A travel concierge in your messages

You planned the trip. We’ve got it from here.

Pesto is a concierge you text. It knows your bookings, tells you each day what to wear and when to leave, and answers when plans go sideways. Behind it are local travel agencies on the ground where you’re going.

Join the beta Works in iMessage. Nothing to download.

The problem

The planning is the fun part. The trip is the stressful part.

You spend weeks finding the right hotel, the right table, the right tour. Then you land, and every day is a puzzle of times, addresses, weather and what happens if something changes.

Before On the trip After

Travelers are happiest before they leave. On the trip, stress is the biggest thing that pulls that down.

Based on research by Dr. Jeroen Nawijn and colleagues, Breda University of Applied Sciences (2010, 2011). Curve is illustrative.

What makes Pesto different

Real people behind every answer.

Local, and current

Our recommendations come from travel agencies based in your destination.

We work with local travel agencies, destination management companies and tourism boards. They tell us what’s open, what’s changed and what actually works, and they update it all the time. Not scraped reviews, and not a list from three years ago.

Local travel agenciesDMCsTourism boards

Best when things go wrong

Strikes, closures, missed transfers.

Restaurant picks are easy to find. Knowing what to do when the train isn’t running or the museum is closed is not. That’s where Pesto earns its keep.

Text it anytime

It lives in your messages.

No app to download and no login to remember. Ask a question, add a booking you just made, or set a reminder, all in the same thread.

One message a day

Know what’s ahead, without opening five apps.

A short brief each morning or evening, whichever you prefer: weather, what to wear, where to be and exactly when to leave.

Easy to start

Sign up in a minute.

Add your number, forward your confirmations, and Pesto puts the trip together. You don’t retype anything.

How it works

Set it up once. Pesto takes it from there.

1

Sign up

Add your phone number and choose a morning brief, an evening brief, or both.

2

Forward your reservations

Send flight, hotel, tour and dinner confirmations to your personal Pesto address. They become your trip.

trips@ your Pesto address
3

We fill in the gaps

Missing meeting points, transfer times and opening hours get checked, with help from our local partners.

30 days out

Get ready

  • Visa and entry requirements
  • Vaccinations to consider
  • Cash or card, and a reminder to tell your bank
14 days out

Pack smart

  • A packing list for the forecast and your plans
  • Anything your bookings still need
  • Gaps worth booking before you go
On the ground

Enjoy it

  • Your daily brief, morning or evening
  • Leave-by times for every booking
  • Help any time you text

Who’s building it

Travel people and data people.

Craig Zapatka

Co-founder. Founded Elsewhere, acquired by Lonely Planet.

Paul Yoon

Co-founder. Data scientist at Meta.