Las Vegas Boulevard Walking Tour

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1 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 1 - Las Vegas Boulevard Walking Tour Built amid Nevada s Mojave Desert, Las Vegas is an iconic destination renowned for its round-the-clock casinos and numerous entertainment options. Las Vegas Strip is one of the greatest entertainment places in the world, as well as the densest collection of neon lights. A walk down the Strip is an all-inclusive Las Vegas experience - an adventure that comprises 75 years of history, glamour and roadside charm. Don't leave Vegas without visiting at least some attractions listed in this walk. Guide Location: USA» Las Vegas # of Attractions: 15 Tour Duration: 3 hour(s) Travel Distance: 6.0 km Please note: This walk is also featured in the ios app "Las Vegas Map and Walks" on itunes App Store and the Android app "Las Vegas Map and Walks" on Google Play. The apps provide GPS navigation to guide you from one tour stop to the next, so you will never be lost. The apps offer additional walking tours in Las Vegas. Check them out! GPSmyCity offers self-guided walking tours in over 1,000 city around the world. Please visit gpsmycity.com for more walking tour offers. List of attractions included in this self-guided walking tour: A) Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Sign B) Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino C) Luxor Las Vegas Resort, Hotel and Casino D) Tropicana Las Vegas Hotel E) New York, New York Hotel and Casino F) MGM Grand Hotel and Casino G) Paris Las Vegas Hotel H) Eiffel Tower at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel I) Bellagio Resort, Hotel and Casino J) Caesars Palace Las Vegas Hotel and Casino K) The Auto Collections L) Madame Tussauds Las Vegas M) The Canals of The Venetian Resort, Hotel and Casino N) The Venetian Las Vegas Casino, Hotel and Resort O) The Palazzo Resort, Hotel and Casino Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 1 -

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3 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 3 - A) Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Sign (must see) Although Las Vegas is renowned throughout the world for its casinos, clubs and luxury hotels along the Strip, there is one attraction that pulls in millions of visitors every year, which is free of charge and available at all hours of the day for everyone. It is, of course the famous Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Sign. The 25ft high sign was designed in 1959 by Betty Willis who worked for Western Neon. Her father had been heavily involved in the city and she wanted to place a symbol in his memory that expresses the optimism and wonder of Las Vegas. The sign cost $4000 and its design is simple, with flashing yellow lights around the border and silver dollar symbols with Welcome written in red inside them. On the front, the sign reads Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada ; on the back you will see Drive carefully and Come back soon, an invitation taken up by millions of gamblers and tourists every year. When it was erected, the sign stood in the median center of the Strip and people risked life and limb, not to mention a heavy fine for jay-walking, to have their photo taken beside it. This problem has been solved and a small parking area has been set up next to the sign. Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 3 -

4 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 4 - It has been shining out its message for over 50 years, except for a short while in 1999 when the company forgot to pay the electricity bill. They had all the bulbs changed and checked the wiring over and over until someone realized the error; the bill, of about $60, was paid and the lights came back on. Address: 5100 South Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas, NV 89119, USA Image Courtesy of Flickr and matze_ott. Sight description based on wikipedia B) Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino (must see) All the casinos in Las Vegas offer the opportunity for amateur gamblers to get rich quick, but the Mandalay Hotel and Casino offers so much more and is well worth a visit. It is to be found on the Strip in the Paradise area and you will easily recognize it by its lovely golden facade. Owned by the MGM Resorts International Company, it has 44 storeys of luxurious hotel rooms and penthouses. The check-in area is separate from the casino and has a wonderful aquarium, marble floors and graceful columns. The casino has 120 gaming tables a race and sports book and over 2000 slot machines. There is also a health spa and a theater where you can take in some of the best live shows in the world: Mamma Mia ran here for two years, followed by The Lion King. The next great show will be Michael Jackson: Immortal World Tour put on by the Cirque du Soleil. The complex has an 11 acre area with heated outdoor swimming pools, one of which is a wave pool. Another pool, the Moorea has a private bar and allows topless bathing, so it is separated from the other pools by smoked glass windows and is only open to guests over 21 years old. The Lazy River with its small waterfalls is great fun for adults and kids alike. Other attractions include the Shark Reef Aquarium, the House of Blues Bar which has live music and a restaurant and the lookout balcony on the top floor which affords wonderful views of Las Vegas. Address: 3950 South Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas, NV 89119, USA Image Courtesy of Flickr and agent_shir. Sight description based on wikipedia Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 4 -

