• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Divergent Travelers

Divergent Travelers

Award-Winning Adventure Travel Blog

CLICK TO OPEN MENUMENU
  • TRAVEL TIPS
    • TRAVEL INSPIRATION
    • HOW TO PLAN A TRIP
    • HOW TO SAVE MONEY FOR TRAVEL
    • CHEAP PLACES TO TRAVEL
    • FIND CHEAP FLIGHTS
    • FIND CHEAP ACCOMMODATION
    • TRAVEL SAFETY TIPS
    • TRAVEL ITINERARIES
    • TRAVEL GEAR GUIDE
    • TRAVEL INSURANCE ADVICE
  • USA TRAVEL
    • USA TRAVEL GUIDE
    • USA NATIONAL PARKS
    • WEST COAST USA
      • ALASKA
      • CALIFORNIA
      • HAWAII
    • MOUNTAIN USA
      • COLORADO
      • MONTANA
      • WYOMING
    • MIDWEST USA
      • MINNESOTA
      • NORTH DAKOTA
      • WISCONSIN
    • NORTHEAST USA
      • NEW YORK
    • SOUTHWEST USA
      • ARIZONA
      • NEVADA
      • UTAH
    • SOUTHEAST USA
      • FLORIDA
      • NORTH CAROLINA
      • VIRGINIA
  • DESTINATIONS
    • WORLDWIDE
    • AFRICA
      • BOTSWANA
      • ETHIOPIA
      • KENYA
      • MALAWI
      • NAMIBIA
      • RWANDA
      • SOUTH AFRICA
      • TANZANIA
      • ZIMBABWE
    • ANTARCTICA
    • ASIA
      • CHINA
      • HONG KONG
      • INDIA
      • KYRGYZSTAN
      • MACAU
      • MALDIVES
      • RUSSIA
      • SOUTH KOREA
      • SRI LANKA
      • TIBET
      • TURKMENISTAN
      • UZBEKISTAN
    • SOUTHEAST ASIA
      • BORNEO
      • CAMBODIA
      • INDONESIA
      • MALAYSIA
      • MYANMAR
      • PHILIPPINES
      • SINGAPORE
      • THAILAND
      • VIETNAM
    • CARIBBEAN
    • CENTRAL AMERICA
    • EUROPE
      • NORDICS
        • DENMARK
        • FINLAND
        • ICELAND
        • NORWAY
        • SWEDEN
      • WESTERN EUROPE
        • BELGIUM
        • ENGLAND
        • FRANCE
        • IRELAND
        • LUXEMBOURG
        • NETHERLANDS
        • SCOTLAND
      • CENTRAL EUROPE
        • CZECH REPUBLIC
        • GERMANY
        • HUNGARY
        • POLAND
      • SOUTHERN EUROPE
        • ITALY
        • SPAIN
      • BALKANS
        • CROATIA
        • GREECE
        • MONTENEGRO
    • MIDDLE EAST
      • EGYPT
      • JORDAN
      • MOROCCO
      • TURKEY
    • NORTH AMERICA
      • CANADA
      • GREENLAND
      • MEXICO
      • UNITED STATES
    • OCEANIA
      • AUSTRALIA
      • EASTER ISLAND
      • FIJI
      • NEW ZEALAND
    • SOUTH AMERICA
      • ARGENTINA
      • BRAZIL
      • CHILE
      • COLOMBIA
      • ECUADOR
      • PERU
      • VENEZUELA
  • TRAVEL STYLES
    • ADVENTURE TRAVEL
    • CRUISING
    • CULTURAL
    • HIKING TRIPS
    • KAYAKING
    • POLAR EXPEDITIONS
    • ROAD TRIPS
    • TROPICAL DESTINATIONS
    • WILDLIFE EXPERIENCES
  • PHOTOGRAPHY
    • MASTER GOPRO PHOTOGRAPHY
    • BEST GOPRO ACCESSORIES
    • BEST CAMERA ACCESSORIES
    • BEST DRONES FOR TRAVEL
    • BEST TRAVEL TRIPOD
    • OUR PHOTO GEAR
  • ABOUT
    • MEET LINA & DAVID
    • WORK WITH US
    • CONTACT

Ultimate Weekend in Las Vegas Itinerary (For First Time Visitors!)

You are here: Home / North America Travel / United States / Ultimate Weekend in Las Vegas Itinerary (For First Time Visitors!)

By David Stock on May 2, 2020 • Last updated November 24, 2020 • Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. Read our Disclosure here

Las Vegas is the gleaming city of neon lights and extravagant hotels and casinos that are found in the middle of the Nevada deserts. 

