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Help with Vegas: Two days to see it all

Have basically two days to see all the crazy hotels in Vegas:Luxor,Venetian,Paris,etc,etc. I love neon, not going there to gamble, but to see the odd buildings with their quirky charms, like the vocano show at The Mirage and The Mardi Gras show at Rio,that's what i want to see. Can someone who's seen it all, suggest a jam packed tour of all the must sees in Vegas? Also what are the three best dinner and breakfast buffets in town? Thanks in advance

If you like neon, be sure to head to the downtown area at night to see the show - it's free. As for seeing all of the hotels, be sure to take advantage of the trams and a good pair of walking shoes. As for buffets, you can't beat the Bellagio or Paris.

Message: Part 1 You AND your kids are welcome in Vegas (just realize you won't have a lot of gambling time). Below is an itinerary (with days taken out) that i put together for my sister. She went with kids so i've deleted many of the things that were geared towards the kids. She was attempting to do the trip on a budget, so the below list is geared towards free/inexpensive things to see. If you have a specific question about anything on the list or info on something not on the list, feel free to post a reply... and ENJOY your trip!! Frozen Drink (Casino Royale): time to start your vacation off right, at the bar (area that faces the street) they have a free drink for showing your out of state drivers license (you CAN walk around with liquor, so get the drink and enjoy while walking to and in the Venetian) Lobby (Venetian): be sure to go to the lobby and look up (then walk to the left if youre facing the check-in desk) and see more of the ceiling Trafalgars Square (Venetian): see the canal and gondolas, as well as the painted sky Parade in the Sky (Rio): The show is free to the public and is performed every 2 hours from 2:00pm to midnight daily EXCEPT Wednesdays (youll need to take a cab or shuttle bus there) Rio to Harrah's (shuttle bus, to get to/from Rio for masquerade ball) Runs every half hour from 9:00am to 1:00am (BUT I HEARD THIS IS NOT A RELIABLE SCHEDULE!!) may just want to take a cab to save the hassle (or go to the shuttle bus area at Harrahs and if people are there and waiting a while, wait with them as one is likely to come soon, if not many people there, then you may have just missed the shuttle and take a cab from Harrahs) Pirate Show (Treasure Island): every hour on the hour from 4:00pm to 10:00pm weather permitting (also read it could be every 1 = hours) (HIGH PICK POCKET AREA DURING THE SHOW), get there AT LEAST 20 minutes before the show to get a space that the kids can see!! White Tigers (Mirage): 24/7 HUGE Aquarium/Fish Tank (Mirage): 24/7 located behind the check-in desk Volcano (Mirage): 6pm-midnite??, but great at night, so maybe do on the way back to hotel (its almost directly across from your hotel) Statue Show (Caesars): every hour on the hour in the shopping mall attached to Caesars starting at 10am (not great, but kids MAY REALLY enjoy it) be sure to look at the fountains/driveway on your way in (filmed Rain Man there when he was driving in the parking lot) Fountains (Bellagio): make sure its dark/dusk when you go (every 30 minutes from 3pm-8pm, every 15 minutes >8:00pm, stay for a few songs as theyre different songs and fountain movements) Flower Garden (Bellagio): walk in the main doors and go straight to the back to see (and notice the smell when you walk in) the most beautiful arrangement (better than it sounds) Eiffel Tower (Paris): while at Bellagio turn around and see a built to scale version Rain Inside (Alladin): by the shops there is some sort of rain contraption that makes it rain from the ceiling into a reflecting pond below (I dont know much about this other than it exists)

Message: Part 2 Lion Habitat (MGM): 11:00am to 11:00pm daily Skyline (NYNY): 24/7 not much inside, but great skyline outside Pyramid (Luxor): no need to get too close, but cool pyramid building Fremont Street Experience (Downtown): Hourly show from dusk to midnight. Free Golden Nugget (Downtown): display of the worlds largest gold nugget General (Downtown): see the lights and glitter; this is old Vegas 99cent Shrimp Cocktail (Golden Gate): may have to splurge $1.49 for medium size shrimp, but this is a Vegas Classic (if its not the Golden Gate, its a place next door, but Im sure its advertised on the side of the bldg) Aerial View of Vegas (Stratosphere): take the elevator to the top for an aerial view of Vegas (costs to go up, you can decide if you want to do it when youre there)- : 9am - 1am Sunday through Thursday Circus Events (Circus Circus): Free circus acts (on the ceiling above the casino), 11:00 am thru midnight daily (not worth a special trip, but "ok" to see if you're walking by) .99 Margarita (next to Circus Circus): decent drink for the price (the place MAY be the Westward Ho) Coffee Mug/Deck of Cards (Riviera): time to cash in the coupon you printed (DONT do their $40 credit for $20 buy-in, although you may have to wait in that line for your mug/cards) CAESARS MAGICAL EMPIRE (Caesars) Caesars Magical Empire at Caesars Palace, 3570 Las Vegas Blvd. South, offers free tours 11 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. Guests can explore the catacombs en route to a 70-foot-tall central rotunda, where high-tech special effects are featured (Ive never done this, but heard its decent) Music Memorabilia (Hard Rock Cafi): guitars, pictures, clothing, autographs, etc. (also note the giant guitar sign out front!). Stop by the concierge desk and ask for a "Rock Tour" map and you can take a self-guided tour of the hotel and all the rock'n'roll artifacts MISCELLANEOUS: Antique Car Show (Imperial Palace): free with coupons they hock in front of the casino Star Trek Experience (LV Hilton) Dolphin Habitat (Mirage) Magic and Movie Hall of Fame (OSheas, next to Flamingo) Leid Discovery Children's Museum, 833 Las Vegas Blvd. North, Las Vegas NV, (702)382-KIDS(5437) or (702)382-3445 (1 mile north of Fremont St) Ethel M tour free chocolates at the end Gameworks- NICE!! arcade with rock climbing wall (next to MGM). If you go, be sure to get coupon in Whats On (local LV advertisement magazine) for $10 Free with $10 Purchase (gets put on a card) Rollercoasters- NYNYs is good Breakfast Buffet (Paris): Rumored to be SUPERB! with great crepes, omelets to order, and pastries (~$13 adults, kids ?? = price ??) I HIGHLY recommend the show "Mystere." Expensive, but worth it! Most of the above is "geographical", meaning (for the most part) you can "do" the list in the order presented

Thanks for the responses,keep them coming. Take care.

