AI Travel Planning Tools Compared: 12 Options for 2026

An AI trip planner can write a full itinerary in a minute. Then you have to find out which parts are right.

This guide does two things. First, it shows what twelve travel tools, chosen for different planning needs, say they do, based on their own pages. Second, it shows how to use them together without trusting any one of them blindly.

These tools do different jobs and are not substitutes for each other. It is not a test. We did not run these tools through trips and report the results, so you will not find “we tested” claims or made-up scores here. Every feature below comes from the tool’s own page or an official app listing, checked on 9 November 2026. Where a page does not say something, we say so. Tools change fast, so check the current version before you pay.

The short answer

• The right choice depends on the trip: a solo trip, a family holiday, a road trip and a group journey need different tools.
• For ideas: a chat tool such as ChatGPT, Gemini or Perplexity, or Tripadvisor if you want review-led suggestions.
• For comparing prices while you chat: KAYAK Ask AI or the Expedia app in ChatGPT.
• For questions on a map: Google Maps Ask Maps (US and India at launch).
• For organising the trip: Layla, Mindtrip, Wanderlog or Stardrift.
• For group budgets and AI itinerary drafts: Stippl.
• For anything involving money or entry rules: the official website of the airline, hotel, museum or government.

The twelve tools, one by one

Each entry shows what the tool’s own page says, what it is good for, and what to check before you rely on it.

ChatGPT: apps inside the chat

What the official page says: OpenAI says apps in ChatGPT are “apps you can chat with, right inside ChatGPT.” Booking.com and Expedia are among the first travel apps. You can name an app in your message, and the first time you use one, ChatGPT asks you to connect it ({a(U['oai'],'OpenAI')}). Expedia’s own page says you can ask ChatGPT to find flights or places to stay, then select “Book on Expedia” to be taken to Expedia to finish the reservation ({a(U['expp'],'Expedia')}). Skift also covered the launch ({a(U['skift'],'Skift')}).

Good for: Open-ended research, rough routes and budget ideas, and searching hotels or flights through a connected app.

Check first: Availability. At launch, OpenAI said apps were not available in the European Economic Area, Switzerland or the United Kingdom. Expedia’s page says its app is live for logged-in Free, Plus and Pro users in the US, Canada (excluding Quebec), New Zealand, India, Singapore and Mexico, and does not describe other countries. Check in your own account. Expedia’s page says you cannot complete a booking in the chat. You finish on Expedia, so expect to leave ChatGPT to pay. It also warns that AI results may contain errors or outdated information, and says it does not explain what data is shared between ChatGPT and Expedia.

Google Gemini: itineraries linked to Google data

What the official page says: Google says Gemini builds multi-day itineraries grouped by neighbourhood and pulls options from Google Flights, Google Hotels and Google Maps. Its FAQ says Gemini finds and compares options, then sends you elsewhere to complete the booking, and its page says to “check responses” ({a(U['gem'],'Google Gemini')}). A Google blog post from 6 August 2026 adds Viator tours inside Gemini and an opt-in setting that can use your Gmail and Photos. It also says the Gemini Spark agent can pre-fill booking forms and leave you to press “book” ({a(U['gemb'],'Google blog')}). These are separate features from the general itinerary suggestions, and the post does not describe how a Viator booking is completed.

Good for: A first draft you can check against Maps, Flights and Hotels, and plans that need to fit around bookings already in your Gmail.

Check first: Some features need opt-in and some are limited by age or region. Google’s own page says compatibility and availability vary.

Layla: chat planning with optional human advisors

What the official page says: Layla AI GmbH, based in Berlin, says you can plan by chat, compare live prices for flights, hotels, trains and cars, and see interactive maps for multi-city routes. Planning is free. You pay for what you book. It also offers human Travel Advisors who review your plan and arrange bookings, and says you can book without an advisor ({a(U['lay'],'Layla')}).

Good for: Travellers who want one place for planning and booking, with the option of human help.

Check first: Which partners supply the prices, because the page does not name them. Layla states its own user numbers and ratings. We do not repeat them because we could not verify them.

Mindtrip: discover, plan and organise in one place

What the official page says: Mindtrip calls itself “the most personalized way to discover, plan and organize any adventure.” It offers conversational suggestions, interactive maps, photos and reviews, and customizable, shareable itineraries ({a(U['mind'],'Mindtrip')}).

Good for: Visual planning, and sharing an itinerary with the people you travel with.

Check first: How booking works. The page we found does not describe it, so check inside the app before you rely on it.

