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34 free travel itinerary templates (word, excel & pdf).

Free travel itinerary templates:  Your itinerary refers to your journey’s more detailed plan. Usually, highlights some places to be visited and the travel plan. By having itinerary templates, you will benefit from having the travel arrangement in one location for easier referencing and retrieval. 

Your travel plan is usually placed in the front of the folder full of your tickets, brochures, and confirmation receipts – this is also a good source to get information on the road. 

Although the information includes the travel plan for yourself or other people might contain different items, the basic structure was usually still retained. You can use your best itinerary templates.

Table of Contents

Benefits of Using an Itinerary Template

Traveling is an adventure! But planning for it can sometimes be stressful. That’s where a  travel itinerary template  can be your best friend.

• All-In-One Location:  Say Goodbye to Chaos!

Do you have flight details in your email, hotel bookings on an app, and excursion times on a sticky note? Stop the madness! An itinerary template puts all these details in one simple place. Just open it up, and you’ll know what’s happening next.

• Easy to Use:  No Tech Skills Needed!

You don’t have to be a computer genius to use an itinerary template. Most of it comes with clear fields for you to fill in. Just type your flight time here your hotel name there, and you’re done! It’s like filling out a fun quiz.

• Be Organized:  Know What Comes After What

The best part about being organized is knowing what’s next. You see your trip like a story when you put your plans in an itinerary template. First, this happens, then that. You can enjoy the trip more when you know what’s coming up.

• Shareable:  Keep Everyone in the Loop

Traveling with family or friends? Send them the itinerary template! That way, everyone knows the plan. If someone asks, “What time is dinner?” tell them to check the itinerary!

• Free:  More Money for Fun Stuff!

The best things in life are free. Well, most travel itinerary templates are free, too! That means you can save cash for fun stuff like snacks, souvenirs, or an extra special adventure!

• Time-Saving:  Quick Changes Made Easy

Plans change. Maybe it rains, and you can’t go to the beach. With an itinerary template, it’s super easy to swap things around. Just a few clicks, and you have a new plan!

• Keeps You On Track:  No More Missing Out

Need to catch a flight or need to remember a dinner reservation? With an itinerary, you’ll get reminders. It’s like having a helpful friend who says, “Hey, time to go!”

• Peace of Mind:  Worry Less, Enjoy More!

When you’re organized, you feel calmer. That means you can enjoy your trip more and less worrying about it.

Are you ready to try an  itinerary template ? Trust us, it will make your next trip so much easier! ????

Essential Elements in a Travel Itinerary

So you’re convinced that a travel itinerary template is a good idea. Great! But what should you include in it? Don’t fret; here’s a list of the  key things to put in your travel plan .

• Title and Dates: What’s the Trip For?

Start with a striking title that sums up your trip. Are you going on a “Summer Adventure in Hawaii” or a “Weekend Getaway in Paris”? Include the dates so you always know the timeframe.

• Names: Who’s Going?

If you’re traveling with other people, write down everyone’s name. It’s an easy way for everyone to know they’re looking at the right plan.

• Departure and Arrival: Take-Off and Landing

Include details about when and where you’re starting and ending your journey. Include times, places, and how you’re getting there. Plane? Train? Automobile?

• Transport Info: All Aboard!

Note any flight numbers, train cars, or other key details. It’s also smart to list any reservations and helpful phone numbers in case of delays.

• Lodging: Home Away From Home

Where are you staying? Include the name, address, and check-in/check-out times for each place you sleep.

• Activities: The Fun Stuff!

What’s a trip without cool stuff to do? List all the tours, visits, or shows you plan to attend. Add times and places so you remember.

• Meetings: Can’t-Miss Appointments

Are you mixing a little business with pleasure? Include any meetings or important appointments you have. Who, what, where, and when—it all goes here.

• Meals: Yummy in My Tummy

Planning to eat at that must-try café? Put it in the itinerary.

• Free Time: Do What You Want

It’s your trip, after all! Include some blocks of free time for spontaneous fun.

• Emergency Contacts: Just in Case

Include some emergency contacts, like local hospitals or a trusted friend back home.

• Checklist: Remember!

Add a small list at the end for any last-minute things you need to do or bring. Passport? Snacks? It goes here.

That’s your  travel itinerary essentials  covered! With everything in your template, you’re ready for an awesome, stress-free trip! ????

Tips for Crafting a Useful Travel Itinerary

It isn’t just about jotting down names and places. Here are some tips.

Be Realistic: Time Matters!

Always consider how much time each activity will take. Keep your day manageable. You want time to enjoy the places you visit!

Group Activities by Location: Smart Mapping

Put things that are close to each other on the same day. This way, you spend less time moving and more time doing.

Always Have a Plan B: Be Flexible

Sometimes, things go differently than planned. Maybe it rains, or a place is closed. Have a backup plan, so you’re never stuck with nothing to do.

Check Opening Hours: No Unwanted Surprises

Imagine showing up at a museum you’re excited to visit, only to find it’s closed on Tuesdays. Check opening times in advance to avoid this.

Share It: Keep Everyone in the Loop

If you’re traveling with others, ensure everyone has a copy of the itinerary. You could even make a shared online version.

Local Customs and Laws: When in Rome.

Check for any local customs, rules, or laws you should know about, like dress codes at religious sites.

Remember Time Zones: Sync Up!

If you’re crossing time zones, adjust all your times so you’re always on local time.

Add Some Breathing Room: Take It Easy

Don’t schedule something every minute of every day. You’ll need some downtime to relax and soak it all in.

Include All Confirmation Numbers: Quick Access

For flights, hotels, and activities that require booking, include all confirmation numbers for quick and easy access.

Double-Check All Details: Be Sure, Be Safe

Before you finalize your itinerary, double-check all times, dates, and reservations.

Print and Digital: Best of Both Worlds

Have both a printed copy and a digital copy available. Technology can fail, and you might only sometimes have Wi-Fi.

Keep it Handy: Easy Access.

Put your itinerary somewhere easy to get to. Save it on your phone or put it in a pocket in your bag.

Free Travel Itinerary Templates

Free Travel Itinerary Templates 01

Free Travel Itinerary Templates 02

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Free Travel Itinerary Templates 04

Free Travel Itinerary Templates 05

Free Travel Itinerary Templates 13

Free Travel Itinerary Templates 14

Free Travel Itinerary Templates 15

Travel Itinerary Template Word

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Free Travel Itinerary Templates 07

Free Travel Itinerary Templates 08

Free Travel Itinerary Templates 09

Free Travel Itinerary Templates 10

Free Travel Itinerary Templates 11

Free Travel Itinerary Templates 12

Easy to Use

One of the best things about using a Word template is its simplicity. You don’t have to be a computer wizard to figure it out!

Customizable

Word lets you change fonts and colors and even add pictures. Make your template  truly your own .

You can open a Word document on almost any device. It’s super  easy to share  with family or travel buddies, too.

Pre-made Templates

Word offers a variety of  ready-to-use templates . Just plug in your details, and you’re good to go!

Checklist Features

You can add  checkboxes  next to each activity or place. It feels so good to check them off as you go!

Safe and Secure

You can easily  lock the document  to keep your travel plans private.

Great for Printing

Word documents  print beautifully . It is a great option if you like having a paper copy of your plans.

How to Use It

• Open Word and choose a blank document or a pre-made template.
• Fill in your travel details like flights, hotels, and fun stuff to do.
• Add any  extra notes  or  checklists .
• Save it, print it, or share it via email.

Tips for Using Word Templates

• Spell-check : Always run a spell-check to avoid any errors.
• Save Often : Keep up your hard work. Save your doc often!
• Backup : Email a copy to yourself or save it in the cloud.

Using a Word template for your travel itinerary is a smart way to keep all your plans in one place. Give it a try for your next trip!

Free Travel Itinerary Templates Excel

Do you like spreadsheets?  Excel templates  offer even more ways to stay organized. You can sort your plans, filter them, and find what you need fast!

If you’ve been using regular Word documents or even pen and paper for your travel plans, it’s time to  upgrade to Excel ! Here’s why and how:

Easy to Edit: Change On-the-Go

Excel allows you to add or remove items quickly. If your plans change, delete a row or add a new one!

Sort and Filter: Find What You Need

Say you want to see all your flight details at once. Excel lets you sort and filter to find what you’re looking for in a snap.

Color Codes: Make It Pretty and Practical

Blue for sightseeing and red for meals. It makes it easier to understand your day at a glance.

Formulas: Count the Hours

You can use simple Excel formulas to add how much time each day’s activities will take.

Shareable: Easy to Send

Excel files are easily shared by email or cloud services like Google Drive. You can also password-protect it if it has sensitive data.

Collaborative: Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

Everyone can add their activities or notes in the same Excel sheet if you’re traveling with others. It’s a team itinerary!

Tabs for Days: One File, Many Uses

You can use different tabs for different parts of your trip. One tab for flights, another for hotels, and so on.

Links and Notes: Extra Info

You can add links to websites or notes with additional information in Excel.

Offline Access: Always Available

Once downloaded, Excel files are available even without internet access, making them reliable and handy.

Templates Galore: Start with a Bang

It is lots of pre-made Excel itinerary templates available online. It can give you a head start and create planning even quicker.

Itinerary Templates Excel

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Travel Itinerary Template PDF

Free Travel Itinerary Templates 16

Free Travel Itinerary Templates 17

Free Travel Itinerary Templates 18

Free Travel Itinerary Templates 19

Free Travel Itinerary Templates 20

Itinerary Template – Free Travel Itinerary Templates

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Business Travel Diary- Free Travel Itinerary Templates

Stable and Consistent

One of the biggest perks of using a PDF is that it looks the  same  on every device. No surprises!

Easy to Share

PDF files are  super easy to send  in an email or message. They can be opened on almost any gadget.

No Accidental Changes

Once you save it, it stays that way. You can’t accidentally mess up your plans!

Universal Acceptance

Almost all businesses can open and read PDFs. Most people can easily check your plans if you need to show them.

Password Protection

PDFs can be  locked  with a password. Your plans stay  safe and private .

Fantastic for Printing

If you like paper copies, PDFs print out  just how they look on screen .

• Make your plans in any software that can be saved as a PDF.
• Double-check all your details and  spelling .
• Save or ‘print’ your plans as a PDF file.
• Share or print your  snazzy  new PDF itinerary!

Tips for Using PDF Templates

• Read-Only : Remember, most PDFs can’t be easily changed. Make sure all your info is correct before you save it.
• Compatibility : Always ensure the people you share the PDF with can open it.
• Document Size : PDFs with lots of pictures can get big. Keep an eye on the file size if you need to email it.

A PDF travel itinerary template is  rock-solid  for keeping your travel plans organized and easily accessible. It’s a popular option, especially if you want a file that stays how you made it.

Common Mistakes in Using Travel Itinerary Templates

Skipping the Details : One of the most common errors is  filling in all the blanks . It can lead to confusion during your trip.

Ignoring Time Zones : Many must remember to account for time zone changes. It can mess up your plans.

Overstuffing the Itinerary : It’s tempting to pack your day full of activities. But this leaves  no room for rest or unexpected events .

Forgetting to Share : If you’re traveling with others,  forgetting to share  the itinerary can make things hard for everyone.

Not Checking Operation Hours : Imagine going to a museum only to find it’s closed. Always  check the working hours  of places you want to visit.

Skipping Backup Plans : Weather changes. Plans fall through. Having  no Plan B  can ruin your day.

Bad Formatting : If your itinerary is hard to read, it’s almost useless. Make sure you use  clear and easy-to-read formats .

Not Updating : Sometimes plans change.  Only updating your template  can make sure you get all the things.

Ignoring Local Customs and Laws : Failing to account for local customs or laws can be embarrassing and sometimes problematic. Always do your  basic homework .

Not Double-Checking : A small mistake in flight numbers or hotel booking IDs can be a big hassle. Always  double-check your details .

Avoiding these common mistakes can make your itinerary a powerful tool for a smooth and enjoyable trip!

Traveling is more fun when you’re organized. Using a  travel itinerary template  can help a lot! So why wait? Download a free template today!

Additional Resources

Want to know more? Click the links below for free templates and helpful travel apps.

• Free Itinerary Templates
• Best Travel Apps

Happy traveling! ????

What Is a Travel Itinerary Template?

A travel itinerary template is like a  map for your trip . It shows where you need to go, what you’ll do, and when you’ll do it.

Where Can I Find Free Travel Itinerary Templates?

You can find free templates online, in apps, Excel, or Word. Some travel websites also offer them for  free .

Should My Template Be Detailed or Broad?

That depends on you! Some folks like a  minute-by-minute plan , while others want just the  big events  listed. Choose what works for you.

Can I Use the Same Template for Different Trips?

Yes, you can! Just  change the details  to fit your new trip.

What Should I Include in My Template?

Include key info like  flights, hotels, and activities . Remember  small but important details  like transport from the airport to the hotel.

Do I Need to Print My Itinerary?

Only sometimes. You could keep it on your phone. But a printed copy is good, just in case your phone  runs out of juice .

How Many Copies Should I Make?

It’s a good idea to have  more than one copy . Leave one with a friend or family member back home, keep one with you, and maybe have a  digital copy .

Can I Add Last-Minute Changes?

Yes, you can. Just  update all your copies  so you’re not working off old info.

What Do I Do If My Plans Change Mid-Trip?

No problem! Just  update your template . You can do it with a printed copy or update the digital one on your device.

Is It OK to Leave Free Time in My Plan?

Absolutely! It’s your trip, after all. Free time lets you  explore  or  rest  as you feel like it.

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About the author.

How to Write a Travel Itinerary (Template and Tips)

Being able to write a good itinerary is a powerful tool in the travel industry. A travel itinerary isn’t just a list of things to do. It’s a stop-by-stop break down of how a traveler should spend their time.

Whether you’re a travel agent, blogger, content writer, or anything in between, itineraries are fundamental.

Creating effective itineraries is also a valuable skill if you’re a traveler. If you can craft a compelling trip plan, you’re in for a holiday that will show you and your loved ones an amazing time.

Why take our advice? We’re highly experienced in the itinerary game. 🙂 The Travel Tractions content team has crafted over 500,000 words worth of travel itineraries in the last 3 months alone.

We know our stuff, and we’re here to share it with you. The following is a detailed guide on how to make a travel itinerary.

Travel Itinerary Template

An itinerary will pretty much always be broken down into days (unless it’s a 24-hour itinerary). Each day is further broken down into individual stops , which are typically the recommended points of interest and attractions.

The days and stops are the meat of the itinerary, but most itineraries will be supplemented with additional information to further help the reader.

Have a look at how we added a practical packing list in this 3 day London itinerary .

We recommend structuring your vacation itinerary in a similar way to the following:

Introduction

Every good blog post needs an introduction. For your itinerary, this will be a brief overview of the destination and why it’s an attractive place to visit. Sell the itinerary here. Give the reader a good reason to stay engaged and continue reading.

Brief Overview

Offer a bullet-pointed breakdown of the itinerary, outlining the stops. This allows the reader to understand if it’s right for them before reading in full.

Day 1, etc.

This is where you lay out the stops for each day. Give some insightful and interesting information about each stop.

