How to Plan a Girls Trip: Our Step by Step Guide
I, along with Toni, plan most of our Soul Sisters trips, from a week in Colombia to ten days in Morocco. Planning a group trip can feel overwhelming, but it gets easy once you have a system. Here is exactly how to plan a girls trip, step by step, the way we do it.
Planning a Girls Trip at a Glance
- When to start: 9 months to a year before the trip
- Ideal group size: About 10 women. We have taken as many as 20 and as few as 5
- First step: Pick the place, then talk budget
- Planning tool: A shared Google Doc for the day by day plan
- Booking: One person books, and everyone pays her directly
- Splitting costs on the trip: Splitwise
- Don’t skip: A group photo shoot
Jump to: The Steps · Tips · FAQs · Final Thoughts
How to Plan a Girls Trip in 9 Steps
1. Pick the Destination Together
First, every group does this a little differently. In one of my friend groups, we write destinations on pieces of paper and draw them one by one until there is only one left. We did it recently, and the winner was Switzerland! For other groups, the planner who is doing all the work gets to pick. And when someone has a big birthday, like a 40th or 50th, she gets to choose. That is how we ended up in Puerto Rico for a friend’s 50th.
2. Start 9 Months to a Year Out
I like to start planning a year to nine months before the trip. Otherwise, it gets much harder to find rooms, deals, cars, and excursions that can handle a large group.
3. Decide on the Group Size
When I think about how to plan a girls trip, group size is one of the first questions. For me, about 10 women is the sweet spot. That way, it is big enough to feel like a party, but small enough to fit in one van and around one dinner table. We have taken groups as big as 20, and as small as 5 for an African safari, where fewer people fit in each vehicle.
4. Talk Budget Next
In our groups, the place usually comes first and the budget comes next. For some groups, it works better the other way around: agree on a budget per person first, then pick a place that fits. Either way, talk about money early so everyone is comfortable.
5. Research Everywhere
Research is the biggest part of how to plan a girls trip, and we literally look everywhere. Reviews, Reddit threads, TripAdvisor, Instagram, travel blogs: if I can find it on the web, it gets thoroughly researched. As a result, every hotel, guide, tour, and restaurant is checked before we book.
6. Build the Day by Day Plan
These days, I map every day in a shared Google Doc, with hotels, trains, tours, and dinner reservations in one place. I used to plan everything in Wanderlog, which is still great if you like an app with maps, but a simple doc is easier for everyone to open and add to. Then I share the plan so everyone knows what is happening and when. I always leave room for free time, because some of the best moments are the ones you did not plan.
7. Let One Person Book
Money is where many groups get stuck when they figure out how to plan a girls trip. Above all, it is so much easier when one person books. For the main trip, everyone pays the person booking directly. For shared costs during the trip, like dinners, taxis, and tips, we use the Splitwise app so nobody has to keep track in their head. Private guides, drivers, and boats are often worth it for a group, since the cost is split.
8. Plan the Outfits and the Photo Shoot
Meanwhile, most of our pre-trip group chat is about one thing: what are we wearing? We color coordinate for group photos, and we often plan a flying dress photo shoot or a desert shoot. Our capsule wardrobe guide keeps everyone packing light.
9. Show Up and Enjoy
Once you know how to plan a girls trip and the planning is done, the best part begins. Let go of the plan a little, say yes, and enjoy your friends.
Girls Trip Planning Tips
Finally, here are a few more tips on how to plan a girls trip that runs smoothly from start to finish.
- Start early. Big groups need big blocks of rooms.
- Keep the plan in one shared document, not just the group chat.
- Plan one big highlight per day, and leave the rest flexible.
- Book a professional photographer for at least one day.
- Use Splitwise for costs on the trip, so the math never gets awkward.
Still on the fence about traveling with a group? Here is why we love female group travel. And if you want a first trip with lots of variety, our Italy itinerary and our stopover in Singapore are great places to start.
Girls Trip FAQs
How far in advance should you plan a girls trip?
Nine months to a year is ideal, especially for a big group. Any later and rooms, cars, and excursions get harder to book.
How many people should go on a girls trip?
About 10 is a sweet spot. Smaller groups work well for safaris and other trips with limited space.
How do you split costs on a girls trip?
Have one person book the main trip and everyone pay her directly. During the trip, use an app like Splitwise for shared costs.
How do you choose a girls trip destination?
Draw names from a hat, let the planner choose, or let the birthday girl pick for a milestone birthday.
What is the best way to plan a group trip itinerary?
I used to use Wanderlog, but now keep the whole plan in a shared Google Doc that everyone can open. For splitting costs on the trip, we use Splitwise.
Final Thoughts
Learning how to plan a girls trip changed the way I travel. I love the research, the lists, and the late nights reading reviews, because I know what is waiting at the end: my friends, together, somewhere new. My favorite moment of every trip is watching everyone relax into it, knowing they do not have to worry about a thing. Planning these trips is my love language, and I would not trade it for anything.
