Day 1 — Thursday, July 9
Arrival → Sphere → Welcome dinner
🟣 Sphere anchor • Mum's must-do
✈️ UA SFO→LAS • 10:42 AM → 12:28 PM
⚠️ Tightest day of the trip. UA lands 12:28 PM; the 5 PM Sphere show has no late seating. Carry-on only, Uber pre-booked, no sit-down lunch. Risk-mitigation playbook below.
🟣 The plan: Fly SFO 10:42 AM, Uber Black to Palazzo at 12:50 PM, quick Bouchon Bakery lunch, walk indoor via Venetian → Sands Expo skybridge to Sphere for 5 PM Wizard of Oz → back to Palazzo → Yardbird welcome dinner 7:30 PM. Whole anchor sequence is climate-controlled and walking distance.
~8:30 AM
Mill Valley wake-up, drive to SFO
Light breakfast, SFO long-term parking (~$100 for 4 days, shared between J+T+Sally).
10:42 AM
UA SFO → LAS departs
UA nonstop, 1h 46m, Main Cabin — 3 seats together (book early; not Basic Economy or you get scattered).
12:28 PM
Land LAS — carry-on only, straight to ground transport
12:50 PM
Pre-booked Uber Black to Palazzo
~15 min. Pre-book night before to avoid wait. Richard's flight from IAH lands around the same window; he ubers separately and convenes at Palazzo.
1:10 PM
Convene at Palazzo — Richard's room ready, J+T+Sally requested early
Richard has comp guest priority. Casino host may have J+T and Sally rooms ready by 1 PM — standard 3 PM otherwise. Fallback: shower in Richard's room.
1:30 PM
Quick light lunch — Bouchon Bakery (takeaway)
In/out in 20 min. Pastrami croissant, quiche, espresso. No sit-down anywhere — the Sphere window is real.
2:00 PM
Freshen up / change for Sphere
If rooms ready: own room. If not: Mum + Tracy use Richard's comp room; J uses bell desk / spa lounge.
4:15 PM
Walk to Sphere via Sands Expo skybridge
~10 min, fully indoor + air-conditioned. Critical in 110°F July heat. Take in the exosphere LED + atrium exhibits on arrival.
5:00 PM
⭐ The Wizard of Oz at Sphere — J+T+Sally
~1h 45min on the 16K wraparound LED dome. NO late seating. Sec 405/407 upper-deck side recommended ($119/seat × 3 = $357 verified 2026-05-26). Bag policy: clear/small only. Phone photography not allowed during show. Richard opts out — casino time. 📋 To book ASAP · Ticketmaster
6:45 PM
Show ends — walk back to Palazzo
~10 min via the same indoor route. Convene with Richard at the hotel.
7:30 PM
🎉 Welcome dinner — Yardbird Table & Bar (Venetian)
Modern Southern. Famous fried chicken, shrimp & grits, mac & cheese. Lively post-Sphere energy. ~$70/pp + drinks. 📋 Book 2–3 weeks ahead on Resy.
10:00 PM
Optional nightcap or call it
Electra Cocktail Club at Palazzo for a slow drink, or Bellagio fountains (10-min Uber south) — though that's also slotted to Friday post-Bouchon. Mum's call.
⚠️ Thu risk playbook (the #1 execution risk of the trip):
If UA delayed <30 min: still feasible — move fast, skip Bouchon lunch.
If 30–60 min: call Sphere from the gate, ask about same-day swap to the 8 PM show ($104/seat).
If >60 min: switch to 8 PM Sphere; do dinner at Yardbird first at 6 PM, or push Yardbird to 10 PM (kitchen open until 11).
If rooms not ready by 2 PM: Mum + Tracy shower in Richard's comp room. Most likely "real" failure mode — plan around it.
If UA delayed <30 min: still feasible — move fast, skip Bouchon lunch.
If 30–60 min: call Sphere from the gate, ask about same-day swap to the 8 PM show ($104/seat).
If >60 min: switch to 8 PM Sphere; do dinner at Yardbird first at 6 PM, or push Yardbird to 10 PM (kitchen open until 11).
If rooms not ready by 2 PM: Mum + Tracy shower in Richard's comp room. Most likely "real" failure mode — plan around it.
Day 2 — Friday, July 10
Grand Canyon by helicopter → Bouchon
🚁 West Rim landing tour • ~3.5–4 hr door-to-door
🏊 Pool afternoon • Bellagio fountains 9:30 PM
Brutal-early but it's the only sane time: by 9 AM the desert floor is already 95°F. Closed-toe shoes mandatory for the canyon walk. Layers (cold at altitude, hot on ground). No perfume/cologne in the small cabin.
5:45 AM
Wake-up, light breakfast (Bouchon Bakery grab-and-go or in-room coffee)
6:30 AM
Helicopter operator shuttle pickup at Palazzo
Confirm at booking time — Sundance, Maverick, and Papillon all offer Palazzo pickup.
