Request - 10th Anniversary GetAway - Lasvegas

Hello All,

We are planning for 10th anniversary getaway in Apr to Lasvegas for 8-10 nights. We have two kids but will be leaving them at in-laws. Please suggest a good hotels (reasonable price) and list of activities to do.

Thanks in advance.

My crystal ball is in the shop, dude.

8-10 nights seems a pretty long time in Las Vegas. I love it there but the most I would go would be 5 nights.

activities: Red Rock Canyon; Mt. Charleston skiing; Death Valley; Tecopa Hot Springs; Tepoca Date Farm; ash meadows national wildlife refuge; Valley of fire. Shopping - Primm or other outlets/shops. Shows - all stage pass $99 48hrs for unlimited shows. Gambling - some places offers free gaming credit when you signup for players club.

Over a week in Vegas is definitely too long. Makes a good base though. Recommend an overnight (or two!) to Zion National Park and possibly Bryce Canyon National Park. Rent a car for not a whole lot, try locations outside the airport for best pricing (usually).

Hotel-wise, highly depends on budget. Period. Most of the big names ones are quite nice, even their less expensive rooms. I like staying mid-strip at Paris, good bang for the buck in my experience. But YMMV heavily based on promotions.

With that long a stay, maybe go to one hotel, then to the National Parks, then to another hotel at the other end of the strip. The Wynn and its sister hotel the Encore) has the BEST spas. Worth staying there for the fabulous rooms if that's your thing...treating your wife (and self if that's your thing) to a spa day is also a great idea.

Favorite shows: Beatles Love, Terry Fator, O (Cirque).

Favorite dining: Fleur de Lys is located at Mandalay Bay, Paris buffet.

Shopping: go broke if shopping at the Forum Shops (Caesar's). Drive to outlets if want to shop.

Good list of day trips here: http://govegas.about.com/od/nature/a/lvcdaytrips.htm

Enjoy.

We stayed at a timeshare called Grandview in South Las Vegas. Just checked and they have one bedroom units for rent for $110 per night or so in March. Off the strip, quiet, but very nice, spacious units. Some are very new, ask about them. With a rental car, it's easy to come and go to the casinos or to go out of town. The Freemont Experience was a lot of fun. Can't beat having a kitchen, dining area, and living room to stretch out. If you are a timeshare owner, even better deals are available.

Anything over 5 nights is wayyy too long. Stay on the strip 4-5*'s only. You can try the following websites for hotel discounts:

www.smartervegas.com

www.earlyvegas.com

Just google Las Vegas Promo codes. Their is a ton of websites to look/choose from.

Also, you have to do the Grand Canyon Tour. Their might be a Groupon for it halp off still. Definitely worth taking a day to see it.

One more questions guys : is CAR needed in Las Vegas? if yes What about parking on the strip / hotels on the strip?

I would stay away from the Luxor. Very long lines for check in and they just don't seem to care. We had a horrible time there. Got stuck on the first floor room right by the casino (we had a spa room). We had reserved non-smoking and were told all they had left was smoking. We had to keep the window blinds closed because people actually walked by our window within 10 feet of it. They did not seem to care. We canceled the second might and went to Planet Hollywood. Great place, Planet Hollywood.

dstankus2 said:   1. Get yourself over to the Las Vegas forum on www.tripadvisor.com; it's a very active forum and a great resource for these "starting from scratch" questions

2. Think of the Grand Canyon as an overnight trip; it's a 5 hour drive from Las Vegas to the National Park on the South Rim. Ignore anything to do with the "West Rim".

3. If you have date flexibility, note that Sun-Thurs nights in Las Vegas can be 1/2 or 1/3 the cost of Fri/Sat nights.

4. Parking; all the casino hotels have free valet (and self, but I never do that) parking. I have been to Las Vegas more times than I can remember and always get a car, but if you're planning on doing any amount of heavy drinking I would reconsider.