The one other time saver is to skip the hotels that have nothing to see: Tropicana, Monte Carlo, Bally's, Harrahs, Treasure Island (except the outdoor pirate show), and the Excalibur. With only 2 days, I wouldn't bother with any of these. I also wouldn't take time out for the Parade at the Rio. It is out of the way and not really a big deal. Skip the 'rain' in the Aladdin mall. It is a hell of a walk just to see a fake storm. The Volcano at Mirage should satisfy the need. I would also pass on MGM. All they really have in there are lion cubs. Siegfried & Roy's secret garden in the back of the Mirage & the dolphin tanks are a much better choice. Shark reef at Mandalay Bay is very interesting, but expensive. NYNY has a great roller coaster and Nathan's hotdogs. Love it. My favorite breakfast buffets were the Paris on regular days and the Bellagio Sunday brunch.

I happen to disagree on skipping the MGM. The lions are great to see and the rainforest lounge is neat if you've never been to one.

Ditto the MGM. They also have a free Elvis show worth seeing.

3 words: Caesar's Magical Empire-don't miss it!

Great list thereuare! I am going with a 12 year old. If you have time would you put the activities geared toward kids on board. Thanks so much

For kids there is Circus, Circus, the M&M museum, Harrah's car museum, NYNY has that cool roller coaster and there is something at the Stratosphere, but I forget what it was. They have some kind of ride too. The kids might like the magicians shows or Splash. Siegfried and Roy are good stand bys. O, Mystere, Blue Men...

Yet another crazy person taking a 12-year old to Vegas. We plan on doing two days in Vegas, drive to the Grand Canyon and spend the night before returning to Vegas and flying home late the last day. Thanks for the tips above, and would love if you posted more!

I forgot a trip to Hoover Dam. You can't (or couldn't in late Nov.) go down inside right now, but it's a cool place to visit.

Hey JPM, I'm offended by your "crazy person" remark! We're taking our 15 & 13 year olds to Vegas ~ this stop is in the middle of a 2 week Utah, Arizona & Nevada trip. Wet n'Wild in Vegas is the #2 ranked water park in the U.S. That in itself is worth a stop for us! Also, come on, older kids will think Vegas is awesome. I promise, we'll have them in bed by midnight.

Tricia, I think you read my post wrong. I am the "crazy person." I am taking my 12-year old niece to Vegas/Grand Canyon over her Spring Break - and if I'm not crazy now I will be after she drags me through every store in VEGAS!

jpm, yes, you are right. I read your post wrong. So, we're both "crazy people". I'm looking forward to seeing Vegas myself~ have never been west of the Hoover Dam. Did the dam tour and headed east. Sorry if I blasted you. Tricia

I've tried a lot of the buffets in Vegas, and for me the best dinner buffet in town is Mandalay Bay. An amazing selection, good service, nice dining area, and best of all the quality of the food is outstanding. My favorites are the Mexican and Chinese. At a lot of the buffets in town I think quantity is the draw, but at MB there's quantity AND quality. Just about everything I've ever tried there is so good that I'd be thrilled if I ordered it off the menu at a nice restaurant. The desserts are out of this world, too. Many people say the Rio is the best dinner buffet in town, and I agree that it's good, but I like Mandalay Bay a lot better, the price is about the same, and MB is *much* easier to get to from just about any place on the Strip than the Rio is. If you're out to see odd buildings, you can work dinner at Mandalay Bay in to a trip to the southern end of the Strip for architectural gawking. Go to Bellagio to look around, then take the monorail to Monte Carlo (which is lovely, but not particularly striking). From there you're next door to New York New York which is DEFINITELY worth seeing. Then you cross over Tropicana Blvd. and can catch a monorail from Excalibur (give that hotel a miss, though -- it's ugly and crowded) to Luxor (definitely go inside the pyramid) and then to Mandalay Bay for the buffet. Have fun!

In response to the various posts, Paris Buffet is the best!! I've eaten there on my last 2 visits to Vegas; it does not disappoint. Question: doesn't Excalibur have activies geared towards children?

Forget the buffet at the RIO. I thought it was quite ordinary. Bellagio or Paris is much better.

My approach to "seeing it all" is a little different. I'd make sure you set up a schedule that allows you to be in a certain area for a decent amount of time so you can maximize viewing while not going crazy. For example, spend late afternoon, evening and late night on South Strip... NYNY, Mandalay, Luxor, MGM, etc. Great afterhours bars, so plan to be here later. You have to see shops and sites at Venetian/Caeser's/Paris during day, so make sure you're in center strip during daytime. Downtown/Fremont Street is a neat side excursion that doesn't take too long. I'd suggest hitting Strat for sunset, then head up to downtown for light show. If you're not going to gamble, that's about all you're gonna do there. I guess my point is, you'll never see everything in two days, so just schedule your time in certain areas to get the most out of it. Also, make sure to drink plenty of water and get a few naps if you don't plan on sleeping.