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5 Tips for Packing a Sightseeing Bag for Day Trips

By Michelle Marine

on Jun 12, 2016, Updated Jan 16, 2022

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Packing a sightseeing bag for day trips can really stress me out. It should’t. But it can. Over the years I’ve learned a few tips and tricks along the way. Here are my five best tips to help the trip go smoothly!

5 Tips for Packing a Sightseeing Bag for Day Trips

Find a comfortable bag and work hard to keep it light

I recently received this lovely Kelly Moore bag: it’s the Collins in Grey Canvas with Brown Trim and I absolutely love it! It’s technically a camera bag and will work great for those purposes, but I also used it as my sightseeing bag on a recent 24 hour trip to Chicago with the North Iowa Bloggers. I got so many compliments on this bag and it was very comfortable to carry. Let me tell you, we walked about 9 miles that day, so it was really put to the test.

One thing that I did do though, was make sure to keep it very light. Honestly, I packed the bag and then took almost everything out and repacked it. I didn’t even take my big camera! When you’re selecting the bag for your day trips, make sure you get one with a very comfortable strap, or use a backpack, and then keeping it as light as possible will make your day very pleasant. And if you’re looking for a new camera bag or any other type of bag, I really recommend Kelly Moore bags. They’re just gorgeous, well made, and comfortable.

Lighten up your wallet and keep a list of the credit cards you take

Another thing I really recommend when you’re packing for a sightseeing day trip {especially if you’re visiting a big city} is to lighten up your wallet. I actually moved over only the bare essentials to my spare wallet. I included two credit cards, a bit of cash, my ID and medial card. That’s it! I did this for a couple reasons. First of all, my usual wallet has way too much in it and it’s just too heavy. Second, if the unthinkable happens and I lose my bag or become the victim of theft, I can quickly and easily cancel the credit cards and replace what needs to be replaced because I have a list {stashed at the hotel or car or somewhere else} of exactly what was inside! I’ve learned this the hard way, by way. Keep a list!

Make sure all of your devices are charged & bring  a cord and block

You’ll also want to make sure to charge your phone to 100% before hand and bring along a small block and charging cord as well. I can’t tell you how many places we found on our day trip to Chicago to quickly plug in and charge as much as we could. Restaurants, stores, and even on the Tall Ship Windy Pirate Cruise – we found all the outlets and made sure our phones didn’t die!

Carry a small water battle for refilling and a few lightweight snacks & breath mints

We found all sorts of water bottle refilling stations on our day trip which I thought was very nice Because hello! Water is heavy, so I just bring a small bottle along to refill instead of the behemoth of a water bottle that I usually have. I also was happy to have a couple small snacks, gum, and breath mints in my bag. I love all of the candy and gum options that include xylitol now instead of artificial sweeteners and colors. The Sour Apple Ice Chips are fabulous and Spry Gum is my favorite.

Don’t forget sunscreen and a small first aid kit

This is especially important for me because I burn very easily. But sunscreen is a must have for me when I am spending the day walking around a city. I put my sunscreen in a wet bag and added a couple band-aids and motrin just in case I got a blister or a headache {luckily I didn’t!}.

And that’s it! That’s all I take with me. Keeping my sightseeing bag light for maximum comfort is the best tips for a comfortable day of sightseeing! Luckily, there are usually plenty of shops along the way to grab any other things I may need. 

What do you pack that I didn’t? Do you have a tip for sightseeing day trips that I didn’t share? Please leave a comment. 

Many thanks to Kelly Moore and Ice Chips Candy for providing items for this post.