The City of Sin is the place to spend money and to have a great getaway, and a weekend in Las Vegas is the perfect length of time to spend here. Any longer and you might find yourself running out of cash in the casinos!

But there’s more to see of course than the inside of hotels and the rows of slot machines, and our Las Vegas itinerary also takes you to the city’s unsung museums and to iconic natural sights like the Grand Canyon. 

To inspire your trip here’s our ultimate guide to having a great weekend in Las Vegas! 

Don’t leave home without: DK Eyewitness Top 10 Las Vegas


Ultimate Weekend in Las Vegas Itinerary


Day 1 – Las Vegas Itinerary

Las Vegas sign

Day 1 of your weekend in Las Vegas begins on the Strip, as you explore the most iconic hotels and casinos that have made the city so famous.

Save some time to play the tables or the slot machines, but if you’re not a gambler then there’s still plenty to enjoy when it comes to the Vegas atmosphere. 

Las Vegas Strip

Walk the Strip 

Any weekend in Las Vegas has to begin with a journey along the Strip. This is the most famous place in the city.

The huge, long boulevard carved from the desert where you can find bars, restaurants, theatres and of course the extravagant hotels and casinos that attract millions of visitors every year. 

You can walk along the Strip, hopping from casino to casino, you can take an open-top bus tour or you can go all out and hire a stretch limo Vegas style.

Explore the strip on this great food tour! Discover the gastronomic delights found along the Las Vegas Strip with this guided food tour.

Stop at landmark resorts and eateries including the New York New York, Aria, and The Cosmopolitan. Sample both American classics and innovative creations while learning about the city’s unique culinary culture.

Visit the Venetian 

The Venetian in Las Vegas

One of the most famous hotels to add to your Las Vegas itinerary is the Venetian.

If you’re not staying at a particular Vegas hotel you can still go for a visit (just make sure you follow the dress codes), and the Venetian should be top of your list. 

Visiting the Venetian is like taking a trip to Venice because here you’ll find canals and gondolas, and an Italian atmosphere. 

Visit the Grand Canal on an outdoor gondola ride during this Super Saver Romance Package. Then dine at Buddy V’s Ristorante located at the Venetian Hotel and Casino.

Choose to enjoy all the activities consecutively on one day, or spread them out over the course of your stay.

Explore Inside Caesars Palace 

Caesars Palace in Las Vegas

After enjoying the delights of the Venetian, take a trip to another of Las Vegas’ most iconic hotels, Caesars Palace. 

The hotel is a huge Las Vegas icon, and it’s built-in a pseudo-Roman style to replicate a sense of grandeur and of the ancient times in the middle of the desert. 

Play the tables, have a drink or stay for lunch at Caesars Palace. 

See the Eiffel Tower 

Eiffel Tower in Las Vegas

Las Vegas is an extravagant city, and you can quickly be transported from Venice to Caesars Palace, and then to Paris with a visit to the Eiffel Tower. 

This hotel and casino is a scale replica of the real Eiffel Tower in Paris, and you can take a ride to the viewing area high up for outstanding views above the city and beautiful panoramas over the Nevada desert in the distance. 

Take in glittering views of the Strip from the Eiffel Tower at Paris Las Vegas, and experience the iconic French monument in living color, half-scale and Vegas-style.

Step up to the edge, for aerial views of the Bellagio Fountains, the glowing High Roller, and Sin City’s unforgettable, vibrant downtown.

Watch the Bellagio Fountains 

Bellagio Fountains in Las Vegas

When it’s the evening, then make sure you pass by the Bellagio Fountains, for an impressive light and water show. 

The show is on until midnight, right outside the impressive entrance to the Bellagio Hotel. 

Afterward, head into the hotel to see the grandeur of this most famous of Las Vegas hotels and casinos. 

Cover the entire Las Vegas Strip on this whirlwind tour with a private driver to chauffeur you around. Stops include the “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign, the Fountains of Bellagio, the Bellagio Conservatory, and the Fremont Street Experience. A bottle of wine or Champagne is included.

Catch a Las Vegas Show

Magic show in Las Vegas NV

This is a city built on entertainment and no weekend in Las Vegas is complete without seeing a show. 

There are quite literally hundreds of shows to choose from, and every hotel and even more theatres and bars have their own schedules every night of the week.

You can catch classic performances, such as the Cirque du Soleil or famous singers and songwriters, or you can head to lesser-known bars for a more low key, up and coming entertainment.

There’s no better way to end the first day of your Las Vegas itinerary than with a show on the Strip. 


Day 2 – Weekend in Las Vegas


David Stock Jr of Divergent Travelers Adventure Travel Blog exploring Red Rock Canyon near Las Vegas NV

On the second day of your Las Vegas itinerary, it’s time to see the alternative side of the city.

