13 Best Sights in Las Vegas, Nevada

The flowers, trees, and other plants in Bellagio's soaring atrium are fresh and alive, many of them grown in a 5-acre greenhouse. The artistic floral arrangements and ornamental landscaping here is breathtaking and in some cases monumental in scale. Displays change each season, and the holiday displays in December (for Christmas) and January (for Chinese New Year) are particularly dramatic.

This gallery—one of the last of its kind inside Strip hotels—was originally curated from Bellagio founder Steve Wynn's private collection. Today, with Wynn long gone, the gallery operates independently, bringing in an average of two traveling exhibits each year from some of the most famous art museums in the world. Shows have featured works by Picasso, Fabergé, and Warhol. The adjacent Perrotin Store offers prints, publications, and artist-designed objects.

Sightseers come to Bellagio for three main reasons: the fountains out front, the Dale Chihuly installation of glass flowers in the lobby, and the conservatory gardens. Any one of these attractions is worth the trip. All three make the casino resort a must-see. The fountains are a spectacle in and of themselves: 1,200 jets in all, streaming and bursting in a choreographed water ballet across the man-made Bellagio lake. The conservatory gardens are particularly stunning during Christmas and Chinese New Year. The glass flowers are pretty amazing as well: the sculpture is named Fiori di Como, and it continues to inspire more than two decades after it was created. But there are other reasons to spend some time at Las Vegas's first real destination resort. For starters, with restaurants from Michael Mina, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and Julian Serrano, Bellagio still has one of the best restaurant rosters in town. Then, of course, there's the patisserie's chocolate fountain. This is one of the largest of its kind in the world and there's almost always a line to watch how it works. To cap it off, the Bellagio contains numerous luxe boutiques like Chanel, Dior, and Gucci.

The opulent entrance, fountains, Roman statuary, bas-reliefs, and roaming centurions all add up to the iconic, over-the-top Las Vegas hotel. Here you can get your picture taken with Caesar, Cleopatra, and the centurion guard; find the full-size reproduction of Michelangelo's David; or amble along Roman streetscapes in The Forum Shops to see replicas of famous fountains in Italy. Vegas history is alive and well here, too, with the prominent main porte cochere and the old-school casino with crystal chandeliers. Several renovations and the addition of Nobu Hotel have ensured the resort remains current. Shopping here at The Forum Shops is among the best in the city. The hotel's pool complex, dubbed Garden of the Gods Pool Oasis, is arguably the nicest set-up on the Strip.

At least once during your visit you should stop in front of Bellagio to view its spectacular water ballet from start to finish. The dazzling fountains stream from more than 1,000 nozzles, accompanied by 4,500 lights, in 27 million gallons of water. Fountain jets shoot up to 460 feet in the air, tracing undulations you wouldn't have thought possible, in near-perfect time with music ranging from Bocelli and the Beatles to "Billie Jean" and tunes from Tiësto. Some of the best views are from the Eiffel Tower's observation deck, directly across the street (unless you've got a north-facing balcony room at The Cosmopolitan). Paris and Planet Hollywood have restaurants with patios on the Strip that also offer good views.

ARIA boasts more than $42 million in public art by 15 artists. Pieces range from sculptures to paintings and elaborate fountains. Our favorite: Big Edge, an amalgam of kayaks and canoes by Nancy Rubins.

Glistening like a futuristic oasis in the heart of the Strip, ARIA is a modern spin on the Las Vegas casino of old. Its soaring, three-story atrium is bathed in natural light (a novel concept in this town). The casino has windows, too. Many onlookers come to marvel at the artwork in the atrium, including Maya Lin's Silver River, an 84-foot sculpture of reclaimed silver that mirrors the route of the Colorado River and hangs in the lobby behind the check-in desk. Much like the gardens at properties such as Bellagio and Wynn, the floral arrangements here change with the seasons. Other remarkable attractions include restaurant offerings on the mezzanine, as well as the design of the high-limit rooms, which are masked from the rest of the casino by opaque stained glass. ARIA remains one of the largest buildings in the world to achieve LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Just next to the pool area at the Flamingo Las Vegas, a flamboyance of live Chilean flamingos lives on islands and in streams surrounded by sparkling waterfalls and lush foliage. Other animals on-site include swans, ducks, koi, sturgeons, brown pelicans, hummingbirds, and turtles. The 4-acre habitat makes for a fun, brief stroll. Learn more during the Keeper Talks at 8:30 am and 2 pm.