The aim here is to get them excited about what you’re suggesting / offering. Don’t overwhelm them with information, just whet their appetite.

Make each stop a heading, and include useful information such as opening hours, cost, and which kind of traveler is best catered for here. You can add must-visit food stops as well, or simply leave that choice up to the reader.

Check out how we helped our readers organize a 7-day trip to Bali .

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Other Useful Information

In this section, offer some extra information that will help the user get the most out of their experience. Some things you can add include:

• Tell the reader a bit about how to get around, transport options, and things to be prepared for.
• Discuss the best places to stay and suggest a few options for accommodation that you know are great.
• Make some restaurant recommendations and mention any other foodie stops that haven’t made it into your itinerary stops.
• Include a packing list if you feel it’s an important aspect (or write a separate packing list post and take advantage of some internal linking).

This section exists to help close the itinerary in a satisfying way. Offer a brief summary and some final thoughts. Reaffirm the reasons why the destination is attractive, and why your itinerary is the best on offer.

Important Considerations for Writing an Itinerary

So, now you’ve got the outline for a successful itinerary. But you’ll need to fill this skeleton with high-quality content in order to produce something valuable. Taking into account the following considerations and tips will help you do so.

Decide the Length of the Itinerary

Before writing anything, you’ll need to decide the length of your itinerary. Are you offering an itinerary for three days? five days? one week?

The best option will largely depend on the size of the destination and how much it offers in terms of things to do. For example, most travelers will probably spend at least a week in Bali but perhaps just two or three days in Amsterdam.

This can generally be determined with some logical thinking or past experience. But a bit of keyword research can really help uncover what your audience is truly looking for.

If you already have an idea of what you’d like the reader to see and do, you can base the length of the trip on the time it’ll take them to see it all.

Decide on the Stops & Attractions

Once you’ve decided on a number of days, you’ll need to figure out how the reader should fill their time.

Ask yourself questions like:

• What are the most popular landmarks, attractions, and points of interest?
• What will offer the most memorable experience?
• Are there any unheard of spots that will enrich the experience and make it unique?

Deciding on the stops can be done through a combination of experience, prior knowledge, and research.

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What’s Achievable?

How much can the reader realistically fit in the time allotted? We know it’s easy to get excited about all the amazing things that a travel destination has to offer. But it’s important to keep it realistic.

The last thing you want is to over-promise on what can be achieved during a trip, only to leave the reader rushing from one attraction to the next without time to appreciate each one. They could even end up abandoning the itinerary altogether.

Plan Out Logical Routes

It’s very important that you consider the geography of the destination when structuring an itinerary. You need to plan out logical routes between stops in order to minimize travel and maximize efficiency. If two or more attractions are close to one another geographically, it only makes sense to visit them at the same time.

Use your knowledge of the area in combination with Google Maps to plot out a route for each day’s itinerary.

Offer Insider Tips

Try to offer unique insights and ideas, insider tips, and some off-the-beaten-track gems.

The reader wants to know that they’re in reliable and experienced hands. Unique and valuable guidance will also help your itinerary stand out against those offering more generic advice.

You can provide these at any point throughout the itinerary. Wherever they fit best.

Be Specific and Unambiguous

Itineraries provide insightful guidance to those who want to be guided. To those who want their trip to be planned for them.

Therefore, it is your job to guide them fully . Don’t offer too much in the way of flexibility. Display conviction in your chosen stops. Show confidence that if they follow your itinerary to a T, they’ll have a great time.

Include Captivating Images

High-quality images transport the reader to the destination before they’ve left their seats. They’re one of the strongest mediums for generating excitement and anticipation for an upcoming trip. They also help break up long blocks of text.

Including images frequently is a great way to keep your reader’s attention and enhance their experience.

You can use images from your own trip, or curate some top-notch stock images .

Implement SEO

Data-focused, strategic SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) underpins all of our content. And if your itinerary is being written for the web, it should underpin yours too. Good SEO can help ensure that your itinerary is seen by as many people as possible. And if you’re in the travel business, getting your travel material seen should be a top priority.

Final Thoughts

If you were wondering how to write an itinerary, you landed in the right place. We hope this trip itinerary template helps you craft well-rounded, engaging, and realistic itineraries that leave readers delighted.

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• Planning Travel

How to Make an Itinerary for a Trip

Last Updated: April 13, 2024 Fact Checked

• Planning Your Itinerary
• Formatting Your Itinerary
• Using an Online Template

What is a travel itinerary?

• Travel Itinerary Template

This article was co-authored by Allyson Edwards and by wikiHow staff writer, Sophie Burkholder, BA . Allyson Edwards graduated from Stanford University with a BA in International Relations. Afterwards, she went on to facilitate International partnerships with agencies in over twenty countries, and has consulted for companies in industries across education, fintech, and retail. There are 10 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 265,731 times.

A travel itinerary outlines all elements of a trip, from hotel stops to destinations. It can be indispensable, whether you’re planning a weekend vacation or an extended road trip. A good itinerary gives a trip structure, and maximizes the amount you’ll be able to see and do. An itinerary is simple to develop and we're here to walk you through each and every step so you can plan an entire trip in an efficient and organized manner!

Making a Travel Itinerary

• Research your destination, including information on weather, local events, and activities.
• Make a list of everything you want to do and see on your trip, from highest to lowest priority.
• Create a calendar that includes travel dates and accommodation check-in times.
• Book activities that require advanced reservations and note them under the appropriate date.
• Moving down your list of activities, fit them into your itinerary schedule.
• Double-check opening times, dates, and other logistical information for each activity.

Planning Out Your Itinerary

• If you’re not sure where you want to go yet, create a trip inspiration board with all the places you’d like to go.
• Create a physical vision board , pin destinations on Pinterest, or save inspiring TikToks from travel influencers.

• Do you want a trip with days spent at four-star restaurants and nights spent in five-star hotels? Or are you more interested in finding local favorites and rustic B&Bs?
• Your vacation can be as expensive (or inexpensive) as you want. It ultimately comes down to what you can afford.

• Look into transportation for traveling to your destination and for getting around while you’re there.
• Find accommodation that fits your budget, like a hostel, AirBnB, or hotel, and make sure it’s near your top attractions.
• Research local events, holidays, and observances in the places you're traveling to. You may be able to witness or experience a cultural event that other travelers don't get to experience.
• If you’re traveling with a group of friends or another person, get feedback and ideas for your destinations from the group.

• Obtain local maps for the areas you will be exploring. It is also helpful to get schedules for bus and train services and numbers for local taxis.
• Make sure that the maps are up-to-date. Cities and other areas change often. A road that existed 10 years ago may no longer exist today.
• Use Google MyMaps to pin each attraction or eatery onto a map. On your trip, you can easily see routes between points of interest and what’s around you at any time.

• Build in an extra day for rest or spontaneous adventures. Plus, if plans go amiss for any reason, having this extra day will give you some wiggle room. [6] X Research source

• Keep a printed copy or type the details of your itinerary into a word processing document.
• If you will be using airport transportation to get to your hotel, also include information about fees and hours of operation.

Formatting Your Itinerary in a Text File

• Using a text document to make your travel itinerary makes it easy to organize your information quickly.
• You can easily arrange information from your confirmation emails or online travel blogs on the page by copying and pasting it.

• General Information : Includes “at-a-glance” information, like transportation, accommodation, contact info, emergency phone numbers, travel websites, physical mailing addresses, etc.
• Dates & Times : Includes the different dates and times related to your trip, such as arrival and departure times, connections, travel routes, reservation information, etc.
• Notes : Includes any additional information related to your trip, like miscellaneous travel arrangements and important tips.

• Monday, July 8th
• Tuesday, July 9th
• Wednesday, July 10th
• Thursday, July 11th

• 4 AM: Leave home and take the Silver Line from Courthouse Station to Logan Airport.
• 6:13 AM: IcelandAir flight #FI680 departs. The confirmation code is LXRMTQ. Flight seat number is 6F.
• 8:45 PM: Arrive at London Heathrow airport and take Bluestreet private car service to the Hoxton, Holborn hotel. Car service reservation is #402FB5.
• Ask for assistant manager (Nancy) for help with excess luggage.

• Print out a copy for each person joining you on the trip.

Creating Your Itinerary with a Digital Template

• Complete each section of the template with the indicated information, such as activities, travel arrangements, or daily schedules.
• Add visuals to personalize your itinerary and make it cute! Upload photos from your device or choose stock photos. Include effects, filters, and stickers as desired.
• Personalize the font, effects, color, and layout of your titles and text boxes.
• When you’re happy with your final itinerary, download it in PDF, JPG, or PNG format. Print copies of the downloaded document and/or share it digitally.

• Save the template or template link for later so that you can make similar itineraries when planning your next trip !

• Basic information : Dates, times, and locations for the trip.
• Travel arrangements : Car services, reservation numbers, flight/bus/train/ferry numbers, rest areas, etc.
• Accommodation arrangements : Reservation/confirmation numbers for hotels, motels, hostels, campsites, resorts, etc.
• Meal arrangements : Vouchers, restaurant reservations, recommended cafés and bars, hotel breakfast hours, etc.
• Excursion/Activity arrangements : Tour companies and operators, reservation numbers, contact information, hours of operation, pick-up and drop/off locations, etc.
• Destination contact information : Landline, toll-free, and mobile phone numbers, email addresses, websites, physical addresses, etc.
• Personal emergency contact information : Your emergency contact’s name, relationship, physical address, phone number and email address. The address and number of your country’s closest embassy or consulate.
• Notes : Any additional notes related to the trip that don’t fit in one of the other categories.

5-Day Travel Itinerary Template

Community Q&A

• Keep a hard copy of your travel itinerary in a multi-pocket folder or 3-ring binder. As convenient as an app can be, batteries can die. It never hurts to keep a physical backup handy. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Even if you will only be gone for a weekend, it’s a good idea to make sure that everything at home is in order and accounted for. If you have pets or plants or will need your mail checked for an extended amount of time, ensure that a friend or family member will be there to do so. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Stay flexible when making your itinerary. Ultimately, your itinerary is a guide to keep you on track while visiting. If you miss a reservation, it isn’t the end of the world, and it may give you a chance to explore some spontaneous options recommended by locals! Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.ciee.org/go-abroad/work/teach-english-abroad/blog/weekend-warrior-how-plan-weekend-trip
• ↑ http://www.seat61.com/spreadsheet.htm
• ↑ https://www.easemytrip.com/blog/tips-to-plan-an-international-trip
• ↑ https://www.fjordsandbeaches.com/plan-a-trip-to-norway/
• ↑ https://www.expedia.com/lp/b/vacations/planning
• ↑ https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/how-to-plan-a-trip
• ↑ https://allaboutplanners.com.au/how-i-use-microsoft-word-to-plan-my-travel-itinerary-my-template-planning-process/
• ↑ https://twoweektraveller.com/how-to-write-a-2-week-travel-itinerary-2/
• ↑ https://youtu.be/5O9ISzhJ9E4?t=76
• ↑ https://malaintransit.com/the-8-essential-things-to-include-in-your-travel-itinerary/

About This Article

If you want to create a travel itinerary, first gather your flight numbers, hotel and car rental details, and any restaurant reservations you’ve made. Once you have the broad outlines of your comings and goings, make a list of everything you want to see and do. You can then figure out how and when to fit everything into your vacation days. Try to map your stops sequentially so you don’t waste time doubling back or driving around in circles. Just remember to build in a couple of free days to explore a little-known local treasure or put your tired feet up! For tips on how to organize your itinerary and why to keep it on paper as well as in the cloud, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How to Plan a Travel Itinerary: The Complete Guide

You’ve chosen your destination, booked your transportation, and maybe even your accommodations. Now…you just have to figure out what in the world you’re going to do while you’re there.

In this post, we’re going to take a deep dive into how to plan a travel itinerary , the nitty-gritty of how to put together your schedule of sites, museums, and activities.

Key takeaways

• Prioritize and list your “must-do” sites and activities.
• Do thorough research on your destination
• Organize your wish list into “must-do,” “want-to-do,” and “nice-to-do” categories.
• Compile all the practical details for each activity, such as operating hours, fees, and booking requirements.
• Build your itinerary by scheduling must-do activities first and filling in with want-to-dos and nice-to-dos.

This post includes affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  See disclaimer.  

I’m a very detail-oriented kind of person (you know, the kind of person who makes lists for EVERYTHING), so this method of itinerary planning may not be of interest to the fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of traveler.

If you’re not as hyper-organized as I am, you can easily modify this method for how you like to travel. It’s logical itinerary planning at its best.

I won’t be going over in this post how I research and plan for dining options since that’s a more complicated topic for me and my husband (as a celiac and a vegetarian) than the average traveler.

That’s probably a topic for a separate post. So, let’s get planning.

Getting started on your itinerary planning

“I’m heading to Rome/New York City/Paris/Mexico City for X number of days. What should I do and see while I’m there?”

I see similar questions all over Facebook literally every day, and I understand why. It can be overwhelming to plan a travel itinerary.

Let’s say you’re planning to spend five days in New York . How do you decide what to do for those five days? Where do you even start your search for the best ideas for sites to visit?

Side note: for simplicity’s sake, throughout this post, I’m going to use the word “site” to refer to anything (not eating) that you will want to make time for on your trip. These could be monuments, national parks, palaces, museums, activities, guided tours, etc.

There’s no real wrong way to plan your itinerary…just kidding. You have to do it my way.

No, seriously.

Okay…let’s get started.

When I’m planning a travel itinerary, I go through five phases of the process before I arrive at my final draft.

• Preliminary brainstorming
• Destination research
• Fleshing out my wish list
• Site/activity research
• Building my itinerary

I know this seems like a lot, but trust me, you’ll want to know you’ve considered all your options before you go on your trip.

You’ll thank me later.

Read More → Travel Planning Resources

Planning an itinerary starts with brainstorming your wish list

So, you’ve booked your trip, but your itinerary is completely blank. Your destination is your oyster, but where and how do you start?

Your first step is to do some preliminary brainstorming. If you’re heading to a top tourist destination, you probably already have some idea of the specific sites you want to visit (e.g., the Colosseum, Eiffel Tower, Chichen Itza, etc.).

If you’re going someplace completely unfamiliar to you, your brainstorming phase may be quite short but it can also be less specific if that helps (e.g., important historical sites, whatever the most important art museum is, popular beach, etc.).

To help yourself with your brainstorming, you can ask yourself the following questions:

• What are the famous/popular sites my destination is most known for?
• What are the top, must-do sites or activities I already know I want to do on this trip?
• Why are my spouse’s/travel partner’s must-do sites or activities for this trip? If children are traveling with you, why not include them in the brainstorming? They’ll love feeling like they’ve been a part of planning the trip.
• What are the kinds of activities we most enjoy while traveling in general?

Great! Write all of this down. Don’t worry. Nothing’s set in stone yet.

And the sky’s the limit. We’re not yet worrying about the costs involved or how much time we have.

Write it all down. Go ahead. I’ll wait.

[cue Jeopardy! theme music]

Okay, keep this list handy; it’s time to do some basic research on your destination.

