When it comes to travel, Google has long been the first destination for most of us as we start planning our trips.
We go there to brainstorm, look for inspiring photos or search for hotels within our budgets. We ask for advice on public transportation, safety and those boring yet essential questions like whether our passports need to have six months’ validity on them to travel to a specific country.
Increasingly, however, travelers are turning to AI-powered large language models (LLMs) such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Microsoft Copilot for travel-planning advice.
And sure, these AI tools can instantly string together a great itinerary. Trained on massive amounts of data, such as text from the internet, they respond to user prompts and rely on human feedback to determine the quality of their answers.
But we all know that travel is not one size fits all. So, how do you actually get these resources to provide an itinerary that suits your tastes as a tourist? If you’re a beginner to the world of LLMs, this feature is for you.
One rule of thumb, experts caution, is that LLMs don’t always get it right, sometimes making up erroneous details. Everything needs to be double-checked, whether that’s if your hotel actually has that pool you can’t live without or if you need a visa to visit a specific country.
“We call them ‘hallucinations,’” says Seden Dogan, an assistant professor of instruction at the University of South Florida’s School of Hospitality and Sports Management and an expert in the use of AI in tourism.
To get the most out of these tools, she suggests including important details in your prompts, such as “I am a female backpacker, I am traveling solo and I am a vegetarian.”
“You should be giving detailed information,” Dogan says. “The outcome will be more specific.”
But don’t get too personal. Leave Social Security numbers, addresses, phone numbers or credit card numbers out of your prompts, she adds, noting that OpenAI’s ChatGPT is one of the most popular LLMs for those in the brainstorming phase as it’s the most well-known.
With all this in mind, CNN Travel team members based in five major global cities decided to put ChatGPT to the test, using a variety of prompts. As tempting as it was to go wild — for example, one could stipulate, “I only want to visit buildings that are blue during my trip” — we kept things realistic.
ChatGPT has several models, some more powerful and capable than others. When using it to research our five cities — Atlanta, Hong Kong, New York, London and Bangkok — we used the free website, ChatGPT.com, without signing in, as Dogan noted that LLMs can tailor their responses based on users’ past conversations, and we wanted to go in with a clean slate.
Then, we headed out to the streets of our cities to road test some of the suggestions. Here’s how it went.
Walking Buford Highway for culinary rewards
The challenger: Marnie Hunter
The challenge for ChatGPT: I have two days to explore Atlanta’s most interesting neighborhoods. I love foods from all over the world, and I’m interested in art. I’m on a bit of a budget and I won’t have access to a car. Where should I go?
Why I chose this prompt: Atlanta can be a hard city for visitors to get to know because it’s spread out and can be difficult to navigate — with or without a car. Marta, the public transit system, operates trains along North-South and East-West axes, with bus service connecting each quadrant, but it’s not the same kind of extensive network found in cities like Washington, DC or New York, and traffic can be brutal — for cars and buses.
So, I gave ChatGPT some specific parameters — no car, tight budget — and added a couple of interests — food and art — to see how well it would process those factors.
The results: ChatGPT’s No. 1 neighborhood for my criteria was a solid choice: Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward, a historic area with deep ties to native son Martin Luther King Jr. But as an Atlanta resident of more than two decades, I’m still a little unclear on where Old Fourth Ward begins and ends, and I don’t think ChatGPT knows either.
Several of its suggestions under that neighborhood header were in adjacent Inman Park or bordering other intown neighborhoods.
But they’re all very walkable. The cluster of neighborhoods has become a hub of activity in recent years, with public art and new restaurants and bars lining the Eastside Trail, which is part of the Atlanta Beltline project aimed at connecting 45 neighborhoods across the city via paths, parks and future transit.
The Eastside Trail runs through the Krog Street Tunnel — a hub for street art decades before the Beltline started to take shape in the early 2000s. The tunnel still serves as a vibrant, ever-changing canvas for graffiti artists.
Two blocks north in the Inman Park neighborhood, a former 1889 factory now houses Krog Street Market food hall.
