Thats pretty much it. I am thinking of hitting Vegas with my girlfriend for a weekend (original plan was for snowboarding but I have yet to even really see snow this year) and she doesn’t like to Gamble. I don’t hate it nor love it, so if we did go chances are there would be no gambling. So how fun would Vegas be for a 20something couple who doesn’t gamble? What else is there to do in Vegas?
I hear the strippers are nice. So the two of you could go to a high-end strip club and get lap dances. She’d be cool with that, right?
lol, she might be. Any recommendations for couple friendly places of that nature? 
Vegas has plenty to do:
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Shows. Vegas has a LOT of first rate shows, far more than you can see in the time you’ll be there.
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Tourist Attractions. The Strip resorts are frankly just kind of fun to walk around. They are not “Hotels” in the sense you normally use the term; they’re cities unto themselves, enormous edifices dedicated to glitz and fun. Almost all of the major Strip hotels have sightseeing attractions, such as the aquarium at Mandalay Bay, the Treasure Island pirate battle (a real hoot to watch), New York New York’s amusement park, etc. There are museums, displays, animals, all kinds of coolness. Just seeing a big place like Caesar’s Palace or the Mirage or what have you can take a few hours.
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Food. If you like to eat, you’ve got a lot of cool options.
We got married there and we’re not much for gambling. We did a couple hundred bucks (which we only did because we were on our honeymoon). Shows are a huge draw in Vegas. You could go see something, or go to see the Dam or go to the Grand Canyon. There are also some great restaurants. You just have to decide what you want to do. There’s lots of non-gambling stuff. Hit up a website to see all there is to do.
I think there is a lot to do – there are plenty of shows, also amusement parks and various theme attractions. If you like to shop, actual or window, there is a lot of shopping although depending where you live, it might be either fun stuff you seldom see or the same old stuff you see all the time.
Just walking around the casinos/hotels can provide a bit of entertainment, especially if you like people watching. They are so over the top in terms of decor that you can have a good time just strolling around and checking out the different themes. One of them has a small zoo (I think maybe Mirage?). Some of the hotels have amazing pools (guests only), so if you would enjoy that you might want to factor it in to your hotel choice. There are also many spas (caution: pricey) if you are into the spa treatment thing. I don’t gamble and Mr. Del does, so I’ll splurge on a half-day spa while he hits the casino for a little while.
Restaurants are a little iffy, in my humble opinion. There are fantastic signature restaurants that are very high end in terms of price and quality. On the other side, I personally think there’s not much variety for more moderately priced options on the Strip itself (but then again, I am also a person who gets bored if I have to eat at an all-you-can-eat buffet more than one time per Vegas trip). Maybe someone actually from Vegas will weigh in with some recommendations for food off the Strip (note: might be more difficult to go off the Strip if you will not have a car).
Oh, I think there’s a lot to do and see if you’re not a big gambler. People watching is very fun, walking-and-gawking, too. Star Trek, Stratosphere, the Eiffel “tower”, and other things were all enjoyed by my non-gambling husband.
If we go back, though, I’d really like to go out of town and see the Canyon and that red valley.
I’ve gone a couple of times, and I’m no gambler – the last time I gambled a total of $10.
There are plenty of shows and restaurants. There are free spectacles all over the place – the fountains at the Bellagio, the Pirate Ship battle, the Volcano, just the exteriors of the themed casinos. And there’s M&M World and Coke World and other such stuff. The Star Trek Experience at the Vegas Hilton is a hoot. And if you want culture, there’s the art gallery at the Bellagio.
If you’ve got a car, day trips are Hoover Dam, and, if you’re hardy, you can go to Zion Natural Park in Utah.
Besides the things already mentioned, there’s Red Rock Canyon out half an hour west of town, and Bonnie Springs Old Nevada not far from that.
There’s hiking and skiing (if we have snow, which I don’t think we do at this point; I’m not a skiier) up at Lee Canyon and Kyle Canyon about an hour north of town.
As for off-Strip restaurants, name a cuisine and a per-plate price, and I can give you a good one (most likely).
There’s a branch of the Guggenheim museum in the Venetian, too. They had the history of the motorcycle while we were there once, about 50 examples of motorcycles from different periods. Lots of window shopping in the high end shops, stuff I could never afford, but fun to look at. Caesar’s, Bellagio, The Venetain, they all have upscale shopping courts.
I loved Vegas, and while I do gamble a little, I don’t have much interest in it. Vegas is awesome. The sights! The sounds! The people! I wanna go back!
Thank you for all of the suggestions so far. We would only be going (if we went) for 3 days or so, maybe 4. Kurilla we like pretty much anything (except seafood for me) so any recommendations for restaurants would be great.
I must say that all of you are making Vegas sound like a lot of fun. Still not 100% on going, but I am being convinced :).
Oh please. I’ll go in your place. Please, please, please!
Don’t make me beg. 
