Excalibur
This huge complex will appeal to children, having been designed as a medieval castle. It has a drawbridge and towers to greet visitors and take them back in time. Although far from authentic, this huge hotel has a lower-level that is full of fun-filled rides for kids and offers some entertaining children-orientated shows. Phone: +1 877 750 5464; website: www.excalibur.com.

Lion Habitat
Situated near the front entrance of MGM Grand, Las Vegas’ biggest hotel-casino, Lion Habitat is a walk-through zoo that is home to real lions. Visitors can view the lion’s lounging around on the artificial ruins of a temple, an area that is enclosed with a glass dome. Unlike many of the city’s attractions, this one is free; however, a picture with a lion cub will cost you. Phone: +1 702 891 1111.

Luxor
From the pyramid to Tutankhamen’s tomb (reconstructed of course), the Luxor is one of Vegas’ larger-than-life attractions and an iconic landmark. You will feel like you have just stepped on to a film set as you enter this entertainment complex, with replicas of Egyptian artefacts dotted around liberally. Here, you can enjoy three simulator rides that are combined with 3D movies to take you on an adrenalin-filled adventure. Like many of Vegas’ attractions, the price tag for this adventure is steep. Phone: +1 702 262 4000.  

Shark Reef
This aquarium, housed at Mandalay Bay, offers casual sightseers an underwater area with a half-submerged temple and a range of exotic marine life. Kids will enjoy the colourful fish, jellyfish, sharks and crocodiles. Phone: +1 702 632 4555.

Almost entirely boasting manmade, artificial attractions, Vegas is short on cultural offerings. With a history that only stretches back to the early 1900s, the cultural attractions at this famous playground are largely commercial recreations that have been ‘borrowed’ from other cultures and nicely packaged so as to appeal to the hordes of gamblers that make their way here each year. However, if you search hard, you will find a few genuine cultural gems.

Circus Circus
If you enjoy trapeze artists, clowns and fire-eaters, head to Circus Circus for some exciting live performances. Suitable for families, the circus is situated at the northern end of the Strip, next to the Adventuredome (an indoor theme park).

Elvis-A-Rama
A must for all fans of the ‘King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’, this tribute to the star, who played at both Vegas’ New Frontier and the International Hotel (now the Las Vegas Hilton), is home to memorabilia, photos and Elvis’ blue suede shoes! Visitors can enjoy Elvis impersonators on an hourly basis.
Phone: +1 702 734 0410

Freemont Street Experience
Freemont Street in downtown has experienced a somewhat downward turn in popularity since the boom of the Strip, which now shadows the rest of Vegas.  However, this small ‘celestial vault’ helps to keep visitors coming to this end of town. Over two million coloured light bulbs are displayed together and choreographed by computers to create a light show to remember. Free, nightly performances are put on hourly. Phone: +1 702 678 5777

Guggenheim Hermitage
This is one of Las Vegas’ only genuine cultural offerings, showing original artworks on loan from St Petersburg’s State Hermitage Museum. Creating funds that are then put towards preserving the Russian collection, exhibits rotate on a six-monthly basis; with exhibitions to date having focused mainly on Cubism and Impressionism, with works by masters such as Van Gough and Monet. The museum is housed at the Venetian.
Phone: +1 702 414 2440; website: www.guggenheimlasvegas.org

Liberace Museum
Named after the famous entertainer, who died in 1987, this museum is one of Las Vegas’ more worthwhile, with a nice collection of nostalgic photos and newspaper cut-outs featuring the toe-tapping star. Alongside the displays of the clips are interesting items that belonged to the press-hounded entertainer including fur coats, flashy cars and decorative items, and don’t miss the museum’s toilet, which pumps out scented air and music.
Phone: +1 702 798 5595; website: www.liberace.org

Paris-Las Vegas
|This little piece of France has become one of the city’s landmarks since its construction in 1999. The half-size Eiffel Tower, scaled down Arc de Triomphe and the Opera make for some great photos, while this is also the place to come if you want to enjoy some authentic French cuisine, with some top-notch restaurants serving up fine wines, garlic snails, frogs legs and potent-smelling cheese boards. While a trip here is nothing compared to a trip to the French capital itself, the atmosphere is pleasant and romantic, and there is plenty of opportunity to have a flutter at one of the poker tables after your meal.

