Las Vegas in 5 Day: a guidebook for getting the most out of your visit

Located in the middle of the Mojave Desert in Nevada, Las Vegas has become a landmark among mythical holiday destinations. Its famous casinos and resorts, dreamlike shows, nightlife and unusual surroundings make it a unique place.

Hollywood has portrayed it for years in many films as a city full of sin and debauchery. However, Las Vegas has a lot to see and do and is much more than just a gambling town. If you want to discover it and you have 5 days, prepare your suitcase because I have prepared the best planing to discover the city.

You've just arrived in Las Vegas, you have five days ahead of you to devour this city full of light and entertainment, but surely the first thing you want to do is to get the bug out of your system and walk along the famous Strip Avenue, where the iconic resorts and casinos you've seen so many times on the big screen are located.

Don't worry, I'll guide you so you can make the most of the day and see all the must-sees.

The distances in Las Vegas are deceptive and, although it may seem that everything is close, the size of the buildings is so big that you can lose a lot of time if you walk around. That's why for this first day I suggest combining short walks with the public transport services in the area, some of which are even free!

Start your trip with the Las Vegas Welcome Sign and the Mandalay Bay

There's no better way to start your 5-day tour of Las Vegas than by starting the day with the iconic "Welcome to Las Vegas" sign. This sign starts the entire Strip and is a must-see photo op for all tourists.

To get there from wherever you're staying, the most convenient way is to take the bus to the 6532 NB Las Vegas bus stop, where the 104 passes. You can also book a sightseeing bus tour to see everything in detail.

From here, and after taking the relevant photos, you should only walk about 10 minutes into the Strip until you reach the first major resort of the day; the Mandalay Bay. Before you get there, you'll pass Little Church of the West, one of the typical churches where people come to get married.

See the Luxor and Excalibur Resorts

After seeing Mandalay Bay, the next destination is another of the city's landmarks, the Luxor Resort, crowned by a huge black pyramid.

• Luxor: to get there, instead of walking a long way, you can opt to take a free tram that connects the two hotels via a footbridge. When you get there, you can go inside to see the pyramid and the whole complex of lights. You can also enter the casino area and, even if you don't gamble, I'm sure you'll love the luxurious rooms and all the Ancient Egyptian décor.
• Excalibur: Next stop is the Excalibur Hotel, which you can also reach by following the free tram route that brought you here. The characteristic of this place is its decoration and its medieval style construction, simulating a great castle. You can walk around inside and take the opportunity to have a drink or a mid-morning coffee.

Enjoy New York- New York

Just opposite the Excalibur Hotel is another of the great attractions and central areas of this Strip Avenue. This is the New York-New York Resort, which, as you might have guessed, is a recreation of New York City and all its charms. You can easily walk there as it's right opposite your previous stop.

If you're more daring, you can also try a ride on the Big Apple Coaster, which weaves through the scenery.

Ride the monorail to the City of Light

Fancy a ride in Paris? It sounds strange but in Las Vegas anything is possible. On the Strip Avenue itself, just a few blocks from the New York-New York Hotel is another postcard Las Vegas landmark, the Hotel Paris.

Even so, it's a bit of a walk, so I recommend taking the monorail from the MGM Hotel (just across the street from the New York-New York Hotel) and for about 5€ you can get to this beautiful Parisian setting in less than 10 minutes. When you arrive, one of the things that will surprise you the most is being able to see all the great icons of Paris in the same place.

Witness the spectacle of the Bellagio Fountain from the top of the Eiffel Tower

The day is coming to an end and since you are in the city of love in miniature, what better way to climb the Eiffel Tower?

• Eiffel Tower: No kidding, the recreation of the tower is real and has access for you to go up, where you will have one of the best views of the whole city. Tickets to the Eiffel Tower cost around €30 but I assure you it's worth it.
• Bellagio Fountain: Also, if you come at sunset, from the top you can see one of the biggest shows in Las Vegas, which takes place right across the street from where you are. This is the Bellagio Fountain, a huge light and water show that takes place for free every 15 minutes and, after dark, is filled with impressive decorative lights.

These days, all the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas is taken up by the Strip area you saw yesterday. However, the essence of this curious and entertaining city lies much further north, in the area known as Downtown, where, in the 1940s, the city's first casinos were founded as a result of the legalisation of gambling.

