If you think you know Las Vegas, think again. The Las Vegas Strip is a must-see for any first-timer, but there is so much more to this city than just casinos and hotels. With a nightlife that is second to none, it’s no wonder people flock here from all corners of the globe.
There are some pretty incredible Las Vegas attractions visitors shouldn’t miss during their stay. And some of them may surprise you.
FlyOver Las Vegas
A visit to Las Vegas is not complete without experiencing Las Vegas’ hottest attraction. This incredible ride offers a unique and unforgettable experience that will leave you breathless. Soar over the Las Vegas Strip and the surrounding mountains while twisting, turning, and dipping in your seat on a ride that is sure to amaze.
With state-of-the-art effects and an exciting soundtrack, FlyOver Las Vegas is an attraction that the whole family will enjoy.
Creative director and “founding father of flight rides,” Rick Rothschild is the mastermind behind these attractions.
During his 30-plus-year tenure as a creative executive at Walt Disney Imagineering, Rothschild produced more than 25 separate theme park attractions. FlyOver Las Vegas is an absolute delight, right on the iconic strip across from MGM Grand.
Two theatres currently offer “The Real Wild West” and “Legendary Iceland” for visitors to experience. Ride them both or pick one, but make sure you add FlyOver Las Vegas to your itinerary while in town.
Bellagio Fountains
The Bellagio fountains are a Las Vegas staple. Situated in front of the Bellagio hotel, these fountains put on a show that is sure to amaze. With water jets that can shoot up to 460 feet in the air, the Bellagio fountains are one of the most impressive Las Vegas attractions.
The show runs every 30 minutes from noon to midnight on weekends, so you can catch it no matter when you are in Las Vegas. And the best part? It’s completely free to watch!
There are 35 incredible shows set to music ranging from Luciano Pavarotti and Andrea Bocelli to Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga, and world-renowned DJ Tiësto, and the Bellagio debuts 1-2 new shows per year. They have even had the 2022 NHL draft red carpet over the water in front of the famous fountains.
With 22 scuba-certified engineers on the Bellagio fountain crew, there are no limits to the incredible entertainment the famous show brings visitors every year.
Bellagio Gardens
The Bellagio Fountains attract millions of visitors, but a few steps inside the hotel awaits a gardener’s paradise. Five times a year, the hotel’s Conservatory and Botanical Gardens are turned into amazing shows that people can see as they walk through the hotel.
Fourteen thousand square feet of space is utilized to display these magnificent works of art and is free for everyone to enjoy.
Themed after the four seasons, the Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Gardens are worth a visit any time of year. From Chinese New Year celebrations to autumn leaves falling from above, there is always something new and exciting to see in the Bellagio gardens.
The displays are changed for Lunar New Year, Spring, Summer, Harvest, and Holiday. It takes approximately 5-8 days for the 80 conservatory members working 24 hours daily to change out each display.
People who go to the gardens during the day will be amazed when they come back in the evening and see how the lighting has changed. It is quite the experience to see zebras made of freeze-dried roses and giraffes made of seeds.
In addition, visitors will be surprised to learn that most of the gardens are hand-watered, and the water funnels out to Lake Meade.
The current display is titled Jungle of Dreams and is worth visiting to see the 28 animal sculptures and close to 10,000 plants and flowers, not to mention the lion’s crown made with Swarovski crystals!
Mob Museum
The National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, also known as the Mob Museum, is one of Las Vegas’s most popular attractions. This museum tells the story of organized crime in America through interactive exhibits and displays.
Visitors will have the opportunity to see artifacts from famous mobsters such as Al Capone and John Gotti and learn about the history of Las Vegas organized crime.
The museum also has a speakeasy, so you can enjoy a drink after exploring the exhibits. Visitors will want to see the presentation of cocktails at the speakeasy, where Las Vegas flair is alive and well.
The connection of Las Vegas’s current mayor to stories in the museum is fascinating. The Mob Museum is one of Las Vegas’s most unique attractions and will surely be a hit with visitors of all ages.
Area 15
Area 15 is a Las Vegas attraction that is unlike any other. This immersive art and entertainment complex is home to a variety of installations, bars, and restaurants.
Some of the most popular attractions at Area 15 include Meow Wolf’s Omega Mart, Lost Spirits Distillery, Illuminarium, Dueling Axes, Five Iron Golf, The Beast by Todd English, Wink World: Portals Into the Infinite, Museum Fiasco, Virtualis VR, Emporium Arcade Bar and many more.
Omega Mart by Meow Wolf is a grocery store like no other, with interactive displays and a Las Vegas twist. Visitors can purchase groceries, but they will also be able to participate in the interactive displays by finding portals to secret playgrounds beyond this extraordinary grocery store.
