Tourism in Bangladesh is expanding, but user-friendly travel apps customized to local preferences are few; most overwhelm travelers with material that lacks guidance. The purpose of this research was to utilize user-centered design (UCD) principles for creating and testing a customized mobile trip-planning app for Bangladeshi users to simplify logistics while maintaining its cultural significance. A survey involving 42 individuals was used to elicit design requirements, which examined pain points and desirable functionality. An interactive prototype was created to address specified needs such as budget tracking, accessibility levels, and destination recommendations. This prototype’s usability and user experience were evaluated by 46 participants who completed the standardized System Usability Scale (SUS) and the shorter version of the User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ-S). Testing the SUS yielded a mean score of 71.68 out of 100, indicating ease of use. The mean evaluations for UEQ-S items varied from 0.9 to 1.9, indicating positive views. The majority (60.9%) of the participants were willing to use the fully functional version of the proposed app. The findings indicate that there is a demand for travel apps built for domestic travel in Bangladesh that fit what users need and want locally. Step-by-step improvement by increasing significant Bangladesh-centric details appears to be the way forward. This gradual enhancement of the app may lead to wider use for easier in-country travel planning.