Double or nothing: how to enjoy every minute in Las Vegas

Arriving in Las Vegas is a bit like walking through the gates of the world’s largest theme park, it’s difficult to know where to head or what to do first. Some places shout at you in neon, others beckon with sharp sophistication and some require the most erudite of local knowledge to seek out.

So, where to begin? Almost all the Las Vegas hotels have something worth seeing but why not start your visit in true Las Vegas style by tucking into delicious French cuisine at Mon Ami Gabi, the Paris hotel’s Strip-side restaurant which features uninterrupted views of the famous Bellagio fountains – nothing says Vegas quite so iconically.

Inside the Bellagio hotel itself there’s even more to admire. Its Italian lake resort-inspired interior is home to the luxurious shopping promenade Via Bellagio featuring every designer name from Gucci to Prada, a sumptuous spa offering a full range of high-quality treatments and Cirque du Soleil’s groundbreaking show O, famous for being the first stage show ever to be performed in the water and a performance which has to be seen to be believed.

As the night hots up head over to Caesars Palace where chic nightclub Pure offers four venues in one, each with its own DJ spinning a selection of music from house to hip hop, spread across two decadent floors, each decked out in toga-inspired white. Time your visit right and you might even catch a big-name show at the hotel’s world renowned Colosseum. Resident artists here include Cher, Celine Dion and Jerry Seinfeld while Lionel Richie is scheduled as an upcoming special guest – expect big prices but even bigger special effects.

The morning after there’s only one place to head to blow away the excesses of the night before. The Stratosphere Las Vegas isn’t just any hotel; it’s a hotel with thrill rides on its roof. It’s also the tallest observation tower in the US at 1,149 feet, a height which is put to good use as the setting for four exciting thrill rides. Big Shot shoots riders straight up 160 feet at 45mph, giant seesaw X Scream propels passengers 27 feet over the edge of the tower, and massive mechanical arm Insanity extends willing volunteers over the edge of the tower before spinning them at a force of 3 Gs. And if that’s not enough for you, Stratosphere also offers visitors the chance to jump 108 floors on SkyJump Las Vegas, a controlled free-fall of more than 800 feet at scream-inducing speed which also promises great views of the Strip – assuming you can keep your eyes open that is.

End your visit to the Entertainment Capital of the World on a high by taking in the view from somewhere a little more relaxing. Stratosphere’s Top of the World restaurant serves gourmet dishes as it revolves 360 degrees at 800 feet above street level, while Paris’s Eiffel Tower offers panoramic views from its half-size reproduction of the original. Wherever you choose to view Sin City, soak up those neon lights and promise yourself you’ll be back – there’s still so much to see.