12 Best Sights in North Strip, Las Vegas

Encore

Fodor's choice

Though smaller than its neighbor Wynn Las Vegas, Encore pulls together some of the best touches from the sister properties. For that we owe thanks to designer Roger Thomas, who invested in antiques from all over the world to decorate the resort. The other notable design element: sunlight, which streams in through window-lined corridors (a relative rarity in Vegas). Most people come to Encore for the partying, specifically at Encore Beach Club, Encore Beach Club at Night, and XS. The new high-tech Awakening show blends myth and magic with deft choreography, and a modest but beautiful shopping strip, the Encore Esplanade, features Christian Louboutin, Bruno Cucinelli, and Rene Caovilla.

Resorts World Las Vegas

Fodor's choice

When it opened in June 2021, the first new casino resort on the Las Vegas Strip in more than a decade came at a time when the city needed something to cheer about. The 3,500-room property was developed by the Genting Group, a gaming company based in Singapore, and it features two hotel towers with rooms and suites representing three Hilton brands: Hilton, Conrad, and Crockfords. The resort has more than 50 food outlets, including Famous Foods, a tech-friendly food hall representing cuisines from all over the world, with an emphasis on Asia. Hotel guests can get room service from any restaurant on-site. The 5.5-acre pool complex (the largest in all of Vegas) includes seven pools and trees from the Stardust, which sat on the site many years ago. Headliners such as Katy Perry, Carrie Underwood, and Luke Bryan will pack theaters for years to come.

Vegas Indoor Skydiving

Fodor's choice

This attraction, just north of Encore Las Vegas, provides the thrill of skydiving without a plane. After 20 minutes of training you enter a vertical wind tunnel that produces a powerful stream of air. You'll float, hover, and fly, simulating up to five minutes of free fall, with more time for large parties. Airspeeds reach 120 mph. Plan to reserve at least two hours in advance, making payment in full. The place closes for private parties from time to time, so it's wise to call ahead.

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Wynn Las Vegas

Fodor's choice

In a city that keeps raising the bar for sheer luxury, Wynn Las Vegas—monolithic in both name and appearance—offers a discreet turn for the tasteful. The resort is a best-of-everything experience—a playground for jet-setters, high rollers, or anyone who wants to feel like one. This excellence starts with the gardens near the front entrance; though smaller than Bellagio's, they are just as exquisite. It continues with the waterfall that pours from (man-made) rocks into a interior lake, both visible from the new Overlook Lounge. Instead of booking another Cirque du Soleil show, Wynn created Awakening, in a 360-degree theater designed for the show. On-site restaurants are just as appealing, with Wing Lei holding firm as one of the best Chinese restaurants in the entire city. High-end shopping options at The Shops at Wynn include Alexander McQueen, Bulgari, and Chanel, and the Wynn Plaza includes Breitling, Kenzo, and Cipriani restaurant, whose forerunner in Venice was the birthplace of the Bellini.

Adventuredome Theme Park

If the sun is blazing, the kids are antsy, and you need a place to while away a few hours, make for the big pink dome behind Circus Circus. The 5-acre amusement park has more than 25 rides and attractions for all age levels and is kept at a constant 72°F. The newest attractions include Twistin Tea Cups, Kiddie Swings, Go Karts, and NebulaZ, in which riders spin through the air. The El Loco roller coaster includes a barrel roll and a number of G-force drops. Also check out the Canyon Blaster, the world's only indoor double-loop, double-corkscrew roller coaster, a huge swinging pirate ship, bumper cars, more kiddie rides, two Bank Heist Laser Challenges, and much more. Catch a presentation of "Ice Age 4D: No Time for Nuts" or the Scooby Doo "Scoob!4D Experience," or computer-generated iterations of the Angry Birds. And Neon Nights on Friday and Saturday give everything a whole new glow.

2880 Las Vegas Blvd. S, Las Vegas, Nevada, 89109, USA
702-794–3939
Sights Details
Rate Includes: Children shorter than 33 inches can ride free with a paying adult. All-day passes $30 for those 33 to 48 inches tall, $60 for those 48 inches and taller. Fast passes available, as are military discounts (see Will Call)

Gondola Rides at The Venetian

Let a gondolier "o sole mio" you down Vegas's rendition of Venice's Grand Canal. We love this attraction because it's done so well—the late owner Sheldon Adelson was obsessed with getting the canals just right: he had them drained and repainted three times before he was satisfied with the hue, and the colossal reproduction of St. Mark's Square at the end of the canal is authentic right down to the colors of the facades. The gondoliers who ply the waterway are professional entertainers and train for two weeks to maneuver the canals. It all makes for a rather entertaining way to while away an hour on the Strip. Outdoor gondola rides along the resort's exterior waterway are also available, weather permitting. Photo packages are available with all rides.

