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Las Vegas
O ne of the greatest things about Las Vegas: There’s truly something for everyone. Themed resorts of all kinds? Check. Award-winning restaurants? Check. Luxurious spas? Check. World-class entertainment and sporting events? Big-time check there. (See: the upcoming Formula 1 Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix.) Add to the mix stellar opportunities for outdoor exploration, and, of course, gaming, and you’re talking about a veritable wonderland of fun.
Whatever motivates your travels — eating a great meal, enjoying outdoor adventure, spoiling yourself on a wellness day, seeing a good show or watching the big race — you’ll find more amazing choices in Las Vegas than you’ll know how to handle. So we’ve curated an insider’s itinerary that works all of the above into five epic days, including a chance to witness the Formula 1 race (Nov. 21-23). We've mixed and matched the experiences, so that there's always something to do — whatever your speed.
Kick your visit into gear with an hourlong SWEAT60 HiiT class at the fitness center inside The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. Like all such classes, the full-body interval workout includes bursts of high-intensity exercise and builds muscular endurance and core strength with bodyweight exercises, resistance bands, and plyometric training. Like very few, however, this class unfolds with a spectacular view of the Las Vegas Strip below.
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The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
TPC Las Vegas
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Plan your trip
Breakfast sandwich from Eggslut | credit: Erik Kabik
Sphere
Summer House
Lapis Spa and Wellness
Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area
Petrossian Bar at Bellagio Resort & Casino
AREA15 Radiance
Salt grotto at Canyon Ranch spa + fitness
River Mountains Loop
Play Playground
Reffen Street Food Market
Photo credits: Lukas Bukoven (left); Reffen - Copenhagen Street Food (right)
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Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area
Play Playground
Once you’ve allowed for a well-deserved break (after both the workout and the ensuing feast), head to Sphere, the largest spherical structure in the world. The experience starts in the atrium with talking robots and state-of-the-art electronics everywhere. In the theater, you’ll find daily showings of Postcard from Earth, a science fiction movie from director Darren Aronofsky. The movie plays out like an IMAX on steroids—the screen takes up more than half of the wall, the seats move, and air blows in your face. (Sphere books concerts, too, as you may have heard a little something about.)
Sunset in the desert is spectacular, and there’s no better way to experience it than on the back of a horse. An outfitter named Cowboy Trail Rides offers several different guided rides on the western side of the Las Vegas Valley; the two-hour sunset ride also happens to include a barbecue dinner. You’ll meet near Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area and take the horses through the canyon floor and across the mesa. If you’re lucky, you’ll also spot a wild burro or jackrabbit — in addition to that signature pink and orange sky.
There are several epic golf courses in the Las Vegas Valley, such as TPC Las Vegas, in the Summerlin neighborhood — about a 20-minute drive from the Strip. This public course was designed by Bobby Weed and Raymond Floyd, and was once home to the PGA Champions Tour Las Vegas Senior Classic. Over 7,016 yards, players get breathtaking views of ochre-red mountains, high desert, and the Las Vegas Strip — a great way to start a day.
Relaxing is an art form at Lapis Spa and Wellness inside Fontainebleau Las Vegas, the newest casino resort on the Las Vegas Strip. While this oasis has a solid menu of traditional treatments, a standout experience is the Celestial Waters, a co-ed, choose-your-own-adventure blend of vitality pools, “snow” and “star” showers, steam rooms, and more. The constant movement between hot and cold is designed to soothe your body—and your soul.
The perfect bookend to that traditional morning golf outing? Swingers. Having already won raves in London, New York and DC, the concept is equal parts quirky British social club and indoor mini golf course. The highly anticipated Las Vegas iteration is set to open in early November at Mandalay Resort & Casino, where a cavernous space tricked out to look like a country estate—complete with four 9-hole golf courses, carnival games, cocktail bars and DJs—will welcome revelers til all hours (or at least til midnight). There's even an on-site restaurant that cranks out pizza, tacos and other party-vibey street food.
