Tourists are coming to town, and you know their names. That means you'll be playing host to friends and family who you like or love, sure, but they may also expect you to pick up a tab or two.

So you turn to free stuff on the Strip. It demands a lot of walking, and maybe you've seen it all before. But it's free.

And if you do the free tour in this order, you might make your foot action more efficient. Or you could just hand this article to them and set them free.

1. The Fountains of Bellagio, 3600 Las Vegas Blvd. South -- You might as well start here, because if you don't, all you're going to hear from your guests is, "When do we get to see the water-shooting-out-thing from 'Ocean's Eleven'?"

You can start at or after noon, when the fountains begin doing their thing every half-hour until 7 p.m., when they speed up to every 15 minutes until the finale at midnight. If it's a weekday, the water dance begins at 3 p.m.

Tell your guests the water can shoot up to 240 feet. And don't forget to point at Paris Las Vegas' Eiffel Tower across the street. But don't tell them the music changes or they'll want to stay there all day.

2. The Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Gardens -- Since you're already at the Bellagio, you might as well stop by the flower garden inside. It's open all day, every day. Tell your guests that many dozens of horticulturists work on it at all times. The glass ceiling lets in light for photosynthesis, the display changes monthly and Martha Stewart has arranged it before.

If you need a sit-down break, near the hotel entrance is an open-air piano bar (free to listen) where talented musicians let their fingers go mild.

3. MGM Grand Lion Habitat, 3799 Las Vegas Blvd. South (Take the Bellagio tram to the Monte Carlo. Walk from the Monte Carlo to the New York-New York. Walk across the pedestrian bridge from New York-New York to the MGM Grand) -- It's open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day. This is a fairly low-intensity exercise. Look at the giant cats and, if your timing is lucky, you'll see some feeding rituals.

4. CBS Television City Research Center, MGM Grand -- Watch TV show pilots under the CBS network umbrella and put in your 2 cents' worth on whether they're really awesome or not. Screenings run from 9 a.m., with the last show starting about 8:30 p.m. and the whole thing winding up by 10 p.m. Shows run every hour or so. You have to get tickets at the site, first.

5. M&Ms World, 3785 Las Vegas Blvd. South (Walk next door to the Showcase Mall) -- The attraction opens at 9 a.m. and includes a chocolate tour and the 3-D movie "I Lost My 'M' in Vegas." The movie is shown from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and until 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Expect other freebies, too.

6. Hard Rock Hotel, 4455 Paradise Road (This is when you could spend a few bucks for a cab) -- It's not an official free attraction, but it has the markings. Check out Kurt Cobain's guitar, Prince's little outfit, displays for Liz Phair and Mudhoney, dolls of Ricky Martin and the best framed photo ever of Fiona Apple.

If you're hungry, you can eat cheap at Mr. Lucky's. Get the steak, shrimp, garlic mashed potato special for about $7. Then take a cab to Treasure Island.

7. Pirate Battle at Treasure Island, 3300 Las Vegas Blvd. South -- Crazy pirates shoot cannons every 90 minutes from 5:30 to 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and until 11:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The choreographed show, complete with pyrotechnics, ends with the sinking of a ship.

8. The Mirage Volcano, 3400 Las Vegas Blvd. South (Walk next door to The Mirage) -- The mountainous waterfall in front of The Mirage explodes in flames every 15 minutes from 6 p.m. to midnight.

9. The Lost City of Atlantis and Fountain Festival shows at Caesars Palace, 3570 Las Vegas Blvd. South (Keep walking south along the Strip) -- Every hour on the hour from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and until midnight Saturdays and Sundays, robo gods talk about godly stuff amid a laser show, and the aquarium mixes sharks with less-scary fish while more robotic characters perform in a second fountain.

10. Flamingo Wildlife Habitat, 3555 Las Vegas Blvd. South (Walk across another pedestrian bridge over the Strip) -- Open all day, the beautiful habitat has magnolias and real-life flamingos.

11. Walk back to the Bellagio fountains, where your guests may remark that there's a different song this time. Say, "That's right," then spirit them away to wherever they will sleep quietly.

Or if you're a glutton for more freebies, get in the car for a ride to these attractions.

12. "Masquerade Show in the Sky," Rio, 3700 W. Flamingo Road -- At 3, 4, 5, 6:30, 7:30, 8:30 and 9:30 p.m., the hotel hosts a Mardi Gras, or carnival, parade that runs floats on ceiling rails.