A complete guide to planning a trip in 2025

Ready to make 2025 your year of adventure? Here’s everything you need to know to make it happen. 

Planning a trip can be equally exciting and overwhelming, especially when travelling solo. With so many details to organise – from booking flights and hotels to ensuring you squeeze every activity into your schedule – it’s easy to feel lost.

But don’t worry. Much like climbing a mountain, planning a trip is easier when you break it into manageable chunks.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you dream, plan and lock in an adventure.

Jump to 

• Start dreaming
• Decide who you’re travelling with
• Set a budget
• Choose your dates
• Book your trip
• Get prepared
• Get excited

Start dreaming

Start by giving yourself permission to daydream. Have you always imagined getting lost in Morocco’s saffron-scented souks or sailing Greece’s glistening seas? Are there any movies (cue Mamma Mia) or documentaries you’ve watched that made you think, ‘I must visit that place’ or ‘I need to experience that culture’? Perhaps you’ve always wanted to go on safari, travel through Europe by train or trek Nepal’s pointy peaks?

You don’t even need to go far. Sometimes the best adventures are closer to home – like exploring the national parks, coastlines or cities on your doorstep.

Close your eyes and let your mind wander.

With so many incredible destinations out there, some insider know-how can go a long way in making your trip special. Intrepid has crafted 1000s of experiences in over 100 countries led by expert local leaders. There are cycling trips that take you deep into the lush Vietnamese countryside, Women’s Expeditions that break down barriers with all-female adventures, and even food trips that get you cooking, crunching and slurping just like the locals.

If you’re a traveller who likes to sample a little bit of everything, you might be interested in Explorer trips – the Intrepid classics – which combine culture, history, adventure and good food.

Read traveller stories and browse a bunch of itineraries to get the travel juices flowing. Let excitement be your compass.

Create a wishlist

Keep a handy list of places that pique your interest even though you know you probably can’t hit them all in one trip. It’ll be a good source of inspiration for the future.

Intrepid’s wishlist tool is a great way to round up a bunch of must-visits from around the world in one spot. Click ‘Add to my wishlist’ in the search results or on each trip page and create an account to save them for later.

Decide who you’re travelling with

Next, it’s time to decide whether you’re going solo or bringing others along for the ride.

Want to travel solo?

Travelling solo means you’re in control of choosing where to go, deciding your pace and crafting a trip exactly how you want. Whether you want to do cooking classes, get your blood pumping on cycling trails or learn about Indigenous cultures, you’re free to travel on your terms. Plus, it’s a great way to build confidence and connect with people in ways you might not when travelling with a familiar face.

Joining a small group trip is a great option if you’re toying with the idea of going solo but haven’t yet taken the leap. I did the Sabah Adventure last year and loved the mix of travelling with like-minded people and free time to do my own thing. It was also reassuring to have everything from transport to hotels and activities taken care of for me.

Travelling solo? Check out these guides:

• 10 handy tips for solo travel
• 7 of the best destinations for solo travellers over 50
• I’m a solo traveller in my 40s; here’s why I love group tours

Want to travel with your friends or partner?

If you’re joining up with friends or a partner, there’s obviously more to consider. To start, everyone must agree on what type of trip to take – some people travel to relax and do nothing but read on the beach, while others cram in as much adventure as possible. The biggest factor, however, is usually money. It’s important to be transparent with your travel partner(s) and set an agreed budget to ensure you’re on the same page from the get-go.

What if I want to do an Intrepid trip only with my friends/partner?

Most Intrepid trips have a maximum group size of 16 people, though they usually average 10. This is big enough to have a good social mix but small enough to reach out-of-the-way places and benefit from the expertise of your local leader.

If you like the sound of adventure travel but want to travel exclusively with your crew, you may be interested in Tailor-Made. This is also a great option if you have a dream trip you want to bring to life or if you want to tweak an existing itinerary.

Set a budget

Budgeting is a crucial part of trip planning, but it doesn’t have to be restrictive. The key is to determine what’s important to you.

Do you want to treat yourself to fancy hotels or would you rather homestays for a more immersive experience? Do you want to tick off all the activities on your bucket list or travel for as long as possible? Everyone’s different.

Setting a budget early can help you prioritise must-do activities without breaking the bank.

Which travel style do you align with?

Start by reflecting on whether you’re a thrifty traveller or a creature comfort lover. Do you want lots of free time or tonnes of activities?

Intrepid’s trip styles reflect different levels of inclusions and are a great way to browse the different kinds of experiences you can have with different budgets.

Basix trips are for budget travellers. They feature simple, clean accommodation, local transport and plenty of free time. This means you can do the things that suit your budget and interests rather than paying for inclusions you don’t want.

Original trips are the perfect choice if you’re after a mix of included activities and free time to explore a destination on your own. They include centrally located accommodation and some meals.

