Absolutely amazing. We started our journey in Reykjavik with 22 other couples from the States. Our tour guide, Sol, was great! She was a native Icelander and provided us both information and hands on experience in Iceland. The mountains are beautiful and scenic, the water is pristine, and the sky is really a rich royal color. The historic architecture is well preserved and the land is spacious and uncluttered with urban sprawl. The Icelandic People are extremely friendly and their food, especially their fish and chips are the absolute best I've ever had the good fortune of tasting, and their fries would certainly make Ronald McDonald cry! The fries are fresh and crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, and certainly not like the ones we get here, where they are crunchy in the outside and harder on the inside. The journey was certainly one off off our bucket list, and deserving of a revisit soon! read more

Odyssey's Unlimited tour of Southern Italy & Sicily As far as we are concerned it was not a pleasant experience at all! Starting from the flights which were the worst due to the economy seats, times, missed connection because we were not allowed enough time to get through the airport, customs, gates, etc. Discovery Airlines was the lowest of the low as far as service, accommodations and comfort. Missing 2 days of our tour really put a damper on our trip. The food on the trip was not at all what we expected from Odyssey after hearing "5 star - everything included " - 5 star? 2 at best! We spent more time on a bus than we expected. At least 3 days we were on for 5-6 hours. The day trips 2 hours each way. Then stopping at gas stations or truck stops to use the restrooms was disgusting. When we had time to ourselves we were left in tourist traps to "shop". How many magnets and aprons do we need to buy? The food as I mentioned was disappointing. One night we were served a bowl of beans, half a boiled potato and a boiled piece of chicken. When we mentioned it to our tour director she said "It's the food of the region." We had two nice dinners with the group. The rest of the time we had meager portions and basic food. We enjoyed our dinners on our own better. I hate to say that this experience has squashed my desire to travel with Odysseys ever again. We have traveled with Trafalger to Rome and Tuscany and the experience was far better. Motor coach w/bathrooms, better restaurants and a more lively and exciting tour. I am disappointed with the value and experience of this trip for the money we paid. When you are counting the days until you get home, that tells you it wasn't a good fit for us. read more

I signed up for an African adventure for this June 14th, it cost $15,000. On April 10th I found out that my Dad, who I live with, was placed in hospice and give 6 weeks to live. I contacted Odysseys to see if they would post pone my travel adventure, due to my father passing soon. They said "No". They said that they would not reschedule and that they would not refund me my money. What a horrible group of people! read more

We were on a Costa Rica's Natural Heritage tour in February (2025). The natural history experiences and sites we visited and animals we saw were great. Much of our enjoyment came down to the expertise and personality of our guide. He was superb. All of the negatives could have been avoided by better planning and more transparency in the company's marketing. The hotels at the start and end of the trip, while five star properties, had nothing to do with Costs Rica and could have been anywhere. Top memories? Saw the largest shopping mall and swimming pool in Central America. Furthermore, giving us a free day at the JW Marriot wasn't a plus. It is basically inaccessible to anything you might want to get to. (I honestly felt like I was being held hostage there.) Huge negative. Hours and hours spent on a (nice) bus. Most days averaged between four and seven hours. Not what we signed up for. The hours spent sitting in San José's traffic could have been avoided by a better hotel choice than the Intercontinental in Escazú. Another negative. Far too much time dining. I get that serving 18 people takes time. But, we don't need three courses every night. I communicated my concerns to the company before writing this review. Their response was not what I had hoped for. They "will be re-evaluating our partner hotels" and "pre-departure materials in the hopes of further emphasizing that lengthy motorcoach rides can be anticipated." They've been doing this itinerary for awhile now. These concerns can't be new. I would look at other alternatives to OU in the future. read more

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Odysseys Unlimited is the Kaiser Permanente of travel companies. Beware-- when you sign up for Odysseys' tour, your needs will only be taken care of...if you don't have any actual needs. We are well traveled and have never done a group tour but we decided to use a tour company for the first time because of the logistics involved with getting to Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca. All was well...until it wasn't. About 75% of the group came down with a stomach virus midway through the trip and about 36 hours before an 11 hour bus ride. Unfortunately, I was late to the game and started to get sick a few hours before departure, requiring us to cancel on the 11 hour bus ride. While we did not expect the company to pay for our logistics, we did expect them to help us arrange a hotel for the next 3 days and help us coordinate a flight back to Lima, our departure city to the United States. We were told that since we were cancelling, we were on our own, and offered no assistance. Oh, and the toll free number we were given as 24/7 hotline if we needed it...was disconnected. But hey, when we wrote them a letter about our negative experience they were oh so generous as to offer us a $200 PP credit on our next trip. Ah, no thank you. P.S. The local guides were very good and knowledgeable, but we could have easily just paid for a private tour and gotten far better overall service. read more

