Photo by Jake McGuire
However exciting it may seem to travel spontaneously, group travel above any other kind demands planning. Hotels and restaurants require reservations, and museums and tours do as well. Plus, you can expect certain discounts with advance group reservations or even more in-depth tours. This is why you want to build a detailed itinerary.The itinerary is not just a basic schedule. It’s your ticket to a stress-free, guaranteed memorable experience. Where do you want to go? What do you want to see? And how long do you want to spend at each attraction? These are some of the questions you need to ask yourself and answer as you plan. Remember, a travel professional can be a huge asset for this part of your tour. Here are some things you – or your travel coordinator – will build into your itinerary.
What You’ll See
This is an obvious one. An itinerary tells you exactly which attractions are included in your tour. A two-day trip to Washington, D.C. will be a whirlwind adventure, but it can still include several exciting sights, like an Illuminations Tour of the monuments and memorials after dark, a tour of the Capitol, the Air and Space Museum, another Smithsonian facility of your choice, and a walk through of Ford’s Theater and the Peterson House. Four and five-day tours allow for even more and are often the right choice for groups.
The Schedule
We know you want to see as much as possible, but an itinerary has to consider how long you actually have to do so. It states when you’ll begin each morning and when to appear for each of the day’s reservations. Consider the specific attraction as you plan how long you’ll be there. Mt. Vernon, for instance, could take all morning and include lunch, while an hour might be sufficient for The National Archives.
Details
An itinerary should also include details about the attraction. An address and phone number will be invaluable should a group member get separated from the pack. Different D.C. attractions require various security measures, and it will help to know if you’ll be allowed to carry a bag inside and if you’ll need your ID ready when you enter. These kind of details are invaluable for educational travel tours.
Transportation and Guides
Some groups fly and use public transportation in the city. Others arrive on a bus and use it throughout the tour. An itinerary will tell you not just when to be at the museum but when to meet back at the bus or public transit. This is an important detail for keeping groups together. Your group may also choose a professional guide for all or portions of the tour. A travel guide can make all the difference between a ho-hum experience and one that’s personal, in-depth, and highly educational. Whether or not you’ll be meeting a guide should be included throughout the itinerary.
Meals
You can’t forget this all-important part of any trip. Some D.C. restaurants, such as those in the various Smithsonian facilities, offer group vouchers to help this process go smoothly. You may want to schedule some meals on your own and just provide a meeting time and place for after the meal. Also, make sure you know whether your hotel serves or even offers breakfast to its guests.
We have lots of sample itineraries on this site for you to consider. We’ve also got travel professionals standing by to customize your D.C. experience and remove the hassle from itinerary-planning!