We never really wanted to go to Vegas together. Scott had been twice before on guy trips. Plus, I had once gambled $.50 and won $1 so I had decided to retire as a winning gambler. However, after we decided to visit Death Valley and hike the Grand Canyon on our most recent Southwest road trip, we decided we needed an indulgent weekend to finish off the trip. And what better place to indulge than in Sin City! But what ever would we do with our time in Las Vegas when we don’t really enjoy gambling or partying? Keep reading to learn all the fun things to do in Vegas that don’t involve gambling.
Stuff Yourself Silly at a Buffet
Cost: $50-$120/person | Time: 2 hours
Eating until you feel sick is one of the most iconic things to do in Vegas. And I was so excited about this that we did it twice. We tried both the Bacchanal Buffet in Caesars and the Wynn Buffet (we liked Wynn best). Whatever buffet you choose, prepare yourself for a marathon of eating. The prices are pretty steep so make sure you come hungry and eat the pricy stuff. There were people seated near us eating salads for Pete’s sake. So go hungry, eat crab legs, prime rib, and dessert and then don’t eat for the rest of the day.
Get Confused At Cirque Du Soleil
Cost: $80-$250/person | Time: 2 hours
Wow. Wow. And Wow. Nothing more to say. I don’t exactly know what it was that I saw or what was happening in the show. But watching the show was WOW. Get your tickets online day of the show for last minute discounts if you aren’t picky about your seats.
See a Sexy Strip Show
Cost:$50-$100 | Time: 2 hours
As a town founded on illegal activities like brothels, it’s no wonder strip shows in Vegas are top notch. There are shows that cater to all interests and nudity levels. This is easily one of the best things to do in Vegas for bachelor/bachelorette parties. But apparently Thunder Down Under is not an acceptable couples activity according to my other half…
See a Magician
Cost: $20-120 | Time: 2 hours
Apparently after graduating Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry all U.S. witches and wizards move to Vegas for a residency (and if you understand that sentence, you’re our people). Because there is some serious wizardry at work in Vegas. If you’re like us, and love the mystique of magic, see a Vegas magician. We love Penn and Teller, long time Vegas residents, magicians/wizards and stellar comedy duo.
On The Strip
Walk The Strip
Cost: FREE | Time: 4 hours
Walking the strip is the best thing to do in Vegas. The pure people watching in this town is amazing. You’ll find things (and people) to see stretched on on the strip at all hours of the day and night. However, if it’s too hot to walk or you start to get tired, catch the free monorails between some casinos, buying a pass for the official monorail or consider getting a day pass for the bus.
Have Late-Night Tacos
Cost: $5-$15 | Time: 30 minutes
Enjoy late night, or regular night, or early afternoon, tacos at Tacos El Gordo. The line here is always long. But it moves fast at this street food style restaurant has very authentic Mexican tacos, burritos and more. It helps that it’s one of the best/cheapest places to eat on the Strip.
Eat On Top of the World
Cost: $75+/person | Time: 2 hours
Have dinner at the top of Stratosphere Tower in the rotating Top of the World restaurant. You’ll enjoy a nice meal and full views of the Vegas strip from above. Plus, the restaurant rotates as you eat giving you a new view with each course. Don’t forget to make a reservation early, reservations cost $25 to guarantee a window seat. We weren’t able to get in to this restaurant because we didn’t book early enough 🙁 If you don’t want to eat at this restaurant, you can just book a ticket to the observation deck to get the views.
See a Choreographed Volcano
Cost: FREE | Time 15 minutes
If you’re wandering around at night, make sure you wander by the Mirage for the volcano show. The volcano erupts hourly between 7-11 PM. The show involves choreographed pyrotechnics with real fire.
Interactive Marvel Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N.
Cost: $34/adult | Time: 2 hours
If you’re a fan of Marvel, you’ll love this interactive Marvel exhibit with fun props from the movies for you to take photos with. This is located in Treasure Island.
Have a Milkshake For Lunch
Cost: $15-20 | Time: 1 hour
Eat a milkshake for lunch… and only a milkshake. These huge milkshakes make for a great snack in between buffets. You can find these huge treats at Black Rock inside the Venetian.
Take A Gondola Ride
Cost: $34+/person | Time: 15 minutes
This may be one of the best things to do in Vegas for couples. If you can’t spring for an Italian vacation, you can have the next best cheesy thing with a gondola ride through the pools of the Venetian. You can choose the indoor or outdoor ride.
