You've tons of tips here already on what to see and do - be sure to walk the strip at dark it's quite "wow" the first time you see it all lit up. If you have a car, it is very easy to park at any of the casinos to visit their "theme" to save you walking quite as much We've been going to Vegas since 1996 and stayed for many years easter time at the Oasis from 1999 to pre 2010. We started at the time they were trying to turn Vegas from Sin City into a more family attraction and loved it. Alas the fixture on "family" didn't last very long, I guess they found less $$$'s in that???? MGM had the lion habitat that was wonderful, as well some previews of upcoming movies. The outlet mall was worthwhile back in the late 90's, but not such an attraction we feel today it was back then. Freemont Street was wonderful back then, and whilst there's still the old vegas Casino's like Binions etc, when we were there last month hubby and I said, it's not our cup of tea any more and don't feel we want to go to Freemont ever again. Things change over time and as we get chronologically more challenged! We've seen so many of the old Casinos demise and replaced with the newer bigger ones, but I dunno, it feels like it's lost some of its lustre in the process - well it has for us.
If you are driving, Hoover Dam is definitely worth a drive to and a walk around - we've never felt the need to take the over priced tour personally but YMMV as they say. With regards to the strip, it is definitely worth pacing yourself to visit inside of the many casinos and attractions. You will end up walking miles and miles and aching if not used to it if you don't. These casinos are HUGE! Also the Casinos tend to have a theme, so do plenty of research on the big ones and decide those which you think you'd enjoy viewing.
FWIW: Personally we felt the Mandalay Shark exhibit too expensive for what it was so only visited once. We love the Tropicana and the shows for real "old vegas" style entertainment and just the general atmosphere. Excalibur is themed to medieval styles, Luxor used to look neat outside lit up at night as a pyramid. Bellagio complimentary water feature every 20 mins set to a different musical theme, as are the beautiful plants inside worth seeing. We used to love Mirage when Siegfried and Roy were there, and the white tigers exhibit but sadly that's all changed - The colourful volcano eruptions I'm not sure if they still occur. The Old Treasure Island complimentary Pirate Show used to be fun, but that's now all changed to TI. The old Aladdin and it's shops and buffet used to be great but has gone like many others have, as have any of the "good value" buffets we feel. We now tend to enjoy Sam's Town, Arizona Charlies, Henderson and love the Mardi Gras feel of the Rio (all off the strip) moreso we are finding. The Silverton nowadays has a huge Bass Pro Shop attached to it and is more than worth seeing for the huge fish tank displays again just off the strip. We also found in the past their buffet good value and have enjoyed some magic shows here affordably in past years.
You should definitely check out the Venetian, Palooza, Paris, New York, New York if time permits, and you may enjoy The Flamingo for it's free gardens and "old" history vegas = we do.
Depending on your budget and interests you may chose to take in some of the shows, that Vegas is knows for, but those like Celine Dion, Shania Twain etc require quite a deep pocket, but no moreso than someone that gambles every night I guess.
Best thing we ever did was the Sunset Flight with Maverick Helicopters to the Grand Canyon back around 2003. We set down and had a picnic in the Canyon by the river. Truly worth every penny and we had a pilot that didn't mind demonstrating to us how fast we really were going by bringing the copter down nearer the ground. WOW. We treated our friends who'd never even flown before and they still say to this day the best vacation memory of their lives.
Vegas is a fun place to visit and offers so much to so many different tastes, but it can be exhausting and is worth planning and pacing yourself to that which interests you and meets your budget. Death Valley Pahrump, Valley of Fire, Lake Mead .......... ENJOY.
It Takes No More Effort To Aim High Than To Aim Low - Reach For The Stars
