Welcome to Las Vegas
Vegas, baby: the ultimate escape. Its the only place where you can spend the night partying in ancient Rome, wake up for brunch beneath the Eiffel Tower, watch an erupting volcano at sunset and get married in a pink Cadillac. Sin City is a Technicolor-tinged fantasy straight out of the movies and it's yours for the taking.
The Strips iconic sign greets visitors to Vegas Chris Hepburn/Getty Images
Las VegasTop Sights
Bellagio
Prominently featured in the movie Ocean's Eleven and famous for its dramatic fountains, lush conservatory, and classy fine arts gallery, Steve Wynn's opulent Italianate resort remains a glamorous landmark on the Strip.
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Las Vegas Top Sights
Mirage
Just look for the spurting 'lava' the faux volcano on the Strip is the hallmark of the Mirage, home to Cirque du Soleil's Beatles LOVE show and a famous 20,000-gallon tropical aquarium.
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Las Vegas Top Sights
Caesars Palace
No one knew indulgence like the ancient Romans, so it's fitting that this over-the-top mega-resort also known as the setting of The Hangover feels like a swanky Greco-Roman fantasyland.
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Las Vegas Top Sights
Mandalay Bay
A glittering-gold bastion proudly flanking the southern end of the Strip, M-Bay features a cool walk-through aquarium, a sky-high cocktail lounge, and a wave-pool lapping up against a sandy beach.
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Las Vegas Top Sights
Golden Nugget
An elegant oasis in the city's downtown, this revamped casino hotel is the home of the world's largest golden nugget, plus a 200,000-gallon shark tank surrounded by a swimming pool.
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Las Vegas Top Sights
MGM Grand
This emerald-hued, Hollywood-inspired resort, one of the largest hotels in the world, recently underwent major renovations the new look is contemporary, while the pool's lazy river remains the longest in Vegas.
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Las Vegas Top Sights
Hard Rock Hotel
Only one of the world's finest collections of rock 'n' roll memorabilia displayed around the casino floor, plus a state-of-the-art concert venue: welcome to the Hard Rock.
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Las Vegas Top Sights
New YorkNew York
A mini Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge, Times Square, and Coney Island, complete with an outdoor roller coaster what else would you expect from Sin City's Big Applethemed casino-resort?
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Las Vegas Top Sights
Luxor
Easily visible from your plane's window seat is the powerful beacon shooting into the sky from the Luxor, a resort modeled on an Egyptian pyramid and complete with a giant sphinx.
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Las Vegas Top Sights
Grand Canyon
It's a bit of a hike from Vegas, but many out-of-towners consider a visit to the mile-deep canyon a mandatory side trip: you can get there quickly by helicopter.
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Las Vegas Top Sights
Hoover Dam
This art-deco dam, holding back an impressive quantity of brilliant blue water on the lower Colorado River, is an architectural feat and an easy day trip from Sin City.
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Las VegasDay Planner
Short on time?
We've arranged Las Vegas' must-sees into these day-by-day itineraries to make sure you see the very best of the city in the time you have available.
Day One
Only a single day in Vegas? Check in at your hotel, then go straight to the gaming tables to absorb some atmosphere. Find the classiest gambling scenes at upscale casinos like , or take in the sights inside campy, over-the-top themed casinos like the Greco-Roman fantasyland at Caesars Palace or the mini City of Lights at Paris Las Vegas .