5 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 5 - C) Luxor Las Vegas Resort, Hotel and Casino (must see) Las Vegas never ceases to amaze you, just when you think you have seen everything, you find another surprise in store. This is the case with the Luxor Las Vegas Resort, Hotel and Casino. It is a 30 storey pyramid made of steel and black glass, with a spotlight at the top which at night shines towards the stars and is the brightest beam in the world. The building, named after the town of Luxor in Egypt and owned by MGM Resorts International, boasts 4408 luxurious hotel rooms, and a casino covering square meters, offering 2000 video and slot machines, gaming tables, race and sports book and a poker room. The atrium, which is the largest in the world houses shops, restaurants, bars, shows, lounges and clubs. There is also a health club, spa, beauty salon and swimming pool. Among the attractions you can visit Bodies The Exhibition. This rather gruesome exhibition shows 21 real human bodies in diverse positions and 260 body organs with explanations of how and why they function, and why they don t: there are lungs blackened from cigarette smoke and a liver in the last stages of cirrhosis quite enough to put anyone off smoking and drinking! The bodies and organs are preserved by the drainage of the tissue water which is replaced by silicone. This method is called polymer preservation. There are also skeletons and 60,000 miles of blood vessels. For those of us who are squeamish or who have just enjoyed an excellent meal, there is another exhibition called Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition, which tells the history of the doomed unsinkable cruise ship. Address: 3900 South Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas, NV 89119, USA Image Courtesy of Flickr and Tim Pearce, Los Gatos. Sight description based on wikipedia D) Tropicana Las Vegas Hotel (must see) The Tropicana Las Vegas Hotel is on the Las Vegas Strip in the Paradise area of the city and is linked to the casinos on the other side of the boulevard by overhead walkways. Apart from luxurious rooms, the hotel boasts a 4600 square meters casino and a separate poker room. On the ground floor of the hotel you will find Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 5 -

6 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 6 - the retail shop Essentials and several mini-boutiques on the 2nd floor. There is also 9000 square meters of conference and exhibition space. The hotel s permanent exhibition is the Las Vegas Mob Experience, which explains the influence organized crime has had in the creation of the world s most important gambling city. You will see various artifacts belonging to such infamous characters as Meyer Lansky, Bugsy Siegel and Tony Spilotro, among others. Outside, in a 4 acre tropical garden you will find swimming pools and the famous Nikki Beach Club, which offers sun beds, a restaurant, cafe and bar. The Club Nikki, the Hotel s great nightclub opens onto Nikki Beach. There are also five in-house restaurants, bars, spas and a health and fitness center and shows. One of the shows is Brad Garrett s Comedy Club, a hilarious one-man show, which you really shouldn t miss. Address: 3801 South Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas, NV 89109, USA Image Courtesy of Flickr and dherrera_96. Sight description based on wikipedia E) New York, New York Hotel and Casino (must see) For those of you who have never seen Manhattan, go and have a look at New York-New York Hotel and Casino, which is a scale model of the great city. The hotel is designed to look like the New York skyline and is made up of several towers resembling the Chrysler Building, the Empire State building and the Public Library. In front of the building a large lake represents New York Harbor, complete with a 46 meter replica of the Statue of Liberty, and replicas of the immigration office on Ellis Island, Grand Central Terminal, the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Soldiers and Sailors Monument. The New York theme is carried on inside with many of the gaming rooms, restaurants, lounges and conference rooms named after landmarks and monuments in the Big Apple the shopping area is modeled after Greenwich Village, complete with cobblestones and graffiti! For amusement, a part from the large casino, there is an ESPN Zone, a Sporting House restaurant with interactive games including bowling, horse racing, golf and boxing. A roller coaster roars around and through the Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 6 -

