up here, although it is caged all the way around, so you need to get creative in order to not get the cage in the photos.
Gondola ride at the Venetian
There are two courses available for gondola rides; either inside or outside. We opted for the inside as I thought it would be different to travel through the water ways inside a shopping centre. The rides aren’t very long and they are fairly pricey for what they are, but the Gondolier’s typically sing to you on the way around.
Having done an actual Gondola ride in Venice now, obviously the real thing is better, but this is a cool experience none the less.
NYNY roller coaster
This roller coaster goes through the New York New York hotel. It is a cool coaster, but it is fairly old now and I found my head banging against the restraints. This coaster is not as thrilling as the ones you would find at dedicated themeparks. We rode up front, but I wouldn’t necessarily pay to ride it again.
Celine Dion
Celine was on residency at Ceasar’s Palace at the time, my grandad used to listen to her music when I was younger, so it seemed only right to see her live. She played a mix of her classics and put on a great show.
Place a bet in Vegas
Only placed the one, just to say I’d done it - gambling really isn’t my thing!
Shark Reef aquarium
We love aquariums and animals, so we paid a visit here.
Fremont Street
Old Vegas neon signs
Zipline
Fremont Street
We incorporated these three in to one evening on Fremont Street. Fremont Street and the old town is where you can see the old style neon signs. There’s also street entertainment and the slotzilla zipline. How I’d made it to thirty having never been on a zipline, I will never know, but nevertheless, we needed to tick this one off. There was a high, lay down option and a lower seated option. We opted for the lay down high version and we whizzed down Fremont Street, under the LED screens in the evening. It was a thrill and four people can do on separate lines at the same time, so you can race each other. It was good fun.
Stunt Flying
This is one of the most incredible things I have ever done and I would highly recommend this experience. We chose Sky Combat Ace and opted for their ‘Afterburner’ experience. The only way to describe it was a roller coaster without the rails. We did loops, rolls and spins - it definitely provided the ultimate thrill! Matt and I did this experience at the same time. Two planes and two pilots - at points within the experience we could talk to each other on intercom, which was an awesome touch. Even cooler was the fact that as the passenger, you get to sit at the front and the pilot sits behind you. This adds even more to the thrill as you get the front seat, unobstructed view of the ground below you!!
Sky combat ace provide a range of experiences and not just acrobatic flying.
Show - ‘Le Reve’
This is another Cirque Du Soleil show also involving water in a similar concept to ‘O’ but hosted at the Wynn. Again, I don’t want to ruin it, but this was my favourite show that we saw whilst in town.
Renew our wedding vows
We were already married by the time we went to Vegas, but something has always appealed to me about having a Vegas wedding - so we renewed our vows. Just the two of us. There’s plenty of places and chapels you can use for this, but we chose the Las Vegas Wedding Wagon who offer a variety of outside Vegas locations. We renewed our vows at the world famous Welcome To Fabulous Las Vegas sign.
Photo by the Vegas sign
A must when you’re in Vegas!
Seigfried & Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat
We love animals and somehow always end up at a zoo when on vacation. This zoo is relatively small, but has a selection of wild cats and dolphins as its highlight.
Dinner at Wolfgang Puck’s Spago
A lovely restaurant within Caesar’s Palace, going to a Wolfgang Puck restaurant was high on my list as he features fairly regularly on Gordon Ramsay’s shows. It didn’t disappoint, but I confess that I had a few too many drinks before we made it here, so I don’t remember it as well as I should. Shh, don’t tell anyone ;)
The holiday itself (flights and hotel) was booked through Virgin holidays - I chose to do it this way as it allowed me to spread the cost in the months before we went. I also, always fly Virgin whenever possible. I’ve never had any issues with them and their service seems far superior to other airlines of the same class. Obviously though, Virgin don’t fly everywhere so at times, I have to use other airlines.
All of the above activities, I booked separately myself directly with the companies involved, You’ll often find its cheaper this way and gives you more control over the organisation. The downside is, it takes more time. Make sure you also print all tickets before you depart to save time when you arrive at your destination.
Planning a trip to Vegas or any other destination? Why not drop me an email and we can chat about it? I’m always looking for new ideas for future trips…
Let’s talk travel. Debbie@DebbieFarley.com
Debbie x
