1 888 370 6765
My Odyssey
1 888 370 6765
Odysseys Unlimited
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Frequently Asked
Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

About Odysseys Unlimited

Odysseys Unlimited is a direct marketer of guided tours designed specifically for small groups of 12 to 24 guests. Since our founding more than 25 years ago, we’ve served the travel needs of more than 100 of America’s most prestigious nonprofit organizations.  While our tours are now available to all travelers, we continue to serve our client institutions, including alumni associations of the following colleges and universities, among other organizations: Brown, Harvard, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Notre Dame, Oregon State, Smithsonian Journeys, UCLA, University of Michigan, University of Pennsylvania, University of Washington, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, and World Affairs Council.

We design our tours specifically for small groups of just 12 to 24 guests, guaranteed, which enables us to move about with more flexibility and efficiency, enjoy more spontaneous encounters, and experience a degree of freedom and independence not available to travelers on conventional group tours of 40 or more. An experienced, professional tour director accompanies the group throughout the tour. We see the highlights and go behind the scenes – as well as leave time for independent exploration.

We offer a diverse array of small group tours throughout the world, ranging in length from 11 days to three weeks: Europe on and off the beaten path; adventures in Africa and Asia; far reaching journeys to Australia and New Zealand; The Americas – North, South, and Central – all with unique features available only to small groups. And, an experienced Odysseys Unlimited Tour Director is on hand to manage the details, often to provide an insider’s view, and to always to share enthusiasm for the people and places you encounter.

You can reach Odysseys Unlimited by email at [email protected] or toll-free at (888) 370-6765, Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Eastern Time. Please click here for additional information.

Traveling with Odysseys Unlimited

Most of our travelers range between the ages of 50 and 80, though we do host those under 50. On occasion, we receive requests from travelers who would like to travel with children or grandchildren; they are welcome, but must be at least 12 years of age.

We welcome all travelers, but request that you be in fairly good health to participate in an Odysseys Unlimited tour. All of our tours involve a reasonable amount of walking, often uphill or on uneven or cobblestone streets. You must be able to get on and off motorcoaches on your own. We regret that we cannot provide individual assistance; in such cases, you must be accompanied by a companion who will assist you. Please note that our itineraries cannot accommodate wheelchairs.

We absolutely welcome single travelers on our small group tours. On most of our tours, you will find a combination of singles traveling alone, singles traveling together, and couples. Our experienced tour directors work to ensure single travelers feel comfortable and part of the group.

We do not have a roommate matching program, but we do enable interested guests to contact one another and determine whether they wish to share a room on tour. Should you have further questions, please don't hesitate to contact us by email at [email protected] or toll-free at (888) 370-6765, Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Eastern Time.

Yes. After your first tour with us, you will save $100 per person off the published brochure price of your next Odysseys Unlimited tour; $200 per person after your third tour; and $300 per person after 10 tours. You may use this frequent traveler credit as many times as you would like. In addition, your frequent traveler credits never expire.

We do make every effort to meet such dietary needs as vegetarian, low-salt, etc.; unfortunately, we are unable to provide Kosher meals. And while we do our best to accommodate food allergy concerns, we cannot guarantee zero cross-contamination. We send all dietary requests to our tour directors, who work to the best of their ability with the restaurants and hotels on tour to accommodate dietary needs.

We welcome and encourage you to share photos and short videos from your Odysseys Unlimited tour. You can send them to us at [email protected].

What to Share

We are looking for pictures and videos of you and your fellow travelers engaging in tour activities. For example, a picture or video of you and your travel partner shopping in a bazaar; the group taking a cooking class; folks enjoying a special dinner or an interaction with a local person; etc. When emailing us a picture or video, please include your name, address, name of the tour, travel dates, and a brief caption for the picture(s) or video(s) that identifies the location.

Photo and Video Reuse

All photos and videos submitted to us via email are subject to be used by our Marketing team. Submissions may be used for Odysseys promotional efforts, including being printed in our brochures, posted on the Odysseys Unlimited website, posted on Odysseys Unlimited’s social media accounts, or used in company videos.

For images to be considered for our brochure, please send original high-resolution images (300 dpi). Please do not send images that have been saved from personal social media accounts as they are low resolution.

We regret that we may not be able to add photo credits.

We invite you to connect with us on our social media by Liking us on Facebook and Following us on Instagram to receive our updates in your feed.

Join the conversation! Post your thoughts about travel…tell us where you’re thinking of going…where you’d like to see us go.  Show us your photos and videos…engage in conversations with fellow travelers…

You can also tag us in any Odysseys-related posts you make on social media:

Facebook: @odysseysunlimited
Instagram: @odysseysunltd

Facebook

Hop over to our Facebook page for daily updates on just about everything travel-related. From tour director profiles to photos from the road and office updates to interesting travel articles, we’re making our Facebook page the virtual place to be. Like our page and join the discussion!

