Updated: Jun 17, 2020
Spending 4 days in this wondrous city won't be nearly enough to explore everything, but we have a fabulous itinerary that will make the most of what time you do have!
If you are new to Twosome Travellers blog, let us first give you a little bit of insight into the kind of itineraries we provide. We are a travel couple that focus on couple adventure, we love being outdoors and soaking up the sights, but will also include some downtime activities too. If you're a foodie and love a landscape, then keep reading. If you would like to read more about how we got started, check out more at our about us page.
- Visit the Red Rock canyon, hike or take an off-road experience like the Pink Jeep adventure tours
- Treat yourself to mind-blowing views of the Grand Canyon by helicopter
- Take a ride on the High Roller Ferris wheel for views across the entire city (our suggestion is to go at night when Vegas is all lit up)
- Fly the Linq, a zipline across Vegas
- Watch a show such as Le Reve at the Wynn Hotel & Casino
- Ride the gondolas at the Venetian
- Watch a ball game at the brand new Las Vegas Ballpark
- Catch at Aria Hotel & Casino for Asian-inspired seafood
- Eiffel Tower Restaurant for an unforgettable dinner with views over the fountains
- Afternoon tea at the Waldorf Astoria
- Lunch at Estiatorio Milos for a trip to the Mediterranean
- The Cosmopolitan for a cocktail stop at the Chandelier Bar
- Blue Ribbon Sushi at Red Rock Casino, a short drive off the strip for a different scene
- Soak up the art scene at Unknown Bar at the Palms Hotel & Casino
First, lets cover the basic bits like when to go and how to get there..
Still trying to decide what month is best to go? To be honest, all year round Vegas has something for everyone, in general Las Vegas has a dry climate with hot summers. Here's a run down of Vegas months to help you consider which temperatures are best suited for you:
Spring - March to May
Can still be cool in March, heating up towards May as day time temps on average around 25°C - 28°C nighttime temps in the region on 15°C
Summer - June to August
Average high is 38-40°C (104°F) low humidity helps keep the temperature from feeling as hot as it is. Also manageable as all indoor in air conditioned. Nighttime drops to on average 20°C.
Autumn - September to November
September can still look a lot like Summer, but daytime can cool to region of 20°C towards November time, nighttime temps are in the region of 8-19°C.
Winter - December to February
Much cooler with daytime average being 15°C / 60°F, nighttime can drop to as low as 1-4°C / 34-40°F.
Las Vegas is located in the Mojave desert in Southern Nevada. If like us, you aren't too familiar with USA state locations, we've pinpointed on a map its location to help give you an idea of airports you can fly in and out of.
We flew from Sydney International airport to Las Vegas McCarran International Airport via Los Angeles which took 17 hours flight time. (There are no direct flights from Sydney to Las Vegas.) On the return journey, we decided to drive from Vegas via Joshua Tree to Los Angeles, and took a direct flight back to Sydney from LA.
On arrival in to Las Vegas airport, the cheapest and most convenient way to reach your hotel is by Uber, we found it to be of similar price as in Sydney.
A cheaper option may be to take an airport shuttle minibus which will drop you off at your hotel. There are several different companies but they all leave from just outside the airport’s baggage reclaim and charge around $10 each way. If you are travelling as a couple, it could work out cheaper to share a taxi.
Once you have reached the strip, it’s easy to get around the Strip on foot, but distances can be longer than they first appear! The Deuce (double decker buses) run up the strip to Fremont Street 24 hours a day and are frequent (every 15 minutes). We paid $6 for 2 hours, there are other pass options for a longer period - $8 for 24 hours or $20 for three days
We reached Paris Las Vegas hotel which is located on the strip within 15 minutes after jumping into our Uber at the airport.
This can fluctuate pending the month you are visiting Vegas, but this provides an indication of costs when we visited in June;
All in USD $
Hotel (On the strip)
Economy hotel - From $40 p/n
Mid Range Hotel - From $70 p/n
Luxury (4* plus) - From $100 p/n
Transportation
Public Transportation such as the Deuce bus is $8 for 24 hours. There are also free trams between certain hotels which you can utilize.
