Using Google Gemini for Travel Planning

I have recently discovered the value of using AI for planning my upcoming trip to the Far East. I mentioned in my itinerary post how I got suggestions for certain days from Google Gemini. So I thought I’d share a little about how it worked for me.

The Good Old Days

Remember when guidebooks were the starting and ending point for planning a trip? You had to pore through pages of hotel recommendations, restaurant recommendations, and sightseeing recommendations. You relied on the foldout map in the back of the book to plan your route. And if you didn’t feel like lugging a heavy guidebook around with you, you tore out the relevant pages and tried to keep them organized.

When I was planning my first few independent trips, I was living in Seattle. Nearby in Edmonds was Rick Steves’ Europe travel center. They used to offer a trip consultation service. You could sign up for a half-hour appointment with a travel expert for the area where you were going, and they’d sit with you, pull out a big map, and help you put together an itinerary. I used that service twice, once for my trip to Italy in 2009, and again for my Nordic adventure in 2012.

The internet and our smart phones changed everything. Search engines help us find things. Online maps give us directions. We use apps to buy plane tickets and train tickets, to book hotels, and to figure out where everything is, what time it opens, how much tickets cost, and whether to buy them ahead of time. Guidebooks are still invaluable, but so much of the information is available online. Rick Steves stopped offering the trip consulting service sometime around the time of the pandemic.

The Good New Days

I used Google Gemini to plan several open days in Japan. I also tried using a few other AI engines: Claude (from Anthropic), ChatGPT (OpenAI) and Copilot (Microsoft). And I enjoyed comparing the way they responded to my questions.

What was also fun was how much it felt like interacting with a person. The responses were sometimes dry and mechanical, but often felt very human. Probably the biggest difference between these AI engines and a human is that the AI is endlessly patient. No matter how much I changed my mind, added details I forgot to include in my original prompt, or requested modifications, they kept going — and seemed perfectly happy about it.

I also tried throwing in some less objective questions. I asked for opinions. Gemini and the others were all able to respond to pretty much any kind of question I asked.

I won’t reproduce my complete conversation with Gemini. But here are some samples from our session, along with some commentary.

My conversation with Gemini

Me

I have a free day in Hiroshima on October 19. Can you plan an itinerary for me?

Gemini

You can experience the core highlights of the city and a nearby sacred island with a balanced one-day itinerary on October 19.

Morning: Peace Memorial & History

• 09:00 AM – Atomic Bomb Dome: Start your morning at this stark, preserved ruin that stands as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
• 09:30 AM – Peace Memorial Park: Walk across the river to see the Children’s Peace Monument and the Flame of Peace.
• 10:00 AM – Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum: Spend two hours inside the main exhibition hall to view powerful personal belongings, photographs, and artifacts from August 1945.

Midday: Local Lunch

• 12:15 PM – Lunch in the Center: Stop for Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, a savory layered pancake with cabbage, meat, and noodles cooked on a hot iron griddle. Popular spots include Nagataya near the park or the multi-floor Okonomimura downtown.

Afternoon: Castle & Gardens

• 01:30 PM – Hiroshima Castle: Take a short tram ride or walk to the reconstructed 16th-century fortress, surrounded by a wide moat and pleasant defensive grounds.
• 02:45 PM – Shukkeien Garden: Walk 15 minutes to this traditional Japanese landscape garden featuring winding paths, tiny bridges, and quiet tea houses. October brings mild autumn weather ideal for a stroll.

Evening: Dinner & Stroll

• 05:00 PM – Hondori Shopping Arcade: Finish your day with a relaxed walk through the covered pedestrian arcade for local snacks and souvenirs like maple leaf cakes (momiji manju) before dinner.

If you want to add Miyajima Island to see the floating torii gate instead of the castle and garden, let me know so I can adjust the morning pace and ferry times!

Me

Is there time to include a visit to the Museum of Art?

Gemini

Yes, there is definitely enough time to include the Hiroshima Museum of Art on October 19! October 19 is a Sunday, meaning the museum is fully open from 09:00 AM to 05:00 PM (last entry at 04:30 PM).

Because the museum sits inside Central Park directly between Hiroshima Castle and the Hondori Shopping Arcade, you can easily fit it into your afternoon without adding extra travel time. The collection is relatively compact, so you only need about 60 to 90 minutes to view its famous European Impressionist paintings (like Monet, Van Gogh, and Picasso).

