When to Book Excursions and Why It’s Important

After your vacation is officially booked, flights are confirmed, resort is picked, it’s easy to feel like the planning is done. Until you start scrolling through all the excursions and activities, and then the questions start coming in. When should we book our excursions? What if we want to keep things flexible? Will everything be sold out if we wait?

If you’ve had that moment of hesitation, you’re not alone. I get asked this all the time, and the honest answer is… it depends.

When To Book Excursions in Advance

Some excursions absolutely need to be booked ahead. If there’s something you’re really excited about, like a catamaran sunset cruise, a private beach dinner, a popular cultural tour, you don’t want to leave it to chance. These experiences usually have limited space and fill up quickly, especially during busy travel seasons. I’ve had clients who waited until they got to the resort to book something special and were disappointed to find it already full for the rest of the week. It’s not fun starting off your trip with that kind of letdown.

That said, not everything needs to be planned ahead. Some activities, especially the shorter or more casual ones, are super easy to book once you’re there. Think things like kayak rentals, resort-led beach volleyball games, snorkeling gear, or even massages by the water. These are often more flexible and can be decided on based on how you’re feeling that day.

Always Plan Priority Excursions Ahead

Here’s what I usually recommend to my clients: we plan the must-dos ahead of time, the ones you’d be genuinely sad to miss, and we leave space in the schedule for a little spontaneity. You don’t want to feel like every minute of your trip is locked in. At the same time, you also don’t want to miss out on something amazing because you assumed it’d still be available when you got there.

Here’s a good example of this. I worked with a couple who really wanted to relax and not have too many plans. Totally get it. But I knew there was a specific cenote tour they’d mentioned more than once, and it only ran a few times a week with a very small group. I encouraged them to book that one in advance, just to be safe. Sure enough, when they arrived and were chatting with other guests, they learned the tour was fully booked for the rest of the week. They were so glad they didn’t wait and miss out.

Planning ahead doesn’t mean over-scheduling your trip. It just means you’re protecting the moments that matter most.

Navigating Planning

If you’re not sure what should be booked now and what can wait, that’s something I can help with. We’ll talk through what kind of experience you’re hoping for and make sure you’re set up for the trip you actually want, not one that feels like a guessing game once you land.

Click here to schedule a quick call, and we’ll walk through it together. No pressure, no stress, just a vacation plan that works for you.