Wikivoyage:Article skeleton templates/Sections

This guide explains each of Wikivoyage's standard article sections and what sort of information each should contain. If you have a specific type of item in mind and want to know where it goes, check out Where you can stick it. If you have a specific type of article in mind and want to know what sections it should have, use Article skeleton templates. The individual article skeletons also include more detailed information specific to each kind of article.

Shortcut:
WV:sections

Lead section

The lead section does not begin with a header; it's all the text before the first section heading. The main purpose of the lead paragraph is to hook the reader's interest and identify what the article will talk about.

For destination articles, this is where you should put identifying information about the destination, so that the traveller has some idea what you're talking about. Try to link to the next higher level in the geographical hierarchy – link to the country for top-level regions, for instance. Rough borders for the area help give context here, too. You can pull off a few sentences of interesting tidbits, but try to leave detailed information on history, culture, etc., for the Understand section.

On many search engines, text from the lead section will appear under the article title in the search results.

Shortcut:
WV:POPULATION

An indication of the population of a city or town can be useful for letting travellers know what level of services to expect. For places with more than 500 people, Wikivoyage generally rounds population figures to 2 significant figures, e.g., "3.4 million in 2024" instead of "3,357,890 in 2024", or "8400 in 2022" instead of "8409 in 2022". (The date should be added to let editors know when the figure should be updated.)

Regions

Only used in Continent, Country, and Region articles. Not required; use only if there are subregions to list.

Most countries can and should be divided into smaller areas, called "regions", with articles about each region giving more detailed information. Regions can also be divided into sub-regions.

Try to divide an area into traditional or well-agreed regions, according to the guidelines on the geographical hierarchy page. List them here, with links to the article pages for each region, and a short description of the region to give travellers some idea of what the region is about.

If the regions have specific names ("county", "state", "province", "canton", etc.) feel free to change the name of this header to "Counties", "States", etc. Remember, though, that legal divisions don't always make the best divisions for a travel guide.

Be sure to provide a 1–5 sentence description of each region, per One-liner listings.

Countries and territories

Only used in Continent and Continental Section articles. Required in Continental Section articles. Each continent is a little different though, so use best judgement.

Cities

Only used in Country and Region articles. Required unless there are no individual settlements within a region.

Some regions (and even some countries) are so small that they only have a few cities; you can simply list them here, rather than making up regions or sub-regions. Otherwise, don't list every single city in the area! List the main cities alphabetically, to a maximum of nine. For Countries, and for Regions that are legal divisions of a country (such as a U.S. state), list the capital city first.

A bottom-level region (such as Adirondacks) may need to list more than nine small villages. Splitting a "Cities" section into small geographic subsections on the same page may be a means to keep these lists manageable without creating additional subregion articles.

Be sure to provide a 1–5 sentence description of each city (shorter descriptions are suggested for higher level regions), per One-liner listings.

Unless the region is not subdivided (in which case every constituent city must be listed), avoid changing an established list without gaining consensus for the change first. For many regions (and especially countries and continents) the selection of cities can be controversial because there is no objective way to pick just nine, but we've done our best and it doesn't help the site to allow frequent changes.

Other destinations

Only used in Country and Region articles. Optional, but only if no Other Destinations exist.

Sometimes an area has destinations that aren't really cities; for example, large national parks like the Grand Canyon, or archaeological sites like Angkor Wat. List other destinations alphabetically, to a maximum of nine.

Be sure to provide a 1-5 sentence description of each destination (shorter descriptions are suggested for higher level regions), per One-liner listings.

Districts

Only used in Huge City articles. Required.

Most of the meat of the information about a huge city is divided up into the individual district articles. You should list the districts here, as well as a short blurb (per One-liner listings) about the district that lets readers know what is most relevant about the district for travel, what neighborhoods constitute the district, etc. Every district listed should have clearly defined borders to make it easy for other Wikivoyagers to know where to stick new listings. See the District article template for the structure of district articles.

Understand

Recommended in all destination articles. Required for Country, Region, Large City, Huge City, and Park articles.

This section of the page is where you give deeper background information about the destination. It's largely free-form, paragraph text which can be used to educate the reader, add a bit of local colour and flavour or explain why this destination is different and unique.

Content can vary widely depending on the destination type. For countries, information about its culture, its people or peoples, and relationships to other countries is useful. For cities, focus on what makes the city unique within its country. Don't duplicate information that can be found in other sections. Also, try not to go too deeply into information about lower levels in the hierarchy, except perhaps in how they relate to each other; leave that for the region or city articles.

Understand has a few standard but completely optional sub-headings:

• Orientation (geography, city articles)
• Name
• History
• People (for country/region articles)
• Climate
• Talk (for city and some region articles)
• Holidays (for country articles)
• Read (for iconic literature about the destination, not for travel guides)
• Watch (for travel documentaries, films and series, not for video links)
• Visitor information (for tourism information offices and contact information)

Feel free to add others as necessary.