To start the day in awe of the desert you’re visiting, hike in the portion of the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area on the western edge of the Las Vegas Valley. Out here, 17 miles from the Strip, popular trails such as Calico Tanks wind past Joshua trees through a landscape that makes you feel like you could just as easily be on another planet. But then you get the occasional — very cool — reminder that you’re very much in the desert southwest, whether you catch view of the Vegas Strip, or of petroglyphs that date back thousands of years.
No post-hike snack is more rewarding than a frozen treat from Luv-It Frozen Custard, a Las Vegas institution in the shadow of The STRAT Hotel, Casino & Tower since 1973. Vanilla and chocolate are always available, and two to three other special flavors (including M&M, and apple pie) change daily. If your treat cravings lean more upscale, swing by the Petrossian Bar at Bellagio Resort & Casino for afternoon tea with scones, sandwiches, pastries and — of course — caviar.
Keep those immersive, participatory vibes going at DiscoShow, a new experience inside The LINQ. Unlike other theatrical productions where the audience sits, this one has everybody standing for the entire 90-minute extravaganza—and dancing is encouraged. A drag queen acts as the ringmaster, taking the crowd on a musical and digital history of disco. Other performers repeatedly emerge from the crowd, blurring the lines between star and witness. Word to the wise: If you don't want to have a performer peer-pressure you into dancing, stand near the walls.
Start the morning by conquering the 40-foot climbing wall at Canyon Ranch, the cavernous spa inside The Venetian Resort Las Vegas. Different foothold paths are designed to challenge climbers of every skill level, and the spa provides helmets and shoes, so you don’t have to worry about bringing your own. Afterward, recharge with a juice from Truth & Tonic, the on-site all-vegan café.
Keep the recreation theme going back in town at the Play Playground, an adults-only bar inside Luxor Hotel and Casino. The venue is set up like a giant obstacle course, and you can compete against other bargoers in brain games and physical challenges that evoke the old Nickelodeon show, “Double Dare” (but without the slime). To give you a better idea: One game requires you to run a gauntlet composed of giant swinging poker chips.
End your sojourn with dinner at a local institution: Esther’s Kitchen. The restaurant sits at the heart of the Arts District, arguably the hottest neighborhood in town. Here, Chef James Trees and his staff churn out handmade pastas, delicious pizzas, and craft cocktails driven by Italian spirits. Alternately, if you want to check out a buzzy celebrity-driven restaurant on the Strip, head to Wolfgang Puck’s Caramá inside Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino for a more elevated take on Italian food.
None of which is to say that Las Vegas has ceded its supremacy in the all-you-can-eat buffet space. In fact, the city itself has become a limitless feast, whether you're hungry for amazing gastronomy, wellness options, live entertainment or outdoor adventure. However you choose to rev your engines here, you'll cross the finish line a winner.
Cowboy Trail Rides
After class, head to the Mezzanine level of the casino for breakfast at Eggslut, a restaurant from Chef Alvin Cailin that has achieved cult status with one-of-a-kind breakfast sandwiches. The star of the menu is the Fairfax: scrambled eggs, chives, caramelized onions, cheddar cheese and spicy mayo on a homemade brioche bun. Other sandwiches incorporate more elaborate ingredients such as Wagyu tri-tip steak and potato puree. Just be prepared to wait a bit while your heartrate comes down after class: Lines here can get long as the morning goes on.
Swingers
For lunch, check out the recently opened Summer House inside Durango Hotel & Casino. Trees in the middle of the dining room extend and amplify the concept behind the California-inspired menu; salads and entrees here are built around the freshest ingredients available every week. Regulars (of whom there are already plenty) also swear by the bakery, which churns out giant and delectable cookies every morning.
DiscoShow
To recenter yourself before a big evening out, check out the calendar of ticketed mind-body offerings at the AREA15 Radiance program, where wellness looks a bit different from what you’re used to—and that’s the point. During the big race weekend, for example, a class titled “Ascendant Breathwork" counters all that adrenaline in the air with a respiration technique meant to "east the thinking mind and access the super conscious." Using only your oxygen supply, you may wind up seeing vivid imagery and experiencing deep feelings (a fitting preview to a night on the town here). By the way, you can also visit AREA15 for non-wellness-related pursuits, such as the oh-so F1-appropriate Grand Prix Racing Sim.
