Is it National Plan for Vacation Day already? Cooked up a few years back for the close of January as a not-so-subtle way to remind Americans to use or lose all their allotted time off during the coming year—a task more than 50% of us struggle to fulfill, according to a recent Pew poll—we’ll help make this easy for you. Obviously, you’re coming to Las Vegas. The only question is, what’s your strategy?

We’ve compiled three very different itineraries here, from some of the Southwest’s greatest outdoor experiences to the country’s greatest nightlife. In fact, you can use one itinerary nw and keep the other two in your back pocket for future trips. Don’t let 2025 pass you by: Turn on that out-of-office notification

A one-of-a-kind Downtown 

For most cities, the historic center of town is a place of business — here, it’s a place to ride a zipline under a neon canopy (Slotzilla at the Fremont Street Experience), learn about Vegas' colorful history — and grab a cocktail — at the Mob Museum, shop at unusual boutiques under the watchful eye of a fire-breathing praying mantis at the Downtown Container Park, wander the country’s most unique “boneyard” at the only-in-Vegas Neon Museum and explore galleries and breweries and cafes in the Arts District, where can stop for a wine tasting at the award-winning Garagiste Wine Room.

 

Make it a hearty breakfast with the locals at eat., one of downtown's best little cafes, or the newly popular Parlour Coffee and Cooking — or slide into the beautiful courtyard at the renovated Fergusons Motel in the Fremont East Entertainment District and sip cortados with the cool kids at Mothership Coffee Roasters. Lunch is at the tiny but mighty Le Thai or the long-trending modern American favorite Carson Kitchen, or take a trip with the islands and grab a plate — surrounded by vacationing islanders — at the classic Aloha Specialties at the California Hotel & Casino, a favorite among Hawaiian transplants and visitors alike. Keep it strictly classy at the the old-school Hugo’s Cellar or Oscar’s, two of the city’s most romantic dining experiences. Or, go super-super-local at the acclaimed Yukon Pizza in an up-and-coming area, a couple of doors down from the classic Huntridge Tavern, one of the best neighborhood dive bars in town. Wherever you go, wind up at at Atomic Liquors, clinging to the oldest tavern license in the state of Nevada, followed by slices at the up-all-night (or mostly) Evel Pie. 

Entertainment happens 24/7 on Fremont Street, with its street performers and quirky collection of casino resorts both old and new. If you head down to Fremont East, you'll discover some nightlife hidden gems, from the lavish garden at Park on Fremont to the wacky Discopussy (just follow the waving octopus tentacles) to the hidden speakeasy in the former laundry room of the old El Cortez Hotel and Casino (hint: it's called The Laundry Room and it's across the street). Or, take things in a completely unexpected direction — spend the night at The Smith Center, home for world-acclaimed touring Broadway shows, and classical concerts with the Las Vegas Symphony.

Call it a night at one of the newest properties downtown, the Circa Resort & Casino — their year-round heated outdoor pool club, Stadium Swim is a haven for sports fanatics where you can watch all the big games on some of the biggest screens you’ve ever seen.

Beautiful lights of Las Vegas seen from a distance focusing in on Circa and stadium swim.
Circa Resort & Casino in Downtown Las Vegas

Up and down the iconic Strip

Get in your steps without even noticing with a three-mile walk from Mandalay Bay to Wynn — the lengthy walk along one of the world’s most iconic boulevards showcase the dizzying variety of the Las Vegas Strip, from exotic animals at the Flamingo Wildlife Habitat, or feeding the stingrays at at the Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay, to the tallest observation wheel in North America, the High Roller at The LINQ Hotel + Experience. The one-of-a-kind Sphere has been generating buzz worldwide since it opened, a 17,500-seat concert hall-cum-art installation with its jaw-dropping exterior LED exosphere that you have to see to believe. 

Grab yourself a Bellagio-facing balcony room or suite at The Cosmopolitan and feel not only like a boss, but also part of the action, whether you leave your room all weekend or not. Or, disappear into the Zen-inspired world-within-a-world at the NOBU Hotel Las Vegas, just an elevator’s ride away from the action atop Caesars Palace, where Roman-esque pampering awaits you at the Qua Baths spa — just across the lobby from one of the city’s most talked-about brunch buffets at Bacchanal. 

Women Holding Drinks Overlooking Bellagio Fountains Cosmopolitan
Balcony room at The Cosmopolitan Las Vegas overlooking the Fountains of Bellagio

For a dining-with-view experience, book a brunch reservation at Mon Ami Gabi at Paris Las Vegas, or cocktails in the sky at Alle Lounge on 66 at Resorts World, and carve out an evening for dinner at PRIME Steakhouse — boasting dining patio that gets you as close as possible to the Fountains at Bellagio.

Between the heady mix of day clubs and nightclubs on and above the Strip, you don’t really need an itinerary at all — just a pass to the action at LIV Nightclub at Fontainebleau with its world-class rotation of EDM greats including resident DJ John Summit or a table at Drai’s Nightclub, offering big vistas from its penthouse perch atop the boutique Cromwell Hotel, where A-list, chart-topping artists like Wiz Khalifa not only show up, but also perform.   

Lose yourself in Las Vegas’ great outdoors  

Whether you get up early for a sunrise hike among the vividly-colored landscapes treasured by generations of visitors to Valley of Fire State Park or keep it close to the center of everything with a desert stroll at the well-kept-secret Springs Preserve, a place for the whole family to enjoy. Book yourself a small-group kayak adventure at the magical Emerald Cave on the nearby Colorado River with EZ Kayak Tours, or skip past all the vehicles for a memorable, 17-mile e-bike ride at Red Rock Canyon. Serious about cycling? Head for Cottonwood Station in the tiny desert village of Blue Diamond, minutes but worlds away from the city, to sip coffees and eat oven-fired pizzas  among the two-wheeled set — here, you’re right next to a well-loved bike shop that offers rentals and expertise on the greatest trails in the valley and surrounds. Or, do it all in one stop at Pedal & Pour in Summerlin, a popular café that’s also a bike rental shop. And if you can’t take the heat — or the cold, depending on the time of year — move on to one of the strip’s destination-worthy spas, say, the Waldorf-Astoria Las Vegas, where all that pampering comes with upper-floor views of the action on the Strip.  

Valley of Fire
Valley of Fire State Park, located in the Mojave Desert

The gorgeous new Durango Casino & Resort keeps you about as close as you can get to the outdoor action — it also puts you at the heart of Southwest Las Vegas, one the trendiest spots in the destination right now. Hot spot restaurants include the exemplary Chinatown transplant Shang Artisan Noodle and The Oyster Bar, which offers the same legendary pan roasts you get at Palace Station but usually with shorter wait times. Across from Durango you'll find UnCommons, a Gen Z-skewing mixed-use complex built around a shaded courtyard for top bites and treats at Florentine sandwich import All Ántico Vinaio, LA’s legendary Urth Caffe and Portland ice creamery Salt & Straw, not to mention the beloved Philadelphia pasta spot Fiorella, from Marc Vetri.