Best Breakfast & Brunch in Las Vegas

Vegas runs late. Most of the best nightlife doesn’t even start until midnight, so breakfast in this town often means brunch — and brunch means bottomless mimosas, Bloody Marys, and some of the most over-the-top morning menus you’ll find anywhere.

Strip Brunches Worth the Price

Mon Ami Gabi (Paris Las Vegas) — Patio seats overlooking the Bellagio fountains. Classic French breakfast — omelettes, croques, crêpes. The best patio breakfast on the Strip, full stop. Get there early on weekends.

Best Buffets in Las Vegas — All-You-Can-Eat Guide

The Las Vegas buffet has evolved from a cheap loss-leader designed to keep you in the casino into a legitimate dining experience with chef-driven stations, craft cocktails, and price tags to match. Here are the buffets worth your time and money.

Bacchanal Buffet — Caesars Palace

The gold standard of Vegas buffets. Nine kitchens, 250+ dishes, and a $75+ price tag that’s actually worth it. The seafood station alone — king crab legs, fresh oysters, shrimp — justifies the cost. The weekend brunch adds unlimited mimosas and bloody marys. Expect a 30-60 minute wait on weekends without a reservation. Pro tip: Caesars Rewards members can skip the line.

Best Coffee Shops in Las Vegas

Las Vegas is a late-night city, which means it’s a caffeine city. The good news: the coffee scene has exploded beyond hotel lobby Starbucks. Las Vegas now has legitimate third-wave roasters, specialty cafés, and coffee experiences worth seeking out.

Best Third-Wave / Specialty Coffee

Vesta Coffee Roasters (Arts District) — The best coffee in Las Vegas. House-roasted single-origin beans, pour-over bar, and a minimalist space that takes coffee as seriously as any shop in Portland or Melbourne.

Best Day Trips from Las Vegas

Las Vegas sits in the middle of some of the most spectacular landscapes in North America. Within a 2-hour drive you can stand on the rim of the Grand Canyon, hike through red sandstone formations that look like Mars, walk across the Hoover Dam, or swim in the turquoise waters of the Colorado River.

Here are the best day trips, ranked by distance.

Red Rock Canyon — 30 Minutes

The closest and easiest day trip from the Strip. Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area has a 13-mile scenic loop drive through dramatic red sandstone formations, desert bighorn sheep, and Joshua trees.

Best Las Vegas Shows & Entertainment

Las Vegas is the live entertainment capital of the world — and it’s not even close. On any given night you can see Cirque du Soleil, a world-famous music residency, Penn & Teller, Blue Man Group, and a dozen comedy acts, all within a few blocks.

Here’s what’s worth your time and money.

Cirque du Soleil

Cirque has more permanent shows in Las Vegas than anywhere else. These are the headliners:

Best Pool Parties in Las Vegas — Dayclub Guide

Vegas invented the dayclub — a pool party with nightclub production, world-class DJs, and bottle service under the desert sun. Pool party season runs roughly March through October, with peak intensity from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

Encore Beach Club — Wynn

The gold standard of Vegas pool parties. Massive pool complex with a party-island in the center, DJ booth overlooking everything, and production that rivals the nightclubs. Past and current residents include David Guetta, DJ Snake, and Kygo. The crowd skews upscale — Wynn’s reputation extends to the pool. Day beds start around $500, cabanas $1,000+. General admission $30-75 depending on the lineup. Fridays and Sundays are the biggest days.

Best Restaurants in Las Vegas — From Fine Dining to Hidden Gems

The Strip — Celebrity Chef Row

Las Vegas has the highest concentration of celebrity chef restaurants in the world. Gordon Ramsay alone has five restaurants in Vegas. Joël Robuchon at MGM Grand holds the city’s only three Michelin stars (when Michelin covers Vegas). Guy Savoy at Caesars, é by José Andrés at The Cosmopolitan, and Bazaar Meat by José Andrés at the SLS are all world-class. The price tags match the names — expect $150-500+ per person at the top tier — but the experience is unlike anything you’ll find in most American cities.

Best Shows in Las Vegas — Cirque, Comedy, Music & Magic

Cirque du Soleil — The Vegas Staples

Cirque du Soleil has more permanent shows in Las Vegas than anywhere else in the world. “O” at Bellagio is the crown jewel — a water-based spectacle performed in and above a 1.5-million-gallon pool that’s been running since 1998 and still sells out. Mystère at Treasure Island is the original Vegas Cirque (since 1993) — pure acrobatics and physical theater with no gimmicks. KÀ at MGM Grand is the most technically ambitious, with a stage that rotates and lifts the entire set vertically. LOVE at The Mirage is the Beatles tribute — Cirque acrobatics set to remastered Beatles music. Mad Apple at New York-New York is the newest and most comedy-forward.

