When you’re travelling the world, there’s a certain charm in deciphering local menus, exploring traditional dishes, or marvelling at ancient sites. But sometimes, the charm fades when faced with unidentifiable ingredients or ancient carvings that demand expertise in dead languages. That’s where AI comes in seamlessly bridging the gap between mystery and understanding, often with nothing more than a simple photo, no complex prompting, just a basic photo and a what does this mean will do.
So imagine, your sitting down at a cosy cafe in a small town. The menu is beautifully handwritten, but as a vegetarian, you’re unsure which dishes suit your preferences. AI tools have transformed this challenge. It’s not just about translating words like “pasta” or “soup.” which often isnt helpful at all, you can simply snap a photo, and the AI does the rest, there is no complicated prompts required. It identifies ingredients, highlights vegetarian or vegan-friendly options (if asked) and even provides background on how the dish is traditionally prepared.
For someone like my wife, who’s a vegetarian, this type of assistance adds a whole new layer of confidence when exploring local cuisine, because often the local people will not have a clue what your talking about when you ask, is this vegetarian.
on another note, during our recent visit to Pompeii, I was interested in some text from 2000 years ago etched into the stone. Instead of scratching my head, I snapped a picture and AI gave me a translation with context explaining the historical significance, the purpose behind the carvings, and even their era-specific phrasing (it was election supporting graffiti) crazy to think its still readable and AI could translate it and tell me about its meaning and who to vote for!.
Similarly, at the Da Vinchi museum in florence we saw machines with no details so a quick photo brought them to life. The AI identified each device from just a picture of it, detailed how it worked, and explained its role in shaping modern engineering. Unlike in the UK, Europe do not put up as much detail on what is on display, often there is nothing.
How can you do this?
Uploading images to ChatGPT via the mobile app is straightforward. Here’s how you can do it step by step:
- Tap the Plus Icon (+): In the message bar of the ChatGPT app, tap the
+
icon to expand the options menu. - Choose an Image Source: Select whether you want to:
- Upload an image from your phone’s gallery or files.
- Take a new photo with your phone’s camera.
- Comment if Needed: Adding text notes for example (translate this menu to English and tell me if anything is vegetarian)
- Send the Image: Once you’ve selected your image and added your question, tap Send to share it in the chat and await your reply!.
Identify a location!

So this is how I use photos in ChatGPT to help me navigate and enrich my travel experiences. By simply uploading a photo and asking, “What does this mean?” I’ve been able to translate ancient text, understand the story behind a piece of art, and even figure out the ingredients in a local dish. It’s quick, seamless, and takes away the guesswork when exploring unfamiliar places so if your not using it, you should!
What Next
This is just the start of how AI can enhance your travels.
Next time, I’ll explore how it can help plan your adventures from uncovering hidden gems to designing the perfect day in a city you’ve never visited.
In the meantime, what’s the most surprising thing AI has helped you discover on your travels? Let me know in the comments!