Aerial view of Las Vegas

Skip the Buffet—Go for First-Class Dining

Hell’s Kitchen

LAS VEGAS OWES its thriving food scene to one key figure: Wolfgang Puck. This celebrity chef rolled the dice in 1992 to open an outpost of his swanky Beverly Hills hot spot, Spago, in Las Vegas. A dining revolution bloomed as others followed suit.  

Chef and TV personality Gordon Ramsay has a half-­dozen eateries on the Strip, including Hell’s Kitchen. “Who doesn’t want to be part of something so wild and exciting?” Ramsay says. “Las Vegas is a place solely built for enjoying the best things in life. Vegas has become such a foodie destination.”

Orla at Mandalay Bay

James Beard Award–winning chef Michael Mina, who has two new Vegas restaurants this year, says that competition on the Strip has resulted in a wealth of options. Among Mina’s recent openings is Orla at Mandalay Bay, which pays homage to his Egyptian and Mediterranean heritage—evidence that today’s visitors welcome taste adventures beyond shrimp cocktail. “Orla holds a special place in my heart,” Mina says. “It allows me to reconnect with my roots.”

A Diverse Retail Scene Rivals Fashion Capitals

Wynn Plaza Shops

THERE IS NOTHING Las Vegas retailers love more than winners; jackpots often lead to epic shopping sprees.

And Las Vegas has become an exceptional shopping destination. “Our variety of stores is bigger than many cities’ because Las Vegas is such a melting pot,” says fashion stylist Christie Moeller. “Even when I go to New York for a shoot, I prefer to shop in Vegas and then ship the items because of the variety here.”

The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace has dozens of specialty stores. The Shops at Crystals is a high-end haven, while the Wynn Plaza Shops are worth a visit even if you’re just window-shopping.

Don’t Miss the Superstars

Cirque du Soleil

LAS VEGAS HAS always been about big-name entertainment. Literally. Performers’ monikers are emblazoned in gigantic letters on marquees. But it was Cirque du Soleil and Celine Dion who propelled the entertainment scene forward.

Dion at Caesars Palace

Dion planted herself in Vegas while in the prime of her career. Caesars Palace even built her a custom 4,000-plus-seat venue. “The reason the residency business works so well in Las Vegas is because of the number of times the city turns over on a weekly basis,” says Bobby Reynolds, senior vice president of promoter AEG Presents Las Vegas.

Now artists of all ages and genres enjoy successful Vegas residencies, including U2, who last year opened Sphere—a one-of-a-kind concert venue in a giant orb covered inside and out with LED light screens.

Experience Sensory Overload

Meow Wolf

IN ADDITION TO concerts by the world’s biggest bands, Sphere offers guests other experiences, such as director Darren Aronofsky’s Postcard From Earth, an immersive film that takes audiences on a voyage spanning all seven continents.

That’s not the only immersive experience in town. Meow Wolf’s Omega Mart looks like a supermarket at first glance, but surprises exist around every aisle. Pop through a fridge door to enter passageways, and follow clues to solve a mystery. Or visit Illuminarium, with corridors covered in moving images. Depending on the show, you’ll come face-to-face with animals or walk on the moon.

Others include Flyover, an experience creating the sensation of flying over spectacular landscapes, and Arte Museum, where you’ll encounter gardens and crashing waves.

Take In a Game

Formula 1 Grand Prix

FOR DECADES, major sports leagues shunned the city because of concerns over sports betting. In 2003, the NFL rejected a Super Bowl ad from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) to avoid linking itself to gambling. All that has changed. As legal sports betting has spread across the nation in recent years—to the point that leagues have partnerships with gambling websites—Vegas no longer holds some poisonous distinction. And pro teams have flocked here.

Now you can attend home games of the Vegas Golden Knights (hockey), Las Vegas Aces (women’s basketball), Las Vegas Raiders (football) and, anticipated in 2028, the A’s (baseball). The NFL even staged the Super Bowl, America’s ultimate sporting event, here for the first time earlier this year, and a Formula 1 auto race late last year. “The last few months have been a whirlwind for the city,” says Kate Wik, chief marketing officer for the LVCVA.

Go Museum Hopping—Really!

Neon Museum

VEGAS MAY NOT be considered a center of culture and learning. But visitors can escape the bells and beeps of the casino floor for a quiet afternoon exploring history, especially niche interests.

Some examples: The Atomic Museum, which got a boost from the Oscar-winning film Oppenheimer, tells the story of America’s nuclear weapons testing program at the Nevada Test Site. The Mob Museum, which fittingly has a speakeasy, recounts the history of organized crime in the U.S. The Burlesque Hall of Fame is a feathers-and-sequins tribute to the city’s showgirls, while the Punk Rock Museum is a hard-core look at the punk scene where you can settle in and drink a rum and Coke served in a Pringles can, chips on the side.

Mob Museum

Perhaps most Vegas of all is the Neon Museum, where the signs of yesteryear—including those of the shuttered Riviera, Stardust and Moulin Rouge casinos—still glow. “Las Vegas isn’t a sentimental town, so buildings that are seen as ‘economically obsolete’ are removed rather than preserved,” gaming historian Schwartz says. “At this point, blowing things up is the history.”

Ryan Slattery is a Las Vegas–based journalist. He has written for Travel + Leisure, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Time Out and Eater Las Vegas.