7:00 AM
Heliport check-in (Henderson area), safety brief
7:30 AM
Helicopter departs LAS → Grand Canyon West Rim
~45 min flight. Hoover Dam + Lake Mead flyover en route. Maverick EC130 EcoStar recommended ($500–600/pp): stadium seating, 180° wraparound glass.
8:15 AM
Land at West Rim canyon floor
~30 min ground time. Champagne breakfast or canyon-floor picnic (operator-dependent). Photos, walk along the floor — West Rim is on Hualapai tribal land, the only one where helicopters can land.
9:00 AM
Helicopter return to LAS — Strip flyover
10:00 AM
Back at heliport, shuttle to Palazzo, arrive ~11 AM
11:30 AM
Late brunch on-property — Bouchon or Bouchon Bakery
Real meal after the early start. Tracy + Mum will want a sit-down.
1:00 PM
Pool afternoon — Aquatic Club at Palazzo
Cabana if booked. Beat the 110°F afternoon. Mum + Tracy in the shade with drinks; Jackson + Richard probably casino time.
5:00 PM
Spa wind-down / cocktail at Electra or Rosina
Slow re-entry into Strip pace. Optional Canyon Ranch spa appointment for Mum + Tracy.
7:30 PM
Dinner — Bouchon (Venetian)
Daniel Boulud French bistro on-property. Roast chicken, mussels, croque madame, salade Niçoise. Mum-friendly (no red-meat focus). ~$85/pp + wine. 📋 Book 2–3 weeks ahead on Resy.
9:30 PM
Bellagio Fountains on the top of the hour
10-min Uber south (or Richard drives in his rental). Mum's Vegas night-Strip moment. Fountains run every 15 min after 8 PM. Stop into the Conservatory while you're there if energy's good.
10:30 PM
Back to Palazzo — casino / drinks / wind down
Day 3 — Saturday, July 11
Pool day → ShangHai Taste celebration
🚗 Off-strip • Richard drives
💦 Pool / spa morning • Chinatown celebration dinner
🚗 The off-strip win: Sat night is the trade-off you bought by moving Sphere to Thursday — no clock-watching, no commitments until 7 PM dinner. Then Richard pulls up his rental at Palazzo valet and drives the group ~10 min west on Spring Mountain Rd to ShangHai Taste, Chinatown's local-legend Shanghainese. Mum-friendly menu, Tracy's Taiwanese palate splurge, Richard's pick (he wanted fancy + off-strip + Chinese).
9:30 AM
Slow morning — breakfast in room or at Bouchon Bakery
1:00 PM
Light lunch poolside or Black Tap (burgers + shakes)
2:30 PM
Free afternoon — split per energy
Mum + Tracy: Canyon Ranch spa (massage / facial — book ahead, ~$200–300) or Forum Shops at Caesars (10-min Uber south).
Jackson + Richard: casino / sports book / drinks. Optional: Grand Canal gondola if anyone wants the on-property kitsch.
Jackson + Richard: casino / sports book / drinks. Optional: Grand Canal gondola if anyone wants the on-property kitsch.
5:45 PM
Convene at Palazzo, dress smart-casual
No formal dress code at ShangHai Taste, but you're going out for the marquee meal.
6:30 PM
Richard pulls up rental car at Palazzo valet
All 4 load in, drive west on Spring Mountain Rd ~10 min. Saves the four-person Uber + parking hassle.
7:00 PM
🥂 ShangHai Taste celebration dinner
4266 W Spring Mountain Rd, Chinatown • Shanghai Plaza. Upscale Shanghainese in a glass open kitchen — xiao long bao, sheng jian bao, scallion oil noodles, lion's head meatballs, braised pork belly, whole steamed fish, pea shoots. ~$75/pp. 📋 Book 2–3 weeks ahead on Resy or by phone. Verify still open — Chinatown turnover is high (Niu-Gu and Harbor Palace both closed within the past year).
9:00 PM
Richard drives group back to Palazzo
10:00 PM
Nightcap or call it — Sun is departure day
Electra Cocktail Club at Palazzo, or one slow walk down the Strip to see the lights one more time.
Day 4 — Sunday, July 12
Brunch → Departures
☕ Bouchon brunch 9:30 AM • checkout 11 AM
✈️ UA LAS→SFO 1:34 PM → 3:14 PM
9:30 AM
Group brunch — Bouchon at the Venetian
Last family meal. Croque madame, eggs benedict, brioche French toast, mimosa or Bloody Mary. ~$55/pp. 📋 Book ~2 weeks ahead on Resy.
11:00 AM
Hotel check-out, bags to bell desk
11:30 AM
Last walk through Grand Canal Shoppes / final casino spin / coffee at Bouchon Bakery
12:00 PM
J+T+Sally Uber to LAS (~15 min)
Richard stages his own departure separately based on his return flight (drops rental, flies UA IAH).
1:34 PM
UA LAS → SFO departs (1h 40m)
3:14 PM PT
Land SFO — pick up car, drive to Mill Valley
Home ~5 PM Sun. Plenty of decompression before Monday.