Down on your luxe. Hotel, shows and dining options that will blow your mind but not your budget.

Circus Circus: This 3-star property is that rare successful melding of the fantastic and the family. An actual circus midway on the second floor features every game you wished your parents let you play as a kid. Day two: Take the kids to Adventuredome, a massive indoor theme park. At night, catch intermittent big-top shows from a stool at Horse Around, the revolving bar made famous in Hunter S. Thompson's "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas."

Harrah's Las Vegas: Harrah's is the name behind so much of the Las Vegas Strip. That said, the namesake casino for this mega-brand makes anyone feel welcome. Rita Rudner is the resort's signature comedian and Toby Keith's Bar & Grill is a place you can kick up your boots and relax.

Palms Casino Resort: This 4-star gem, west of the Strip, is renowned for hoppin' nightlife with Ghostbar, Rain and Playboy Club. By day, the scene shifts poolside, where you can spot the A-list crowd. And, if you want to soak up more color, visit the tattoo parlor.

Rio All Suite Hotel & Casino: Find spacious suites, 14 award-winning restaurants, five pools and sand beach, full-service salon and spa, fitness center, and two wedding chapels. That's right, two. Plus, shopaholics can do some damage with two floors of boutique shopping at Masquerade Village. If that's not enough action, take Rio's complimentary shuttle to the Strip.

The Forum Shops (Caesars Palace): There's a reason this is the most successful mall in the world, and it's not just the myriad choice of stores in which to shop. The Fall of Atlantis at one end of the mall and the Festival Fountain Show at the other are Disney-esque animatronic wonders to behold.

Sirens of TI (Treasure Island): A 17th-century brouhaha fought between scantily clad sirens and swashbuckling pirates, just outside TI's front doors.

Fountains of Bellagio: You've likely seen them at the end of "Oceans 11," because they are movie-worthy. Eight acres of water erupts and dances to music, from 3 p.m. to midnight.

St. Mark's Square: (The Venetian): Living statues, opera singers, carnevale performers-this Venice replica comes alive with entertainment every day.

Mr. Lucky's (Hard Rock): If you long for home for just a few hours between partying, you can find it here. Mashed potatoes, malts, burgers -- and at very reasonable prices.

Metro Pizza: Take a cab from your hotel. There's a location a few miles east of the Strip on Tropicana Avenue. Easily one of the best pizzas in Vegas.

Rainforest Café (MGM Grand): Taking kids to Vegas? This is a place with enough fake animals doing dances and singing in the faux jungle that it will keep even the most attention-deficient kid happy

The Buffet at TI (Treasure Island): A staple of Las Vegas, the buffet has grown up and become a culinary delight for all palates. But the best part is that you can eat the world over – from BBQ to sushi -- and not break your budget.

The bustling, four-mile section of Las Vegas Blvd known simply as the Strip houses one behemoth hotel after another. Each offers 24/7 gaming, top entertainment and over-the-top restaurants. A monorail connects the Strip and convention center.

Top 10 Hotels on the Strip

• Luxor Hotel
• Tropicana Hotel and Casino Las Vegas
• Excalibur
• Monte Carlo Resort and Casino
• Stratosphere Casino Hotel & Tower
• Treasure Island - TI
• Circus Circus Las Vegas
• New York-New York Hotel & Casino
• MGM Grand Hotel and Casino
• Imperial Palace Hotel and Casino