Best Views & Photo Spots in Las Vegas

Las Vegas is one of the most photogenic cities on earth — between the neon, the desert, the architecture, and the sheer over-the-top spectacle, there’s a shot around every corner. Here are the views and spots worth seeking out.

Strip Views

STRAT Observation Deck (1,149 feet) — The highest vantage point on the Strip. Floor-to-ceiling windows and an outdoor deck. Best at sunset when the desert glows orange and the Strip lights begin to flicker on. The Skypod thrill rides add adrenaline.

Cheap Eats in Las Vegas — Food Trucks, Taco Stands & Budget Dining

You can eat like a king in Las Vegas for $15 or less — you just have to know where to look. The Strip charges $25 for a burger that costs $8 a block away. Here’s where locals eat on a budget.

Taco Stands & Mexican

Tacos El Gordo (multiple locations, Strip-adjacent) — Tijuana-style street tacos. The adobada (spit-roasted pork) is the signature. $2-4 per taco. Open late. The location near Wynn is walking distance from the Strip.

Downtown Las Vegas & Fremont Street — The Other Strip

Downtown Las Vegas is what Vegas looked like before the megaresorts took over. Fremont Street was the original Strip — neon signs, low-rise casinos, and a grittier energy that the new Strip has polished away. Today it’s a mix of old Vegas nostalgia, a massive LED canopy, and a growing arts and cocktail district that locals actually prefer.

Fremont Street Experience

A five-block pedestrian mall covered by a 1,500-foot LED canopy screen — Viva Vision — that shows free light shows nightly. Three stages with live music. Street performers ranging from impressive to bizarre. The Slotzilla zip line lets you fly 77 feet above the crowd (upper level) or ride seated at street level (lower level). Tickets $20-50. The energy is louder, wilder, and more chaotic than the Strip — and that’s the point.

Free Things to Do in Las Vegas — Beyond the Casinos

The Bellagio Fountains

The fountain show at Bellagio is the most iconic free attraction in Vegas — and it never gets old. Choreographed water shows set to music run every 30 minutes in the afternoon and every 15 minutes from 8 PM until midnight. The best viewing spots are from the bridge at the corner of Las Vegas Blvd and Flamingo, or from the patio at Eiffel Tower Restaurant (if you’re dining). On still evenings, you can hear the music from across the street. The fountains shoot 460 feet in the air at their peak.

Fremont Street Experience — Guide to Downtown Las Vegas

Fremont Street is where Las Vegas began — and it’s having a serious renaissance. While the Strip has mega-resorts and celebrity chefs, Fremont Street has the world’s largest LED screen, free live music, $3 beers, and an energy that’s rowdier, weirder, and more fun than anything on the Strip.

The Fremont Street Experience

A 1,500-foot pedestrian mall covered by a massive LED canopy that runs choreographed light shows set to music. The shows run nightly starting at dusk, approximately every hour. The sheer scale is impressive — it’s like standing inside a video screen.

Hidden Gems in Las Vegas — Where Locals Actually Go

The Strip gets 42 million visitors a year. The real Las Vegas — the one locals live in — is a completely different city. Better food, cheaper drinks, less crowded, and more interesting.

Chinatown (Spring Mountain Road)

Las Vegas Chinatown is the most underrated food corridor in America. It’s not just Chinese — it’s Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese, Filipino, and fusion from every direction. Concentrated along Spring Mountain Road west of the Strip.

Las Vegas Breweries & Craft Beer Guide

The Las Vegas craft beer scene has grown from almost nothing to a legitimate beer destination over the past decade. Local breweries are producing quality IPAs, stouts, and lagers, and the beer bars — especially off-Strip — are stocked with great selections at prices that don’t make you cry.

Local Breweries & Taprooms

CraftHaus Brewery (Henderson) — The flagship of the Vegas craft scene. Evocation Saison, Resinate IPA, and a rotating selection of small-batch experiments. The taproom is spacious with food trucks outside.

Las Vegas Buffets — What’s Left and What’s Worth It

The Las Vegas buffet used to be the defining dining experience of the city — a $15 all-you-can-eat spread that justified the entire trip. Those days are mostly gone. COVID shut down many buffets permanently, and the ones that survived raised their prices significantly.

But the buffet isn’t dead in Vegas. Here’s what’s still standing and whether it’s worth your money.

Las Vegas Casino Guide — Where to Play and What to Know

Every casino on the Las Vegas Strip is designed to keep you inside, spending money, and losing track of time. That’s not cynicism — that’s architecture. The good news is that understanding the game makes it more fun, not less. Here’s what you need to know.

The Strip — Big Casino Breakdown

The Strip’s major casinos each have a distinct personality. Bellagio is elegant and high-limit — the poker room is world-famous. Caesars Palace is sprawling and Roman-themed with every game imaginable. MGM Grand is massive (6,852 rooms) with the most table games on the Strip. The Cosmopolitan attracts a younger, trendier crowd with a lively casino floor. The Venetian/Palazzo has the largest casino floor on the Strip. Wynn/Encore is the most upscale — higher minimums, fewer crowds, better cocktail service.

