101 things to do in Las Vegas besides gamble

Circus shows, hiking trails, desert adventures, ziplines and gluttonous buffets are amongst the many options for visitors who want to stay away from the casino floor in Las Vegas.

Las Vegas is perhaps incorrectly known as the gambling capital of the world (it’s not – Macao is). Many visitors can be put off by the massive casinos full of slot machines and gaming tables. But there is plenty to do in Las Vegas besides gamble, and this list of 101 options should merely be regarded as a taster.

You’ll note that all of these are permanent attractions and activities, rather than temporary events and short run concert series. You shouldn’t have to be in Vegas on precise dates to have a fantastic time…

1. Learn about the city’s organised crime origins at the Mob Museum.
2. Watch a giant mechanical mantis breathe fire outside the Downtown Container Park.
3. Take a helicopter flight into the Grand Canyon, gawping at the stark desert scenery on the way.
4. Admire the strange grace of the dancing fountains outside the Bellagio.
5. Discover how Vegas became popular on the back of people coming to watching atomic bombs being tested – at the Atomic Museum.
6. Gorge on unlimited seafood and much more at the city’s most absurdly lavish buffet – the Bacchanal Buffet at Caesar’s Palace.
7. Watch knights in armour charge at each other with jousting poles at the Tournament of Kings in the Excalibur.
8. Fly along Fremont Street from 114ft up, clutching on to the Slotzilla zipline.
9. Bounce around the dunes just outside the city on a beginner-friendly ATV tour.
10. See hundreds of old neon signs, rescued and restored to tell the story of Vegas’ bright lights, at the Neon Museum.
11. Gasp as acrobats dive from a great height into an on-stage pool during Cirque du Soleil’s O.
12. Get your obligatory photo outside the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign (it’s on S Las Vegas Boulevard, just south of Mandalay Bay).
13. Do something wholesome – go on a guided hike through the Valley of Fire.
14. Flip and flick on a host of vintage pinball machines at the Pinball Hall of Fame.
15. Find yourself surrounded by sharks – absolutely loads of them – at Mandalay Bay’s Shark Reef Aquarium.
16. Play 18 holes at the Strip’s only golf course – at the Wynn.
17. Discover Downtown Las Vegas’ burgeoning restaurant scene on a food walking tour.
18. Test your nerve, jumping from 829ft above the Strip at speeds of up to 40 miles per hour, with the Skyjump at the Strat Tower.
19. Explore the Titanic’s recreated cabins and grand staircase at Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition inside the Luxor.
20. Blitz the credit card, but get good value for it, at the Las Vegas South Premium Outlets.
21. Spin round to 550ft up on a supersized Ferris wheel – the High Roller at the Linq.
22. Ride the slides and splash away the heat at the Cowabunga Bay water park in Henderson.
23. See the Strip from the viewing deck of the Eiffel Tower (well, the Vegas copy of it) at the Paris.
24. Tackle a room escape game the absolutely terrifying way at the Official Saw Escape.
25. Treat yourself to top drawer steak, and service with flair, at Don’s Prime in the Fontainebleau.
26. Hold on tight and ride the Big Apple Coaster around New York, New York.
27. See magic that threatens to reveal its secrets, where humour replaces cheesy showmanship, with Penn and Teller at the Rio.
28. Admire a curious mix of physical comedy and extraordinary percussion courtesy of the Blue Man Group at the Luxor.
29. Watch your children learn through play at the Children’s Discovery Museum.
30. Paddle along the Colorado River into Emerald Cave on a half day kayaking tour.
31. Watch live country/ rock shows over BBQ ribs at Ole Red.
32. Pretend you’re a cowboy on a horseback ride through prime Wild West scenery.
33. Repeatedly trick your eyes at the Museum of Illusions.
34. Laugh as comedy performers attempt to make their way through all seven Harry Potter books in lightning quick time at Potted Potter.
35. Kick up some serious dust on a Hidden Valley dirt bike tour.
36. Fly 12 stories above the city on the Fly Linq zipline.
37. Enjoy a risqué show with an undead twist at Zombie Burlesque.
38. Get married by an Elvis impersonator at the Little Vegas Chapel.
39. Take a half day trip out to one of the world’s great engineering marvels – Hoover Dam.
40. Spook yourself out with the Hollywood horror movie props and costume at Tom Devlin’s Monster Museum.
41. Test your desert driving skills on a fairly hardcore dune buggy experience.
42. Listen to all your favourite Bee Gees songs live at the Australian Bee Gees Show at the Excalibur.
43. Head to a shooting gallery full of tanks and helicopters and fire machine guns.
44. Learn about wine and taste a few flights at the Rio’s Wine Cellar Tasting Room.
45. Get into the punk spirit, celebrate the Sex Pistols and the Ramones and grow your metaphorical Mohican at the Punk Rock Museum.
