How Was Gemini as a Travel Companion?

I recently returned from my first solo trip. I'm not one to plan meticulously, and traveling alone was a new experience for me. But I had one thing I trusted: AI.

My colleagues had told me many times how well AI plans trips. I thought AI might work as a decent travel companion, so I decided to use it actively during my Hokkaido trip. My goal was to document daily experiences and turn them into blog content.

This post is a review after using Gemini throughout my 7-day journey.

 

What Worked as Expected

Curator The curator role at museums and landmarks worked brilliantly. While famous museums have Korean audio guides, smaller places often lack multilingual support. During my Hokkaido trip, I frequently encountered statues standing alone or exhibits with only Japanese descriptions.

When I took photos and asked the AI, it explained everything perfectly—from historical background to why something was built there. It felt like having a local guide beside me.

 

Know-It-All In Korean, we call someone with encyclopedic knowledge a "척척박사" (answer machine). Whenever I had questions during my travels, it answered them well.

 

"Why is Otaru famous for seafood?", "Workers at Otaru Canal had to carry 2 bags to count as one person's work—how many kilos is that?", "Why is Sapporo Black Label called Black Label?" Every time, I got satisfying answers. An unexpected benefit was filling the loneliness of solo travel with conversation.

궁금한건 바로 물어보자. 잘 알려줍니다.

 

Itinerary Coordinator The night before or in the morning, I'd sometimes feel lost about planning my route. When I told the AI where I wanted to go, it suggested nearby attractions and efficient routes.

 

"If you're going to this café, check out the Bay area nearby. There's a night view spot within a 10-minute walk." This way, I saved time and energy.

 

Unexpected Strengths

Pose Director During the Biei tour, I wondered how to take good photos. When I asked for pose recommendations, it suggested appropriate poses considering my clothing type, colors, and age.

 

"With a black coat and snowy background, how about turning slightly away and just turning your head? It would look even better with a Christmas tree in the background." I actually got satisfying photos with similar poses.

 

 

School Nurse I felt unwell during the trip. I had cold symptoms and needed medicine, but buying medicine overseas requires caution—wrong choices can cause side effects.

 

After I described my symptoms and allergy information, the AI recommended medicine with appropriate ingredients. I went to a pharmacy with that information, and the pharmacist confirmed it was fine. Thanks to this, I safely purchased medicine and recovered my condition.

 

Below Expectations

Since it was a solo trip, I had conversations about every little detail. The chat log grew longer. But it didn't remember all 7 days of conversation.

 

It would forget what I said in the morning by afternoon, or ask again about information I'd shared 3 days earlier. It seemed to remember only about 3-4 days of conversation. On a long trip, I had to repeat important information multiple times, which was inconvenient.

 

Closing Thoughts

My first solo trip—I wasn't lonely thanks to AI. Though not perfect, it was a reliable companion that definitely enhanced my travel quality. I plan to travel with this friend again. However, I learned the lesson that it's better to organize important information separately in a notepad. And next time, I'm thinking of splitting conversations by date.