Watch the Fountains of the Bellagio
Cost: FREE | Time: 5 minutes
How can you visit Vegas and not see the iconic fountains of the Bellagio? The answer is you can’t. You really have to. They go off every 30 minutes during the day and every 15 minutes at night and are FREE. The fountains go off consistently and are choreographed to different music. We really like the night shows the best with the pretty lights.
Visit the Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Gardens
Cost: FREE | Time: 15 minutes
The Bellagio Conservatory is a beautiful room in the Bellagio that is completely decked out with floral sculptures. These change each season and are fun to interact with. When visiting, try to walk through the lobby as well to see glass ceiling art by Chihuly.
Get An Ariel View
Cost: $23.50+/adult | Time: 30 minutes
See Vegas from above with a ride on the Linq High Roller. This huge ferris wheel (okay they fancy and call it an observation wheel) will take you on a 30 minute ride above the Vegas strip.
Visit the Pyramids
Cost: FREE | Time: 30 minutes
Check out the inside of the a pyramid – in Vegas. The Luxor was our favorite hotel to visit. The design inside was really cool with tons of “ancient” structures under the pyramid and some very mysterious lighting. Plus, the design of the hotel rooms inside the pyramid is really neat.
Dive Into the Titanic
Cost:$32+/adult | Time: 2 hours
Check out some amazing artifacts recovered from the wreckage of the Titanic. At Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition (in the Luxor) you’ll find plenty of pieces from the wreckage, replicas of the ship’s features, and informational movies.
Get A Giant Drink
Cost: $15 | Time: I dare you to do it in under 5 minutes 😉
Get yourself one of those 2-3 foot cups full of alcoholic slushy and walk down the strip. I don’t drink and this is still one of the things to do in Vegas that just had to be done. #NoRegrets If you plan on having more than one, save your cup as refills are cheaper.
Dine Atop the Eiffel Tower
Cost:$60+/person | Time: 2 hours
This is something that we weren’t able to get reservations for 🙁 But something I wish we could have done. There is a popular french restaurant with views of the strip atop this smaller replica of the Parisian Eiffel Tower. Make sure to make reservations early – which cost $40 to ensure a window seat!
Visit the Statue of Liberty
Cost: FREE | Time: 15 minutes
Check out the miniature version of the New York City skyline all crammed into a comparatively small space. See the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge and tiny sky scrappers.
Ride A Roller Coaster
Cost: $19+/person | Time: 15 minutes
At the NYNY hotel, you can ride the Big Apple coaster without leaving the strip. This is especially fun to do with the teen kiddos. Roller Coasters aren’t really our thing but it did look like fun.
Visit the Tropical Rainforest
Cost: FREE | Time: 30 minutes
Inside the Mirage, you’ll find a full fledged tropical rainforest. Complete with tropical flowers, waterfalls, and lagoons.
See The Sharks
Cost: $29+/adult | Time: 2 hours
This is one of the best things to do in Vegas for the whole family. Enjoy seeing thousands of underwater species including sharks at the Shark Reef Aquarium in Mandalay Bay. Don’t forget to book this in advance. This was something we wanted to do but all the tickets were gone for the day.
See the Welcome to Las Vegas Sign
Cost: FREE | Time: 30 minutes
This iconic sign is fun to see. However, it is super touristy, a long wait, and farther away from the strip than you may think. Still, we went, we saw, we instagrammed. There were several people there with changes of clothing so no shame to get that perfect photo. And if that’s something you’re interested in doing, definitely visit. If you don’t care too much about getting the perfect picture, and we didn’t, there are areas to the side of the sign that you can skip the line and still get a photo like ours.
Shop Til You Drop
Cost: As much as you want to spend | Time: As much as you want to spend
The shopping in Vegas is impressive. There are shops to fit all budgets. From Target to Gucci, you’ll find it all in Vegas. However, the prices here are nothing to be impressed with. So if you’re a sale shopper – you can do better elsewhere.
