Las Vegas is – by very definition and mission statement – an immersive experience.
It wants all of you – your eyes, your ears, your stomach, your imagination and, of course, your wallet. It offers up giant resorts with so many amenities and attractions that, really once immersed inside one of these complexes, you never really need to leave for the entire length of your stay.
It’s the type of place that comes at you basically the very moment you enter the city limits. And then it just keeps right on coming – with concerts, roulette tables, celebrity chefs, showgirls, spa treatments and so much more.
Still, Vegas is never content to stay stuck in its old ways. Instead, it’s gone from Rat Pack to high-tech as its embraces cutting-edge technologies, from virtual reality attractions to a giant 360-degree screen, that submerge you into an alternative world. You’ll basically find these newfangled immersive experiences around every corner, from The Strip to the revitalized downtown area and beyond.
Here are some of the very best of the bunch, all of which would take a Vegas itinerary to the next level.
AREA 15
Since opening in 2020, Area 15 has drawn well over 10 million visitors to its location just one mile off The Strip — and it’s easy to figure out why.
Area 15 is a mixed-use experiential playground, offering up an impressive assortment of retail, dining, nightlife and immersive activities. One visit to this 40-acre complex is simply not enough – at least not if you want to take in all the diversely appealing attractions found in both the original Zone 1 and the more recently opened Zone 2.
But if you’re only going to do one, definitely make sure it’s the Interstellar Arc, which may well be the finest virtual reality attraction on the planet.
Interstellar Arc
The newly opened Interstellar Arc – located in Zone 2 – presents an approximately hourlong virtual reality experience that puts you right in middle of a Hollywood-style sci-fi epic.
The plot goes something like this: You’re a futuristic space traveler, just waking up from a 200-year hypersleep-style nap, and you’re on a mission to help colonize a new world – one that is located some 11.4 light years from Earth. That means it’s time to explore your massive ship – the Interstellar Arc – and get a good look at this new world from above.
To be honest, I’ve never much cared for the basic VR-enhanced rides and such – in large part because they can leave me feeling a bit nauseated. So I was initially worried that spending 50-60 minutes with a VR headset on at the Arc would be rough sledding.
Yet, the experience turned out to be an absolute breeze – and delight – as I got to take in what is billed as the world’s largest free-roaming VR experience. You take VR space shuttles, walk across VR glass floors, peer over VR ledges to see VR spacescapes, etc., as you casually make your way along an easy, flat guided path in this 20,000-square-foot space.
This is a true can’t-miss Vegas experience.
Details: Tickets start at $54. For more information, visit interstellararc.com.
Universal Horror Unleashed
Another new Zone 2 attraction is Universal Horror Unleashed, which nothing short of a dream – or, perhaps, nightmare – come true for those who think Halloween fun should last all year long.
As the name underscores, this chilling immersive experience comes courtesy of the same folks behind the popular Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios in Los Angeles, Orlando, Fla., Singapore and Osaka, Japan.
Like the Halloween-season phenomenon, Universal Horror Unleashed also has multiple themed haunted houses filled with very convincing ghouls, axe murders and others menaces who all share the goal of making you shriek in terror.
Its four attractions are Universal Monsters (Frankenstein, the Mummy, etc.), Scarecrow: The Reaping (maybe the scariest of the bunch), The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Blumhouse’s The Exorcist: Believer.
These experiences are at least as frightening as what you’ll find at Halloween Horror Nights. Plus, you can get your scare on 12 months a year here.
Details: Tickets start at $59. For more information, visit universalhorrorunleashed.com.
John Wick Experience
Leaving Zone 2 behind, let’s venture back to Zone 1 to take in yet another great immersive attraction – one that will surely please fans of the best action film franchise of the 21st century.
Of course, we’re talking about the John Wick movies starring Keanu Reeves.
In Area 15, you can experience what it’s like to be an assassin on the run by venturing into the John Wick Experience. It’s part escape room, part cinematic experience and part theatrical play, as you interact with actors – who refuse to break character – and make your way through rooms of the famed Continental Hotel from the Wick film franchise.
Oh, and did I mention that there’s a $1.5 million contract on your head? Yeah, that turns up the urgency level – which the attraction designers have successfully built into the whole experience.
Highly recommended for Wick-heads and just anyone who likes a good Hollywood-style adrenaline rush.
Details: Tickets start at $63.98. For more information, visit johnwickexperience.com.
Those are just three distinct highlights of the many Area 15 attractions. To explore more offerings, visit area15.com.
IMMERSIVE DINING
Lip Smacking Foodie Tours
There are plenty of ways to turn a mere meal into a full-on experience – especially in Vegas. Yet, very few mix the informative with the tasty better than the Lip Smacking Foodie Tours.
These culinary walking tours, which mostly run around 2½ hours, are an amazing way to immerse yourself into the storied, ever-changing and diverse food scene in Las Vegas. They run several times per day, seven days per week, and cover all sorts of aspects of the culinary landscape.
You get to taste great food – a lot of great food – at fabulous restaurants and learn plenty of backstories and interesting tidbits from your guides.
