DISTANCE: 4 miles (7km), plus an optional 2-mile (3km) detour for lunch
TIME: Around 5.5 hours, not including lunch, dinner or show
START: Paris Las Vegas Hotel
END: Mandalay Bay (or Wynn Las Vegas if you end with the suggested dinner, or New York New York if you end with the suggested show)
POINTS TO NOTE: The tour is done on foot or monorail, with a taxi necessary for the lunch option. If you do want to see Cirque du Soleil (the recommended show), ensure you book well in advance (click here or click here).
In the 1980s, Las Vegas’s economic and population growth rates slumped to one-sixth of what they had been during the 1950s and ’60s. Part of the reason may have been that organized crime funding dried up, but the biggest factors were probably the legalization of gambling in Atlantic City in 1976 and federal court rulings that opened the door to Native American casinos in 1979. Gambling was no longer enough to draw tourists to this isolated desert outpost. Opportunity awaited the developer who could figure out how to keep the town from drying up and blowing away.
That developer was Steve Wynn, who parlayed his part-ownership in a downtown casino as well as using his contacts with billionaire Howard Hughes and junk-bond magnate Michael Milliken into a deal to build the world’s most expensive hotel. That hotel was the Mirage, the prototype for the huge megaresorts that fill the southern Strip today.
The front desk at the Paris Hotel
Nowitz Photography/Apa Publications
International theme park
Improbable as it seemed, the “If you build it, they will come” approach worked so well that within a decade, more than a dozen of the world’s largest destination hotels had sprung up along a 1-mile (2km) stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard South, distinguished from one another by themes that paid tribute to various nations of the world. Together, they formed a single international theme park, much like Disney’s Epcot Center in Orlando but on a much grander scale. Today, the most popular pastime for Las Vegas visitors is wandering this section of the Strip to “see the world” in a day.
Paris Hotel
Nowitz Photography/Apa Publications
Paris Las Vegas
Since the lunch recommendation on this itinerary is off-Strip, non-drivers may wish to simplify their day by filling up at the all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet at Le Village Buffet, see 1, at Paris Las Vegas 1 [map] (3655 Las Vegas Boulevard South; tel: 702-946-7000; www.parislasvegas.com; for more information, click here) and then just choose another lunch stop. On the Strip, you are never more than about 100ft (30 meters) from food, so there are plenty of options and alternatives.
Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower at Paris Las Vegas
Nowitz Photography/Apa Publications
Global view
North of Paris Las Vegas, many of the themed hotels are on the west side of the street and you can get a helpful overview by walking along the east side first to see them from a distance. Head past Bally’s (for more information, click here), Bill’s, the Flamingo (for more information, click here, click here or click here), Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville eatery and the Harley-Davidson Café, and you’ll also pass the Linq 2 [map] (3535 Las Vegas Boulevard South; tel: 800-634-6441), a hotel resort complex that opened in 2014, built on the site of the aging Imperial Palace.
Gondola rides in the Venetian
Al Argueta/Apa Publications
The Venetian
Now continue along the Strip to the breathtaking Venetian 3 [map] (3355 Las Vegas Boulevard South; tel: 702-414-1000; www.venetian.com; for more information, click here or click here). It is a reigning monarch among the Vegas destination resorts, where the two main attractions are Madame Tussauds and the Grand Canal Shoppes (Sun–Thu 10am–11pm, Fri–Sat 10am–midnight). The latter is one of the most impressive of the international hotels’ malls, with its gondolas, trompe-l’oeil and floodlit sky, street performers, living statues, all set in a grand-scale replica of St. Mark’s Square in Venice.
The Mirage
Cross the Strip to the tropical-themed Mirage 4 [map] (3400 Las Vegas Boulevard South; tel: 702-791-7111; www.mirage.com; for more information, click here or click here), the megaresort that started it all. When the Mirage first opened, it drew huge crowds of curious spectators from the very beginning. Within three years, the casino was the biggest money-maker on the Strip. Even though the hotel needed to take more than a million dollars a day to break even, it never seemed to be a problem. Today, the crowds still come for the lush rainforest entrance, tropical ambience and white tigers – not to mention the volcano in front of the hotel. Its shopping mall, the Street of Shops, is designed to resemble an exclusive European shopping boulevard.
