The Dancing Bellagio Fountains and other Las Vegas, NV Things to Do Tips

This was a great show, and free of charge! Grab a spot along the stone railing that encloses the man made 8 acre replica of Lake Como in front of the Bellagio resort. You won't have to wait long before the next performance begins since they repeat every 15-30 minutes.

When the music begins you will see the water begin to bubble and churn as the fountains ready for another perfectly choreographed aquatic ballet. It is very impressive and entertaining to watch the fountains sway and undulate and propel the water over a hundred feet into the air.

The shows begin at 3pm Monday to Friday and noon on Sat and Sunday. The last show is at midnight.

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Phone: (888) 987-3456
Address: 3600 S. Las Vegas Blvd
Directions: In Front of the Bellagio Hotel
Website: http://www.Bellagio.com

This hotel seemed to have it all. A fabulous exterior with Lake Como and the fountains out front, the best view of the Eiffel Tower across the street, and a beautiful lobby with these unique and colourful stained glass flowers suspended from the ceiling and illuminated from above. This display was designed by the famous glass artist, Dale Chihuly.

Beyond the lobby you will enter the Bellagio Conservatory. Under a huge glass dome you can admire a beautiful garden of seasonal flowers. A visit to the conservatory is free and if you like flowers as I do, it is a must see!

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Phone: (888) 987-3456
Address: 3600 S. Las Vegas Blvd
Directions: Bellagio Hotel/Casino
Website: http://www.Bellagio.com

We didn't venture inside this resort or the casino but were very impressed by what we saw on the outside. Here you will find replicas of famous Paris landmarks such as the Louvre, the Hotel de Ville and the Arc de Triomphe.

Dominating the Vegas strip is a half scale replica of the famous Eiffel Tower. You can ride 540 feet to the top of the tower for about $7 to enjoy a panoramic view of Las Vegas Boulevard. The tower is also beautifully illuminated at night, a definite must see.

The tower is open daily from 10 am to 1 am.

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Phone: (702) 946-7000
Address: 3655 S. Las Vegas Blvd
Directions: Located right across the street from Lake Como at the Bellagio Resort
Website: http://www.paris-lv.com

The Venetian is another luxurious hotel along Las Vegas Boulevard. Here, you can admire wonderful old world European architecture as colourful gondoliers guide tourists along canals of unnaturally blue water.

You can venture inside to the shopping arcade where the a/c will keep you cool but you will still feel like you're outdoors under the ceilings of painted clouds. Grab a seat in St. Marks square and wait for the next free performance of Italian Opera singers or living statues. It's a great place to relax and cool off when the temperature is soaring outside!

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Address: 3355 S. Las Vegas Blvd.
Directions: across the street from The Mirage
Website: www.venetian.com

Many people don't venture to the old downtown section of Las Vegas, I think it is worth the effort to get here. Here, you will see the stylish neon signs of old like Vegas Vic and Vickie.

You can also catch an evening light show which is cast upward onto a huge steel canopy which covers the entire street. The shows are shown on the hour beginning at dusk and last about 7 minutes. I'll admit that I was hoping for a more psychedelic experience but instead saw cartoons of space aliens. Regardless, it was still very well done and did I mention, free.

Fremont street is closed to vehicles so, it is very nice to stroll along the pedestrian mall, enjoying yard long margaritas and free entertainment. It is a great place to shop for cheap souveniers and post cards. It is also easy to visit several casinos in a very short time since they lack the bohemeth proportions of the new Strip Casinos. We stopped into the Golden Nugget to see "the nugget" for which the casino is named. It is the world's largest, weighing in at 61 lbs! It looks like a giant golden turd.

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Directions: Fremont Street is located off Las Vegas Boulevard, north of "the Strip".
Website: www.vegasexperience.com

I loved the colourful facade of this hotel and casino. We stayed very near here so we passed it several times both at day and at night.

The 150 foot replica of the Statue of Liberty is excellent as is the Manhatten skyline that it is set against. You will also see a mini version of the Chrysler Building, the Empire State Building and the Brooklyn Bridge. And, through it all winds a bright red roller coaster called the Manhattan Express with yellow cars of screaming passengers whizzing along at speeds of up to 105 km/hr.

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Phone: (800) 693-6763
Address: 3790 Las Vegas Blvd
Directions: across from MGM Grand
Website: www.nynyhotelcasino.com

An Egyptian theme prevails at the Luxor. If you arrive by the free monorail from Mandalay Bay or the Excaliber, you will behold the giant Sphinx which guards the entrance to the shining black pyramid. But fear not, you can enter between the sphinx's legs to the casino and beyond. Inside you will find faithful reproductions of Egyptian hieroglyphs, Tutankhamaun's tomb and Cleopatra's Needle, alongside the slot machines and talking camels.

King Tut's Museum is open 9am to 11pm daily, not free.

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Phone: (800) 288-1000
Address: 3900 Las Vegas Boulevard South
Directions: South end of the strip between Excalibur and Mandalay Bay
Website: http://www.luxor.com

After a visit to the Las Vegas Visitor's Centre we were directed to the Stratosphere for a great deal on an evening's entertainment.

For only $44, we rode 900 feet to the top of the tower (which alone is a $9 value), we enjoyed a sumptuous seafood buffet, AND we saw an excellent impersonators show with two free drinks! Considering almost all of the other shows in town start at $50 and up, and that's just for the show....we thought this was a great deal!

We planned our visit to the Observation Deck to coincide with sunset. That way, we could see the city by day, and by night and possibly catch a great sunset in between. Apart from admiring the view, it was fun to watch the new thrill ride located on top of the Stratosphere. It is called X-SCream and it plunges its riders literally over the edge of the platform and dangles them 900 feet above the Strip.

The impersonator's show was called American Superstars and featured the obligatory Elvis, along with Ricky Martin, Britanny Spears, Charlie Daniels and my favourite, Michael Jackson. He was a fabulous dancer and entertainer....and not as creepy as the real Michael! The couple sitting next to us had been to the show 3 times, they liked it so much! I recommend that you see it at least once while in Vegas.

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Phone: (800) 998-6937
Address: 2000 Las Vegas Boulevard South
Website: www.stratospherehotel.com

On our trek down the Strip to the Stratosphere (it's not as close as it looks!) we had to stop in to Circus Circus to cool off and rest a bit. We decided to catch one of the free circus acts that are shown from 11am onward. Ours featured 4 acrobats swinging and tumbling above us while we watched awestruck from beneath their safety net. The performance lasted about 15 minutes and did I mention, it was free.

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Phone: (702) 794-3939
Address: 2880 S. Las Vegas Blvd
Directions: Circus Circus is located on the west side of Las Vegas Blvd., between Slots-o-Fun and Sahara St.
Website: http://www.circuscircus.com

Leave your highheels behind and take a walk down the Strip, especially at night. It's 3.5 miles from end to end and from what we saw, there was so much traffic on the road, that we were making better time than the cabs or buses anyway! Plus you can enjoy the great neon art as you pass.

The newer mega-hotels seem to shy away from the gaudy glitzy neon signs of old, but their facades were tastefully illuminated and very beautiful at night too. Especially Paris and New York. The Bellagio Fountains are also lit for the evening performances.

See my travelogue for more photos of Las Vegas by night.

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