We've turned twice with Odyssey Unlimited. Their prices are reasonable. The locations of the hotels are fantastic, the tour guards are professional, and go above and beyond, and the local guides are very knowledgeable and fun. read more

The following letter was send to the president of Odysseys Unlimited few days ago. April 2nd, 2024 Dear Sir, We hope the past several weeks were a lot better for you than for us while we were exploring Mystical India! Oh excuse me.....Miserable India is a more appropriate term. Why, you may ask. Because, 2 - 3 days after we got there we had a lunch in a restaurant and the entire group (except one) got sick from food poisoning. It was NOT several members as you stated in your letter to us. Semantics matter. And your remedy? Free booze for everyone. Great idea when you are healthy, but not when your stomach leaks. The visit to the village with the camels was terrible idea. When you wake up with soiled sheets and you can not take a decent shower due to the lack of hot water and broken shower head makes things even more unbearable. Forget the Ranthambore National Park, forget the Special dinner where we were invited to go. Four walls was the great Indian Scenery we both experienced. Ok.... On to Agra!!! We were looking forward to take a decent shower there , BUT, it was not to be!!! No hot water pressure and the water was FULL of RUST!!! Since we didn't want to become IronMan/Woman...no shower for us. Yes, we have the pics to show. The water did not clear almost till the next morning. Yes, our condition improved a little after the Dr. gave us some pills and injection, but our stomachs were in a very rebellious mood, still. The filth and unbearable piles of garbage of India behind us now, on to Nepal. Things didn't get much better. The bathroom in the hotel had BLACK mold around the sink, toilet and shower with rusted metal to match. Black and white color make a nice combination in a house, BUT this combination is unacceptable. The first day the group was taken down a hillside along residential houses where many members of the group kept taking pics of the homes, hanging laundry and what ever was in peoples back yards. How preposterous! Why the guide allowed such behavior? Don't people have any respect for privacy anymore. Shameful and embarrassing behavior. Anyway, the rest of the day we spend in our rooms, because there was nothing to do. A wasted day. No need to go on and on, we just want to forget this trip. I hope you got the picture of our adventure. After three relatively good trips with Odisseys, this was the trip from Hell. We are terrified about going in a few weeks to visit the Silk Road. I am sure nothing will be done, but at least I got it off my chest. Now that we are on Tera Firma we can continue with our recuperation. Cordially .......NEVER AGAIN read more

Great tour to Sintra, Pena, and Cascais! Mario was excellent! His driving was great and I enjoyed him providing a lot of history for the sights we visited. I would definitely book this tour again read more

Great trip to Italy. We did the Portrait of Italy! Nice hotels. Very organized. Best tour guide! Roberta was very personable, knowledgeable, organized and made the trip so fun! From booking until we got home not one problem or complaint! read more

Excellent leaders and drivers make the tour: Heather Patenaude and our driver Nathan made our small group of 16 feel like a big extended family that was all traveling together and having a blast doing it. Great attractions, wildlife, scenery and accommodations on the Canadian Rockies Explorer, despite itinerary adjustments because of the Jasper wildfires tragedy. read more

Be aware folks! This tour company claims to be a "small group" tour company. But in reality, they sell the group to a local carrier to be combined with other passengers. At the end, you have a large group of army consists of 40 to 60 passengers. This is happening to more and more of their tours, the Turkey tour would be a good example. Odyssey Unlimited is not a small tour company after all, they are more like a "travel pimp", excuse my expression. read more

This company used to be ok but now it has changed to a cold hearted, profit oriented corporation. One member fell from Greek ruins and broke her arm, she was trying her best to be with the tour, but the tour director has decided to abandon her. Another member got assaulted in the hotel by some local thugs and the tour director turned blind eyes to the situation. The tour director only cares about taking the group to shops, not site seeing. If the group does not spend enough money to meet tour directors commission quota, the group will not be allowed to leave those shops. They will close the door and trap everyone inside and have many sales person approaching you one by one, until you are tired and willing to buy their products. read more