Caesars Palace statue
Al Argueta/Apa Publications
Caesars Palace
Two blocks south is the Ancient Rome-themed Caesars Palace 5 [map] (3570 Las Vegas Boulevard South; tel: 866-227-5938; for more information, click here or click here), which reigned as the city’s most opulent resort from the time its doors opened in 1966, until the completion of the Mirage 23 years later. It has kept pace over the years, expanding to five times its original size, and remains one of the Strip’s most impressive megaresorts.
Forum Shops
Giant Roman columns, mosaic floor patterns and outsized reproductions of Classical Roman sculptures make exploring this resort fun. In particular, check out the Forum Shops (Sun–Thu 10am–11pm, Fri–Sat 10am–midnight), a labyrinth of upscale designer boutiques that are among the most exclusive in the US.
Continue another block south to the Bellagio 6 [map] (3600 Las Vegas Boulevard South; tel: 888-987-6667; www.bellagioresort.com; for more information, click here or click here), styled after the town of the same name on Lake Como, Italy. The hotel’s best-known attractions include its Gallery of Fine Art (for more information, click here) and the spectacular fountain show performed in the “lake” in front of the hotel at frequent intervals from mid-afternoon until midnight. Especially worth a visit is the Conservatory and Botanical Gardens (daily 24 hours; free) just off the main lobby, where exotic plants and flowers create a riot of color, fragrance, and shape.
Hofbräuhaus
Nowitz Photography/Apa Publications
Chinatown
The American Southwest has had a sizeable Chinese population ever since laborers came here to build railroads in the late 19th century. However, Las Vegas has only had a well-defined Chinatown since 1995, when a Taiwanese developer built Chinatown Plaza (Spring Mountain Road at Valley View Boulevard), which has enticed many Asians to move to Las Vegas and open businesses here. Three other major Asian shopping centers have opened in the same area and Chinese residents are the fastest-growing ethnic group in Las Vegas today, accounting for about five percent of the population. The Chinatown area is also home to many Filipino, Vietnamese, Japanese, and Korean communities.
Monte Carlo
Two more blocks south, on the same side of the road, is the more affordably priced sister hotel to the Bellagio, the Monte Carlo 7 [map] (3770 Las Vegas Boulevard South; tel: 888-529-4828; www.monte-carlo.com; for more information, click here). The two are usually connected by a tram, but it is advisable to call beforehand to check the link is working. Although the Monte Carlo has no real sightseeing attractions of its own, the casino is worth a peek because of its lavish decor, which is inspired by the place du Casino in Monte Carlo, Monaco. The hotel is a convenient place to catch a taxi if you’re going out to the Germanic Hofbräuhaus, see 2, for lunch. (If you are driving, head up either East Harmon Avenue or East Tropicana Avenue, both of which intersect with Paradise Road.)
New York New York
Back on the Strip, continue your tour at New York New York 8 [map] (3790 Las Vegas Boulevard South; tel: 866-606-7111; www.nynyhotelcasino.com; for more information, click here or click here), an amazing homage to the Big Apple, with residential towers designed to look like skyscrapers and a casino styled on Central Park, complete with trees. You’ll also find replicas of the Statue of Liberty and Brooklyn Bridge, and a Coney Island-style amusement center, complete with its own rollercoaster.
Excalibur
Nowitz Photography/Apa Publications
Luxor
Next stop, another couple of blocks south and past the Disney-castle-style Excalibur (for more information, click here), still on the same side of the Strip, is the shining black pyramidal Luxor 9 [map] (3900 Las Vegas Boulevard South; tel: 702-262-4000; www.luxor.com; for more information, click here). One level up from the casino floor, you enter the world’s largest atrium, with 29 million sq ft (3 million sq meters) containing all of the resort’s restaurants, shops, and theaters.
Formerly at the Luxor, the King Tut exhibition can now be found at the Las Vegas Natural History Museum (900 Las Vegas Boulevard North; tel: 702-384-3466; daily 9am–4pm). This precise replica of the tomb of Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun was created from the notes of British archaeologist Howard Carter, who discovered the actual tomb in 1922. The museum contains replicas of the gold sarcophagus, chariot, guardian statues, and hundreds of other objects found in the tomb, all reproduced by hand using the same tools and 3,300-year-old techniques. The 15 minutes visitors are allowed to view the exhibit is not nearly enough time.