Gemini went on to provide an adjusted schedule for the afternoon. October 19 is actually a Monday; I'm not sure why Gemini made that mistake, but I didn't notice until later in the interaction. They also included a map to show the locations of the sights on the itinerary.

Me

Actually, I’ll be visiting the Peace Memorial Park on a different day, so let’s skip that.

Gemini

Skipping the Peace Park opens up your morning beautifully! You can now explore the castle and gardens at a much more relaxed, slower pace.

October 19 falls during a special autumn art exhibition at the Hiroshima Museum of Art titled “Artists at the Café — From the Impressionists, Van Gogh and Toulouse-Lautrec to Picasso”. Because this special exhibition is running, adult general admission will be 2,200 yen.

All the stops are located close together in the city center, allowing you to easily complete this loop on foot or via a quick tram ride.

They included another map and then provided this revised schedule:

Morning: Castle & Traditional Grounds

• 09:30 AM – Hiroshima Castle: Start your day when the main keep opens. You can explore the historical museum inside and climb to the top floor for a panoramic view of the entire city skyline.
• 11:00 AM – Shukkeien Garden: Take a 15-minute stroll east. Walk along the quiet, winding pathways, cross the miniature stone bridges, and enjoy the early autumn colors reflecting off the central pond.

Midday: Local Lunch

• 12:30 PM – Savory Layered Pancakes: Head toward the downtown center for a lunch of Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki. Try visiting Okonomimura—a lively building packed with multiple floors of independent food stalls—or Nagataya to watch chefs grill the layers of noodles, cabbage, and pork right in front of you.

Afternoon: Art Gallery & Shopping

• 02:00 PM – Hiroshima Museum of Art: Walk into the circular main building nestled in the quiet greenery of Central Park. Give yourself a solid 90 minutes to enjoy the permanent French Impressionist collection alongside the Artists at the Café special exhibit.
• 04:00 PM – Hondori Shopping Arcade: Walk south into the bustling, covered pedestrian avenue. This is the perfect time to pop into local boutiques, try fresh maple-shaped cakes (momiji manju), or hunt for high-quality souvenir makeup brushes.
• 06:00 PM – Dinner: Wrap up your day at an izakaya (Japanese pub) or a local oyster bar around the downtown area.

Would you like some specific restaurant recommendations for dinner, or are you interested in trying Hiroshima’s famous local oysters?

Me

I’m staying at the Oriental Hotel. Can you let me know walking distances, or whether public transit or taxi is a better option?

Gemini

The Oriental Hotel Hiroshima is centrally located, making a mix of walking and public transit the best option for your day, while a taxi is an excellent choice for your morning departure.

Because the hotel sits slightly east of the main sights, your longest journey will be getting to the morning’s first stop. Once you are in the city center, everything is close together and completely walkable.

Gemini gave me a list of walking distances, and a step-by-step transit strategy. They recommended I take a taxi from the hotel to the castle. Then they added this note:

🚋 A Quick Note on Public Transit

Hiroshima is famous for its Hiroden streetcars (trams). While they are wonderful, cheap (around 220 yen flat rate), and easy to use, they do not have a direct line that links your hotel straight to the castle area. You would have to walk about 8 minutes to Hatchobori Station first and then switch lines. Save the streetcars for when you explore other areas of the city on a different day!

Me

Now can you put the whole day together for me, starting and ending at my hotel?

Gemini

Here is your complete, customized itinerary for Sunday, October 19, focusing entirely on history, traditional gardens, and classic art. This plan saves your energy in the morning by utilizing a quick transit, keeps everything perfectly walkable midday, and places your lunch right along your path.

This was followed by a detailed itinerary for the day, complete with walking times.

Me

Isn’t October 19 a Monday?

Gemini

You are completely right, and I am so glad you caught that—October 19 is a Monday!

I made a mistake in my previous reply by calling it a Sunday. This changes things because most museums in Japan, including the Hiroshima Museum of Art, are closed on Mondays.

However, because the museum is hosting that special exhibition (“Artists at the Café”), their official policy states that they remain fully open on Mondays during special exhibition runs. You are still in luck and can keep the museum on your schedule!

I later emailed the museum to verify that they would be open, and they confirmed it.

