Google Maps overwhelmed me, so I used Gemini to find things to do during my vacation instead

Published Sep 26, 2026, 1:00 PM EDT Akshay Bhalla was the former game guides editor for Screen Rant and the technology editor at MensXP. He has previously written about smartphones, apps, streaming, gadgets, and games for print, digital, and TV media outlets. When he isn’t writing about tech, he can often be found playing JRPGs, listening to music, or playing with his three dogs. You can reach Akshay at bhallanator @ proton dot me. I like to use Gemini when I can, whether I'm on the road via Android Auto or planning and budgeting a vacation. But when I'm at the actual destination, I rely on Google Maps to find interesting things to do. But I soon realized that trying to find new things to do using Google Maps can be overwhelming, until I realized Gemini could do it for me. Finding things to do on Google Maps is like finding a needle in a haystack Way too many options I like to explore the map manually to see all the interesting spots I can visit in a city or a coastal town. I developed this habit in the early days of Google Maps, and I still use it today. Most of the time, Google Maps is enough as a travel notebook, but in an overly touristy town, it's overwhelming to pick out everything you want to do. When you explore the map, the number of pins to dig through gets annoying after a few minutes. 100s of businesses sit next to each other, and figuring out which ones are worth visiting is even more confusing. I often face decision paralysis, give up, and try again later. I noticed this had become a vicious circle. Google Maps is visually cluttered and tends to rank points of interest based on its algorithm or popularity. Switching to list view, browsing pictures, and checking out reviews added even more confusion. Even if I liked a place to visit, cross-referencing with other sources became time-consuming on my phone. I was traveling with my infant, and I didn't have time for that kind of research. I needed a quick plan. But since Google Maps overwhelmed me, I decided to try Gemini. I'd used it for recommendations before, and with time running out, I had nothing to lose. How Gemini came to the rescue and saved the day It was faster than doing manual research Finding an activity on Google Maps was getting cumbersome, but that isn't the case with Gemini. I can enter my preferences, location, and the type of activity I want, and Gemini gives me recommendations. Since I've connected Gemini to Google Maps as well, it leverages that data along with third-party sources to give me recommendations. What made a huge difference was Gemini's conversational advantage. Instead of typing my list of requirements, I could use the voice feature, which was faster. My prompt was precise and simple, and Gemini shortlisted quite a few things for us to do. It pulled information from blogs, Google Maps reviews, and other apps to compile a list that made it easier for me to decide. Here's the prompt I used in my voice: I want to spend the day at Mandrem Beach in North Goa. Find me interesting things to do in the area. I would like to see the sunset, eat local food for lunch at a beachside restaurant or shack, and maybe do some water sports near the restaurant. Keep it flexible, as I am traveling with an infant as well, so I can swap activities. Use Google Maps, the weather, the UV index, traffic, and travel/food blogs to plan my day. Only recommend restaurants with a 4.2 rating or better on Google Maps and other review platforms. Cross-reference sources to give the best recommendation. I think the prompt above makes it clear that I didn't have the capacity to think through and plan everything. Thankfully, Gemini did it for me. Gemini pulled information from different sources and compiled a list that considered reviews, traffic, opening hours, and travel time. It also said peak UV hours would be between 11:30 AM and 3:00 PM and recommended staying under shaded beach shacks or in indoor restaurants. Gemini planned a flexible itinerary that recommended checking out a creek in the morning, trying a local restaurant for local food, and spending a relaxed afternoon under an umbrella. The result also recommended exploring the beach from 5:30 PM onward for the perfect sunset view I was hoping to catch. Since every plan can evolve at any moment, instead of starting a new chat, I asked Gemini to add a nice café for a short coffee stop. Gemini's multi-turn memory was the real winner here, as it recommended a coffee shop that fit the itinerary it recommended earlier. The prompt I used was quite simple, but it still worked. Add a coffee stop with good Wi-Fi. It took my preference and all the other requirements into account and recommended an open-air café my family could enjoy next to the beach. The result also suggested which cold brews to get and that I should catch up on work. It also wanted to make sure I had a nice view while I answered emails. Gemini has now proved twice that it can handle vacation planning for tourist destinations and cities with ease. While I don't recommend using it for hikes and other offbeat activities, it can handle popular cities with a lot to do. But I know this for sure: when I don't have the capacity or time to plan my day on vacation, I can trust Gemini to plan something for me and tweak it as needed.