From Good to Great: How to Plan a Slow Travel Itinerary

Bydaydreamsandwanderlust_yhbzb8
Stunning evening view of Regent Street in London, adorned with festive angel lights and iconic red double-decker bus.

At Daydreams & Wanderlust, I don’t believe in one-size-fits-all travel. Today I want to share how to plan a slow travel itinerary.
Every journey is an unfolding story — and sometimes, the best stories evolve after the first draft.

Recently, I created a winter itinerary for a client, Summer, who was dreaming of a Christmas adventure through London, Edinburgh, and Dublin.
Twinkling lights, castle views, cozy pubs — it had all the right ingredients.
But after seeing the final plan, Summer shared something that made me stop and listen even more closely:

“I love the idea of it, but moving around so much feels a little overwhelming.”

She wasn’t asking for more activities. She wasn’t asking for bigger upgrades.
She was asking — quietly, honestly — for more space to truly feel the places we chose.
Not just to visit, but to settle in.

What We Adjusted in the Slow Travel Itinerary

Instead of racing between three countries in ten days, we slowed the journey down:

  • Two home bases instead of three (London and Edinburgh)
  • Three extra days to breathe, wander, and linger longer
  • Optional daytrip for a little extra adventure without uprooting her suitcase
  • More nights per stay (5–6 nights), turning hotels into real sanctuaries

Suddenly, the entire energy shifted.
It wasn’t about checking cities off a list.
It was about sinking in — waking up slowly in a London flat on Christmas morning, sipping coffee in an Edinburgh café with snow tapping the windows, wandering seaside villages without a timetable.

It became the kind of trip you remember because you felt it — not because you rushed through it.

Christmas decorations at Covent Garden Market in London with large ornaments and festive lights.

What I Learned

As a travel designer, my job isn’t just to book flights and hotels.
It’s to listen for the heart behind the wish.

Sometimes that heart is craving excitement.
Sometimes it’s craving softness.
Sometimes — like with Summer — it’s craving permission to slow down and savor the magic.

And when you give travelers the space to unfold naturally into a place, that’s where the real transformation happens.

For Future Dreamers who want a Slow Travel Itinerary

If you’re planning your next escape and find yourself torn between “seeing it all” and “feeling it fully” —
you don’t have to choose.

You can have both.
You just need the right rhythm, the right roots, and the right magic woven through every day.

At Daydreams & Wanderlust, that’s exactly what we create:
Travel that folds you back into yourself.

Ready to design your own soulful journey?


Download the free Escape Blueprint or reach out for a custom itinerary crafted just for you.
👉 Download the Blueprint here