1 The South Strip With their playful architecture and varied ­attractions, the high-profile, MGM-owned casinos at the southern end of the Strip – Mandalay Bay, Luxor, Excalibur, New York–New York and the MGM Grand – are hugely popular with younger visitors.

2 CityCenter and around The Strip’s first separate “neighbourhood”, unveiled by MGM Resorts in 2009 and centring on the modernist Aria, also includes ­Bellagio, as well as an unwanted interloper, the Cosmopolitan.

3 The Central Strip The long-standing heart of the Strip, which includes veterans like the Flamingo and Caesars Palace as well as the newer Paris, belongs ­entirely to Caesars Entertainment, and has become its most pedestrian-friendly segment.

4 The North Strip Two deadly rival mega-complexes, the Venetian/Palazzo and Wynn Las Vegas/Encore lock horns at the northern end of the Strip. The area beyond them to the north has been hit hard by ­recession, with veteran casinos vanishing and new developments abandoned incomplete.

5 Downtown Las Vegas The few blocks where it all began have bounced back in recent years, with the unique Fremont Street Experience and the Mob Museum drawing the crowds.

6 The rest of the city Real people live real lives in Las Vegas’s outlying residential districts, but for visitors the major landmarks are yet more casinos, with standouts including the Rio, the Palms and the Hard Rock.

7 The deserts For a taste of Nevada’s desert scenery, venture twenty miles west of Las Vegas to Red Rock Canyon. Wonders further afield include Arizona’s Grand Canyon and Utah’s Zion Canyon.