There are some great food options there, but I’m not a huge fan of the food-hall format, so I delivered that feedback to my AI guide so that it could dig a bit deeper on the quest for affordable global fare.
The top suggestion? Buford Highway.
“The Gold Standard for Global Food (and cheap!),” ChatGPT said of the thoroughfare north of the city center. “If you want the widest global variety without food halls, this is the answer.”
True statement. But is it pedestrian-friendly?
The road test: This was a literal “road test.” ChatGPT was 100% correct to suggest Buford Highway for international cuisine. But as its name suggests, it is a highway.
So I asked if Buford Highway is walkable.
“Parts of Buford Highway are walkable, but overall it is not a pedestrian-friendly corridor,” my AI guide replied.
But it suggested a walkable cluster of restaurants starting within about a 15-minute hoof (with consistent sidewalks) of the Doraville Marta station. The recommended handful of Asian eateries, plus a taqueria, were within 5 to 10 minutes of each other.
ChatGPT also suggested taking the bus from the train station. But since it was a sunny December day with temperatures in the upper 60s, I decided to walk. Not the most pleasant stroll, but definitely doable.
Misses: As mentioned, ChatGPT’s intown neighborhood highlights felt like more of a mashup of several clustered neighborhoods. I also thought the Marta stop mentioned in the synopsis for Old Fourth Ward wasn’t the best option for the Krog District that was highlighted in ChatGPT’s “what to do” list. I got off at Inman Park/Reynoldstown station instead.
Takeaway: If you’re going to use a tool like this to create a travel itinerary, dig deeper, ask a lot of questions and give things like transit a cross-check.
You’re not going to lose much time by putting this tool through its paces. The answers are — rather astonishingly — just seconds away.
Island-hopping without boats in Hong Kong?
Lunch at the Po Lin monastery
The challenger: Lilit Marcus
The challenge for ChatGPT: I’d like to visit at least three different islands in Hong Kong in one day. However, I’m not good on boats and get seasick easily, so I’d like an itinerary that doesn’t include ferries.
Why I chose this prompt: Hong Kong is an archipelago, and one of the best ways to see the city is from the sea.
However, I get queasy easily and thought it would be an interesting challenge for ChatGPT to craft an itinerary that limited travel to ground transportation only.
The results: I knew I’d set a difficult premise, but ChatGPT’s first few rounds of suggestions were pretty bad. First, it recommended that I visit Chek Lap Kok. Yeah, it’s an island — the man-made island that the airport is on, and nothing else. It also recommended two different neighborhoods on Lantau Island, which I told the app didn’t count as it’s connected to Chek Lap Kok.
Next, it hallucinated and suggested I take a bus to Lamma Island — a huge mistake as Lamma is only accessible by ferry and isn’t connected to the mainland. If I hadn’t known this already it would have been a massive disappointment to waste time and energy hunting around for a bus that doesn’t exist.
After pushing back yet again, ChatGPT suggested an itinerary that stopped in Lantau, Tsing Yi and Hong Kong Island — all connected by non-boat options.
Hits: ChatGPT suggested visiting the Tian Tan Buddha, aka Big Buddha, on Lantau. This is a popular tourist attraction but it’s popular for a reason and I enjoyed my visit.
It also recommended having lunch at the canteen at the Po Lin Monastery, which is at the base of the Buddha. It’s inexpensive and veggie-friendly, both of which can be challenging to find in Hong Kong.
It picked a route that flowed naturally — I went to the farthest island first, then used the same subway line to double back through the other two islands. ChatGPT also left the Hong Kong island itinerary pretty open, which was fine because it’s the most crowded of the three and it’s fun to just walk around and explore.
Misses: My visit to Tsing Yi was anticlimactic, although that’s not totally the app’s fault as my parameters were so strict it didn’t have much to offer me. Tsing Yi is almost fully residential and there’s little to do there except go to the mall. ChatGPT only recommended going to a park, but nothing else — although, again, that’s because the choices were limited.
Takeaway: I admit that I gave ChatGPT a difficult challenge on purpose, and I was pretty smug when it made some huge mistakes. Then, when it came time to correct those mistakes (like the bus to Lamma), I worried that all I was doing was making the program smarter and helping it inch one step closer to destroying the planet and taking over my profession in the meantime.
