I Spent 15 Days in Vegas as a Non-Gambling Introvert: Here’s What I Did, Loved, and Regretfully Paid For
Hi!
You may or may not have seen my old post asking for recommendations, so here is the follow-up/field report. For context: I love Las Vegas and have been here multiple times: alone, with family, and with week-long Vegas lovers that I almost married. This time, I wanted to get away from home for a bit, so I decided to stay in Vegas for a couple of weeks.
I am not a gambler, nor am I a club person. I just love weird things, people-watching, and wandering around places that feel like they were designed by someone having a very specific fever dream. And Vegas is perfect for that.
I also work remotely, so most of the things I did were in the evenings during weekdays or over the weekend.
Sorry in advance but this is going to be a long ride!!
Flights:
This was a pretty spontaneous trip, so I did not get the best prices. I also did not book my return flight until about one hour before boarding, LOL.
Cost: $630
Accommodations:
I am a pet/home sitter, so I found a home that needed a sitter for most of my stay. It included two kittens, a lady cat, and two goats, hehe. (Kitten tax included.) The house was honestly in the perfect location and super close to the Strip. There were about 5 out of 15 days that were not covered by the home-sitting, so I booked an AirBnB for those.
Cost: $580 (for the AirBnB)
Food:
On my first day, I ordered groceries, and those lasted me for most of the two weeks. I also ordered takeout several times. It was definitely more affordable than dining out every single time, especially because Vegas will happily take your entire wallet and then ask if you want dessert.
Transport:
Uber.
Itinerary:
The airport:
Baggage claim and a liquor store on the same floor??? It was actually really fun seeing all the people landing and already buzzing with Vegas excitement. It was contagious.
Zombie Burlesque:
At the V Theater in Planet Hollywood. This was my first burlesque show ever. The lounge before the show was wonderful for people-watching because it was on the second floor looking down at a major indoor pedestrian intersection.
They upgraded my seat to the first few rows since I was solo, and I was pretty nervous I would get picked on. Thank goodness I did not. I really liked the show, but I did think the zombie aspect could have been pushed further. I guess people do not go to burlesque shows for the zombie lore. LOL.
But we got free jello shots!!
Cost: $66
Absinthe:
I saw ALLLL the reviews on r/Vegas, and y’all were hooting and hollering about this being the best show in Vegas. It was definitely fun, but would I say it was the best? No?
The theater was small, intimate, and cozy, which sadly meant that people talked to me. See also: I am a major introvert. I pretended to be an awkward undercover boss so people would leave me alone.
I did like the variety in the show a lot, but I actually think Zombie Burlesque was better. I think Absinthe was just so hyped in this sub that I expected to be left speechless.
Cost: $147 RIP
Comedy Cellar:
I am so, so sorry, but it was just not funny. 😭 And I love laughing. I will laugh at almost anything. The bartenders were more personable than the comedians.
Cost: $45
Penn & Teller:
Amazing!!!
As a solo person, my seat got upgraded to the front once again. During one of the acts, Penn asked who knew the band Rammstein. I, thinking that many other people would raise their hands, eagerly yelped and raised mine.
I was the only one.
So I got pulled up on stage!!! It was an amazing experience. :)
Cost: $67
Rouge:
At The Strat Theater. Wonderful. My seat got upgraded to a solo booth. Honestly, it reminded me that I may be slightly gay.
Cost: $53
Area 15:
AMAZING. Fun just to explore, walk around, and watch people aimlessly. I spent a lot of time here because my stay was only a few minutes away. More details below.
Meow Wolf’s Omega Mart:
I got the VIP Omega Quest package. It included a complimentary gift, a drink from the bar, and I believe a discount at the merch store.
The quest itself was basically a scavenger hunt through Omega Mart, with a one-hour time limit to complete it. And honestly? I felt so panicked the entire time. I am wrapping up my astrophysics PhD, and somehow this was still stressful. I managed to complete all the to-dos, and all I got was a wristband and a pin that said “You did it!” or something like that.
By the end of the one-hour quest, I was super overwhelmed and very sensory overloaded. There was just so much to do at once that I could not focus.
The merch was amazing, though. I went home with cockroach clips, chips from different countries, stickers, and a couple of long-sleeves that I will use as PJs.
Cost: $128
Horror Unleashed:
Super fun!!!
I was constantly picked on because I was, once again, alone, and the cast members kept pursuing me. I had many a drink at their bar and also dined at their restaurant. Highly recommend the vegan tacos.
The horror mazes were to die for (ha ha). My favorite was The Exorcist because I love the universe, and there was so much attention to detail. I also loved seeing all the authentic props they had from horror films.
I went during a weekday in the late afternoon, and there were zero lines. The ambiance was chill.
Cost: $49
Interstellar Arc:
I completely messed up when buying my ticket to Horror Unleashed and accidentally bought it for the wrong day, so I was “stuck” in Area 15 and needed some way to pass the time.
I am an astrophysics PhD student, so I usually stray away from space things because they feel like work to me. But I decided to bite the bullet, and it was so fun! It was my first time experiencing VR.
The headset did not fit me well, even after a lot of adjusting, so everything was slightly blurry, but it was still amazing. I loved the little challenges and milestones throughout. The whole experience took about an hour, and I spent 90% of my time petting the wolf/dog.
Cost: $49
I am sure I am missing some things. I definitely indulged in a ton of cocktails throughout the trip, which made the experience mostly better or sometimes slightly worse, depending on the moment.
Overall, I highly recommend Vegas to any introvert like me who just likes to observe, wander, and find weird little corners. And I hope I get to go again!
Posted May 1, 2026, 9:12 PM UTC