Second Time in...
Las Vegas
You’ve already done – 99% of the Strip, gambled the night away, had your fill of shows, seen the Bellagio fountains, screamed your way down the Stratosphere Tower.
So, you’re back in Vegas. Maybe the first trip was a whirlwind of neon excess, overpriced cocktails, and an ill-advised roulette strategy. Maybe you’re finishing up a roadtrip from California, Utah or Arizona here (as I was after an amazing week in Mounment Valley and Zion National Park) – all roads lead to the inevitably cheaper flights home.
The prospect may not thrill you but, like a magician with an endless deck of cards, Vegas always has more tricks up its sleeve. Who knows, you might even emerge a winner!
Second time around, ditch the Strip’s usual suspects and base yourself around – relatively! – old Vegas, where a quirkier, grittier, and unexpectedly fascinating side emerges.
Day 1
Morning: The Mob Museum – Crime, Corruption, and Cocktails in Bibles
📍 300 Stewart Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89101 🕒 Daily 9 AM - 9 PM💰 General Admission: $29.95+
If you’ve ever watched Goodfellas and thought, “I could have been a wiseguy,” The Mob Museum is your kind of place. Housed in a former courthouse, this immersive museum tells the real (and often gruesome) story of organized crime in America.
From Tommy guns to wiretaps, the exhibits make history feel like a high-stakes crime thriller. It’s a dark humour heaven - walk through an actual courtroom where mobsters once stood trial (loving re-assembled brick-by-brick), sit in the original Old Sparky electric chair and gawp at the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre wall (yes, the real one.)
In case the prohibition era propaganda didn't have the desired impact, your visit will end in the museum's underground speakeasy serving Prohibition-style cocktails – hidden in Bibles for the maximum 1920s effect.
Afternoon: Zipzilla: Soaring Through the Neon Jungle
📍 425 Fremont St, Las Vegas, NV 89101🕒 Sun-Thu: 12 PM - 12 AM, Fri-Sat: 12 PM - 2 AM
💰 Zipline: $39+, Zoomline: $59+🌐 vegasexperience.com/slotzilla-zip-line
Fremont Street has reinvented itself to be more than the Strip’s tired-looking older brother and is a riot of lights, music, and eccentric street performers all times of day and night. But the best way to experience it? From the air. SlotZilla ZipLine lets you fly Superman-style through the neon chaos, dodging digital show screens and possibly regretting your last meal (hence there being no lunch recommendation above – plan accordingly).
Choose between the standard zip line (77 feet up) or the - higher and faster - zoom line (114 feet up). Mid-late afternoon is an excellent time to take flight before it gets super busy but still worth booking in advance.
Depending on sunset time, either head straight over to the Neon Boneyard or grab a signature steak at Hugo’s Cellar, located within the Four Queens Casino. Their wine selection is some of the best in Sin City.
Evening (At Sunset or After Dark): Neon Boneyard – The Graveyard of Glitz
📍 770 Las Vegas Blvd N, Las Vegas, NV 89101🕒 Daily 3 PM - 11 PM
💰 General Admission: $20+, Guided Tour: $28+🌐 neonmuseum.org
For a city that is constantly reinventing itself, it’s somewhat surprising that Vegas doesn’t just tear down its past...it puts it in a museum. The Neon Boneyard is a final resting place for some of the city’s most iconic signs, from classic casino marquees to long-forgotten hotels.
The best way to experience it? After dark, when restored signs of the original Stardust, Sahara and Moulin Rouge flicker to life, telling a silent but dazzling story of old Vegas. It’s a photographer’s dream with neon reflections galore. A 7 minute Uber ride from Fremont Street.
Night: Hogs & Heifers Saloon
📍 201 N 3rd St, Las Vegas, NV 89101🕒 Daily 12 PM - 2 AM💰 Cover varies, drinks $5+
If Vegas had a “No BS” badge, Hogs & Heifers would wear it proudly. This is a bar where bartenders yell at you (joining them for shots is a sure fire way to make friends...while emptying your wallet!), bras hang from the ceiling, and country-rock blares at all hours.
It’s unapologetically rowdy, and that’s exactly why you should round off your night here. Cash only – come prepared.
