Keen to travel abroad but short on time? Buckle up and saddle in. I’ve got a couple ideas you’re going to want to hear.
I get it. If you’re anything like me, you’re probably already sick of getting bombarded with the notions that you need to quit your job to travel the world or live out of a backpack if you want to be a “real” traveller.
Fortunately, we both know it’s a load of *expletive deleted*.
Truth is travel is not all-in or nothing, despite what the broke-but-Instagram-happy blogger crowd will peddle. You can see the world without giving up your life, your career, or leaving your loved ones and friends behind.
Below, you’ll sift through an assortment of itineraries & travel plans designed with the time-crunched mid-range luxury traveller in mind.
In the end though, these itineraries not about me, but you. (I know it’s a weird to hear anyone say that in one of the most narcissistic industries know to man, but bear with me.)
The itineraries below are based on my travels to over 50 countries in the past decade and a half. These are not personal travelogues or a detailed play-by-play. Instead, I’ve flipped the usual travel blogging paradigm on it’s head, replacing selfies and self-aggrandizing details with practical information that will help you plan your dream trip better.
Enjoy!
City Itineraries
Let’s start with the most time-crunched of all travel plans: city itineraries.
Perhaps it’s because I grew up in Northern Ontario, but I absolutely love visiting cities. (The more urban the better.)
You’ll notice that many of the city itineraries I’ve laid out here focus on an extremely short timeframe: one day.
Now, don’t get me wrong. It’s hard to see a city in a day. I mean next to impossible. And I don’t necessarily recommend it unless it’s your only choice.
But travel being the dynamic crapshoot of layovers and bad transportation connections it is, spending just 24 hours in a city is a real possibly that happens more often than we might want.
Think of these city itineraries less as a be-all-end-all travel plan and more as a starting point. Even when you only manage to get in a quick run through a city, it’s usually enough to inspire a return visit with a little more substance (or otherwise scare you off for good).
Asia
China
- One Day in Beijing, China
- One Day in Chengdu, China
- One Day in Guangzhou, China
- One Day in Hangzhou, China
- One Day in Shanghai, China
- One Day in Suzhou, China
- One Day in Xian, China
Hong Kong
Japan
- One Day in Fukuoka, Japan
- One Day in Hiroshima, Japan
- One Day in Kanazawa, Japan
- One Day in Kyoto, Japan
- One Day in Nagoya, Japan
- One Day in Nara, Japan
- One Day in Osaka, Japan
- One Day in Takayama, Japan
- One Day in Tokyo, Japan
- One Day in Yokohama, Japan
Korea
Macau
Malaysia
Singapore
Taiwan
Thailand
Vietnam
Europe
Austria
Bulgaria
Croatia
- One Day in Dubrovnik, Croatia
- One Day in Hvar, Croatia
- One Day in Split, Croatia
- One Day in Zagreb, Croatia
Czech Republic
Estonia
Finland
Germany
- One Day in Berlin, Germany
- One Day in Cologne, Germany
- One Day in Dresden, Germany
- One Day in Frankfurt, Germany
- One Day in Hamburg, Germany
- One Day in Munich, Germany
Hungary
Italy
- One Day in Bologna, Italy
- One Day in Cinque Terre, Italy
- One Day in Milan, Italy
- One Day in Naples, Italy
- One Day in Positano, Italy
- One Day in Sorrento, Italy
Poland
Russia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
- One Day in Barcelona, Spain
- One Day in Bilbao, Spain
- One Day in Granada, Spain
- One Day in Madrid, Spain
- One Day in San Sebastian, Spain
- One Day in Seville, Spain
- One Day in Valencia, Spain
Switzerland
United Kingdom
North America
Canada
- One Day in Montreal, Canada
- One Day in Ottawa, Canada
- One Day in Quebec City, Canada
- One Day in Toronto, Canada
- One Day in Vancouver, Canada
- Western Canada Road Trip Itinerary
United States
- One Day in Asheville, USA
- One Day in Boston, USA
One Day in Charleston, USA - One Day in Honolulu, USA
- One Day in Key West, USA
- One Day in Las Vegas, USA
- One Day in Los Angeles, USA
- One Day in Memphis, USA
- One Day in Miami, USA
- One Day in Nashville, USA
- One Day in New Orleans, USA
- One Day in Orlando, USA
- One Day in Portland, USA
- One Day in San Diego, USA
- One Day in San Francisco, USA
- One Day in Savannah, USA
- One Day in Seattle, USA
Central America
Panama
Oceania
Australia
New Zealand
Country & Region Itineraries
Unless your travels consist only of direct flights and layovers, you’re probably going to want to visit more than one city at a time. These country & region itineraries reflect the whole purpose of Treksplorer as a guide to helping you travel better in less time.
I’ve designed most of the country itineraries below cover 10-day trips. The number isn’t just arbitrary but based upon the standard two-week North American vacation. (Europeans: please save bragging about your long vacations for another day!)
Once you take into account return long-haul flights, time zone changes, a healthy dose of jet lag, and a little rest upon return, most itineraries in that two-week vacation involve just 10 nights in your destination.
Of course, the more days you can squeeze in the better. (I’ll get to adding longer itineraries soon enough!)
Asia
- 10 Days in Bali
- 10 Days in China
- One Week in Hokkaido
- 10 Days in Japan
- 10 Days in Korea
- 10 Days in Malaysia
- 10 Days in Taiwan
- 10 Days in Thailand
Europe
- 10 Days in Croatia
- 10 Days in Czech Republic
- 10 Days in Germany
- 10 Days in Poland
- 10 Days in Slovenia
- 10 Days in Spain
The Americas
- 7 Days in Pacific Northwest USA Road Trip Itinerary
- 10 Days in California Road Trip Itinerary
- One Week in Florida Road Trip Itinerary
- One Week in Maui Road Trip Itinerary
- One Week in Oahu Road Trip Itinerary
- Two Weeks in Northeast USA Road Trip Itinerary
- Two Weeks in Southeast USA Road Trip Itinerary
- 10 Days in Panama