Comfort trips buff some of adventure travel’s rougher edges by including a few more pleasantries. You’ll enjoy a more relaxed pace, inviting accommodation, more activities and many meals.

Premium trips feature unique, higher-end accommodation, many experiences led by the most knowledgeable leaders and more included activities. Breakfast is included daily, along with many lunches and dinners.

Still figuring out a budget? You may find these guides helpful:

• Check out 5 affordable countries for thrifty travellers
• What to expect on Intrepid Premium
• How to make the most of your free time on your trip
• Travel budget hacks the Intrepid team can’t keep to themselves

Choose your dates

How flexible you can be with dates plays a big part. If you’re at the mercy of annual leave that needs to be requested months in advance, try to lock in your trip as early as possible.

You can also stretch your annual leave a little further by booking it strategically around public holidays. For example, if you’re in the USA, you could enjoy a nine-day vacation by taking four PTO days from 18 to 21 February 2025 for Presidents’ Day. Pretty neat, right?

If you have more time to play with or fancy being spontaneous, keep your eyes peeled for last-minute deals. Intrepid’s annual Cyber Sale at the end of the year is a great opportunity to snag a bargain.

Learn about the weather, seasons and the best times to visit for the activities you want to do. If you want to dive into the local culture, you could align your dates with cultural events like Holi in India or Carnaval in Brazil. By the same token, some religious festivals and public holidays can disrupt local transport or impact opening hours for restaurants and tourist attractions, so it pays to do your research before deciding on dates. 

In many destinations, school vacations and major holidays like Christmas and New Year are prime travel times, so if you’re not keen on crowds, the shoulder or off-season may be better, especially in major European cities and coastal resorts.

Need help deciding on dates? Check out these hacks:

• Leave hack your Canadian holidays
• Level up your Australian public holidays
• How to make the most of US federal holidays
• Make the most of New Zealand’s public holidays

Book your trip

Ready to book? Great! Before you secure your spot, it’s good to know that Intrepid offers flexible booking options to accommodate life’s unpredictable nature.  

When you book with Intrepid, you can:

• Save your spot for five days without paying a deposit
• Pay in instalments – pay the amounts you like, when you like, up to 56 days before departure in most regions
• Cancel or change your plans up to 56 days before departure with no fees and use your deposit as a credit for future travel in most regions

There’s also a guaranteed departures policy. All trips are guaranteed to run once they have one fully paid customer (unless the minimum group size listed in the Essential Trip Information and/or Special Conditions state otherwise).

The beauty of small group travel is that almost everything is taken care of for you. However, if you want to add on a few days, it’s best to book accommodation and activities ahead of time – especially if you’re travelling during the peak season – to avoid missing out or paying sky-high prices.

Got a few spare days? Explore Intrepid’s Urban Adventure Day Tours

Find flights

Finding flights can be stressful with all those airport codes, stopovers and layovers. If you’re traveling with Intrepid, reach out to an adventure consultant when booking to request a flight quote. They have access to very affordable prices and can find connections that best suit your journey. (Intrepid can’t book international flights if you’re in North America, but they can recommend companies.)

Many airlines send offers when they have seats to fill, so it might be worth signing up for their emails in case you ever have a gap in your calendar and fancy an impromptu trip.

Feeling spontaneous? You might be interested in:

• An indecisive traveller’s guide to the perks of last-minute adventures
• Why Tasmania was the place for a spontaneous, close-to-home trip

Get prepared

You’re all booked! Now it’s time to channel that excitement into getting your ducks in a row before you set off. These essentials may not be as fun, but they’re the key to smooth sailing.

• Passport – ensure your passport has at least 6 months of validity
• Visa and entry requirements – use Intrepid’s tool to check if you need a visa for the place(s) you want to visit
• Travel vaccinations – vaccination and general medical requirements differ from country to country, so contact your GP or travel doctor for advice
• Travel insurance – insurance is mandatory on all Intrepid trips if you’re travelling internationally. Get in touch for a quote
• Packing list – check this handy list of packing essentials, research the local dress code and check the Essential Trip Information as you may need specific items
• Inform your bank – overseas transactions may be flagged as suspicious, so let your bank know your plans to avoid your card being frozen
• Phone plans and SIM cards – check data roaming costs with your provider or look into buying a local SIM card if you want to stay connected.

Get excited

Now that everything’s set, it’s time to get excited. What local dishes are you looking forward to trying? Are there any phrases you could learn ahead of time? While there’s no better way to learn the cultural dos and don’ts than on the ground, there’s no harm in some pre-trip research to make your experience even richer.

Adventure travel doesn’t always go exactly as planned, so keep an open mind to experiencing a hiccup or two along the way. And remember to leave some room in your days to roam without a plan, as that’s often where the magic happens.

Ready to make it happen?

There’s no denying that booking a trip requires you to flex your organisational muscles, but we hope you feel more confident about getting started now you know what’s involved.

Search for your dream adventure or learn more about how small group travel with Intrepid works.