Plan Your Trip with AI: 9 Comprehensive Prompts for ChatGPT
Keeping up with my travel bookmarks is a challenge these days. I have different items saved on my web browsers (Safari and Chrome), Google Maps, and Instagram. And these need regular maintenance because I do save new items almost daily. How to keep up?
I have been using ChatGPT at work for research purposes so I thought, why not do the same to help me plan my travels?
Don’t get me wrong, I still think that part of the fun of travel planning is looking through the many options and deciding where to go. But I also understand that planning a trip from scratch can get overwhelming. This is where ChatGPT can come in to help.
I would recommend using AI to help you kickstart the planning process, look up specific activities and destinations, and at best, provide an initial outline for your itinerary that you can refine and build upon. The final plan and decisions should be yours.
Important: Also keep in mind that AI, such as ChatGPT, is not 100% accurate I have encountered errors such as wrong destinations mapped to the wrong cities. So bottom line is you still need to fact-check everything.
At the end of the day, this is your trip, and part of the fun of travel is planning it, the excitement of the options, the anticipation, so embrace it.
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
What is ChatGPT
ChatGPT is similar to the automated customer service chat functions found on e-commerce and service providers’ websites, where users can ask anything. The main difference is that ChatGPT is not company-specific. It will gather responses from a much larger pool of information, regardless of topics, and it is capable of churning out more complex responses. And it is currently (as of December 2024) free for individual use.
ChatGPT also saves your conversations which is ideal for doing research. For example, you can save your queries about each destination in a separate conversation. It also allows you to create links to access each conversation and share this link with your family and friends.
However, do note that ChatGPT only gathers and compiles the information available into a response, it does not verify facts. The accuracy of the information provided by ChatGPT is still up to us to verify.
Use ChatGPT on your web browser via this link. It is free to sign up. You can also use it without signing up, but signing up allows you to save your searches and share them with your friends and family.
What is a prompt?
These are essentially questions or requests. Prompt might be a techy word for it. Also, the word prompt suggests that we can do more than just ask questions with AI. For instance, we can also give instructions on top of the questions we ask. This is where it becomes more useful, in my opinion.
To keep things simple, think of ChatGPT as a person on the other line who is meant to help you with whatever information you need. So if you need help with travel planning, then you need ChatGPT to be a professional travel agent and you would speak to it as such.
Also, think of this as having a conversation. If the first response is not good enough for you, then simply let it know why, and provide more feedback for it to refine the response. the more detailed your requests and feedback are, the better the responses will be.
What should a prompt include?
The first conversation is an introduction, where you would need to let it know as much about you, your concerns, and your goals, as possible.
Recommended prompt list items:
Task: What do you need ChatGPT to do for you? List only one task per conversation.
For whom: who are the intended travelers/age groups/families/friends
Destinations: If your final destinations are not final yet, do not list them all; split them into different queries for more focused results.
Dates of travel: provide a range of dates if your travel dates are not final yet.
Interests provide as much detail as possible and include examples if you have any.
Must have items or criteria: these are additional conditions that you want ChatGPT to consider when looking up answers for your tasks, for example, vegan or restaurants only, Michelin stars restaurant only, wheelchair access required, etc.
Below are 9 prompts that you can use and modify to help you plan your travels. They can be applied to the different stages of travel planning, from research to narrowing down activities and neighborhoods, to listing out detailed, daily itineraries.
Photo by Jamie Street on Unsplash
Prompt 1: Research potential activities for your desired destination and dates based on your interests.
Prompt to start the conversation (replace bold texts with your own texts):
You are: A professional travel agent specializing in travels to Seoul.
Task: List at least 10 shows, events, or exhibitions for the travel detailed below.
Traveler detail: solo traveler, female, 30–35 years old. She is a frequent solo traveler.
Destination: Seoul
Travel Dates: Sometime in March 2025.
Interest: Modern and contemporary art, design, and architecture.
Must include at least 1 museum visit.
Include web links for each recommendation
Check out the full response via this link.
Use ChatGPT to find events and activities relevant to your desired travel destination, dates, and interests.
Prompt 2: Research the latest blog posts relevant to your travel destinations and interests.