The Venetian
Reconstructions of the Italian city’s most famous buildings attract visitors to this acclaimed casino-cum-hotel. Experience the Rialto Bridge and the Bridge of Sighs, take a ride along the Grand Canal on a gondola, admire replicas of Venice’s most famous frescoes and dine on delicious Italian pastas and pizzas; this is one of Vegas’ most ludicrous yet fantastic masterpieces. 

Dining choices in Las Vegas are vast, with many people feasting on the all-you-can-eat buffets provided at the casinos, which serve round-the-clock food that will have a time defying effect on you.

The casino buffets are a food-lovers dream and a dieter’s nightmare, with unrestricted access to mounds of various international cuisines and sumptuous deserts. They vary in quality depending on the casino, with many away from the Strip being among the best. While the buffets at Bellagio and Paris have good reputations, the ones at MGM Grand and Excalibur do not.

If you feel the buffets are a bit too unrestrained and lacking in elegance, the city has an enormous range of restaurants. The Strip guarantees hungry tourists an overwhelming choice of eateries, with all of the hotel restaurants along the famous stretch vying for attention and patronage. 

Among those worth visiting is the New York-New York’s America, with its map of the US on the ceiling.  Or, you can try Il Fornaio, one of the best Italian restaurants in town. Mon Ami Gabi at The Paris has open-air seating and an inviting French atmosphere, while Olives at Bellagio is a top-notch Mediterranean eatery.

Shopping in Vegas, like everything here, can be an out-of-this world experience. Most of the large hotels along the Strip offer excellent shopping options, conveniently located so that you don’t have to step out of the hotel.

Check out the shopping at some of the most famous establishments including Aladdin and Caesars Palace. The Desert Passage, a huge shopping mall, can be a refreshing change from a day at one of the casinos.  Via Bellagio is a favourite among the wealthy, with its glamorous boutiques.

If you want to fully indulge in outdoor activities, you may well find yourself taking a detour from the city. Partly due to the scorching desert heat, most of the city’s attractions are housed within cool air-conditioned complexes, leaving little reason for visitors to brave the outdoors.

However, those with a sense of adventure should get their hiking boots on and explore some of the Southwest’s most beautiful national parks, with the world’s most impressive geological formation being right on the doorstep: the Grand Canyon National Park. 

Grand Canyon National Park
Within driving distance of the city, a daytrip to the Grand Canyon is an absolute must for all visitors to Vegas. The park not only offers some of the most breathtaking views in the world, with the most popular viewing point being the South Rim, but it is also an adventure playground for outdoor enthusiasts. Whether you choose to hike to one of the basins, go horseback riding, camping or take a white-water raft along the Colorado River, you will be bewildered by the stunning natural beauty of the rock formations. Website: www.nps.gov/grca

Water sports
While water sports at your hotel will most likely be limited to swimming at the hotel pool, a 30-mile drive southeast of the city will lead you to Lake Mead, a reservoir that was created through the building of the Hoover Dam. This blue oasis in the middle of the desert provides opportunities for waterskiing, jet-skiing, scuba diving and sailing, with the marinas dotting its shoreline providing equipment rentals and instruction.

Zion National Park
It is necessary to have a car to reach this Utah park, which is over 200kms southwest of Las Vegas; however, the journey will reward you with some fantastic scenery encompassing awe-inspiring cliffs, lush forests, cascading waterfalls and some of the best hiking in the state. The highlight of the park, Zion Canyon, is characterised by its desolateness and the gorge is worthy of some off-the-beaten-track exploration to fully appreciate its beauty.
Phone: +1 435 772 3256; website: www.nps.gov/zion