Maverick to Mad Max: A Desert Adventure From Las Vegas

Canyons, hikes and emerald pools are all well and good, but the adventures don’t stop once you’re back in the city. This central hotel on the Strip – the neon-lit, casino-trimmed place to be in Las Vegas – has a healthy dose of action right on site. Once you’ve checked in, you can hurl yourself straight into Vegas’s bigger-is-better attitude by taking to the hotel’s urban zipline or heady observation wheel – the aptly named High Roller. If you’re returning from hikes, bikes or rides out of town, though, the real draw is the Linq’s plush spa, with a eucalyptus-scented steam room and whirlpool to unwind in – not to mention oh-so outré, and very Vegas, treatments like pumpkin-spice facials. If you’re ending up in Vegas after an adventure-packed road trip, it’s all about the sun-drenched pool terrace here – book a double daybed, clear the calendar and keep those margaritas coming.

Love the movie Top Gun (1986)? This quirky flying experience lets you step into its world of all-American pilots and act as wingman to your guide. They’ll let you take over the controls and teach you to loop and spin in a series of flight tricks. Yep, this is true, thrill-seeking stuff, all with the backdrop of North America’s most arid wilderness, the Mojave Desert, stretching for miles around.

The rock formations and cave walls at Antelope Canyon – pebble-smooth and streaked with sunset shades of red – look hand-carved by a master sculptor. Run your hands along them on this full-day tour, which really digs into the natural splendor around Las Vegas. Crossing state lines from Nevada into Arizona, you’ll be driven in a comfy, air-conditioned SUV to two of the area’s most visually dazzling sites. Make sure phones are fully charged for impromptu canyonside photo shoots.

The Mad Max vibes are undeniable on this boisterous buggy chase out in the Nevada desert. As evidenced by the tongue-in-cheek title of “Vegas’s Best Near-Death Experience” coined in a Rolling Stone write-up, only the brave need apply. Rev up your pared-bag buggy and set off on a 30-minute chase, bashing over sand dunes, bouncing wildly and veering sideways along the way.