AI Prompts for Destination Guides

Guidebooks are outdated before they're printed. These prompts create living, personalized guides for any destination — with the kind of local knowledge you'd only get from a friend who lives there. Tested on ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude to find which AI gives the most trustworthy local intel.

Results last tested Feb 15, 2026 · Models: GPT-4o, Gemini 2.0, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, Grok 2
What you're trying to do Prompt الأفضل لـ
Create comprehensive city guides City Deep-Dive Gemini
Discover local food and dining Food Explorer Claude
Explore historical sites and context History Mapper Gemini
Find outdoor and nature experiences Nature Finder ChatGPT
Discover evening entertainment options Nightlife Guide ChatGPT
Navigate cultural norms and etiquette Cultural Compass Claude

City Deep-Dive

Create comprehensive city guides

Create a comprehensive guide to [city name].

Trip length: [number of days]
Season visiting: [month or season]
Traveler type: [solo / couple / family / group]
Interests: [food, history, architecture, nightlife, nature, shopping, art]
Been before: [first visit / returning visitor]

Build my city guide:
1. The 5 neighborhoods I should spend time in and what each offers
2. Must-see sights ranked by actual worthiness (not just popularity)
3. The food scene: 3 fine dining, 3 casual, 3 street food spots
4. Getting around: best transit options, apps to download, taxi tips
5. Day trips within 1-2 hours that are worth leaving the city
6. The one thing every tourist does that locals think is a waste of time

الأفضل لـ: GEMINI

Gemini provides the most accurate neighborhood descriptions and transit directions. Its geographic knowledge ensures recommendations are logistically feasible, not just aspirationally interesting.

Tested Feb 15, 2026

نصائح احترافية

Ask separately for 'tourist must-dos' and 'local favorites.' AI tends to blend them together, and the best city experiences come from deliberately doing both — in separate time blocks.

Food Explorer

Discover local food and dining

I'm a food lover visiting [destination] for [duration].

Food preferences: [cuisines I love, dietary restrictions]
Spice tolerance: [mild / medium / bring it on]
Budget per meal: [budget range]
Food goals: [street food / fine dining / cooking classes / markets / all]
Allergies: [list any]

Create my food guide:
1. The 5 dishes I MUST try and where to get the best version
2. The best food market or street food area and what to order
3. A restaurant for each meal tier: splurge, mid-range, cheap-and-amazing
4. A cooking class or food tour worth booking
5. What to eat for breakfast like a local (not the hotel buffet)
6. Foods to avoid (tourist traps or hygiene concerns) and why

الأفضل لـ: CLAUDE

Claude provides the most culturally informed food recommendations with context about why dishes matter and how to order authentically. It respects dietary restrictions while still pushing you to try new things.

Tested Feb 15, 2026

نصائح احترافية

Name a dish you loved from this cuisine before. 'I loved pad see ew at home' tells AI your spice tolerance and texture preference better than any description.

History Mapper

Explore historical sites and context

I want to explore the history of [destination].

Historical periods I'm interested in: [ancient, medieval, colonial, modern, all]
Knowledge level: [beginner / some background / history buff]
Preferred experience: [museums / walking tours / ruins / battlefields / all]
Physical ability: [lots of walking ok / need accessible options]
With kids: [yes/no, ages if yes]

Create my historical exploration plan:
1. A chronological walking route through the city's key historical moments
2. The 3 best museums and what to prioritize in each (skip-the-line tips)
3. Historical sites most tourists walk right past without knowing
4. A brief timeline of the city's history I should read before arriving
5. The best guided tour and why (specific company or guide)
6. A book or documentary to watch before my trip for context

الأفضل لـ: GEMINI

Gemini organizes historical information into clear chronological narratives and creates walkable routes that follow a logical historical progression through the city.

Tested Feb 15, 2026

نصائح احترافية

Read the timeline BEFORE your trip, not during. Understanding the basic history turns a 'nice old building' into 'the place where [event] happened' — and that context makes the experience 10x richer.

Nature Finder

Find outdoor and nature experiences

I want to experience nature and the outdoors near [destination].

