Las Vegas

From the moment you step on this world-renowned stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard, you’re greeted by flashing neon lights, a sea of giant screens and architecture so striking that it deserves its own tour. Known as the Strip—a nod to LA’s Sunset Strip when it welcomed its first hotels and casinos—, it’s a glittering ribbon of road that runs for miles. Towering 1,149 feet above the boulevard is the STRAT Hotel (formerly the Stratosphere), an unmistakable beacon on the Vegas skyline. Further south, Sphere reigns as the world’s largest spherical structure, its interior housing a mind-blowing 160,000-square-foot LED screen within an Exosphere that projects detailed lunar imagery visible for miles around. Every evening, the mega-resorts lining the boulevard thrum with electric energy. Bellagio, The Venetian Resort Las Vegas, Fontainebleau Las Vegas, Caesars Palace—each is a universe unto itself, a destination where live performances, music, “starchitecture” and gourmet dining can entertain you for days on end before you even think about stepping foot outside. Just moments away from your suite, rooftop pools, designer shopping malls, lush interior gardens and celebrity-chef restaurants await—so tempting that you might not find time to see your room at all.

A few blocks away, Fremont Street evokes another chapter in Vegas’s history: that of its origins, when the streets around the railroad station, opened in 1905, formed the city’s very first downtown. Adjacent to the original heart of Las Vegas is the Arts District, known as 18b, a creative enclave bursting with local artists, bohemian coffee shops and indie galleries, all breathing new life and soul into the city. Though you don’t need to travel far before these vibrant city streets give way to vast stretches of untouched desert. Within just a few miles, the panorama unfolds into a natural mineral amphitheatre. Nestled among the Rugged dormant volcanic mountain ranges lies Lake Mead, America’s largest reservoir, shaped by the Hoover Dam in Black Canyon and a popular destination for outdoor adventures. Nearby is the Valley of Fire State Park, a 40,000-acre geological wonderland of red and gold sandstone outcrops. Beyond it, vast national parks reveal a dramatic tapestry of nature’s finest handiwork: deep gorges, sheer cliffs, arches and sweeping dunes that stretch endlessly into the horizon.