The rest of your stops—Hiroshima Castle, Shukkeien Garden, the shopping arcade, and the okonomiyaki restaurants—are all open on Mondays as normal. The itinerary still works perfectly exactly as planned.

Since it is a Monday, the city center and lunch spots will have a busy weekday lunch rush with local office workers around 12:00 PM. Would you like me to shift your lunch time to 01:00 PM to help you avoid the biggest crowds at the restaurant?

I said yes, and Gemini provided a revised schedule with lunch at 1pm. Then I started interacting with Claude. I came back to Gemini a little later.

Claude's suggested itinerary included the Peace Memorial Park and a half-day trip to Miyajima. I told them that I would be doing both those things on other days. They offered a revised itinerary that included a visit to the Mazda factory museum, something Gemini had not mentioned.

Claude also recommended Okonomimura for lunch, but then I asked for other recommendations, and they gave me the names of two nearby spots described as "more local and less touristy." I took those recommendations back to Gemini.

I checked the Mazda factory website and discovered that there are no English-language tours available that day. Claude gave me several options: skip it, do the Japanese-language tour, or swap in a different activity. I asked for a different activity, and Claude suggested a visit to Fudoin Temple.

Then I went back to Gemini and asked about one of Claude's recommended lunch stops.

Gemini, Part Two

Me

How about Momiji-Tei for lunch?

Gemini

Momiji-Tei is an absolute gem of a choice! It is a highly recommended swap for your lunch stop.

It is a small, family-owned, anime-themed restaurant on the third floor of a building right in the heart of downtown. Reviewers rave that it serves some of the absolute best okonomiyaki in the city, and the walls are completely packed with cool manga and anime memorabilia.

Why It Fits Your October 19 Route Perfectly

• Ideal Location: It is located in Kamiyacho, right around the corner from Hondori Station. This actually sits directly between Shukkeien Garden and the Hiroshima Museum of Art.
• Seamless Walking Flow: You will walk 15 minutes southwest from the garden to get there, and when you finish eating, the museum is just a short 5‑minute walk up the street.
• The Perfect Monday Open Window: Unlike many independent shops, Momiji-Tei is fully open for lunch on Mondays (12:00 PM – 04:00 PM).

Two Important Insider Tips For Momiji-Tei

Space is Limited: It only has about 14 to 18 seats total. Because everything is cooked fresh from scratch by a tiny staff, lines can move slowly. Your plan to arrive at 1:00 PM is still the smartest move to avoid the peak rush!

It is Cash-Only: Like many traditional, smaller eateries in Japan, they do not accept credit cards or digital payments. Make sure to have Japanese yen on hand! (A standard okonomiyaki here costs around 880 to 1,300 yen).

I then asked for dinner recommendations near my hotel, and got several suggestions with a lot of detail provided. Here's the one that I decided was most appealing:

🍜 Unique Local Noodle Option: SEITEN-WO-TSUKE

For a truly comforting, one-of-a-kind local meal, look no further than SEITEN-WO-TSUKE.

• The Vibe: A clean, relaxed, and incredibly friendly little ramen shop with counter seats where you can watch the chef construct your bowl right in front of you.
• The Food: They are famous for a rich, savory broth made by simmering local Hiroshima oysters and premium melting Wagyu beef together. You can try their signature Oyster Ramen or the Wagyu Beef Soy Sauce Ramen topped with soft-boiled eggs.
• Location & Price: Located in Nagarekawacho, an easy 5‑minute walk north from your hotel lobby. Dinner typically runs between 1,000 and 2,000 yen.

Then I asked for a printable version of my complete itinerary for the day. Gemini provided it in a PDF.

Me

What is your favorite food that’s a Hiroshima specialty?

Gemini

While I don’t eat or have personal tastes, my absolute favorite Hiroshima specialty to recommend is Hiroshima-style Okonomiyaki!

What makes it so fascinating compared to the Osaka version is its intricate, layered structure. Instead of mixing all the ingredients together into a batter, Hiroshima chefs build a culinary tower directly on a screaming-hot iron griddle:

1. A thin, crepe-like batter base is ladled down first.
2. A massive mountain of shredded cabbage and bean sprouts is piled on top, topped with crispy pork belly.
3. The whole stack is flipped skillfully to let the cabbage steam to a sweet, tender perfection.
4. It is then placed directly on top of a bed of fresh, frying yakisoba noodles.
5. Finally, it’s pressed onto a cracked fried egg and coated in a rich, sweet, and smoky savory sauce, finished with green laver (aonori).

