TheDivineMrsM

My husband and I have just booked a trip to Vegas for this summer. It's our first trip to Sin City. We plan to stay there five days. We'll take a day for a Hoover Dam tour, and another day we will take a Grand Canyon Tour.

I'd love to hear what you think the "must-see" attractions are for Vegas. Some things on my list are: zip-lining in old Vegas, the Dancing With the Stars Show and possibly a Cirque de Soleil show.

Any other tips you can offer will be appreciated. We will fly out of Pittsburgh and into Vegas.

tomfuller

If you want a real zip line experience instead of a few seconds over Fremont Street try Bootleg Canyon. http://lasvegas.about.com/od/Museums...-Las-Vegas.htm
Are you renting a car or going on group tours? The rental car gives you a lot more flexability to go some places the tours don't go and the chance to travel at your own pace with air conditioning.
When leaving Hoover Dam, you can drive up the west side of Lake Meade and end up going through Valley of Fire State Park.
From the State Park, go west to get back on I-15 in time to see the light show over Fremont Street.

Gav_Davie

I would suggest you the Grand Caynon by Helicopter.

I costs a bit more but you get some awesome views plus you get picked up from your hotel and and you are back within 4 or 5 hours instead of speading 12 or more hours on a bus that leaves your hotel at 7am.

luvtravl

We've seen Cirque O and Ka. They were amazing!!! Check for discounts on broadwaybox.com. Second tomfuller's recommendations to see Hoover Dam, Lake Meade and Valley of Fire if you get a chance.

POMAH

I took a group bus from Hoover Dam and then to Grand Canyon on same day.
As for best site... the babes! All the drunk girls showing off their boobs all over.
As for the fake NY, Paris, Italian architecture... na, forget it, go see the real things. And the shows, ok, some good some bad, but all cost too much. I dont care for any of them. Overall, I do my gambling in Atlantic City, so why go to Vegas? In Winter, I would, again just for the babes.

Tomsd

Bellagio Fountains, their Arboretum and the huge chocolate fountain, go to the top of the Eiffel Tower and/or the Stratosphere, the gardens at Mars Candy - toward Henderson, the Fremont experience/lazer show, try to take a tour down into Hoover dam, any of the Cirque shows, Phantom of the Opera, and the beat goes on............................

Tomsd

Also - Red Rock Canyon - about 20 minutes west. They also have a nice visitor's center.

aussiedreamer

Gav_Davie do you have a recommendation for which Helicopter tour to take? I'm organising a trip for some friends and they really want to do this. We did it years ago by fixed wing plane. The prices all seem much the same but would love to hear from someone who's done it.

Christina_Harris

We just got back from 5 nights in Vegas and we did a helicopter tour with heli USA. It cost about $600 for the two of us but they pick u up from the hotel and you get about 2 1/2 hours in the helicopter flying over Hoover dam, lake mead and below the rim of west rim of grand canyon. On the way back yo fly over the strip. I think all the companies do pretty much the same. You can pay extra to do a trip where you land in the canyon.

We also went to the gun store - being Brits this was a novelty to us - fired 20 rounds each with a hand gun, rifle and machine gun. Cost approx $160 each but they have cheaper/more expensive packages.

We also did CSI experience, shark reef and new York rollercoaster - all three cost about $50 dollars total

Have a great time

Tomsd

Be sure to check the safety record and most importantly - the average flying hours of the pilots at the company you select. I don't think they have had any problems there lately - but better safe than sorry.

I always want to have the most experienced pilots - just in case nature decides to deal you a set of tough conditions.

And while I grew up hunting and shooting rifles in Oregon - some people get a real kick out of visiting the shooting ranges in Vegas - including letting er rip with the auto.

tracys2cents

The Springs Preserve is the loveliest attraction in Las Vegas. Other things that we like such as Red Rock, Valley of Fire, Boulder Zipline etc, I just can't recommend doing in the heat of summer. But then, I'm just one of those people who's miserable in 105 degree sunshine.

Rastaguytoday

For those with an electic bent...