Standing more than 100 feet taller than the London Eye, the 550-foot-tall High Roller is the largest observation wheel in North America. The giant Ferris wheel at the east end of the LINQ features 28 glass-enclosed cabins, each of which is equipped to hold up to 40 passengers. One full rotation takes about 30 minutes; along the way, riders are treated to a dynamic video and a music show on TV monitors in the pod, as well as one-of-a-kind views of Sin City and the surrounding Las Vegas Valley. The experience begins and ends in a state-of-the-art wheelhouse, where visitors can read about the engineering behind the project as they wait in line, buy drinks to take with them on the ride, or pick up souvenirs commemorating the spin. (There's also a Happy Half Hour option, which includes drinks.) The best time to ride the wheel is nighttime, when 2,000 LED lights on the wheel itself create an otherworldly vibe.

At this homage to the City of Light, replicas of the Arc de Triomphe, Paris Opera House, Hôtel de Ville, and Louvre, along with an Around the World in Eighty Days balloon marquee, are magnifique, but the crowning achievement is the 50-story, half-scale replica of the Eiffel Tower, where guests are whisked 460 feet to the top for spectacular views of the Valley. Need more near-authenticity? Look up at the ceiling painted like a sky with clouds and pretend you're actually in France.

Everything at Planet Hollywood is designed to make ordinary people feel like stars. The main attraction in recent years has been Criss Angel's MINDFREAK. Because the property is obsessed with celebrities, it often hosts residencies like the recent ones by Keith Urban and Miranda Lambert, as well as world-premiere events that attract stars from all over the world. There's something for everybody in the on-site Miracle Mile Shops, including clothing stores, restaurants, and more. Just be sure you bring a map, as the corridors of the mall wind around in circles and it's easy to get lost.

The Cosmopolitan is a truly different Las Vegas resort experience—a blend of artistic sophistication and comfortable elegance. This is evidenced by the digital artwork on the columns near the registration desk, as well as the vending machines with wood-block paintings from local artists. Don't miss The Chandelier, a three-story bar that, as the name suggests, sits inside a giant crystal concoction. The property mixologist is an expert in crafted cocktails and comes out with a brand-new menu for the bar seasonally. Elsewhere on the property, hipsters love Marquee nightclub and dayclub. A slate of restaurants includes offerings from José Andrés (Jaleo, China Poblano) and Bruce and Eric Bromberg (Blue Ribbon). There's also a Momofuku and a Milk Bar, both of which have cult followings from across the country. Plus, there's chef David Chang's Bang Bar, a quick spot to grab freshly griddled flatbread sandwiches and rice bowls. Shopping at The Cosmopolitan is second to none: one-of-a-kind boutiques include Stitched (men's clothes), AllSaints (fashions from East London), and CRSVR (sneakers).

Yes, the name is confusing, but The LINQ Promenade—the shopping, dining, and entertainment complex between the Flamingo and The LINQ Hotel—is worth the trip. Some of the notable attractions include the two-story I Love Sugar, complete with "candy martini bar"; Sweet Sin, which specializes in gelato and macarons; a namesake comedy club for late-night host Jimmy Kimmel (who grew up in Las Vegas); and Brooklyn Bowl, which is one-part bowling alley, one-part live music venue. Of course, there's also a new iteration of O'Shea's, the Irish-theme casino that was razed to create the new streetscape. The big draw, however, is the High Roller, a 550-foot-tall observation wheel with spectacular views of the city.