5. Things to do http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g45963-i10-k5191824-Top_Fiv...

Must Do list for first-time LV visitors:

Wander up and down the strip. Pop into each hotel you pass. Wander around the hotel and casino. Take time to admire the architecture (inside and outside) and decorating details (intricate floors, moldings, ceilings, light fixtures, etc.) that make it unique. This can literally take DAYS, because the hotels and casinos are huge. Go to the taxi/valet entrance, walk outside, and look everything over; the details at some hotels are phenomenal. For example, the Bellagio has black sand in their outdoor cigarette containers, and they stamp a decorative B in the sand after they are cleaned! Look over the registration area. The flower arrangements at most hotels are gorgeous.

The Bellagio merits considerable time. Look over the Chihuly glass ceiling at the registration area. I can spend over an hour in the conservatory. The fountain shows never fail to bring chills. They have a lot of different shows with different music and water effects. I like to view them as many times as possible, day and night.

The Venetian/Palazzo and Wynn/Encore can also take hours to look over, including the shopping areas. The Venetian’s ceiling paintings, moldings, and floors are phenomenal, as is St. Mark’s Square (shopping area). The Palazzo lobby and public areas have beautiful plants and water features, in addition to the hanging umbrellas.

The flower displays in the Wynn atrium are beyond description.

The Paris is also particularly lovely and filled with many beautiful architectural and decorating details. The chandeliers in the lobby are stunning.

The Mirage has a unique tropical garden between the street and the lobby. They also have a gargantuan fish tank behind the check-in desk.

Caesars Palace and the Forum Shops are on my list every visit.

NY NY has a 911 commemoration/display out front. The architecture inside and outside is very interesting.

See a variety of shows (Cirque du Soleil, comedy, headliner, musical theater, etc.). My favorite CDS show is Mystere, and it is what I recommend as the show first-time visitors should see.

Go to one top-tier buffet (Wynn or Bellagio are my recommendations). If dinner is more than you want to spend, go during lunch.

Walk around the Flamingo habitat area.

Visit M & M World and the free 3-D show.

Try out some slot machines. They can be so much fun! Before you leave, do some internet reading to find out how to maximize your slot machine play.

Try to get to the top of Mix (Mandalay Bay), Voodoo Lounge (Rio), or Eiffel Tower (Paris) to see a beautiful sweeping view of all that is Las Vegas.

If your visit is long enough and you have time, take an afternoon and evening and visit Fremont Street downtown. It’s totally different from the strip, but I love them both. If you don’t have enough time to get downtown, save it for your next trip, because you WILL be back! LOL

Awesome advice for a Vegas visitor!!

Some additional advice:

- You should rent a car but be prepared for some of the highest taxes/additions to the base rental rate you may ever see. Make sure you compare total price when checking rates
- If you drive and stay on the strip, be prepared for serious traffic on the strip on weekend nights. If you're headed to a show on those nights via car, make sure you leave extra early
- Lots of good entertainment but the Chris Angel show at the Luxor is not on that list. Personally, I thought this was the worst show I ever saw in Las Vegas. Feel free to check out Tripadvisor.com for numerous, similar opinions. If you do stay at the Luxor, do not get suckered into tickets for this show.
- For an anniversary, try staying more center-strip (which has already been suggested). You can walk to a lot more. I like the Bellagio even if they do have tube TVs. Their fountain shows keep me entertained and the price is right (free).
- If you have a car, go to In-n-Out Burger. Easiest one for you is west on Tropicana just across the Interstate - like you're going behind New York, New York. You can't miss it. Don't worry if the lines seem insanely long at the drive through - they are surprisingly efficient. Best fast food burger ever. Order a double/double, fries and beverage. Fun stuff in the "Company Store" across the parking lot from the restaurant. Good source for reasonably-priced tshirts of good quality.

Take some of the other advice and get out of Vegas now and then. Even 6 nights in Vegas is a bit long. Do not underestimate the savings during the week in Vegas vs. weekends - the best deals are Sunday through Thursday nights.

bippie said:   One more thing - ignore the comments about prostitutes (which I suspect you may have already done). Prostitution is illegal in Las Vegas.Still looking for comps or coupons.