Research your destination

This is where I start to go crazy with research. I’ll take in anything and everything I can about my destination. The more good information I have, the better equipped I am to make good decisions about my itinerary.

And don’t assume you already know enough about where you’re headed.

Before I started researching Paris, I had never heard of Sacré-Coeur (which is one of the great free things to do in Paris , by the way) or Les Invalides.

We ended up visiting both on our trip.

Here are the questions I keep in mind as I do this research:

• What is my destination known for? Is it art, the natural landscape, history, architecture, etc.?
• What season will it be at my destination? Are there any popular seasonal activities I’d like to try while I’m there?
• Are there any special holiday events or festivals taking place there that I’d be interested in attending?
• What is the weather typically like there that time of the year and month? In other words, will I be comfortable spending long periods outdoors, or will I want to spend more time indoors?
• What are the public transportation options at my destination? Is there a good metro/public transportation system or will I have to rely on taxis, ride-sharing, or walking to get around?
• Where are my accommodations in relation to the major site on my list?
• Does my destination offer any kind of city or museum pass?

Side note: If you haven’t yet booked your accommodations, now is a good time to take a look at a map. Do a large number of must-do sites on your wish list cluster in a certain area? If so, you might want to consider booking accommodations nearby to simplify your transportation needs. This isn’t always a good idea but consider it.

Read More → Is it Worth it to Use Booking.com?

Read More → Booking.com or Direct with Hotel: Which is Better?

Where do I find this information? Here are a few suggestions:

• Do some simple Google searches and look around the different results for up-to-date information about your destination.
• Head over to Pinterest to discover what travel bloggers ( ahem ) have to say.
• Buy some good travel guidebooks and start reading.
• Watch YouTube videos about your destination.
• Armed with this pile of new information, you’re going to go back to your list.

Flesh out your wish list

As you researched your destination, you likely noticed certain sightseeing ideas or recommendations coming up over and over again.

• If they’re already on your brainstorm list, great! Leave them there.
• If you’ve never heard of or considered them, but they now sound interesting, add them to your list.
• If there’s something you’ve changed your mind about, go ahead and take it off your list if you really want to, otherwise, leave it on the list. You can always remove it later.

It’s okay at this point if your list has far more ideas on it than you can possibly fit into your trip. We’ll work on narrowing it down later.

After doing my research, I discovered a lot more ideas for things to do in Paris and sites to visit than were on my first brainstorming list. But…what if you’re finding the opposite to be the case?

What if you’ve booked yourself a round-trip plane ticket to your destination, but you’re finding only enough you’re interested in doing to fill a much shorter time than you’re planning to be there?

You have a couple of options:

• If you haven’t booked your accommodations yet, or you can still change/cancel your reservation, consider adding a destination to your trip. For example, if you’re flying into and out of Zurich, Switzerland, but are finding more that interests you perhaps in Lucerne (or beyond), consider spending at least a portion of your trip outside Zurich.
• If you have booked your accommodations and your reservation cannot be changed, consider adding day trips to your itinerary. For example, if you’re staying in Florence, Italy, you could take the train to Pisa or Lucca for the day.

By now you should have a good sense of what your itinerary could look like; it’s starting to take shape.

Specific site or activity research

Okay, so you have this beautiful, and probably fairly lengthy list of things you’d like to see and do on your trip.

Now you get to do research on each of these items individually. Yay! Seriously…I love this part.

To start, you’re going to break down your wish list into four sections. If your list is pretty long, you can re-write it into these four sections, but if it’s on the shorter side, it’s okay to do this mentally.

Must-do sites.

These are the places people traverse the globe to see…the Eiffel Tower, St. Peter’s Basilica, the Pyramids of Giza, Great Wall of China. You get it.

These are the non-negotiable ones. They go in the itinerary no matter what.

Want-to-do sites.

These are the second-tier sites for your trip, the things you want to make room for, but won’t necessarily dissolve into tears if you can’t manage it.

Examples from my travels would include the Rodin Museum (Paris), Trevi Fountain (Rome), or walking the entire High Line in New York City.

Nice-to-do sites.

These are the minor sites and activities that will become the filler in your itinerary. On my itineraries, these are things like “sit on the Spanish Steps” or “buy cheese from a fromagerie.”

I don’t care if we do this or not.

These are the sites that are first on the chopping block once we start to build the actual itinerary. Or you may have cut them already once you did your destination research.

Now that you have your sites grouped, the next thing to do is your research. For at least each of your must-do and want-to-do sites you need to know the following:

• What days of the week is it open and what are the operating hours?
• What is the entrance fee (if any)?
• What is the best day of the week to visit?
• Do you need to book tickets or make a reservation ahead of time? If so, how far in advance can you book/should you book?
• Where is it and how do I get there? I especially want to know how far it is from my accommodations and how far it is from other major sites on my list.

Side note: The My Maps feature in Google Maps is an invaluable part of this phase of the itinerary planning process for me. You can pin locations, organize and color code sites to visit, and even add personal notes.

Narrowing it down

Okay, now you have even more information about your destination. Here’s where you start making some changes to your list.

At this stage, I may move sites from one section of my wish list to another. Something might move up on the list, for example, if I discover that it’s very near one of my must-do’s, or if it’s free to visit.

This is how we ended up going to Les Invalides; it wasn’t anywhere near the top of our list, but it’s right across the street from the Rodin Museum (which was something I wanted to do) AND it’s covered by the Paris Museum Pass. It was super easy to just pop in for a bit after the Rodin Museum, but we probably wouldn’t have made a separate trip.

Something might move down the list (or come off the list entirely) if I learn it’s very out of the way or more of a financial investment than my particular budget for this trip can support.

Should I purchase a city or museum pass?

Let’s revisit the city/museum pass question from the destination research phase.

If your destination offers one (or a few), take the time to consider if it’s worth it for you to purchase for your trip. We used the Museum Pass on our trip to Paris (and highly recommend it), but decided against buying the Firenze Card for our trip to Florence, Italy .

Here are some criteria I use to judge whether a city or museum pass is worth it for us to purchase for a particular trip:

• What sites are covered? Will you have to book entrance to many of your must-do/want-to-do sites separately or are most covered by the pass?
• Does the pass offer you unlimited entry to covered sites or can you use it one time only?
• Will you save money if you buy the pass? It’s not necessarily a deal breaker if it doesn’t. The convenience of not having to book entrance reservations to sites ahead of time can outweigh some financial disincentives.
• Does the pass cover any public transportation you’re planning to use or just site entrance fees?
• For how many days is the pass valid versus how many days you will be at your destination? For example, we chose not to buy the Firenze Card on our trip to Florence, because it’s only good for 72 hours, and we were spending 8 nights there. Purchasing two cards each would have cost us far more than paying for our chosen sites individually.

How do I decide what to cut from my itinerary?

This part of the process is highly personal. Only you can really decide if a particular site or activity is “worth it” to you.

The decision to buy or not to buy a city or museum pass may affect how you narrow down your list. If you have to purchase entrance tickets to all of your sites individually, you may end up having to spend more money to see everything (or cut sites to stay within your budget).

Or if you do decide to purchase a pass but a site on your list is not covered, you may find yourself considering leaving it off your list.

On the other hand, if you have a pass you may see more sites overall because you’ve already paid for admission.

…If that makes sense.

At this stage of the itinerary planning process, if there’s anything on my list that makes us say “meh” it goes on the “I don’t care” list.

Build the trip itinerary

Okay. You’ve done your research, you’ve decided whether you’re buying that city pass and you’ve refined your site wish list.

You’re ready to build your itinerary! I’m going to use our recent trip to Paris to demonstrate how I put it all together.

The non-negotiables get top priority.

For each full day on your trip, choose one or two of your must-do’s or want-to-do’s: one first thing in the morning and one for later that day.

Your must-do’s (your non-negotiables) go on the schedule first and as early in your trip as you possibly can.

If you arrived in Paris on April 14, 2019, and decided to put off seeing Notre-Dame until later in the week, you were probably pretty disappointed on April 15 as the world watched the devastating fire that closed it down.

Don’t. Put. It. Off.

For our trip to Paris, we each had one non-negotiable: the Louvre and the Palais Garnier. We did them both on our first full day there.

Then add any other must-dos that require advanced booking or warrant a full day on your itinerary or both. So, I needed to choose days for Versailles and the Eiffel Tower.

My research told me that I should plan a full day at Versailles and that it is quite busy on the weekends and on Tuesdays (when the Louvre is closed).

I also learned that the Eiffel Tower is open every day until late, that I should plan to spend about three hours there, and that I needed to book tickets for the summit as far ahead as possible.

Add in your want-to-do’s.

With the must-dos scheduled, I’m ready to schedule the want-to-do’s. I added Musee d’Orsay and Musee Rodin, then Musee de l’Orangerie, Champs-Élysées, Arc de Triomphe, etc.

Nice-to-do’s fill in any remaining gaps.

I then fill in the rest of the itinerary with the nice-to-do’s, leaving our last full day intentionally blank.

When staying in one place for four days or more, we try to keep our last full day completely open. This is so we can return to any place we want to see again, or so that we can add more of the items from our “nice to do” list depending on what we’re in the mood for. It helps us create a good balance between sightseeing and relaxation .

If you’re taking a trip that includes multiple stops, you can just repeat this process for each place you’ll be staying.

Keep in mind as you’re planning a trip itinerary that if you’re bouncing from city to city every other day, you’ll be spending a lot of time traveling from one destination to the next.

I do feel like I need to say, that even though you now have a meticulously planned itinerary it doesn’t mean you can’t be spontaneous. We often find that we spend far less time at some sites than we think we need to allow for, giving us time to do even more on our trip than we hoped.

Or sometimes we just don’t feel like doing something on our schedule…and that’s okay too.

Now you have the tools to build the perfect itinerary for your next trip. Enjoy!

More articles to help you plan your travel itinerary

• 5 easy steps to planning a trip
• Travel planning resources you need
• The best travel guides (online resources and books)

Pin this post!

Darcy Vierow is a busy professional and travel planning expert with years of experience maximizing travel with limited time and on a less-than-average salary. Her tips have been published by Forbes, MSN.com, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Finance, Aol, Newsbreak and GOBankingRates. Read more about Darcy Vierow .

10 Comments

Absolutely love this perspective on travel! It beautifully captures the essence of what it means to explore the world. Travel isn’t just about ticking off destinations; it’s about slowing down, immersing yourself in new cultures, savoring moments, and absorbing the rich tapestry of life that the world has to offer. 🌍✈️🌏

My sister wants to travel for her honeymoon, so she’s interested in starting to plan it this month. I liked what you explained about choosing a destination and the places you’d like to visit, so I’ll share this with my sister right away. I appreciate your insight on considering what you want to see and visit and booking accommodation near those places.

You are so much more organized than we are – we usually book places the day of or the day before and figure out what we are doing day by day. We like to leave things pretty wide open to see what happens and what we find. This is such a great guide though for planning a vacation!

Thanks for your comment! Yeah, I actually have a hard time just going with the flow…it’s something I’m working on.

This is so perfect! I enjoy the entire planning process, so this definitely speaks to me. I particularly enjoy researching locally owned restaurants and off the beaten path places. Thanks so sharing such a great way to plan

Thank you for your kind comment!

This post resonates a lot with me as like you, I too plan extensively before I travel. I believe planning well helps us make the most of our time and also gives more peace of mind. Excellent tips!

Thank you! And I definitely agree with you about how helpful good travel planning is for traveling well.

It is so helpful to find a guide on how to organize and plan a trip! For a lot of people (me included) this is the most traumatic experience about traveling as you want everything to go perfect and smoothly. I plan trips all the time and this guide was literally how I do my planning! Thank you so much for sharing and I hope it helps a lot of travelers out there too!

Thanks so much for reading and for your kind comment. I really do hope a lot of travelers find this guide helpful.

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11 Free Travel Itinerary Templates for Your Next Trip in Google Docs, Excel, & Word

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April 8, 2024

There are a lot of things that go into planning a trip.

From scheduling flights, booking hotels and car rentals, planning activities, and ensuring all of them fit within your timeline and budget too!

Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or simply someone looking to create an organized travel schedule for your upcoming trip, then you should consider using an itinerary template. 

Itinerary templates help you organize your activities, manage your time , calculate your expenses, give you a breakdown of all your important travel information before a trip, and help you make the most out of your business trip or vacation. 

Head over to the sections below to find out what makes a good itinerary template, and discover 11 free templates you can use to help you plan your next trip! 🏝️

What is an Itinerary Template?

What makes a good travel itinerary template, 1. clickup business travel itinerary template, 2. clickup vacation itinerary template, 3. clickup trip planner template, 4. clickup event planning itinerary template, 5. clickup 24 hour itinerary template, 6. clickup basic agenda template, 7. clickup conference itinerary template, 8. clickup board meeting agenda template, 9. excel vacation itinerary template, 10. google docs travel itinerary template, 11. microsoft word business trip itinerary template.

An itinerary is a document that outlines all of the details of your trip, from your flight and hotel reservations to your planned activities and budget, to ensure that everything runs smoothly.

That said, trip planners should turn to itinerary templates to give you ready-to-use and organized fill-in-the-blank pages that you can use for every type of trip. 

Itinerary templates can help business and leisure travelers:

• Save time, plan more effectively, and provide an organized format for all the important details of their trip
• Have a digital planner to keep track of all the details they need to consider when planning their travel, such as dates and locations, transportation and accommodations, and activities
• Get quick access to all of the necessary details in one place
• Help manage last-minute changes more effectively

Think of these free itinerary templates as your personal travel agent assistant. They’re there to assist you with planning the most important parts of your trip, so you spend more time enjoying the moment than worrying about what’s next and how you’re getting there.

Moreover, creating a detailed travel itinerary is beneficial if you’re visiting a new city or country you’ve never been to before. 

So what should a travel itinerary look like? Let’s take a look!

There are several types of itinerary templates for different occasions. The most commonly used and sought templates are for business trips, vacations, event planning, and global and domestic travels.

And while there are many types of itinerary templates out there, the best ones offer the following basic elements: 

• Have clear and concise language
• Organized and easy-to-read format
• Customizable and easy to edit
• Easily accessible and sharable 

And if you need to shift your plans around due to unexpected changes, a solid travel itinerary template should offer the flexibility to let you make changes without compromising the flow of your trip. It also shouldn’t require you to start your travel itinerary from scratch.

Ultimately, these templates should help you create a personalized travel itinerary, save time, and stay organized to help you become a better planner.

Speaking of which—here are 11 hand-picked travel itinerary templates that can help you with that! Each one offers a unique format and features. Check them one by one to see which templates suit your needs the best.

11 Travel Itinerary Templates for Your Next Trip

Traveling for work? 

This Business Travel Itinerary Template by ClickUp can help you get all your important travel details and work schedules, all in one place. 

Easily notate your travel dates, hotel information, flight number, and other important information in an organized and easy-to-follow format in ClickUp Docs . If you have multiple travel plans or want to keep your past and future travel itinerary docs in one place, then simply add nested pages under one Doc to keep everything neatly organized and accessible.

And because ClickUp Docs allow you to have full control of sharing permissions and privacy, you can keep your pages private to protect your personal information or securely share them with selected people via a link.