Stippl: budget and expense splitting

What the official page says: Stippl’s budget page says you can log expenses by day and destination in four categories (stays, food, transport, activities), convert local currency to your home currency, and split shared costs for groups. Logged expenses stay viewable offline, but adding one needs a connection ({a(U['stip'],'Stippl')}). Stippl also has an AI trip planner: its page says the first AI itinerary is free and unlimited AI generation is in Pro ({a(U['stipai'],'Stippl AI planner')}).

Good for: Keeping a group budget fair and tracking spending on the trip.

Check first: The price of Pro. Stippl’s Pro page lists €4.99 a month, while its budget page mentions €3, so confirm the current price in the app ({a(U['stipro'],'Stippl Pro')}).

Wanderlog: map-based planning that works offline

What the official page says: Wanderlog’s App Store listing says plans are stored for offline access, places appear on a Google Maps-based map, and you can add tripmates by email or link with edit or view-only rights. You can forward flight and hotel confirmation emails into a trip. The app is free with an optional Pro subscription, and Gmail linking and export to Google Maps are Pro features ({a(U['wan'],'Wanderlog on the App Store')}).

Good for: Road trips and multi-stop trips where you want a map and your plan available without signal.

Check first: Which features need Pro before you build your trip around them.

Stardrift: young AI planner

What the official page says: Stardrift’s own page says it returns a day-by-day plan with maps and destination cards, shows flights and hotels with current pricing, imports existing bookings from confirmation emails, and is free with no credit card. It also lists a drag-and-drop editor, shareable links, budget filters and a Starlink flight search. The company adds that it is a young product, that niche destinations are still being added, and that group features are still growing ({a(U['sd'],'Stardrift')}). Y Combinator lists it as an AI travel planner based in San Francisco, founded in 2024 ({a(U['yc'],'Y Combinator')}).

Good for: Trying a newer planner that can plan around bookings you already have.

Check first: These are the company’s own claims. The page does not say whether checkout happens in the app or at a partner.

Perplexity: research with Deep Research

What the official page says: Perplexity says its Deep Research mode pulls together travel guides, local tourism data and recent visitor reports into a day-by-day plan ({a(U['ppx'],'Perplexity')}). A 2025 product update says you can refine hotel results in plain language and compare prices, and mentions “compare and book” without explaining how booking works ({a(U['ppxc'],'Perplexity changelog')}).

Good for: Looking up a specific question, such as seasonal conditions or driving distances for one route.

Check first: Open the source behind any fact you plan to rely on. Booking details are not explained on the pages we found.

Tripadvisor: review-based ideas and itineraries

What the official page says: Tripadvisor says its AI planner is free, and you can start without an account but need to sign in to save trips. It recommends hotels, restaurants and activities using over 1 billion traveller reviews, builds editable day-by-day itineraries you can save and share, and offers map and comparison views. It can show hotels with live pricing and booking links, and Tripadvisor says it “is not a booking agent or tour operator” ({a(U['trip'],'Tripadvisor')}).

Good for: Finding things to do and places to eat when you want ideas led by traveller reviews.

Check first: Prices. Tripadvisor says it makes no guarantees for availability of advertised prices, that prices may have minimum stays or blackout dates, and that you should check the partner’s site for full fees.

KAYAK Ask AI: compare flights and hotels while you chat

What the official page says: KAYAK announced Ask AI on 14 May 2026. You describe your trip in chat, and flight, hotel and rental car results update beside the conversation, with prices and bookable options from “hundreds of travel partners” ({a(U['kay'],'KAYAK')}).

Good for: Comparing flight and hotel prices while you are still deciding where to go.

Check first: Who sells the ticket. The announcement does not explain how payment is handled, who the seller is, or which countries have access. It also says prices and availability are expected to shift quickly.

Google Maps Ask Maps: questions about places, and stops along a route

What the official page says: Google announced Ask Maps on 12 March 2026. You tap the button in Google Maps and ask in plain language. Google says answers draw on information from over 300 million places and reviews from more than 500 million contributors, factor in places you have searched for or saved, and can suggest stops along a route with directions, ETAs and tips from other users. You can also book restaurant reservations from it. It was rolling out in the US and India on Android and iOS, with desktop “coming soon” ({a(U['maps'],'Google')}).

Good for: Road trips and city days where you want answers on a map, such as what is open near you tonight.

Check first: Availability. Google’s post names only the US and India. It also says its AI-generated summaries are experimental, so confirm opening hours on the place’s own page.

