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College Girl’s Guide to Having The Best Vegas Girls Trip

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UCLA chapter.

Doesn’t matter if you’re over or under 21, here’s your guide to having an amazing time in Las Vegas with your girls.

Hotels

The STRAT

Formerly known as the Stratosphere Hotel, the newly remodeled STRAT houses some of the most famous attractions and entertainment in all of Las Vegas, including Celestia, Skypod thrill rides and Skyjump. Their observation deck sits atop the tallest freestanding tower in the United States, offering you the most stunning 360-degree view of The Strip.

Planet Hollywood

Most hotels need at least one person in your group to be over 21 to book the room, so as long as you have one legal adult in your group you are doing great. I stayed at the Planet Hollywood and loved it. They recently remodeled and the hotel looks brand new. It is also one of the hotels that are part of the Miracle Mile shops, so you won’t need to leave your hotel in order to see the other hotels or go shopping.

You will probably be out all day- and all night- so no need to worry too much about finding the best hotel since you’ll really just be there to sleep and get dressed.

Nightclubs

If you’re over 21, you should do some research on which clubs you want to go to and which DJs will be there the nights you’re going. Most clubs will have promoters all over The Strip handing out free admission wristbands and telling you about their deals. 

Check out our College Girl’s Guide to the 10 Best Nightclubs in Vegas for help with planning.

If you’re not 21 yet, no worries. There are SO many other fun things to do in Vegas- no need to go to a sweaty club. 

Shows

Las Vegas is home to some of the BEST shows with the most talented performers. I highly recommend attending a Cirque Du Soleil show while you are in Las Vegas. I recently saw the Mystere show and it really is incredible what people can do with their bodies. The show was kid-friendly, but had some adult jokes thrown in there.

Most tickets are a little pricey, but make sure to look online and see if your hotel offers any deals. The venues are also very small and every seat has an amazing view of the show, so if you’re on a budget then I would suggest getting cheaper seats in the back.

There are also so many amazing magic shows in Las Vegas each night. I attended the Xavier Mortimer Magic Show at the Planet Hollywood hotel and loved it. He has a show each night where he takes the audience through his magical dream. It was funny, lighthearted, surprising, and engaging. Mortimer has a great personality and really engages with the audience.

Concerts

There is a big concert in Las Vegas almost every day of the week. I would highly suggest checking Ticketmaster/Stubhub for all performances in Las Vegas during the dates of your trip. You never know, maybe your favorite singer is in town.

Many stars also have residencies at the hotels, which means that they have a concert almost every night of the week. Britney Spears, Celine Dion, Lady Gaga, Mariah Carey, Pitbull and so many more have had recent Vegas residencies. 

Spa

Almost every hotel is famous for some sort of unique spa service. I highly recommend planning a spa day to relax and recover from all the partying. I personally love yoga, so I was very excited to hear that The Mirage has Dolphin Yoga, which includes spa access. My friends and I made a day out of it by doing the class, which only costed around $50 and then relaxing at the spa together.

Read more about my Dolphin Yoga experiences here.

Museums

If you’re looking for that Insta-worthy wall and experiences, here are some of our must go-to’s for your aesthetic photos:

M&M World

Upon entering the colorful world of M&Ms, you’re immediately greeted by the familiar scent of chocolate M&Ms (and it fills the whole building as you walk in). The Las Vegas location is home to the first M&M World store location ever. This four-level monument is famous for its gigantic M&M wall dispenser of varying colors. Our personal favorite is the pastel color section of the dispensary.

 

 

Coca-Cola Store

After roaming around M&M World, make your way to the Coca-Cola Store that is conveniently located right next to it. The iconic beverage brand showcases Coca-Cola branded merch, some of which could only be found in this store. We highly recommend you visit the beverage bar to sample the 16 different international beverages from their Taste of the World tray. Our personal favorites are Fanta Exotic Fruit Punch from Uganda and Fanta Apple Kiwi from Thailand.

 

Restaurants

There are SO many amazing restaurants in Las Vegas. It was honestly so difficult to decide where to eat and when especially when you’re extremely hungry and there are so many options. Here are a few of my favorites:

Beer Park 

The beautiful rooftop restaurant/bar is open for all ages and become 21 and over after 10 PM. With a full menu, a plethora of beer options and amazing view of the Bellagio water show, it is the perfect spot for lunch or a late-night meal. They also have foosball, billiards, Cards of Humanity, What do you Meme, Jenga and so many other games available to play while they stream sports games on all the TVs. 

Cabo Wabo Cantina

The experience of a beach town vibe is brought to the heart of the Las Vegas Strip with Cabo Wabo Cantina. A wide variety of flavorful Mexican cuisine and their refreshing margaritas are a must-have in our Vegas food recommendations. 

 

Giada at The Cromwell

With a unique menu created by Chef Giada De Laurentiis from the Food Network and a beautiful restaurant and view, Giada’s is the perfect brunch spot.

Cafe Hollywood at Planet Hollywood

The modern trendy take on the classic 1950’s Hollywood diner is super convenient and quick and has so many delicious options. Make sure to try a milkshake!

Sugar Factory

The Sugar Factory is known for housing the BEST sweets and treats, so no Vegas trip is complete without visiting one of the two Sugar Factory locations near The Strip. 

We hope our guide helps make your Vegas planning a bit easier! Don’t forget to take lots of pictures and have fun.

Photos Courtesy of Mikee Lachica and Sara Zaghi

Mikee is an alumna at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and served as the HCUCLA President and one of the Campus Correspondents for the 2019-2020 school year. She is a lover of all things pink, aesthetic, and good storytelling. In her spare time pre-pandemic, you would find her watching a good rom-com movie, going to Disneyland, exploring more of Los Angeles through coffee shops, brunch places, and events, or playing with her puppy, Snowie! During the pandemic, she enjoys graphic designing on her iPad (and watching even more rom-coms with Snowie). Currently, Mikee is bringing Disney+ moments to life through world-class campaigns at The Walt Disney Company and earning her Master's Degree in Communication Management at the University of Southern California (USC). Contact Mikee via email at mikeejoycelachica@gmail.com or visit her portfolio at http://mklchc.co
Sara Zaghi was the Campus Correspondent and Editor in Chief of Her Campus at UCLA, which rose to the #1 chapter in the Her Campus Chapter Network of 370+ Campuses during her tenure, from 2015-2019. Zaghi is a self-proclaimed "Professional Fangirl” and currently works in entertainment and fashion publicity. In 2016, Sara was listed as one of Her Campus' Top 22 Under 22 Most Inspiring College Women. Check out Sara's College Girl's Travel Guides for Catalina Island, Las Vegas, New York, Napa Valley, Boston, and Chicago. Contact Sara via email: Sara_Zaghi@yahoo.com