Las Vegas for Couples — Romantic Things to Do

Vegas isn’t just bachelor parties and slot machines. It’s also one of the most romantic cities in America — if you know where to look. The combination of world-class dining, shows, spa experiences, and dramatic natural scenery makes it ideal for couples.

Romantic Dining

Eiffel Tower Restaurant (Paris Las Vegas) — French cuisine with direct views of the Bellagio fountains from your table. Request a window seat facing the Strip. Mayfair Supper Club (Bellagio) — dinner with live entertainment, dancers, and a glamorous energy. Lago by Julian Serrano (Bellagio) — Italian small plates on the fountain-view patio. Top of the World (The STRAT) — revolving restaurant 800 feet above the Strip. Herbs & Rye — off-Strip speakeasy with craft cocktails and a quiet, intimate vibe.

Las Vegas for Couples — The Romantic Side of Vegas

Las Vegas has a reputation as a party town, a bachelor party destination, a place where what happens stays here. But strip away the neon and the noise and Vegas is also one of the most romantic cities in America — if you know where to look.

The best restaurants in the country. World-class shows. Rooftop bars 60 stories above the Strip. Desert sunsets. Helicopter rides over the Grand Canyon. And hotel suites that are designed specifically for couples who want to feel like they’ve escaped real life.

Las Vegas Happy Hours & Drink Deals

Drinks on the Las Vegas Strip are expensive — $18-22 for a cocktail at a resort bar, $12+ for a beer. But Vegas also has some of the best happy hour deals in America if you know where to look.

Best Strip-Area Happy Hours

Herbs & Rye (off-Strip, 10 min from Strip) — The undisputed champion of Vegas happy hour. Half-price steaks AND craft cocktails from 5-8 PM and again from midnight-close. A $50 steak becomes $25. A $16 cocktail becomes $8. This is the best deal in Las Vegas, period.

Las Vegas Museums & History

Las Vegas has a legitimate cultural side that most visitors never discover. The city’s history — built by organized crime, atomic testing, the Rat Pack, and a relentless drive to be bigger and brighter than anything else on earth — is fascinating, and the museums that tell that story are world-class.

The Must-Visit Museums

The Mob Museum (downtown) — Officially the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement. Housed in the former federal courthouse where Kefauver Committee hearings on organized crime took place in 1950. Three floors of interactive exhibits on the mob’s role in building Las Vegas, FBI wiretapping technology, and the ongoing fight against organized crime. The basement speakeasy serves Prohibition-era cocktails. One of the best museums in the western US.

Las Vegas Nightlife — Best Bars, Clubs & Lounges

Las Vegas invented modern nightlife. The clubs here book the biggest DJs in the world, the cocktail bars could hold their own in Tokyo or London, and the sheer variety — from rooftop infinity pools to underground speakeasies to old-school dive bars — means there’s something for every mood and budget.

Here’s the real guide.

Mega-Clubs (The Big Production)

XS (Encore) — The crown jewel. 40,000 square feet of indoor/outdoor nightclub on the pool deck at Encore. The DJ booth overlooks the pool. Resident DJs include some of the biggest names in electronic music. Cover: $30-75 (much more for special events). Dress code enforced.

Las Vegas Nightlife — Best Clubs, Bars & Rooftop Lounges

Mega Clubs

Vegas nightclubs are on a different scale than anywhere else. Hakkasan at MGM Grand is a five-level, 80,000-square-foot club with world-class DJs (Calvin Harris, Steve Aoki, Tiësto have all held residencies). XS at Wynn is consistently ranked the #1 nightclub in the world — the outdoor pool area is stunning. Omnia at Caesars Palace has a massive kinetic chandelier that moves with the music. Marquee at The Cosmopolitan has both a nightclub and a dayclub with rooftop pool. Cover charges range from $30-75+ for men, often free or reduced for women on the guest list. Bottle service starts around $500 and goes up fast.

Las Vegas Pool Parties & Day Clubs

The Las Vegas dayclub is its own phenomenon — part pool, part nightclub, part outdoor concert venue. Major DJs perform poolside, bottle service tables surround the water, and the party runs from late morning to early evening.

Pool season runs March through October, with peak season in May through September.

The Big Day Clubs

Encore Beach Club (Wynn) — The gold standard. The main pool area has a massive stage, cabanas, lily pads (VIP daybeds in the pool), and bungalows. Production values rival the nightclubs. Resident DJs are A-list. Cover: $30-75+.

Las Vegas Shopping Guide

Las Vegas is a serious shopping destination — not just for tourists killing time between shows, but for people who fly in specifically to shop. No state income tax in Nevada means slightly better prices, and the concentration of luxury brands, outlet malls, and one-of-a-kind shops is hard to match.

