Taking On Sin City, A Guide to Las Vegas

Las Vegas, also known as Sin City, is home to all your favorite vices: drinking, gambling, smoking, clubbing, and etc. But what most people do not know is that Las Vegas has so much more to offer! There are a bunch of other fun activities and sights to see in the city of sin. Here are some of the best things to do and see while in Las Vegas.

Shopping! Las Vegas actually has some of the best shopping experiences. On the strip, several hotels contain malls and various amount of luxury shopping opportunities. Caesar's Palace has the Forum Shops which includes popular retail shops like H&M (which is actually the largest in the world), Victoria's Secret, Sephora, and etc. The Forum Shops also has almost every high end luxury retailer you can dream of, like Fendi, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and many more. While Planet Hollywood has the Miracle Mile, which is filled with 200 different shops and restaurants. Also in Las Vegas, there are two outlet malls nearby, the South Premium Outlets and the North Premium Outlets. Both are very similar, however, the North Premium Outlets have more luxury stores like Burberry, BCBG, DVF, Tory Burch and more. While the South Premium Outlets have your standard shops like Kate Spade, Coach, Gap, Nike, and more.

Sightsee! Las Vegas is one of the very few cities where the points of interests are the hotels themselves. The extravagantly themed hotels have a lot of things for tourists to see and do. The Flamingo has the flamingo and bird habitat, the Venetian has the canals, the New York, New York has its Roller Coaster, the Paris has the Eiffel Tower, just to name a few. But each hotel has an attraction that makes them standout. Take a walk down The Strip and see all the hotels, especially when they are all lit up at night, it's such a glorious sight. If you're feeling very adventurous, make your way down to the iconic Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Sign which is at the southern end of the Strip. There's not much around it, but it is a great photo spot!

Take Advantage of the Free Entertainment! If you want to catch some free entertainment plenty of hotels offer free little shows throughout the day. Some of the best complimentary hotel shows are: the Bellagio's spectacular fountain show, the circus performers at the Circus Circus, the Fall of Atlantis at Caesar's Palace, or even the Volcano at The Mirage. These shows are no longer than five minutes and are just some quick things to do and see. But if you have a little more time to spare and you're a huge TV fan, check out Television City at MGM Grand. It h is a television research center where you can sign up to test watch a TV pilot for some upcoming TV shows. All you have to do is watch the pilot they provide and complete a survey. It's fun and free activity to do! Plus they give you a little coupon book at the end as a thank you gift.

Chill By The Pool! During the summer time, Las Vegas can get scorching hot. Now while all the hotels are air conditioned, one of the best ways to stay cool is to relax by the pool. Some of the hotels in Vegas are known especially for their amazing pools. The Go Pool at the Flamingo has a big party atmosphere, but getting to relax in one of their Flamingo inner tubes is a real game changer. However, if that's not your scene the Flamingo has several other family pools filled with waterslides and lagoons. But hotels like Wynn Encore, the Mirage, MGM Grand, the Cosmopolitan, the Hard Rock Hotel and The Cromwell have some of the best and exclusive pool parties. But based on pools alone, Mandalay Bay has the best pool options out of all the other hotels. It's not even a pool. It's an actual beach filled with sand, a wave pool, and even a lazy river. At Mandalay Bay's beach it feels like you've been transported out of the Nevada desert and into a tropical paradise.

Be A Foodie! Las Vegas is home to buffets and five star restaurants. Getting a good meal in Las Vegas is never a problem. Chefs like Gordon Ramsay, Bobby Flay, and Guy Savoy are some of the many famous celebrity chefs with their own restaurants in Sin City. But if exquisite dining is not your style or out of your price range, don't worry there are plenty of other affordable places to catch a bite to eat. Las Vegas is also home to some restaurants that can be hard to find based on where you live like Wahlburgers, In N Out or Shake Shack. If you want to get the full Las Vegas experience, then a buffet from is your best bet! Some buffets can be ridiculously overpriced, so do some research before and pick what works best for you!

Grab A Drink! If you are above the age of 21 and you didn't get an alcoholic beverage in Sin City, were you even there? Las Vegas is known for its cocktails. Each hotel bar and restaurant has their own signature and special cocktail. What's most popular is getting the frozen yard drinks from places like Fat Tuesday, which indeed are very delicious.

Catch A Show! Las Vegas may be known for all its hotels and casinos, but it is also known as the Live Entertainment Capital of the World. If you're all about the theatre and big productions check out some of the musicals that are currently running or a famous/classic Las Vegas production, like the Blue Man Group or a Cirque du Soleil show. Or check out a magic show, you are in Vegas! Penn & Teller, David Copperfield, and Criss Angel are some of the many magicians that have residencies in Las Vegas. However, one of the most popular things to do is see a Las Vegas headliner show/concert. Tons of performers like Britney Spears, the Backstreet Boys, Jennifer Lopez, Celine Dion, Mariah Carey, and many more stars have residency shows in Vegas that perform almost daily.

Test Your Luck At The Casinos! One of the biggest draws to Las Vegas is the gambling. Every hotel has their own casino, and even the airport has their fair share of slot machines. In every hotel you'll find card tables, slot machines, live bingo and keno, and even sports books. Any way you want to gamble, there's definitely a way in Las Vegas. So if you're in Sin City, why not give it at try? Who knows, there's always some beginner's luck there!

If you're still having a hard time deciding what to do in the city of sin, have no fear. Websites like Groupon offer a variety of experiences at low prices. You can find just about any activity, tour, or even event tickets at a discounted rate. Especially in Las Vegas, Groupon offers some amazing experiences like tours to the Hoover Dam or Grand Canyon, club crawls, and even thrilling experiences like zip lining and ATV riding!

From the gambling and nightlife scenes to the extravagant shows and picturesque views, Las Vegas has a lot to offer those who visit this infamous city. With a city that has so much to offer, you'll have a fun and exciting time no matter what you decide to do.

Until next time.