7 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 7 - hotel and casino, with its cars designed to look like the famous Checker Cabs. There are nightclubs, restaurants and several bars where dancing on the table and singing along with the music is all part of the fun. The theater is partly set up in cabaret style with squashy sofas and high bar stools. If you are over 18 years old you can take in the Cirque du Soleil s Zumanity show. Address: 3790 South Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas, NV 89109, USA Image Courtesy of Flickr and cliff1066. Sight description based on wikipedia F) MGM Grand Hotel and Casino (must see) The MGM Grand Hotel and Casino certainly lives up to its name: it is the 2nd largest hotel in the world and the biggest resort complex in the United States. You will find something for everyone here. The hotel has 5034 rooms and suites and the casino is one of the biggest in Las Vegas, with 15,932 square meters where you will find traditional gaming tables and over 3000 slot machines. The hotel boasts 15 restaurants, including two owned by the French Master Chef Joel Robuchon. Enjoy a meal in the Rainforest Cafe or a great sandwich in the Wichcraft Sandwich Bar. There are also Sushi bars, seafood restaurants, buffets and grills. Other attractions include 5 outdoor pools and a lazy river spread over 6 acres of beautiful gardens; the Lion Habitat, where glass tunnels wind through a terrain of rocks, trees and waterfalls, giving you a close-up view of the six wildcats that live there; the MGM Garden Arena which puts on sporting events and concerts; a wonderful show KA by the Cirque du Soleil will amaze you with the troupe s display of acrobatics, martial arts, puppets and firework displays. Adults can visit the Crazy Horse Paris topless cabaret or the Studio 54 nightclub. You can enjoy shopping in the hotel s many shops and boutiques, relax in the Grand Spa or workout in the Health and Fitness Centre. Address: 3799 South Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas, NV 89109, USA Image Courtesy of Flickr and Evelyn Proimos. Sight description based on wikipedia Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 7 -

8 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 8 - G) Paris Las Vegas Hotel (must see) If you ve never been able to visit Paris in France you can visit it in America at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel. This wonderful hotel and casino complex brings you the very best of Paris with the front of the hotel designed to resemble the Opera of Paris and the Louvre. Admire a three-quarter size Arch de Triomphe, a copy of La Fontaine des Mers, a Theatre des Arts and, of course the half scale size Eiffel Tower. In the beginning the tower was supposed to be life-sized, but the hotel s proximity to the airport scuppered this idea, so the tower is a mere 165 meters high. The back legs of the tower go through the ceiling to the floor of the casino, where French wrought-iron streetlamps grace the large room and the ceiling is painted to represent the sky. The casino has over 100 gaming tables, 2200 high-payout slot machines, a poker room and a sports and race book. The hotel has 12 restaurants, one of which is on the 11th floor of the Eiffel Tower, others, on the casino level include Mon Ami Gabi and Les Artistes Steakhouse. You will find some great live shows in the Paris Theatre or in the entertainment lounges, including Anthony Cools, the famous hypnotist, and The Magic of Paris. There are also plenty of bars and a nightclub. The Boulevard shopping mall has cobblestoned Parisian streets, restaurants, bars and shops, giving you the feeling of being in the French capital. There are even two chapels where you can have a Parisian wedding. For those who wish to work out or relax, there is a swimming pool, fitness center, spa, saunas, steam rooms and a tennis court. Address: 3655 South Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas, NV 89109, USA Image Courtesy of Flickr and http2007. Sight description based on wikipedia H) Eiffel Tower at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel (must see) Paris Las Vegas is a hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, definitely one of the most well recognized landmarks of Las Vegas and an outstanding view. The tower is also one of the most romantic places in Las Vegas and has an observation deck 540 feet above ground level that offers a breathtaking view of the city. The property is Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 8 -

9 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 9 - owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment Corp. As its name suggests, its theme is the city of Paris, France; it includes a half scale, 541-foot (165 m) tall replica of the Eiffel Tower, a sign in the shape of the Montgolfier balloon, a two-thirds size Arc de Triomphe, a replica of La Fontaine des Mers, and a 1,200-seat theatre called Le Théâtre des Arts. The front of the hotel suggests the Paris Opera House and the Louvre. The Paris is linked via a promenade to its sister property, Bally's Las Vegas, through which it is linked to the Las Vegas Monorail. Address: 3655 South Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas, NV 89109, USA Image Courtesy of Flickr and Serge Melki. Sight description based on wikipedia I) Bellagio Resort, Hotel and Casino (must see) You really should visit the Bellagio Resort, Hotel and Casino which is the most elegant and luxurious complex that Las Vegas offers its visitors. It is owned by MGM Resorts International and is renowned for its 8-acre lake which features the Fountains of Bellagio dancing water fountains set to music. The lobby ceiling is quite simply gorgeous, with over 2000 hand-blown glass flowers; this composition is called Fiori di Como and was created by Dale Chihuly. The resort also houses a conservatory and a wonderful botanical garden which changes its display of beautiful flowers according to the seasons and in honor of the Chinese New Year. The casino has 2400 slot machines, a race and sports book and 140 gaming tables. The 40 tables in the poker room are high-limit tables and are very popular with serious gamblers. The World Poker Tour is often held here. The resort also has a Gallery of Fine Arts where you can admire paintings and sculptures by some of the best modern artists in the world. The Via Bellagio boasts top-of-the-range shops and boutiques, bars, restaurants and a gift shop. The nightclubs offer a choice of live or DJ music to dance the night away. There is a Health Spa and Salon, a fitness center, a swimming pool with an outdoor sun deck, two ballrooms for receptions and parties and 14 meeting rooms with state-of-the-art lighting and sound equipment. Address: 3600 South Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas, NV 89109, USA Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 9 -