Day 2
Morning: Seven Magic Mountains
📍 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89054. 🕒 Open 24/7
💰 Free 🌐 sevenmagicmountains.com
A 20-minute Uber ride south of the Strip (expect to pay $30-$35), Seven Magic Mountains looks like what happens when a giant decides to play Jenga with brightly-coloured boulders. Even here you can't escape the neon!
Created by Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone, this striking art installation features seven towering stacks of brightly painted rocks, standing in stark contrast to the muted tones of the Mojave Desert. Stonehenge it isn't - although that's not necessarily an insult - but it's a sufficient WTF moment to justify the journey out of town and the air feels altogether fresher than the city.
I’m told it’s best experienced at sunrise, when the desert light makes the colours pop and the crowds are minimal but let’s face it, your hangover is unlikely to be supportive of such an idea.
Lunch, Early Dinner or Nightcap: Evel Pie
📍 508 E Fremont St, Las Vegas, NV 89101🕒 Daily 11 AM - 2 AM
💰 Slices $5+, whole pies $22+, happy hour US drafts $3
We found Evel Pie via Atlas Obscura on our first afternoon back in Vegas and spent far too many hours here (a $3 four-hour happy hour – 2-6pm - will do that) hence the flexible recommendation on when you call in.
Named after the legendary daredevil who rode bikes over a dozen double decker buses for shits and giggles, Evel Pie is a Grade A dive bar with wall covered in Knievel memorabilia, vintage bikes, and graffiti-style artwork. The New York-style pizza is regularly voted some of the best in town – and where else will you be ordering rattlesnake sausage as a topping?
Afternoon: Pinball Hall of Fame – A Nostalgic Blast
📍 4925 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89119 🕒 Daily 10 AM - 9 PM
💰 Free entry, games $0.25-$1 🌐 pinballmuseum.org
Vegas is often about the latest and flashiest, but the Pinball Hall of Fame is a love letter to a simpler, quarter-powered time. This massive, 25,000-square-foot warehouse is packed with over 200 vintage pinball and arcade machines, some dating back to the 1950s. Unlike Vegas slot machines, these beauties let you win nothing but pride...and maybe a free game if you’re that good (we weren't).
It’s likely the cheapest – legal - fun you’ll have in Vegas and no less competitive than an afternoon at the blackjack table.
About a 15 minute Uber ride to/from Fremont Street.
Evening: High Roller – The Best View in Vegas
📍 3545 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109 🕒 Mon-Sun: 2 PM - 12 AM
💰 $23.50+ 🌐 caesars.com/highroller
The one strip location that is worth a visit second time around, given the ever-evolving view of the Vegas skyline.
At 550 feet tall, the High Roller isn’t just one of the highest observation wheels in the world, it’s also a 30-minute front-row seat to one of the most dazzling cityscapes on Earth – including the newly opened Sphere Arena in all its technicolour glory. If you need a tipple to celebrate or counter your vertigo, book a place in the Happy Half-Hour Cabin which features an open bar.
Night: Frankie’s Tiki Room
📍 1712 W Charleston Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89102 🕒 Open 24/7
💰 Cocktails $10+ 🌐 frankiestikiroom.com
If the Neon Boneyard and Pinball Hall of Fame put you in a nostalgic mood, Frankie’s Tiki Room will steal your heart - and possibly your liver - once and for all. The dark, candlelit interior, filled with bamboo, vintage tiki decor, and carved idols, transports you to a world where time slows down and rum flows freely.
This hideaway combines classic Polynesian-style cocktails (including alcohol-free options) with an unmistakable punk rock edge. As with everywhere in Vegas, you can enjoy a flutter while sitting at the bar although not sure why you would - just watching a Fink Bomb or Lava Letch get made is worth the trip.
I say it's a nightspot but it's open 24/7 so nothing to stop you swinging by for breakfast. What happens in Vegas...
5 minute Uber ride from Fremont Street, 10 minutes from the Strip.
Vegas Round Two? Completed it mate. Granted, you'll still be knackered and possibly still hungover but you'll have a far more varied Sin City toolkit to brag about when you're home. Staying away from the Blackjack table won't have hurt your wallet either.