A good travel itinerary should be highly detailed, flexible enough to account for any inconveniences or changes and compatible with your travel budget. 

Whether you are going on a day trip or a week-long vacation, here’s a complete guide on how to plan a travel itinerary like a pro. 

Why You Need an Itinerary

If you are a hyper organizer, planning an itinerary probably counts as a fun activity. For most of us though, it is boring and tedious. While it is tempting to wing it on your trip, an itinerary will make your trip a lot more fun, easy and safe. 

An itinerary, with its list of planned activities, transport schedules and other details, lets you make full use of your time away. Without a plan, you’ll waste your time deciding what to do, figuring out how to get there and there’s a risk you might find some places closed.   

Unless you are going to a single place, like a museum or the beach, write down an itinerary. And even if you are planning to visit just one place, it’s a good idea to look up any other interesting places or activities nearby that you might like to try. 

Another huge benefit of an itinerary is that it helps you stick to your budget. You know exactly where you are going, what you’ll do and how much it will all cost you. 

Don't forget that a good plan is also essential for safety. Having an itinerary forces you to research the safety of your planned destinations before you go. 

Start With a Budget 

Before you plan an itinerary, have a travel budget ready. When you know how much money you have to spend, you can then choose which activities you can afford to do, which places you can visit and even which restaurants you can eat at.

Remember to include everything in your budget including travel costs (flying, cabs, train etc.), accommodation, food, entry charges, shopping, souvenirs and extra cash for emergencies and impulsive purchases. 

Have a Wishlist 

Also write down a wishlist before you get started on the itinerary. Your wish list should include everything you’d like to do and see during your trip. Don’t worry about the budget right now. This is not the final list. 

The goal of a wish list is to research as many fun activities and attractions as you can. Research the most popular and interesting activities in the area. Note those that you think you’d love to explore, including their exact location and how much they cost.  

If you are traveling with other people, make sure to ask for their input when writing a wish list. 

Do Your Research 

The last pre-itinerary step is to research your destination. You need to know it well to make a good itinerary. Here are some of the important details to look up. 

• The current season as well as the weather forecast during the duration of your trip. 
• Current security situation. Check if there are any travel advisories.
• Opening times for the places you want to visit. The last thing you want is to spend a lot of money going to a particular place only to find it closed.  

Write a Realistic Itinerary 

With a budget in hand, your wish list ready and having researched your destination, you can now plan your travel itinerary. 

Start from the day you depart, noting the departure time, cost of flight/train/drive, and arrival time. Include details on your accommodation and check-in time. 

The most important part of the itinerary will be activities. This is where you whittle down your wish list to the final list. When writing the final list of activities, consider your budget, how much time you have, your own preferences, and the preferences of anyone else you are traveling with. 

• Start with the must-do activities that you cannot miss. Plan at least one of these per day. 
• Add one or two more activities per day that you are not crazy about but seem nice or interesting. 
• Fill in any remaining gaps (in time and money) with other smaller activities/attractions that would be nice to explore if you have the time and energy. This can be a quaint cafe, a market, a notable statue and so on. 
• Don’t forget to include details of where you’ll eat and the evening activities you plan to enjoy.