The Omega Access Experience is an RFID card add-on that allows you to engage with devices at Omega Mart on a deeper level. There’s plenty to find out whether you have the RFID card or not.
The journey through the different worlds and installations is mesmerizing and surreal. Check out the exhibition to see if you can find the secret Datamosh Bar, which is hidden within it. The entire Omega Mart experience is unpredictable!
Once you have expensed your energy at Area 15, you can grab a bite or a drink after exploring the complex. Area 15 is an immersive playground and portal into otherworldly experiences.
Perception Las Vegas
Perception Las Vegas is an optical illusion art museum that will dazzle and confuse your senses. This one-of-a-kind attraction is filled with mind-bending displays that will have you questioning what is real and what is not.
The museum opened to the public on June 10 with a presentation dedicated to Leonardo da Vinci, titled simply “Leonardo: The Universal Man.” During the one-hour, three-part experience, it covers Leonardo’s life and works.
The exhibit is divided into three immersive galleries that narrate different aspects of Leonardo da Vinci’s life and accomplishments.
“Our concept celebrates one of history’s most remarkable visionaries by putting his work into a completely captivating visual and audio experience, unlike anything that exists.
This is a 360-degree, fully immersive, multi-sensory exhibit and experiential film that celebrates da Vinci in a way you’ve never seen before and won’t see anywhere else,” said Robert Frey, CEO of Perception Las Vegas.
Perception Las Vegas is the perfect place to challenge your perception of reality and have some fun. This attraction is sure to be a hit for all ages.
Cirque du Soleil’s Mad Apple
Mad Apple is not a traditional Cirque du Soleil show. Instead, the best of New York and the best of Vegas combine to offer you one of the wildest nights out in sin city. The show’s main feature is stand-up comedy, a first for a Cirque du Soleil production.
Brad Williams and Harrison Greenbaum, the headlining comedians of Mad Apple, provide guests with on-the-spot, often raucous improvisations.
But that’s not all Mad Apple has to offer. The show also features some of Cirque du Soleil’s world-renowned acrobats and aerialists, who perform death-defying feats while the comedians keep the audience laughing. It’s a perfect blend of Las Vegas entertainment that you won’t find anywhere else.
America’s Got Talent Live
You’ve seen it on TV. Now see it live in Las Vegas. America’s Got Talent Live is a Las Vegas stage production that features some of the best talents from the hit TV show.
The performance is filled with past winners and crowd favorites from the TV show that will keep you on the edge of your seat, mesmerized by their outstanding talents.
America’s Got Talent Las Vegas LIVE introduces new acts and welcomes limited-engagement special guests regularly, thanks to its vast portfolio of talent to choose from.
Keep some tissues handy for the show. The stories of the performers are as touching as their talents. You’ll be inspired, you’ll laugh, and you might even shed a tear or two.
Discovering King Tut’s Tomb Exhibition at Luxor
Discovering King Tut’s Tomb recounts the story of the discovery of the tomb through the lens and voice of Carter. The immersive display begins with a passageway to the burial chamber and unfolds with animations that illuminate the process of mummification and its significance to ancient Egyptian culture.
Additional galleries trace the 100 years of King Tut and explore archeological practices today. Pods of virtual reality chairs enhance the visitor experience, allowing guests to take a deeper dive into the exploration of King Tut’s tomb.
New Residencies at Dolby Live
The rise of residencies unique to Las Vegas continues to evolve The Strip experience. The biggest act in the world of custom-develop shows that can only be seen in Las Vegas:
Maroon 5 – The Las Vegas Residency
- March 24, 25, 29, 31
- April 1, 5, 7, 8
- July 28, 29
- August 2, 4, 5, 9, 11, 12
F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix
What could be more exciting than watching a Formula 1 race next to the famous Bellagio Fountains? This epic race on Nov 16-18th, 2023, will thrill fans of the popular Netflix series Drive to Survive as it takes place right on The Strip.
MGM Resorts International will construct one of the world’s most exclusive live sports-viewing experiences for the Formula 1 Grand Prix, offering guests the opportunity to witness the race from grandstands built on the Bellagio Lake where the resort’s iconic Fountains dance daily.
Access to these epic seats is currently only available as part of MGM Resorts’ race-and-stay packages featuring unprecedented convenience for Formula 1 fans to stay just steps from the action.
Fantastic Restaurants in Las Vegas
Nellie’s Southern Kitchen at MGM Grand
Enjoy a seat at the Jonas family table with recipes for Southern comfort food passed down from their Grandma Nellie. Guests enter the restaurant and take their seats, passing through the stunning mural of Grandma Nellie that graces the entrance wall.
Nellie’s specializes in classic Southern comfort food with a modern twist. The menu features favorites like fried chicken, mac and cheese, and country-fried steak. And, of course, no Southern meal is complete without some sweet tea.