Plus, it’s a group activity, and even if you’re flying solo, as I was on my recent Lip Smacking Foodie Tour, your fellow culinary travelers tend to be quite chummy and festive – especially if cocktails are part of the mix.
Given that most vacationers tend to stay on The Strip, it makes a lot of sense to sign up for a tour that is centered at one of the major hotel casinos.
Try the MGM Grand Lip Smacking Tour, which takes you through three of the resort’s hottest restaurants – “Iron Chef” Masaharu Morimoto’s self-named establishment, James Beard Award-winning chef Tom Colicchio’s Craftsteak and popular Italian-American restaurant Luchini – where you get to sample some three-to-four dishes at each stop.
There’s also a similar casino-centered tour of Mandalay Bay, offering up three stops – two of which (StripSteak and the Mediterranean/Middle Eastern restaurant Orla) happen to be Michael Mina establishments.
Both of those tours are great for people who want to minimize walking and avoid the elements — especially that blistering Vegas heat during the summer – because all the restaurants on each tour are housed in the same climate-controlled building.
The cost is $199 per person for a MGM tour and $175 for a Mandalay adventure. There are also beverage add-on packages for an additional fee (usually around $50-$70).
Big-time foodies – perhaps ones whose tech companies went public and turned them into multimillionaires – might want to check out the Ultimate Steakhouse Tour. It’ll set you back – and this is not a misprint — $999 per person, but it might just be worth it if you’re connoisseur of the finest beef in the land. It hits a number of different restaurants, at different resorts, including Bazaar Meat at The Palazzo – which celebrity chef Andrew Zimmern once dubbed the “best meat house in America.”
For those (like me) who like to get off The Strip, I highly recommend the Downtown Lip Smacking Tour. It takes place near (but, thankfully, not on) the wild and crazy Fremont Street Experience, bringing you to four different stops – three restaurants and one bar – to sample a mix of cuisine ranging from modern American comfort food to inspired Mexican dishes. Plus, your guide will tell you all sorts of fascinating tales about this thriving business and cultural area – which, if your experience was anything like mine, could change how you perceive the city of Las Vegas.
The cost is $135 per person.
Also, back home, Lip Smacking now offers a foodie tour in San Jose – at Santana Row – which stops at four of the center’s top restaurants.
Details: For more information, or to book any of these tours, visit lipsmackingfoodietours.com.
Resorts World Las Vegas
Beyond the Lip Smacking, I’ll toss in that one of my favorite spots to eat on The Strip is at Resort World Las Vegas (rwlasvegas.com). It offers some great quick bites – the best of which is the New York-style slices at Beverly Hills’ famed Mulberry Street Pizzeria – as well as plenty of opportunities to satisfy your sweet tooth. As far as the latter goes, it could be almost too much of a good thing to have Randy’s Donuts right across from those legendary cheesecakes of Junior’s. Taking it up several notches is Kusa Nori, an incredible Japanese spot that may well rank as my top restaurant pick in Las Vegas.
THE SPHERE
The hottest and most celebrated immersive attraction in Las Vegas is, no doubt, the Sphere.
Since opening in late 2023, the Sphere has become the must-see concert venue – not just in Vegas but, really, in the entire world.
Go there once, and you’ll understand why.
The exterior is amazing enough all of on its own – a mammoth geodesic dome standing 366 tall and projecting bright images that can be seen from miles away (as well as from the sky while you’re flying in and out of Vegas).
And it gets even more impressive once you enter and take your seat, allowing the giant wraparound 16K-resolution screen – running from floor to ceiling – to take you on a musical trip you won’t soon forget.
U2 opened the venue, with Dead & Company, Phish, the Eagles, Kenny Chesney and other titans of the industry following.
The calendar currently includes more Eagles shows through March, the return of the mighty Phish in April and May, No Doubt making its Sphere debut in May and June, and Carin Leon stopping by in September, among others. And metal fans from around the globe will be heading to Vegas to catch that highly anticipated Metallica Sphere residency, which kicks off in October.
Of course, concerts are pricey, and the artist you most want to see may not be playing at The Sphere when you’re planning to be in Vegas.
Those are two of the (many) reasons why I recommend catching the ongoing run of 1939’s “The Wizard of Oz,” which screens at The Sphere several times a day, seven days a week.
Without giving away any of the surprises, I’ll just say that “Oz” is a great way to experience the Sphere – one that takes advantage of the venue’s 4D capabilities in ways that even the concerts don’t. The film’s tornado scene, in particular, is absolutely stunning.
This is no ordinary movie ticket – with ducats starting at around $114 – but it’s well worth the price. Screenings are currently scheduled through the end of 2026.
Details: For more information, visit thesphere.com.
WHERE TO STAY
There’s never any shortage of appealing places to stay in Las Vegas. But since you’re asking, I highly recommend the Hilton properties at Resorts World Las Vegas (rwlasvegas.com). The hotels are pretty posh, with a nice big pool area, a popular spa and nightclub (Zouk), a well-equipped gym and a nice selection of eateries.
Also, I’m a fan of the Flamingo Las Vegas – and not just because it has a Gordon Ramsay Burger location. The pluses are many, including a lively casino, great location on The Strip and, often, some really reasonable rates (caesars.com).
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