How many activities should you plan per day?
Short answer
Two fixed commitments a day is the ceiling — one in the morning, one in the late afternoon — with everything between them left open. Three or more booked things per day means the whole schedule collapses the moment one runs late.
Why over-scheduling backfires
Each booked item has a fixed start time, so a delay in the first one cascades through the day. With two commitments there's slack between them. With four, a slow lunch means missing something you paid for, and the group spends the afternoon rushing and irritable.
What to actually book
- Things with timed entry that sell out (major museums, palaces, teamLab, Sagrada Família)
- Dinners at small restaurants, especially for groups over four
- Anything requiring a shuttle or a boat, which run to a fixed schedule