Best of all, ClickUp is available on the mobile app , so you can take your itinerary template wherever you go and access it any time of the day.

Use this free travel itinerary template to streamline your business travel planning process and establish a consistent standard itinerary that you can use again and again.

Planning a road trip or exploring a new city?

Whatever type of vacation you’re planning for, this Vacation Planning Travel Itinerary Template by ClickUp can help you create a visual roadmap of your planned activities.

With this free travel itinerary template, you’ll be able to plan your destinations, use ClickUp Custom Fields to add important details such as hotel addresses, type of activity, hours of operation, travel time, accommodations, reservations, and so on to ensure you’re on the right track to hit all the spots you have planned to visit on your trip!

Additionally, this template allows you to visualize your road trip itinerary in Map view, as shown above, and other views in ClickUp, such as List, Embed Board, and Doc view. Each custom view offers a unique look at your travel itinerary to help you visualize and organize your plans in the best way that works for you. 

Use these vacation planning templates to give you the structure and organization you need to plan your next trip and have a stress-free getaway!

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With customizable features like custom statuses, fields, and views, you can tailor the template to suit your specific needs. Collaborate effortlessly with friends and family to create the ultimate travel experience. Whether you’re jetting off for a quick getaway or planning a work trip, this template provides the tools you need for a successful trip.

Set your budget, research destinations, create itineraries, and finalize details all within ClickUp’s intuitive platform. Track progress, assign tasks, and monitor productivity with ease. From start to finish, ClickUp’s Trip Planner Template empowers you to plan your dream trip efficiently and effectively.

Whether you’re born with natural event planning skills or perhaps someone who’s looking to get better at it, this Event Planning Itinerary Template by ClickUp can help you plan your next events with ease!

This event planning itinerary template includes three highly visual ClickUp Views that can be customized for any need, from organizing and scheduling event dates on a List and Board to drag-and-drop planning on a Calendar.

Each view provides pre-built Custom Fields, which allow you and your team to add important details, such as progress percentage bars, payment status, due dates, budget status, and more. You can also create Custom Task Statuses to help identify the stage each task is, keeping everyone in the loop on where each task stands at all times. 

You can download the app on your mobile device to access your tasks regardless of your event’s location, and use this itinerary template to help you become a pro at planning events and start managing all of your business operations, teams, and event planning —all in one place. 

Sometimes, it’s best to take things day by day, especially when your workload and to-do lists are getting out of hand. 

Seize the day and stay productive (and motivated) by turning to the 24 Hours Itinerary Template in ClickUp to guide you when creating your daily schedule!

This free itinerary template includes pre-built Custom Fields and Custom Task Statuses to help you easily plan and visualize your daily tasks. And because those features are fully customizable, you can edit and add whatever fields and statuses work best for your workflow.

Use this template to assist you with daily planning , so you easily view all of your to-dos, stay focused on what’s on your plate each day, and make the most of every day!

Meetings are a great way to sync with people in real time.

However, without a proper agenda, you might forget to discuss important matters, lose control of the meeting flow, and veer off track, leaving the attendees with more questions than answers or thinking, “this could’ve been an email.” 😅

Don’t let that happen to you! 

Whether you’re hosting a face-to-face or virtual meeting, having a prepared agenda beforehand keeps your meetings productive and helps make the most of your attendee’s time— the free Agenda Template by ClickUp can help you prep for your next meeting.

This template provides you with sections for your meeting details, participants, and so much more. And because this template is available ClickUp Docs, you can easily format the page to support any type of meeting , embed links to add more details to your agenda, and easily share it with your team before the meeting so they can come prepared with insights or questions. 

Use this itinerary template to help you plan and keep your next meetings productive! 

Planning a conference and need a conference agenda template ?

This Conference Itinerary Template by ClickUp can help you create, visualize, and manage your events all in one centralized place.

This template offers pre-built views, such as Box, Calendar, and List view, and Custom Fields and Custom Task Statuses to allow you to create your ideal itinerary for your event. Moreover, you can add custom tags to your tasks to add another layer of organization to your itinerary and add new Custom Fields to keep your tasks as detailed as possible as you plan your live or virtual conference events .

And if you need help getting started, no problem. It comes with a Getting Started Guide to help you get familiarized with the template and serve as a guide to help you plan your next event !

A meeting agenda is a must, especially for board meetings. 

The Board Meeting Agenda Template in ClickUp offers pre-built Custom Fields to help board members and leadership create a high-level and organized meeting agenda, and run productive meetings. You may also add single or multiple assignees to each task and subtask to clearly note who’s responsible for completing the task or presenting the topics and check them off the list as each task or topic has been discussed to easily track and note what is yet to be completed.

Use this itinerary template to help you create an organized meeting agenda , keep everyone in the loop ahead of the meeting, and promote open discussion among all participants, which can lead to stronger decisions and better outcomes.

If you’re an Excel user, then this template is for you.

Microsoft Excel offers a handy Vacation Itinerary template that you can use to organize all of your trip details. Whether you want to start a road trip itinerary with friends or a personalized itinerary of your full trip, this trip itinerary template includes entries for flight information, lodging, emergency contacts, activities, and so on. 

Once you’ve filled out the template with the details of your trip, simply save it on your computer or print it to take a physical copy of your itinerary with you or leave a copy for your friends and family while you’re away on your vacation.

If you like keeping things simple when planning your trips, then this travel itinerary template will work for what you need.

This template allows you to add and edit your travel details, such as destinations, transportation, lodging, and what you need to pack for your trip, in organized tables in Google Docs (where you can also connect to Google Sheets). 

This is one of the many customizable templates that’s free to download. Save it on your computer or print a copy to take with you!

Keep your business trips as stress-free as possible by creating a detailed flight itinerary, meeting schedule, and more all on one page. Use Microsoft Word’s Business Trip Itinerary template to keep track of important dates, departure and arrival times, destination addresses, phone numbers, travel time, and other notes about each item on your itinerary. 

Start Planning Your Next Trip with Travel Itinerary Templates

When it comes to planning trips, having an itinerary is key.

But we get it. Making a detailed itinerary can be quite time-consuming. That’s why using an itinerary template can be such a great tool! Stay organized and use the templates we provided above as a starting point for creating your own customized itinerary for your upcoming trips and events.

And if you’re a fan of customizations, then you’ll click well with ClickUp. 

It offers a fully customizable platform with hundreds of features and templates to give you the power to create a personalized experience, connect all your notes and work together, and build a workflow and itineraries that work for you.

Get access to ClickUp’s customizable templates for free today, and start getting excited about planning your next event! 

Bon voyage! 👋

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The Ultimate 10 Days in Portugal Itinerary

Planning a trip to Portugal and don’t know where to start? I have my ultimate 10 days in Portugal itinerary that I’ve put together. After my fourth trip to Portugal, I’ve absolutely fallen in love with this country.

I’ve take the very best of all of my trips, all my travel tips for Portugal , and have put them in a single place. There is so much to do in Portugal, from the city to the countryside. I think one of the best ways to experience Portugal is to spend a few days in the city and then get out to visit the greater region.

Now, while I’ve done Lisbon three separate times, I always find myself wanting to spend a bit more time exploring. While I love the city, Portugal has a lot to discover that is under 2 hours drive from the city. That’s what I love most about this Portugal itinerary. You don’t have to travel long distances to see a wide variety of places.

So I’ve pulled together all of my Portugal trips into a single, condensed itinerary to help plan your trip. Read on to find where to stay, how to plan your time, and all the tips. This is my ultimate 10 days in Portugal itinerary.

Short on Time? Here is the Ultimate Portugal Itinerary for 10 Days:

Stop 1: lisbon and nearby day trips — 4 nights.

• Hotel Das Amoreiras or Memmo Principe Real , for the best Principal Real hotels
• The Lumiares or Lisboa Pessoa Hotel , for the best Bairro Alto hotels
• Memmo Alfama , for the best Alfama hotel

Stop 2: Evora — 2 nights

• Octant Evora , for the best overall hotel

Stop 3: Comporta — 3 nights

• Sublime Comporta , for the best overall hotel

What to Know Before Choosing Your Itinerary

How Much Time is Really Needed to Visit Portugal?

This is the top question always asked — how much is needed? I always recommend a minimum of a single week for Portugal. 10 days is not enough but will give you the right amount of time to visit a few things slowly. Lisbon alone takes three full days to properly see, and even a few more if you do day trips.

What is the Best Way to See Portugal?

When it comes to Lisbon and closeby places, by foot or public transport. To see the greater regions of Portugal, you will need a rental car. I’ve rented cars all over Europe, and by far, Portugal has been one of the cheapest yet. So ditch the car for cities like Lisbon or Porto, and take it to the beaches and countryside.

What Do I Need to Know About Renting a Car in Portugal?

You’re likely going to get a rental car in Portugal to do some portion of this itinerary. It’s easy to drive around, and recommended for ease. When deciding on a rental car:

• Do use Discover Cars to Book — They have the best rates and options for rentals, you can add full insurance at a reasonable rate, and more. This is my trusted site for booking.
• There are Toll Roads —Super simple solution: ask the rental car company to turn on the electronic transponder. You’ll get billed at the end and you don’t have to worry about having euros on you.
• Extra Drivers Cost More — If two of you drive, you’ll need to pay an additional driver fee by day. For Sixt, it was 10 euros daily.
• There is an Airport Surcharge — Each company has a different fee, but you’ll likely spend an additional 25 euros to pick up at the airport, which is no biggie since there is a major convenience in doing so.

What’s the Best Airport to Fly Into for Portugal?

If you’re coming international from the US, I always recommend Lisbon. You’re going to want to see the city anyways, and the flight options are the best. It also puts you at a great starting point for this itinerary.

How I Structured this 10 day Portugal itinerary

When I started honing on the best places and regions of Portugal to recommend, I had one thing in mind: slow, intentional travel. I wanted the logistics of the itinerary to make sense, cut down on travel time, and be practical.

This entire trip is essentially a loop beginning in Lisbon, and I’ve included a few extension ideas for places to visit. I’ve chosen destinations in Portugal that I feel aren’t always top of mind. They are incredible, beautiful, and often fewer in crowds (well, except Lisbon, but that’s a must see!).

The 10 Day Portugal Itinerary — Lisbon to Alentejo to Comporta

Stop 1: lisbon & nearby day trips.

Recommended Time: 4 nights

Getting into lisbon from the airport.

When it comes to getting into the city from Lisbon Airport, I always recommend either taking an Uber or pre-booking a transfer. I typically do an affordable pre-booked transfer for ease , and the drive time is around 20-30 minutes pending the time of day.

Where to Stay in Lisbon

I have a few favorite hotels in Lisbon, and neighborhoods. In Principe Real, I love Hotel Das Amoreiras or Memmo Principe Real . My go-to’s in Bairro Alto are The Lumiares or Lisboa Pessoa Hotel . In the Alfama, I love the Memmo Alfama for its location in the heart of the neighborhood.

For my full list of recommendations, read my guide on the best boutique hotels in Lisbon !

My Favorite Things to Do in Lisbon

• Soak in Views from the Miradouros — The city is full of them, and it’s one of the best way to get oriented. My personal favorite is Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara .
• Shop Local — The shopping is some of the best in Lisbon. I love shops like EmbaiXada , Claus Porto , Bernardo Atelier Lisboa , and A Vida Portuguesa .
• Stroll the Neighborhoods — Enjoy a quiet walk through the Alfama or even Bairro Alto, both have stunning views of the city. Stop into A Brasileira for the oldest coffee shop in town and cross the street to Livraria Bertrand – Chiado
• Take a Food Tour — These are such a great way to eat your way through Lisbon. I’d recommend this small group tour , this one with the reputable Eating Europe group , or this 17 tastings one.
• Visit the Belem Tower — It’s well worth pre-booking tickets and spending a chunk of time strolling around and taking in the views, and it’s right near Jeronimos Monastery . This walking tour is also a great way to experience both the Tower and the Monastery.
• Tour Jeronimos Monastery — Pre-book tickets to Jeronimos Monastery, the lines are usually for the chapel, which is beautiful but can also be viewed from above with a ticket to the conclaves (can’t be missed). I found myself loving an hour or two to stroll around.
• See MAAT Museum — One of my favorite museums in Lisbon to visit along the waterfront. Pre-book tickets here .
• Spend an Afternoon at LX Factory — They converted a ton of industrial factories into shops and restaurants, and there’s quite a few things to enjoy here. Find a rooftop bar, restaurants, and a wonderful book store too.
• Tour Ajuda National Palace — If you’re looking for grandeur and decorative art, come into the 19th-century palace where the royal residence once lived. Pre-book tickets here .

The Best Restaurants in Lisbon

• Time Out Market Lisboa — this food hall has everything you could want. If you want a good, no-res meal, come here.
• Magnolia — The it-girl right now of Lisbon, come in for any meal. The space is warm and inviting, and the food is it. *Reservation required
• Pica-Pau — This is where I’d go for traditional Portuguese food done highly well. Good spot to try bacalhau. *Reservation required
• Belcanto — Chef Jose Avillez runs the food scene in town and if you’re looking for fine dining, this is the one I’d book. *Reservation required
• Bairro Do Avillez — Several restaurants in one, this is where Chef Jose Avillez has several options for dining. I always love Minibar but wasn’t impressed last trip so I’d stick with Taberna in the front. *Reservation required
• Prado — for best farm to table cooking, this is where I’d come in for do big share plates with friends. *Reservation required
• A Cevicheria — One of the best ceviches in town, I go here every trip. *Reservation required
• Pasteis de Belem — If you want to skip the line, just past by the left and ask for a seat (much shorter than take away).

The Best Coffee Shops in Lisbon

• Hello, Kristof
• Copenhagen Coffee Lab & Bakery

Where to Take a Day Trip From Lisbon

There are so many wonderful day trips I have done over the years and I’ll share a few to consider for your trip. Any of these can typically be done by public transport, but a group tour may be good option too.

• Sintra — The most obvious day trip that one must do is Sintra. It’s home to magical castles and ancient times. Tour places like Castelo dos Mouros, Palacio Nacional da pena, Palacio Nacional de Sintra , and more (you need tickets in advance for all). And of course there is the traditional pastry house of Casa Piriquita which is well worth a visit. You can train there from Lisbon in 40 minutes on the Sintra Line or self-drive in 30 minutes. Some tours to consider are: a full day private tour , half day tour in classic car , or this complete tour full day tour.
• Cascais — Just south of Lisbon is my favorite seaside town of Cascais. Reach it in under 40 minutes by train and have the whole day at the beach and in town. I personally always do this one as I love the change of scenery.
• Ericeira — This is where to go for those who want to go surfing. You can reach it by direct bus in 40 minutes or by car. There is a lot in the small town from boutiques to shops, and the entire beach area.