Odysseys Unlimited Tour of Sicily In-Depth   We booked a trip to Sicily for August in January. We paid in full, which included trip insurance and an upgrade to Premium Economy class. We inquired about the airlines they book for the Sicily tour. The agent presented a suitable list. We received the airplane itinerary in early June. The airline booked was not satisfactory, nor was the hub we were going to. The airline was not on the list that the agent presented to us. I contacted them by phone immediately and requested that they change the airline. I explained that we did not feel safe with the route and airline. I found alternative airlines and hubs that would work, but the agent was uncooperative with making any changes. At this point, I was distraught and canceled our booking. Odysseys Unlimited charged a hefty 25% fee to cancel. The cancelation fee amounted to slightly under 5K. The agent suggested I put in a claim for the 5K through the trip insurance. Trip insurance did not cover it.   Beware of this company. They proved to be inflexible and not forthcoming. We would not have booked this trip knowing what airline they would be using. The agent stated there was no cancellation penalty for 95 days before the departure date. We received the airline itinerary 85 days before the departure date, this was not in their 95 day window. We canceled the next day. The agent would not provide any accommodation for our safety concerns. We are feeling sad after this experience with Odysseys Unlimited and done with organized tours! read more

Recently traveled with Odyssey on the Sicily in-depth tour. Having traveled with other companies I can say that Odyssey is top notch. You really get value for your money as tips, many extra meals and excursions are all included in the price. Accommodations were very much above par, tours were accompanied with local guides. Highly recommend and I'm a picky traveler. read more

We had high hopes when we made our reservations with Odyssey. We scheduled the dates we selected specifically because we were told there would be availability for the Easter Island pre-tour AND because there was a high likelihood we could get business class airline seats on the overnight flights. After they received full payment we were told neither was possible. And the only way we found out our Easter Island segment was cancelled was a small sentence on our itinerary when we signed into our portal. So we cancelled and were told we would get a full refund back to the credit cards the charges were made on. But, alas the full amount was not credited to our cards. And I had to point that out to the woman handling the transaction. I asked for her to refund the additional amounts to my husband's credit cards but she said that was not at all possible. Why in the world she couldn't refund the amounts to his original form of payment is beyond me. But she ASSURED US we would get the checks within two weeks. Three weeks later no checks and we had to follow up with them to find out why. There was a "glitch" in their system. Now my husband has to call them to speak to a specific person to arrange a wire transfer. While at first we were terribly disappointed about not being able to take this trip, if the trips they run are like the way they handle refunds, we definitely dodged a bullet. We would never recommend them to anyone. read more

PLEASE NOTE: This review posted on Yelp under the profile of someone named Neil in Phila. This is not me my name is Sheila McLaughlin from Exton, Pa. On a recent trip to Italy with Odysseys Unlimited my husband's backpack was lost/stolen in transfer from Rome to Orvieto. He handed the backpack to the driver and watched him place it in the luggage compartment of the bus. This was witnessed by others in the group. The bags were later transferred to a smaller van for transport to the hotel since buses are not allowed in Orvieto. The group continued on to dinner and upon arrival at the hotel later that evening the bag was missing. The tour operator checked with the bus and van drivers and personal at the hotel but the bag was gone. Inside the bag were numerous personal items, medication, a medical device for sleep apnea, cash and most distressing of all his PASSPORT! Odysseys Unlimited responded they are not responsible for lost/stolen bags (even while in the care of their contractors) and directed us to file a claim with the travel insurance company. Odysseys Unlimited apologized for the"unfortunate incident" and any "inconvenience" caused. The secure transfer of luggage from one hotel to another while on tour is an essential TRUST between the customer and the tour company. In this case, Odysseys FAILED in their obligation. The tour operator on site was wonderful assisting us to file a police report and helping us get to the American Consulate in Florence to purchase an emergency passport. This was much more than an "inconvenience" the anxiety and stress caused greatly impacted our enjoyment of the second half of this tour. Odysseys Unlimited was highly recommended to us and while many aspects of the trip was worthy of that praise the failure of their baggage transfer procedures is cause for ALARM for all customers. Sheila McLaughlin Exton, Pa read more

