Nevada - Guide to Las Vegas for Non-Gambling Couples
Las Vegas may be known for its lavish casino-resorts and boisterous nightlife, but there’s a lot more to do in Sin City for couples besides gambling and partying.
If table games and dance floors are not your style, there is so much else you can do while visiting Las Vegas!
Stroll the Strip
Besides gambling, the most talked-about part of Las Vegas is “the strip”. This is the iconic part of Las Vegas where all of the major resort hotels, casinos, and restaurants are located. The entire strip is about 4.2 miles long, but walking from hotel to hotel with many stops for shopping and dining in between, you won’t even realize you have walked this far.
When we visited Las Vegas, we stayed at the Luxor which is on the south end of the strip, so the day we decided to explore the strip together we had taken a Lyft to the Bellagio, had brunch, and then began walking around. If you aren’t too fond of walking and don’t mind paying a few bucks here and there, you can always Lyft/Uber from place to place if there are specific spots you want to see.
TIP: The summer months in Las Vegas are extremely hot and dry so stay hydrated and take lots of breaks indoors.
Explore the Hotels
Couples visiting Las Vegas may not realize that they can visit any of the hotels free of charge and most of the hotels are connected on the inside by walkways making it super easy to cover lots of ground. Some of the most iconic hotels are located right next to each other including the Bellagio, Caesar’s Palace, Paris, Flamingo, Mirage, and the Venetian. A few ways that we enjoyed seeing the hotels was by dining in the restaurants and relaxing in the lounges.
TIP: Reservations for Las Vegas restaurants and lounges are highly recommended if you don’t want to wait or risk not getting in at all.
See a Show
Acrobats, divas, magicians, jokesters, showgirls, and puppets. There are so many shows in Las Vegas that you can't possibly take them all in, but there's not a doubt you and your partner will find something that will blow you both away.
Shop Till You Drop
With an amazing variety of specialty shops, outstanding anchor stores, luxury brand boutiques, and unprecedented dining, Las Vegas delivers nearly 7 million square feet of shopping bliss. Nowhere in the world is there such convenient access to several amazing shopping experiences appealing to any couple visiting Las Vegas. And now, many shops and restaurants are offering curbside pickup.
The Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian is just one of many amazing shopping areas. This is an upscale shopping mall that will have any couple feeling like they just stepped foot in Italy. This 500,000-square-foot mall has a man-made river in the center, where you can take a romantic gondola ride. They also have live entertainment in the center of the mall where people perform, just like in the streets of Italy!
Make Your Way off the Strip
Just a few miles from the strip we discovered AREA15. This is an immersive playground, all rolled into a vast and vibrant space. Throw an axe, wander through a bamboo volcano, race on a zip line, or explore other mesmerizing realms. From the futuristic to the thrill-seeking, there’s an experience for everyone here.
Our favorite experience was Omega Mart. This is an interactive experience from Santa Fe’s groundbreaking art collective, Meow Wolf. Featuring jaw-dropping work from international and local artists, Omega Mart sends participants of all ages on a journey through surreal worlds, immersive storytelling, and playful nuggets of the imagination. Discover secret portals, play and explore among unexpected landscapes, or simply soak up the innovative art as you venture beyond an extraordinary supermarket into parts unknown. In other words, you have no idea what’s in store for you. While this experience seems like it may be targeting kids or families, we can tell you that we thoroughly enjoyed exploring Omega Mart and all of AREA15 as a couple!
Get Out of Town
Literally! One day during our visit we rented a car and made a trip to the Grand Canyon West and the Hoover Dam. It’s a super easy drive and an experience you will definitely not regret! This was the first time we ever saw the Grand Canyon and this Wonder of the World is what truly sparked our interest in traveling more frequently. And we can tell you, no pictures will ever do the Grand Canyon justice, you really do have to see it for yourself!
On our way to the Grand Canyon, we also stopped at Seven Magic Mountains. Rondinone’s Seven Magic Mountains can be described as “seven towers of colorful, stacked boulders standing more than thirty feet high,” right smack in the Nevada desert.
Wine and Dine
No matter where you are, you've got to eat, and the thing about food in Las Vegas is that it's good... really good! It's just as easy to go big as it is to stay humble without ever leaving unhappy. Haute cuisine or stacked burgers. All-you-can-eat or one piece of chocolate. Out-of-this-world sushi or big-as-your-head pancakes. Hole-in-the-wall or hole-in-the-wallet. Vegas is its own world of food superiority, and you are sure to find the perfect spot for you and your partner!
