njs

I have prepared a 2 day Vegas iterinary...
Please let me know if anything sounds ridiculous or if we are missing some great attraction...

Day 1
After reaching vegas at 10 am, we drive straight to Mandalay Bay and park our car.

From 11am to 3pm, we will walk to visit Mandalay Bay, Luxor, Excalibur, Tropicana, MGM Grand, NYNY, Monte Carlo and have lunch in some subway. At 3 we will take a trolley from MonteCarlo to Mandalay Bay and pickup our car and head to the hotel where we are staying for the 2 nights(New Frontier)

From 3:30 - 5:30, we will relax in our hotel room.

We are not sure how to commute after this...

At 6pm we will head back to the strip and continue from where we had left.. We will see Aladdin, Paris-Las Vegas, Ballys, Bellagio and then around 8:30 head for Downtown for freemont experience. Then we come back our hotel around 11pm.

Day2:
At 11am we go to circus circus.
From there we go to Caesars, Flamingo, Imperial Palace, the venetian, (6pm)treasure Island and the mirage(7pm).

Then we will go to Stratosphere at the end of the day(AROUND 8PM). Is it better to go to stratosphere at the end of the day(8pm) or is it better to go there around 5pm?

We are not that interested in shows. But we will be watching only some free shows on both days.
I dont know whether this is doable or not.
Let me know if something sounds bad. Also commuting after 6pm on day1 is an unresolved issue.

Thanks

bluestructure

Your driving to Vegas in your own car right? I hope your not renting a car if your not going to be driving it much at all. It seems like you want to see every hotel on the strip. You will be very tired and constantly on the move your whole trip in vegas. Seeing the whole strip and downtown in 2 days is alot! Well, I would definitely use the new monorail as transportation, I hear its open now but havent been on it. When I went to vegas for my 1st time, it was much bigger than I thought. I went for 5 days and never had the time to make it downtown or north strip. Take lots of pictures so you can see what you missed or didnt get enough time to stare at when you get home. 8-P

HowardR

You'll never be able to cover those seven hotels in four hours (11-3) on your first day. And, it'll be almost as difficult to cover the four facilities between 6 and 8:30 later that day.

lcuy

Instead of planning to see every hotel, I would decide which shows you want to see and work around those. There is very little chance you can see all the hotels you've listed. It may still be quite hot in September and it can take half an hour just to cross through some of the casinos.

Allow yourself time to cool off and wander inside, rather than rushing through the whole strip!

If you still plan to go Downtown on day one, I'd head straight there after your afternoon rest in your hotel. Traffic gets worse as the evening wears on.

Downtown is a lot more low key. Maybe eat and watch the Freemont experience, then come back and wander the strip until bedtime. You may be surprised to find yourself up much, much later than 11!

Day two, I'd start wher you left off the day before, but again, don't try to schedule your wanderings, unless you need to work around dinner or show reservations!

Don't worry, you will have plenty to see, even if you don't see everything!

Tim_and_Liz

On Day 1, I would only hit a few of those hotels:
Mandalay Bay
Luxor
Excalibur
and
NYNY (Have lunch at their deli or the Irish pub.)
Tropicana isn't worth it, MGM Grand is too huge-- you'll get lost and there is really no theme. Montecarlo isn't really worth it. It's nice, but not really worth taking the time when you only have 2 days.
For the evening, I would head down to Freemont Street a little later than 8.

On Day 2, I would visit Aladdin, Paris, Caesar's and the Bellagio in the morning. Have lunch at Mon Ami Gabi or Le Cafe in the Paris- yum!
Skip Circus Circus, the Flamingo, and Imperial Palace.
In the evening, check out the Venetian and the Mirage. I'd skip Treasure Island, unless you just want to see the pirate show, which you can see from the street.
Head to the Stratosphere ONLY if you plan to go to the top or on the rides (which are super fun!) Otherwise it isn't worth a stop.
Basically, you just have way too much crammed in. I know you think you'll be able to do it all by looking at a map now, but the truth is, the strip is HUGE and it will take forever to see all of these hotels. Besides, don't you need a reason to return?
Hope that helps!

nittany

I agree with the other respondents, there is no way you can see the places you listed in the times you listed. Besides, if you try you will be so tired from walking you won't want to do anything else. I took my family the last time I was there and they wanted to see it all, but after a while, the places all start looking the same to them. My suggestion is to pick out the ones that offer a theme and/or a free show. My suggestion is to break the visits into three groups: Venetian, Mirage, & Treasure Island in the North; Ceasars, Bellagio, Paris, & Alladin in the Central, and Mandalay Bay, Excalibur, Luxor, NYNY, & MGM in the South. MGM really didn't impress me except for its size, may want to skip it. As far as must see's, I would suggest the Venetian and the fountains at Bellagio (my favorite). Skip the Freemont Experience, I was very disappointed in it, we went at night and I found it to be dirty and somewhat seedy, my wife and kids felt somewhat unsafe there, something that we never felt on the strip. Down near the MGM there is a building with a large Coke bottle in the front that sells half-price tickets (after 2pm) for shows that day, usually not the top line shows but good second rate ones.

