What Happens In Vegas: The Best Things The Strip Has To Offer

What’s more tiring: walking the Strip or trying to choose what to do while you’re there? With so many hotels, restaurants, shows and more to offer, planning your visit can be absolutely exhausting. To help, we’ve rounded up the best and most budget-friendly things that Las Vegas has to offer.  

The Best Of Everything On The Strip

The Best Hotels

Overall: Aria

3730 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89158, (866) 359-7757

If you’re planning to stay in a standard room—not a suite or a villa—then you can’t go wrong with Aria. You’ll enjoy the MGM-standard high-quality accommodations and amenities, but with the options of an extra-special view. Lots of resorts don’t even have windows that open, but Aria has rooms with private balconies with views of the city and some with views of the Bellagio fountains. Even the studio rooms are a bit pricey, but coming back to your room and looking down at America’s playground on your private open-air overlook is priceless. 

On a Budget: Best Western Plus Casino Royale–Center Strip

3411 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89109, (702) 737-3500

If you’re looking for an affordable hotel in the heart of the Strip, book a room at Best Western Plus Casino Royale. This hotel is within walking distance of some of the Strip’s best attractions, and if you’re more concerned with location than luxury, you’ll have an incredible stay. 

The Best Restaurants

Overall: Le Cirque at Bellagio

3600 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas, (702) 693-8100

Going to Le Cirque is a treat for all of the senses. The colorful decor and whimsically-plated dishes are a departure from what one expects of fine dining spaces, and the flavors are as incredible as its Michelin Star indicates. Dining at Le Cirque is the kind of experience that will have you saying, “Dinner at [insert restaurant] was good, but one time I ate at Le Cirque and…”

On a budget: Noodle Shop at Mandalay Bay

3950 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89119, (702) 632-7777

Noodle Shop at Mandalay Bay is the perfect blend of quality and simplicity. The food is consistently good, and the restaurant itself is refreshingly casual. With its affordable options and incredible location, there’s no question that Noodle Shop is the best restaurant for visitors to the Strip on a budget. 

The Best Bars

Overall: The Barbershop at The Cosmopolitan

Boulevard Tower, 3708 Las Vegas Blvd S Level 1, Las Vegas, NV 89109, (702) 698-7434

This cool, swanky bar is special in a lot of ways, one of which being that it’s semi-hidden behind a real barbershop. If you felt like it, you could have a skilled barber give you a trim, and then head to the back of the shop to have a drink. Their expensive but lovingly-crafted cocktails and world-class live music make The Barbershop a must-visit speakeasy on the Strip.

On a budget: Fuel Bar

3643 S Las Vegas Blvd # 511, Las Vegas, NV 89109, (702) 580-8029

Fuel Bar is a fun, casual spot in the Grand Bazaar Shops. If you’re not interested in following a dress code or blowing your Vegas budget on a bar tab, check out Fuel Bar. Their buy-one-get-one drink deal and friendly bartenders are a recipe for a few laughs. 

The Best Clubs

Overall: Hakkasan

3799 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109; (702) 891-3838

Hakkasan is the blueprint for wild Vegas nightclubs. To summarize Hakkasan’s vibe: it was voted the number one nightclub in the world by Playboy Magazine. At this unbeatable spot, the patrons are beautiful, the drinks are expensive, and the DJs are famous. 

On a budget: Chateau Rooftop

3655 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109; (702) 776-7777

Chateau Rooftop at the Paris Las Vegas resort is a two-story, indoor/outdoor nightlife venue with panoramic views of the city. This club is located under Paris Las Vegas’s iconic model Eiffel Tower and features, unsurprisingly, French-inspired decor. The drinks are less expensive than some other Vegas night clubs—though they aren’t necessarily cheap—and the music is just as good. 

The Best Casinos

Overall: Bellagio

3600 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109; (888) 987-6667

Bellagio’s casino offers not only ambiance but also options. The casino at Bellagio has about 2,300 slot machines and hosts eight table games across 100+ tables. Bets can range from $15 to $20,000 per play, which can mean that you can go through chips pretty quickly when you’re playing at Bellagio. Plus, their high-roller room feels like it was plucked straight from a European castle. 

On a budget: Bally’s Las Vegas

3645 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109, (877) 603-4390

If you’re the kind of player who puts odds over airs, then Bally’s is perfect for you. This iconic Sin City casino is a come-as-you-are, wallet-friendly option for both casual and serious gamblers on the Strip. 

The Best Attractions

Overall: Exotic car racing at Dream Racing

7000 Las Vegas Blvd N, Las Vegas, NV 89115, (702) 599-5199

Most of us will never own a Lamborghini or a Ferrari, but that doesn’t mean we can’t drive one. If you have the itch to get behind the wheel of some of the best-engineered cars in the world and put the pedal to the metal, check out Dream Racing. 

On a budget: Bellagio Conservatory,

3600 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109, (702) 693-7111

and The Big Apple Coaster

3790 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89109, (702) 740-6969

There are two great contenders for the best budget attraction on the Strip. The first—and free—option is the Bellagio Conservatory. This botanical display varies in theme from season to season, showcasing incredibly creative displays consisting entirely of plants. You can walk through this exhibit any time of day, free of charge. The second option is the Big Apple Coaster at New York-New York, which costs about $20 per ticket. You can see Sin City and beyond from a brand-new perspective—upside-down, while flying by at nearly 70 miles per hour.

The Best Shows

Overall: Residencies

Anywhere in Vegas

At any given time in Vegas, some of the world’s best performers have taken residencies in the city, performing ten or more shows in succession. At the time of publication, Katy Perry has extended her Vegas residency, Lady Gaga has announced a second run of hers, and Shania Twain will be performing through September 2022. You can find tickets by contacting your hotel’s concierge or by searching “Las Vegas residencies” in your favorite search engine. 

On a budget: Bellagio’s Dancing Fountains

3600 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109, (702) 693-7111

You’ve definitely heard of the best free show in Vegas, since it’s also one of Vegas’s most iconic landmarks. Bellagio’s epic dancing fountains are a feat of engineering, using 1,200 fountains and nearly 4,800 lights to create a 15-minute long ballet of water choreographed to music. The schedule, according to Bellagio is as follows: “The Fountains of Bellagio is a daily experience in Las Vegas, every 30 minutes, from 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM Monday through Friday and every 15 minutes from 8:00 PM to midnight.”

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