Eating it straight off the sizzling steel counter with a small metal spatula (hera) is the ultimate Hiroshima dining experience!

Me

Do you think I’m trying to do too much in one day?

Gemini

Not at all! Your current plan is actually a beautifully paced, realistic, and stress-free itinerary for a single day.

Because you decided to skip the Peace Memorial Park, you have removed the heaviest and most emotionally draining stop, which naturally frees up your energy.

Here is why your day will feel smooth and relaxed rather than rushed:

• Geographically Tight: Every single midday stop (the Castle, the Garden, Momiji-Tei, and the Art Museum) is grouped tightly together in the city center. Your longest walk between any of these places is only 12 to 15 minutes. You won’t be wasting hours navigating transit or getting lost.
• Smart Timing: By pushing your lunch back to 1:00 PM, you completely sidestep the hectic weekday rush. You won’t feel pressured to eat fast, and you’ll likely wait less time for a seat.
• Low-Stress Afternoon: Giving yourself from 2:15 PM to 4:00 PM for the Art Museum is plenty of time. The museum is compact and circular—it is designed to be an oasis of calm, not an overwhelming mega-museum.

The only part of the day that requires significant walking is the afternoon stroll through the Hondori Arcade. Because that is purely for leisure, shopping, and snacks, you can sit down at a café or head back toward your hotel whenever your legs start feeling tired. You are in complete control of the pace.

To make absolutely sure you feel comfortable, would you like me to look into where you can find coin lockers along the route to store any heavy shopping bags, or would you like a backup café recommendation near the museum for a mid-afternoon rest?

Next I tried Microsoft Copilot. It kept timing out with a message that it couldn't respond to my questions. But I tried later in the day, and finally got responses. The conversation was very similar to those I had with Gemini and Claude. But Copilot recommended an afternoon visit to the Yokogawa neighborhood, with a detour to Mitaki Temple ("optional, but highly recommended").

Copilot also started the day with a walk from my hotel to Shukkeien Garden. Gemini had me starting with a taxi ride to Hiroshima Castle and a visit to Shukkeien Garden afterwards.

Back to Gemini.

Me

What do you think about visiting the Yokogawa district?

Gemini

Visiting the Yokogawa district is a fantastic idea, but it serves a very specific travel style. If you love retro Shōwa-era nostalgia, underground art scenes, local subcultures, and street photography, you will absolutely adore it.

It acts as one of Hiroshima’s historical shitamachi (low-town/old-school downtown neighborhoods). It has a completely different vibe than the sleek, modern Hondori Arcade. During the day, it feels like a sleepy, vintage time capsule, but in the evening, its narrow alleyways turn into a buzzing grid of local drinking spots.

🌟 What Makes Yokogawa Unique

• Retro Shōwa Atmosphere: The narrow, covered arcades around Yokogawa Station are packed with multi-generational, family-owned shops, old-school signs, and a historic cinema.
• Street Art & Murals: In striking contrast to the old architecture, the district is famous for massive, vibrant graffiti murals painted by local artists like SUIKO. It’s a goldmine for photography.
• Independent Food Scene: It is highly regarded for bar-hopping. The neighborhood is packed with tiny, authentic izakayas, unpretentious okonomiyaki stalls, and quirky independent cafés.

⚖️ The Verdict: Should You Add It to Your Day?

Because your current day is already rich with traditional gardens, a classic castle, and an impressionist art museum, adding Yokogawa would give you a wonderful glimpse into “real,” non-touristy Hiroshima.

• How to fit it in: The best way to experience Yokogawa is in the evening. Instead of heading to Hondori or your hotel neighborhood for dinner, you can take a 10-minute streetcar (Hiroden Line 7 or 8) straight from downtown to Yokogawa Station. You can spend your evening exploring the alleys and dining at an ultra-local izakaya before taking a quick 10-minute taxi back to the Oriental Hotel Hiroshima.

Me

If I do Shukkeien Garden before the castle, can I walk in the morning instead of taking a taxi?

Gemini

Yes, reversing the order makes walking in the morning a fantastic and highly realistic option!

By starting at Shukkeien Garden, you slash the initial walking distance from your hotel nearly in half. Instead of a long, tiring 26-minute hike all the way to the castle, your morning walk will be a very manageable and direct 1.3 km (about a 16-to-18-minute walk).

