For Airbnb hosts in Colombia, we look at how to create an Airbnb travel itinerary for your Airbnb guest. This can result in happy guests and stellar reviews.
You, the Airbnb host, want the 5-star review. Your guest wants the 5-star experience. You can best control what is directly under your control: when the guest is inside the Airbnb. But is there a way to control the guest experience outside the Airbnb?
Airbnb has even spent billions of dollars on this very concept. It’s called Airbnb Experiences. It occurred to me, as an Airbnb guest, that the experience I have in a city can affect the review I leave for the host. I think that’s true for most guests.
While the guest has never given me a lower rating due to car theft, I have never gotten one of those prized lengthy, positive reviews. I believe the length of your review, as well as the rating, affects your search rank.
So why don’t we try to affect the guest’s experience in your city, a place you surely know more about than your guest?
We know that travelers book Airbnbs because they want to feel at home and live like a local. Often, you are the first one they’ll meet, virtually or physically. You hold the key to the city. You’re the most qualified person to steer them in the right direction and avoid potential bumps along the way.
In this article, we look at some simple steps for crafting the best Airbnb travel itinerary for your guests. But, please keep these the golden rule in mind throughout the process:
Keep it simple – travel can be overwhelming. Give ONE recommendation per day. If you have a lot of options in your city, provide an afternoon and evening recommendation.IF you made stellar recommendations, your guest will ask for more. If more than 50 percent of your guests ask for more recommendations, add one more to your custom Airbnb itinerary.
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Create an Airbnb Travel Itinerary for Your Airbnb Guests in Colombia
When curating your top picks try to offer options that make the guest feel like a local (the hole in the wall burrito shop, hidden cafe, unknown view of the city, etc.).
It is, however, ok to give a touristy alternative if your city is home to something remarkable like hot springs, the world’s oldest something-or-other, historical sites, must-visit museums, etc.
Remember, the point of your itinerary is to take the guest off the beaten path. I want you to reveal some secrets about your city that will positively affect your guest’s experience.
Airbnb Experiences offers one-of-a-kind activities hosted by locals. Connecting a guest with another local offering a good time under the same brand? Now that’s impressive!
I’ve taken about a dozen Airbnb Experiences in numerous countries. Mostly, they’re awesome. Just be sure they’re not super touristy as the experience is less special. It doesn’t have to have hundreds of reviews. Go for unique!
Also, don’t rely on this. If there are one or two that you really think are stellar, go ahead and let your guest know.
If Airbnb Experiences aren’t in your city yet, you will probably still have tour companies. Seek out the best on behalf of your guest and recommend them.
You can draw some insight from this article of mine about how to find unique activities and meet people in a new destination.
The Belmonte Penthouse
Provide Valuable Local Advice
Include helpful insider tips that they wouldn’t otherwise know if you hadn’t given them a heads up.
When I was in Barranquilla, Colombia I learned that the taxi’s don’t use a meter. As taxies have a reputation of scamming unassuming tourists, I was on guard, but this was totally normal. If I was this host, I would inform my guests about this oddity and assure them the average ride is about 10-minute and costs 6,000 pesos.
A common confusing point is tipping. Is it common? If so, how much is sufficient?
Is there a landmark building with an epic view that you know most guests will visit? Do you also happen to know the best and busiest time to go is for sunset, but if you go just a bit earlier at 4:30 pm instead of 5 pm, you won’t have to wait in a line but can stay through sunset and you’ll get a seat. Now that’s an inside tip!
Help Your Guest to Eat Like a Local
People travel for food and really look forward to eating while on vacation. You do not want to disappoint them in the eats department. No chain restaurants unless it’s In-N-Out (if you’re from the United States, you know).
Never overwhelm with too many dining options. Instead, give them the best of the best.
I recommend suggesting your favorite café, one dining experience, one solid brunch option, a trustworthy dessert spot, and, don’t forget to include a hole-in-the-wall that the locals go crazy for.
Take into consideration the location of your Airbnb to the proximity of the restaurants and daily activities. Make pairings that are convenient for them and don’t make your rental seem out of the way. Provide useful details that save time & money. They’ll appreciate you for it.
