Las Vegas Blog

Welp, we've officially kicked off the first day of summer folks! Hopefully you celebrated the longest day of the year right and packed in as many Vegas activities - and yes, talkin' about the margaritas - as possible. A few extra minutes could account for at least one extra drink, right?

From now until Christmas the days are only getting shorter and you'll have to pack more activities into less time. You might think that shorter vacations mean you might have to just suck it up and see less, but boy are you wrong. Literally.

If sightseeing is what you came to do in Las Vegas, sightseeing is what you'll get, and we know of all the best views in Vegas that will show you all the most impressive sights while quietly sipping those aforementioned margaritas. (Or if you're any friends of ours, aggressively chugging them and raising hell on the dance floor.)

Either way, despite the shortened days from here on out, you get to have your margarita and drink it too! And bonus, you can do it with a view! Here are our favorite views in Vegas:

Views from Hotel Rooms:

• Cosmopolitan: We like the Cosmopolitan. As you may have noticed, they get a shout out in almost every blog we write. So let's do one more for the road, and probably not for the last time either. What we like this time are their private terraces in every room. They are perfect for some alone time, a romantic evening with your sweetheart, or a place to try out that new beer bong without spilling on the carpets. All of these rooms have panoramic views of the Las Vegas Strip and you can't really ask for anything better than that. A room with a view from bed is great, but a balcony is better, and you pretty much get them both here. We like views from other hotels like Mandalay Bay, the Encore and the Wynn, but the Cosmopolitan has to be are favorite. Sorry, Steve!

Views from Restaurants:

• Mix Restaurant at THEhotel: Enjoy appetizers and cocktails in the lounge before 10pm (there's a cover if you want to be there after) and you can also enjoy views from the end of the Strip. They've also got a pretty great outdoor patio to take a step out on.
• Mon Ami Gabi: This Vegas restaurant is fully equipped with great views of the Strip and the Bellagio Fountains. It's ground level, so you won't get breathtaking views of the Strip, but you will get views of all Strip-goers. Strip-pers, if you will, but unfortunately for many, they aren't just going to take their clothes off while you're eating brunch.
• Best Views of the Bellagio Fountains: Todd English Olives and Picasso are both fine-dining establishments at the Bellagio, and you can't get a better view of waterworks unless you've really done it and are sitting across from a very "disappointed" girlfriend. Many other Bellagio restaurants have great views of the Fountains, though.
• Alize at the Palms: Located 56 stories up, this Vegas restaurant may have the best panoramic view of the Strip in the entire city. And let's face it, Chef Andre Rochat's food is hard to beat as well.
• Tourist traps like the Eiffel Tower Restaurant and the Top of the World at the Stratosphere also boast some of the best views in town, too. You're the highest up, so obviously. However, these restaurants are much pricier than everywhere else, and you can probably get just as satisfactory of a view and much better food at several of the other restaurants.

Views at Bars and Clubs:

• Ghostbar: Located on the 55th floor of the Palms, this popular Vegas club offers 360 panoramic view of the Strip and an outdoor patio. Luckily, their bouncers haven't let anyone over the edge yet, so we consider this Vegas rooftop bar as safe - and as fun - as any.
• Voodoo Lounge: If you're looking for a great nightclub, eh. But if all you want is to sip martinis at the Rio, then this is your place! Be sure to snap some photos from high above while kicking back in this Off-Strip Vegas lounge.
• MIX Lounge: Enjoy appetizers and cocktails before 10pm, when you have to pay a cover to get in there. Or pay the cover and stay all night! Lots of girls snap pics in the bathroom, which all the rest of us think is weird even though we're still nice and will inevitably 'Like' it on Facebook, However, the view from the big stall in this bathroom is so amazing that even the most shy of us won't think twice about pulling out the camera for a great shot.
• Mandarin Bar at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel: This Vegas club has floor to ceiling windows which provide views of the Strip, well from the floor to the ceiling. They have a great drink menu to match, and if you haven't booked a room yet, you'll be equally impressed by the views you can get without rolling out of bed too!
• Moon at the Palms: There's a balcony to view the Strip at night and for once, seeing stars after pounding all those Vodka Redbulls is a good thing, like when they retract the roof and reveal the Vegas sky (and increase the air flow in here, whew!). The roof stays retracted during most of the summer, which is totally cool, in the sense that it's both awesome and you'll sweat less. 

Vegas Attractions with Views:

• Eiffel Tower - It's at Paris, in case you were wondering. It's the perfect view of the Bellagio Fountain and the rest of the Strip, especially at night. Oh la la! It's very romantic, or will at least take her breath away long enough to get a moment's peace.
• Stratosphere Observation deck (or any of the rides): You can walk out on the patio where all the rides are and snap photos with every angle of Las Vegas, or you can sit at the bar. We've enjoyed many a Budweiser in aluminum cans up there! (You're at the Stratosphere, so there's really no point in ordering a fancy drink. When in doubt, Bud's always the route, right?) If you're not drinking, (and, let's face it, even if you are) you can ride any of the rides at the tippy-top of the Stratosphere, although you might not enjoy the view as much which you're on them.
• Red Rock Canyon: No, you won't get your city views here, but you get some pretty amazing scenery of the famous red rocks and much, much more! It's not far from the Downtown area, and while you can get pretty cool views at the Grand Canyon, if you've already done this or want something a little less touristy, this is a great bet. But the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam are a must sees at least once of course, so add those to the list too!

Don't spend your whole trip walking up and down the Strip so you can see every hotel and every attraction. Rather, grab a drink and take a seat and enjoy the view from up top while you map out the best places to see and things to do in Vegas. Definitely take a stroll to enjoy some of the places, but some things are better seen from afar.

Let us know where your favorite views of Las Vegas are in the comments section below. Or, if you really want a heated discussion, which is perfect for summer, join the chat on Facebook and definitely follow us on Twitter to keep up with all the latest things to add to your to-do list.