4 Ways To Use ChatGPT To Plan Your Next Adventure Trip

Forbes

18-05-2025

Let's be clear: technology can never replace the benefits of spending time outside in natural settings, wild places, and public lands. Those benefits include better health outcomes, decreased stress and anxiety, and the healing aspects of feeling hope and awe. They're so powerful that doctors even prescribe time in nature for medicinal purposes. As people become increasingly connected to technology and AI, though, they're isolating more and more, increasing unhealthful feelings of loneliness and disconnection.
But, surprisingly, there is a place for AI in helping people to get outside. Adventurers are turning to tools like ChatCPT to better prepare for travel and trips. Whether you're planning a backcountry trek, a solo van journey, or an eco-conscious surf retreat, ChatGPT can help with everything from logistics to mindset. Here are four ways to use it as your digital co-pilot.
Tools like ChatGPT can help adventurers plan their next trip.
Prompt"I want to plan a 5-day hiking and camping trip in [location]
Why it works
Instead of scrolling through crowdsourced reviews or SEO-heavy blog posts, ChatGPT filters your preferences into a streamlined, thoughtful route—with flexibility for those who prefer discovery over rigid scheduling.
Prompt"I'm traveling to [place]
Why it works
Backlash against overtourism in hotspot destinations has dominated headlines in recent years, highlighting the fact that travel can often feel voyeuristic, transactional, and insensitive to locals. AI can help travelers act as guests, not consumers—surfacing sustainable options and cultural insight that can help with deepening your connection to place, not just your itinerary.
Prompt"I'm going on a 3-day trek in a region with unpredictable weather. Can you help me make a gear list that covers the essentials, keeps weight light, and includes one or two comfort items I'll be glad I packed?"
Why it works
Pre-built packing lists are often generic. This prompt tailors essentials to your specific environment, trip length, and values—like comfort, sustainability, or ultralight travel.
Prompt"I want to keep a short travel journal while I'm traveling. Can you give me a few daily prompts that help me reflect on what I see, feel, and learn each day?"
Why it works
Adventure travel isn't just about movement—it's about meaning, and integrating those experiences into our everyday lives back home. These prompts help travelers slow down, observe, and articulate their connection to the land, the culture they're visiting, and to themselves.
ChatGPT won't replace the trail beneath your boots or the stars above your tent—but it can help you show up more prepared, more present, and more connected. When used intentionally, it can be a great travel hack.