Booking.com AI Trip Planner (earlier announcements): an earlier in-app planning feature

What the official page says: Booking.com’s June 2023 release says the beta planner answers travel questions, builds itineraries for a city, country or region, and is partly built on OpenAI’s ChatGPT API. Tapping an accommodation lets you complete the reservation, because the planner sits inside the app’s booking flow ({a(U['bk23'],'Booking.com, 2023')}). A 30 October 2024 release says it was available in the app in the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore, with Spain, Italy, Germany, France, Poland and the Netherlands planned ({a(U['bk24'],'Booking.com, 2024')}).

Good for: People who already book stays on Booking.com and want itinerary ideas in the same app.

Check first: Dates. These announcements document the feature’s earlier rollout, not its current availability. We could not verify whether the same AI Trip Planner is still available in all the markets listed, so check the app in your country.

Side-by-side comparison

This table only uses what the pages above say. “Not stated” means we could not find it on those pages.

Privacy: what these tools do with your chats

A trip chat can include dates, names and your home city. Read the privacy settings before you type. Here is what the official pages say, and where they say nothing.

• Gemini: Google says a subset of chats goes to human reviewers, disconnected from your account, and reviewed chats are kept for up to three years even if you delete your activity. The default auto-delete is 18 months. If you turn off Keep Activity, chats are not used to train AI models unless you send feedback, but Google still keeps them for 72 hours (Gemini Apps Privacy Hub).
• ChatGPT: OpenAI says it may use content from individual services such as ChatGPT to train its models unless you opt out, through its privacy portal or Data Controls. It says it does not use content from business offerings such as ChatGPT Team, ChatGPT Enterprise and the API for training (OpenAI).
• Expedia in ChatGPT: Expedia’s page does not explain what data is shared between ChatGPT and Expedia and points to Expedia’s privacy policy (Expedia).
• The other tools: we did not review their privacy policies for this guide. Read each one before you add personal details.

These are the companies’ stated policies, and policies can change. Our suggestion, not a tool rule: never type a passport number, card number or full booking reference into a planner. It does not need them.

How to spot a risky AI plan

This is our own checklist, not something the tools publish. Be careful when a plan:

• names a museum or attraction but never mentions its closing day or booking needs,
• puts stops far apart in one day with no travel time,
• shows a price with no date, currency or “what is included,”
• does not mention visas, entry permits or health rules for your passport,
• pushes you to “book now” before you have checked the official page.

A good plan lists what to confirm, shows its assumptions and leaves slack in the day. If a tool will not tell you where a fact came from, treat it as a guess.

A 5-step workflow that uses them together

In our view, no single tool does everything well. A simple order of work keeps the strengths of each and catches mistakes before you pay. This is a suggested method, not a tested one.

Step 1: Set your limits before you open any tool

Write down your dates, your airports, your total budget, any diet or mobility needs, and how busy you want each day to be. A tool cannot guess these, and a plan built without them will be generic.

Step 2: Get a rough route from a chat tool

Ask ChatGPT, Gemini or Perplexity for a route skeleton and cost ideas. Tell it your limits and ask it to list what you should confirm before booking. Example prompt:

“I have 10 days in Japan, flying into Tokyo and out of Osaka. My total budget is $1,800 including flights. I eat no meat or fish. Give me a route with day splits and a rough daily spend by category. List everything I should check before booking.”

For a family or access needs, change the details: “We are two adults and a 6-year-old. We use a stroller and cannot walk more than 3 km a day. Plan 5 days in Rome with a long break at midday. Tell me which attractions need booking in advance.” Then ask a follow-up: “Which facts in this plan are you least sure about? List what I should confirm on official websites.”

Step 3: Build the day-by-day plan in one planner

Move the route into one planner, such as Layla, Mindtrip, Wanderlog or Stardrift. Choose by the job in the table above. Do not accept the first draft. Ask for changes until the pace suits you.

Step 4: Check the facts on official sources

This step matters most. Open the official page for anything that costs money or can stop you. A few examples we checked on official pages:

• The Louvre is closed on Tuesdays (Louvre).
• Amsterdam’s tourist tax is 12.5% of the overnight price, excluding VAT (City of Amsterdam).
• UK entry and transit rules depend on your nationality and route. GOV.UK says you may need a Direct Airside Transit visa if you change flights without going through border control, unless you hold an ETA or certain other documents (GOV.UK transit visa). To check whether you need an ETA to visit, see GOV.UK ETA guidance.

For a longer list, use our checklist of 25 things to check before booking an AI trip plan. For Europe trips, also see the Schengen 90/180 day rule calculator and what to expect at an EES border check.