Luxury Shopping on the Strip

Forum Shops at Caesars Palace — The original high-end shopping destination in Vegas. 160+ stores including Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Versace, Valentino, and Tiffany. The Roman architecture with painted sky ceilings and the Fall of Atlantis show make it a destination even if you’re not buying.

Las Vegas Timeshare Promotions

Las Vegas is one of the top destinations in the country for timeshare promotional vacation deals. With dozens of vacation ownership resorts on and near the Strip, there are always promotions running for qualified visitors who want to experience Vegas at a fraction of the retail hotel rate.

Here’s how it works, what it costs, and how to decide if it’s right for your next Las Vegas trip.

Las Vegas with Kids — Family-Friendly Activities

Yes, you can bring kids to Las Vegas. The city has invested heavily in family attractions, and beyond the casino floors (which kids can walk through but not linger near), there’s a surprising amount to do with children of all ages.

Theme Parks & Attractions

Adventuredome (Circus Circus) — Indoor theme park with roller coasters, bumper cars, a rock climbing wall, and midway games. Air-conditioned, which matters when it’s 115°F outside. Good for ages 4-14.

Las Vegas with Kids — Family-Friendly Attractions

Vegas is built for adults, but there’s more family-friendly stuff here than most people realize. Between the theme parks, aquariums, shows, and outdoor adventures, you can fill several days without setting foot on a casino floor.

Adventuredome at Circus Circus

The Adventuredome is a 5-acre indoor theme park inside Circus Circus with roller coasters, bumper cars, a rock climbing wall, and midway games — all under a climate-controlled glass dome. It’s not Disneyland, but for kids under 12 it’s a solid half-day of entertainment. Ride passes run $20-40. The Circus Circus midway upstairs has free circus acts (trapeze, acrobatics) every 30 minutes.

Off-Strip Las Vegas — Beyond the Casinos

The Strip is 4.2 miles of some of the most concentrated entertainment on earth. But the best food, the most interesting bars, the real culture, and the natural beauty of southern Nevada are all off the Strip.

Chinatown (Spring Mountain Road)

The most underrated food corridor in America. Not just Chinese — it’s a pan-Asian wonderland stretching along Spring Mountain Road west of I-15. Korean BBQ, Vietnamese pho, Japanese ramen, Thai street food, Filipino cuisine, and fusion restaurants that would be destination-worthy in any city.

Outdoor Activities Near Las Vegas

Las Vegas sits in the Mojave Desert at the edge of some of the most dramatic landscapes in the American West. Within an hour of the Strip you can hike through red rock canyons, kayak the Colorado River, mountain bike in desert terrain, or rock climb on world-class sandstone.

Hiking

Red Rock Canyon (30 min) — The go-to. Calico Tanks trail (moderate, 2.5 mi) ends at a natural rock tank with Strip views. Keystone Thrust (easy, 2 mi) shows 180-million-year geology. Ice Box Canyon (moderate, 2.6 mi) has a seasonal waterfall in a slot canyon.

Pet-Friendly Las Vegas

Bringing your dog to Vegas? More properties are becoming pet-friendly, and the city has parks, patios, and experiences that welcome four-legged visitors.

Pet-Friendly Hotels on the Strip

The Delano — Dogs up to 50 lbs. Pet fee applies. One of the most upscale pet-friendly options.

Vdara (CityCenter) — All-suite, non-smoking, non-gaming hotel. Dogs welcome. Quieter than most Strip properties.

The Cromwell — Boutique hotel. Dogs welcome with deposit.

Scenic Drives Near Las Vegas

The desert around Las Vegas is stunningly beautiful — red rock formations, mountain passes, desert valleys, and some of the most dramatic road scenery in the American West. All within an hour or two of the Strip.

Red Rock Canyon Scenic Drive — 30 Minutes

A 13-mile one-way loop through the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. Towering sandstone formations in shades of red, cream, and brown rise from the desert floor. Multiple pulloffs with short trails and viewpoints.

The Elvis Suite at Westgate Las Vegas

Elvis Presley resided in a 5,000-square-foot Imperial Suite on the 30th floor of the International Hotel — now the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino. From 1969 through his final performance in December 1976, the King performed 636 consecutive sold-out shows in the hotel’s showroom.

The suite was in Room 3000, the penthouse level. It was Elvis’s Las Vegas home for seven years during his legendary residency.

Las Vegas Fun Things To Do

Las Vegas gets 40+ million visitors a year and most of them never leave the Strip. That’s fine — the Strip alone has enough to fill a week. But Vegas is also the gateway to some of the most spectacular desert scenery in America, and the city itself has layers most tourists never see.

Here’s everything worth doing, whether you’ve got 3 days or a week.