None of the information was stuff I couldn’t Google on my own. It’s possible it was even pulling info from an article I already wrote!
I think people who use ChatGPT to plan travel itineraries miss out on one basic thing: For me, doing a ton of travel research is fun. If you see it as a chore or don’t have much time to plan, I can see the appeal. But I live for this stuff, so I remain unconvinced.
What I wish ChatGPT could do for me is pay my bills or wash my dishes, both of which would leave me with even more time to dream about trips I haven’t booked yet.
Channon’s first stop: Rockefeller Center
The challenger: Channon Hodge
The challenge for ChatGPT: Help me plan a two-day itinerary for myself and my two-and-a-half-year-old in New York City that features some fun holiday things to do, but that is accessible to strollers and won’t tire me out.
Why I chose this prompt: Before having my little Oscar-monster, I loved meandering through holiday lights and checking out window displays all around New York City over the holiday season.
Now, I’m chained to my stroller-friendly neighborhood where there’s a playground every five blocks. I’m normally an ornery New Yorker who scoffs at outside advice because I’ve lived here for 26 years. But as a new mom, I’m open to suggestions.
The results: The app suggested breakfast at The Smith on 3rd Ave, hitting the playground at Central Park, then scrambling back down 5th Avenue for window shopping and then heading back up to the East Side for lunch at Serendipity. That was just one morning!
While a typical tourist may think these destinations are close together, they actually require 30-minute taxi rides through traffic, or 45-minute subway rides — and remember, subways include flights of stairs and waiting for train arrivals.
When I pushed back, ChatGPT understood. A second pass kept me in one neighborhood at a time and encouraged me to plan less per day. ChatGPT was clearly learning from some smart NYC mommy blogs.
Hits: Chat GPT recommended taking a break at the nondescript Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library in Midtown. You’ll find this across from the more famous, but crowded, flagship NYC library made famous by the “Ghostbusters” movie franchise.
It was a brilliant idea to take a cranky toddler break in the massive kids’ section in the library’s basement. I had no idea this was here, and it offered a line-free restroom for my newly potty-trained child, lots of books for him to read and plenty of chairs, although I opted for collapsing onto the carpeted floor. I almost dare not tell other tourists about this, lest it gets overrun. Alas, ChatGPT will probably get it out there without me.
A recommendation to hit the very popular Pasta Louise restaurant at 4:30 p.m. vs 5 p.m. also got me into a favored, local Brooklyn spot when there was plenty of space for strollers and even more room for my toddler to smash his trains onto the floor.
Misses: Most of the recommendations were for outside destinations — that’s in 20-degree weather. No, thanks!
Additionally, ChatGPT advised seeing the Rockefeller Christmas tree but hitting it up early Saturday morning before crowds gathered. Though it was spot on about the lack of crowds, there is nothing fun about this area for anyone other than a photo-hungry grandparent. Unless my child can climb it or put it in his mouth, he doesn’t want to look at a tree.
Also, my arch nemesis appeared everywhere — stairs, stairs, stairs! Much of ChatGPT’s other advice included things we could look at — boring for children unless Miss Rachel pops up out of nowhere.
Takeaway: I didn’t survive this day. I was absolutely melted down, exhausted. ChatGPT can’t make your destination something that it’s not.
New York City is expensive, crowded and difficult to navigate.
Nor can ChatGPT change who you are. I am no longer a freewheelin’ single lady. I am encumbered by a toddler who wants to be free and you cannot be free in Midtown Manhattan at any time.
For those who are intent on visiting New York, you’ll get some great surprises and a good starting point for this behemoth of a city. I learned, however, to double-check results with mommy groups, experienced friends or some trusted parent blogs.
Looking at London through its neighborhoods and communities
See why this museum recommendation didn’t quite work out
The challenger: Maureen O’Hare
The challenge for ChatGPT: I want to explore London through its neighborhoods, starting from my home in North London. As an Irish migrant, I want my two-day itinerary to celebrate other migrants who’ve made the city their home. Highlight museums, landmarks and specific places to eat and drink.