Sample Itinerary for Lisbon ( My 4-Night Lisbon Itinerary here )

• Day 1 — Get settled in town. Walk your neighborhood. Get a coffee. Dinner at Timeout Market for ease.
• Day 2 — Explore Alfama and the city center. Get a coffee at A Brasilieira and ride a cable car. Have lunch at A Cevicheria. See the miradouros, shop local. Eat dinner at one of Chez Jose Avillez’ restaurants.
• Day 3 — Spend the morning to early afternoon out in Sintra or Cascais. Late afternoon at LX Factory and eat dinner at one of the restaurants there.
• Day 4 — Belem Tower in the morning, stop by Pasteis de Belem for breakfast. Tour the Jeronimos Monastery and then walk along the waterfront to the MAAT. Lunch at Magnolia. Cruise around Bairro Alto and the neighborhood. Dinner at Prado.

Stop 2: Evora

Recommended Time: 2 nights

Getting to evora from lisbon.

The best way to get to Evora from Lisbon to continue this itinerary is by rental car. I would transfer back to the airport and get your rental car there (or book in town with a drop-off at the airport at the end). I recommend booking with Discover Cars for the best rates and options for rentals. You can also add full insurance at a reasonable rate, and more.

Where to Stay in Evora

You have a few choices for accommodations in Evora, but I think the best it to be out in the countryside. I stayed at Octant Evora and enjoyed the natural setting. Some other hotels to consider as well are Imani Country House , Convento do Espinheiro , or L’AND Vineyards .

My Favorite Things to Do in Evora

• See the Historical Sights — You can spend all day walking on foot going from one historic sights to the next. Stop into the  Roman Temple of Évora , see the Chapel of the Bones , and definitely go into the Cathedral of Evora (climb the stairs to the rooftop!)
• Do Some Local Shopping — There are several local boutiques in town like Oxalá , O Cesto Artesanato , and Livraria Fonte de Letras . Get things like olive oil, cork products, and more.
• Go Wine Tasting in The Valley — With several wineries within reach, I’d spend an afternoon at one of them like Fitapreta Vinhos or even L’AND Vineyards .

For more Evora recommendations, don’t miss my full guide to Evora, Portugal !

Where to Eat in Evora

• Botequim da Mouraria — One of the best meals of my last trip, line up early for open to get a seat at this 8-person bar. All dishes made by the owner and chef, this is where to come for the classics.
•   Fialho — The spot to come for all the classics like roasted lamb and local cheeses. *Reservation required
• Dom Joaquim  — Great local spot for elevated dining, it’s one of the most popular restaurants in town. *Reservation required
• Cavalariça Évora — Though there is one in Comporta, the Cavalariça Group opened doors in Evora. I’d pop in for a leisurely lunch here. *Reservation required

Things to Do Nearby Evora

• Visit the Village of Monsaraz — I would spend a full day exploring the valley, going all the way out to Monsaraz. The small hilltop village is so stunning, and well worth a couple of hours.
• Shop Ceramics in Corval — Known as one of the best ceramic towns in Portugal, I’d come here to shop at the “olarias” in the town. I loved Olaria Tavares .
• Stop at São Lourenço do Barrocal for Lunch — Out in the valley is the prestigious hotel , and well worth stopping for lunch at their tavern restaurant . Idyllic views, this was one of my favorite things I did.
• Visit the Village of Montemor-o-Novo — On your way from Lisbon, I’d pop into the historic town to stroll the streets and tour its ancient castle at the top.

Sample Itinerary for Evora

• Day 5 — Drive Lisbon to Evora, stop in Montemor-o-Novo along the way. Spend the whole day in Evora, see all the sights, eat lunch at Botequim da Mouraria or Cavalariça. Check into hotel, relax. Dinner at Dom Joaquim.
• Day 6 — Depart to tour the valley. Stop in Corval to shop pottery. Go to Monsaraz to tour village. Eat lunch at São Lourenço do Barrocal. Head out to the wineries like Fitapreta. Come back to Evora for a dinner at one of the local restaurants.

Stop 3: Comporta

Recommended Time: 3 nights

Getting to comporta from evora.

On your morning out of Evora, leave mid-morning to make the 1.5-2 hour drive out to the coast. It’s a leisurely drive, make sure your car is full on gas. The roads are easy to navigate, windy at times, but straightforward.

Where to Stay in Comporta

There is no more prestigious property than Sublime Comporta . It’s luxurious, super well done, has all of the amenities. So if you’re looking to splurge, I would book in there. I’d consider other properties like Spatia Comporta , Quinta da Comporta , and AlmaLusa Comporta .

My Favorite Things to Do in Comporta

• Spend time at the beach . There’s not a more better way than to just be at the beach in Comporta. The main ones are  Praia da Comporta ,  Praia do Pego ,  Praia da Torre , and  Praia do Carvalhal .
• Relax poolside. Book in a few hours to just stay at your property and enjoy.
• Shop town. Comporta town has a few small local shops for home and lifestyle goods. Stop into  Rice – Marta Mantero ,  Lavanda , and  Mercearia Gomes .
• Drive down to the village of Melides. This up-and-coming town has a lot to offer. From its main beach to the iconic Hotel Vermelho which was opened by Christian Louboutin, you could spend a half day here. I’d shop at Vida Dura , eat lunch at the hotel, and stroll the town.
• Go Horseback Riding. With  Cavalos na Areia , you embark on a 1.5 hour horseback tour down to the beach with a guide.

For more Comporta recommendations, don’t miss my full guide to Comporta !

Where to Eat in Comporta

• Sublime Comporta Beach Club — This was my favorite spot for a beachside meal. Order the paella and enjoy the sunset views. *Reservation required
• Cavalariça — One of the best meals in town. I really loved how paired down yet elegant this meal was.
• ALMO Café — Stop in here for lunch at least one day, the outdoor patio is lovely. *Reservation required
• Sal — Another classic, I’ve been here several years ago and it was just as packed as last time. *Reservation required

Sample Itinerary for Comporta

• Day 7 — Drive from Evora to Comporta in the mid-morning. Stop in town for lunch at ALMO Café. Head to hotel and check in to enjoy for the night. Sunset dinner at Sal or Sublime Beach Club.
• Day 8 — Slow morning at the hotel. Stop into Mercearia Gomes to pick up things for a picnic. Spend day at the beach. Dinner at Cavalariça.
• Day 9 — Head down to Melides. Spend morning at beach. Lunch in town at the Hotel Vermelho, shop at Pura Vida. Afternoon at pool or horseback riding. Dinner at at Sal or Sublime Beach Club.
• Day 10 — Check out and head back to Lisbon for flight home — or continue on to another destination.

If You Have More Time

For more beaches & small towns.

If you have more time to spend in Portugal and want to make it a 2 week itinerary, you easily could. From Comporta, I would continue on to the Algarves. It’s the most obvious choice for ease and you can drive down the coast in a few hours. Towns like Faro, Albufeira, Lagos, and Sagres are popular. You will need car.

For Small City & Wine Region

If you wanted to head north for a small city and wineries, I would return you car to Lisbon Airport or Lisbon Train station and go to Porto. Porto is another lovely region to visit. From there a few nights in Porto is lovely with a visit to the Douro Valley. You can get there by direct train from Lisbon so you could skip the car.

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PS — Are You Booking a Trip Soon? Use My Booking Checklist!

These are the sites I use most to book my own trips. Using the links below is a great way to support Bon Traveler’s travel journalism at no extra cost to you . If you need help organizing your itinerary, get my free travel itinerary template here .

1. Book Your Flights

Use Skyscanner to find the best flights. It searches 100s of airlines and websites across the globe to ensure you’re not missing out on any route options or deals.

2. Book Your Accommodations

Use Booking.com for hotels and guest houses. They have the biggest inventory and consistently offer the best rates.

3. Book Your Tours & Experiences

Use Viator or Get Your Guide to find the best tours and experiences. They are my favorite tour search engines. I always check both as their inventory varies depending on the destination.

4. Book Your Car

Use Discover Cars or Rentalcars.com to find the best car rental deals. I recommend comparing rental agency reviews on Google to ensure you are booking with the best company in that destination, as the reviews are often more accurate than the car rental search engines.

5. Don’t Forget Airport Lounge Access

Get a Priority Pass membership to gain access to 1,400+ VIP lounges and airport experiences worldwide. The Priority Pass app is the first thing I check when I have a layover. I’ve been a member for over a decade, and having a comfortable place to relax before and between flights makes air travel so much more enjoyable.

6. Don’t Forget Travel Insurance

I never leave the country without travel insurance. It provides comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong (ie. illness, injury, theft, and cancelations, etc.). I use it frequently for my travels to stay protected.

My favorite companies that offer the best coverage and rates are:

• World Nomads (best for all-around)
• Safety Wing (best for frequent travelers)

Xx, Jessica

Related Posts

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How to Make a Travel Itinerary: Create the Best One for Your Trip

There is something to be said for aimlessly roaming the streets of an energetic city popping into quaint cafes and talking to the locals, not knowing what you will find.

Though when there’s a limited amount of time, I also don’t want to leave seeing something perfect for the bucket list totally by chance. What if I missed the Skyline Trail hike along the Cabot Trail in Nova Scotia ? Or the stunning Piaynemo view in Raja Ampat ?

I always create a travel itinerary.

In order to make sure I don’t miss any amazing bucket list experiences while exploring a new destination, I always create a loose itinerary that leaves room for unexpected opportunity, like exploring the alleyways along the backstreets of Tokyo .

When I make my travel itinerary strict, it causes me anxiety, but it also can waste precious time when you don’t have a plan. I never want to be spending hours in my hotel room trying to figure out what to do for the day, when I can actually be out there doing it!

Here’s how I organize an itinerary:

How to Store your Travel Itinerary

In the beginning of my travel career, I spent a couple months creating a London itinerary , not wanting to miss a thing. I purchased an expensive map and spent hours putting little numbered stickies on all the places to be visited. These numbers coordinated with an Excel spreadsheet that listed the attractions by name along with other essential information.

It was foolproof-so I thought.

On day one, while walking to Abbey Road , the map fell out of my purse and was gone. Countless hours of planning were down the drain in a matter of minutes. Since then I have never bought a paper map, (especially since almost every airport and hotel has a free one you can pick up when you arrive).

Instead, I create and store all my itineraries with the Evernote app . The app can keep maps, photos and links to important websites that can be accessed on any of my devices. You can also set up an offline notebook in order to see your notes without Internet access, but keep in mind that you will need Wi-Fi to access any links.

You could also use the Notes app on Apple products (though it does not have as many bells & whistles as Evernote) or Microsoft OneNote , which is Evernote’s main competitor.

Do Your Research

If you want to get the most out of your experience, you need to know what you want to do and what will make the ultimate travel venture for you. Are you fascinated by a town’s history, culture or food? Do you want your trip to just be about crazy adventures and a city’s vibrant nightlife? Answering these questions means that you need to do some research for the area you are visiting.

Prior to traveling anywhere I do an online search of “unique things to do in XYZ”, “traditional foods of XYZ” and “best restaurant in XYZ”. I then scroll through dozens of the result sites quickly, making a list in Evernote of all the things that even slightly interest me. It is important to get past the first few pages of the Google results to find more personal stories and blogs, instead of large generic sites that can give you only a touristy perspective.

If the city or country’s Tourism Board website does not come up within the search results, I always check their site for recommendations. I may also see if Netflix has any documentaries on the destination that can be rented, plus browse a few travel guides at the bookstore.

Another good idea is to search a tour website, like Get Your Guide for what sorts of experiences they offer in your travel destination.

After there is a rough list, more elaborate research is done on each attraction and restaurant to determine what will be kept on the itinerary versus what will be deleted. Keep in mind that you can’t see and do it all, so put an asterisk by the items that are absolute must-dos.

Divide a City into Sections

Many large cities will be split up in districts, like Paris with its arrondissements or the London boroughs. Look at an online map and determine the sections of a city you are traveling to. Create a header in Evernote for each district; if a town doesn’t have sections, it can be zoned into four quadrants (NE, NW, SE, SW). If your travels will be through several small villages, your headers can just be the name of the village.

Start taking the items from your master list and placing them in the sections that they are located in. This will make planning your day easier when you know what area you will be headed to and all the things you can do there.

Tip: You can create a Google Map with pins in all the locations you want to visit for the day, then add it to your Evernote file.

Create a Calendar

Make a calendar for each day of your vacation. You can either do this in a simple list format or create a table. Take a look at your “things to do” list, there are bound to be certain attractions/events that have to be done on specific days due to limited open hours or reservation availability, so put those on the calendar first under the appropriate day and time.

If there are free hours on that specific date, then add anything that is in that same district to it, starting with the important items that have an asterisk next to them. Don’t put specific times on these other entries just squeeze as many as you can in before or after you scheduled event. This way you will have plenty of options on what to in the district that you will be in without having to be strict about the time.

Leave Room for Opportunity & Be Realistic

Even when I am in a location trying to make a tick off the bucket list I create loose itineraries, ones that leave room for unexpected opportunities, because a bucket list is just as much about the journey as it is the checkmark.

There are always times while exploring a city that something incredible sidetracks you, and if you are scheduled with events back to back you may have to miss out. Of course you’re going to want to see and do everything on your trip, but also be realistic.

Don’t expect to land in Europe, after twelve hours of travel and hit the ground running jam-packing your itinerary from sun up to down. Leave room for meals, sleep, jetlag and rest. Plus expect a few hiccups along the way; flights can be delayed, restaurants can lose reservations and an attraction may pale in comparison in person to the photographs on the Internet.

In the Bahamas our tour guide forgot to pick us up at the hotel, it rained for 24 hours straight and the buggy we rented got a flat tire in the first half hour. Yes, it changed our itinerary a bit, but instead of the original plan we met a lovely Bahamian couple that graciously drove us to the local fish fry where we ate cracked conch and drank bottles of Kalik beer.

Sometimes the unexpected is the most memorable part of the journey.

Don’t Forget the Extras

Add your flight numbers, hotel addresses, maps, etc. to your itinerary file for easy access. All my itineraries include this information, plus the currency exchange rate (so I know how much 1 US dollar is worth in the country). It is much easier to look at one file then have to scroll through dozens of emails or check different apps to find what I am looking for.

Note: This should not be a substitute for keeping all that information stored in emails or printed copies of confirmations just in case.

This and a lot more traveling tips can be found in my book Bucket List Adventures .

Happy Traveling!

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through my links, I earn a commission that helps to keep this blog running—at no extra cost to you. For more information read my full disclosure .

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29 thoughts on “How to Make a Travel Itinerary: Create the Best One for Your Trip”

How do you decide how long you will stay somewhere? We are looking to book our first trip to Europ and hope to visit Paris and London. Thinking 5 full days at each but don’t know how to determine that.

Typically, I will research everything I want to do before actually deciding on how long I will stay in a location. After I’ve compiled that list, I seperate the chosen adventures into the cities district and then I will put them all on a mock calendar to determine how much I can see and do on each day. This can determine how many days I need to be in a city, but it also depends on how much time I have to travel too. I think that an amazing overview of almost any city can be seen in 3-4 days. I did both Paris and London in 4. I didn’t get to see it all, but I also didn’t feel like I missed out on any of the monumental things. Five days will get you a lot of exploring in both those cities!

Wow! That kind of itinerary planning takes dedication. I do basic research when I go some place but I wish I can be as organized as you are :) I’ll give Evernote a try. Thanks for mentioning it.