Keep in mind that all of this information should be useful for travellers. For example, the 'history' section should not compete with ample Wikipedia articles, but help the traveller to link specific places and events to a larger historical period. The 'climate' section should contain what a traveller has to know, not what meteorologists find interesting.

Talk

Used in Country and Region articles, and very rarely in city, park and rural area articles (where it should be a subsection of Understand). Required in Country articles.

Describe the language or languages used in the area. How well can you get by with only English or another foreign language (French in Vietnam for example)? Also include information about the writing system – will travellers need a bilingual map? It is often useful to link to the phrasebook for each language used. If English is the only language used, you can just state that, and that should be enough.

For other than Country articles, only include information that differs from that of the surrounding country; if it's simple, you can make Talk a subsection of Understand. Don't include the section unless there's something notable to say.

Get in

Used in any destination article. Required in all cases except the global, top-level Destinations list.

This section should contain information on how to get to the destination.

For countries, and territories with an independent immigration system, give visa or other legal information, as well as warnings about border crossings.

Information should involve getting to the location primarily from within the next highest levels in the hierarchy. For example, for getting into California, focus on overland routes from adjacent US states (Oregon, Nevada, Arizona) as well as Mexico. For getting into a city, list driving directions from nearby cities, not from a city on the other side of the country, and don't include extensive customs information (which belongs in the country article).

"Get in" sections should have a subsection for each of the major modes of transportation used to get to the destination, in order by prominence. The subsections should be named (but not necessarily ordered) as follows:

• By plane
• By train
• By bus
• By car (for all private motor vehicles)
• By boat (or "By ferry")
• By thumb (for hitchhiking)
• By bicycle
• By foot (for walking; rare)

Fees and permits

Used in Park articles. Required.

Entrance fees, camp site fees, hiking permits and fees along with any notable rules and regulations.

Get around

Used in any destination article. Required in all cases except for District articles.

This is a spot to give general information about how to get around the destination once you are there. An overview of travel possibilities: air, train, and bus travel, long-distance taxis, ferries, etc. Try to keep the information general in the articles covering larger areas, with more specifics as you get down further in the hierarchy.

Use the same subsections as those for Get in. Only include subsections that make sense for the level in the hierarchy and the specific destination.

See

Used in any destination article. Required in all cases except for region articles, where it is strongly recommended for high-level regions and optional for lower-level regions. May be combined with "Do" if making a distinction between attractions and activities is difficult or unnecessary (as with amusement parks or very small destinations).

This is for attractions in the area. Attractions are passive by nature, involving things that are more-or-less permanently available for viewing. Galleries and museums, zoos, parks, and landmarks are examples. Scenery and observation towers also fall under "See".

For articles using the Small City, Big City, District, and Park templates, you can include a brief overview, but the majority of the section should be made up of listings for individual attractions.

For articles using the Country, Region, and Huge City templates, don't give full details about each attraction. Use prose, not a listing template. If there are some attractions that people are going to be expecting, or just attractions that people really shouldn't miss, make sure to call them out and link to the location where the full listing can be found.

Some destinations have too many attractions to list them all. A cluster of similar landmarks, art galleries, etc., could be described with one entry.

Itineraries

Used in any destination article. Optional, but only if there are no relevant itineraries.

This subsection of "See" is a list of itineraries related to the destination. Give brief descriptions for each itinerary per One-liner listings.

Do

Used in any destination article. Required in all cases except for region articles, where it is strongly recommended for high-level regions and optional for lower-level regions. It may be combined with "See" if making a distinction between attractions and activities is difficult or unnecessary (as with amusement parks or very small destinations).

This is for activities in the area. Activities are usually active by nature, plus scheduled events. Sports (both participatory and spectator), casinos, theaters, and tours are examples. Recreational activities like hiking, boating, or skiing also fall under "Do".

For articles using the Small City, Big City, District, and Park templates, you can include a brief overview, but the majority of the section should be made up of listings for individual activities.

For articles using the Country, Region, and Huge City templates, don't give full details about each activity. Use prose, not a listing template. If there are some activities that people are going to be expecting, or just activities that people really shouldn't miss, make sure to call them out and link to the location where the full listing can be found.

Events

Used routinely in city articles. Brief local activities which recur on a scheduled, periodic basis (often annually) – festivals, parades, winter carnivals, celebrations or fireworks on national holidays.

Learn

See also: Wikivoyage:Listings#Educational institutions

Used in any destination article, but mostly in Country, Big City, and District articles. Optional.

For larger destinations, this should include general information about schools and classes for language, culture, or other activities that international travellers may be interested in. City guides can include specifics, as well as unique opportunities for learning. Don't just list local colleges, though; make sure they have specific value for a traveller.