The Medellin Guru website is invaluable in helping provide dining options to guests in Medellín with many articles about the best restaurants in Medellín:
- 20 Best Restaurants in Laureles in Medellín
- 14 Best Restaurants in Envigado, Colombia
- 16 Best Restaurants in Sabaneta, Colombia
- 14 Best Restaurants in Envigado, Colombia
- 13 Best Pizza Places in Medellín: The Best Pizzerias in the City
- 12 Best Steakhouses in Medellín and the Aburrá Valley
- 12 Best Vegan and Vegetarian Restaurants in El Poblado
- 10 Best Burgers in Medellín: Best Burger Places in the Aburrá Valley
- 10 Best Mexican Restaurants in Medellín and the Aburrá Valley
- 9 Best Colombian Restaurants in Medellín and the Aburrá Valley
- 9 Best Italian Restaurants in Medellín and the Aburrá Valley
- 8 Best Places for Brunch in El Poblado
- 5 Best Independent Coffee Shops in El Poblado
- 8 Top Coffee Shops in Laureles
- 5 Best Nano/Micro Breweries in Medellín
Make it a Custom Airbnb Travel Itinerary
For not much extra work, you can make the itinerary look totally custom for each guest reservation.
The average Airbnb reservation is three or four nights.
Plan out your guest’s stay for them with a four-day itinerary. You can easily lengthen this to 7-days by doing one of two things: inserting rest days or common touristy activities.
In general, though, you want to avoid the common touristy things. Assume the guest already found it.
You can make it look super custom by labeling your guest itinerary with the days of the week. Or, you could use Day One, Day Two, etc.
Email With a Reservation Confirmation
Create your itinerary as a stand-alone document like a PDF. Don’t use a service where the guest needs to download an app or create an account to view it. Also, not everyone uses Google so don’t use Google Docs.
The best time to email it to your guest depends on the lead time between reservation confirmation and check-in date. The average reservation is about a month in advance. If this holds true with your listing then send this message about a week after booking confirmation and well in advance of check-in. This will offset some of the panic your future guest may feel when they realize they haven’t planned anything three days before check-in.
We don’t send it with booking confirmation for fear of information overload. If you follow my message flow templates and strategy guide then you’re sending the guest a shortlist of your favorite local recommendations upon booking confirmation. When the guest pays and reserves, this is exciting and a bit frightening for them. Help them continue to realize they made the right decision by choosing your Airbnb.
If the reservation is within the week, then I suggest you send this extra bit of information upon booking confirmation. It’s likely the guest won’t have enough lead time to thoroughly research the best of your city.
Are you looking to buy or sell Real Estate in Colombia?
Medellin Guru has partnered with Real Estate by expatgroup.co to provide real estate services to foreigners and locals interested in buying and selling properties in Medellin and across Colombia.
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To access this real estate partner service from Real Estate by expatgroup.co, click the button below, complete a brief form, and receive a complimentary consultation offering insights into the local market, current pricing, and tips for buying or selling properties.
Medellin Guru Real Estate Service
Our reliable partner, a leading real estate company, offers a wide range of services:
- Transfer funds to Colombia
- Legal analysis property background checks
- Sales agreement
- Deed registration
- Legal representation
- Investment visa
Real Estate by expatgroup.co
Medellin Guru’s Airbnb Series
Medellin Guru now has a series of several articles about Airbnb in Colombia:
- 9 Strategies to Find Killer Deals on Airbnb in Colombia
- 15 Things to Know Before Investing to Become an Airbnb Host in Colombia
- 10 Airbnb Best Practices for Airbnb Hosting in Colombia
- 9 Tips to Attract Long-Term Airbnb Guests in Colombia
- 7 Strategies for Airbnb Slow Season in Colombia
- How to Identify Problem Airbnb Guests in Colombia Before They Book
- 15 Ways to Increase Your Airbnb Search Rank In Colombia
- How Safe is Airbnb in Colombia? Is it Safe to Use Airbnb in Colombia?