Why I chose this prompt: ChatGPT is strong on well-established tourist destinations and landmarks, because of the wealth of public information it’s been trained on. I wanted to see how it did on a more personalized itinerary and whether it hit on the neighborhoods and destinations that I would have picked.
The results: The first version of the itinerary turned out pretty well. I tried the same prompt several times with the exact wording, and each time it came up with something completely different: some I loved, some I was less keen on, but the Goldilocks in me kept searching for the one that was “just right.”
The itinerary I followed started at the London Irish Centre in Camden (a great suggestion) and then sent me through Bloomsbury (home to the British Museum), down to Soho and Covent Garden, and then suggested I end the night at one of two delightful concert venues: Union Chapel or Wigmore Hall. I can’t fault this as a grand day out in central London.
Day two invited me to venture a little farther and explore multicultural residential neighborhoods. I was to start in Brick Lane, where I was glad to revisit the iconic 24/7 bagel shop Beigel Bake in the east of the city, and then I had the choice of lunch in two rightly renowned Turkish restaurants: Gökyüzü in Green Lanes or Mangal 2 in nearby Dalston.
After exploring Dalston’s street markets, I was to visit the Black Cultural Archives in Brixton, south London, and then end the night in Peckham, with the well-established Nigerian restaurant 805 (now celebrating its 25th year) among its picks. Again, this was a well-planned day out and made sense geographically and thematically.
Bonus: The itinerary delivered on its promise of being a “meaningful tour of London as a migrant-built city,” connecting my Irish heritage to “the broader mosaic of communities that have shaped it.”
Misses and hits: ChatGPT recommended an alarming number of places that had shut down (Brixton’s Casa Sibilla, closed 2020), moved (Peckham’s South African restaurant Kudu, now relocated to Marylebone in central London), or simply didn’t exist (The Crown & Anchor in Islington).
While the initial itineraries ChatGPT suggested were generally fine, when I made refinements, it occasionally went doolally (British for unhinged). I had to remind it of the original prompt when it strayed off-theme, and I also had to chastise my AI pal when it tried to sneak rogue recommendations past me.
After it recommended I go to theme restaurant Turtle Bay to try London’s Caribbean cuisine, I put a veto on chains, but it still tried to sneak Gail’s Bakery (180+ branches) and Franco Manca pizza (70+ branches) past me.
I was excited to visit the Migration Museum in Lewisham, until I Googled and discovered it’s online-only and in search of a permanent home, having migrated earlier this year. Likewise, the Museum of London at the Barbican shut in 2022, although it’ll reopen in 2026 at its new showstopper home in the historic Smithfield Market.
Its methodology for sending me to the Michelin-bibbed wine bar and restaurant Peckham Cellars was also dubious, but I loved the place so much I’ll forgive it.
Finally, the Turkish restaurant Mangal 2 is an excellent choice for lunch, but the smart money is on going for dinner in Mangal 1 instead. That’s where the legendary British performance artists Gilbert and George go for dinner each evening: I got a table beside them once and it was food plus a side of living art.
Takeaway: It’s a hugely impressive tool and one that’s only going to get better. However, as it relies on all that information put on the internet by us flesh-sacks, it’s better at established destinations or places that have generated a lot of buzz, rather than under-the-radar choices.
It’s an excellent resource, but it’s best used in conjunction with several sources, and human recommendations are always going to be at the front line, as that’s how Chatty G learns about them in the first place.
See what surprised Karla on her long tail boat tour
The challenger: Karla Cripps
The challenge for ChatGPT: I’m going to be visiting Bangkok soon. I love Thai food, but my stomach doesn’t. Also, I can’t really handle high outdoor temperatures and I don’t want to get stuck in any traffic jams. Help plan a day out that lets me take in some local neighborhoods and sample some nice but spice-free Thai foods.
Why I chose this prompt: Thailand is famous for its vibrant, flavorful cuisine — particularly the spicy stuff. Having lived here for more than 20 years, I love fiery food, but I have a lot of visiting friends and family who don’t, so know this is a concern of many tourists, along with hot outdoor temperatures and traffic jams.