Come prepared with an appetite, as the portions are large, and the food is insanely delicious. The Southern Rolls are quite possibly the best appetizer we have ever tasted, and make sure to leave room for the Banana Pudding to end your experience.
Sadelle’s Café at the Bellagio
This is the place to come for Brunch in Vegas. Book a table after you stroll through the Bellagio Gardens and sit down for a culinary delight. There are a few booths that line the Gardens that are wonderful if you can snag one, and who doesn’t love a restaurant that offers sticky buns as a side dish!
The Saddle’s Tower of smoked salmon and freshly baked bagels are heavenly, and the Eggs Benedict is divine. You really can’t go wrong with any dish at Sadelle’s Café.
A perfect morning in Vegas would be a stroll through the Bellagio Gardens, brunch at Saddle’s Café, and finishing with the Bellagio Fountain show.
Eataly Las Vegas at Park MGM
This is a Las Vegas foodie paradise. Eataly Las Vegas is an Italian marketplace offering the best of Italy under one roof. The market features a wide variety of food and drink from different regions of Italy, as well as educational offerings and cafés.
Whether you want to enjoy a glass of wine and some cheese at the wine bar or sit down for a full Italian meal at Toscana Restaurant & Bar, Eataly Las Vegas has you covered. The market also offers a wide variety of Italian products to take home with you, from olive oil to pasta to coffee.
The Beast by Todd English at Area 15
This is one of the newest restaurants in Las Vegas, and it’s already making waves. The Beast by Todd English is located inside Area 15, a new dining and immersive entertainment complex just off the Las Vegas Strip.
The Beast is an immersive dining experience that transports you into the world of Todd English’s imagination. The restaurant is filled with unique art, neon lights, fish eye mirrors, and other curiosities that create a one-of-a-kind dining atmosphere.
The food is just as unique as the setting, with dishes like Tuna tartare tacos, Bang Bang Shrimp, brisket, and St. Louis ribs. The Beast is one of those Las Vegas restaurants you must see to believe.
StripSteak at Mandalay Bay
Chef Michael Mina is stripping away the formality of steakhouses with the reintroduction of StripSteak, now open at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.
The James Beard Award-winning chef, restaurateur, and cookbook author, is bringing the quality of traditional steakhouses into a lively atmosphere of innovation, reinvigorating classic steakhouse flavors with modern techniques, Asian influences, and creative culinary fusions.
StripSteak offers new preparations for its meat, such as the Duck Fat Prime Rib, to complement the classic butter-poached, wood-fired steaks that established it as a destination restaurant for guests from around the world.
Additionally, Chef Mina playfully examines familiar dishes through the lens of a steakhouse. Guests can expect to sample inventive new plates such as Foie Gras Doughnuts, Caviar Jelly Doughnuts, Maine Lobster Toast, and Truffle Corn Bread.
Bacon Nation at the D Las Vegas
the D Las Vegas brings bacon, bacon, and more bacon to downtown Las Vegas with the launch of its newest restaurant concept, Bacon Nation.
Located on the newly renovated second floor of the Fremont Street Experience hotspot, the restaurant’s 24/7 menu is centered around a love for all things bacon and incorporates 13 gourmet bacon varieties into its repertoire.
Created in partnership with Downtown Hospitality Group, the menu features bacon flights, sweet and savory French toast boxes, and reverse BLTs, where weaved bacon takes the place of bread.
Cathédrale Las Vegas at ARIA (coming soon)
TAO Group’s heralded French-Mediterranean concept will debut in Las Vegas at ARIA Resort & Casino later this year. The artful cuisine inspired by the flavors of Southern France will complement the dramatic scenery setting the stage to be a go-to destination for guests in 2023.
Proper Eats Food Hall at ARIA
Industry trendsetter Clique Hospitality will bring together a collection of highly sought-after imports and only-in-Las Vegas destinations with Proper Eats, an elevated food hall serving eclectic cocktails and global cuisine opening in early winter.
Set to the stunning architectural design of Alessandro Munge, Proper Eats will span 24,000 square feet on the second-level promenade of ARIA Resort & Casino.
Clique, which is behind more than a dozen incomparable destinations in San Diego and Las Vegas, is curating 12 palate-pleasing concepts that include four of the company’s own creations, plus several in-demand restaurants and bars.
The Mayfair Supper Club at Bellagio
Boundary-breaking musical performances, towering seafood displays, and the world’s finest cuts of meat greet guests dining fountain-side at The Mayfair Supper Club.
Captivating guests with live entertainment, surprise performances, and a coveted location overlooking the iconic Bellagio Fountains, The Mayfair evolves from a swinging prohibition-era jazz club to a late-night dance party.
Guests are transported to the glamorous supper club world of yesteryear when music and cuisine intertwined in an all-night destination.
