Complete Guide To Las Vegas: Into The Glittering Lights of The Strip – An Epic Journey Through The Iconic Resorts

Introduction

Hey there, wanderlust seekers! Grab a virtual seat because we’re about to embark on a rollercoaster ride from the city that never sleeps to the city of dazzling lights – New York to Las Vegas. 🌃 Picture this: the iconic skyline fading into the horizon, the ‘Welcome to Las Vegas’ sign greeting you at the airport, and the anticipation building at the rideshare spot.

🚗 Join me as we explore the indoor wonders of Paris Las Vegas Resort, indulge in the delights of Miracle Mile Shops, and savor the views from the Eiffel Tower. 🏰 Get ready for the lowdown on everything from the Strip to hidden gems. Let’s dive into the vibrant tapestry of Las Vegas Strip, one adventure at a time! 🎲✨

Getting to Las Vegas

I had planned this trip months ago, when I was inspired by the YouTube videos of Safiya Nygaard, showing the Best things to do and eat in the Resorts of The Strip in Las Vegas. I was so into those videos, even though I had visited Vegas and felt I had done everything in the last 3 times I had been there since 2013.

Now I felt I had to come back, and I planned a 3 night weekend escapade from New York, staying every night in a different hotel (Although I was going to delete that last night and give it to Los Angeles at the very last minute, to go to Halloween Horror Nights).

I departed NYC right after work in this September trip, and all I could see was the skyline fading in the background.

I managed to sleep during this long flight, and got to Las Vegas all energized. It was Friday night and had to make it worth.

But I jumped into a first problem. This terminal in the Las Vegas Airport had a terrible solution for Rideshare. Disastrous. After walking for a long time to this spot, had to wait for the Uber a long time in this heat.

But hey, I was in Vegas and had to start to enjoy it, right?

Checking in Paris Las Vegas

I had stayed 3 times in Las Vegas and I was not really proud of the hotels I stayed, I mean I was trying to be on budget lol. But still I felt I needed to follow Safiya’s recommendations at the end of her video, and I booked 3 nights like this:

1st Night: Paris Las Vegas

2nd Night: Park MGM Las Vegas

3rd Night: Caesars Palace Hotel & Casino

Like I mentioned before, I cancelled the last night in order to go to Los Angeles, but I will explain more of that in my next post.

For now, I had to find the Check In Lobby of this hotel. OMG I was lost for minutes. There were no signs telling me where to go. I felt dumb and try to ask people with no luck. At the end I found it and it was literally in front of my face all this time.

The room was nice and spacious, the bathroom looked all fancy.

Planet Hollywood Las Vegas Resort & Casino

But as soon I took a shower, I got out and started exploring the resorts. The goal for this trip was to go deep into as many resorts as possible, and I was going to start with the neighbor Planet Hollywood Las Vegas Resort & Casino and its Miracle Mile Shops.

Inside, I found the famous Carlo’s Bake Shop ATMs, that are everywhere now, even at the airport. I visited the original in Hoboken, NJ, years ago, and of course I pass by the store in Times Square here and there.

My focus for this mall was to visit one of the many Gordon Ramsey restaurants in Las Vegas, and this one was Gordon Ramsay Burger Las Vegas. The other restaurants were either about to close or with a long wait, and chose this one cause of the great reviews.

The service was fantastic and the Celebration Burger was one of the best burgers I have ever tried. Like for real, super juicy. The fries were also very good, but I had to take them to go, I was so full.

When I left the restaurant, and went back outside, Las Vegas Strip was giving me a very beautiful light show, and it was getting ready for the Las Vegas Grand Prix for Formula 1, and who would know it was going to be a disaster.

Eiffel Tower Viewing Deck

I have been to Paris three times already, and I am ready to go back next year in 2024 for the Olympics, but every time I would come to Las Vegas I was curious about going up this tower.

The Eiffel Tower Viewing Deck in Las Vegas is 460 feet above the ground. The viewing deck is located at the top of the 541-foot-tall Eiffel Tower replica at Paris Las Vegas. The tower is half the size of the original Eiffel Tower in Paris, France.

As a guest, I was able to get a discount and a last minute ticket right before the close. The way up there was epic.

Having being up the real tower I can say that it looks similar in the way that it is all steel, but obviously the view is completely different lol.

The Strip was giving and serving this night, and I was having a blast seeing it from up here for the first time.

And wow! For the first time I was seeing The Sphere, one of the most recent and most famous additions to this city. I was mesmerized by all the different screenings it had.

Looking south I was going to visit all those resorts, including that pyramid at the very end: Luxor Hotel & Casino.

