Las Vegas tips: 10 great tips for first time visitors

Viva Las Vegas! So much to do and so much to see in this lovely city! Las Vegas is a great place to go when you only have a weekend to go and have some fun. My last visit to Las Vegas, I’ve picked up some tips and tricks on how to make the most of my experience.

Even upon arriving at the airport, the first thing we saw was the machine slots inside the airport. I could tell already we were not getting any sleep.

It was almost midnight and we were staying at the MGM Grand, and when we arrived at the hotel, the line up was super long. Once again, this was at midnight, and the line up was ridiculously long. We just wanted to start our night. Apparently every hotel in Vegas is this busy no matter what time of the day/night. Once we finally checked in, we ran into our rooms, changed and when downstairs to go to the infamous club Hakkassan.

Do not pay for drinks inside the clubs

Here is some quick advice if you’re looking to party in Vegas. Never pay for drinks inside the club, it’s just not worth it. Drinks are about $20 each for a small glass. This is what we did. We pre-drank at the casino in our lobby for only $1 -2 per drink! When you play slots, which you can choose how much you want to spend, the drinks are free. The only thing you need to do in return is to tip the bartenders/servers so they keep serving you. How amazing is that, and the best part about some of these clubs is that there is free re-entry (Make sure to double-check though)

Find Club Promoters

Also about getting into clubs. Find a promoter! You can find them on Twitter or Instagram. Most of them will get you in free before a certain time. You will also have a lot of guys asking if they can be your date so they can get in free. Lots of places in Vegas seem to have this 1:1 ratio. But the free cover and free drinks? Who’s complaining? The best part was The Chainsmokers were playing that night.

Do not trust Street Promoters

A big heads up to anyone walking the streets of Vegas. Do not trust street promoters. No matter how legit they sound, or how cheap it sounds, or if they show you a million different wristbands. Just don’t. A real promoter told us “They will never make you pay on the spot” We lost $20 bucks because we fell for it. A real promoter will take your name and put it on the guest list. You never have to pay upfront.

If you don’t want to party

The next morning, (Did I mention that we partied till 6 am and then woke up at 11 am), we had the chance to check out our hotel and the strip. Let me tell you, our hotel is probably the biggest hotel I’ve ever seen in my life. You could literally spend a day at the hotel. MGM Grand is best known for the home of many awards shows such as the Billboard Music Awards and more. There is even a mini-mall and a gigantic food court and about four other restaurants. There are two Starbucks, the WetRepublic Pool, and the list goes on. The WetRepublic Pool is a very nice place to chill out. There’s a lazy river, and an occasional DJ such as Tiesto, Calvin Harris, etc, that comes and plays.

Las Vegas Strip

Rather than spending the whole time at the hotel, we checked out the Strip. The whole strip takes about two hours to walk. It’s not as short as it looks. But while we were walking the strip, we got to check out different hotels along the area. They are all just as big as the MGM. The New York-New York hotel had this amazing roller coaster for about $14 for one ride. It was totally worth it. When can you ever say you rode a roller coaster inside a hotel? It’s like going to New York City without actually going to New York. My bracelet fell off though, so beware of your belongings.

Bellagio Fountain

The Bellagio fountains are also worth checking out. There is a show about every 15 minutes and it is worth every minute. The waters are so beautiful to watch but make sure you go on a day when it’s not too windy. The shows get cancelled on windy days. Have you ever seen James Corden’s Carpool Karaoke with Celine Dion? This is where it took place.  If you do pass by the Bellagio, make sure you go in to check out the Bellagio Conservatory. You’ll feel a lot more fresh and relaxed.

Las Vegas Night Lights

On a brighter note, we also decided that night to go up on the famous Stratosphere hotel. This hotel is located at the end of the strip and in order to go up it costs about $20 and an hour of waiting in line. The view is spectacular though. We went up at night time, and there’s nothing quite like the night lights of Las Vegas. I will say there are gates that are a bit high so you might not get a full-body picture-esque photo, but it’s beautiful otherwise.

 

David Copperfield Show

Another amazing thing to check out in Vegas is the David Copperfield show. I personally love magic tricks. I don’t want to give too much away, but let me tell you if you want your money’s worth, Copperfield’s show is 100% worth it. He is literally the greatest magician of our time.

Hotel Activities

Our last day in Vegas was mainly spent in the hotel. Every hotel has fun activities that guests can enjoy. Ours had the Television City studio which is almost like a focus group. We get to watch one of the newer un-aired programs and rate the pilot in order to help determine ratings. Being a huge TV fanatic, I enjoyed it a lot. We had the chance to see Angel from Hell which I found quite humorous. (Mind you this was a while ago, this show actually made it to TV for one whole season)

In N Out Burger

We also took a cab to In N Out Burger which is located just on the opposite side of our hotel. The greatest fast-food chain ever. I thought I would only see it in LA, but no fear Vegas has one too! You do need to take a cab there though. Worth every penny and it’s very close.

Las Vegas Sign

The one last thing I recommend is the Welcome to Las Vegas sign. It is just near the airport, and walking distance ( 40 min walk from our hotel) but totally worth it. The view is just amazing and we even saw a wedding happening. It just south of the MGM towards the airport. Definitely worth checking out.

Las Vegas was a lot of fun and worth checking out. I don’t think you need more than three nights here. People party all night and it gets very tiring. But Vegas is something that everyone should experience.