Prompt to start the conversation (replace bold texts with your own texts):
Task: Recommend at least 8 latest blogs and websites to help me plan my trip to Seoul.
About me: solo traveler, female, 30–36 years old, a frequent solo traveler.
Travel dates: sometime in March 2025 for 5–7 days, including a weekend.
Topics of interest: boutique hotels, design hotels, hanok stays, art and design, modern architecture, culture, and heritage.
Use ChatGPT to get a personalised list of latest travel blogs to help you plan your travel to Seoul. Always fact-check the information provided in the response, especially if it is location related.
Prompt 3: Research specific event or exhibition schedules for your desired dates and destinations.
If you like to go to museum exhibitions or theater shows, like me, looking them up for specific dates can be very tedious. You have to go to individual museum or theater websites to find out what is showing on which dates.
Use this prompt to get AI to help you with this task (replace bold texts with your texts):
Context: I am traveling to Seoul from 26 March to 5th April 2025. I want to know what art exhibitions are ongoing during this period to help me plan my itinerary.
Task: Look up all the exhibitions that are happening during this period at these museums: Leeum Museum, FuturaSeoul, Kukje Gallery, MMCA Seoul, Arario Museum and Gallery Seoul.
Please include this information in your response: list of exhibitions by each location. For each exhibition, provide the dates and ticketing price for foreigners, and the opening hours of the museum.
For each exhibition, also include any additional information that I should know such as promotions, special events, if I should book any ticket in advance, with links to purchase.
Also, put these into a table that is easy to read.
Use ChatGPT to get a a list of ongoing exhibitions for your desired dates and museums.
Prompt 4: Get neighborhood recommendations to explore during your travels.
Prompt to start the conversation (replace bold texts with your own texts):
You are a professional tour guide and travel planner for Tokyo, Japan.
Task: Recommend at least 3 neighborhoods to explore during our first visit to Tokyo, Japan.
Travelers’ details: husband and wife pair, ages 30–40 years old. First trip to Japan.
Travel dates: sometime in February 2025 for 5–7 days, including a weekend.
Topics of interest: date nights, local and seasonal food and brewery, gardens and nature trails, and local festivals.
Recommendations must include: neighborhoods ideal for Sakura viewing, a calm, peaceful stroll date with a nice view, and casual night drinking dates.
Put these results into a table format.
Include Google Maps links for every location.
Use ChatGPT to help you decide neighborhoods to explore during your next trip to Tokyo. Remember to always fact check the routes and locations provided in the response.
Photo by Jakub Kapusnak on Unsplash
Prompt 5: Get food and beverage recommendations to try during your travels.
Prompt to start the conversation (replace bold texts with your texts):
You are a professional culinary tour guide for Tokyo, Japan.
Task: Recommend at least 10 cafes, bakeries, and restaurants to try during our visit to Tokyo, Japan.
Travelers’ details: A group of friends, ages 28–32 years old. This is our annual foodie trip.
Travel dates: sometime in October 2025 for 3–5 days, including a weekend.
Group the recommendations into 4 categories: Breakfast with coffee, Lunch, Dinner, Late night snack with drinks.
Recommendations must include a wide range of local cuisines, at least 3 vegetarian options, popular options among locals of similar age group.
Avoid franchises or items that are easily found outside of Japan.
Include Google Maps links and price ranges for every recommendation.
Put these into a table so it is easy to read.
Use ChatGPT to discover different food options for your trip to Japan. Always fact check the information provided.
Prompt 6: Learn about local cultures, customs, and other must-knows before your trip.
Prompt to start the conversation (replace bold texts with your texts):
You are a professional travel agent specializing in travel to Indonesia.
Task: List all the important things, that I need to know or obtain before my trip. This list should include any documents, local customs, knowledge, apps, or anything at all so that my travel is safe, efficient, and enjoyable.
Travelers’ details: A young family of 3, husband, wife, and a 10-year-old son. All of them are Japanese passport holders.
Travel dates: sometime in December 2025 for 7–10 days, including a weekend.
Destinations within the country: Jakarta, Bali, Jokjakarta
Please include any relevant links, and explanations, in your response.
A sample response for essential preparations needed before travelling to Indonesia. Always fact check the information provided.