Instagram

Cheetahs, alpacas, and hippos…oh, my! Traveler photos of these exotic creatures grace our Instagram page, vying for space with tour director submissions, photographs from our employees’ travels, pictures of locals we meet on tour, and behind-the-scenes content from Odysseys. Follow our page and join the fun!

Blog

Visit our blog, a space where we share stories, tips, photos, videos, and updates relating to the world of travel.

YouTube

Check out our YouTube channel to see videos from the road from Odysseys Unlimited Tour Directors and occasional updates from the office.

Reservations

To  reserve your tour, we require a deposit of $475 per person. Please have your credit card information available (or you may send a check), as well as each guest's home address, telephone number, and email address. In addition, we will need to obtain from you the following information, in accordance with the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) Secure Flight program: for international tours – your full name, date of birth, and gender as it appears on your passport; for domestic tours – your full name, date of birth, and gender as it appears on the accepted form of government-issued photo identification that you plan to use. For further information, please visit www.tsa.gov.

We accept all major credit cards (Visa®, MasterCard®, American Express®, Discover®) or personal check.

You will receive a full refund if you cancel your tour up to 95 days before departure (155 days for Burgundy Barging). If Odysseys Unlimited cancels your tour because of low enrollment or an unforeseen event, you will receive a complete refund of all payments you have made to us. Refunds for cancellations inside of 95 days (155 days for Burgundy Barging) are subject to the per-person charges found in our General Terms and Conditions.

Yes. We recommend that you purchase a travel protection plan to help protect you and your travel investment against the unexpected. Unforeseen events such as flight delays due to adverse weather, baggage loss, or even a sudden sickness or injury could impact your travel plans. For your convenience, we offer a Travel Protection Plan provided by Generali – U.S. Branch and administered by Trip Mate, a Generali Global Assistance & Insurance Services brand. To review the full plan details online, go to www.tripmate.com/wpGR350 to retrieve your state-specific plan document.

Please see a summary of the plan benefits below:

  • Trip Cancellation
  • Trip Interruption
  • Travel Delay
  • Medical and Dental
  • Emergency Assistance and Transportation
  • Accidental Death & Dismemberment – Travel Accident
  • Baggage
  • Baggage Delay

Non-Insurance Assistance Services (Provided by Generali Global Assistance’s designated provider)

  • 24-Hour Assistance Services
  • Concierge Services
  • FootprintID®

*Per-person and per-plan benefit limits apply.

Restrictions, exclusions, and limitations apply to all insurance coverages and assistance services. Plan benefits, limits, and provisions may vary by state/jurisdiction and not all coverage is available in all states/jurisdictions. The cost charged is for the Travel Protection Plan, which includes insurance benefits underwritten by Generali – U.S. Branch, as well as non-insurance assistance services provided by Generali Global Assistance’s designated provider and FootprintID® Medical Records Service.

If you purchased your Odysseys Unlimited trip prior to March 1, 2023, please visit www.tripmate.com/wpn425 for your state-specific plan documents.

Accommodations

We select hotels that we believe are the best for a particular trip and experience – those that offer guests the best combination of quality, value, and atmosphere for each destination. Our hotels in major cities are usually centrally located so guests can get around easier; our unique lodgings are often out of the way, offering our tour members a local ambiance that larger groups never experience. Typically, our hotels include Deluxe, Superior First Class, and First Class properties.

Air Travel

If desired, guests may make their own air arrangements by reserving their tour as “land only” and receiving a reduction in the tour price.

Travel Requirements

A passport valid for at least six months after the completion of your tour is required for U.S. citizens on all of Odysseys’ international tours. For all domestic tours where we fly into a U.S. city to begin the tour and/or out of a U.S. city at the end, you must present a valid U.S. government-issued photo ID. Beginning May 7, 2025, your government-issued photo ID must be REAL-ID compliant (or you can present an alternate form of ID, such as a passport). If you are not a U.S. citizen, please contact your embassy or G3 Global Services, the visa service provider we recommend, for information about required travel documents.

If your tour requires a visa, we will send you specific visa and entry requirements after you make a reservation. You are responsible for obtaining these documents. To obtain a visa, we recommend G3 Global Services.

This information can be found in the following blog post: Essential Knowledge: Passports and REAL ID.

Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET

Share your great adventures with us on social media. Tag your pictures with #myodyssey and they may be featured on our website!

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