I wanted to see what suggestions ChatGPT would offer when asked to plan a day out in one of the world’s most popular tourist cities.
The results: On my first attempt, as I expected, the results were incredibly touristy, with ChatGPT suggesting the usual top 20 sites you see on every list. All fine, but it made me realize my prompt still wasn’t detailed enough.
So, I took AI expert Dogan’s advice and followed up by noting that I wanted to avoid major tourist attractions. On the second try, ChatGPT largely pulled it off, saying “Got it — let’s pivot away from the big-ticket temples and market cliches” and build a plan “that’s local, low-key, great for Thai food and still wonderfully Bangkok,” suggesting several of my favorite neighborhoods and restaurants.
That included parts of Bangkok’s lesser-visited Thonburi area, on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River.
It also suggested Soi Songwat in Bangkok’s Chinatown area, definitely a great choice for travelers who want to see how creative locals are breathing new life into the area’s historic shophouses. But given it was listed as one of the top 40 coolest neighborhoods in the world by TimeOut in 2023, it’s definitely not a secret.
ChatGPT also included plenty of tips on avoiding traffic jams and how to order non-spicy foods in Thai, while recommending a few dishes. Some suggestions were vague — “noodle soups without chili” — others predictable, like pad Thai and mango and sticky rice. But hey, there’s a reason they’re popular — they’re delicious.
Hits: The suggested neighborhoods did offer a nice mix of tourist-friendly sites while still offering a window into traditional parts of this now very modern city.
For example, I took its advice and enjoyed a longtail boat ride through the canals of Thonburi. Here’s where I had a nice surprise: an incredible view of a 69-meter-tall Buddha that was finished in 2021 at canal-side historic temple Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen. I also bought some delicious, spice-free pork satay sticks from a vendor with a lovely dog named Mickey and popped into Baan Silapin (Artist’s House), a wonderful cafe and art space set inside a traditional Thai house next to the canal.
ChatGPT also suggested I visit a riverside mall if I needed to cool off — “you can treat this as a cool-down zone, not a shopping trip” — which is actually good advice. I often pop into convenience stores for a blast of icy cold A/C when I’m outside for long periods of time here.
Why summer is the best season for Thailand’s famous mango and sticky rice
Misses: ChatGPT didn’t suggest anything that doesn’t exist or has closed, as my colleagues experienced, but the setup in the original itinerary was weird. Some routes had me backtracking and going to certain areas at times of the day that didn’t make sense or would be downright unpleasant because of the heat.
Also, several of the restaurants ChatGPT recommended would not be great for someone who can’t handle a bit of spice — kind of like inviting a vegetarian to a classic steakhouse.
Takeaway: Overall, the suggestions were good after a fair bit of back and forth, during which I made my personal preferences clearer and pushed back on a few things. But don’t trust the results! Ask a local in the know if possible and research all of the suggestions so you can tailor your trip to your own tastes.
“We are living in a world where we don’t have time for everything,” says Dogan, the AI expert, when asked about the appeal of these tools. “ChatGPT is doing it in seconds.”
But though LLMs like ChatGPT and Google Gemini are growing in popularity, there’s no shortage of critics. Privacy issues, potential job losses and high energy usage are just some of the concerns that have been amplified alongside their rise.
As a CNN report published earlier this year explains, each word in an AI prompt is broken down into clusters of numbers called “token IDs” and sent to massive data centers where stacks of large computers generate responses through dozens of rapid calculations.
The whole process can take up to 10 times more energy to complete than a regular Google search, according to a frequently cited estimation by the Electric Power Research Institute.
In the end, all five of CNN Travel’s team members came to similar conclusions: These AI tools can be useful for travel planning, but double-check everything.
It appears ChatGPT agrees. When asked how reliable it is as a travel planner, it replied: “Short answer: ChatGPT can be a useful starting point or tool in travel planning — but it’s not fully reliable on its own and shouldn’t replace real-world research or booking tools.”
As a traveler, nothing is going to beat the connection you feel when interacting with locals who are proud of their communities and want to show you the best of them.
