The time has come for you to cross off another bucket list city with a trip to Viva Las Vegas! The city of lights… or sin city depending on how you spend your time! 

Vegas is a one of a kind city with a long strip of casinos and clubs through the desert. Seriously, if you head to the top of the Stratosphere you’ll see the city quickly fade out into a barren desert with no other city within sight – but more on that later!

First things first, you need to book your travel! 

As mentioned above, there aren’t many cities close by, so many people choose to fly. 

There are a few airports surrounding the city but most people flying in from around the country – and the world – will fly into Harry Reid International Airport. This is the main airport for Vegas and the surrounding area, and they fully play into the Vegas theme! From the second you step off the plane you’ll know you arrived in Vegas! Rows and rows of slot machines will light up your walk from your gate to baggage claim, tempting you to put your first $20 in!

Harry Reid welcomes about 40 million passengers a year through their Vegas lights and they have definitely perfected the Vegas feel!

If you’re close by, don’t let the desert scare you away from a fun road trip to Sin City! Fill up on gas and hit some famous roadside attractions on your way into the city. Flights are quick and easy but driving into the city will be an experience of its own!

Driving through the desert on I-15 you’ll be able to hit some classic road side attractions like Seven Magic Mountains, Alien Research Center, and a million (*slight exaggeration*) more places to see until the strip unfolds before you! 

But before you start driving the strip, make sure you stop at the iconic Viva Las Vegas sign for an Instagram worthy shot! 

Some major cities nearby include Phoenix, Sedona, Los Angeles, San Diego, and all of southern Utah – all within a days drive!

Picking out a hotel to stay at in Vegas is its own art form. There’s the classics like Caesars Palace, the dreamy bougie ones like the Bellagio, the party ones like the Cosmopolitan, and of course the outrageous hotels you can only see in Vegas like New York New York!

Choosing your stay in Vegas depends on what you want to get out of your visit and where you want to be on the strip. This is when using a travel agent like Adventures by Matt really come in handy so you can tailor the perfect Las Vegas experience for you!

No matter where you end up staying, you can easily travel to the other hotels to explore, gamble, eat, and drink! And you are definitely going to want to check a few of them out while visiting Las Vegas!

Pro tip: if you’re getting in late, you can ask your hotel to waive your fees for the first day! And if you didn’t know about Las Vegas hotel fees, make sure to ask about those during the booking process! Many people don’t know about these “hidden fees” that are due at checkout for varying services like wifi and concierge service.

Okay you’ve arrived, you’ve checked into your hotel – or rather palace – now just how do you explore this fabulous city?

You can rent a car but if you’re staying on the strip throughout your stay, you’re going to want to save a few bucks and forgo the rental. The strip can get slam packed during the day… and night, and let’s be real, you probably won’t be in the best condition to drive. 

Luckily, Vegas has a stellar public transportation system in place to carry you from casino to casino!

Along the strip is the Las Vegas Monorail that’ll basically take you anywhere you need. All the way from the classic rooms at the SAHARA Las Vegas at the north end of the strip to sitting pool side at the MGM Grand on the south end of the strip! With seven stations to choose from, you are sure to get close to your destination. And once you hope off, you can travel through casino to casino never having to step out in that desert heat – or cold depending on the time of year!

Besides the monorail, as every city has in the past five years, Vegas has seen an influx of Uber’s and Lyft’s ready to take you from door to door, minimizing your walking time!

Coming from the airport you can pay for one of the ride share services or take a shuttle from the airport to your hotel. Most hotels have a free shuttle service so you can sit back, relax, and maybe take some shots because it is always five o’clock in Vegas!

Okay, now that you have the need to know information on traveling to Las Vegas it’s time to decide how you want to spend your vacation! Riding in style or being chauffeured around the city; hidden in the dark casino or soaking up the sun poolside; seeing the city lights from above or driving in and hitting some favorites? All very important questions when booking a trip to Vegas!

And I’m here to help you through the whole process, I love Las Vegas just as much as I know you will love it after your next Vegas trip! If this seems like the trip for you (it is, there is a reason it is a bucket list destination) then reach out and let’s get started on creating your perfect Vegas getaway!