Travel Planning Services Designed Around You

Salt & Wind Travel is a California-based luxury travel planning agency creating personalized journeys rooted in food, culture, and local connection. Our experienced planners combine firsthand destination research, longstanding local relationships, and thoughtful coordination to design trips around your interests, priorities, and preferred pace. Whether you're celebrating a milestone, exploring somewhere new, or returning to a favorite destination, we take care of the planning so you have more time to enjoy the journey.

What Are Travel Planning Services?

Aerial view of Positano, Italy, a colorful cliffside village cascading down steep rocky slopes to the Tyrrhenian Sea along the Amalfi Coast, with pastel-colored buildings, terraced gardens, and small boats dotting the turquoise water below.

Other travel planning services range from self-guided digital tools to traditional travel agents who primarily handle bookings and logistics. The right approach depends on how much time, expertise, and personal attention you want.

At Salt & Wind Travel, we go beyond arranging bookings. We get to know your travel personality, recommend places and experiences that genuinely suit you, and coordinate the details that bring your journey together.

Our planners draw on firsthand destination knowledge and longstanding relationships with local guides, artisans, hospitality professionals, and experience providers. The result is a thoughtfully paced itinerary that combines memorable experiences with the freedom to explore.

Our professional planning fees are separate from trip costs, so you'll understand the scope and value of our services before committing.

If you're planning a milestone trip, visiting a destination for the first time, or simply want someone who knows the ground to handle the details, a custom travel planning service turns research into a ready-to-go itinerary and stress into anticipation.

OUR SIGNATURE SERVICES

Trip Planning Expertise Behind Every Journey

Our custom travel planning is a personalized service where a dedicated travel advisor designs your trip around your interests, budget, and travel style. Since 2017, we've planned over 500 trips to the world's most delicious destinations.

OUR MOST POPULAR SERVICE

Full-Service Planning

Expert planning from first conversation to final itinerary.

Our signature service is for discerning travelers who value expert guidance, thoughtful hospitality, and the freedom to enjoy their trip without managing every detail.

We design your journey around your interests, travel style, and priorities, drawing on firsthand destination research and trusted local relationships. From choosing the right accommodations and arranging guides to coordinating transportation, activities, and dining, our team brings the details together into one personalized itinerary.

Especially suited to milestone celebrations like romantic getaways, honeymoons, and family adventures, Full-Service Planning gives you the confidence of having experienced professionals handle the logistics while leaving room for the discoveries that make travel memorable.

WHAT’S INCLUDED

✅ 4 planning sessions with your dedicated travel planner

✅ Complete custom itinerary with daily plans

✅ Dining, activity, and experience recommendations

✅ Bookings and reservations (minimum 2 per day)

✅ Interactive travel app with your full trip details

✅ Personalized maps with our recommendations

✅ Destination guides: what to pack, what to read, cultural tips

✅ Access to our private tour partners and local guides

✅ Hotel perks (when available): room upgrades, early check in, late check out, food / beverage / spa credits

✅ Support for DIY exploration days

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Starting at $275/day

Planning fees typically start at $2,750 for a 10 day trip, quoted after your Discovery Call

GUIDED PLANNING

Trip Tailoring

Your vision, elevated by our expertise

For travelers who want expert guidance without handing over the reins. Whether you're mid-planning or just prefer to book things yourself, we'll shape your itinerary with insider recommendations and handle select reservations while you manage the rest.

Think of it as having a destination expert help shape your plans, refine your choices, and provide informed recommendations while you remain in charge of the arrangements.

We'll recommend restaurants, experiences, and hotels that fit your trip and pull it all together into a polished daily itinerary you can run with.

WHAT’S INCLUDED

✅ 2 planning sessions with your dedicated travel planner

✅ Custom daily itinerary building on your vision

✅ Hand-picked lodging, dining, and activity recommendations

✅ Select dining and tour reservations handled for you

✅ Hotel perks (when available): room upgrades, early check in, late check out, food / beverage / spa credits

WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED

❌ All bookings and reservations

❌ Destination guides

❌ Access to private tour partners and local guides

❌ DIY exploration day support

❌ Interactive travel app

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Starting at $175/day

We’ll provide a custom quote based on trip duration and complexity after your Discovery Call

HOW WE’RE DIFFERENT

Transparent Planning, Total Control

✅ Over A Decade of Experience

From our first trip in 2017 to over a five hundred planned through 2026, we've refined every detail of the process.

✅ Deep Destination Knowledge

Destinations we know deeply, trusted by Forbes, Travel + Leisure, and Condé Nast Traveler.

✅ Truly Personalized

No templates or cookie-cutter itineraries. Every trip is built from scratch around you.


9 Years

Of Planning Experience

8 Destinations

With Deep Expertise

600+

Local Partners

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Service

From 80+ Reviews

500+

Trips Planned


Unlike many traditional travel agents who bundle their fees into all-in-one packages, our trip planning services keep the planning fee completely separate from your trip expenses.