Step 5: Organise, book carefully and plan for changes

Put the checked plan in one place you can open offline. Wanderlog says plans are stored for offline access, and Stippl says logged expenses can be viewed offline. For a group, use Stippl for costs and a shared plan in Mindtrip or Wanderlog.

Before you book, check who you are paying and what the cancellation terms are. In an Expedia Group survey, 66% of people said they would not trust an AI assistant to buy or book anything on their behalf (Expedia Group). You decide how much to hand over. If the trip is costly or complicated, see when you need a human travel specialist, and read how to choose travel insurance and whether cancel-for-any-reason cover is worth it.

What to remember

• Use AI for ideas and drafts. Use official sources for rules, prices and opening days.
• Check how booking works in any tool before you pay through it.
• Free tiers change. Check what needs a paid plan.
• For Japan trips, our guide to the best time to visit Japan helps with timing.

FAQ

Which AI trip planner is best?

It depends on the job. Use a chat tool for ideas, a planner such as Layla, Mindtrip or Wanderlog to organise the trip, a budget tool such as Stippl for group costs, and official websites to confirm rules and prices. In our view, no single tool on this list covers all of that.

Are AI trip planners free?

Several say they are. Gemini’s page describes it as free, Layla says planning is free and you pay for what you book, and Stardrift says it is free. Wanderlog and Stippl have free tiers with paid Pro features. Plans and prices change, so check each tool’s own page.

Can AI planners book my trip for me?

Not always. Google says Gemini finds and compares options and then sends you elsewhere to book. Expedia’s page for ChatGPT says you finish the reservation on Expedia, and Tripadvisor says it is not a booking agent. Booking.com’s planner lets you reserve inside its app. For other tools we could not confirm how booking works from their official pages. Check the checkout step and who you are paying before you enter card details.

Should I trust the prices an AI planner shows?

Treat them as a starting point. Open the airline, hotel or ticket seller’s own site on the day you book, and check taxes and fees too. Amsterdam, for example, charges a tourist tax of 12.5% of the overnight price, excluding VAT.

Do I need more than one tool?

Often yes, because the tools do different jobs. A simple trip can work with one chat tool and a few official pages. A group trip across several cities usually needs a planner, a shared map and a budget tool.

What should I not type into an AI planner?

Passport numbers, card numbers and full booking references. A planner does not need them to suggest a route. Google’s Gemini help page says: “Please don’t enter confidential information that you wouldn’t want a reviewer to see.” OpenAI’s help page says it may use content from individual ChatGPT accounts to train its models unless you opt out. Check each tool’s privacy settings first.

What if I can only use one tool?

In our view, use a chat tool such as ChatGPT or Gemini for the draft, then spend the time you saved on the official-page check in step 4 of the workflow. That check protects your money more than the choice of tool does.

Do these tools work everywhere?

Not necessarily. OpenAI said ChatGPT’s apps were not available in the European Economic Area, Switzerland or the UK at launch. Expedia’s page lists the US, Canada (excluding Quebec), New Zealand, India, Singapore and Mexico for its ChatGPT app, and Google’s post on Ask Maps names the US and India. Google says Gemini’s compatibility and availability vary. Check your own account and region.

Sources and official guidance

• OpenAI: Introducing apps in ChatGPT
• Skift: ChatGPT travel apps (6 Oct 2025, news)
• Google Gemini: AI trip planner
• Google blog: How Gemini plans trips (6 Aug 2026)
• Layla: About
• Mindtrip: About
• Stippl: Budget planner
• GOV.UK: Direct Airside Transit visa
• Stippl: Pro
• Tripadvisor: AI trip planner
• KAYAK: Ask AI (14 May 2026)
• Google: Ask Maps (12 Mar 2026)
• Booking.com: AI Trip Planner (2023 announcement)
• Booking.com: AI features (30 Oct 2024 announcement)
• Google: Gemini Apps Privacy Hub
• OpenAI: How your data is used
• Stippl: AI travel planner
• Expedia: Expedia in ChatGPT
• Wanderlog: App Store listing
• Stardrift: Best AI travel planners (company page)
• Y Combinator: Stardrift
• Perplexity: Planning a trip with specific constraints
• Perplexity changelog (2025)
• Expedia Group: The AI Trust Gap (Business Wire)
• City of Amsterdam: tourist tax
• Louvre: hours
• GOV.UK: ETA

Features, prices and availability change. Confirm on the linked page before you rely on them.