Across the street we had the Bellagio Hotel & Casino, and its famous water show on the fountain, but completely unreachable due to the preparations for the Grand Prix. I felt sick to my stomach when I was told the trees in front of it had been cut :/

After a while, I felt I had seen enough and went down to continue to enjoy my night…

The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas

…drinking hehe. I felt I needed something to drink, and The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas had the best place to check out: The Chandelier, which Safiya visited during her Vegas video.

Since it was a Friday night, the place was packed, and everyone was dressing super fancy, but they did not stop me at the door while wearing my shorts lol. I went in anyways.

It was already past midnight, and the place looked gorgeous. I could not decide what to have, and opted to ask one of the bartenders what they recommended.

At the end I got a mojito, which I enjoyed, and fortunately did not have much alcohol, like the pina colada I got in Universal Studios Hollywood. Yikes.

The night ended with me all tired back in my hotel, having had a productive Day 1 in Vegas. Now for Day 2.

Wynn Las Vegas

The next morning I woke up with the goal of visiting as many resorts as I could, hitting all the spots that Safiya had recommended in her videos. So I took an Uber and started in the North East of The Strip, in The Wynn Las Vegas.

There, I visited the garden and the fancy shops…

…but also had breakfast in Urth Caffe Wynn Las Vegas, one of the best brunch places in The Strip.

My Huevos Rancheros were just so good. The coffee was also good, one of the staples of this place.

I left The Wynn and went back into The Strip, walking south, although I had to look north to check The STRAT Hotel, Casino & Tower, which I was not going to visit this time, since it is technically not part of The Strip. But I loved going up there back in 2016. The rides and the views were amazing and thrilling.

More of The Strip

Across the street from The Wynn Las Vegas, there was the Fashion Show Las Vegas, which I did not visit, but would recommend if you need your shopping spree needs checked.

On the way to our next destination, I was able to get a good look of The Sphere, and I was still in awe. I really hope to visit it one day, for a concert or something.

The Venetian Resort Las Vegas

Wow, wow, wow! I was here again. One of the best places to hang out in Las Vegas is the The Venetian Resort Las Vegas, and specifically its Grand Canal Shoppes, in which you can get lost walking around the canals of the Venice “replica”.

The views are so majestic in here, it kinda feels like being in EPCOT or Tokyo DisneySea.

The details are just incredible.

And even though I was having a nice stroll, I had to continue my resort journey, now that I was going to sacrifice my last night here, in order to get to Los Angeles. I realized that I was close to that city, and I NEEDED to go to their Halloween Horror Nights event in Universal Studios Hollywood, even though I had been to the one in Orlando already.

Harrah’s Las Vegas

I continued to go south and even though there is not much in Harrah’s Las Vegas besides Casinos, I liked the whole Boss Cafe Pizza ATM, where apparently you could get fresh hot pizza. I love living in the future.

The LINQ

Harrah’s, The LINQ and Flamingo were just too close to each other that I had to basically walk though them as fast as I could. Although I took my time in The LINQ Promenade. Really nice space to hang out, have food, some drinks, and even get in the High Roller.

I spent quite some time here back in 2020, on my first trip during the pandemic. Really love this area.

Flamingo Las Vegas

The goal was to go inside and walk through as many resorts as I could, hitting all the recommended spots by Safiya, and oh boy, I was being very smart on how to do it. For the first time, I took a detour on the back of these connected hotels and entered Flamingo from the rear lol.

Still was able to get in and walk all over it.

The Flamingo Wildlife Habitat was an unexpected paradise slash oasis, where you can find all sorts of wildlife, but of course the flamingos were the main stars.

Horseshoe Las Vegas

Almost back home in my hotel, and I quickly passed by the Grand Bazaar Shops at the Horseshoe Las Vegas. Not really a fan of this space. I would just recommend to go into The LINQ Promenade to be honest.

Paris Las Vegas

Yay! I had a very fruitful morning (and noon), and it was time to relax for a bit before my dinner reservation later on. Time to explore my own resort.

The view of the tower from the back, where the pool is located is just unbelievable.

After I got ready again, and before my dinner plans, I walked around the ground floor looking for this spot: JJ’s Boulangerie, which supposedly had good treats.

And yay, I got a Cream Cheese Mousse, which was delicious, but now I was scared, I was going to be too full for my next destination…

Bellagio Hotel & Casino

I was ready to go to my early dinner plans, but first I had to cross the street to the Bellagio Hotel & Casino, and walk around the Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Gardens, a famous staple of this resort.

It was so full of people I could not believe it. It was almost impossible to take a good picture in here. But the decorations and plants were gorgeous.

Now, I had to get my stomach ready for the real deal: an unlimited food tasting in the Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace. But that will be seen in the next post.