This means you see exactly what you're paying for: every hotel, every experience, every dinner reservation.

Why does this matter? Because you stay in control of your budget. We'll help you decide where to splurge and where to save.

In our experience, those smart choices often save thousands of dollars, more than the cost of our planning fee.

Salt & Wind Travel Has Been Featured In

COMPARE OUR SERVICES

Find the Right Fit for Your Journey

What's Included Full-Service Trip Tailoring
Dedicated Travel PlannerA single point of contact who learns your preferences and manages your entire planning experience. Full-Service✓ Trip Tailoring✓
Expert Guidance & SupportAccess to our team's destination knowledge for advice, recommendations, and problem-solving. Full-Service✓ Trip Tailoring✓
One-on-One Planning SessionsScheduled calls or video chats to discuss your trip vision, review options, and refine your itinerary. Full-Service4 sessions Trip Tailoring2 sessions
Custom Daily ItineraryA day-by-day plan with timing, logistics, and recommendations tailored to your travel style. Full-Service✓ Trip Tailoring✓
Curated RecommendationsHand-picked suggestions for restaurants, activities, and experiences based on your interests. Full-ServiceComprehensive Trip TailoringEssentials
Bookings & ReservationsWe secure your restaurants, tours, and experiences on your behalf. Full-Service2+ per day Trip TailoringSelect experiences
Hotel PerksBenefits through our hotel partnerships: room upgrades, complimentary breakfast, spa credits, and late checkout when available. Full-Service✓ Trip Tailoring✓
Private Tour PartnersAccess to our vetted network of private tour operators and local guides for exclusive experiences. Full-Service✓ Trip Tailoring✗
Destination GuidesPacking lists, cultural tips, essential phrases, and reading recommendations for your destination. Full-Service✓ Trip Tailoring✗
DIY Exploration DaysSupport for self-guided days with curated recommendations and backup plans for spontaneous exploration. Full-Service✓ Trip Tailoring✗
Interactive Travel AppMobile access to your full itinerary, reservations, maps, and recommendations in one place. Full-Service✓ Trip Tailoring✗
Starting Price Full-Service$275/day Trip Tailoring$175/day
Typical Planning Fees Full-Service$2,750 Trip TailoringCustom quote

Why Travelers Choose Salt & Wind Travel

Firsthand Knowledge, Not Generic Recommendations

We regularly research the destinations we recommend, visiting hotels, exploring neighborhoods, and meeting local experts. Our advice is shaped by real experience, not simply lists of popular attractions.

Local Relationships That Make a Difference

Many of our guides, hosts, artisans, and hospitality partners are people we've known and worked with for years. These relationships help us create meaningful introductions and memorable experiences, always subject to availability.

Thoughtful Pacing, Personally Designed

We believe a great trip isn't measured by how many destinations you visit. We design itineraries around your interests and energy, balancing exceptional experiences with time to linger, explore independently, and connect with local people.

Not sure which service fits? Tell us about your trip. We'll help you find the right match.

WE ALSO OFFER

The Same Expertise, À La Carte

One-Hour Consultation Call

Map your destination before you dive in

Not sure where to go, when, or how to shape the trip? Book a focused one-hour call with a Salt & Wind Travel planner for a big-picture overview of your destination. We'll talk through where to base yourself, the best time to go, how to structure your days, and the insider context that lets you plan with confidence.

Best for early-stage planners who want expert orientation before committing to a full trip.

$250 for a 1-hour call. Book now.

Available worldwide. Already deep in planning and need help with specific itineraries, bookings, or logistics? That's what Trip Tailoring is for.

Hotel Booking

Expert guidance on where to stay

Need help choosing the right property? Our hotel booking service pairs our selection expertise with partner perks. We'll recommend properties that match your style, location needs, and budget, then book them with upgrades, breakfast, and other benefits when available.

Perfect for travelers who know their itinerary but want guidance on lodging decisions based on their travel style.

Quote-based

Available worldwide. We'll provide a quote based on your needs.

Interested in one of these services?

FULL SERVICE PLANNING PROCESS

Here's How Our Full Service Travel Planning Process Works

Step by step, from vision to vacation

1. Discovery & Vision

We begin with a complimentary Discovery Call to discuss your travel goals and determine whether we're the right fit. Once engaged, we schedule a detailed kickoff conversation to understand your preferences, priorities, and travel style.

2. Personalized Itinerary Design

Your planner draws on firsthand expertise and trusted local relationships to create a Travel Dossier with recommendations tailored to your interests and investment.

3. Collaborative Refinement

We review the proposed journey together, discuss activities and experiences, and refine the itinerary within the agreed planning scope.

4. Seamless Booking

We coordinate accommodations, transfers, guides, dining, and experiences, managing reservations and logistics within your selected service.

5. Final Preparations

Before departure, we review your itinerary, confirm essential details, and do a pre-trip call to prepare you for the journey ahead.