I am 77 years old and have been travelling for over 50 years and taken over 100 trips. I have made 3 complaints in all that time and 2 were about Odyssey. I took their Africa Wildlife tour in Nov. 2022. There were hundreds of bugs in our tent and I took pics and sent them to Odyssey. That was the 1st complaint. They gave me a credit of $150 and because I loved the tour itself and because they changed the bug lodge, I took it again in Nov. 2023. This was the 2nd complaint. 1st trip 14 hour thru NJ then non stop to Africa, great. 2nd trip 36 hours in airports and on planes. They sent me, 77 years old on a 12.5 flight to Doha, with a 10 HOUR LAYOVER, then 8.5 more to Africa. I tried to change this flight but they refused and told me, rudely, that I could get my own flights if I didn't like it. I literally could barely walk when I got off the plane after sitting on hard seats for 36 hours and had to be lifted into the van to the hotel and could not even go on the tour the next day. The first trip the guide was great. The second trip - NO. 2nd guy encouraged bullying and gossiping among the women, mostly against me (I was told this by a decent person on the tour) since I do not engage in that behavior. The tour was 10 people, mostly elderly women. This 2nd guide just sat there and let people bully others. Disgusting man. Then he tried to leave the tour early and told us he would leave us in a hotel day room and someone would pick us up and take us to the airport. I found this out because I asked why I would get a day room at the end of the tour for 2 hours in Zambia but no day room for a 10 hour layover in Doha. He said the Zambia airport was easy to get around - this was not true. Others complained so he decided he better stay but he was going to abandon elderly travelers in a strange airport in a foreign country. One of the women had already fallen down a moving escalator and had to call paramedics but in spite of that, he was going to leave us. I cannot walk long distances like thru airports and have to have a wheelchair because I have plates and screws holding my foot together. This guy left me to fend for myself while he helped everyone else check in their flights. On the 1st tour in 2022 I gave the tour guide $150 tip. I gave the 2nd guy nothing. And I know that the 6 old ladies only gave him a $25 tip each. Karma. read more

Scandinavia. Would not do it without a tour. Very well planned. The very best guide. Free time to do your thing too. Small groups. Good and easy flights/ ferries/ trains- all done for us. Slept on long bus rides when too much information... read more

We went to Patagonia With Odysseys. The individual tour guides were knowledgeable and personable. The organization of all the activiites and meals was perfectly handled. And we liked that there was time to ourselves as well and no 6 or 7AM start times like other tour companies! We have already signed up with them for another trip. read more

I am writing this review out of frustration with this organization. We receive large, glossy, multi page printed books in the mail MONTHLY from Odyssey Unlimited. So, monthly for the past year we have requested to be removed from their mailing list and again this week we received another - which immediately goes into the trash. We have called, emailed, 'returned to sender', sent back the address page and now resorted to shaming them on social media. This is an environmental irresponsibility and costly marketing tool which all customers of Odyssey Unlimited are paying for. Please think twice before signing up with Odyssey Unlimited. Update as of 8/2019 - we continue to received these large printed brochures - 3 or 4 since their response that the will remove us from the mail list. Ugh! read more

I trusted Odyssey to make the plane arrangements to Kathmandu in Nepal. I made a big mistake. What I wound up was an exhausting 30+ hour flight with two connections (New York and Doha in Qatar). When I arrived home, did a Kayak search and find out that there was a Seattle - Dubai - Kathmandu, with only one connection. This matters, as each time the plane landed, one had to go through customs and massive security checks. Finding the right terminal on the way back, even in New York City, was a hassle, as I had to get another boarding pass (a different airline operated that leg of the journey). It would have been much smoother and simpler if I had arranged for the air travel on my own. Once I got over my inhibitions, I could have easily phoned the Hyatt in Katmandu to send a taxi to pick me up at the airport. These were the most grueling flights I have experienced in 45+ years, and I am still trying to recover from the 35 hours of being either on one's feet, going through as many as 10 security checkpoints or having to produce one's boarding pass/passport at one single airport as well vainly looking for the correct departure gate when the number of the flight or the name of the connecting carrier is not posted on the electronic overhead boards, or slouched in an airplane with no room to move. (The most trying flight was the local Qatar Kathamandu to Doha flight, which was carrying mostly Nepalese workers to the Near East. When the person put his seat back, your face was six inches from it; you could not sit straight without hitting it. If I had flown SEA - HK - KAT, this would not have happened). (2) The single supplement was outrageous: an additional $1100. (3) Even though the company charges more than its competitors (O.A.T., Roads Scholars), Odysseys Unlimited nickeled and dimed: drinks were generally not included in meals, which often amounted to pizza or second-rate Western food, as many of the travelers evidently preferred a hamburger or pizza to eating first rate Nepalese-Tibetan-Bhutanese-Indian food. (4) My air arrangements were suddenly, one month before departure, without explanation, changed so that my flight was at 2:15 a.m. instead of 8:00 p.m. Initially I was charged an additional fee for staying an extra 6 hours in the day room at the Hyatt. The worst part was the air flight arrangements, which were evidently done so that the tour operator could meet all the travelers at the airport at the same time and bring them to the hotel, at minimal inconvenience to the local tour operator (Odyssey basically acts as a broker). Evidently, Odyssey does not concern itself much with the needs and wants of its customers, expecting its customers to fall to the allure of its glossy brochures and marketing. * * * * * One other thing that really bothered me was that of Kathmandu's two really outstanding sites (Durbar Square and Boudhanath), the latter was given short thrift by the tour guide. We arrived about 15 minutes before closing and hence were not able to really see the amazing stupa. In fact, we had dinner immediately after visiting a thongka shop. So we had little or no time to stroll around this very charming circular neighbor with its fascinating melange of Western and Nepalese/Tibetan architecture and its many boutiques and cafes. I can't think of another place on the planet that has its unique, somewhat antiquated but definitely upscale charm. Clearly, half a day should have been allocated to wandering around this stunning stupa and its immediate environs. The choice of the hotels--especially the Hyatt in Kathmadu, at the beginning of the tour, and the Zhiwaling in Patan (in Bhutan), at the very end--was, for the most part, fine. A few hotels left only one bottle of 500 ml. per person per day: again, nickeling and diming for no clear purpose. A telephone call to reception to either (1) get a wake-up call or (2) ask for more bottled water was impossible at two hotels, as the lines were not working. As you can't drink tap water in Nepal or Bhoutan, this was a minor inconvenience. * * * * * Among the "suggested reading" included in the information packet, it would have been very very nice to have included mention of the late Bernardo Bertolucci's 1993 film "Little Buddha," which was shot in Katmandu, Bhoutan, and Seattle. It likely would have provided a moving, visually stunning short introduction to Buddhism to the travelers without really any exposure to the religion. read more