10 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 10 - Image Courtesy of Flickr and tkksummers. Sight description based on wikipedia J) Caesars Palace Las Vegas Hotel and Casino (must see) Caesars Palace is a luxury hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip and is a really amazing architectural structure. The structure is classical, with fascinating frescoes, columns, statues and other outstanding features. Caesars Palace is owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment Corporation. The hotel includes a convention facility of over 300,000 square feet (28,000 m2). Caesars has 3,960 rooms in 6 towers: Augustus, Centurion (now Nobu), Roman, Palace, Octavius, and Forum. The Forum tower features guest suites with 1,000 square feet (93 m2) of space. The Colosseum at Caesars Palace is a 4,296-seat entertainment venue, originally built for Celine Dion's show "A New Day". The venue has since hosted performances by numerous other artists. Caesars offers additional attractions including: Fall of Atlantis, Festival Fountain, Pure Nightclub, the Pussycat Dolls Lounge and a number of world-famous restaurants and celebrity chefs. Address: 3570 South Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas, NV 89109, USA Image Courtesy of Flickr and jdnx. Sight description based on wikipedia K) The Auto Collections Even if you aren t a great car fanatic, don t miss the Auto Collections which are housed on the fifth floor of the Imperial Palace Hotel and Casino s parking area. You will find cars on display that are collector s items, either for sale or just there to be admired in the largest classic car collection in the world. There are over 250 models, ranging from custom hotrods to antique family cars. Admire cars that are proto-types of which they are the unique model, historical cars, muscle cars designed for high-performance driving and cars that were once owned by celebrities. You can have your photo taken beside a 1939 Chrysler Royal Sedan that the TV host Jimmy Carson learned to drive in, a beautiful 1928 Isotta Franschini Tipo, a Jaguar XJ220 that when it was launched in 1994, was the fastest car in the world, or a 1932 Rolls Royce Phantom II. Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 10 -

11 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 11 - The Grand Salon houses rare vehicles along with Bentley s, Ferrari s and Aston Martin s, all in excellent condition. Each car has a placard that will explain its history and its price. In the Main Showroom you will find less exotic makes such as Ford, Renault, Porsche and many others. Don t forget to visit the gift shop where you can buy books about cars, figurines, games, toy cars, custom-made vanity plates, parking signs and key rings. Operation Hours: Monday - Sunday: 10 am - 6 pm; Address: 3535 South Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas, NV 89109, USA Image Courtesy of Flickr and Gregory Moine L) Madame Tussauds Las Vegas (must see) A visit to Madame Tussaud s Las Vegas is a must for everyone who wants their photo taken with the stars. You will find this wonderful wax museum inside the Venetian Hotel and Casino. The museum is spread out over 2 floors and has eight sections: In Speed Demons you can see Evel Knievel and even sit on a replica of his legendary Harley Davidson. In the TV Stars section you can sing a song or do a dance for Simon Cowell and then snuggle up to Eva Longoria. The Pop Stars area includes Michael Jackson and Lady Gaga among others. John Wayne and Elvis are to be found in the Culture Icons section. If you touch Elvis hand he will talk to you in his syrupy Southern drawl! You might find the World Icons area a bit too American with Barak Obama, JFK, Martin Luther King Jr and George Bush. You can play golf with Tiger Woods in the Sport s Stars section or stand next to Johnny Depp, Harrison Ford or George Cloony in Hollywood Stars: part of the fun includes dressing up as Cloony s bride and getting married to him. There is an area called Behind the Scenes where you can learn some interesting facts about how the waxworks began and about how these marvelous mannequins are made. They are created in Madame Tussaud s London studio and shipped out to Las Vegas. Each waxwork takes between 6 months and a year to make. This includes taking a whole lot of the Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 11 -

