36 Hours
36 Hours in Las Vegas
Las Vegas has rebranded itself in recent years. Ditching its former Sin City credo, it now aims to lure visitors with the promise of unique experiences. (The famous slogan that winked at its hedonistic reputation, “What happens here, stays here,” was subtly updated in 2020 to “What happens here, only happens here.”) Indeed, Vegas’s glut of entertainment options can lead to decision paralysis: Where else can you play 1960s pinball machines, see headliners like Adele and Bruno Mars, tuck into a 16-course underwater-themed banquet, and play poolside blackjack in the same night — all within view of the Rialto Bridge and the Eiffel Tower? The trick is knowing how to balance all the spectacle. More than ever, a well-rounded tour of Vegas requires going beyond the Strip: What you find may surprise you.
Recommendations
- Red Rock Canyon, a popular hiking spot close to the city, offers a 13-mile driving loop, hiking trails and a stunning glimpse into Vegas’s ancient geology.
- Chinatown, a one-stop shop for Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Malaysian and other cuisines, is spread over a two-mile stretch of West Spring Mountain Road.
- Area15 is a sprawling off-Strip arts complex that is home to interactive, often-psychedelic spaces like Omega Mart, Illuminarium and Lost Spirits, a circus-inspired rum distillery.
- Wakuda Lounge offers sophisticated Japanese cocktails and adjoins a high-end sushi restaurant inside the Venetian hotel.
- Piero’s serves Italian-American classics like veal parm and osso buco in a polished, old-school space.
- PublicUs is a downtown cafe that hums on weekends, when locals stop in for Hawaiian loco moco, Belgian waffles and seriously strong cold brew.
- 20,000 Leagues is an underwater-themed restaurant that serves 16 elaborate courses (with rum cocktails) in a space that resembles a Victorian-era submarine.
- Easy’s, the Aria hotel’s not-so-secret speakeasy, pairs whimsical cocktails with live jazz.
- 11th Street Records is a destination for vinyl fans, and has a recording studio.
- Fergusons Downtown houses over a dozen independent retailers who sell anything from floral arrangements to artisanal dog food in a repurposed 1940s motel.
- The Magician’s Study stages intimate, 90-minute magic shows in secret locations on the Strip.
- Fremont Street Experience is a slice of pure Vegas kitsch; the five-block pedestrian mall unites a row of old-time casinos like the Golden Nugget and Main Street Station.
- The Punk Rock Museum is an ode to the underground genre’s five-decade history, with guided tours by distinguished punk alumni.
- The Beverly Theater is a new independent cinema that screens international and arthouse films.
- Guardian Angel Cathedral, an oasis of calm just off the Strip, shows the talents of Paul Revere Williams, an influential midcentury-modern architect.
- NoMad Las Vegas, a hotel inside a hotel, occupies the top four floors of the Park MGM on the Strip; among its perks is a sixth-floor rooftop pool inspired by Jardin Majorelle in Morocco. Rooms from $159.
- Virgin Hotels Las Vegas has all the amenities of a major Strip casino, but sits a few blocks away from the action. The playful, 70s-inspired rooms (from $70) are spread among three towers which are named Opal, Canyon, Ruby; the last overlooks Elia Beach Club, an outdoor pool hangout that doubles as a live music venue in the summer.
- El Cortez Hotel and Casino, in the heart of lively Fremont Street, isn’t just the oldest continuously running casino in Vegas, it’s also one of its best deals. Rooms (from $39) are all recently renovated, though the original Spanish Colonial-style building remains gloriously unchanged since 1941.
- The Las Vegas Monorail ($5 each way) connects most of the major casinos on the Strip; there are also three independently operated trams (free) that provide direct links between select casinos. Beyond the Strip, rideshare apps like Uber and Lyft remain the best way to get around for those not renting a car.
Itinerary
Friday
Saturday
Sunday