Take a trip to nearby Red Rock Canyon to escape the casinos and for a taste of Nevada’s nature, then explore the city’s under-visited museums. 

Read more 12 Awesome Things to Do in Las Vegas for Couples

Hike in Red Rock Canyon 

Lina Stock of Divergent Travelers Adventure Travel Blog at Red Rock Canyon outside Las Vegas NV

If you didn’t stay out too late the night before, then a great way to start your second day in Las Vegas is to take a trip to Red Rock Canyon. 

Located just half an hour from Downtown, this is an impressive area of natural beauty right on the edge of the city. 

This beautiful canyon is known for its red, sandstone rocks, and it makes for a great change from the neon lights of the Strips. 

Get here early though, before the crowds arrive and before the Nevada heat kicks in. 

Take a break from the casinos and work off those free drinks on a hike through Red Rock Canyon, a favorite local getaway from Las Vegas.

A guide helps you choose from three trail options to match your hiking level and interests. Enjoy sandstone scenery and desert vegetation as you explore the Nevada wilderness.

Visit the Mob Museum 

Mob Museum in Las Vegas NV

In the late morning, you can head back to the Strip or you can take a trip to the excellent Mob Museum, to learn more about the intriguing history of Las Vegas. 

This exciting museum tells the story of organized crime across the city and across the rest of the United States, focusing on the law enforcement officers that risked their lives to battle the Mobs and the gangsters. 

Purchase your Mob Museum admission ticket here.

See the Neon Museum 

Neon Museum in Las Vegas

Las Vegas is known for its neon signs and advertisements, and at night the city is lit up spectacularly in a dazzle of neon. 

But where do these neon signs go if they’re replaced or taken down?

Many of the most iconic will make their way to the Neon Museum, a unique establishment that has collected and preserved this unusual piece of local history for visitors. 

Go Zip Lining

Americas Adventure Couple (LIna and David Stock Jr) zip line outside Las Vegas

After exploring the museums, then take a wild ride on a Las Vegas zip line before heading for dinner or drinks, more gambling or perhaps an evening show on the Strip. 

Las Vegas is turning into an urban adventure playground, and many of the hotels and casinos have zip lines, some even inside the hotels themselves and others between hotels.

Fly through the city and enjoy a thrill like no other on the second day of your Las Vegas itinerary. 

Feel the adrenaline rush of soaring over the top of Las Vegas on the motorized VooDoo ZipLine at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino. Soar up to 33 miles per hour at more than 500 feet off the ground in a comfortable, 2-seat chair.

Take off from VooDoo Lounge and travel 800 feet to the Ipanema tower, with a 360-degree, open-air view of the Las Vegas Strip along the way. Then make the return trip facing backward.


Day 3 – Long Weekend in Las Vegas


Lina Stock of Divergent Travelers Adventure Travel Blog at the Grand Canyon outside Las Vegas

On the last day of your long weekend in Las Vegas, we recommend taking a day trip from the city.

This is your chance to visit the iconic Grand Canyon, the most dramatic canyon in the country. On the way, you can stop off at many more famed destinations, including Hoover Dam. 

Read more 15 Best Day Trips from Las Vegas

Take A Helicopter Tour

Lina and David Stock jr at the Grand Canyon outside Las Vegas

If you’re really splashing the cash while on your Las Vegas itinerary, or if you’ve won big on the slot machines, then one of the best – but priciest – ways to start your final day is to take a helicopter tour. 

It’s not cheap but it is an experience, and that’s what Las Vegas is all about. You can fly over the city and see the skyline, resorts and the Strip from a unique angle.

Or better yet, you can take a tour all the way out to the Grand Canyon, for a flyover of the most incredible natural attraction in the USA. 

When you land, then you’ve still got the rest of the day to enjoy Las Vegas, to hit the Strip again, or to just make the most of the casinos, the shows or the hotel facilities, restaurants and bars. 

View the Las Vegas Strip from above during a helicopter tour at twilight. Toast your aerial adventure with Champagne before an exhilarating flight. Soar over Sin City for 10-12 minutes in a state-of-the-art chopper.

Your expert pilot provides narration on the sights, including casino resorts such as the Luxor, Caesar’s Palace, and the Venetian.

Book a Grand Canyon Tour 

The Grand Canyon outside Las Vegas

But if a helicopter tour isn’t in your budget, then you can still take the much longer overland route to the Grand Canyon. 

You can rent a car and drive yourself, but it’s a long way, so you will want to consider an organized day tour from Las Vegas so you can just sit back and enjoy the desert scenery flying past the window – especially if you had a late night in Vegas.