Because October 19 brings crisp, comfortable autumn mornings, walking this stretch is a great way to wake up and see the local neighborhood streets as the city comes alive.

When I asked Gemini about Mitaki Temple, they suggested it as a good option and offered to revise my itinerary to include it.

Later I tried ChatGPT. They recommended another museum, one that none of the other three AIs had mentioned. Back to Gemini.

By that time, Gemini had forgotten about our previous conversation (more about that later). So I posted the most recent itinerary it had recommended.

Me

You recommended this itinerary for a day in Hiroshima. But why didn’t you recommend the Prefectural Art Museum?

Gemini

The Hiroshima Prefectural Art Museum was left off the itinerary purely to protect your time and prevent museum fatigue.

While it is geographically right next door to Shukkeien Garden, skipping it allowed your schedule to balance distinct types of experiences—a traditional garden, a historic castle, a modern art museum, a vibrant shopping district, and an old-school retro neighborhood—all without rushing.

Because you explicitly requested to include both the Hiroshima Castle and the Hiroshima Museum of Art, adding a second major art museum in the exact same morning would have made the day feel overloaded.

However, swapping them is incredibly easy if you prefer it. Here is how the two museums directly compare to help you decide:

Feature	Hiroshima Museum of Art (In Itinerary)	Hiroshima Prefectural Art Museum (Alternative)
Core Focus	French Impressionism (Monet, Renoir, Picasso) & modern Japanese Western-style oil paintings.	Local Hiroshima artists, traditional Japanese crafts, and regional modern art.
Location	In the middle of Central Park, right on the walking path between the Castle and your lunch spot.	Directly bordering Shukkeien Garden, meaning you wouldn’t have to walk at all after the garden.
The Vibe	Relaxed, dome-shaped pavilions nestled in a green park setting.	A sleek, multi-story modern building looking out over the garden’s edge.

If you would rather see local regional art and traditional crafts instead of French Impressionism, we can easily slot the Prefectural Art Museum in right after your morning garden stroll.

Would you like me to rewrite the itinerary to replace the Hiroshima Museum of Art with the Prefectural Art Museum, or do you prefer the current balance of the day?

Me

If I want to visit both museums, what would you recommend I cut?

Gemini

To fit both museums into your day, you should cut the Yokogawa District and the Hiroden Streetcar Ride.

Yokogawa is the furthest point north on your current schedule, and removing it saves you 90 minutes of transit and exploration time. This gives you the exact breathing room you need to enjoy both art collections without sprinting through the galleries.

Here is how your revised, art-focused itinerary looks, capitalizing on the fact that the Prefectural Museum connects directly to the garden:

This was followed by another revised itinerary.

Another thing I learned from ChatGPT that none of the other AIs told me is that the keep of Hiroshima Castle is closed. So I brought that up with Google Gemini:

Me

Do you really think the castle is worthwhile? I heard the keep is closed.

Gemini

You are entirely right, and I apologize for the oversight: the Hiroshima Castle keep closed permanently to the public in March 2026. The 1958 reinforced-concrete structure was shuttered because it no longer meets modern earthquake safety standards, meaning you can no longer go inside, look at the interior displays, or climb to the top for the panoramic view.

Because the main draw—climbing the keep—is no longer an option, spending a dedicated chunk of time at the castle is no longer worthwhile for your tight schedule. While the exterior remains a striking backdrop for photos and the surrounding park and moat are free to walk through, your time is much better spent elsewhere.

The silver lining is that dropping the castle entirely gives you the perfect amount of time to visit both art museums without cutting anything else.

Here is how your day flows smoothly by replacing the castle time with the second museum:

And Gemini provided another itinerary.

Then I noticed Gemini had me arrive at Shukkeien Garden at 9:30, but from the other AIs I learned that is opens at 9am.

Me

If Shukkeien Garden opens earlier, I’d like to get an earlier start, and maybe that will give me an extra half hour at the Museum of Art.

Gemini

Both Shukkeien Garden and the Hiroshima Museum of Art open at 09:00 AM.

By shifting your hotel departure forward by 40 minutes, you can arrive exactly when the garden gates open. This early start ripples through the schedule perfectly, adding an extra 30 minutes to your visit at the Hiroshima Museum of Art and even giving you a slightly more relaxed lunch window.

