Pinterest just came out with their Pinterest Predicts™ list, a list of trends for 2026. It predicts what people will be searching for in 2026. Of course, we know lots of people will be making travel plans in 2026. Use Pinterest to plan your next trip. Start with inspiration and go all the way to looking at detailed itineraries.

What is Pinterest?

If you have never heard of Pinterest before, it is a visual search engine. Think of it as a Google for pictures and ideas. You can find ideas and save them to what are called Pinterest boards. It’s similar to the old school way of pinning items onto a cork board.

When I use Pinterest to plan trips, I use it in three main ways.  First, it’s great to get inspiration for travel destinations. Then I can search for sample itineraries. Also, I can find examples of what to wear at the destination. While on Pinterest, you can save the pins to a “virtual cork board.” You can also click on the pin and be taken to the website or blog that discusses what you are searching for.

Destination inspiration

Many times, we have an idea of where we want to go. Other times we have a region in the world but we’re not sure exactly which country to visit.  Use Pinterest to get ideas of lesser-known countries in an area. I talk a little bit about this in my destination dupes blog post.

Popular countries are great. However, there is so much over tourism that lesser-known countries are a great alternative.  Another great way to use Pinterest to plan your next trip is to seek out a lesser-known region in a popular tourist destination.

Alternatively, you may have a trip type in mind. Maybe you want to take a tropical vacation. Or you’re looking to do a road trip. Those are both great searches to try on Pinterest.  Get inspiration from people who have taken similar trips.

Sample itineraries

When I visited Japan, I made both a Tokyo and a Kyoto itinerary. See the Pinterest pin I made for my Tokyo itinerary below. People who were interested in this pin clicked on it, then they were taken right here to passportbydesign.com to read my Tokyo itinerary.

When using Pinterest to plan your next trip, make a Pinterest board for a specific destination. Then pin itineraries for that location onto your board. Each of those pins is linked to a separate article. Use those as reference points as you plan your trip. This will give you multiple itineraries for that location and you can pick the specific things that you want to do.

What to wear

Add ideas for what to wear to your destination board. If I’m traveling to a place I’ve never been to, it’s helpful to read about what someone else has worn at that place. There are lots of pins that show travel capsule wardrobes for specific destinations.

For example, if I want to travel to Costa Rica during the rainy season (If you’ve read the blog for a while, you know I’ve done this. Check out the Costa Rica posts.), I can search for a Costa Rica rainy season packing list on Pinterest.

Organizing your boards

If your boards get cluttered, you can add sections within each board. That will help everything stay organized and keep your trip planning on track. For example, in each destination board, you can add an “itinerary” section, a “what to wear” section and a “restaurant” section. The choice is up to you.

Obviously, Pinterest is not only for trip planning but also for organizing ideas for so many other areas of life. If you are new to Pinterest, try planning a sample trip using it. Choose a destination and save a few pins to a board. Tell me what you think of using Pinterest in the comments.