The Las Vegas Pinball Hall of Fame.
The Rough Exhibit at the Tropicana - focusing on Sin City's seamy past.
The works of Claude Monet at the Bellagio Art Gallery.
The Mob Museum.
The Liberace Museum.
The Gun Store - shoot machine guns and Uzi's til you run out of money.
The Graceland Chapel, or the Elvis impersonators at the Viva Las Vegas Chapel.
The Atomic Testing Museum - New Exhibit on Area 51.
The Pawn Shop run by the folks at Pawn Stars.
Bodies: The Exhibition - no, not babes.
Titanic Exhibit at the Luxor.

I could go on, but this should keep you busy for a day or three. Funny, no one else is recommending these places.

happytrailstoyou

I believe the Liberace Museum is closed.

My favorite attractions are walking on The Strip in the stretch from MGM to the Venetian, watching the Bellagio Fountain, and making excursions to the Valley of Fire and Red Rock Canyon.

HTTY

Rastaguytoday

Sorry about Liberace, they closed it about 1 1/2 years ago.

POMAH

" fired 20 rounds each with a hand gun, rifle and machine gun. Cost approx $160 each"

huh? only 20 rounds? The gun ranges in NJ are far cheaper. I could buy a rifle and shoot all I want.

POMAH

The Las Vegas Pinball Hall of Fame.

--more interested in video/arcade games.

The Rough Exhibit at the Tropicana - focusing on Sin City's seamy past.

--never heard of it.

The Liberace Museum.

--closed down due to lack of visitors. The old folks who saw him are either dead or in Fl.

The Atomic Testing Museum - New Exhibit on Area 51.
The Pawn Shop run by the folks at Pawn Stars.

--sounds fun. Will see next time I am there.

Bodies: The Exhibition - no, not babes.

--there are lots of them all over. One on Pier17 in NYC. Disgusting. Dont eat prior to going there.

Titanic Exhibit at the Luxor.

--tired of hearing about it.

Rastaguytoday

POMAH - The Titanic Exhibit is about as bad as the Star Treck Exhibit than ran on for way too long at the now former Hilton Las Vegas.

tracys2cents

Then why would you recommend it and wonder why other people WEREN'T mentioning it?

mike61

This will be the best advice you've gotten so far. It's too hot here in Las Vegas in the summer to do almost anything outside during the day. 105 -110 degrees. At midnight it can still be 100! So don't do Valley of Fire (it's usually even hotter there than Vegas), don't do a drive to Hoover Dam either. You can't see anything from the car and you won't want to get out because of the heat. DON'T do the Boulder City Zipline. It's just too hot. There's absolutely no shade anywhere and there is hiking involved between the zipline connections. DO take an airconditioned helicopter tour for outstanding views of the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam and the Strip. DO go Downtown and spend the whole day/night and do the little zipline there. It's short, but fun and there's tons of cheap things to do downtown. DO see the Mob Museum downtown during the day. It's amazing and inexpensive. Plan on two hours there and the time flies by. DO have dinner downtown at either Vic & Anthony's Steakhouse ($$$), in the Golden Nugget for one of the best steaks you'll ever have, or Second Street Grill ($$) at the Fremont Hotel get the blackened Ahi Tuna there it's the best!! Or try Oscar's Steakhouse at the Plaza for some old school Vegas style. DON'T eat at Simpatico it's aweful. After dark go watch the Fremont Experience and check out the FREE entertainment. Lot's of cool bars to walk to; Downtown Bar, Beauty Bar, Insert Coin, Don't Tell Mama (a must visit), Drink & Drag (staffed by drag queens lol). The Rush Lounge in the Golden Nugget is great and check out their pool! Go see Ka or Le Rev. Don't spend anyhing extra on tix for Le Rev. There's not a bad seat in the house. For more ideas check lasvegasbylocals.com. I use that site all the time. The pinball museum is lots of fun. I f you go there's a little place called Strings that's family owned, casual and has delicious italian and is very inexpensive and it's afew blocks from the pinball.

mike61

For great deals check out Groupons.com and Livingsocial.com. Just put Las Vegas as the city you're interested in and see what comes up. They offer deals on pretty much everything, dining, attractions, tours, shows etc. and will notify you by email. I've seen frequent offers on helicopter tours for half price and since you have some time before you get to Vegas see what pops up. You could save a bundle. I use both sites all the time. They're excellent. No membership fees either. Good luck. You'll love Vegas.