Visit the Natural History Museum, the Neon Museum and the Mob Museum

• Natural History Museum: If you decide to buy tickets to the Natural History Museum, they cost around €10. This space consists of a complete and well cared for collection of remains from various stages of history and the legacy left by the desert area where the city was built. Bus number 113 drops you off nearby.
• Neon Museum: A place that keeps all the tradition of signs and neon signs that the city of Las Vegas has been creating since the 30's. The entrance costs about 20€ and it is a curious place, to say the least.
• Mob Museum: This place was inaugurated in 2012 and gives a sample of the evolution of the mafia and organised crime in the city since it was founded. If you buy tickets to the Mob in advance, they cost around €30 and will help you understand how Las Vegas was founded, what the role of the casinos was and what interests made it one of the most corrupt places in the past.

Have lunch in the vicinity of Fremont Street

Just outside the Mob Museum you'll find yourself in the most central area of Downtown, Fremont Street, where the oldest casinos in the city are located.

Before you start touring them, take a break and stop at one of the many restaurants in this charismatic area, such as Vic and Anthony's, an ideal restaurant if you like American-style steak.

Tour Downtown and the oldest casino

After lunch and with the whole afternoon ahead of you, I suggest you take a stroll down Fremont Street, where you'll find the oldest casino in the city, the Golden Nugget. You can go inside and see what the old machines used to look like.

You don't have to gamble, but if you go in, you'll get a good understanding of some of what you saw in the morning at the museum. It is also usually quite a busy and lively area. This is the second most famous street in all of Las Vegas; the Fremont Street Experience, home to some of the best casinos in town.

Experience the Fremont Street Experience

This used to be one of the busiest streets for all the bookies. Now, however, it's more tourists who stroll down this avenue that has been covered by a large barrel vault. It occupies a total of five blocks and is quite a sight to see.

I suggest you finish the day in style by climbing a spectacular zip line that will take you through the heights of this emblematic street. The company that carries out this activity is called SlowZilla and you can find it on the street itself. For around €35 you can glide seven stories up and down Fremont Street and see the lights come on, one of the best things to do at night in Las Vegas.

After two intense days, you've probably got a good idea of what Las Vegas is like, from the classics to the most innovative sights. Now all that's left is to enjoy all the attractions this fantastic city has to offer.

Visit Venice and its gondolas and marvel at the Madame Tussauds Museum

• The Palazzo and Venetian Resort: As your first stop for the third day, you should make your way to one of the largest and most spectacular resorts in Vegas; The Palazzo and Venetian Resort. This place is literally a recreation of the city of Venice, canals and all! To get there, you can take the bus to the EB Sands stop, either the 119 or the 203.
• Madame Tussauds Museum: On the way out and just a few steps away from this incredible experience, I have another surprise for you. The Madame Tussauds Museum, one of the most renowned wax museums in the world, is waiting for you. If you decide to visit this museum, buying tickets to Madame Tussauds will cost you around €30 and you're sure to have a great time taking pictures with your wax idols.

Lunch in the centre

You're in one of the busiest and most central areas of the city, so it won't be hard to find a good restaurant where you can stop for lunch.

Even so, I recommend The Cheesecake Factory, an American-style restaurant that offers good quality food and is located within the Caesar Resort complex, the other big casino you've yet to see, which has a recreation of a Roman coliseum inside.

Tour the exotic side of Las Vegas

• Flamingo Palace: For starters, just walk across the street to the Flamingo Palace, a hotel with an entire decor dedicated to these pink animals. I'm sure you'll be impressed by the decoration, but the real fun is that inside you can see a whole space with real flamingos and other types of birds such as parrots and pelicans.
• Mirage Hotel: On the way out, and only 5 minutes walk away, I have prepared another wild visit for you, since inside the Mirage Hotel you will find one of the largest aquariums in Las Vegas.

Dare with a night helicopter tour

It's been an intense day full of activities and unforgettable experiences. But, to put the finishing touch to your experience in the city, I can't think of anything better than taking one of the helicopter tours around Las Vegas.

There is a night tour that will take you for about two hours over the city's skyline, seeing all the lights and the big resorts from above. With an experience like this you can get a definite idea of what the city is like and what this hub of light and exuberance looks like in the middle of the desert. These tours usually cost around €80 and I can assure you that you'll never forget it.

In these three days you've been able to get to know the city in depth and have fun with all the shows and activities on offer. That's why for the two remaining days of your holiday, I suggest you explore the city's surroundings. Don't forget that Las Vegas is built in the middle of the desert and is very close to natural wonders.

Get to the Hoover Dam and enjoy the views.

As you may have noticed these days, Las Vegas is a pretty hot and dry city, due to its location. You're probably wondering how they managed to create this micro-civilisation in the middle of nowhere years ago.

