For vacationers who dislike planning and feel open to a little spontaneity, another modern approach to travel might appeal: mystery travel. But what exactly is mystery travel and how does it work?
Below, travel experts break down the benefits and downsides of this trend.
What is mystery travel?
“Mystery travel is booking a trip where you know almost nothing about your destination or itinerary until the last minute ― or sometimes not until you arrive,” explained Gabby Beckford, founder of the travel site Packs Light. “You hand over control to someone else and trust them to plan everything. It’s essentially the blind date of travel.”
Travelers willing to be in the dark about their destinations can reserve mystery trips with companies like Journee, Magical Mystery Tours, Pack Up + Go, Whym Travel and Guess Where Trips.
“Mystery trip companies popped up pre-pandemic as a ‘new’ style of travel planning similar to a reality adventure series where the contestants have no idea where they are being shipped to until the games begin,” said Katy Nastro, a travel expert and spokesperson for the Going travel app.
Basically, think “The Amazing Race” without the pressure to win anything.
“You share your budget, dates and preferences with a travel company, and they handle all the planning,” explained travel blogger Esther Susag. “You just show up and discover where you’re headed.”
“If you’ve ever wanted to show up at the airport with a bag and a desire to go anywhere, then mystery travel might be for you.”
– Katy Nastro, travel expert and spokesperson for the Going travel app
Most mystery travel organizers do offer a little bit of guidance ahead of the departure. A week or so before the trip, travelers typically receive a weather forecast and suggested packing list based on the planned itinerary.
“I first started seeing this trend in Europe, where airlines would allow surprise destination flights, and now I’m starting to see it more and more,” Susag said. “I think it really started to become more popular after the pandemic when everyone started to travel a little more. It’s perfect for people who like spontaneous adventure and busy professionals who don’t want to spend the time planning.”
What are the benefits of mystery travel?
“Studies suggest that people are taking longer to book trips due to exhausting all research areas,” Nastro noted. “Social media, review platforms, word of mouth, etc. are all factored into trip…
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