My trip was cancelled after final payment was made and 90 days before departure due to not enough travelers. So if you are making your own plane reservations wait until the trip gets closer or book flights directly with Odysseys. I don't think it's right to cancel because there aren't enough travelers, but I see from other reviews that it does happen with this company. The representatives were professional and I was given a full refund and $ 100 pp for a future trip. I wanted to go on the next departure, but it would cost $800 more. I feel the price I paid should have been honored on the next available booking. read more

We went to Northern Italy Tuscany and Venice. This trip far exceeded anything I could have imagined! The guide was incredibly knowledgeable, personable, attended to individual needs as long as they were within reason and the way this trip was run there was nobody that was out of sorts or unhappy at any point of our trip! Each destination we had a PhD guide to give us more in-depth knowledge. It was run at a rapid pace however there is no way we could have seen everything that we saw, sample the foods of the region's or, had such wonderful accommodations in this price range if it wasn't organized the way it was through Odyssey! I rate them the highest rating they could get! read more

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I cannot say anything about the trip we planned and purchased for this May, 2020. In fact, I refused to entertain the idea the borders would close and the trip would be cancelled. However, I would like to say that Odessey Unlimited was the most perfect example of customer service. I chased a lot refunds for this trip (incredible delays) but not with them. Days after the trip was cancelled not due to myself or them my full refund appeared in my bank account. Truly was stand up. I hope to report back with my trip adventures and pictures when travel becomes accessible. read more

We are scheduled on a New Zealand tour in November and are already so frustrated with Odysseys Unlimited, I don't even want to go! First, they promote themselves as a high-end travel agency charging large prices, offering First Class and Superior Hotel Rooms, presenting glowing reviews and big catalogs with nice pictures. We received our flight information from LAX-NZ and were assigned seats in Row 52 of 55!!! A jumbo jet with four sections and we are seated in the cheapest seats on the plane by the bathrooms. We offered to upgrade, but were told we can't. The flight within NZ is on a turbo jet. Again, cheapest transportation available. We looked up the hotels and none are above 4.0 ratings, some even listed as "outdated". First Class and Superior hotels are 4.5 to 5.0. Our local Hampton Inn is rated 4.0. When you speak with their agents, they always have a reason why they can't accommodate our request. I feel taken advantage of by this company. For what they are delivering, we could have spent a month in Italy or six weeks in Hawaii. Very disappointed in what they are delivering vs. the cost of the trip. The value of the delivery is only 1/2 of what they are charging. My suggestion is look at other, well qualified travel companies that deliver what they promise. We've taken many wonderful trips with them. We should have read more reviews before signing up. read more

My husband and I traveled with Odysseys a number of times in the past and on March 4, left for Egypt with an extension to Jordan. We left home a bit skeptical and anxious about going in the first place. We were on a boat in Lake Nasser when the president said he was going to close air travel from Europe. The company was very responsive to our obvious concerns and cancelled the trip bringing everyone home through Dubai. They also fully refunded the entire cost of the trip. They provided and paid for additional lodging for people who made their own air arrangements. The tour was outstanding and we were sorry the circumstances made it impossible for us to continue the tour. I would highly recommend this company to others. read more