The answer is simple, the Hoover Dam. I recommend you book an organised tour to the Hoover Dam, where a guide will explain everything and you can be picked up from your hotel. They usually cost around 50 euros and are great for a full day of entertainment and information.

Take a leisurely cruise on the lake

On arrival at the lake, you're sure to be amazed by its vast expanse. In its day, it was one of the largest dams ever built. When you arrive, either on your own or on an organised tour, take time to take photos and enjoy the scenery.

However, you can't leave here without taking a cruise on the waters of this man-made lake. Many excursions have this option and I promise you that, after so many days surrounded by people, music and noise, you will be grateful for this boat trip because of the tranquillity of the area.

Enjoy a tasting on a gastronomic tour

These tours usually last around five hours, so if you book an early start, you'll be back in Las Vegas in time for lunch. You're already familiar with the downtown area, so if you want to avoid repeating yourself and try something new, you can book one of the food tours around the city.

Have an afternoon of spa and relaxation at the resorts

I told you you'd have time to relax today, and what's promised is what's promised, especially in this city. Las Vegas is known the world over for all its luxury and excess. You may not have been able to stay at one of the Strip's exclusive resorts during your holiday, but that doesn't mean you can't take advantage of all the luxuries.

For this penultimate afternoon, I suggest you contemplate choosing from some of the best spas in Las Vegas, such as the Nurture Spa Salon at the Luxor Resort or the Mirage Hotel Spa where, for a price of around €100, you'll have an afternoon of pampering and pampering, accompanied by the services of your choice, such as massages or facials.

I think I've saved one of the best surprises for last. In all these days discovering Las Vegas, you have been able to live intensely the rhythm and the essence of this frenetic city. You have also been able to get to know its history and enjoy all its luxuries. However, there is still one thing you can't miss and that's the Grand Canyon.

There are numerous tours around Las Vegas, but the one that takes you on a full day tour of this natural wonder is one of the most popular.

Arrival at the Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the surrounding area and that's why there are a variety of tours to the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas. I recommend you to do the most classic and suitable for the whole family such as the Grand Canyon West and Hoover Dam tour from Las Vegas which combines two of the essential places to visit on this trip.

In it, a bus can even pick you up from your hotel and take you all over the west side of the canyon accompanied by a guide. These buses usually take just over two hours to arrive and most leave early in the morning to make the most of the day, including breakfast for all visitors.

Eagle Point Overlook and Native Villages

After the pleasant drive through the rocky desert areas, you'll finally arrive at one of the most incredible panoramic views in the world. From Eagle Point you can look out over a huge glass walkway with a breathtaking view of the entire Grand Canyon.

If you suffer from vertigo, you might not want to look out too far, but I can assure you that you 'll feel like you're on another planet in such a natural setting. You can also take the opportunity to visit some of the native villages in the area and do some shopping for souvenirs or handicrafts.

Lunch at Guano Point and Colorado River

These day trips are usually around 100€ but lunch is included, so when you get hungry you can stop at Guano Point and grab a bite to eat. This is one of the best views of the Colorado River.

Also, if you like hiking, you can take a short hike to one of the highest points and get the best picture of the whole picture-perfect scenery.

Farewell dinner

I'm sure you've been quite impressed by the Grand Canyon, not surprisingly. Unfortunately, it's time to go back and this is your last night in Las Vegas. I'm sure you've made the most of every day and, although it's been an intense trip, it's been well worth it.

For this last night before you get back to your routine, I suggest you treat yourself to a farewell dinner and go and see some of the best shows in Las Vegas.

You already know the Strip, just browse the events calendar, book the one that interests you the most and go to the resort where it takes place to live this last night in style or take a night tour to see some of the most famous pubs in the city.

• Las Vegas is a considerably large city. Despite this, most of its attractions are condensed into two large areas, the Strip and Downtown. Even so, the infrastructure is so large that simply walking from one resort to another can take quite a while. That's why the best way to get around is to combine walking with public transport.
• There are several useful forms of transport in Las Vegas. First, there's the bus, which connects all parts of the city and costs €5, then there's the monorail, which connects various Strip resorts for a similar price. Finally, there is a free tram system that has several sections and also connects several resorts.
• Still, if you're short on time and want to see all the major attractions in one morning in comfort, perhaps one of the best options is to take one of the city 's tour buses, which for around €40 will take you to all the sites.

I hope my itinerary has helped you to better organise your trip to Las Vegas and, remember, what happens in Las Vegas...