If a local university is being listed primarily for its architecture, its concert halls or its museums, it may make more sense to include it as an attraction ("See") or activity in its home city.

Work

Used in any destination article, but mostly in Country articles. Optional.

What options are there are for travellers to find work in the area? Ideas on jobs, work visas, volunteer opportunities and resources. Be wary of Wikivoyage:Project scope; the "Learn" or "Work" opportunities must target an audience of travellers, not long-term residents or permanent immigrants.

If a country is part of a trading bloc which allows citizens of other member countries to seek paid work, this section (in the Country article) should say so.

Buy

See Wikivoyage:Listings#Retailers for details on what to list.

Used in any destination article. Required for Country and City articles; optional otherwise.

This section varies widely depending on the level in the geographical hierarchy. For countries, this section must include information on currency and currency exchange, shopping customs, duties and taxes, and attaining funds from home.

For all other levels, the section should contain information on goods that can be purchased in the area. Be general in Region and Huge City articles; specific listings should only be in Small City, Big City, District, Rural area and Park articles.

In bottom-level articles, each shopping mall, shopping centre, and market hall usually has a single entry, with stores and services described in brief. A street or neighborhood with a cluster of similar competing stores could be listed as one single entry.

Individual retailers could be listed if they are in a historic building or otherwise an attraction in its own right, large, unique, the only retailer of its business in the city, or due to favorable price, product range, location or opening hours.

In some very sparsely-populated and remote places, it may be necessary to list the "last" or "only" opportunity to obtain provisions, fuel, repairs or other essentials for the next few hundred kilometres or miles.

Eat

See also: Wikivoyage:Listings#Restaurants

Used in any destination article. Required in all cases except for region articles, where it is strongly recommended for high-level regions, and optional for lower-level regions.

Information on location-specific food. Keep this as general as possible, except in the lowest-level articles, which should contain the actual restaurant business information. Do mention any general types of restaurant that travellers should look for (or avoid!). Mention national/regional/local cuisines, and hints for vegetarians or other people on special diets. If there is a lot to write about the cuisine of a country or a region, consider creating a cuisine article (Bavarian cuisine, Mexican cuisine, etc.).

Restaurant listings should be divided, if necessary, by price, by location or by cuisine.

Supermarkets and food retailers may be listed if they offer food ready-to-eat (such as deli takeaway) or if they are the only food supplier within the area.

An article might describe a national park or a rural region without any restaurants or food retailers (e.g. Gotska Sandön). In this case, the Eat section should advise readers to bring their own food. A truly remote location may require special precautions, such as protecting food from bears.

In large cities and districts, restaurants and food suppliers might be too numerous to list. Still, every lowest-level article should list at least a few eateries, if possible. In places without restaurants, add advice on alternatives.

If you have to choose, a venue could be listed if it is an attraction in its own right: it might be in a historic building, have an astounding view, provide live entertainment, be recognized by a gastronomic authority such as Guide Michelin or be famous for some other reason. It could also be listed if it has a cuisine unique to the city, or if it is worth mentioning for size, product range, favorable location, price or opening hours.

Restaurants and food suppliers at a larger venue (airport, theme park, shopping mall, hotel, etc.) are only described within the listing of that venue, unless they meet any of the criteria above.

Drink

Used in any destination article. Optional.

Information on location-specific nightlife. Keep this as general as possible, except in the lowest-level articles, which should contain the actual bar or nightclub business information. You can and should mention areas with especially good nightlife, or interesting musical traditions. Also give an idea of bar and club etiquette, if it differs from the surrounding region.

Bar and nightlife listings should be divided, if necessary, by price, by target audience or by type — piano bar, coffee shop, blaring discotheque, whatever.

In city and district articles, they might be too many to list; use the criteria for restaurants as a guideline. A cluster of small venues along a street or in a neighborhood can usually be described in one entry.

Sleep

Used in any destination article. Required in all cases except for region articles. Recommended for high-level regions but often omitted from lower-level regions, where it is prone to fill with individual listings which belong in the City or District articles.

Information on the type of accommodations (rooming houses, guest houses, hostels, motels, hospitality exchange, second homes, etc.) travellers will encounter, as well as rough price ranges. Relevant regulation should be described (if foreigners are prohibited from owning a summer house, if foreign hotel guests need to register with the authorities, etc).

Small City, Big City, Rural area, Park, and District articles should include listings. Other articles should avoid specifics, but can mention national/regional chains and discount programs.

Listings should be divided, if necessary, by price, location or style of accommodation. For instance, camp grounds, caravan parks or bed-and-breakfasts could each be given separate subsections, separating them from subsections for conventional hotels, motels and inns.

Stay safe

Used in any destination article, and travel topics and itineraries when relevant. Optional.