Fitness level: [beginner / moderate / experienced hiker]
Activities I enjoy: [hiking, swimming, kayaking, wildlife, scenic drives]
Time available: [half day / full day / multi-day]
Season: [when you're visiting]
Equipment: [what I'll have with me]
Group: [solo / with partner / with kids]

Plan my nature experiences:
1. The best hike for my fitness level with trail details (distance, elevation, time)
2. A scenic viewpoint that doesn't require a strenuous hike
3. Water activities available and where to book them
4. Wildlife I might see and best times/locations for spotting
5. A sunrise or sunset spot the locals know about
6. Safety considerations: weather, wildlife, terrain warnings

الأفضل لـ: CHATGPT

ChatGPT provides the most detailed trail information including elevation profiles, difficulty ratings, and seasonal conditions. Its safety warnings are specific and actionable.

Tested Feb 15, 2026

نصائح احترافية

Specify the exact month you're visiting. Trail conditions, water levels, and wildlife vary dramatically by season. A trail that's perfect in October might be impassable in April.

Nightlife Guide

Discover evening entertainment options

I want to explore the nightlife in [destination].

Vibe I'm looking for: [chill bars / dance clubs / live music / rooftop lounges / pub crawl]
Group: [solo / couple / group of friends]
Budget: [budget conscious / moderate / VIP experience]
Music preference: [genres I enjoy]
Age group: [20s / 30s / 40s+ / mixed]
Dress code comfort: [casual only / happy to dress up]

Build my night out:
1. The best neighborhood for nightlife and why
2. A 3-stop evening plan with timing (dinner → drinks → late night)
3. The best cocktail bar and what to order
4. Live music venues and what nights have the best acts
5. Safety tips for going out at night in this city
6. The after-party spot locals go to (not the tourist clubs)

الأفضل لـ: CHATGPT

ChatGPT has the broadest knowledge of specific venues, their vibes, and what nights are best. It provides practical details like cover charges, dress codes, and reservation requirements.

Tested Feb 15, 2026

نصائح احترافية

Specify the day of the week. Monday nightlife and Saturday nightlife are completely different cities. The best bars on a Tuesday might be dead on Friday when everyone goes to clubs instead.

Cultural Compass

Navigate cultural norms and etiquette

I'm visiting [destination] and want to understand the local culture.

My home culture: [where I'm from]
Languages I speak: [list]
Concerns: [what I'm unsure about culturally]
Type of interactions: [business / tourist / staying with locals / dating]
Religious sites I'll visit: [list if applicable]

Create my cultural guide:
1. The top 5 cultural norms I need to know (greetings, gestures, etiquette)
2. Common tourist behaviors that locals find disrespectful
3. Tipping culture and how it works here
4. Dress code expectations in different settings
5. Essential phrases in the local language (with pronunciation)
6. How to politely decline or say no in this culture

الأفضل لـ: CLAUDE

Claude handles cultural nuance with exceptional sensitivity and depth. It explains the 'why' behind cultural norms rather than just listing rules, which helps travelers internalize and adapt naturally.

Tested Feb 15, 2026

نصائح احترافية

Tell AI where you're FROM, not just where you're going. Cultural adjustments are relative. What's surprising for an American might be obvious to a Japanese traveler, and vice versa.

مقارنة النماذج

Based on actual testing — not assumptions. See our methodology

G

Gemini

Best for geographic accuracy and logistical planning. Creates walkable routes, accurate transit directions, and chronological historical narratives that make physical sense.

Results from Gemini 2.0 Flash · Tested Feb 15, 2026
C

ChatGPT

Strongest for specific venue details — names, addresses, hours, and what to order. Provides the most practical nightlife and outdoor activity information with accurate logistics.

Results from GPT-4o · Tested Feb 15, 2026
C

Claude

Most culturally sensitive and nuanced. Excels at food context, cultural etiquette, and explaining the 'why' behind local customs. Best for deep cultural immersion.

Results from Claude 3.5 Sonnet · Tested Feb 15, 2026
G

Grok

Prioritizes local, authentic experiences over tourist trap recommendations with genuine cultural insight. Excellent at uncovering hidden neighborhood gems, though less systematic on comprehensive destination coverage than Gemini.

Results from Grok 2 · Tested Feb 15, 2026

جرب في NailedIt

Paste any prompt above into NailedIt and compare models side-by-side.

نصائح احترافية

1

Cross-reference specific venue recommendations. AI occasionally recommends restaurants or bars that have closed or changed names. Google the top 3 picks before your trip to verify they still exist and are open during your visit.

2

Ask for seasonal-specific advice. A destination guide for Tokyo in April (cherry blossom season) is completely different from one for August (humid and hot). Always specify your exact travel month.

3

Request the anti-guide too. Ask AI what NOT to do, eat, or visit. The 'avoid' list is often more valuable than the 'must-do' list because it saves you from wasting limited vacation time.