Home Travel Las Vegas, NV 4 Days in Las Vegas, Nevada

4 Days in Las Vegas, Nevada

December 19, 2021

Disclaimer: This trip does not include drinking or partying; just touristy sightseeing stuff and lots of eating…

[Tips]

Rent a car so you don’t have to stay on the strip the whole time! Just watch out for all the paid parking lots at the hotels. It’s a lot faster than waiting for an uber.
Wear comfortable shoes – there’s a lot of walking if you don’t plan to drive or uber everywhere.
Pack a swimsuit – even in Fall – since the hotel pools are heated or at least jump in the jacuzzi. If not, get one at Marshalls (not Target or Walmart when it’s not in season…)
If you’re staying on the strip and they offer you a room on the highest floor they have, take it. The views are incredible!
Venture out for food. There’s tons of options outside the strip including Chinatown and Downtown.

[Day 1]

Morning: Woke up to catch my flight at 9:35am – first flight since the pandemic! After we arrived, we picked up the rental car.

The only car they had was a minivan which was excessive but so spacious and comfortable! Her name is Sienna…

Afternoon: Lunch at Ton Ton Katsuya, Tea at Brew Tea Bar, Seven Magic Mountains, Check in the Cosmopolitan Hotel

Ton Ton Katsuya had a long wait (about 1.5 hours around noon) so get there early. They do have an option of calling you when your table is ready. Was worth the wait and the scallops were a must get!

Brew Tea Bar might be the best boba shop I’ve been to… Everything was fresh, flavorful and wasn’t artificial at all! Must try the Hong Kong milk tea and cold brew coffee.
The Seven Magic Mountains were at a random location but had plenty of parking. If you’re looking to take pictures without the crowds in your picture, make the extra effort to walk to the back of the rocks since the majority are taking pictures in the front.

I recommend staying at the Cosmopolitan hotel – centrally located on the strip, great views, clean and modern, heated pool and some rooms included a soaking tub.

Evening: Dinner at Tekka Bar, Christmas light viewing at Ethel M Cactus Garden, Soaked in tub, Chilled on balcony

Got the Highroller set at Tekka Bar for $35 and it was the perfect amount of food since I wasn’t too hungry and a quick meal as well. Fish was generous and fresh.

Grab a hot chocolate and view the lights at the Cactus Garden. It’s decked out with Christmas lights and music during the holidays so come if you love festive holiday stuff!

Took advantage of the soaking tub by just enjoying the hot water and chilling, and staring out the window before chilling on the balcony with my hotel robe and slippers to enjoy the view.

[Day 2]

Morning: Breakfast at EggWorks, Hiking at Red Rocks

I knew I wanted to get something in a skillet so I tried the Fiesta with green chilies, onions, tomato, salsa and cheese. It was extremely saucy on the bottom which was packed with flavor and infused into the potatoes. Loved the banana nut muffin that it came with – super crunch on the edge and fluffy on the inside!

Red rocks was gorgeous and we did the popular Calico Tanks trail after circling a million times for parking. A short hike, but lots of climbing towards the middle/end with a gorgeous view of the rocks and the Strip at the top.

Afternoon: Lunch at Oodle Noodle, Brew Tea Bar, Nap, Get ready for dinner, Looked at shops while walking to dinner

Wanted something with soup so got the Nabeyaki Hot Pot Udon which came in a cute iron pot. The broth was light and flavorful, and came with homemade udon, shrimp tempura, poached egg and other garnishes.

Couldn’t help but come back to Brew Tea Bar (another location) and our favorite boba place! Got the Okinawa milk tea this time which had brown sugar.
Dinner was a little under a mile from our hotel so we decided to walk there and back to take a look at the different shops like the M&M store…

Evening: Dinner at L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon

We opted for the seasonal discovery menu which was delicious! Each course that came out was flavorful, gorgeous, precise, and extremely detailed in flavor.
My favorites were the cappuccino with celery and chestnut foam, king crab and daikon ravioli, and my absolute favorite was the dessert which consisted of ice cream and mousse in the form of a rock. Don’t miss out on the bread either!!

[Day 3]

Morning: Breakfast at Makers & Finders Coffee, Shopping at the Las Vegas Premium Outlets

Makers and Finders is known for their empanadas so I got the breakfast empanada skillet that came with 2 filled with bacon, eggs, potatoes, and cheese; served with a side of beans and rice. I was pretty disappointed because the shell was pretty greasy and there was essentially no filling. Also tried the Latin hash with short rib and potatoes. Was pretty good but extremely heavy. The star was definitely the “just peachy” tea with hibiscus tea, lemonade and peach puree.

If you can, get to the mall early because even on a weekday, it got pretty busy after lunch! Don’t know if we got lucky but there were some really good sales that day, even on a weekday.

Afternoon: Lunch at Bajamar Seafood & Tacos, Chill at the pool, Walk around the strip

Wanted a light lunch because we were going to an all you can eat place for dinner and I wished I was able to order more from Bajamar! The ceviche was pretty fresh and made to order, the fish taco was solid, but my favorite was the octopus taco which was surprisingly tender.

The pool at the hotel (Cosmo) was heated and it was a tad chilly but I moved around and tried (key word) to do some laps to keep warm. Overall it wasn’t too crowded since it was almost winter and rewarded myself with chilling in the hot tub once it cleared out.

Evening: Dinner at Nabe Hotpot, Dessert at Sweets Raku, Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Garden, Fountains of Bellagio

Dinner at Nabe had a huge wait (around 1.5 hours) but it was totally worth it! I’ve never been to a hot pot and sushi combo but everything was actually really good quality and fresh! Protip: put in your sushi order right away because it does take a while to come out while the meats are ready when you order.

I think I was meant to get dessert at Sweets Raku afterwards because one of the choices was the “Stella” which was an absolutely delicious raspberry tart. Everything is made to order with an open kitchen so you can see them building your dessert for you. If you have room, make sure to get their sorbets too – ours was mango which was creamy and very mango-y.

The conservatory and botanical garden was decked out for Christmas with large polar bears, decorated trees, and a walk through house.

The fountains at Bellagio show are a must see! Comes on every 15 min after 7pm and each song/show is different.

[Day 3]

Morning: Breakfast at Sunrise Coffee, Grab snack at Popped, Brew Tea Bar, Hemenaway Park

Came to Sunrise cafe which I didn’t know was mostly vegetarian? Regardless, everything was delicious and healthy (for the most part). Got the “Do Gooder” bagel with herb cream cheese, avocado, and tomato. The cream cheese set the stage for the flavors of the bagel! Also got the hot mess bacon bowl that’s kind of like a hash but it wasn’t oily at all.

Stopped by Popped and of course Brew Tea Bar (located in the same plaza) to grab a snack – the dilly pickles flavor was amazing and I loved the fresh dill taste! The popcorn itself were big kernels but super light and crunchy.

We chilled at Hemenway Park known for longhorn sheep to just wander over and eat the grass. Be careful not to get too close!

Afternoon: Hoover Dam, Early Dinner at Master’s Kim

At the Hoover Dam, we started near the entrance where we parked to walk across the Memorial Bridge that gives you a great top view.
Then we parked at the bottom and walked around the rim with a view of the bridge. You can see how intricate the dam is once you get down there.
We were fine without a tour and just read the signs.

Make a reservation, even at 3pm at Master’s Kim. This concept is an AYCE bbq with your food delivered on a “train”. The galbi and NY steak was definitely a must get!