Fountains of Bellagio

The Fountains of Bellagio are the Strip's best free show and one of the few things in Las Vegas that almost every visitor makes time for. Designed by the water feature firm WET, the fountains opened with the Bellagio resort in October 1998 and sit in an 8.5-acre lake between the hotel and Las Vegas Boulevard. The lake holds around 22 million gallons of water, and more than 1,200 nozzles and nearly 4,800 lights are choreographed to music.

Each show lasts the length of a single song, and the playlist moves between opera, film music, Broadway and pop. Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman's "Time to Say Goodbye" is the long-standing favourite, with "The Pink Panther Theme" and "Viva Las Vegas" among the other regulars, and seasonal songs are added at the end of the year. The tallest jets, known as extreme shooters, can throw water up to 460 feet into the air, and the sound of them firing is part of the experience.

Shows run roughly every half-hour from the afternoon until midnight. Daytime performances are pleasant, but the lights make the evening shows far more dramatic, so try to see at least one after dark. There is no ticket and no booking: simply find a space along the balustrade on the Strip side of the lake and wait for the next song. Allow 15 to 30 minutes, or longer if you want to catch two or three different songs.

The show works for everyone, from couples on a night out to families with children and solo travellers on a budget. The pavement in front of the lake gets crowded on weekend evenings, so arriving a few minutes before the half-hour helps you get a place at the front. The viewing area is along the pavement of the Strip itself, so there is nothing to climb or queue for.

For a different angle, try watching from a raised spot on the opposite side of Las Vegas Boulevard, where you can take in the whole 1,200-foot length of the lake at once. Seeing a show from both sides, and in daylight and after dark, is an easy way to enjoy it more than once without spending anything. The fountains sit in the middle of the central Strip, so they fit naturally into an evening walk between resorts, before or after dinner or a show.