There’s nothing like the feeling of showing up in a new city. Suddenly, the world is your oyster: you can see anything you want to see, you can even spend the whole time you’re in the city just walking the streets and enjoying what you happen upon by fate.
I love those days, where you can just sit and people watch the whole day. But I also love balance. To feel like I’ve “done my due diligence” as a visitor, I usually plan a few days with more structure. I don’t know, maybe it’s my mom’s travel agent blood in me, but I need to have some sort of a plan entering a new city.
Sure, you could Google “3 days in Salzburg” or have AI spit one out, but no one knows your travel style better than you. That’s why I think making your own itinerary is a great way to make sure you are only seeing the stuff you are interested in, instead of what some random redheaded blogger on the internet enjoyed doing.
For example: I don’t love museums. I love the idea of them. But if I go to more one every other day, I get grumpy. For some reason they just tire me out so much. And going to Vienna, if you asked anyone what to do, they would say “just visit any of the myriad of museums.” But I just can’t, but its okay, because I made my own itinerary, so I chose the museums that I wanted to see and only went to those. And I felt great about it, no guilt from my side because I had a great time in Vienna!
Here’s my system for building out an itinerary, so if you’ve been wondering how to build out your own itinerary, maybe give this method a try.
Step 1: Gather the data
This is the fun, messy research phase. Think of it like writing a research paper, but instead of academic journals, you’re scouring blogs, Reddit threads, YouTube vlogs, Get Your Guide, and TikToks. I’ll even check the city’s official website for free events (you’d be surprised how many cool festivals, events and local markets are hidden there).
At this stage, the goal isn’t to make decisions, it’s just to collect ideas. I write down anything that sparks even a little bit of interest and worry about narrowing it down later. Some days I’ll look at the “classic” tourist sightseeing sports, or maybe I’ll check out Atlas Obscura for some more unusual spots. Other times if I’m feeling outdoorsy, I’ll check out AllTrails for some good hikes and viewpoints. Maybe I’ll check out the local sports games or see if there are any festivals while I’m there. There’s just so many things to do in a city, so don’t feel like you’re rabbit-holed into doing only “typical” tourist things. You can do literally anything you want.
While you’re having fun doing all this researching, note details like opening hours, ticket prices, or days and times of events, this will save you in step three and the actual living out the itinerary part. There’s nothing worse than planning something and showing up at the doorstep to find that its closed.
Step 2: Create a Map
Now that we have a list, it’s time to make things visual. Google Maps has a great feature called My Maps where you can basically use a map of a city and create little pins. I have one for almost all of the cities I have been to, and you can also add little icons and sort the map by colors. Its great for an organizational freak.
Seeing your list laid out on a map is a game changer. Suddenly you realize that three of your “must-sees” are all within the same neighborhood, or that one restaurant is actually way across town and probably not worth the trek. This step makes the difference between zig-zagging all over a city (not ideal in the heat of summer) and having smooth, logical days.
Step 3: Make the Plan
Here’s where it all finally comes together.
The first think that i do before making the itinerary is go back to the list from step one and highlight the sport that are most important to me. Again, this is quite literally your trip, so we are going to prioritize the things that actually hold meaning for you. And if that means skipping out on things that everyone swears you have to do in a city, then so be it. In my eyes the only condition to experiencing a city to the fullest is physically being there, having a good time while your there is also helpful.
To actually build the days, you are going to want to anchor it around something, something that would take a long time. For example a museum, or a long hike or a tour. Then I build my day around that. I look my map for what’s nearby and walking and transit times.
I also always leave breathing room. Tourism is exhausting, and there’s nothing worse than a minute-by-minute schedule that falls apart when you miss one bus. I like to leave a chunk of time to just wander, sit in a café, or explore something unexpected.
And because I’m a check list girl at heart, I strike through things on my master list as I add them to the plan. That way I know they’re covered.
** note: I highly recommend adding a free walking tour at the beginning of your stay in a new city. It is a really good way to get a basic knowledge of your surroundings, and you can ask your local guide for any good spots and recommendations of things to do!
Real life example:
Here’s how I planned out two of the days I spent in Salzburg. Notice how its not super rigid with a bunch of time stamps.
Day 1
Be at the Untersberg cable car at 8:30 for the first ride up
Hike around the mountain until midday
Ride back down and bus into town
Stop at Hellbrunn Park on the way back to see the gardens
Be back by 12:00 (Charlotte arrives!)
Hike Mönchsberg
DomQuartier Museum
Dinner
Maybe a movie back at the Airbnb
Day 2
9am – Mirabell Gardens
10:30am – Alter Markt
11am – Salzach Galleries (free brass concert)
Lunch
St. Peter’s Abbey & Catacombs
Charlotte leaves in the evening
That was the plan. Here’s what actually happened:
On Day One, Jordan and I overslept (classic) and didn’t get to the cable car until 10am. We still hiked around a bit, but it meant we didn’t have time for Hellbrunn Park. And even without that detour, we were still late to meet Charlotte. We caught up with her at our bustop, dropped off her bags, grabbed lunch, and went for our hike. Later, we wandered through town, squeezed in the DomQuartier Museum an hour before closing (still caught the highlights), and finished the night with a relaxed dinner and long chat instead of a movie.
Day Two started with a last-minute free walking tour, which conveniently took us through Mirabell Gardens. We happened upon the Salzach Galleries and caught the brass concert — pure luck. Afterwards, we visited the abbey and catacombs, strolled the riverside Alter Markt, and then called it quits when the weather turned miserable. We ended the day tucked inside, with an early dinner before dropping Charlotte off at the train station.
Somehow, even with the changes, we managed to hit almost everything on our list. Not in the exact order, not at the exact times, but it worked. That’s the beauty of this method: when you build a flexible itinerary out of things you actually want to do, the day has a way of reshuffling itself to make it all fit.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, the “perfect itinerary” is one that makes you happy. My way of planning gives me just enough structure to see the highlights without feeling boxed in. And as a bonus, when friends ask me for recommendations later, I can just send them my color-coded map.
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xx abby