As long as I can remember, I would always see the commercials on TV about Las Vegas and have always wanted to see the city for myself. I love architecture and witnessing someone’s architectural vision come to life. When I was on my way to Las Vegas, I must say, I was very excited. To this day, I remember getting to “paradise” and my jaw dropped. It was so beautiful, and the people were really nice. So, I’ve come up with a list of some things to try and be aware of!
1. Try the different Cuisines
Las Vegas has some of the world’s best cuisine. There are a lot of options to choose from! These options include Thai, Ethiopian, Japanese, Latin, French, Greek and so much more. One restaurant I recommend is RA Sushi Bar. They have a great menu and customer service. If you are vegan and want a great vegan restaurant to try, check out Yard House on Las Vegas Blvd!
2. Don’t over gamble
When I visited Las Vegas, I didn’t gamble. Gambling WAS NOT part of my budget lol. However, I understand that some may want to “risk it all” when they visit Vegas. Please do not gamble away money you cannot afford to lose. Gambling can become an issue for some people because they don’t know when to stop after a series of loses. One thing I love about the casinos on the Vegas strip is that they WILL stop some people from withdrawing money after a certain number of times to protect that person from over gambling and making bad gambling decisions.
3. Las Vegas is not just about the strip… there’s so much more!
There’s more to Vegas than the strip. The Las Vegas strip gets a lot of attention but there is an art district as well. The art district has a lot of really cool art. There are also museums in Las Vegas as well. Some of the museums I recommend are the Neon Museum, Art Museum of Las Vegas, and the Discovery Children’s Museum. Also, there is a FAMOUS pawn shop with some really cool stuff on South Las Vegas Blvd. They have been featured on TV and I think it’s definitely worth checking out.
4. The souvenirs are overpriced in some stores on the strip…beware.
This is a common thing in large cities. There are some stores that offer great prices and deals so be sure to shop around to see where the prices are cheapest. I learned my lesson in Los Angeles by purchasing an item at the first store I visited and then I walked down the road and found another store that sold the same souvenir for a lot less. Also, just a word of advice, don’t wait until the day before you leave to buy souvenirs because a lot of people do that, and it can take longer than you expect because of unexpected crowds, especially in Las Vegas.
5. If you’re planning to stay at a casino there is a resort fee.
This was a new one for me. I have never stayed at a resort before, so I remember seeing the resort fee but didn’t really pay attention to it. I learned a lot about it when the bill came though. Lol. Also, some of the hotels in Las Vegas are not expensive but that’s because they are expecting you to spend most of your money at the various amenities the hotel offers lol.
6. Beware of scams
When I was walking by the New York-New York area there were a couple of people that were selling tickets to a magic show. In major cities this can be a big scam. Some may approach you and tell you that the show you want to see is sold out and that they have tickets to sell that they will most likely charge at a much higher price than the official ticket office. DO NOT BUY TICKETS ON THE STRIP. Buy your tickets at the theater or with an authentic ticket service. Scamming tourists is a business in major cities worldwide so make sure you do your research and avoid losing money to scammers.
7. Watch the Raiders and other Local teams Play
This one is something that I didn’t do while I was in Vegas because the raiders had just moved there and would open their stadium in 2020 and I visited in 2018. When I visit Vegas again, I would love to visit the Death Star stadium and watch the Raiders play. Also, if the WNBA and NHL seasons are going on when you visit, try to catch a Knights or Ace game if it’s within your budget. If not, that’s fine, moral support is okay too.
8. The Ferris wheel in Vegas is one of the largest in a world.
I really wanted to get on the High Roller, but the line was really long, and I didn’t try to go another day. I regret not having this experience. Prices start at around $25.99 and up. But from what I hear, it’s definitely worth the money.
9. Catch a fight at MGM Grand
When I was in Las Vegas there wasn’t a great fight scheduled at MGM. The title fight was being held in Brooklyn the year I was in Vegas, but when I do go back, I would like to catch a title fight while I am there.
10. Visit the Mojave Desert
Las Vegas is surrounded by the Mojave Desert. It was my first time seeing an actual desert. Since I tacked on visiting Vegas to my trip to Los Angeles, I didn’t have time to go visit a desert so getting to Vegas and seeing the Mojave Desert was the closest I was to having an opportunity to see one. There are some people who live in the Mojave Desert so be careful not to trespass on someone’s property and be respectful 😊.
11. Fountains of Bellagio show
Another regret I have is missing the water fountain shows at the Bellagio. I got caught up in trying to see everything on the strip so I lost track of time. I plan to make sure I do not miss the shows next time I’m in Vegas. There is a show every 30 minutes from 3pm to 8pm and it’s free!
12. Try some chocolate from Hershey’s Chocolate World!
I felt like a kid in a candy store. I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, but I LOVE chocolate. There were chocolate bars, Reese’s, Jolly Ranchers, and more chocolate than I could ever imagine! Make sure you limit yourself and wash down all that sugar with some water lol.
13. Stay in a group, also don’t drink and drive.
You can get lost pretty easily in Las Vegas. Make sure, if you are in a group, that you stay together and have your phones charged up. We lost contact with one of our friends for 3 hours and thankfully he went to the car and waited for us, even though we were walking up and down the strip looking for him. If you’re going out for drinks, please make sure that you do not drink and drive. We have UBER in the U.S. and a $35 Uber ride is a better price to pay than 200 plus dollars for a misdemeanor or felony.
Thank you for reading my blog post. I hope this blog post helps you learn about some things to try and be aware of when you visit Las Vegas. I have a list of things that I will plan to do next time I visit Las Vegas. Las Vegas is a lot of fun and it’s a great experience as long as you plan and strategize. If you are on a budget, that’s okay… stick to your budget. You can still have a great time traveling while being mindful of your spending. There are a few deals and packages that are offered for different events in last Vegas. I used Trip Advisor to help plan my trips because I trust their reviews. If you found this post helpful, please feel free to share. What are some things that you did or plan to do when you visit Las Vegas? Do you have any recommendations for those who are visiting for the first time? What are some strategies you used to plan your trip? Please feel free to share below! If you are new to my website, please subscribe to get updated when there’s new content 😊.