A whole day tour to the Grand Canyon South Rim usually takes 12 hours there and back, but there are plenty of stops and things to see on the way.

The highlight is, of course, the Grand Canyon, and you have epic views over what is one of the deepest and most extensive canyon systems in the world.

Escape to the Grand Canyon for this exciting sightseeing adventure. Enjoy your scenic flight from Boulder City to the West Rim of the Grand Canyon, flying over Hoover Dam and beautiful Lake Mead along the way.

Then descend 4,000 feet (1,219 meters) below the rim of the canyon to a private landing spot. Enjoy a Champagne picnic lunch, and soak up the view before the return trip to Las Vegas.

Visit the Grand Canyon Village 

Grand Canyon Village outside Las Vegas NV

As well as visiting the Grand Canyon, visitors also have the chance to explore Grand Canyon Village. 

This remote settlement was originally built as a railroad town by pioneers, but today its main function is tourism, due to its close proximity to the south rim of the Grand Canyon and its historic buildings. 

Much of the town dates back to 1901, including the old railway depots, and Grand Canyon Village is preserved as a National Historic Landmark District. 

Taking a walk through the town is like taking a step back in time to the turn of the 20th century.

See the Hoover Dam 

The Hoover Dam

Hoover Dam is just a short journey away from Las Vegas, but most Grand Canyon tours will stop off here on the way there or back, as it’s one of the most famous works of engineering in the USA. 

Built during the Great Depression in the 1930s, Hoover Dam has supplied Nevada and many of the surrounding states with power for decades, while at the same time it’s become a hugely iconic tourist attraction in its own right. 

Visit the Hoover Dam on this all-inclusive tour from Las Vegas. With a knowledgeable guide, learn about the history and mechanics of the dam through engaging and informative commentary. Walkthrough the displays and exhibits at the Visitor Center, then take the Powerplant tour.

More on the Southwest USA:

  • Ultimate 3 Day Weekend in Los Angeles Itinerary
  • LA to San Diego Drive: Best Stops for an Epic Road Trip
  • Ultimate 3 Day Weekend in San Diego Itinerary
  • Essential Monument Valley Guide: The Good, the Bad, the Ugly!
  • How to Visit Antelope Canyon: Essential Tips & Tricks
  • Is Horseshoe Bend in Arizona Worth Visiting?

Did you like this story? Share it!

Article by David Stock

I have always been an outdoorsman so becoming an adventure traveler was just the next natural step. I love nature, I love to get off the beaten path and I like to explore. I enjoy scuba diving and cars. And yes, Lina and I have a naked dog.
1shares
  • Share
  • Tweet

Trip Planning Resources

TRAVEL GEAR & PACKING
Check out our packing lists and  travel gear guide to ensure you’re bringing the right items on your trip.

BOOK YOUR FLIGHT
Ready to fly? We use Skyscanner to compare prices and book flights. You should also check out our tips for finding cheap flights.

CAR RENTAL
We use Discover Cars to compare car prices, find deals and book rentals.

FIND ACCOMMODATION
Compare prices and book with our custom-built hotel search engine. You should also check out our tips for finding cheap accommodation.

TRY OUT AIRBNB
Get a discount with AirBNB and learn how to maximize your savings with up to $100 in discounts.

PROTECT YOUR TRIP
Don’t forget your travel insurance! Protect your investment and yourself. Read Is Travel Insurance Worth It?

Divergent Travelers - Adventure Travel Blog

Disclosure: In accordance with FTC guidelines, we disclose that we may be compensated if consumers choose to utilize links located throughout the content on this site. Some posts might be sponsored to support this blog.
Divergent Travelers is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Hello & Welcome to Divergent Travelers

Divergent Travelers - Adventure Travel Blog

We are David & Lina Stock, a married couple from NW Wisconsin who have been traveling together since 2001. We’ve visited nearly 100 countries on all 7 continents. You can learn more about us here.

Looking for something?

AirBNB coupon

Latest Posts

  • What To Do in Chiang Mai, Thailand (18 Amazing Attractions, Festivals & Food)
  • How to Plan the Ultimate Alaska Bear Camp Adventure in Lake Clark National Park
  • 24 Amazing Malaysia Attractions You Cannot Miss
  • Tips for Hiking the Queens Garden Trail in Bryce Canyon
  • Tips for Hiking the Navajo Loop Trail in Bryce Canyon National Park

Divergent Travelers

About · Blog · Press · Contact
Privacy Policy · Disclosure · Terms

CONNECT WITH US!

© 2021 Copyright · All Rights Reserved · Divergent Travel Media, LLC