We have taken 6 trips with Odyssey from Eastern Europe to Myanmar, Africa, Croatia and more. we will soon leave for India and Nepal. Odyssey always delivers the full in-depth experience while providing high quality appropriate lodging located in the best possible location (ie: a balcony room on the lip of Ngorogoro Crater, Kenya listening to the Zebras and lions at night with a glass of wine). read more

Warning to anyone thinking about taking a tour with Odysseys Unlimited. They have very poor COVID protocols to protect their travelers although they do provide in-depth disclaimers of what they will do if you should happen to come down with COVID. Travel agencies we have travelled on recently to the EU now are either requiring testing to provide proof of a negative COVID result before joining a tour or have passengers fill out a form which states that they are negative for COVID and do not have any signs of COVID. Odysseys Unlimited does neither. In speaking with a representative today, I am told it is their policy to have the tour director look for warning signs. If you are considering Odysseys Unlimited for travel, be prepared to have someone sitting next to you on a coach with COVID and if you catch it from them, you get to pay for all of the quarantine expenses. read more

I signed up for an Odysseys Unlimited group trip to Tanzania through UCLA. The recommended insurance policy is FRAUDULENT - covering nothing and offering everything (should I be surprised?) The customer service my mother and I received throughout the entire experience with Odysseys was absolutely abysmal. When we had to reschedule flights we were told that it was our responsibility - even though we booked through Odysseys (and paid them). At every turn it felt as if we paid for something and were then told it was our responsibility to do it ourselves. NEVER use this unqualified, criminally inadequate, fraudulent tour operator. read more

We have taken Odysseys' Treasures of Peru and the Classic China & Yangtze tours. Both were excellent. The small group eases touring. They assign you one guide throughout the entire time and each location has a local guide added. The guides are awesome, assisting with everything needed and relay so much historical and culture information at every stop. The choice of hotels were great. They keep you moving, but enable you to experience as much as possible in a short time. In my opinion, if you pay to fly to far away places, you want to see as much as you can when there. We had no issues with flights, etc. We have now booked a third tour for next year - Paradores & Pousadas (Portugal & Spain). read more

My wife and I were planning the same trip to India with Odysseys that was reviewed earlier and I was concerned about the 5:00 am arrival time (on day 3 of the published itinerary, eliminating one night in a hotel which the traveler pays for). I made several calls to Odyssey to try to work out better connections, but got nowhere. I suggested leaving from Washington (one of their published departure cities) and paying extra for the flight from my city to Washington or flying out a day early. Their only suggestion was to wait until the date the final payment was required and, after it was sent, ask them to adjust the flights if I did not like them or to book my own airfare. They were pretty unresponsive to my concerns - something which made me concerned about how much help they would be if something went wrong during the trip. We booked with another tour company. read more

I've been receiving their catalogs for years, but as usual, we keep postponing to go. I'm glad we finally got the courage to just pick one of our dream tours and GO! They are small tours, ours was about 14 - 16 if you include the tour guide & the bus driver. The guy, Gerry, was very informative, and he made us laugh all the way . . . .and that's a plus if you're going to hire a guide, if you've not been in that country before. He also made sure that the food, hotel etc. are satisfactory with us, because he'd be writing about them and his manager would also want to know how we were treated. He really took care of us, like a mother hen! We took a two weeks tour, and to be honest? I didn't want to leave. They spoiled us! And that's what vacation is all about, to me. While there, we met up with another tour from Scandinavia, and you could tell they have one of those 'discount tours'. In order to save $$$, they were actually getting their snacks & coffee breaks, from the bus, and they have to eat them outside in the rain, in the cold east wind, and the lunches were prepared without gloves! During one of those very windy day, I actually saw a guy's coffee cup made of paper in a 3oz. container, blown away! We, on the other hand, like our check-in luggages were already in our bus or in our rooms by the time we got there. Entrance fees are also included to museums, ferry, etc. and we avoided the crowds, so we got in and fast without being rushed or getting in huge lines. The tips have been provided for us, and we don't have to worry where to go for dinner, and we were quite pleased with whatever sights we went. Eating in restaurants, the chefs do more to make their foods presentable, because they know we'll be writing about them if they don't! Doing this also, we don't have to worry, what other countries' foods taste like, and that was one concern of mine - why we put off traveling elsewhere! Now, I don't. Because our tour was quite small, our bus was comfortable enough, and we could sit anywhere we want and @ the same time, you get to know the people in your tour by name, than with larger groups. I think we got more bang for our $$$, than if we rented a car to sight-see. I will for sure, choose them again! * I believe you wrote a very nice web review of your time in Ireland. I would like to thank you so much for making that extra effort, as you were already very good to us. Odyssey's brought your article to my attention. Hopefully we will get to meet on further travels. Take care, Gerry. read more

