I was recently invited on a gifted press trip with the Las Vegas tourism board to experience the 'ultimate girl's trip away' in Vegas. Now, Vegas is kind of known for all the drinking and gambling, but as somebody who does neither of these things I was excited to see a different side to the city. And boy did I find one!
Here's my little guide to Las Vegas for all of you who fancy taking a trip there. I would definitely recommend it!
To Stay
Aria
All of the hotels on the strip are absolutely huge, and Aria is no exception. It's an absolutely gorgeous hotel with beautiful rooms that overlook the strip. Everything about it screamed Vegas, and to be honest, you could probably spend your entire trip in the hotel and never leave because everything you could ever want is inside. Be warned, don't lift any of the water in the hotel room because you will be charged!
To Visit
Red Rock Canyon
The Red Rock Canyon is almost like the baby version of the Grand Canyon, and is definitely worth a trip out of the city to visit. It's only a half hour drive from the strip and it's absolutely beautiful. With stunning rock structures and hiking trails that go on for miles. We went with Pink Jeep Tours who gave us a fabulous experience and taught us lots about the canyon. Also, their jeeps are pink so what more could you ask for?
It's been a dream of mine to visit one of Yayoi Kusama's exhibitions and was so excited when I found out that there was a pop up at the Bellagio hotel. It's absolutely amazing and 100% would recommend the visit. You only get 45 seconds in there though, so snap quickly! It won't be around for much longer, so head there if you have a trip booked!
Seven Magic Mountains
The one place that was 100% on my bucket list for Vegas was the Seven Magic Mountains. This rather random but lovely art installation in the middle of the desert is about a 40 minute drive from the strip and is definitely a must see. It's free to visit and I'd recommend getting there as early as possible as the crowds quickly form.
If you fancy a change of scenery from your own hotel pool, head over the Cosmopolitan and spend a day lounging at the Boulevard Pool. It's super gorgeous, not too busy (because apparently not too many people know about it at the moment!) and has the most epic views of Vegas! They have cabanas you can rent and poolside food and drinks so you can really spend the day being pampered here.
The Las Vegas Sign
Kind of an obvious one but also a must-visit. There's a little parking lot here so you can stop by on the way to the Seven Magic Mountains like we did, and again I'd recommend getting there early to avoid the long queue that forms. You just can't visit Vegas without taking a snap here, no matter how cheesy!
Located in Downtown Las Vegas (another area that you definitely should visit) is the legendary Neon Boneyard - filled with all the retired neon signs of Las Vegas's past. It's a lot smaller than I imagined but still an epic visit. There's so many cool looking signs and the guides are really knowledgeable. You can either choose to have a guided tour or wander around at your own pace, so we chose the latter. If you decide to not join a tour there are still plenty of staff around who can answer your questions.
The Bellagio Fountains
Another classic Vegas spot, the famous dancing fountains at the Bellagio go off every half an hour, so you'll definitely get a chance to see them in action!
If you fancy having a proper classic pamper day, then the spa at the Waldorf Astoria hotel is definitely worth the visit! They currently have a secret spa menu on offer which contains a full body cupping massage, which is what I had. It was definitely relaxing but very strange! I ended up with some serious bruising on my back too so be warned if you want to wear anything backless for about a week afterwards. The massage itself was lovely though!
If you just fancy hotel hopping, a visit to the Venetian Resort is a must! It's definitely my favourite of all the themed hotels on the strip, with its beautiful, Italian-inspired buildings. You can even have a gondala ride here!
The High Roller is basically Vegas's equivalent of the London Eye and is actually the highest viewing wheel in the entire world! You get some amazing views of Vegas from the top and they also do special events such as their Happy Half Hour (a pod with a bar) and even chocolate tasting sessions!
To Eat
Definitely my favourite place that we ate while in Vegas, Black Tap serves up traditional, all-American food as well as some of the most epic freakshakes you've ever seen in your life! They're absolutely huge so you definitely won't have too much trouble sharing one between a few people. My favourite was the cake batter shake, with a whole slice of birthday cake on top.
The super gorgeous Primrose restaurant in Park MGM is just as Instagrammable as it is delicious! We had an absolutely epic spread here and it was amazing. Another favourite of mine from the trip for sure!
I absolutely loved Catch at Aria, with its amazing floral installation and delicious range of seafood! They specialise in 'small plates' which I put in inverted commas because they definitely weren't small! I'd say they're definitely the size of a large starter. Either way, they were delicious, the popcorn shrimp is a must try!
Our meal at Sadelle's in the Bellagio hotel was absolutely delicious and the restaurant itself is also very Instagrammable! I had the French toast which was basically like a brick, while Scarlett told me that her cobb salad was incredible. This place is a must visit for sure!
Located in downtown Las Vegas, we stopped by this little gem for breakfast and it was wonderful. It's the perfect place to stop if you're heading to the Neon Museum, as it's only a ten minute walk from here. They do all kinds of yummy options including pancakes and avocado on toast. They also have the cutest outside courtyard which was sadly closed on the day we went!
Another Bellagio restaurant, this gorgeous Italian restaurant overlooks the fountains so you can watch them go off as you eat! They do mini pizzas, pasta and more, and I highly recommend the fries. They were so crispy and delicious that I actually went through two bowls of them!
You can even indulge in the British classic of afternoon tea in Las Vegas! I've got a full review of this afternoon tea coming in a Tea Files blog post soon, so I won't say too much about it, but it was definitely a lovely afternoon treat!
I hope this post has given you a little bit of inspiration of what to get up to if you're heading to Las Vegas! It really did blow me away how many cool and exciting things there were to do there that didn't just involve the stuff that you imagine Vegas to be known for.
I'd love to know if you've ever been to Vegas, or if you're tempted to plan a trip there now!
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We were invited to Las Vegas as part of a gifted press trip with the Vegas tourism board but all opinions are my own and this blog post is not paid for.
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