sam

I agree with the other posters, the hotels are enormous and takes a along time to walk between them and then through them. The Stratosphere is great and there's a fabulous view both day and night. I went a few years ago on Labor Day Weekend and the fireworks were launched from the parking garage of the Stratosphere and were the best I'd ever seen (FYI-if that's when you are going). Have a fabulous time!

Walter_Walltotti

I would suggest that you can distill your list of must do hotels further

Luxor
NY NY
Paris
Caesars
Venetian
Belagio

Hotels worth a gawp from outside
Mirage
Treasure Island
Excalibur
Aladin (i found the shops in the bazar v disappointing)

The Mandalay bay is very nice and airy but i'm not sure it warrants a visit on a tight schedule.

You need to figure in to your calculations things like Caesers Forum and of course the I just put a $1 in a fruit machine and won $20 - this is my lucky day - I can't lose - 4 hours later - I've just lost $200 trying to win back that lucky $20 scenario.

placeu2

njs,

By now you have the idea that your itinerary is ambitious...overly so.

May I suggest that you share with us what is important to you? There is a lot of experience here. For example if you are a first timer, I would eliminate several of the properties that you mention. What do you like? What do you think you are going to do at these places if you are not going to gamble? Are you into shopping? Trying to get by on few $$?

Your timing is not accounting for crowds, lines, etc. One tip to start with: please do not settle for Subway...long as you are in the area eat lunch at the Brew Pub at Monte Carlo.

wendyandcary

Are you a travel agent? Vegas is awesome, we go there to gamble and people watch. Have been to most of the hotels you mentioned but that has been in 5 trips. Not to miss the bellagio & venetian they are different.
I agree with one of the earlier posters, the map makes the hotels look right next to each other, when they could be a mile away from entrance to entrance. Also, there is a feeling of sensory overload in Vegas, so just play things by ear and you'll have a great time, also pack your sneakers you will be doing a lot of walking!

My parents just go back last night, they used the monorail and said it was great. They were there 3 nights and really only went to 4 different hotel/casinos. Most of all HAVE FUN!

njs

Thanks for all replies.

I get the idea that my plan is flawed.

What is most important to us?
1. Photography/video...so we will be looking for scenic/beautiful spots
2. Stratosphere ride
3. Few shows

What is unimportant?
1. Gambling

My plan was not to spend hours inside any hotel.
Just enough to see some attractive things/events, get snaps and video.
We would be present in some hotels for a very short time or may not even go inside.
Depends, if people say some hotels are not all that great, no point in going there.

We have 2 full days in Vegas. Then I will be leaving for GrandCanyon/Zion,
after which we will be coming back to Vegas for the flight back.

When we come back to Vegas, we will have another half day in the morning before we take the flight.

placeu2

I really like photography myself:

As long as you are at the South end of the strip to begin with, definately see: NYNY (do the coaster), MGM...especially lion habitat. If you have time Alladin has some potential. You can skip Excalibur. Luxor is interesting mostly from the outside. Monte Carlo can be skipped as well unless the Brew Pub is attractive to you for lunch.

Go to Ceasars and the Forum shops, be sure to time it for the animatronic (sp?) shows in the mall. In that general area you should see Bellagio..night and day, perhaps Mirage..certainly the volcano at night. Definately go up the Eiffel tower at Paris and go in the casino. If given a chance the Venitian has some great photo ops, maybe take a gondola ride.

If you have still more time at night, I would go to the Rio and go to the top floor outside. Some of my best pictures are from that local.

You could skip Freemont unless you have spare time...night only. If you can only see one show, I would suggest Mystere at TI or if you want to do a traditional Vegas show, look into Jubilee at Ballys. Last visit, we went to the Scintas (family variety) at the Rio and really enjoyed it.

Hope that helps.

bluestructure

If you want pics of the strip, Id say go up the Eiffel tower during the day ($9.00). You wont get any better picture from the Stratosphere. You will definitely get more good pics on south end of the strip, i agree with placeu2 that the luxor is worthwhile from outside. You can gamble anywhere as you go in/out of any casino. Def get some pics in front of the Bellagio, Venetian, caesars, NY NY. Personally I would spend a full day doing the south end of the strip and get up the next morning early and drive out to red rock canyon and do the 13 mile scenic drive. then head back and check out what you didnt get the day before if your all about pictures being your #1 priority.