Caramá
Now you’re properly warmed up for the drive to Boulder City, where you’ll want to rent a bike and pedal at least some of the 36-mile River Mountains Loop. This paved bike trail (loosely) follows the shores of Lake Mead and Lake Las Vegas before turning through the foothills near Henderson and winding its way back toward the Hoover Dam. This is one of the best ways to see the sights in the east and southeast corners of the Las Vegas Valley.
pulled from VLV website; okay to use?
Formula 1 Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix
Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area
Binion's in Downtown Las Vegas
If street parties are more your speed, head Downtown, where the first-ever Neon City Festival is serving up free live music on multiple stages from headliners such as Alison Wonderland and Neon Trees. And this being Las Vegas, pool partiers can take things up a notch (or many) at the Cosmopolitan's transformed Boulevard Pool, where there will be a live feed from the race along with live DJ entertainment, plus copious options for food and drink. Indeed, up and down the Strip, restaurants and nightclubs will be offering special F1 menus and pricing. For true F1 devotees, the Las Vegas Grand Prix experience offers the chance to see race cars up close and nab autographs from fan-favorite drivers. However you want to experience the event, though, book soon. Everything is selling fast.
The Las Vegas Grand Prix 2023
In the world of F1, loud, larger-than-life, action-packed events are table stakes. So imagine what happens when you stage a Grand Prix against the backdrop of the legendarily blingy, buzzing Las Vegas Strip, and you can start to picture November's main event: a 3.8-mile, 17-turn, endlessly thrilling loop where speeds top 215 miles per hour. While the race itself will last about two hours on the night of Saturday, Nov. 23, the fun kicks off Thursday (when you can start catching twice-daily practice or qualifying rounds at 6:30 and 10:00 p.m.) and continues all weekend long in various forms. This even includes a whole new additional racing series: the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli.
The Grand Prix track winds past iconic landmarks on The Strip
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Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area
Binion's in Downtown Las Vegas
The Strip
Starting line at the Las Vegas Grand Prix
Main Grandstand
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The Strip
On Race Day itself, there are several general-admission options that include grandstand tickets in front of the Flamingo Las Vegas and Caesars Palace, as well as standing-room tickets for a new area called Heineken GA+ near Turn 4 toward the start of the race. A special section at Turn 3—aptly named the Turn 3 Club—offers an all-inclusive food and beverage menu, along with access to some of the official Fan Zone fun such as race simulators, driver meet-and-greets, and live entertainment. If you feel the occasion calls for a VIP experience, consider, for instance, that Bellagio Fountain Club's amazing racetrack, Winner's Stage and fountain views are being paired with unlimited food and beverage options throughout the weekend, all curated by an A-list lineup of chefs, sommeliers and mixologists.
In the world of F1, loud, larger-than-life, action-packed events are table stakes. So imagine what happens when you stage a Grand Prix against the backdrop of the legendarily blingy, buzzing Las Vegas Strip, and you can start to picture November's main event: a 3.8-mile, 17-turn, endlessly thrilling loop where speeds top 215 miles per hour. While the race itself will last about two hours on the night of Saturday, Nov. 23, the fun kicks off Thursday (when you can start catching twice-daily practice or qualifying rounds at 6:30 and 10:00 p.m.) and continues all weekend long in various forms. This even includes a whole new additional racing series: the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli.
Day one
BACK TO
THE TOP
On Race Day itself, there are several general-admission options that include grandstand tickets in front of the Flamingo Las Vegas and Caesars Palace, as well as standing-room tickets for a new area called Heineken GA+ near Turn 4 toward the start of the race. A special section at Turn 3—aptly named the Turn 3 Club—offers an all-inclusive food and beverage menu, along with access to some of the official Fan Zone fun such as race simulators, driver meet-and-greets, and live entertainment. If you feel the occasion calls for a VIP experience, consider, for instance, that Bellagio Fountain Club's amazing racetrack, Winner's Stage and fountain views are being paired with unlimited food and beverage options throughout the weekend, all curated by an A-list lineup of chefs, sommeliers and mixologists.
The Las Vegas Grand Prix 2023
The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