Uber -$1.50 base fare and $1 for every mile beyond this
Car rental - most hotel/casinos offer free parking, some may charge an overnight fee
Meals
$ - such as In and Out Burger, Subway, $10 +
$$$ - $25 + pp such as a sit down meal on the strip or in the hotels
$$$$ - $65 + pp - it's worth noting there are many fine dining restaurants that offer significantly reduced costs on Lunch time specials such as Estiatorio Milos who offer a $29 pp lunch menu!
Activities
We have given some indication of pricing per activity in the below itinerary
Gratuity
We thought it would be good to mention this as unlike the UK or AUS, it is a practiced social custom that a gratuity charge is included it most hospitality scenarios. We were advised the following by a local:
Restaurants - 15–20% of the amount of a customer's bill (before tax) is customary when good to excellent service is provided.
Uber/Taxi -10-20% of total charge
Hotel Porter - $1-2 per bag is the norm.
Tour guides - $5-10
Welcome to Las Vegas! Check into the hotel and drop off your bags.
We arrived in the morning and were able to get a room from 11am, if you are arriving on an early flight, it is worth asking for early check-in as most hotels will try and accommodate where possible.
Paris Las Vegas is one of Vegas’ iconic resorts that has awesome views of the Strip, we found it to be a great location to explore on foot in both directions. Plus, (a big plus!) it was directly opposite the spectacular Bellagio fountains that dance to music every 15-30 minutes!
Spend some time at the pool, just grab your swims and the hotel should provide the rest! No need for ear phones either as they'll no doubt be playing some tunes around the pool, serving extra cold drinks as well.
For the first night in Vegas, there's no other place to head to than Catch restaurant at ARIA , one of Vegas' hottest new restaurants that is famous for it's fresh seafood with an Asian twist. For a special occasion, or to celebrate your first night in Vegas, its a truly special place to dine. The entrance is Instagram-heaven filled with beautiful bright flowers!
After enjoying a delicious feast, head to the High Roller - a 10 min car ride / 20 min walk (shortcut through the hotels) to reach the wheel that soars 550 feet above the centre of the Las Vegas Strip,higher than both the London Eye and Singapore Flyer. With sweeping 360-degree views of the Las Vegas Valley and The Strip, the wheel takes 30 minutes to complete one revolution, the city lights are mind-blowing at the top!
The queue was pretty small at night, which was surprising seeing as it has to be one of the best times to witness Las Vegas from up above! The High Roller is open from 11:30am - 2am ever day.
Enjoy a lazy breakfast at your hotel, or head to Mon Ami Gabi to enjoy their Parisian pancakes and hot coffee.
Explore the Grand Canyon.... by helicopter! If there was ever a time to splash out on a heli-treat, it's in Vegas, obviously! For us this was such a huge dream to see this expansive piece of land, and take in those jaw-droppingly beautiful views of the GC and concrete showpiece that is the Hoover dam! Technically speaking, you also get to tick off another State within the USA as the GC is located in Arizona.
We had our tour with Maverick Helicopters who offer varying types of trips in and around Las Vegas, as well as many of the other natural wonders such as the Red Rock Canyon, Grand Canyon, and more. Don't forget to take your passport along for this (they will remind you too!) Our pilot Clint has been flying for over 10 years and made our trip extra-fun, as he took us down to the floor of the canyon, its here that you really appreciate the sheer size of it all.
And then the chilled champagne came out....bonus!
On the return journey, you get to see the Las Vegas strip in all its glory!
The Maverick base is back towards the Main Vegas airport, however they offer complimentary shuttles to pick you up and drop you off from your hotel. Flights start from $100 USD.
After a busy afternoon soaking up the views, take a little time to enjoy a relaxing meal from the Eiffel Tower restaurant. Located inside the Paris Hotel, you'll get the elevator from the Casino floor up high to give you those spectacular views.
The views, oh my the views.... do yourself a favour and ask for a window table for front row seats to the dancing Bellagio fountains!
Tip: Book dinner before sunset so that you get to see the strip change from daylight, watch the sunset, to Vegas by night!
Sign up for the early morning Red Rock Canyon tour with Pink Jeep Adventure Tours.
