Do we need an itinerary for Vegas?

[Namefortodayandtomorrow]

We are going to Las Vegas end February for a 5 night trip, adults only as kids are staying home for school 😁.

I’ve planned a basic itinerary but want to know if I should plan specific restaurants or not? We won’t want fine dining while we’re there but would like sit down meals rather than fast food. Any recommendations for good restaurants appreciated. We are staying at the Venetian Hotel.

We were planning to do a helicopter tour to the Grand Canyon but cost is putting us off. For those who have been is it really worth the $1,000 price tag for 2?

I wouldn't bother with an itinerary. I went with my now ex for two weeks and there was plenty to keep us occupied without a plan.

We didn't do the helicopter tour. But did the glass bridge. The views are enough on their own. You don't need the helicopter to fully appreciate it.

You can drive to the Grand Canyon, it’s well worth to journey!

If you want see certain shows and eat at certain restaurants I would book them in advance. I've been twice and it's expensive booking in the day and 5 days isn't long if they are sold out one night. If you are happy go lucky then no need to book anything.

We went for boxing one time and got the tickets months in advance, same as Neil Diamond tickets bought blue man group and the guy from everyone loves Raymond whilst we were there. We booked the steak restaurant at the Venetian as I wanted wagu beef and it was supposed to be the best in town. Also bought some Jimmy choos from there as well I am just remembering. We stayed at the Luxor in one of the top gpfloor suites one time and we hired a sports car to go to Hoover Dam, didn't bother with GC. Second time stayed at the Hilton down town as everywhere was booked up because of the boxing, and spice girls exh flew to grand canyon and they got stuck there as it snowed and they missed the boxing. But he got knocked out in first round, or very quickly anyway.

It’s been a long time since I’ve been to Vegas (2007) but there are thousands of restaurants to choose from so you will always find somewhere to have a sit down meal. So you wouldn’t need to book ahead unless you wanted somewhere specific.

I don’t remember everywhere I ate, but I still dream about the French onion soup from Mon Ami Gabi in Paris hotel 🤤 I believe it still gets good reviews. And I also went to Gallagher's Steak in NYNY hotel. Oh, and the Cheesecake Factory in Caesers.

Ive checked my emails and I paid $418 for 3 adults on a Grand Canyon tour back then!! And that was when you were getting $2 to the £. But the trip was amazing - so many good memories. So I’d say if you can afford it, then you should book it. Maybe you’ll win on the slots?? I like the Buffalo Gold slots - so much fun!

Buffets are amazing. The mandalay bay one is fabulous

P F Changs in the Hard Rock Casino - great food
Ruth Chris at the Harrah's Casino - traditional steakhouse. Have the Classic Prix Fixe meal for a bargain.
For breakfast this chain
https://theeggworks.com/

You can drive or get a tour to the Glass Bridge - it's not the "real" Grand Canyon but it will do as a substitute.

We didn’t pre book any restaurants and had no issues finding places to eat, we booked tickets for a few shows we definitely wanted to see in case they sold out.

I wish we’d factored in a Grand Canyon trip, we didn’t but stayed a week and a night elsewhere would’ve been good tbh.

Wow the helicopter is double the price when we went, remember they will expect a tip on that too. We only booked shows before the trip. Make sure to go to a fancy buffet!

We booked for shows and some restaurants in advance, and booked the helicopter trip to GC when we were there. It is super-expensive but one of those once in a lifetime things. We all loved it and it was a highlight of our trip.

That seems expensive for the helicopter trip - there are a lot of companies doing it so you can shop around. For me it was well worth the money and flying over the Grand Canyon will be imprinted on my memory forever. It's been a while since we went but we also did a trip to the Hoover Dam, saw Penn and Teller show one night and Cirque de Soleil at the Bellagio one night. We did one evening going round the casinos and watched the light and fountain show at the Bellagio. Another night we had dinner while watching Sheena Easton. There are loads of restaurants and the buffets are incredible. There's so much to do in Vegas.

We always have a vague idea when we go to LV. One day for outlet shopping, book cirque du soleil O or KA (its bespoke staging means its only performed in LV), show tickets, you can chance it and buy when you get there (in 2014 we got half price Celine Dion tickets in the front of the first tier), book specific restaurants if you have them in mind, but it's possible to wing it. Hire a car and go to Hoover Damn, then drive to the shopping outlets and out to M resorts.
We stayed at the Venetian on our last visit in 2022 and the rooms were beautiful and large.
Take advantage of casino credit, i.e. $10 free bets for joining the Players clubs etc. I joined at Cosmopolitan once, was offered a free spin on their humongous wheel of fortune. Hubby won $20 and i scooped top prize of $500.
You can do as much or as little planning as you like. You will still have a fantastic time.

I’ve done a light airplane flight in the early 90s (we were just passing an airstrip and did it on a whim) and a helicopter flight (with Papillon) and I’d say it’s worth it. If you feel that the heli trip is just too expensive have a look at the plane flights instead.

I’d also recommend going to the Hoover Dam and doing the tour that takes you down inside the structure - it’s very impressive.