I had three days in Istanbul, a budget of 400 euros, and a firm intention not to waste even an hour in line in front of the Blue Mosque when all the other tourists crowd there after ten in the morning. It is in this precise context that I started seriously testing AI planning tools for travel. I tried Wanderlog for a few weeks, then switched to Secret World AI Trip Planner, and the difference was significant enough to warrant an honest review.
What follows is the result of six months of real use, with Istanbul as the main testing ground but also with other trips in between. I am neither a developer nor an affiliate: I am simply someone who travels often and hates wasting time with generic itineraries copied from blogs from 2019.
How I Used Secret World AI in Istanbul: The Field Test
The first thing I asked the AI was straightforward: “Three days in Istanbul, staying in the Sultanahmet district, mid-range budget, I want to avoid peak hours at the main attractions and include at least one authentic market away from the Grand Bazaar”. The response came in less than thirty seconds and contained something I didn't expect: an itinerary organized by geographical areas, not by tourist importance. The first day covered Sultanahmet and the Hippodrome area, the second moved to Beyoğlu and Karaköy, and the third included a morning in Üsküdar, on the Asian side of the Bosphorus.
The concrete details were impressive. The AI indicated that the Basilica Cistern can be visited in about 45 minutes and costs around 350 Turkish lira (about 10 euros at the 2026 exchange rate), suggesting arriving at opening time at nine to avoid the crowd. It recommended the Kadıköy Market as an authentic alternative to the Grand Bazaar, about 20 minutes away by ferry from Eminönü with a ticket costing 2 euros. It also pointed out that the Topkapi Palace requires at least three hours if you want to visit the Harem as well, and that the combined ticket is more economical than individual entries.
Wanderlog vs Secret World: the comparison that no one really makes
Wanderlog is a useful tool, I won't deny it. The interface is clean, the integrated map works well, and the collaboration feature with other travelers is genuinely practical. But when I asked Wanderlog for the same itinerary for Istanbul, the result was a list of attractions ordered by popularity on Google Maps, without any logic of temporal or geographical optimization. The Süleymaniye Mosque, which is a ten-minute walk from the Grand Bazaar, was placed on the second day while the Bazaar was on the first. A small thing, but multiplied by every travel decision it becomes frustrating.
Secret World, on the other hand, thinks in geographical clusters and takes into account actual travel times. When I asked to add a visit to the Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum in Hippodrome Square, the AI automatically restructured the morning of the first day without me having to touch anything, placing it logically between the Blue Mosque and the Basilica Cistern. Wanderlog requires this type of manual adjustment, and for someone who doesn't know the city, it's almost impossible to do it well.
What is still missing and where there is room for improvement
No tool is perfect, and Secret World is no exception. On two occasions in Istanbul, the price indications were slightly outdated compared to the reality I found on the spot: the difference was a few Turkish lira, but in a context of high inflation like that of Turkey in 2026, it is a detail that matters. I reported the issue through the feedback integrated into the app and the response arrived within 24 hours, which says something about the quality of support.
The other limitation concerns very niche experiences: when I requested an itinerary focused on the historical hammams of Istanbul with prices and bookings, the AI provided correct information about the Çemberlitaş Hamamı (about 50 euros for the full treatment) but had some difficulty with lesser-known establishments. It is an area where the tool is clearly improving version after version.
The final vote and why it's worth trying
After six months and several trips, my rating for Secret World AI Trip Planner is 9 out of 10. I deduct one point for occasional inaccuracies in pricing and for the still partial coverage of ultra-local experiences. But the point I do not deduct is for the real intelligence behind the organization of itineraries: no other tool I have tested manages to understand that in Istanbul it makes no sense to put Üsküdar and Sultanahmet on the same day, or that the ferry on the Bosphorus is not just a means of transport but an experience to be planned leisurely at sunset.
If you are planning a trip to Istanbul or any other complex city, try Secret World AI Trip Planner for free before wasting hours on Excel sheets or generic travel guides. Enter your dates, your accommodation neighborhood, and your priorities: in thirty seconds you will have a starting point that no travel blog will ever give you with that precision.