I like my research!

Great article! This is also how I create our travel itineraries with the addition of doing a search for unique souvenirs to bring back home. It takes a lot of time and effort but it also gets you even more excited for the trip knowing what you’ll be seeing! Totally agree on having a loose itinerary – I over planned the first time we went to Europe and even made an itinerary of what paintings to see in museums :0 P.S. Absolutely love Evernote – I feel like my whole life is there :D

I totally over planned my first trip too! I love that you add what souvenirs to look for, that’s something I have never done, but may need to add.

Great article, very useful who love to travel.

Very nice article and photos you I love it thank you for sharing. Good luck

Great tips here–especially on how to use Evernote more effectively for planning! I usually just make a very unorganized list…no more!

I agree that whenever you are on travel always make an allowance to your itinerary. You don’t know along the road you might meet other travelers too that will be going to an interesting place.

I thought I had itinerary planning down, but after reading this, I’m realizing I’m still in the minor leagues! Love the tip about Netflix documentaries and leaving room in the itinerary for opportunity. I used to plan things so rigidly that it at times was very stressful. I’ve since tried to be more flexible and it has made all the difference. Thank you for sharing your trip planning strategies!

I used to be the same and plan very strict itineraries. And you are right—it’s way too stressful!

I wish I had that dedication to planning! Would love to do it step by step though. Gonna try the evernote app first!

Well thank you for those useful tips.

Thank you! It is an honor to be included on this list with this amazing group of customer service and experience experts and organizations. I promise to keep writing! Thank you again

Great blog and thanks for sharing nice facts.

Grateful information. So thank you for sharing.

This is a perfect article to read especially for a first-time traveler. Very informative, thanks a lot for sharing.

Thanks for the practical advice. A well prepared itinerary saves lot of time gets you most out of the journey.

Nice tips on how to store your travel itinerary!

I’m glad you enjoyed your trip to the Bahamas despite the hiccups. I’m from The Bahamas and I love living here

It was a great visit and I hope to return!

Wow. Thanks for the info. A useful article for anyone who wants to travel a lot!

Can you recommend train or bus links for travel in Europe? Specifically Italy, Greece. You have inspired by bucket list!

Thank you for highlighting your valuable words through this article

Thanks for the clearly laid out explanations, makes lots of sense. I do like allowing a bit of down time or for the unexpected too.

I found this review quite informative and helpful, I enjoyed it

Thank you for the information it helps a lot due to i love to travel on my down days, However it would be nice to have some kind of transportation included like a bus or some to make sure we get where we need to be.

This festivals looks an amazing at the first glance, a lot of countries’ respresentative. It should be on the bucket list of the travellers who want to experience cultures and traditions. I will try my best to be a part of this too.

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Itinerary Template for a Trip: Free Downloadable Examples & More Resources

• Updated: 04/04/2024

If you are looking for a free, easy, and detailed itinerary template for a trip that you can download and conveniently add your own travel details—then you are in the right place. 

Find the sample trip itinerary template I created and tweaked over years of travel to include the most relevant information in one easy-to-scan document and in four different file formats. 

Additionally, I share alternative template ideas  that include my top picks for itinerary-building apps  and other online places where you can find more free or affordable trip itinerary designs  and layouts. So, go to the file format that works best for you, scan my quick tips for editing, and get your trip details organized in a downloadable, easy-to-edit, and very sharable document. 

Table Of Contents

Itinerary template for a trip in 4 file formats.

Find my travel itinerary template in the four different file formats below. Choose the one you like to work in best. Then find more recommendations here .

• Microsoft Word trip itinerary template
• Microsoft Excel trip itinerary template
• Google Sheets trip itinerary template
• Canva trip itinerary template

About This Template: 7 Main Components

There are seven main components to this template. I have included each because it contains the information I reference most while traveling, organized in a way that helps me figure out when my trip schedule is overloaded or lacks the right amount of buffer time between activities or transit.

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The 7 trip itinerary template components include:

• Header. For a destination image and title. Replace this image with your own.
• High-level trip summary: An at-a-glance summary of essential trip information—the number of travelers, dates of travel, flights (or other transit), and location(s) of the trip.
• Travel day column. Know which day of your trip an activity is happening. 
• Day of the week column. Know the day of the week and date to ensure lodging, tour, and transfers are booked correctly.
• Activities column. A place to capture details for all activities and lodging. Hyperlink text to websites for additional information.
• Location(s) column. In this space, recap the destinations for each day, link to lodging websites, and include important notes such as included meals or overnight flights.
• Lodging contact info sheet. A second tab or sheet for additional lodging information is included in all template files except for Microsoft Word 

Since the detail on this template prints small, consider saving it to a PDF file , allowing you to zoom in as needed and easily share it with others.

Additionally, reference your itinerary offline when you save a PDF version of this itinerary to your phone to an app like iBooks (Apple users) or Google Play Books (Android users). Having an offline itinerary comes in handy in travel situations when you have limited or zero cellular or wi-fi connection. 

Microsoft Word Template

Click on the image below to download a free version of this trip itinerary template containing actual details from a visit to Iceland in Microsoft Word. 

6 Editing Tips (Word Template)

As Microsoft Word is the most universally used software program, it is the trip itinerary template file I share first. Here are six essential editing tips when using the Microsoft Word version of this template.

Header area editing (Word template)

• To change out the image at the top of the itinerary, right-click on the image and select Change Picture. Select from a stock photo or upload your own image. I am a Canva user and found this image there, added a text overlay, and saved it using the dimensions 2000x458px.
• However, you can upload any size image file you would like. If your uploaded image is not the correct size, click on it and drag its diagonal corner to resize and fit the page. If you find it too tricky to insert a new image, delete the existing one and type your preferred itinerary title. It might not look as pretty without a picture, but the template will still convey all essential information.

Main itinerary body editing (Word template)

I created this itinerary using a table in Microsoft Word, hiding vertical gridlines to achieve a cleaner look. 

• To edit text , select and delete existing text. Then, type text as you normally would in Word documents.
• To add a table row , select a row by dragging your mouse to highlight it, then right-click and choose Insert to add a row above or below. Repeat the process to delete a row . Find one additional blank row at the bottom of the template.
• To add or change hyperlinks , select the word(s) you would like to link (or unlink) to a website, right-click, select Hyperlink, and from the sub-menu, select Edit or Remove Hyperlink.
• To add back vertical gridlines , select the entire table, right-click, and select Borders and Shading to adjust the design with the gridline configuration you like best.

Microsoft Excel Template

Click on the image below to download a free version of this trip itinerary template containing actual details from a visit to Iceland in Microsoft Excel. 

9 Editing Tips (Excel Template)

As Microsoft Excel is more specialized software, I share nine file-specific tips, knowing that the traveler who prefers to download this file type is likely already familiar and comfortable editing in Excel.

Header area editing (Excel template)

To change out the header image at the top of the itinerary, right-click on the image and select Change Picture. Select from a stock photo or upload your own image. I am a Canva user and found this image there, saving it using the dimensions 2000x458px. Once uploaded, I added the semi-transparency in Excel.

However, you can upload any size image file you would like. If your uploaded image is not the correct size, click on it and drag its diagonal corner to resize and fit the page . If you find it too tricky to insert a new image, delete the existing one. It might not look as pretty without a picture, but the template will still convey all essential information.

• Though—if you upload a new image and want to keep the semi-transparency , double-click on your picture to get to the Picture Format menu. Find the Transparency icon in the header menu and adjust it to your preference. 
• To change the header text , click on the text in the Text Box and edit all elements.

Main itinerary body editing (Excel template)

• To insert bullet points , copy these from an existing cell in the document. I created and copied the bullet points from a Word document and pasted them into Excel. 
• All cells are set to wrap text and are oriented to align left and at the top of the cell. If this changes or the format structure is lost, right-click on any cell and select Format Cells to reset the cell structure to your preference. 
• To start a new line of text in a cell when using a Mac, press the Option+Return buttons on your keyboard. Using a PC, press the Alt+Enter buttons or get more tips from Microsoft Help .
• To insert hyperlinks , select the cell you would like to hyperlink, and from the main menu, select Insert. From that submenu, choose Link. Microsoft Excel—from what I can tell (please correct me in the comments if you know how to bypass this)—does not allow users to link individual text within a cell. Google Sheets does, and it is one of the reasons I prefer using that format type. 

Lodging contact tab editing (Excel template)

Note a second tab in this Excel template for lodging details—set to print landscape (horizontally). Edit all elements in the same way as the main itinerary.

Google Sheets Template

Click on the image below to download a free version of this trip itinerary template containing actual details from a visit to Iceland in Google Sheets. This image links to a read-only document. 

To copy it, click File from the main menu and select Copy . Doing this will create a copy of the document on your Google Drive. You will want to be logged into Google when you do this.

7 Editing Tips (Google Sheets Template)

Google Sheets is my preferred file type to create, edit, and share new trip itineraries. I find its slimmed-down menu is easier to use than Excel. Plus, I appreciate the ability to highlight and hyperlink specific text using Sheets vs. having to link an entire cell (in Excel).

Additionally, I find this file type easier to share as not everyone uses Microsoft documents. And I find it convenient since I already use Google Drive to manage my business documents and keep my travel information organized . Here are seven things to know when editing this template.

Header area editing (Google Sheets template)

To change out the header image at the top of the itinerary, right-click on the image and select Change Picture. Select from a stock photo or upload your own image. I am a Canva user and found this image there, added a text overlay, and saved it using the dime nsions 2000x458px.

However, you can upload any size image file you would like. If your uploaded image is not the correct size, click on it and drag its diagonal corner to resize and fit the page . If you find it too tricky to insert a new image, delete the existing one and type your preferred itinerary title. It might not look as pretty without a picture, but the template will still convey all essential information.

Main itinerary body editing (Google Sheets template)

• All cells are set to wrap text and are oriented to align left and at the top of the cell. If this changes or the format structure is lost, select a cell and choose Format from the main menu.  From the drop-down menu, select Wrapping or Alignment to adjust to your preference. 
• To start a new line of text within Google Sheets when using a Mac, press the Command (or Control or Option)+Return buttons on your keyboard. Using a PC, press the Alt (or Control) +Enter buttons. 
• To insert hyperlinks , select the specific text you would like to hyperlink, and from the iconographic menu, just below the main menu, select the three vertical dots at the far right for more editing items. Select the Link icon to insert and link to your preferred URL. Or choose Insert from the main menu, then select Link. 

Lodging contact tab editing (Google Sheets template)

Note a second tab in this Google Sheets template for lodging details—set to print landscape (horizontally). Edit all elements in the same way as the main itinerary.

Canva Template

Click on the image below to access and edit a free version of this trip itinerary template in Canva. 

Although Canva is an excellent and intuitive design software usable by non-professionals, it requires prior knowledge and experience to use it comfortably. I do not recommend downloading and editing this file type unless you are already comfortable creating and editing in Canva.

If you are, have fun! You have full editing capability to change any element of this two-page trip itinerary template, which includes a second page for lodging contact information. 

Tips for duplicating the template: Click the above image, then click the “Create with Canva” button in the upper right-hand corner. When you do this, it should take you to your Canva account and let you copy, and then edit a duplicate version of the template.

2 Recommended Online Itinerary Builders

If you prefer using an app or an online itinerary builder to create your itineraries, TripIt and Wanderlog are the top two options. I have used TripIt before and found it handy—though short on the functionality I prefer. Despite easy integration with travel booking uploads, the program was less flexible than I would have liked, still requiring some manual uploading and editing. 

I have not used Wanderlog, though I have repeatedly seen it recommended highly by frequent travelers and travel professionals. To see which is right for you, scan through this Reddit thread of users comparing notes on each.

4 More Places to Find Travel Itinerary Templates

In addition to the free templates I share, are four more places to find free or affordable trip itinerary templates.

• Microsoft Excel, Word, and Google Sheets free templates

Find multiple travel itinerary templates on Jotform .  Edit them using its web-based a PDF editor. Then, download your edited form after you create an account. You get five complimentary form downloads with a free membership . 

Find multiple trip itinerary templates on Canva .  There are several free options. To edit and download them, create a free account on Canva if you do not already have one. Some templates are restricted to paid Pro Canva users only.

Microsoft Excel, Word, and Google Sheets

Microsoft Excel, Word, and Google Sheets offer free templates. These software programs offer several free travel itinerary templates. To access these complimentary templates, choose File, then select Create New from Template or New from template gallery from the main menus. Search for templates related to trips or travel to find one that fits your needs.

Several shops on Etsy sell downloadable trip itinerary templates for a low price, often $5 or under. Some designs are beautiful. Several come packaged with multiple detailed pages that could be perfect for your needs or be superfluous. Search digital download options here to see what fits your preferences best.

Related Reading

If you are searching for more travel planning assistance to help you save time and money, stay organized, and achieve better results, check out the related articles below.

• How to Plan a Trip Quickly: 9 Best Places to Find Inspiring Trip Itineraries
• 49 Things You Need to Do to Plan Your Best Trip (Free Travel Research & Planning Checklist)
• Google for Travel: Plan Better with These 8 Tools
• Why You Will Love Google Maps for Trip Planning
• How to Save Time & Money with Google Flights Price Tracker
• 5 Proven Ways to Simplify and Organize Your Travel Research
• Pack Faster & Better with This Universal Printable Packing List
• 25 Expert Packing Tips to Help You Travel Better
• Pre-Trip: A Practical Checklist to Close the House & Pack

Additional Trip Planning Resources

To further help you with travel planning, I share my go-to resources for every trip below. 

Google Flights. My first research stop for affordable flights for every trip. Learn why here . 

Google Hotels . Use its “ Where to stay ” button to discover the best neighborhoods to base your visit.

Booking.com. For hotel and rental bookings, I appreciate its flexible cancellation, candid user reviews, discounts, loyalty program, and easy-to-use interface.

Viator , Get Your Guide , & Airbnb Experiences . Quickly find and book highly-rated tours and activities on these sites.

Google Travel Things to Do & Google Maps . Find more things to do in your destination on Google Travel, then record where you want to visit on a custom Google Maps list. 

AllTrails . Love to hike? Me too. I religiously use AllTrails to discover hiking and biking trails and download its offline maps to manage my hikes.

Guide Along . 5-star self-guided audio tours that are GPS-compatible for US road trips and national parks. We loved the Glacier National Park tour .

Insure My Trip. I never travel internationally without trip insurance. Learn why here . My preferred place to shop and compare policies is InsureMyTrip.com . 

Plus, check out the 15 travel apps I use on trips, my preferred guidebooks , and my free customizable travel itinerary template , downloadable in four file formats.

About the author:  Janice Moskoff is a travel writer and blogger who loves hiking, exploring the world, and reading. She writes to inspire travel-loving families, adult friends, and couples on her blog,  Gather and Go Travel . Check out  her bio , learn how she became  a blogger , and discover how to  work with her . Sign up for her monthly  Discovery Newsletter  to get her latest travel recommendations and  how-to’s .

Love to travel? Sign up for m y monthly Gather & Go Travel Discovery Newsletter and get a free trip budget calculator .

