What to Write in a Travel Journal: The Complete Checklist

A comprehensive checklist of everything worth documenting in your travel journal—from daily observations to trip-long reflections. Never miss a memorable detail.

You're staring at a blank page. Or a blank screen. You know you should write something about today, but what?

The sunset was beautiful. The food was good. The museum was interesting.

But that's not going to help you remember anything in five years.

This guide gives you a comprehensive checklist of what's actually worth documenting—the details you'll forget, the moments that matter, and the observations that turn a trip log into a memory bank.

The Memory Rule

Write what you'll forget, not what you'll remember.

You'll remember the Eiffel Tower. You won't remember the street musician playing under it who made you cry.

You'll remember you went to a market. You won't remember the vendor who gave you free samples and taught you how to pick a ripe mango.

Focus on the periphery. The main attractions document themselves in photos. The moments between them disappear unless you capture them.

The Complete Checklist

Daily Basics

Start every entry with anchoring details:

Date and day number (Day 4 of 10)
Location (city, neighborhood, or GPS coordinates)
Weather (not just "sunny"—how did it feel?)
Where you slept (hotel name, hostel, Airbnb, tent)
General mood (excited, exhausted, homesick, blissful)

The Senses (Things Photos Can't Capture)

Sounds: What does this place sound like? Traffic? Birds? Music? Languages? Silence?
Smells: Every place has a signature scent. Coffee roasting? Spices? Sea salt? Exhaust?
Textures: What did you touch? Cobblestones? Fabrics? Ancient walls? Sand?
Temperatures: Not just the number—how did it feel on your skin?
Tastes: Even if you photographed the food, describe the first bite

Food & Drink

Some of the most vivid travel memories are edible:

Breakfast: What you ate, where, cost, quality (1-10)
Lunch: Same details
Dinner: Same details, plus the atmosphere
Snacks: The random thing you grabbed from a street vendor
Drinks: The local beer, the coffee quality, the water taste
Best bite of the day: The single mouthful you'd relive
Worst bite: These make good stories too
Price comparison: How much does a meal cost here vs. home?
How you found it: Guidebook, local recommendation, random discovery?

People

The humans you encounter are often what you remember most:

Travel companions: How are they today? Any friction? Any bonding?
Strangers who helped you: The person who gave directions, the server who was kind
Interesting characters: The eccentric local, the fellow traveler with stories
Conversations: Paraphrase memorable exchanges, even brief ones
Observed people: The couple arguing, the grandmother with her grandson, the busker
Names: If you learned anyone's name, write it down immediately
Contact info: Did you exchange numbers/socials with anyone?

Places & Spaces

First impression: What hit you when you arrived?
Architecture details: Something specific about buildings, not just "pretty"
Natural features: What's the landscape like? Colors, terrain, vegetation?
Crowd level: Empty, busy, overwhelming, perfect?
What the guidebook got wrong: Reality vs. expectation
What the guidebook got right: Surprisingly accurate moments
Hidden gem: Something you found that isn't in the guides
Disappointment: Something overhyped (honest journaling is good journaling)

Transportation & Getting Around

How you arrived: Flight, train, bus, walk—and how it felt
Transit stories: Delays, interesting seatmates, window views
Navigation failures: Getting lost makes great entries
Navigation wins: Finding your way like a local
Transport costs: Taxi fares, train tickets, tips
Observations in transit: What you see from windows, waiting rooms, platforms

Challenges & Mishaps

These often become the best stories:

What went wrong today: Missed trains, closed attractions, bad weather
How you adapted: Problem-solving moments
Language barriers: Miscommunications and how you overcame them
Uncomfortable moments: Cultural confusion, social awkwardness
Physical challenges: Exhaustion, injury, illness
Emotional challenges: Loneliness, frustration, homesickness
The recovery: How you bounced back or what helped

