So you want to go to Las Vegas for the first time, eh? Having been a few times myself, I think I have a good idea on what a good first trip could look like, so here’s my recommendation:

Stay

MGM Grand Lobby

Location, location, location! After giving it some thought, MGM Grand would be the best resort to stay at for your first visit. Coming in at second place is the Venetian/Palazzo. I chose these two because they both just have so much going on at just the resort alone without having to venture too far. I’m sure your first time will have you wanting to see it all, but depending on the length of stay and budget, it might not be possible, not only that, but…. the first time my wife and I went, we were absolutely pooped from all the running around we did. We may have done *too* much.

I like MGM Grand because when we stayed there, it was easy to get around the property once you have walked into the lobby and gone up to your room a couple of times. Remember where you are, walk around, get your bearings, learn how to get around the resort that you are staying at. Other reasons why this is my number one choice for your first time: the pool area (one of the best, the lazy river? hell yeah), tons of stuff to eat right here; David Copperfield, Jabbawockeez, and Ka (a Cirque show) are here, too. It’s right across the street and accessible via walkway over Las Vegas Boulevard to New York New York hotel, from there you’re able to get to Excalibur, then Luxor, then Mandalay Bay. That’s a lot of walking though, keep that in mind. Nothing is close. These resorts are bigger than anything you may have ever experienced, and even though something is “right across the street” or “right next door,” it’ll still take you a half hour to walk there.

Which brings me to my next point. Don’t rent a car, just ride share everywhere. Unless you’re trying to go to the Grand Canyon or the Hoover Dam, if you’re just chillin on the strip or even going to Freemont Street, all you need is a ride share app. And when you’re leaving the airport, take a cab. It’s a flat rate, and they are lined up waiting for you, it’s probably the easiest experience I’ve had with a cab, to be honest. And getting around with a ride share… so awesome, however, each resort is going to have a unique pick up location, so my recommendation is to either map it out beforehand, or ask a security guard – they ALL know where everything is (it’s their job).

The Venetian would also be a fantastic place for your first time in Las Vegas. The Canal Shops are really great to walk through, easy to get turned around, and I think there are a couple dead ends haha, but nonetheless, the ambiance is great. I recommend getting a massage real quick while you’re walking around, I think there are at least 3 quick place you’ll encounter there. Tons of shopping, shows, and places to eat there as well. And of course the gondola rides in the canal are a highlight. Even just watching folks taking rides is satisfying.

Without further ado, here are some lists of things to do. All of the following links will automatically open in a new tab!

See

Here are my recommendations on some things to definitely see your first time in sin city. I really think that one thing a day is enough, but f you’re feeling froggy, hit two:

Quick things:

Not Quick things:

Eat

There is too much food in Las Vegas to list in one place. This handful of restaurants I consider a good list of places to go for dinner, try one every night!

Wazuzu

Casual dinner:

had a great birthday dinner @ Prime

Nice dinner:

This is of course just a loose list of ideas. One of my favorite activities while planning a trip is making a Google Jam Board. I just tried to find some templates for planning a vacation, but sadly, you may just have to get creative, put together a background image using Google Slides, and then put your post it notes over top of that. See my post on our upcoming Hawaii vacation for an example of what that looks like. Or the post on the next Las Vegas trip.

Planning should be half as fun as the trip itself. I feel like if I planned to the best of my ability, then if something goes wrong, it’s not my fault because I did my best at setting things up in the first place, and then you can just roll with it instead of getting salty about it.

At any rate, I hope you found this info helpful, please let me know if it was, or let me know what else you need to know about so I can write it up for you!