Affiliate Disclosure: Some of the links on this page may be affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you make a purchase. I only recommend products and companies I use. And the income goes to keeping the site community-supported and ads minimal.

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2 responses.

Hi Nicole, thanks for messaging about this. Happy to troubleshoot. I am sorry you having issues. Since you would like to use this template I’ll take an educated guess that you are familiar with Canva and already have an account? When you click the “Create with Canva” link in the upper right hand corner it should take you to your account and let you edit a version of this template. I’ll check in with you via email as well to see if this is happening. If not, I’ll email you a direct link and dig in to adjust settings. Or feel free to email me directly at (janice at gatherandgotravel dot com.). Thank you!

Hi! I was hoping to use your Canva template but it linked to a preview that wouldn’t open the template. I also couldn’t find it by searching.. Is it available anywhere?

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Welcome to Gather and Go Travel , a blog inspiring families, adult friends, and couples to explore US and international destinations and to get outdoors. I am Janice, an experienced traveler to over 50 countries and a travel writer, book lover, and blogger. Learn more about me , read our story , and how to work with me .

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Ultimate USA Itinerary Planner & Travel Guide

Planning a trip to the United States of America and looking for USA itinerary Ideas? Whether you are planning a 2-week long US trip or a 3-week long trip, we have got you covered. Use our USA Itinerary planner to see the country from coast to coast. See epic attractions along the East Coast including Niagara Falls and New York City then head to the West Coast to enjoy beach life in California. Read now for great itinerary ideas to explore America. You might also like our post on Best Places to Visit in the USA .

Welcome to our ultimate USA trip planner! 

We created this USA Itinerary Planner to help you plan the ultimate American trip. It contains all essential information including which places to visit, how to travel around the USA, sample itineraries, where to stay, what to eat, budgets and costs, etc.

Here you will find recommendations for a variety of USA trips whether you plan to fly, take a bus, or road trip around the country. Whether you are a first-time visitor or planning a 2nd, 3rd, or 4th trip to the country we have ideas for most well-known destinations to the hidden gems in the country.

Dotted Globe contains affiliate links. If you click one of them, we may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Read my full  Disclosure  here. Thank you!

“This is America … a brilliant diversity spread like stars, like a thousand points of light in a broad and peaceful sky.” — George H.W. Bush

Here is our guide to planning the perfect USA Itinerary around your favorite attractions. 

Where to Visit in the USA

The USA is vast and diverse. You really need to know where you want to go to plan the perfect trip. Otherwise, a lot of your time will be spent traveling from one destination to another with very little time to actually explore the cities and natural areas. To read the most popular destinations to visit in the USA, read our post on USA Travel Bucket List .

Most people usually start planning a USA trip with their favorite cities on the East Coast or the West Coast. The USA is home to many vibrant cities including New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and Seattle. You can read more about the best cities in the country in our post 22 Best City Breaks in the USA . 

The USA also has stunning natural beauty. We recommend visiting at least one of the country’s most popular national parks to experience wildlife, hiking, and outdoor activities in the country. Some of the USA National Parks that are frequently visited by international visitors include Grand Canyon National Park, Yosemite National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Zion National Park, and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park . 

How to Travel around the USA

If you are planning a trip around the major cities in the country, then you can either fly or take a bus during your USA trip. Amtrak Trains are also a good option while visiting certain areas. However, if you are planning to visit national parks and outdoor areas, then consider a road trip across the USA. 

If flying domestically in the US, then consider budget airlines like Spirit or Frontier. The tickets are usually cheapest if you book in advance and fly on weekdays, especially Tuesdays or Wednesdays. 

The US also has great bus service in certain regions like the Northeast, Midwest, and California. Bus operators like Greyhound and Megabus operate buses between popular cities. The journeys are often overnight which means you can save on hotels if traveling via an overnight bus. 

Amtrak operates the trains in the USA. Traveling within the USA by train is neither cheap nor fast. However, it is definitely a scenic option especially along routes like the California Zephyr from San Francisco to Chicago. Amtrak has Rail Passes which you can use to get down and explore attractions for multiple days before reboarding the train.

However, one of our favorite ways to get around the country is via road trips. The USA is made for road tripping. Americans love taking road trips and you can rent cars, SUVs, and even RVs for your road trip. Read our post on Best Road Trips in the USA to learn about iconic road trips in the country.

1 Week in USA Itinerary Ideas

While a week is a very short time to explore the country, there are many small trips that you can take in a week. We have divided these trips mostly by region – you can definitely cover the highlights of a US region in 7 days. Here are a couple of different 1 week USA Itinerary Ideas – click the names of the destinations to read in-depth articles on the best things to do in the cities and national parks:

Itinerary 1: Las Vegas Los Angeles San Francisco

This itinerary may be just a week-long but it covers 4 major highlights of the country: Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. You can complete this as a road trip or as a flying itinerary.

Las Vegas – 2 Days

Las Vegas or Sin City is famous for its casinos and gambling. Besides gambling, Las Vegas also has many free attractions including the Bellagio Fountains, the Mirage Volcano, Eiffel Tower, etc. With two days in the city, you have enough time to explore Vegas nightlife and see a show or two. You can also explore outdoor Las Vegas: there are many natural areas close to Las Vegas including Valley of Fire State Park, Hoover Dam and Lake Mead Recreation Area, and Seven Magic Mountains. 

Grand Canyon – 1 Day

The Grand Canyon is one of the natural wonders of the world. This beautiful landscape is the result of years of erosion carried out by the Colorado River. You can easily see the Grand Canyon as a day trip from Las Vegas. While you won’t have time to visit the Grand Canyon National Park, you can see the Grand Canyon Skywalk at the West Rim. Book day tours to the Grand Canyon here. 

Los Angeles – 2 Days

Next head to Los Angeles in California. Los Angeles is home to Hollywood, America’s film industry and there are a lot of things to do in the city for movie buffs. See the stars on the sidewalk on Hollywood Blvd, take a photo with the Hollywood sign, take a behind the scenes tour at Warner Bros Inc, and take thrilling movie-inspired rides at Universal Studios. Los Angeles also has many museums and is a great place for foodies. 

San Francisco – 2 Days

After seeing Los Angeles, visit the northern California city of San Francisco . See America’s icon – the Golden Gate Bridge . Spend time at Fisherman’s Wharf, see the twisting Lombard Street, and visit the notorious island of Alcatraz. Take a day trip to Napa Valley to tour wineries and go wine tasting or visit Muir Woods National Monument to see the coastal redwoods. 

Itinerary 2: Chicago NYC Philadelphia

In this Midwest & East Coast itinerary, you will be visiting some of our favorite cities in the USA. You will be seeing beautiful architecture, visit impressive museums, spend time in grand urban parks, and eat delicious food. You will also be squeezing in a day trip to Niagara Falls, one of the best attractions in the USA. 

Chicago – 2 Days

Chicago is the jewel of the Midwest. Set on the shores of Lake Michigan, Chicago is home to famous architects and impressive architecture. To see the most beautiful buildings in the city, take the Chicago River Architectural Cruise. Spend some time at Millenium Park and enjoy its attractions including the Cloud Gate sculpture and the Crown Fountain. Go shopping at Magnificent Mile and eat Chicago’s famous deep-dish pizza.  

Niagara Falls – 1 Day

From Chicago, fly to Niagara Falls, located on the border of the US and Canada. Niagara Falls are actually a group of 3 falls – Horseshoe Falls, American Falls, and Bridal Veil Falls. The stunning falls are a year-round travel destination and they look beautiful even when frozen in winter. In summer, take the Maid of the Mist boat tour to see the falls from up close. The falls also look beautiful when they are illuminated at night. 

New York City – 2 Days

After seeing Niagara Falls, visit New York City – one of the best cities in the world. New York is the capital of fashion, finance, culture, art, and food. Spend a couple of days exploring the city. Visit the touristy Times Square and eat at the cafes in Greenwich Village. See the city from above at the Empire State Building and take a stroll in Central Park. See the city’s famous museums including the Met, American Museum of History, and MoMa. On your second day, see the Statue of Liberty at Ellis Island.

Philadelphia – 2 Days

Last, visit the historic city of Philadelphia. Begin your visit at the Independence National Historic Park. This is where the country came into being and where the most important monuments to liberty and democracy are located. See the iconic Liberty Bell and tour Independence Hall where the Declaration of Independence was signed. Independence Hall is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the must-visit attractions in the US. Other things to do in Philadelphia include the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the ‘Rocky’ movie steps, the Love sculpture, City Hall, and the Reading Terminal Market which is famous for its many eateries.

Itinerary 3: Southwest road trip

This road trip will take you through the best attractions of the American Southwest. Expect to see stunning natural landscapes of gorges, canyons, and deserts on this amazing trip. Camp to lower your budget and to stay closer to nature. At every turn, you will be treated to photogenic vistas and unique indigenous cultures. Read our post on Vegas Zion Bryce Grand Canyon road trip to plan a trip along these attractions.

Las Vegas is the ultimate starting point for an American Southwest road trip. Fly into Sin City and explore the attractions of the Las Vegas strip. Enjoy the unique attractions of Vegas like the roller coaster at New York New York, musical fountains of Bellagio, the volcano at Mirage, nightlife, gambling, and more at night. By day, explore the desert of Nevada. Hike at Red Rock Canyon State Park and drive the scenic route around Lake Mead. Tour the Hoover Dam and check out the museums in Las Vegas. 

Zion National Park – 1 Day

Then drive to Zion National Park in southwest Utah. Zion is located just 2 hours away from Las Vegas and can be easily seen during one day. The best way to see Zion is to take the park shuttle, which goes along the Zion Scenic Drive. You will be able to see breathtaking views of Zion’s deep red canyon walls and the Virgin River that flows through the canyon. Zion has many hiking trails but to hike the most popular trails of Angel’s Landing and the Narrows you will need more than a day. 

Bryce Canyon National Park – 1 Day

Bryce Canyon National Park is one of the most underrated national parks in the country. Bryce is famous for its deep red – crimson hoodoo rock formations. These spire-shaped narrow rock formations are formed due to weathering action by wind, snow, and water. You can easily see the hoodoos in the area known as the Bryce Amphitheatre. Take a walk along the Rim Trail to see the hoodoos from above or descend down into the depression along the Navajo Loop Trail to see the most famous hoodoos.

Antelope Canyon & Horseshoe Bend – 1 Day

After seeing Bryce Canyon National Park, head over to Page, Arizona to see the famous Antelope Canyons . The two slot canyons of Upper and Lower Antelope Canyons are famous the world over for their striking beauty and vivid colors. You can see them both on guided tours. The tour through Lower Antelope Canyon is more strenuous than the one through Upper and requires some climbing. Pick the Upper Canyon if you have small kids or are not physically fit. After seeing Antelope Canyon, see another Page attraction – Horseshoe Bend. From the observation area, you can see a panoramic view of the Horseshoe shaped bend in the Colorado River. 

Monument Valley – 1 Day

From Page, drive further east towards Monument Valley. This landscape of red sand desert and weathered rock formations located along the Arizona Utah border is one of the highlights of this road trip. Drive along the 17 mile Valley Drive to see the towering sandstone buttes and take iconic photographs. 

Grand Canyon National Park – 1 Day

Finally, make your way to the Grand Canyon National Park. Drive to the South Rim and Grand Canyon Village to see the best views of the Grand Canyon. If it is too crowded, take the park shuttle. Visit the Visitor Center for exhibits, souvenirs, and movies about the Grand Canyon. Take the scenic Desert View Drive to the Desert View Watchtower for iconic views. Hike into the Grand Canyon to enjoy its beauty from different vantage points. 

Itinerary 4 – Pacific Coast Highway, California

This stunning road trip will take you along the highlights of California. See the vibrant cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco and drive through the stunning natural area of Big Sur. This drive is said to be the best road trip in the world. Finish your trip with a visit to the famous Yosemite National Park. Check our post on Pacific Coast Road Trip Itinerary to plan this trip.

Los Angeles – 2 Day

Start your visit by flying into Los Angeles . Movie buffs can take a stroll along Hollywood Walk of Fame or take a movie studio tour or tour celebrity homes in Beverly Hills. Culture enthusiasts can visit LA’s top museums including the Broad, La Brea Tar Pits, LACMA, Petersen Automotive Museum, and the Getty Center. If you have kids, spend a day in Anaheim at the Disney parks. 

Big Sur – 2 Day

Take the Pacific Coast Highway up north to Big Sur . Along the way, you will pass California’s iconic coastal cities of Malibu and Santa Barbara and drive alongside small beachside communities of Pismo Beach and Morro Bay. In Big Sur, visit the highlights of McWay Falls, Bixby Creek Bridge, San Simeon Elephant Seal Rookery, Pfeiffer Beach, and Big Sur Village. Then drive north along Monterey and Half Moon Bay to San Francisco. 

San Francisco – 2 Day

Enjoy Northern California’s mild climates and foggy coastline in San Francisco , the city by the bay. See the iconic Golden Gate Bridge from Vista Point and ride a cable car to Chinatown. Eat some dim sums and egg tarts in Chinatown. Walk down twisting Lombard Street and buy chocolates in Ghirardelli Square. Admire the view from Twin Peaks and take a cruise to the former federal prison on Alcatraz Island. 

Yosemite – 1 Day

Yosemite National Park is one of the most popular national parks in the country. Located in the Sierra Nevada mountain ranges, Yosemite has stunning mountain beauty. Visiting Yosemite is a must while visiting California. While one day is not enough to explore all of Yosemite’s attractions, you can see the highlights and tour the Yosemite Valley in that time frame. A ranger-led 2 hours tour of the Valley is your best option to see Yosemite in a day. On the tour, you can see Yosemite Falls and the granite rock formations of El Capitan and Half Dome. If you have time, hike in the Yosemite Valley and take photos of the national park. 

Itinerary 5: Best of Florida

If you want to spend your 1 week in the USA exploring Florida, then use this itinerary. Start your trip in Orlando and visit a theme park. Then visit Miami and relax at South Beach. See the architecture on Ocean Drive and visit Little Havana. Then make the trip down to Key West via Overseas Highway. Finally, visit Everglades National Park and take an airboat tour. See our post on Miami to Key West Drive: 25 Awesome Stops along the way to plan this trip.

Orlando – 2 Days

Orlando is one of the best places to start your USA trip. The city has over a dozen theme parks. Our favorite is ’The Wizarding World of Harry Potter’ at Universal Studios. There are also 5 Disney Parks in Orlando including the popular Walt Disney World. There are also many other things to do in Orlando besides the theme parks. You can take a stroll through the beautiful Bok Tower Gardens and admire the wildlife at Central Florida Zoo. Explore the many different neighborhoods and sample a variety of cuisines. 

Miami – 2 Days

After exploring Orlando, head down to spend 2 days in Miami . Start your visit at the iconic attraction of Miami Beach. Get some Florida sun and swim in the water. Wander around the Arts Deco district and see the murals at Wynwood Mall. Shop and eat by the waterfront at Bayside Marketplace. For a unique attraction, stroll through the beautiful Vizcaya Museum and Gardens. End your visit in Little Havana where you can try Cuban cuisine and understand the Cuban culture. 