3355 Las Vegas Blvd. S, Las Vegas, Nevada, 89109, USA
702-414–4300
Sights Details
Rate Includes: $34 to $39, depending on day; photo packages from $32

Guardian Angel Cathedral

The Roman Catholic cathedral often has standing-room only on Saturday afternoon, as visitors pray for luck—and sometimes drop casino chips into the collection cups during the tourist-friendly mass. According to tradition, a priest known as the "chip monk" periodically collects the chips and takes them to the respective casinos to cash them in. There are daily masses, with three on Sundays.

Madame Tussauds Las Vegas

Revel in the fabulousness of Lizzo and Missy Elliott, stand toe-to-toe with Muhammad Ali, or croon a tune with Drake or Nicki Minaj as you explore the open showroom filled with uncanny celebrity wax portrayals of people from the worlds of show business, sports, politics, and everywhere in between. Among the new attractions is the Marvel Universe 4-D film in which you can actually feel (as well as watch and hear) your heroes save the world. Crowd-pleasers include Steve Aoki, Snoop Dog, Captain America, Dwayne Johnson, and Miley Cyrus. Hit the bar at The Hangover Experience to immerse yourself in a storied Las Vegas romp and enjoy a cocktail while you're at it.

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Midway at Circus Circus

If you can't win the jackpot at the casino, try winning your sweetheart a teddy bear instead. Here you can play old-time fair and newly popular games like the dime toss, milk can, bushel basket, Skee-Ball, and Pop-A-Shot for the chance to win cuddly prizes. Cash is no longer accepted for the games; load up a Midway Playcard and play away—or turn the kids loose. Beginning at 1:30 pm daily, acrobats, high-wire walkers, jugglers, and trapeze artists perform free shows on the circus stage.

Strat SkyPod

Strat SkyPod
(c) Kobby_dagan | Dreamstime.com

High above the Strip at the tip of the Strat (formerly known as the Stratosphere) are some major thrill rides that will scare the bejeezus out of you, especially if you have even the slightest fear of heights. The Big Shot starts from the 112th floor and shoots 160 feet into the air at 45 mph. The X Scream tips passengers 27 feet over the edge of the tower like a giant seesaw again and again. From the very front, you get an unobstructed view of the Strip, straight down. On the world record–holding SkyJump, riders take a free-fall leap from more than 800 feet in the air (and all-you-can-jump packages are available). And Insanity hangs you out 64 feet from the edge of the tower; then it spins faster and faster, so you're lifted to a 70-degree angle by a centrifugal force that's the equivalent of 3 G-forces. If you are of the less adventurous sort, you can visit the Observation Decks on Levels 108 and 109. Sharing the space is the Top of the World restaurant.

2000 Las Vegas Blvd. S, Las Vegas, Nevada, 89104, USA
800-998–6937
Sights Details
Rate Includes: Skypod admission only from $20; SkyPod and one ride, $30; SkyPod and unlimited rides, $40. Sky Jump from $129.99

The Palazzo at The Venetian Resort

The Palazzo certainly feels palatial. Wide, cavernous corridors give way to an expansive casino, which, in turn, fronts escalators to Grand Canal Shoppes, a mall with nearly 200 stores. Just off the hotel lobby is an array of public art that's changed frequently. Music lovers flock to The Palazzo Theater to experience the Tony Award--winning SIX: The Musical or for short-term residencies by other artists. With a top-quality energy conservation program and other green amenities, The Palazzo has received LEED Gold distinction from the U.S. Green Building Council.

The Venetian Resort Las Vegas

This theme hotel re-creates Italy's most romantic city with meticulous reproductions of Venetian landmarks. As such, this gilded resort is a hit with foodies, shoppers, and high rollers alike. From the Strip you enter through the Doge's Palace, which stands on a walkway over a large lagoon. Inside, Renaissance characters roam the public areas, singing opera and performing mime. Walking from the hotel lobby into the casino is one of the great experiences in Las Vegas: overhead, reproductions of famous frescoes adorn the ceiling; underfoot, the geometric design of the flat marble floor provides an Escher-like optical illusion of climbing stairs. On a lagoon in front of the resort visitors can take gondola rides and look out on the Strip; gondola rides also are available in the canals that thread through Grand Canal Shoppes upstairs. The Venetian is known for its restaurant scene and the heralded bar project, Electra Cocktail Club, has gotten rave reviews for its rum, agricole, and mezcal specialty cocktails.