Do you want to plan a long weekend trip with your family but don’t seem to have the time? Are you ready for a surprise adventure of a lifetime? Pack Up & Go, a surprise travel agency, plans and executes three-day adventures all around the United States. You can plan to travel solo or in a group by car, bus, train or air. Each trip varies from $100–5,000. All you have to do is decide on your mode of travel and a budget.
The program consists of five easy steps. To begin, you answer a few quick questions and travel preferences. You can let them know if you visit Miami every month for work, if you and your girlfriends just traveled to Denver or if you really hate Columbus, Ohio. Next, they plan your accommodation based on your requests. A week before your adventure, you receive an email stating the weather in the secret location, a few recommended items to pack and where to go to begin your journey at a specific time. This email is vague and keeps you on the edge of your seat, wondering where Pack Up + Go plans to send you.
Photo: Gpointstudio | Dreamstime
Then comes the “hard” part.
A few days before your trip, you will receive an envelope in the mail that cannot be opened until you are at your meeting location the day of. This secret envelope contains research on your handpicked location, travel information and recommendations on events and activities in the area. When you get to the specific location, you open the envelope to reveal your surprise. Finally, all you have to do is go.
Lillian Rafson, a Pittsburgh native, founded Pack Up + Go in January 2016 when she was only 23 years old. Within the first three months, Rafson booked around 90 different trips for customers all across the United States. She was so successful, she needed to hire a small team of travel lovers to help plan the surprise getaways. So far, the team has sent solo travelers and groups to places such as New Orleans, Charleston, Savannah, Austin, Chicago, San Diego and Denver.
In Pack Up + Go’s promotional video on the website, Rafson states, “So break free from conventional trip planning, take a leap, live spontaneously, be adventurous and leave the planning to us. We do the work and you, Pack Up + Go.” Pack Up + Go is not for people who are easily disappointed. Customers must be optimistic and ready to take on a new region of the United States with little to no planning.
Read This Next
#WhereverFamily
Insta FeedDestinations / North America
Mar 5, 2026Celebrate Women’s History Month in Auburn, New York
March is the perfect time to teach kids about history, more specifically, women’s history, with a trip to Auburn, New York. And it isn’t just because March is Women’s History Month — it’s also the time of year when Harriet Tubman Day is celebrated.
Sponsored Content
TAP Air Portugal: A Milestone Year
From small airline to global success, TAP Air Portugal turns 80 and better than ever.
North America
Mar 5, 2026Take the Family to New Washington, D.C., Exhibit from Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center
Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center is often overlooked by family travelers as it doesn’t actually encompass a museum building. Instead, the organization appears through community efforts and exhibitions at other museums. This spring, Smithsonian APAC launches its inaugural exhibit at National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.
Slideshow
Mar 5, 20267 Canyons Around the World to Visit
It’s time to start dreaming of your next family trip. Here’s some destination inspiration for you. Take a visual journey through these canyons with us.
Sponsored Content
Best of Both Worlds
Enjoy the best of both worlds when you fly with TAP Air Portugal thanks to the Portugal Stopover program. With the program, TAP passengers, whether traveling for business, leisure or both, can stop in Portugal for up to 10 days at no additional airfare on the way to their final destination. What does this mean for travelers wishing to explore by both land and sea? It means after flying to Portugal with TAP and experiencing the country in an entirely new way, travelers can then embark on scenic river and ocean cruises from Portugal’s port cities, or fly with TAP to another European destination.
Destinations / North America
Mar 4, 20263 U.S. Destinations That Come Alive in Spring
Don’t worry family travelers, it's not too late to book a spring break adventure packed with family-friendly fun, sunshine and outdoor adventures. Need some inspiration?
ShareThis