Beyond the Dispensary Visit: Crafting Multi-Day Cannabis Tourism Itineraries
Tourism organizations often offer their visitors sample itineraries, customized to fit the needs of specific travelers. From foodies to craft beer enthusiasts and adventure seekers, creating sample itineraries is an easy way to help your visitors plan their stay and maximize their time in your destination. As cannabis tourism continues to grow, it only makes sense to add an itinerary catering to the green enthusiasts and the canna-curious. Here's how to develop compelling multi-day experiences that keep visitors engaged.
Building Balanced Itineraries for Cannabis Visitors
The key to extended stays lies in thoughtful pacing. Successful multi-day itineraries typically follow these principles:
Schedule cannabis-related activities earlier in the day
Allow adequate time between experiences
Mix high-energy and relaxation-focused activities
Include traditional tourist attractions
Build in flexible free time
For example, a well-balanced three-day itinerary might include:
Morning cannabis education or farm tours
Afternoon cultural activities
Evening culinary experiences
Full-day breaks for traditional sightseeing
Incorporating Complementary Experiences
Even the most die-hard cannabis lovers don't want to sit around and smoke all day - and the canna-curious simply want to make the plant one part of a multi-faceted vacation. By incorporating complementary experiences, you can build out a well-rounded itinerary that pleases all cannabis-inspired visitors.
Wellness Integration
Wellness activities naturally complement cannabis consumption and many people find that cannabis helps them get into a better state of mind for yoga, meditation, and relaxation:
Yoga and meditation sessions
Spa treatments
Guided nature walks
Wellness workshops
Mindfulness retreats
Culinary Connections
Cannabis and food go hand-in-hand. From cooking classes with infused ingredients and sampling a variety of what your destination has to offer, you can't go wrong with weed and food.
Hemp-focused cooking classes
Farm-to-table dining
Local brewery tours
Artisan food workshops
Cannabis pairing education
Cultural Components
Don't leave out your best attractions! Adding cultural elements deepens the experience:
Local art gallery visits
Music events
Historical tours
Craft workshops
Agricultural heritage experiences
Managing Transportation and Logistics
Cannabis and driving is a hot topic, and we're not here to get into the ethics or the science - just to make some suggestions to visitors to keep themselves safe after consuming.
Transportation Considerations
Advertise dedicated transportation services
Create transportation hubs at key locations
Provide detailed maps and directions
Recommend bicycle and walking tours for local exploration
Safety Protocols
Implement clear consumption guidelines
Partner with cannabis-friendly accommodations
Provide safety education materials
Seasonal Programming Strategies for Cannabis Itineraries
Cannabis is an agricultural crop, which means your cannabis-themed offerings may vary by season. Just as you tailor your other itineraries by season, here are a few suggestions for doing the same for cannabis tourism itineraries.
Summer Offerings
Outdoor cannabis farm tours
Garden-to-table experiences
Festival integration
Hiking and nature programs
Evening outdoor events
Winter Activities
Indoor cultivation facility tours
Cozy cannabis-friendly accommodations
Wellness retreats
Cooking workshops
Art and culture programs
Shoulder Season Appeal
Special event programming
Educational series
Harvest celebrations
Partnership promotions
Local resident focus
Success Metrics and Monitoring for Cannabis Itineraries
How do you track the success of your other itineraries? The same applies here. You may track program success through:
Length of stay data
Booking patterns
Partner feedback
Guest satisfaction
Revenue per visitor
Return visit rates
Implementation Tips
Start with pilot programs to test concepts
Build strong local business partnerships
Create clear communication protocols
Establish emergency procedures
Monitor guest feedback
Adjust offerings based on data
Resource Development
Use exiting content to support the development of your cannabis-themed itineraries. Support extended stays with:
Detailed visitor guides
Mobile-friendly maps
Partner directories
Safety information
Local activity suggestions
Benefitting from Cannabis Tourism
Successful multi-day cannabis tourism programs are about more than smoking or getting high - it's about incorporating your cannabis offerings into all of the other things that make your destination great. With cannabis tourism on the rise, there's no reason that any destination in an adult-use state shouldn't provide resources to visitors seeking information about cannabis. After all, if you don't, they'll simply search elsewhere for it!
Need help creating cannabis tourism resources for your DMO or CVB? I’m an SEO writer who specializes in cannabis education and I can help. My background is in travel and tourism, writing Simpleview websites for DMOs and hundreds of pieces on cannabis education. I help destination marketers create cannabis resources to embrace the future of cannabis tourism. And, I’m a cannabis tourist myself, having visited over a dozen states where weed is legal. Send me a note today to get started.