Mandalay Bay
Next door to the Luxor, the large, showy, gold-hued Mandalay Bay ) [map] (3950 Las Vegas Boulevard South; tel: 702-632-777; www.mandalaybay.com; for more information, click here, click here or click here) has a nebulous Southeast Asian concept apparently inspired by Rudyard Kipling’s poem Mandalay, though there is no bay anywhere near the actual landlocked town of Mandalay, Myanmar (formerly Burma). No matter. The Mandalay Bay’s real theme seems to be an imaginary tropical paradise, replete with artificial foliage and waterfalls as well as strange statues of fantastical creatures such as earless unicorns and musical frogs. Asian visitors note the resemblance to new casinos in Macau, the semi-autonomous administrative region of China, where several Las Vegas gaming corporations – including the Mandalay Bay’s parent company, MGM Mirage – are building lavish new resorts. Look out for the Eye Candy bar, with its cool bright lights.
The Luxor and Mandalay Bay
Al Argueta/Apa Publications
Dinner
To continue the international theme at the end of the tour, a good choice for dinner would be the Mizumi, see 3, at Wynn Las Vegas (for more information, click here or click here). The hotel is at the northern end of the Strip, so possibly best reached by taxi, if your energy is starting to flag.
Cirque du Soleil at New York New York
Representing a whole host of different nationalities, Cirque du Soleil has been part of Las Vegas for more than 20 years. Their 90-minute shows run all year long, and have everything from music to illusion and from acrobatics to artistry. Cirque du Soleil is a Canadian entertainment company from French Quebec; the name means Circus of the Sun and each performance is an unforgettable Las Vegas event, with a show to suit every taste and age group. Fun, energy, sensuality, and excitement take to the stage at eight world-class theaters at New York New York (3790 Las Vegas Boulevard South; tel: 866-606-7111; www.nynyhotelcasino.com; Fri–Tue 7pm and 9.30pm).
Food and Drink
1 Le Village Buffet
Paris Las Vegas Hotel, 3655 Las Vegas Boulevard South; tel: 702-967-4859; daily 7am–10pm; $$
Unlike other hotels’ broadly international buffets, this one is unusual in that the food is almost all French. Fill up on crêpes, pastries, sausages, cheeses, fruit, and much more. Delicious coffee, too. Savor it all in various dining settings that reflect different kinds of French provincial architecture.
2 Hofbräuhaus
4510 Paradise Road; tel: 702-853-3227; www.hofbrauhauslasvegas.com; Sun–Thu 11am–11pm, Fri–Sat 11am–midnight; $$–$$$
Located one mile (1.5km) east of the Strip, the Hofbräuhaus is the city’s only major German-themed establishment. This vast restaurant and beer garden, with its 45ft-high (14 meter) ceiling (complete with murals), is a lookalike franchise owned by the 400-year-old brewery of the same name founded by the Duke of Bavaria in Munich, Germany. It features imported Hofbräuhaus beer, an Oktoberfest atmosphere, and authentic German foods like Sauerbraten, a Bavarian pot roast, and Riesen Fleischpflanzerl, a sort of pork-and-beef hamburger.
3 Mizumi
Wynn Las Vegas, 3131 Las Vegas Boulevard South; tel: 702-248-3463; Sun–Thu 5.30–10pm, Fri–Sat 5.30–10.30pm; $$–$$$$
Chef Devin Hashimoto, named “Best chef on the Strip” by Vegas Seven, has a fresh approach to Japanese cuisine and offers a choice of dining experiences at Mizumi: a robatayaki bar, a teppanyaki room, ocean-fresh sushi, and sashimi. Located at Wynn, the award-winning restaurant looks out over private Japanese gardens surrounding an idyllic koi carp pond with a shimmering 90ft (27-meter) waterfall. Experience the picturesque view and stylish, fine-dining approach to the delicious theatrics of teppanyaki presented in the teppan room.