46. Do a day trip to Grand Canyon West, and dare to pose 4,000ft above the Colorado River on the Grand Canyon Skywalk.
47. See the sensory overload of the Strip from above on a nighttime helicopter flight.
48. Use your body to play grand-scale, electronic air hockey at Electric Playhouse.
49. Be wowed by some of the most spectacular desert scenery in the US on a day tour to Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend.
50. Watch clowns jugglers and – most importantly – some highly skilled animals at the Popovich Comedy Pet Theater.
51. Try Nevada-brewed craft beers and test your knowledge in the Wednesday night quiz at Beerhaus.
52. Drive some of the most exotic, expensive cars in the world around a private race track.
53. See the sun-scorched formations and basins of Death Valley, staying after dark to see the stars light up the desert sky.
54. Play glow-in-the-dark, Kiss-themed mini golf at the Rio.
55. Take in the Strip and surrounding desert from the 1,149ft-tall observation deck at the Strat.
56. Stroll under the world’s largest LED Canopy screen, slurping frozen cocktails and listening to live music, on Fremont Street.
57. Be wowed by Gerry McCambridge’s powers of mind-reading at Planet Hollywood with the Mentalist show.
58. See two extraordinary national parks – Zion and Bryce Canyon – on a day trip to Utah.
59. Combine dancing girls, Elvis, the Rat Pack and a fair bit of Las Vegas history at Vegas! The Show.
60. Float across the Mojave Desert in a hot air balloon.
61. Sample dishes at some of the best restaurants on the Strip with a small group food tour.
62. Learn about Nevada’s history and wildlife at the Nevada State Museum Las Vegas.
63. Take a half day guided hike through the most spectacular trails of Red Rock Canyon.
64. Enter what initially seems to be a supermarket, then becomes something much, much weirder at the staggering Omega Mart (reviewed here).
65. Enjoy Thriller, Bad, Smooth Criminal and more at MJ Live at the Sahara.
66. Drive out to Jean Dry Lake to see totem-like stacks of brightly-painted rocks – Ugo Rondinone’s Seven Magic Mountains.
67. Have way too much fun driving around in the desert dirt with a UTV rental.
68. Meet hundreds of famous people, albeit in waxwork form, at Madame Tussauds.
69. Be charmed by the original Las Vegas Cirque du Soleil show – Mystere at Treasure Island.
70. See the biggest gold nugget in existence at the Golden Nugget – the Hand of Faith.
71. Get as close as you can safely get to big cats at the Lion Habitat Ranch in Henderson.
72. Combine magic, comedy, acrobatics and music at the Ultimate Variety Show.
73. Take on the three mile hike to the Arizona Hot Springs near the Colorado River.
74. Discover dinosaurs and more at the Las Vegas Natural History Museum.
75. Listen to the duelling pianos at New York New York’s Bar at Times Square.
76. Get a taste for the old Wild West and learn what came before Vegas at the Desert Springs Preserve.
77. Test your aim and choose between more than 80 types of gun in an outdoor shooting experience.
78. Twist, turn and go upside down on the rollercoasters at the Adventuredome.
79. Pedal your way through Red Rock Canyon on an e-bike.
80. Discover the quirks, art and bright lights of Downtown Las Vegas on a two hour Segway tour.
81. Be dumbfounded by the world’s most famous illusionist – David Copperfield at the MGM Grand.
82. Kayak past volcanic canyon walls to the little-known Willow Beach.
83. See props, Katniss Everdeen’s costumes and recreated sets at Hunger Games: The Exhibition.
84. Learn how the human body works inside Real Bodies at the Horseshoe.
85. Hop between galleries and working artist studios at the Arts Factory.
86. Treat yourself to a hot stones massage.
87. Laugh along with a mix of well-known and up-and-coming comedians at Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club.
88. Get the stories behind the landmarks and giant resorts on a Strip walking tour.
89. See the Prince tribute show – Purple Reign – at Planet Hollywood.
90. Enjoy the somewhat dubious romance of a gondola ride through the Venetian.
91. Travel through Black Canyon to Hoover Dam on a motorised raft.
92. Don a helmet and play virtual reality games in the Lab section of Area 15.
93. Explore Red Rock Canyon the easy way on a scooter tour.
94. Have a raucous night out with the girls watching the chiselled bodies of the Thunder from Down Under.
95. Get an art education at the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art.
96. Savour all the Billy Joel and Elton John hits during Piano Man at Planet Hollywood.
97. Brave the rapids on a white water rafting trip through the Grand Canyon.
98. Get a selfie outside the Sphere – or marvel at the audio-visual shows inside it.
99. Hop aboard the party bus for a day club crawl.
100. Head inside a historic gold mine on the Techatticup Mine Tour.
101. Find out whether the truth really is out there on a day tour to Area 51.

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