12 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 12 - personality s measurements, hair samples and teeth imprints. Real hair is inserted strand by strand and the eyes are hand-painted. Operation Hours: Monday - Thursday: 10 am - 9 pm; Friday - Saturday: 10 am - 10 pm; Sunday: 10 am - 9 pm; Address: 3377 South Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas, NV 89109, USA Image Courtesy of Flickr and cliff1066 M) The Canals of The Venetian Resort, Hotel and Casino (must see) The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino is a luxury hotel and casino resort situated between Harrah's and The Palazzo on the east side of the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, on the site of the old Sands Hotel. The Canals of The Venetian Hotel are a very beautiful sight and a grandiose architectural achievement. The canals are located at the Grand Canal Shoppes specifically and besides affording an outstanding view, the Italian atmosphere is in the air, so it is also a very romantic place. The hotel uses Venice, Italy as its design inspiration and features architectural replicas of various Venetian landmarks, including the Palazzo Ducale, Piazza San Marco, Piazzetta di San Marco, the Lion of Venice Column & the Column of Saint Theodore, St Mark's Campanile, and the Rialto Bridge. Address: 3355 South Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas, NV 89109, USA Image Courtesy of Flickr and Ken Lund. Sight description based on wikipedia N) The Venetian Las Vegas Casino, Hotel and Resort (must see) Las Vegas is famous for its hotels and casinos with their world themes and one of the loveliest is the Venetian Las Vegas Casino, Hotel and Resort. The 145 meter high, 40 storey hotel and resort is a replica of St Mark s Campanile in Venice, Italy. The lobby, grand gallery and reception rooms have beautifully frescoed ceilings, graceful columns and chandeliers of Venetian glass. The Grand Gallery connects the lobby to the casino with its gaming tables, and 2500 slot machines including Megabucks and Super Megabucks. The Grand Canal Shoppes house an up-market shopping mall, Italian restaurants, bars and a replica of the Rialto Bridge. Of course there is a Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 12 -

13 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 13 - canal that winds its way through the mall and you can ride on a gondola. The TAO Nightclub has an Asian decor of wood and stone with a 20ft high statue of Buddha, two dance rooms, 8 private sky boxes with their own mini-bars and an infinity pool with ornamental Koi Carp. On top of the nightclub you will find TAO Beach which is the hotel s day club pool party, with 7 VIP cabanas. The resort is the home of the famous Blue Man Group when they are in town, and also Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular Andrew Lloyd Webber s marvelous musical production of the Phantom of the Opera. You can also take in a show starring the comedian Rita Rudner. Address: 3355 South Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas, NV 89109, USA Image Courtesy of Flickr and Martijn Nijenhuis. Sight description based on wikipedia O) The Palazzo Resort, Hotel and Casino (must see) The Palazzo Resort, Hotel and Casino, along with the Sands Convention Centre and the Venetian Hotel and Casino forms a large entertainment complex where you can spend happy hours shopping, relaxing or playing in the casino. The building is 196 meters high and has 3068 suites that are 67 square meters each; with the 9600 square meter casino and an overall ground space of 645,581 square meters, this is the largest building in terms of floor space in the United States. The lobby is delightfully decorated with hundreds of hanging umbrellas under an 18 meter-high glass dome with a two-storey fountain. The casino has 2200 slot and video machines, a race and sports book, 139 gaming tables, a poker room and a high-limit salon with a further 20 tables where the main game is Baccarat. The hotel has over 60 up-market shops and 15 restaurants from the luxury Lavo with its American/Italian menu, to burger joints where you can enjoy a good meal if your budget is rather limited. Because the Palazzo joins the Venetian, you can also take advantage of the latter s fabulous gondola rides along the Grand Canal. The hotel also has a great nightclub and a theater where you can take in a Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 13 -

14 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 14 - Jersey Boys show, and several good bars. For those of you who wish to dream, there is a Lamborghini Showroom and you can look your fill at the beautiful cars on display. Address: 3325 South Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas, NV 89109, USA Image Courtesy of Flickr and Ken Lund. Sight description based on wikipedia Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 14 -