how to live and travel the world from your van

   Overview    Who Needs This?     Excerpts    Order Book    Pictures    Chapters
    Answers    Reviews    Destinations    Free Stuff    More     Contact Us      Bookmark and Share

This page from my master list of all Las Vegas articles I wrote while developing Vanabode as the best travel vehicle for cheap easy long term road trips.

Grand Canal Shoppes Las Vegas

The Grand Canal Shoppes Las Vegas is inside the Venetian Hotel and Casino. It's Venice and Vegas in one. The Grand Canal Shoppes consists of over 80 designer boutiques and restaurants, which feature world-renowned chefs. The unique Italian-themed promenade is punctuated with walkways of stamped concrete resembling cobblestone streets under arched ceilings painted like the sky and replicas of Italian landmarks. The storefronts are designed to look like Venice buildings.


Venetian exterior with gondola.

Have a romantic dinner on the restaurant's patio in St. Mark's Square in the evening in time to listen to The Venetian Trio. The simulated open-air piazza of St. Mark's Square is the Mecca. This is where it all comes together, the Grand Canal, the authentic Italian gondolas, the talented street performers, and Venetian street vendors. The Grand Canal Shoppes St. Mark's Square is the perfect place for picture taking too. The best and most famous is probably standing on one of several bridges over looking the blue water of the Grand Canal just in time for a gondola to pass with a singing gondolier. For a fee you can take a gondola ride inside the mall gliding a half a mile along the Grand Canal while being serenaded by a gondolier.

While walking though the mall you can bet that you will come across some of the free entertainment. The Grand Canal Shoppes Streetmosphere consists of a number of strolling performers. The Artiste del Arte is a variety of shows throughout the day performed by singers, actors, jugglers, life-size puppets, magicians, and stilt walkers. Each performer is adorned in fascinating Italian period costumes as well. The Living Statues dressed to look like marble statues impress children the most with their immovable poses, well almost immovable. A must see is the Gondolier March which is a parade of gondoliers making their way through the mall while singing out various Italian songs. The march begins at the food court and ends up in St. Mark's Square twice a day. The Venetian Trio entertains in the evenings with string instruments serenading with Latin favorites.

Interior of Grand Canal Shoppes gondola ride which is quite spendid fun. Plan for itthough as sometimes the wait time for a ticket can be long.

Even those that do not like to shop or even enter a mall will be entertained at the Grand Canal Shoppes. You can find yourself a seat and just watch all happenings in the middle of St. Mark's Square or at the food court. Another great advantage to the Grand Canal Shoppes is that they are inside the Venetian Hotel and Casino which is great if you are staying here. You can go shopping, eat at the food court, and get some free entertainment without having to leave the convenience of your hotel.

There is free parking in the garage, located at the Venetian entrance, follow the signs. The Shoppes feature valet parking, taxi services, lost and found, and wheelchair services. There are also GGP mall gift cards available to use at selected stores. I suggest you get an Italian gelato in St. Mark's Square, grab a seat, and imagine I'm in Venice; this is my favorite thing to do at the Grand Canal Shoppes Las Vegas and we love coming here when we are van camping the west.

buy vanabode book


click to buy Vanabode which shows you how to happily live, travel and camp in your van forever on $20 a day

Home     Contact Us    Copyright © 2007-2016    Free Guide    They Hate Me

    Privacy Policy     Terms and Conditions    Media Press    Affiliate