My wife is a non-gambler (aside from the occasional nickel slot), and she loves it. There may not be a better place for people watching anywhere–it’s like the crossroads of the universe. There is a lot to do in terms of shows, restaurants, etc., but you should be prepared to drop a lot of jack for the good stuff.
Personally, if I didn’t enjoy poker and blackjack, it wouldn’t be at the top of my vacation wishlist, but I’m sure I’d still have a good time.
Non-gambler; I went to Vegas several times when I was married. There was plenty to do - lots of terrific people watching, shows, just wandering around gawking. I gambled a little downtown, where it’s cheap and I couldn’t lose much.
This was all 10+ years ago; they’d just put in the MGM. There’s lots more non-gambling stuff to do now - amusement parks, arcades, the casino displays. We went to a lot of the cheap shows; they’re not as glitzy as the big names but can be lots of fun. I saw Cirque Du Soleil for $30 because it hadn’t made a name yet!
The only restaurant I’d recommend is the Pasta Pirate in the California Hotel downtown. Like I said, it’s been more than 10 years so things may have changed, but back then it was fairly decent food at a moderate price. (We rarely took a car, so were pretty much restricted to Downtown & the Strip. We usually stayed downtown and took the shuttle over to the strip when we wanted a change.) The buffets, etc., are pretty interchangable.
I love just relaxing by the pool, but I don’t know if that’s possible this time of year.
The Hoover Dam tour is interesting.
This is how I feel about it. I’d still have fun without the gambling, but it would wear thin a lot quicker.
I think the best advice for non-gamblers is:
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Go when it’s warm enough to enjoy the pools, and then pick a hotel with a good pool complex.
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Take long walks on the Strip and see the sights at the various casinos. The Mirage has an amazing aquarium wall behind the check-in desk and white tigers on display. The Bellagio has a huge Chihuly ceiling and of course their amazing fountain display. The list goes on an on…
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Expect to spend lots of money. Everything is expensive in Vegas, from the shows to the food to the dance clubs. You can find bargains if you know where to look, but for the most part it’s better to just expect to spend way too much on everything so you can relax and enjoy yourself.
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All the cab drivers in Vegas are scumbags. They will try to talk you into going to crappy places where they get kickbacks, they will lie and steal from you if they can, they might even try to touch you under your bathing suit. While I’m sure there are exceptions, you’ll be a lot better off if you just operate from this assumption.
There are some cool rides. The NYNY has a nice roller coaster. There is Speed-The Ride at the Sahara which is my favorite. It is short, but fast. The Stratosphere also has some rides up top which are nice. There is also the Circus Circus Adventuredome, which I haven’t been to yet.
There is also a Fly-Away, which is indoor skydiving.
There are obviously tons of shows to see. I went to Penn & Teller last year and it is a great show.
The fountains at Bellagio are cool as is the Pirate show. There is also the shark reef at Mandalay Bay which I like quite a bit.
Bodies The Exhibition is also pretty cool. It is at the Tropicana.
There is the Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat which is pretty cool.
You can easily fill up four days without gambling at all.
Slee*
*Who doesn’t gamble.
I’m not a non-gambler, but I’m close. Last year in Vegas I think I did about $10 in slot machines and a little sports betting. The year before I played black jack for about 15 minutes. I have always had a good time there. We always go with friends though and usually drink most of the day. Still, you can easily spend a day just seeing the free stuff (the fountains at the Bellagio, volcano at the Mirage, pirate show at TI, M&M factory, etc., etc.).
If you decide to go to one of these places, have a destination in mind before you get in a cab. The cabbies may get up to $60-$70/person as a kick back for delivering patrons to these clubs. They won’t have your best interests in mind if you ask for their recommendations.
My favorite so far is called Cheetah’s. Drinks aren’t cheap and there’s a cover, but it has good talent (although it had went down some the last time we were there). On a busy weekend, there will be around a hundred girls working at night. Don’t bother with the back rooms.
Stay away from Crazy Horse Too if it happens to still be open when you’re there. It’s still mafia ran and has a well deserved reputation for overcharging tabs and then having the bouncers beat up anyone refusing to pay. There are many documented cases including people that have been permanently disabled.
If you’re on Fremont Street (Downtown), don’t bother with Glitter Gulch. It’s in a handy spot to just walk in, but it’s an overpriced nasty dive. When we went in, there were maybe four or five girls working (compared to the 100+ at Cheetah’s) and they weren’t as good. The prices were higher as well.
Last, if you’re looking to go really risque, do a little searching on the Red Rooster or the Green Door. They’re swinger-centric.
Have fun!
Ok, I think I am convinced, the question is will my girlfriend be? She tends to be a little, uhhh, frugal :).
How hard is it to get tickets to these shows you speak of? Is this something we really should be putting a lot more planning into? Beyond the spur of a moment idea due to bitterness towards the winter that wasn’t that it currently is?