Odysseys Unlimited Tours: A Review I am writing this on my return from Southern France, on an Odyssey Tours and want to share my experience with you in case you are considering booking a tour with this company. If you care about your travel accommodations and your hotel experience, I have one word for you. DON"T. If you're not fussy, then you should be fine. For me, it's about expectations. This is a company that boasts of luxury accommodations, but in truth, the rooms and the flights are based on the pricing they pay for group travel, and trust me, they are more interested in making a profit than the ultimate customer experience. The problems started two weeks before the departure date for the trip when I received a call from Odyssey that my return flight was messed up (they mistakenly had me returning from the wrong city). After a few frustrating phone calls where they tried to put me on a flight with a seven-hour wait-over in Munich, I was scheduled on a flight with Air Canada. That sounded fine. The times sounded fine, but I was unaware that this was an eight-hour flight to Montreal!!!! A direct flight to Boston takes six hours, but they told me that they were unable to do that since they were only contracted with specific airlines. There was no usable internet on this Air Canada flight (you evidently have to preload the app before takeoff, but no one bothered to mention that, since not all the instructions are in English), and there were no movies, or TV screen...it's basically an antiquated plane. This is NOT what I would expect from the booking on a luxury tour company. Further, most of the hotels on the trip were funky at best. The last one in Aix-en-Provence was nice to look at, but it was on a noisy street and the air conditioning, which they supposedly fixed in everyone's rooms, didn't work. The first night I opened the windows to be awakened at 4 am by trash pickup and at 5 by street cleaners. The hotel said they fixed the air and it worked for about three hours, but at breakfast in the morning, it became apparent from the stories by disgruntled tour members that no one was able to sleep. I was up since 4:30 a.m. that morning. It wasn't just that hotel. The other hotels had no air at all and in Avignon, when I opened the windows, I then spent the entire night swatting mosquitos as I tried to sleep. I am used to traveling on my own and know what nicer European hotels are like. Again, except for one exception in Perpignon, the company's brochure misrepresented the accommodations, which were described as first-rate hotels. Three out of four hotels were not even close. However, at that one hotel which I actually liked, the shower door leaked and got the floor all wet. I slipped when getting out of the very deep tub, skidding on the matt on the water-drenched floor, and fell and hurt my neck!!! The selections and destinations were lovely; France is a beautiful country and our guide was very knowledgeable, organized and capable, but I found the regimen of over-sized tedious meals ridiculous. I felt like I was one of the French ducks being force-fed. Who do they planning these trips for? I am an active, well-traveled, health-conscious woman and by the end of the trip, I had to go off on my own since I couldn't stand it any longer. People complained they couldn't sleep since we were all eating too much, too late at night. I had opted to share a room with a stranger since it was the only way I could go on this booked trip. I lost my husband last year and we had planned a similar trip on our own. To honor him, it felt important to me to go, so I agreed to a roommate. The hotel's "double" room was two twin beds shoved together to make a kind. I was horrified. They moved the beds one foot apart, all the room would accommodate, the roommate snored like a sailor, was intrusive and anti-Semitic, I refused to room with her. I wound up getting my own room at the last hotel and paid an extra $500 for it. With all of these frustrations, I am very unhappy with the total experience except for France itself and our guide. Asked a refund for $500 to make up for misrepresentation of the trip and inconveniences but they declined, saying that they were sorry and that they would pass my feedback along. I am also passing MY feedback along to you...and can only say, Buyer Beware. read more

I was looking forward to going to Australia and New Zealand. I contacted Smithsonian Journeys on October 10th 2022. They said they could get me the trip I wanted through thier partner Odysseys Unlimited. They sent me a invoice f with single occupancy hotels and a Business Class addons for a trip September 23rd 2023 to October 14 2023. I spoke to Odysseys Unlimited Oct 14th. Then I had to have them correct their invoice which did not show the Business class addon when they sent it to me. They sent me a new invoice. I followed up later and they told me to call back in two weeks about the business class seat. I did then I was told to call back in two weeks . I did and then I was told to call back in two weeks. Finally I canceled the whole thing January 4th 2023 when I was again being told to call back in two weeks. It appears from my end that they did not get on this fast enough and the limited business class seats were likely all booked out, though they never told me what the problem was. I told them several times that I would not fly that far and long if I could not get business class. So I cancelled my trip and then had to call Smithsonian Journeys to get my refund which was completed quickly. read more