There are two departure times, 8am & 1pm, we suggest the morning as it tends to be a little quieter than the afternoon, plus it will be cooler. The tour guide had us covered on ice cold water and snacks too.
Spend 4 hours with your jeep driver, if you're lucky like us you may get the jeep all to yourselves! Experience a proper off-road adventure, it's a bit bumpy but the best way to explore all those 4-wheel drive roads that other cars can't get to, more often than not we had the canyon completely to ourselves. Our tour guide was super knowledgeable, and taught us a lot about the local wildlife, the local plants and how the area was formed.
See the Calico hills, desert tortoise (yes, the desert has tortoises!) and soak up the incredible landscapes! ($99 pp - more info on their website)
Enjoy afternoon Tea on the 23rd floor at Waldorf Astoria
A slight change in pace, after a racy morning head back for a quick shower and head to the Waldorf Astoria for afternoon tea. We were spoilt with unrivalled Vegas views, we enjoyed multiple flavoured teas and a selection of sandwiches and sweet treats across a couple of hours. The room itself is grand and beautifully decorated, perfect to take a few snap and soak up the experience. (From $48 pp. More info on their website)
Las Vegas is a place that knows how to entertain, there is a very good chance that you will want to watch a show, perhaps more than one...! There are too many excellent choices, it can be hard to choose which to pick. We had narrowed it down to 3 options... Le Reve, Absinthe and Cirque du Soleil which all came highly recommended from Vegas locals. We decided on Le Reve and wow did it not disappoint!
The flips, the jumps, the synchronized swimmers, the music, the lights, and finally.. the water! It is completely mind-blowing as performers hang dangerously from the ceiling, and plunge shocking heights into the pool below. All performed inside an aqua theatre the outfits and the theme is spectacular, a show that we would highly recommend.
Don't forget to swing by Black Tap which is on the way down towards the Wynn hotel & Casino where Le Reve is performed. They don't serve any ordinary milkshakes, they are huge, they are tasty and oh so naughty! The most instagrammable desserts you'll ever see/taste..
Take a slow morning, enjoy brekky at the hotel. If you're staying at the Paris hotel, there are many restaurants to choose from, we recommend Le Village Buffet ($25 USD pp). Head straight for the omelette station, and enjoy the mimosa bar!
Today get ready to enjoy some more of the Las Vegas food scene!
Spend lunch at The Cosmopolitan building not far from the Bellagio fountains and head to Estiatorio Milos, be transported to the Mediterranean coast dining on Mediterranean cuisine, fresh fish and great wine in a beautiful setting.
While you're in The Cosmopolitan, visit The Chandelier Bar which covers multiple levels of the building, a huge grand and sparkling chandelier adorns the entire room and serves (in our opinion) some of the most delicious cocktails on the strip.
Secret tip: Ask for the cocktail that 'isn't on the menu' that is served with a flower and makes your drink taste different after giving a tingling sensation on your tongue!
Stop by The Palms, a hotel and casino that has recently undergone major renovation and now at the forefront on Vegas' art scene. The bar on the ground floor known as the Unknown Bar was designed by Damien Hirst himself, every aspect from the spot paintings to the 13-foot tiger shark suspended at the bar. For an extra treat you can stay in the Empathy Suite which is a suite designed entirely by Damien Hirst and is yours for a cool $100,000 per night.. *cough* too much?
Head just out of town to the Red Rock Casino for Japanese cuisine at Blue Ribbon Sushi before heading to watch the Las Vegas Aviators at The Las Vegas Ballpark.
The Las Vegas Ballpark is the newest addition to Downtown Summerlin located just south of City National Arena, the practice facility for the Vegas Golden Knights. This brand new ballpark can accommodate 10,000 people to watch Las Vegas’ Triple-A baseball team, The Aviators. Throughout the ballpark guests can find party zones and decks, a kids’ zone, bars, and a pool. (Tickets start from $18 pp - more information at their website)
Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by the Las Vegas Tourism Board. Please reach out to us if you have any questions on the above itinerary, or would like any more information about our trip! Thank you for reading, Love Alex & James