Discoveries & Surprises

Something unexpected: What surprised you (good or bad)?
Assumption shattered: What did you believe that turned out wrong?
New food discovered: Something you'd never heard of before today
Cultural observation: A custom or behavior that's different from home
Random fact learned: Anything you discovered about this place
Beauty spotted: A moment of unexpected beauty
Humor found: Something that made you laugh

Shopping & Souvenirs

What you bought: Item, cost, where
Why you bought it: The story behind the purchase
What you almost bought: Sometimes the ones that got away matter
Bargaining stories: Did you negotiate? How did it go?
Gifts for others: What are you bringing home and for whom?
Things you saw but didn't need: The weird stuff in markets

Money & Budget

Total spent today: Rough estimate
Best value: Where you got the most for your money
Worst value: Where you overpaid
Currency observations: What's expensive here? What's cheap?
Tipping culture: What's expected?
ATM/payment notes: What worked, what didn't

Photos & Media

Photo count today: How many did you take?
Best photo: Which one will you still love in 10 years?
Failed photo: The shot that didn't work (describe what you saw instead)
Audio captured: Any voice memos, videos, sounds recorded?
What you wish you'd photographed: The moment you missed
Photo caption notes: Write context while it's fresh

Personal Reflections

The inner experience matters too:

Energy level: Energized or exhausted? Why?
Mood shifts: How did your mood change throughout the day?
Homesickness check: Missing anything from home?
Gratitude: What are you grateful for today?
Comparison to home: How is life different here?
Personal insight: Anything you've learned about yourself?
Travel philosophy: Any thoughts on why you travel, what travel means?

Looking Ahead

Tomorrow's plan: What's on the agenda?
Something you're excited about: Looking forward to what?
Something you're anxious about: Any concerns?
Adjustments: What will you do differently tomorrow?
If you could relive today: What would you do again? Skip?

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The Quick Reference Card

Don't want to check 50 boxes? Here's the minimum viable daily entry:

Capture these 5 things every day:

One sensory detail (sound, smell, texture, taste)
One person (traveler, local, stranger, companion)
One meal (with context, not just what)
One challenge or surprise (what went differently than planned)
One feeling (honest emotional state)

That's it. Five things. Two minutes. Better than nothing.

What NOT to Write

Skip These:

Generic praise ("beautiful," "amazing," "incredible")
Pure itinerary recaps (you have your calendar for that)
Complaints without specificity ("the food was bad")
Other people's opinions unless they're memorable
Anything you could read in a guidebook

Replace With:

Specific observations ("the light turned everything gold at 6pm")
Stories and scenes (beginning, middle, end)
Specific complaints ("the fish was cold and the waiter shrugged when I mentioned it—then brought free dessert")
Your unique perspective and reactions
Details no guidebook would include

Timing Matters

Best times to capture different types:

Type	Best Time	Why
Sensory details	In the moment	They fade fastest
Conversations	Within hours	Dialogue slips away
Emotions	Same day	Feelings shift quickly
Logistics/costs	Same day	Numbers get confused
Reflections	Morning after	Some distance helps
Trip-wide insights	End of trip	Patterns emerge

The Pre-Trip Entry

Before you leave, write:

Why you're going: Real reason, not just "vacation"
What you hope to feel: The emotional goal
Fears/concerns: What are you worried about?
Must-dos: Non-negotiable experiences
What success looks like: How will you know the trip was "good"?

This gives you something to reflect back on.

The Post-Trip Entry

When you return, within a week, write:

First word that comes to mind: Don't overthink it
Best moment: The single memory you'll tell people about
Worst moment: The low point (they're part of the story)
Biggest surprise: What you didn't expect
What you'll do differently next time: Lessons learned
How you feel about being home: Relief? Sadness? Both?
The detail you keep thinking about: What keeps surfacing?

Putting It All Together

You don't need to write everything every day. But scan this checklist before you start each entry and pick what's relevant to today.

Over the course of a trip, you'll naturally cover most categories. The checklist just makes sure you don't miss the things you'll wish you'd captured.

Related Reading:

Ready to start documenting? TripMemo organizes your photos and text into a beautiful travel journal—just add your stories.