Weekend Itinerary for Las Vegas
Las Vegas is a city unlike any other! While it’s known for its casinos, the city offers so much more for everyone. Whether you’re interested in the elite food scene, spectacular shows, elevated themed hotels, pool parties or clubs for the late-nighters, or gorgeous nature surrounding the city, you will not get bored here!
My husband Mike and I visited Vegas in early November, which was absolutely perfect weather-wise.
Day 1
We arrived on a Friday late afternoon and headed straight to our hotel after we picked up our rental car. If you are only staying in the city, I’d recommend not getting a rental car since you have to pay for parking. However, we were in the area for several days and needed to be able to get around. We stayed at the Flamingo, which is very centrally located. This is one of the more affordable hotels located on the strip.
Appetizers and Drinks at Pinky’s
We started our evening at the lounge in the Flamingo Hotel called Pinky’s by Vanderpump. I got the honey jalapeno margarita and Mike got an Aperol spritz. This was one of the best drinks I’ve had in a while! We also got two appetizers: grilled cheese pretzel bites with a tomato bisque, along with the pull-apart bread. Both were delicious! This pre-dinner meal was expensive (as most meals in Vegas are) – it was more than we would normally spend on our entire dinner!
LAVO
Next, we walked about 15 minutes down to the Italian restaurant LAVO. This restaurant is located inside The Palazzo, which is part of The Venetian Resort. LAVO has a beautiful indoor dining room, along with a lovely terrace overlooking the strip. We had made a reservation but were running a little early, so while we had to wait a little bit, they were able to squeeze us in early on the outdoor terrace.
The food was delicious. Mike and I split the giant meatball (one pound of wagyu beef) and the bucatini carbonara. Both were awesome! I recommend sitting inside though. The terrace was a little loud with sirens and traffic going by consistently. Also, since there weren’t a lot of people sitting out there, we felt like the waitress had forgotten about us at a couple points.
Walk around the Venetian
While you’re here, walk around the Venetian! This resort is modeled after Venice, Italy, and has canals with gondola rides, Piazza San Marco, and Venetian-style architecture. You can wander the Grand Canal Shoppes, take a gondola ride, grab a drink, and as always, hit the casino.
Day 2
Breakfast at Hash House A Go Go
We started our next morning at a super popular breakfast place near our hotel called Hash House a Go Go. The location we visited was in the LINQ. We arrived around 8am, which was perfect timing, because it gets crowded as the morning goes on. We didn’t have to wait at all for a table.
I got the (massive) banana and brown sugar pancake and Mike got an egg scramble. This may have been the best pancake I’ve ever had! I’m still dreaming about how the sugar caramelized, creating a delicious crunch.
Bellagio
Next, I recommend walking over to the Bellagio. It’s modeled after the Bellagio Village on Lake Como, Italy. It’s a beautiful hotel worth walking around. The Conservatory and Botanical Gardens are free and quite elaborate! They change the theme and floral displays five times a year to align with the seasons. There are a lot of designer stores here, so you could spend some time shopping. As you leave the Bellagio, you must catch the free fountain show. It starts at noon and runs every 30 minutes. It really is worth seeing!
Paris
Next, cross the strip and head to Paris. There is an Eiffel Tower replica that is quite impressive. You can even head up to the viewing deck for a view of the strip. The inside of the casino is really well done. It feels like you’re walking the streets of Paris.
Mon Ami Gabi
We had dinner at the popular Mon Ami Gabi, a restaurant in Paris. I highly recommend sitting out on the terrace. It’s right across the street from the Bellagio fountains, so you’ll get to see a fountain show while you eat. Mike and I got the French onion soup and steak frites. Both were amazing!
Get a Cronut at Dominique Ansel Marche
For dessert, head to the bakery called Dominique Ansel Marche. They are famous for their cronuts- a hybrid of a croissant and donut. I’d never had one before, but this was a life-changing experience!
Day 3
Caesars Palace
Start your morning by exploring Caesars Palace, the resort themed around Ancient Rome. You can walk through the Forum Shops and see the 50,000-gallon saltwater aquarium here. You can also stop by the replica of the Trevi Fountain.
Bacchanal Brunch Buffet
Once you’re hungry, head to one of the most famous buffet experiences in Las Vegas. The Bacchanal Buffet is located inside Caesars Palace and is known for its variety of food stations with food from all over the world. You can make a reservation (AKA a line pass) to skip most of the line. You’ll have to put your card down for this reservation and will be charged if you don’t show. The buffet is very pricey (it was $87 per person at the end of 2025), but there is so much variety, and you can eat as much as you want. You’ll have your table for 1.5 hours, which was plenty of time for us.
See the Flamingos at the Flamingo Hotel
Head across the strip to The Flamingo to see the flamingos! The Flamingo is decked out in art deco that screams retro Miami. They have a wildlife habitat that is home to a flock of Chilean flamingos, exotic waterfowl, and brown pelicans. You can wander through the habitat for free and see all the birds. It really is a little oasis in the courtyard of this huge hotel. On your way out, you can grab coffee at Cortadito, a popular Miami spot known for their Cuban coffee.
The LINQ
Next door to the Flamingo is the LINQ, a large entertainment, dining, and hotel complex. It’s known for its 550-foot-tall High Roller observation wheel. There is also a zipline that goes over the open-air promenade. We did a little souvenir shopping here.
Downtown Vegas
This evening, head to the old downtown district, which is about six miles north of the Strip. Downtown is where Vegas started. It’s grittier and more authentic than the Strip. The famous casinos Golden Nugget, El Cortez, and Binion’s are located here. If you’re looking to gamble, it’s a bit cheaper here than on the strip.
The Fremont Street Experience is a pedestrian-only street covered by a huge LED canopy. They have free live music and street performers, with a zip-line going overhead. It’s a great spot for people watching!
The Neon Museum is located close by, which houses historic neon signs that once lit up Vegas. It was closed the evening we were downtown, but it’s on my list to visit one day!
Carson Kitchen
We had dinner at Carson Kitchen, located a couple blocks from Fremont Street. Their dishes are meant to share family-style, kind of like tapas. We ordered hotdog burnt ends, pork belly, mac and cheese, and black rice and oxtail risotto. We weren’t huge fans of the risotto but thought the other three items were great!
Other Things You Can Do
There are so many other things you can do while you’re in Vegas! Many people enjoy seeing a show while they’re here. We were considering it, but with how expensive the food was, we decided to save our money.
If you’re here in the summer, it’s popular to visit a pool party at one of the many day clubs in town.
I also highly recommend taking a day trip to the Valley of Fire or Red Rock Canyon, which are not far from Vegas.
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