- Airbnb Travel Itinerary for Your Airbnb Guests in Colombia
- How to Get Started on Airbnb in Colombia: A Guide
Medellin Guru's guide to buying, selling and renting apartments and choosing a neighborhood
On the Medellin Guru website, we have a comprehensive and up-to-date guide to buying, selling, and renting apartments and choosing a neighborhood in Medellin found in several articles, including:
Buying and Selling Apartments
- Medellin Real Estate: Property Buyer’s Guide for Foreigners
- Selling Real Estate in Colombia: A Guide to Selling for Foreigners
- Mistakes Foreigners Make When Buying Real Estate in Colombia
- Current Costs to Buy New Apartments in Medellin
- Rent vs Buy: Downsides of Renting and Buying Property in Medellin
- 13 Things Real Estate Agents in Colombia May Not Tell You
- How to Obtain a Colombia Investment Visa
Renting Unfurnished Apartments:
- Apartment Rental Guide: Renting Unfurnished Apartments in Medellin
- Guide to Finding Unfurnished Apartments and Casas in Medellin
- Guide to Overcoming the Fiador Requirement in Colombia
- Unfurnished Apartment Rental Costs in Medellin
- 6 Inexpensive Neighborhoods for Unfurnished Rentals in Medellin
- Furnishing Apartments: A Guide to Furnishing Apartments in Medellin
- Apartment vs Casa (House) Rentals in Medellin: Pros and Cons
Renting Furnished Apartments:
Choosing a Neighborhood in Medellin:
Also, we have several articles that can be used to help foreigners choose a neighborhood in Medellin:
- Laureles: The world’s coolest neighborhood for 2023 by ‘Time Out’ is in Medellin, Colombia
- What are the Safest Neighborhoods in Medellin and the Aburrá Valley?
- 5 Best Neighborhoods in Medellin: A Guide to Choosing a Neighborhood
- 9 Downsides of El Poblado: Living in Medellin’s Expensive Neighborhood
- Estratos: A Guide to Understanding Estratos in Colombia
- El Poblado vs Laureles: Which is the Better Neighborhood to Live in?
- El Poblado vs Envigado: Which is the Better Neighborhood to Live in?
- El Poblado vs Sabaneta: Which is the Better Neighborhood to Live in?
- El Poblado vs Belén: Which is the Better Neighborhood to Live in?
- 2018 Unfurnished Apartment Rental Costs in Medellin in 5 Neighborhoods Popular with Expats
- 6 Inexpensive Neighborhoods for Unfurnished Rentals in Medellin
The Bottom Line: Airbnb Travel Itinerary for Your Airbnb Guests in Colombia
Offering this thoughtfully curated itinerary before your guest arrives saves them the time it would take to research activities on their own.
You can do it once, for all of your guests. Or, you can force all of your guests, who are less familiar with your city than you are, to do it.
You’ll have to set aside some time to think about this. Make it a date with a local Airbnb host friend. Or bring it up at your next local community Airbnb meetup.
The primary guest may forward the itinerary to the others in their group or take all the credit themselves. All good! At the very least, it shows them you’re looking out for them before they even arrive which makes you the real MVP.
Bubbling over with ideas of what to include in your custom itinerary? Try making one for your future 5 guests and see if it helps you get those 5-star ratings. Do you offer an itinerary? Tell me in the comments.
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2 thoughts on “Travel Itinerary for Your Airbnb Guests in Colombia”
Daniel,
Is there a compatibility issue between Airbnb and Chrome? Just this afternoon I logged in and tried to book a house. Airbnb recognized me but required me to upload a new photo or document from my Android photos. Try as I might I could not gain access to my photos. The last time I booked I was using a MS machine and got immediate access to all my stored photos.
I looked this issue up on Google and sure enough others have had the same difficulty when using the Chrome OS. I gave up; couldn’t do the booking. Any insight you could provide would be most appreciated.
If you are recommending places to eat include choices in all price ranges, some people don’t want to eat at expensive places every day / night nor do the want to eat at just lower budget places. Have a variety of cuisines as well as places that are more family friendly and those that aren’t.
If you have menus available make sure they are updated on a regular basis as prices do change or they may not be in business any more, if there are more family / kid friendly, to those who don’t speak the native language