Glossary
Buffer day
A day kept free in an itinerary to absorb delays from weather, road closures or missed connections without cutting the plan short.
What is Buffer day?
Treks and high-altitude trips plan buffer days because a snowed-in pass or a swollen river can cost a full day. Outbound tours keep a buffer where a long-haul flight connects to a domestic leg. If nothing goes wrong, the buffer becomes a rest day or an optional activity.
Buffer days are often the first thing cut to make a trip cheaper on paper. The cost returns as a missed summit, a missed flight or a group arriving a day late to a hotel that has released the rooms.
On a live trip
Mark the buffer day explicitly in the itinerary so travellers know it may become a travel day. When you use it, the whole plan shifts; announce the new dates for stays and pickups rather than editing silently.
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