Off the Strip
The Fremont Street Experience
Cost: FREE | Time: 3 hours
Experience the classic version of Vegas on Fremont Street. Big lights and small smoky casinos make up the downtown area of Las Vegas. The Fremont Experience is one of the most classic things to do in Vegas. This is the section of Vegas with the big TV screen over top of the street that you can go zip-lining under. The street performers here are also pretty fun to watch. It’s an interesting contrast to the sleek strip area. But if you’re looking for the cheaper Vegas, you’ll find it on Fremont Street with plenty of true penny slots and dollar drink specials.
Visit the Mob Museum
Cost: $29.95+/adult | Time: 2-4 hours
This is one of the most interesting museums we’ve ever been to. The National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement is filled with 4 floors of of history dedicated to organized crime, prohibition, and the founding and history of Las Vegas. This is one of the best things to do in Vegas for the history buffs.
Zip Line over Fremont Street
Cost: $39+/person | Time: 15 minutes
SlotZilla is a 120 foot zip line that soars over the glittering Fremont Street and under the giant TV screen that covers the street. We thought about doing this one but went too early in the day – whoops. But it looked fun!
See the Sparkling Lights
Cost: $20+/person | Time: 1 hour
The Neon Museum is a giant graveyard to the ghosts of Vegas past. You’ll find old signs from casinos long gone. As you wind your way through the museum you’ll experience the history of the city.
Drive a Supercar
Cost: $200+ | Time: 3 hours
This one was on Scott’s bucket list. And when we visited Vegas it was time to check a box off of that bucket list. Though Exotics Racing, you can choose from several supercars (Lambos, Ferraris, Posches, etc.) and drive them around a race track. Click here to book your package today.
Play With Heavy Equipment
Cost: 175$/person | Time: 2 hours
At Dig This, you’ll get the opportunity to play in the sandbox… for grownups. Drive heavy machinery through sand, push dirt around, dig holes, etc. You can also play with other up-cycled junk in the yard by pushing it around with your fun toy. We didn’t do this one, but we have a friend who did and he had a blast.
Outside of Vegas
See the Red Rocks
Cost: $80-100/person | Time: half day
Take a Jeep ride through Red Rock Canyon. This park is located just 30 minutes outside of Las Vegas and you can take a scenic tour of the park with pickup straight from the Strip. Tours take you through the scenic drive loop and give you opportunities to stop and hike, depending on the length of tour you choose. If you don’t want to do a tour, you can rent a car for much less.
Visit the Grand Canyon
Cost: $80-200/person | Time: Full day
Take a tour to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Just a few hours from Las Vegas, this is the best thing to do in Vegas that is outside of Vegas. Most tours are full day tours and involve stopping at all the best Grand Canyon overlooks.
Take the Dam Tour
Cost: $40-90/person | Time: half-full day
As our family would say, you can leave Vegas to have a Dam time taking the Dam tour and buying Dam souvenirs. All at the Hoover Dam! You’ll find plenty of tour groups leaving from Las Vegas that will take you for half day or full day tours of the Hoover Dam. A modern marvel in engineering that spans over 1,000 feet and claimed over 100 lives in the construction. It’s definitely worth the time to go visit and this a really family friendly thing to do in Vegas.
Swim in Lake Mead
Cost: $100-120/person | Time: Full Day
You’ll find buses and day tours from Vegas that will take you on a day trip to Lake Mead. Once in the country’s first National Recreational Area, you’ll be able to swim, kayak or paddle board. You’ll also find boat tours available and rental options for other motorized watercraft. Lake Mead isn’t the most impressive body of water we’ve been to. So if you’re expecting nice beaches, don’t expect that. But being on the open water is nice and a relaxing change of pace from Las Vegas. Tours to Lake Mead are often combined with a trip to Hoover Dam.
I hope this helps you to see that there are some amazing things to do in Vegas besides gamble and party your day away. It’s easy to forget that there are things to do outside of the glitz and glam of the casinos but we found plenty to entertain us. Admittedly, we came, we ate, we watched shows, we did the things we wanted to do and we don’t really feel the need to go back – unless it’s to see another show.
So what are our top 5 favorite things to do in Vegas:
- See a magic show
- See Cirque du Soleil
- Walk the Strip
- Trip to Red Rock Canyon
- Eat amazing food
I hope that this helps you plan your first trip to Vegas and it can be everything you want it to be. This city is a dynamic expression of opulence and is definitely worth seeing at least once.
If you have any questions for planning your own Vegas vacation or think we’ve left anything crucial out of our list of things to do in Vegas, please leave a comment below.
