the las vegas high roller observation wheel

while we were in las vegas, we couldn't pass up the opportunity to ride on the high roller which is the largest observation wheel in the world!  from the ground to the top of the highest cabin, the wheel is 550 feet tall, making it 107 feet taller than the london eye!

it takes 30 minutes to ride the wheel and the 360 degree views are incredible.  the wheel never stops moving and you enter/exit the cabins as the wheel glides at a speed of 1 foot per second.  each cabin can fit up to 40 people, but we lucked out because there were only 4 other people with us in the cabin when we went (a perk of going on a weekday instead of a weekend!) which meant there was plenty of space to move around and to see the views from all angles.

all of the views were great, but it was especially incredible when we got to the very top.  what made it even more magical was that the bellagio fountain show started at the exact moment that we reached the highest point on the wheel.  talk about good timing!  it was amazing!  (you can see the fountains and hear the countdown as we approached the top of the wheel in the video below.)

my travel tip: there is different pricing for daytime ride tickets and nighttime ride tickets.  to save some money, we purchased daytime ride tickets.  to save even more money, we purchased our tickets at one of the tix4tonight booths on the strip.  our tickets were good anytime between 11:30am and 6:00pm, and we opted to go at 3:30pm in the afternoon.  the afternoon lighting was absolutely beautiful.  although the lights on the strip were not illuminated at that hour, i'm glad we didn't wait until late at night because we would have missed the amazing views of the mountains off in the distance if it were pitch black.

^look how small we each look standing at the base of the high roller!  for this great view of the wheel without any buildings blocking it, we walked to the large parking lot behind the wheel.^

^the high roller is located on the LINQ promenade, across from caesars palace, and adjacent to the las vegas strip.  the promenade is so nice, and there is a great view of the wheel from the fountains.^

^there is a replica of the wheel made out of legos on display in the lobby of the high roller.  it's 6 feet tall and made from 10,000 lego pieces.  wow!^

^at the very top!  the in-cabin narration is pretty amusing and it lets you know when your cabin has reached the highest point on the wheel.  the ride is so smooth, you hardly know that you are moving, so it's a good thing that they remind you when you reach the top.^

^the bellagio fountains are great from any perspective, but they are really cool from an aerial view!^

^the wheel lights up at night and constantly changes colors.  it's really pretty against the dark sky.^

here is a little video that ryan took during our ride on the high roller . . .

{music: "ferris wheel" by jason jones}

love, laurie