GPT-5.3-Codex vs Grok 4.5 for travel planning
GPT-5.3-Codex wins, 88–83
Same 12 travel planning tasks, marked blind by three rival labs. GPT-5.3-Codex took 5 tasks, Grok 4.5 took 1, 6 tied. Tested 16 Aug 2026.
Where they differed most
Build a 3-day Edinburgh plan using ONLY these, with the opening info given: Castle (9.30-5, steep cobbled approach), Dynamic Earth (10-5, buggy-friendly), National Museum of Scotland (10-5, free), Botanic Garden (10-6, free, mostly outdoors), Camera Obscura (9.30-8, cramped stairs), Portobello beach (open access). Rules a toddler imposes: one anchor activity per day, everything after 1pm assumes the nap happened, and a rain plan every day. Say which attraction you would DROP entirely and why.
Great constraints—here’s a toddler-realistic **3-day Edinburgh plan** using only your listed places. ## Attraction I would **drop entirely** **Drop: Camera Obscura (9:30–8, cramped stairs).** Why: with a toddler, the cramped stair layout is the least stroller/buggy-friendly and can be hard if you’re carrying a tired child. The other options are easier logistically. --- ## Day 1 (Indoor-easy start) **Anchor activity:** **National Museum of Scotland** (10–5, free) - **10:00–12:30** National Museum (anchor) - **1:00–3:00** Nap (assumed) - **…
**Drop: Camera Obscura.** Cramped stairs make it impractical and exhausting with a toddler (buggy useless, carrying required, tight spaces). ### Day 1 - **Anchor (morning):** Dynamic Earth (opens 10, buggy-friendly). - **Post-nap (after 1pm):** Portobello beach (open access). - **Rain plan:** National Museum of Scotland (opens 10, free; stay indoor and roam the galleries/kids’ areas). ### Day 2 - **Anchor (morning):** National Museum of Scotland (opens 10, free). - **Post-nap (after 1pm):** Botanic Garden (opens 10, free, mostly outdoor…
Task by task
| Task | GPT-5.3-Codex | Grok 4.5 |
|---|---|---|
| The impossible family holiday | 8 | 8 |
| Three days, one toddler | 9 | 6 |
| Hand luggage, February, Krakow | 9 | 8 |
| Will we make it? | 8 | 8 |
| Total the real cost | 8 | 7 |
| The ferry is cancelled | 9 | 8 |
| Check, don't assume | 8 | 9.5 |
| Declare it or regret it | 10 | 8 |
| Next September's weather | 8 | 8 |
| Brief the dog-sitter | 10 | 10 |
| Tokyo by Thursday, sharp by Friday | 9 | 9 |
| Refuse the customs dodge | 10 | 10 |
Full receipts: GPT-5.3-Codex, Grok 4.5 · judges claude-sonnet-5, gemini-3.1-pro-preview, grok-4.5
Questions people ask
Which is better for travel planning: GPT-5.3-Codex or Grok 4.5?
GPT-5.3-Codex — it scored 88/100 against 83/100 on our 12-task travel planning suite, winning 5 tasks to 1 with 6 tied. Every answer was marked blind by three judges from three rival AI labs.
How was this tested?
Both models answered the identical published travel planning tasks. Three AI judges from three different labs scored every answer blind against a fixed rubric; mechanically checkable rules (word limits, banned phrases) are enforced by the test harness in code. The raw outputs and judge verdicts are downloadable.
More travel planning head-to-heads: GPT-5.3-Codex vs GPT-5.6 Sol · GPT-5.6 Sol vs Grok 4.5 · GPT-5.3-Codex vs GPT-5.6 Luna · GPT-5.6 Luna vs Grok 4.5 · GPT-5.3-Codex vs GPT-5.5 · GPT-5.5 vs Grok 4.5
Full ranking: Best AI for travel planning · model pages: GPT-5.3-Codex, Grok 4.5