Top things to do in Las Vegas

You can always gamble or hit up a show or buffet in Las Vegas, but the city has more to offer. Las Vegas is full of things to do both on and off The Strip. Here are some of my favorites.

Just walking around the enormous hotels and resorts is entertainment in itself. Be swept away to Italy at The Venetian, where you can enjoy a gondola ride.

Or be transported to Egypt at the Luxor, the famous pyramid-shaped hotel, where every detail makes you feel like you’re on the Nile.

Don’t miss the Bellagio and its fountain show in front of the hotel. Inside, be sure to check out the Conservatory and Botanical Gardens.

From the Bellagio, you can see across to the Paris hotel, complete with an Eiffel Tower. You can go up the Eiffel Tower for views of The Strip.

To escape the heat, check out the Ski Lodge bar inside the Cosmopolitan hotel. You will feel like you’re on a mountain vacation instead of in the desert.

Head to the Mirage to watch dolphins and tigers play at Siegfried & Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat.

For more underwater adventures, check out the Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay, which features sharks, giant rays, green sea turtles and jellyfish.

For old school Vegas, check out Fremont Street in downtown. You can stay at the Golden Nugget that has a slide through a giant shark tank aquarium.

Pro sports have come to Vegas and you can see the NHL’s Golden Knights or the NFL’s Raiders when they’re in town.

I love getting out in nature and a great place to do that is at Red Rock Canyon, a short 20-mile drive outside Las Vegas. Red Rock Canyon features a 13-mile scenic drive as well as many trails to enjoy.

Another option is checking out Seven Magic Mountains, which is also about 20 miles outside Las Vegas. Seven Magic Mountains is an art installation in the desert of painted boulders towering over 30 feet high.

And no trip to Vegas would be complete without a visit to the Welcome to Las Vegas Sign!

What are your favorite things to do in Las Vegas?