6. On-Trip Mobile Support

Your personalized itinerary app brings together reservations, travel details, maps, and geolocated recommendations so you can explore confidently.

7. Return & Reflect

After your trip, we welcome your feedback and use what we've learned about your travel preferences to inform future journeys.

You'll feel informed, inspired, and supported every step of the way.

Where We Specialize

We offer our Full-Service travel planning in destinations where we have deep expertise: Italy, California, France, Hawaii, Switzerland, Spain, Mexico, and Portugal. Our One-Hour Consultation Call and Hotel Booking custom travel planning services are available worldwide.

How To Get Started With Our Custom Travel Planning Services

Step 1 → Share Your Travel Vision

Complete our inquiry form with your destination, dates, and budget. Share any must-have experiences so we understand your vision from day one.

Step 2 → Speak With A Travel Expert

We'll schedule a complimentary 15-minute Discovery Call to explore your travel style and priorities. No pressure, just possibilities.

Step 3 → Receive Your Custom Proposal

After your discovery call, you'll receive a personalized proposal. Whether you need Full-Service Planning, Trip Tailoring, or à la carte help, we'll recommend the right fit.

Salt & Wind Travel is the ideal planning service for the sophisticated, experienced traveler. Aida and her brilliant team were able to interpret our requests - including a strong desire to stay off the beaten path - and craft an itinerary that was even better than we could have imagined.

The custom planning services also allowed us to get exactly what we wanted, the sense that we could take a break from our stressful, overly-scheduled professional lives, without then having to invest all of our energy into coming up with trip plans.

Their unique approach allowed us to be flexible while still not missing out on the things that were most important to us. Huge gratitude to the Salt & Wind team for giving us a magical trip that will stay with us forever!

Elizabeth M.
2019 Italy Honeymoon Trip

A custom travel planning client capturing vineyard memories during her custom travel planning experience, photographing hillside landscape with distant town and castle.
  • Guests dining at outdoor tables under pink-striped umbrellas at La Bohème café-restaurant in Montmartre, Paris, with pink flowers cascading from the balcony above

    2025 France Family Trip

    "Kristen was super helpful in our discovery call, learning about what our family would enjoy and then providing tailored suggestions for our trip to Europe.

    The Salt & Wind Travel team is not only knowledgeable but thoughtful and considerate when designing their suggested itineraries.

    Their approach, without commissions, means that you can trust their recommendations wholeheartedly. We look forward to working with them in the future on trips to various destinations."

    - Amy C.

  • Overhead spread of Hawaiian plate lunches featuring poke bowls with ahi tuna, salmon, avocado, seaweed salad, loco moco with a fried egg, kalua pork, white rice, and musubi wraps

    2022 Hawaii Solo Trip

    "Salt & Wind Travel is the best!

    Aida helped me plan a trip to Hawaii. She has unmatched local knowledge and gave me fantastic recommendations on where to stay, what to prioritize, who to book, and where to eat.

    Even with endless research, I couldn't have assembled such a fantastic trip on my own.

    Aida has a sense of taste and personal understanding that very few travel planners have."

    — C.B.

  • Two hikers descending a coastal trail through green ice plant toward rocky cliffs and crashing waves along the California Big Sur coastline

    2024 California Couple Trip

    "Working with Kristen at Salt & Wind Travel was our best decision!

    They anticipated everything we would want or need while on our California road trip.

    The app she set up was a game-changer! Travel documents, schedules, options of things to do, reservation confirmation, directions, and more — all in one place!

    The trip felt so curated to who we were and what we wanted! I don't think I'll be able to travel any other way."

    — Abbey P.

Our Team

Salt & Wind Travel was founded in 2015 by culinary expert Aida Mollenkamp.

Our trip planners have over a decade of expertise crafting bespoke, five-star journeys rooted in food, culture, and local connection across the world's most delicious destinations.

Our philosophy centers on creating profound, meaningful experiences through travel while positively impacting local communities.

Aida Mollenkamp, Salt & Wind Travel founder and travel expert

Aida Mollenkamp
Founder & CEO

A cookbook author, trained chef (Le Cordon Bleu), and former Food Network host, Aida brings deep expertise in food, travel, and hospitality.

A Cornell graduate who's lived in France and Italy, she speaks four languages and is passionate about Italy, France, Hawaii, and California wine country.

Rachel Vermiglio-Smith, Salt & Wind Travel team member

An Arizona native living in Florence since 2014, Rachel is an Italian culture expert with Pugliese roots.

She holds degrees in Italian Renaissance Art and a Master's in Art History, and specializes in Central Italy and Puglia. She splits her time between Arizona and Tuscany with her family.

Ready To Trade Overwhelmed For Excited?

Bring us your wish list and your worries.

Our Discovery Call is your chance to tap into our custom travel planning expertise.
No obligations, only opportunities.

Frequently Asked Questions

Still Have Questions?

We get it, planning the perfect trip brings up a million little details. The good news is, we love talking about travel almost as much as we love planning it. Let's connect!

Page last updated: October 2026