Hakone Open Air Museum is an ideal day trip from Tokyo for families and art lovers.
Prompt 7: Get day or weekend trip recommendations with details to help you plan your itinerary.
Deciding and planning on day trips or weekend trips is like planning a mini trip within a trip. The main thing to consider is the transport logistics and, for overnight stays, this means you need to find additional accommodation or potentially travel at night.
Use this prompt to get some recommendations with the details you need (replace bold texts with your texts):
You are a professional travel agent specializing in Japan.
Context: I will be traveling to Tokyo, Japan, sometime in August 2025 (provide exact dates if possible). I am considering 1 or 2 day-trips out of Tokyo
Task: recommend at least 5 options that I should consider based on my dates, interests, and preferences listed below.
Travelers’ details: Solo traveler, 35 years old, female. I will be staying in the Naka-Meguro area in Tokyo.
Interests: Architecture, art, museums, nature walks.
Travel preference: the travel time should not be longer than 2.5 hours from where I stay in Tokyo. I prefer to take the train instead of the bus or private car. I would like to return to Tokyo by 11 pm.
Please include this information in your response: city name, main attraction or activity in each city, and return route options from where I stay in Tokyo with links to purchase tickets.
Please put these into a table format that is easy to read.
Please also provide these 5 options in a map format.
Use ChatGPT to help you decide on day trips during your longer trips. Always fact check the information provided, especially the exact location and routes.
Prompt 8: Let ChatGPT draft an entire itinerary for you to build upon.
If you are really short on time but would like a high detailed itinerary before your trip, ChatGPT can be a very useful help as well. Use the prompt below to start your conversation, after the first response you should provide feedback so ChatGPT can further personalize the itinerary for you.
Keep in mind that you still need to verify any information provided, when in doubt, check the individual item’s website, especially when it comes to travel documents, prices, transport routes and ticket purchases.
Use this prompt to start your conversation (replace bold texts with your texts):
You are a professional travel agent specializing in travel to Vietnam.
Context: I will be traveling to Hanoi, Vietnam, some time in November 2025 (provide exact dates if possible). The trip will be for 7 days, including a full weekend.
Task: Create a full itinerary for me based on my preferences below.
Travelers’ details: 2 friends, both 32 years old, both female. This will be our second trip to Vietnam. Previous trip was to Danang and Hue.
Interests: Walking tour, local food and drinks, local crafts, fabric shopping with option to tailor clothes during the trip.
Must include: An overnight trip to Ha Long Bay, please provide trip details and how to book the necessary transport. Private van or car or overnight sleeper bus is preferred.
Please put the itinerary into a table format for each day, on the table include activities, breakfast, dinner, lunch recommendations with Google Maps links to all destinations.
For each itinerary, also provide the potential cost or fee in USD.
Please also include a link to view all the recommended itinerary destinations on a map view so I can save it to my account and share with my friend and family.
Use ChatGPT to draft an itinerary for your travels. Always fact-check the routes and locations provided in the responses.
Prompt 9: Let ChatGPT recommend travel routes to cover your desired destinations.
If you have a wishlist ready for what you want to do or where you want to visit during your trip, but planning the routes for each one is too time-consuming, then you can get Chat GPT to help you with this.
The prompt below will help you kickstart your planning process. You can fine-tune this plan further with Chatgpt or simply take its recommendation and finalize it on your own. This is ideal if you already have a list of things you want to cover during your trip and have the dates finalized.
Prompt:
You are a professional travel agent, specializing in personalized travel itineraries for Japan.
Task: plan a travel itinerary for my Japan trip. Trip details are listed below.
Travel dates: October 7th to October 14th, 2025.
Flight details: Arrival and departure will be from Osaka.
I want to visit the Adachi Museum of Art, Murou Art Forest, spend one night at the Simose Art Museum, Hiroshima to explore the museum, and another night at Bernesse House Hotel to explore the Bernesse Museum, Chi Chu Art Museum and Lee Ufan Museum in Naoshima (the more details, such as city, region or neighborhood name, the better)
I prefer to travel by express train rather than bus.
Add any additional preferences as you see fit.
Use ChatGPT to help you plan your travel routes based on your destination wishlist. Always fact-check the routes and locations provided in the response.
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