We have travelled twice with Odyssey Unlimited and have had no problems. Our last tour was of Thailand and Cambodia as an add on. Our tour guide Kong did an excellent job guiding us. Our hotels were great, and whenever anyone had a concern, Kong more then went out of his way to a commodate them. Some of our group had a problem in Cambodia and Odyssey gave all of us a small refund for future travel. We went on the Japan tour and Thailand as mentioned. And we first learned of them through the Smithsonian tour to South Africa. Odyssey handled all the reservations for them and also provided the guide, whose knowledge was outstanding. I had to cancel another trip to Spain and Portugal because of an illness, but was compensated partly by Odyssey and he rest by Travel Mate, so I can't complain. read more

This tour company is the best in the world. I've been on two tours with them. In 2018 I went to China and Tibet. It was great. In March of 2020 I went to Peru. It was on this tour that Odysseys proved that they are the best in the travel industry. They treat their customers like royalty. The Peruvian government closed its borders because of the corona virus. All 24 of us in the travel group thought we would be stranded. Odysseys was on top of everything working with the US embassy and the Peruvian government to get us home. They arranged for all flights, put us up in a hotel, paid for all our meals, and additional flights to get us home safely. All of this and refunded the cost of the entire trip. In addition to that, they called each of us after we reached home to ensure we were OK. They are the BEST!!!!!!! read more

My wife and I throughly enjoyed our two week Odysseys Unlimited Insider's Japan tour during April. This was a great time to see cherry blossoms in bloom. Our Japanese tour guide, Emiko Sakurai, was OUTSTANDING! Emiko went all out to provide a fun and interesting tour for our group. She explained the significance of the sites we saw and nuances of Japanese culture. Our itinerary included Tokyo, Mount Fuji, Hakone, Takayama, Kanazawa, Kyoto and the extended tour to Hiroshima. All of the hotels were excellent and the Japanese meals added to the experience. Some meals had fixed menus, but those with special diet requirements were accommodated. Also, there was ample free time for shopping, independent exploration and dining. We debated traveling independently as we typically do in Europe. But there is no way we could have seen and experienced the many activities we enjoyed if we were traveling on our own. Japan is a very safe country to travel in, the people are very polite and helpful, but most Japanese do not speak English and signs are a real challenge. I would highly recommend that any first time travelers to Japan take an organized tour. Odysseys Unlimited did a great job with our initial booking and throughout our tour. Based on our terrific experience with Odysseys Unlimited, we are planning a future trip with them to Peru and Egypt/Jordan. read more

The level of incompetence and lack of professionalism of the agents and managers working for this agency is astounding!! I booked a trip to China and Tibet through Smithsonian Travel. The airline arrangments done by OU were awful. First, I explanined that I want to break the trip so that I will not end travelling for 24 hours. I live in Orlando and I asked if there is adirect flight to Beijing from Los Angeles; the answer was a resounding YES so I booked my flights to Beijing and the return from LAX LAX. When I got the reservation I found out that OS booked me on a flight from Vencouver to Beijing and that I has to wake up at 3 AM to catch a 6:30 flight from LAX to Vencouver and then fly to Beijing, the total trip time being some 17 hours instead of 10. I spent hours today on the phone with them to change that. Every time I talk to another agent who deliverts the same stupid line "We are a tour operator and we are limted in what we can." This incompetence cost me an additional $500 and a lot of nerves and time. I will end up flying from San Francisco to Bejing but I could not even get the seats I requested for the flight. This people should not be in the business as travel agents !! read more

GREEK ISLES on small ship Harmony G -- Aug. 2017 What a fabulous time -- lovely hotel in Athens, and cruise on the Harmony G to nine beautiful spots -- islands large and small. Small ship was perfect .. of course cabins small as expected tho bathrooms were surprisingly spacious! Ship's crew was helpful and courteous, food great. And our guide GEMMA was the absolute BESTt -- knowledgeable, helpful and fun. This is my second Odysseys Unlimited tour -- I didn't want it to end. I want to do it again! Thanks for a WONDERFUL TIME! read more

There are not enough superlatives to describe Odyssey Unlimited! My husband and I were recently on a tour of Peru when the border was quickly closed because of COVID-19 and the tour needed to be cancelled. Odyssey worked as quickly and as efficiently as possible to arrange safe travels for each of the 24 members in our group. They arranged for all hotel accommodations, meals, water, buses to and from the airports, assistance at the airports - everything. There was no cost to us for any of this. In addition, each person was telephoned by Odyssey while we were in Peru making sure we had everything we needed! Today we received a follow-up phone call at home from Odyssey. And the cost of the entire trip will be refunded. Our tour guide Francisco Arriz was the best - he remained calm and in control under very difficult circumstances, keeping us informed with both morning and late afternoon meetings, frequent emails, and printed letters from Odyssey. Definitely a 5 star company! read more