Key West – 2 Days

Then take Florida’s Overseas Highway to Key West. The drive is about 4 hours but there are many attractions along the way. Stop in communities like Islamorada and Key Largo. Eat fresh seafood and go snorkeling and scuba diving on the coral reefs. Then make way for Key West. Key West is the southernmost point in the Continental US. The city has a chilled Caribbean vibe. Tour Old Town Key West, visit Hemingway House Museum and take a picture at the southernmost point Buoy. Attend the sunset celebrations in Mallory Square and party on Duval Street. If you have more time, visit Dry Tortugas National Park . 

Everglades National Park – 1 Day

On your way back to Miami or Orlando, visit Everglades National Park. Homestead, which is located just an hour south of Miami, is the gateway to Everglades National Park. In Everglades, you will find a wetland of swamps, marshes, mangroves, and sawgrass prairies. The best way to experience Everglades National Park is on an airboat tour. During the tour, you can see manatees, alligators, deer, fox, bobcats, and birds like ospreys and cranes. 

Itinerary 6 – Chicago Mt. Rushmore Road Trip

While most of the trips above could be done without driving, a road trip is the only way to experience these Midwestern attractions. This trip is definitely one of the hidden gems in the US and not many visitors come here on a first visit. However, to experience the heart of the country – the Midwest bread bowl – go on this road trip in the Black Hills of South Dakota . We assure you, you will have the time of your life! 

Start on this road trip in Chicago . Experience iconic attractions of the Windy City including the Bean at Millennium Park, the Museum Campus, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Navy Pier. See Chicago from top of the Willis Tower and experience Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture in Oak Park. Eat Chicago style hotdog and deep-dish pizza before hitting the open roads to South Dakota. 

Sioux Falls – 1 Day

First, stop at Sioux Falls. Visit the Falls Park where you can see the Big Sioux River cascade over limestone bluffs. The park also has a historic mill and an observation tower. See the murals in downtown Sioux Falls before visiting the Corn Palace in Mitchell . This stunning palace is made of corn murals and is created anew every year. Inside the corn palace, you can see photos of previous corn palaces and tributes to corn farmers. This unique roadside attraction is definitely worth a visit while in South Dakota. 

Badlands National Park – 2 Days

Next, visit the bizarre and dramatic landscape of Badlands National Park . Formed as a result of erosion, the national park is filled with unique rock formations consisting of buttes, spires, and canyons. To explore Badlands, drive along the scenic Badlands Loop Road and go hiking in the park. Badlands also has a lot of wildlife. On a visit to the park, you can view bison, coyotes, mountain goats, prairie dogs, deer, and more. You can also see fossils of animals that lived in the area long ago including mammoths, saber-toothed tigers, and more. 

Custer State Park – 1 Day

Custer State Park is the largest state park in the country and one of our favorites. You can do hiking, camping, and wildlife viewing in the park . Custer has 4 mountain lakes which are perfect for lakeside strolls and activities on the water. Custer State Park is also famous for its scenic drives. The Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway is located in the park and includes 3 smaller drives. On the Custer Wildlife Loop Road, you will find lots of bison, burros, and deer. Needles Highway has the stunning needle formations on both sides while Iron Mountain Road has three tunnels and an iconic view of Mt. Rushmore. 

Mt. Rushmore National Memorial – 1 Day

For the last part of your trip, visit Mt. Rushmore National Memorial . Here you can see the faces of 4 US presidents – Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln – carved in stone. The monument is lit at night and looks impressive. Hike the Presidential Trail to go closer to the sculptures and spot wildlife including mountain goat and deer. Visit the on-site museum to learn more about the sculptures and their sculptor Gutzon Borglum.  Do not forget to see nearby Crazy Horse Memorial to know more about the Lakota warrior Crazy Horse while visiting the Black Hills. Read our post on Ultimate South Dakota road trip to plan this route.

We hope you liked our epic USA Itinerary Planner. Let us know if you have any questions.

Master the Art of the Open Road: How to Plan a Perfect Road Trip Itinerary

• Learn to design a road trip itinerary with our comprehensive guide
• Understand why road trips are so popular in the U.S
• Discover the secret behind Route 66's appeal
• Be inspired by Aaron Lauritsen's insights on the joy of road trips
• Gain pro insider tips from experienced travel journalist, Flora Goodwin

The Lure of the Open Road: A National Phenomenon

There's something quintessentially American about a road trip. According to a survey by AAA, nearly 100 million Americans, or 4 in 10 U.S. adults, planned to take a family vacation in 2019, with 53% of them planning a road trip. That's over half of vacationing families electing the open road over other vacation alternatives.

Why this love affair with the open road?

The answer may lie in the quote by Aaron Lauritsen : "The freedom of the open road is seductive, serendipitous, and absolutely liberating." Americans crave the freedom and spontaneity a road trip offers – the chance to control their own journey, explore unseen territories, and immerse themselves in diverse cultures and landscapes . Not to mention the allure of the most popular road trip in the United States, Route 66, stretching from Chicago, Illinois, to Santa Monica, California, covering a total of 2,448 miles of pure Americana.

Creating Your Road Trip Itinerary: A Step-By-Step Guide

As Flora Goodwin , seasoned travel journalist, often says, "A well-planned itinerary is the secret to a successful road trip." So let's dive into her insider tips on creating a road trip itinerary that guarantees a memorable experience.

Creating a road trip itinerary is more than just a list of places to visit - it's a roadmap to adventure. Follow this comprehensive guide shared by the experienced travel journalist, Flora Goodwin, to craft a perfect itinerary.

1. Dream, Then Scheme

First and foremost, let your imagination run wild. Create a list of all the places you've dreamed of exploring. Maybe it's the vast Grand Canyon, the lush Shenandoah Valley, or the bustling streets of New Orleans. Once you've penned down your wish list, it's time to turn these dreams into reality. Start scheming your route considering the distances, travel times, and how many days you would like to spend at each location . Take advantage of digital mapping tools like Google Maps or RoadTrippers to help you visualize and plan your route.

2. Find Your Lodging

Next, consider your lodging. From motels to campsites, there's a myriad of options. Consider the proximity to attractions, availability of parking, and amenities.

3. Plan Your Activities

Research attractions and activities at each stop. Mix it up with outdoor adventures , historical sites, food experiences, and local events to keep it exciting.

2. Secure Your Accommodation

Next, research and secure your lodging ahead of time. The options are endless - from quaint bed and breakfasts and roadside motels to luxury resorts and rustic campsites. When choosing your accommodation, consider factors such as proximity to attractions, parking availability, cost, and amenities. Remember, after a long day on the road, a comfortable place to rest can make all the difference.

3. Dive into Activities and Attractions

Now, for the fun part. Start researching attractions and activities at each stop. Look beyond just the major tourist spots - discover local favorites, hidden gems, and off-the-beaten-path excursions. Balance your itinerary with a blend of outdoor adventures, historical sites , culinary experiences, and cultural events to keep your trip diverse and exciting. Use travel guides, online reviews, and social media to find unique experiences that will enrich your journey.

4. Budgeting Your Journey

One aspect often overlooked in the excitement of planning is the budget . Estimate your costs for fuel, accommodation, meals, activities, and any unexpected expenses. Keep in mind, the best part of road trips is the unexpected surprises, but those surprises can sometimes come with a price tag.

5. Be Flexible

While planning is crucial, equally important is maintaining flexibility . The beauty of road trips lies in the spontaneity and freedom they offer. Leave room for unplanned detours, exciting discoveries, and to linger a bit longer in places that capture your heart. The open road is unpredictable, and the flexibility in your plans can lead to the most memorable moments of your adventure.

6. Prepare Your Vehicle

Lastly, make sure your vehicle is road-ready. Check your tires, oil, brakes, and make sure your roadside assistance membership is up-to-date. Nothing dampens the spirit of adventure like car trouble in the middle of nowhere. Remember, the perfect road trip itinerary balances careful planning with spontaneous adventure. So start planning, but also be prepared to throw the itinerary out the window if the open road calls you elsewhere.

What is the best way to plan a road trip itinerary?

Start with a dream list of places you want to visit, then use mapping tools to create a feasible route. Consider lodging options and research attractions and activities at each stop. Finally, always be flexible with your plans.

How long should a road trip last?

The duration of a road trip depends on various factors like the distance covered, the number of stops, and your pace. It can range from a weekend getaway to a cross-country journey spanning weeks or even months.

What should I not forget when planning a road trip itinerary?

Don't forget to account for travel times, rest days, and contingency plans for unexpected events. Also, ensure you have roadside assistance and car maintenance checked off your list.

What tools can I use to plan a road trip itinerary?

Digital mapping tools like Google Maps or RoadTrippers are very useful in planning your route. For lodging, websites like Booking.com, Airbnb, and Campendium can provide numerous options. Websites like TripAdvisor can help you discover attractions and activities.

How can I make my road trip more fun?

Diversify your activities. Include outdoor adventures, historical sites, local food experiences, and cultural events. Also, consider creating a road trip playlist, bringing along board games, or planning a picnic at a scenic spot to add more fun.

What should I pack for a road trip?

Pack essentials like clothes, toiletries, a first aid kit, road maps, and a spare tire. Also pack snacks, water, a cooler, pillows, and blankets for comfort. Don't forget your camera to capture the memories!

How can I save money on a road trip?

Plan and follow a budget, consider cheaper lodging options like campsites or motels, pack your own food to minimize eating out, and find free or cheap attractions to visit.

How do I prepare my car for a road trip?

Check your tires, oil, and brakes. Make sure your insurance and roadside assistance are up-to-date. Also, pack a spare tire, jumper cables, and an emergency kit just in case.

Road trips encapsulate the American spirit of freedom and exploration . As you plan your road trip itinerary, let the road guide you, but remember to have a well-thought-out plan. With our guide, you're well on your way to experiencing the joy of a life-altering road trip.

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• Lauritsen, A. (2019).

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• Travel Tips

These New Outdoor Adventure Itineraries Celebrate Black Culture and the Outdoors

The partnership returns for the third year with a trio of small-group guided trips in Shenandoah and New River Gorge national parks.

Javaris Johnson/Courtesy of REI

Growing up in northern California, Rue Mapp grew up enjoying the great outdoors with her family. Recognizing the gap in the market between the Black community and the outdoor industry, she started Outdoor Afro, Inc. in 2021 to bridge the gap. 

Now the organization returns for the third year partnering with REI Co-op , including the debut of three guided trips — each designed by Black outdoor enthusiasts.

“This collaboration is meant to bring an unforgettable experience through thoughtfully curated itineraries, so there is something for everyone,” Mapp said in a statement shared with Travel + Leisure . “You’ll have the opportunity to explore, reconnect, and enjoy rich cultural experiences celebrating Black joy in nature.”  

All of the itineraries are small-group trips lasting four days and will be co-led by guides from both organizations. 

For those looking for a gentle outdoor experience, the Shenandoah and DC Hike and Kayak , is rated “easy active” with one night in a hotel and two nights in a historic lodge. The trip begins in Washington, D.C. with a tour of Old Town Alexandria’s Black history, before kayaking on the Potomac River. Travelers will then venture onto the Shenandoah Valley for a hike to Whiteoak Canyon, including spotting waterfalls, as well as exploring caverns. Also on the agenda: a tasting at a Black-owned vineyard and a discussion about the region’s divided history. With departure dates in September and October, the trip starts at $1,799 per person.

Those who crave a bit more adventure can opt for the Shenandoah Hike and Camp Adventure , a “moderately active” trip with hiking to Shenandoah National Park's highest point, Hawksbill Summit, as well as its iconic peak of Old Rag, plus kayaking on the  Shenandoah River. Departures run from July through October, starting at $2,799 per person. 

Finally, families are encouraged to get into nature with the New River Gorge Epic Family Camping Getaway . Ideal for kids at least eight years old, as well as their parents and grandparents, travelers of all ages will enjoy easy whitewater rafting, canopy rope courses, and hikes. But the most exciting part is enjoying the camping experience, with oversized tents and sleeping pads, alongside the comforts of home with tasty meals, hot showers, and flushing toilets. Prices start at $2,499 for July through August departures. 

"The Outdoor Afro, Inc. team has thoughtfully considered every detail to deliver a meaningful and truly authentic experience for guests, from the food to the activities to the focus on Black history and culture, past and present, in the places we explore,” Justin Wood, REI director of Experiences, said in a release. “These are memory-making trips, sure to last a lifetime." 

In addition to the three trips, the collaboration is also debuting new outdoor gear, ranging from a camp sleep system Skyward 4 Tent and Nature Nap Satin Pillow , to an entire updated apparel collection .  

• Travel Updates

Aviator Michael Smith shares wild itinerary of historic effort to recreate historic 1924 circumnavigation of Australia

Australian adventurer Michael Smith has hit an important first milestone in his mammoth effort to recreate the first seaplane circumnavigation of the country a century ago.

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An Aussie pilot is recreating a century-old journey around Australia in a seaplane, with a map detailing his wild itinerary as he soars from town to town in the historic footsteps of air force pilots.

Michael Smith departed Melbourne last Saturday, on the first leg of a 50-day journey to circumnavigate the country.

The historic journey was first undertaken by pilots in 1924 by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).

Following a two day rest stop in Townsville, Mr Smith departed for Cooktown on Saturday marking the end of the first week of his roughly 15,000 km trip.

He plans to reach the Northern Territory by April 23, before making 10 stops down along the Western Australian coastline, three in South Australia, and ending up back in Melbourne on May 19.

Mr Smith joked he was looking forward to seeing the country’s iconic beaches at 500ft.

“It’s so important to recognise the mechanised apparatus that made Australian life possible,” he said.

“Still today there are towns where their mail and milk are delivered by plane.”

Mr Smith is due to touch down on Thursday Island, in Far North Queensland, in the coming week.

He will make similar scheduled stops across the coast, including in Darwin on April 24, Broome in WA on April 28, then hug the coastline through to South Australia in early May.

The aerial adventurer is due to finish his journey in Melbourne - the very place he took off from - on May 19.

The journey got off to a rocky start, with Mr Smith sharing an update on Tuesday from Myall Lake in NSW to say he hit some poor weather near Yarram.

“After a couple of hours it looked like it was going to be pretty clear down the coast so I thought ‘OK we’ll give this a go’,” He said.

“But after half an hour I could see it wasn’t looking good … So I could see that Bairnsdale was going to be the best place to go.

“Thank goodness I did because as I was taxiing towards the hanger and it just opened up and then it bucketed down all night.”

The trip marks a 100 year reflection of the RAAF's first circumnavigation of the country in 1924, which delivered the first aerial survey of Australia’s coastline.

The adventurer was named Australian Geographic Adventurer of the Year in 2016 after solo circumnavigating the globe in a single-engine seaplane.

His trip is being monitored with live-streaming from the air online at the Southern Sun website .

Qantas has made a huge call on flights travelling a major route from Australia over fears of a potential Iranian attack as the conflict in the Gaza Strip escalates.

Three stranded men have been rescued from a tiny Pacific island after crafting a “crucial” message on the sand.

Just days after Qantas announced a major shakeup to the Frequent Flyer program, rival airline Virgin Australia has a new change for members.