Words of warning for travellers not familiar with the area's climate or culture. Include crime safety, dangerous traffic, natural hazards (pests, dangerous animals, severe weather, etc.), regions of war and civil unrest, and any other significant dangers, with links to relevant topics in the stay safe category. If there are local or national safety contacts, note them.

Keep the amount of information about a specific danger in proportion to the risk, as well as travellers' likely concerns for the danger. Very unlikely dangers (such as rare poisonous animals) might only have to be mentioned in brief.

When there are extreme dangers, such as armed conflict, the template {{Warningbox}} can be used.

Wikivoyage should not substitute professional legal or medical advice. In some cases, a disclaimer might be needed.

Keep a serious tone, and save the jokes for other sections.

See Wikivoyage:Illegal activities policy for policy about how to describe illegal activities which might involve a traveller. Wikivoyage should not give advice on how to violate local law or evade authorities. Activities illegal in many countries (consuming cannabis, coca, etc.) are described in places where they are legal.

According to Wikivoyage:No advice from Captain Obvious, universal risk factors and precautions (such as pickpocketing or severe weather) should be noted in articles on destinations where they are particularly important, with destination-specific advice where appropriate, but need not be described everywhere.

Stay healthy

Optional but strongly recommended for Country articles; most other articles use Stay safe for warnings or Cope for local clinics and pharmacies.

This section is for medical information, including local health hazards, pharmacies, and the general standard and cost of health care. Note any significant outbreaks of contagious diseases, recommended shots, and requirements for obtaining medicine or medical attention in the country. If there are national hotlines for medical emergencies, or local numbers that are standardized (like 112 in Europe or 911 in North America), list them here.

Respect

Used in any destination article, but mostly in higher levels of the hierarchy. Optional, but strongly recommended for Country articles.

List here any common mistakes visitors make about the area in question. In many parts of the world, certain parts of the body, buildings, people, or other objects are subject to custom and etiquette that may be different from the traveller's home culture. Should short-sleeved shirts and short pants be avoided in churches or temples? Is it OK to eat with your left hand? What about respect for the elderly, children, government officials, etc.?

Don't repeat information that should already be known by a majority of visitors, or that is common to most cultures. Much of that information is already found in the travel topic "Respect", and we don't need to have it in every country article.

May have a separate LGBT subsection. If LGBT people risk harsh punishments or getting in danger without being unreasonably disrespectful, put the section in Stay safe instead.

Connect

Required in country articles, optional elsewhere. Usually present in city articles.

This section varies greatly depending on the level of the hierarchy. It contains information about staying in contact.

For country articles, discuss phone networks and the telephone country code; postal services; and prevalence of Internet access. For lower levels in the hierarchy, provide more specifics, including Wi-Fi hotspots, local mobile phone SIM cards and outlets, internet cafés, area codes, and the like.

City articles typically list public Internet access points, but may also mention post offices and parcel services. Libraries often appear in this section if they offer open Wi-Fi, public access computers or other communication infrastructure. If a remote community has no mobile telephone coverage or other specific obstacles to communication, say so here.

Cope

See also: Wikivoyage:Listings#Places of worship

Used in any destination article, but mostly in lower levels of the hierarchy. Optional.

This section is for common non-emergency services that the traveller might need but which don't fit in any of the main categories: haircuts, babysitting, pet care, embassies, consulates, religious services, etc.

It's optional in Country articles too but, if present could contain subsections such as:
"Consular assistance" giving pointers to the city articles where individual consular listings are to be found, especially where the locations are not obvious
"Newspapers" especially local English language publications in non-Anglophone countries
"Radio" especially local English language stations in non-Anglophone countries or local AM/FM frequencies of broadcasters such as the BBC World Service, Deutsche Welle, etc.

Nearby

Applies only to small City articles, where it is poorly-standardised and very rarely used.

Splitting "Nearby"/"Go next" is one option to handle the special case where a small town is separated by several miles of open pasture land from a handful of tiny villages.

Divide this into subsections, naming one for each village. Each subsection should contain a brief description of the village, its location and the individual listings for its one or two points of interest.

Don't create this if the "villages" are merely contiguous suburbs which should be treated as part of the main city. Don't create this for adjacent settlements which have enough content for their own article – links to adjacent destination pages belong in "Go next" (below).

Go next

Optional for Country articles. Optional but strongly recommended for Region and City articles.

Information about nearby destinations that would serve as a good "next stop". Provide a brief description of suggested next destinations, adjacent cities or day-trip ideas. If there are no destinations to sensibly suggest, leave the section out.

Don't use the section as a reverse "Get in". Descriptions of connections should be in "Get in" even when they make more sense for going next (except when it comes to day trips by bike or steam train or the like).

This section contains {{routebox}}es and links to adjacent destinations which have Wikivoyage articles. It should not include detailed listings for individual venues. As listings for transportation companies and their local terminals are already in "Get in", don't duplicate that information here.