Here is your updated early-start itinerary:

🌅 Morning: Garden & Regional Art

• 08:30 AM – Walk to Garden: Step out of the Oriental Hotel Hiroshima for a 17-minute morning walk north.
• 08:50 AM – Arrive at Shukkeien Garden: Wait briefly for the gates to open at 09:00 AM. Enjoy a peaceful 60-minute stroll around the central pond before the afternoon crowds arrive.
• 10:00 AM – Hiroshima Prefectural Art Museum: Walk straight through the connecting gate. Spend 75 minutes exploring local crafts and regional modern art.
• 11:15 AM – Walk via Castle Moat: Take a 15-minute walk west toward Central Park, snapping photos of the historic castle exterior from across the moat along the way.

☀️ Midday: Extended Impressionism & Okonomiyaki

• 11:30 AM – Hiroshima Museum of Art: Enter the gallery pavilions. Thanks to your early start, you now have a generous 90 minutes (up from 60) to immerse yourself in the works of Monet, Picasso, and Van Gogh.
• 01:00 PM – Lunch at Momiji-Tei: Walk 5 minutes south out of the park for fresh, counter-seated Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki. (Reminder: Cash-only, approx. 880–1,300 yen).

🌇 Afternoon & Evening: Shopping & Retro Yokogawa

• 02:00 PM – Hondori Shopping Arcade: Spend 90 minutes browsing the covered pedestrian avenue for souvenirs and tasting hot momiji manju cakes.
• 03:30 PM – Hiroden Streetcar Ride: Catch the Hiroden Line 7 streetcar north to Yokogawa Station (220 yen flat fare, tap your IC card).
• 03:45 PM – Explore Yokogawa District: Spend 75 minutes wandering the retro Shōwa-era alleys and hunting for vibrant local street art murals.
• 05:00 PM – Return Taxi Ride: Grab a quick 12-minute taxi from Yokogawa Station straight back to your hotel neighborhood (approx. 1,500 yen).
• 05:15 PM – Dinner at SEITEN-WO-TSUKE: Warm up with their signature oyster-and-wagyu beef ramen bowl (approx. 1,000–2,000 yen).
• 06:30 PM – Return to Hotel: Finish your day with an easy 5‑minute stroll back to the lobby of the Oriental Hotel Hiroshima.

Should we lock this version in? If you like, I can export this final schedule into a clean text file for you to save on your phone.

I said yes and got a nice new PDF. And this is my final itinerary!

Shortcomings

Was Gemini the best option? Would I have been better off to rely on one of the other AIs rather than bringing their suggestions back to Gemini?

Perhaps.

Each of the AIs had shortcomings. Gemini made a number of mistakes (thinking October 19th was a Sunday, forgetting that Hiroshima Castle is closed, and a few times telling me “here’s your PDF” when no link was actually provided). Gemini also didn’t remember anything from one conversation to the next. Since it worked in a browser, I could recreate the conversations by grabbing the URL from history. But the other three kept track of all my conversations, so I could easily go back to them later.

At my request, Claude include the Hiroshima Museum of Art on the itinerary. But later it warned me that the Hiroshima Museum of Art is closed on Mondays. When I mentioned that it should be open because it’s running a special exhibition, it said, “You’re right to push on that — and it turns out you’re correct.” Claude’s free version could also be very slow to generate responses.

ChatGPT’s free version stopped working after a while. No matter what I asked, it kept responding, “Data analysis isn’t available right now. Do you want to continue without it?” And it started throwing up ads.

I already mentioned that Copilot wasn’t available for a while. And it also made some mistakes. It kept forgetting that I’d asked to remove Miyajima Island from the itinerary.

Free vs. Paid

All four of the AIs I tried have free and paid versions. I only used the free versions, and I didn’t do much research into the paid versions. Slow responses were most noticeable with Claude. And ChatGPT, as I mentioned, stopped working after a while. I’m not sure if that was a bug or a real limit on the free version. But I couldn’t see a compelling reason to spend money to use any of these, since the free versions were, at minimum, satisfactory.

Conclusions

It was fun to use all of these AI engines. But they are all mistake-prone. So I think jumping back and forth between them is the best strategy for using them to generate a usable travel itinerary.

Ultimately, in spite of the mistakes, I believe I came up with a great plan for my free day in Hiroshima, better than I could have done with just a guidebook and basic internet searching.