LAGO by Julian Serrano at Bellagio
Inspired by centuries of culinary traditions along the Mediterranean, LAGO by Julian Serrano brings decadent seaside dining to its lakeside destination that features the preeminent views of the Fountains of Bellagio in Las Vegas.
Michelin-starred Chef Serrano developed a new lunch exploring Italians’ passion for scratch-made pasta, slow-aged steaks, and fresh seafood.
New Spa Treatments in Las Vegas
Poolside Facials *summertime only*
The glamour of a summer facial extends beyond the spa to the pool scene. KNESKO Skin is bringing its holistic skincare poolside at Bellagio Resort & Casino, ARIA Resort & Casino, and MGM Grand Las Vegas with hydrating collagen masks and their groundbreaking gemstone infused collections that use top clinical and clean ingredients to nourish skin.
“Energy of the Glaciers” Facial at The Spa at ARIA
The 80-minute Energy of the Glaciers Facial is a brand-new treatment now offered at The Spa at ARIA, the largest Forbes Five-Star spa in the world.
Using popular Valmont Skin Care products, the Energy of the Glaciers Facial stimulates the skin’s energy and cellular renewal, which tend to slow down over time. Wrinkles and fine lines fade away, leaving a radiant complexion that is well-rested.
Crystal Soundwave at Park MGM
This massage is designed to help cleanse the mind and balance the chakras. Your therapist will use palm quartz crystals during this full-body massage.
Healing gemstones are then placed on the body to align your chakras while vibrational sound therapy is performed. You will leave this ritual massage treatment feeling grounded, open and deeply relaxed.
CBD Restore Massage at Bellagio Spa & Salon
Elevate your experience with active botanicals in CAUSE + MEDIC CBD body oil as we restore tired muscles in this full-body treatment. Problematic areas will melt away with broad spectrum CBD Pain Relieving Cream.
Extend your rehabilitation to eighty- minutes and receive a complimentary Moor Mud treatment to calm inflammation and soothe pain in the back.
CBD Renew Body Wrap at Bellagio Spa & Salon
Enjoy the healing properties of invigorating CBD coffee exfoliant and CBD-infused body oil. Active botanicals will give you glowing skin while allowing you to hydrate and relax your nervous system as you are cocooned in a warm body wrap.
This service concludes with CAUSE + MEDIC Lavender & Sage CBD body butter to seal in your newly polished skin.
CBD Revival Manicure & Pedicure at The Spa at Park MGM
Reduce inflammation and aid in recovery with CAUSE + MEDIC Lavender & Sage exfoliation to prep skin for the healing benefits of CBD Body Balm and hydrating body butter. Treat tired feet and calves to the ultimate in recovery and relaxation.
Includes a CBD-infused lavender foot soak and exfoliation, healing Moor mud masque, and CBD Pain Relieving Cream to revive aching feet.
Sahra Hammam at Cosmopolitan
A signature and unforgettable experience of luxury…an enriching journey of awakening and renewal. Ritual space is a modern homage to a sensual, centuries-old practice of purification.
A ritual of heat and renewal, it combines body detoxification, steam treatments, and a cooling bath, all conducted in an atmosphere of deep, grounding warmth.
Guests often conclude a hammam treatment with a full-body massage, including Red Flower Hammam Experience. A sensual and fragrant ritual of heat, steam, detoxification, and relaxation.
Eleven flower oils and fruit essences are bestowed upon the body, including Red Flower’s Coffee Lemon Blossom Olive Stone Scrub. Each level of this experience releases an intense, redolent scent along with therapeutic healing properties.
You begin by lying on the warm stone and are given time to bask in the heat of the stone surface and the air that surrounds you. Basins of water are then poured over the body, emulating relaxing waves that cleanse the skin.
A vigorous scrub is followed by the application of purifying Jasmine Rose Rhassoul Clay and Cardamom Amber Oil.
Green Tea Detox at MGM Grand
This nutrient-rich detox wrap uses the deeply nourishing Green Tea balm to encourage super skin health and powerful detoxification. It helps stimulate the elimination process and restore equilibrium to leave you feeling completely reinvigorated.
Conclusion
So there you have it, some of the best Las Vegas attractions that are a must-see on your next trip to Sin City. From live shows and restaurants to unique markets and immersive dining experiences, your Las Vegas getaway will be extraordinary by visiting these outstanding shows and restaurants.
Casandra Karpiak is a travel writer and owner of Savoteur. A Toronto native with Danish roots currently residing in British Columbia, her travel writing has been seen on The Associated Press wire, MSN, FOX, CBS, NBC, Entrepreneur, 24/7 Wall St, Times Daily, and many more. When she’s not traveling, she can be found at hockey arenas all over BC cheering on her two young sons.