For more than 25 years, Odysseys Unlimited has focused on providing the best in affordable small group travel – just 12 to 24 guests, guaranteed. Small group travel is all that we do – and all that we’ve ever done since we opened our doors in 1998. Read on to learn about our unrivaled combination of excellent value, high quality, superior accommodations and amenities, and guaranteed small groups.
The small size of our groups allows us to move about more flexibly and efficiently; enjoy more spontaneous and authentic encounters; and experience a degree of freedom and independence not possible on conventional tours of 40 or more.
Our small groups create opportunities for the unplanned moments that get to the very heart of travel: meeting a Maasai elder in Kenya …raising a glass with friendly locals in an Irish pub … exchanging smiles with Costa Rican schoolchildren.
You’ll see the major sights – and go behind the scenes: to private homes and traditional villages, local schools and chefs’ kitchens, to a Patagonian ranch and a Japanese tea ceremony.
With Odysseys Unlimited, you won’t feel like you’re part of a herd – we value your independence and individuality as much as you do. Our tours leave time for independent exploration and select meals on your own.
We design our tours specifically for our small groups of just 12 to 24 guests, so you’ll enjoy more personal, authentic encounters. And simply because of our small size, we can move around faster and easier, leaving more time for seeing and doing.
We believe that good accommodations can enhance your overall tour experience – and great accommodations can contribute to a great trip. So, we select those lodgings that offer our 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 a local ambience that larger groups never experience.
These are the Deluxe, Superior First Class, and First Class accommodations we use in major cities wordwide, including well-known chain hotels as well as independently owned properties.
Perhaps our most interesting lodgings, these cater to small groups and independent travelers, and generally are not available to conventional groups of 40 or more. From the historic paradores of Spain and pousadas of Portugal to a traditional Japanese ryokan or a Tuscan villa, these accommodations often are destinations in themselves.
We believe that personal attention is key to an outstanding travel experience, so we’ve ensured that it’s a hallmark of Odysseys Unlimited. It starts with our Travel Counselors when you reserve your trip and then continues on the road with your Odysseys Unlimited Tour Director. Our experienced, professional tour directors rank among the best in the business; their love of travel is equaled only by their desire to share their enthusiasm and knowledge with others.
And traveling in a small group means that your tour director will have more time to spend with you and more time to share the personal insights that can add so much to your experience. This helps to make your trip genuinely special – and different from conventional tours.
We invite you to compare our tours to those of other travel companies. You’ll find lower priced tours – with unwieldy groups of 40 or more, or less than desirable hotels. You’ll also find small group tours labelled "Deluxe" – with prices to match. What you won’t find are tours with the combination of value, quality, superior accommodations and amenities, and guaranteed small groups that we offer.
Our small group tours include a great deal of thoughtful and engaging sightseeing and activities, from city touring and scenic excursions to museum visits and cultural performances – and so much more, as you’ll see on each tour. And unlike with many other travel companies, we won’t pressure you to buy optional tours at additional cost.
A deposit of just $475 confirms your reservation, which you can make with a personal check or major credit card: American Express, MasterCard, Discover, and VISA are all accepted. Best of all, your deposit is fully refundable up to 95 days before departure (155 days for Burgundy Barging). It’s easy to reserve your tour with us; simply call toll-free, 1-888-370-6765, Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Eastern Time.
Experienced travelers know that tipping is an expected element of worldwide travel, but at times it can become a nuisance or inconvenience. For that reason, we’ve eliminated the worry by including in your tour price all gratuities for local guides and drivers, airport and hotel porters, and dining room servers. Gratuities for your Odysseys Unlimited Tour Director and shipboard personnel (if your tour includes a cruise) are not included and should be extended on a voluntary basis, in recognition of truly excellent service.
We are honored to have been named seven times as one of the “World’s Best Tour Operators” by the readers of Travel + Leisure in the magazine’s prestigious annual poll. In addition, we have been cited as a Readers’ Choice Honoree by Condé Nast Traveler and one the 10 Best Tour Companies by USA Today.
* Brown * Cornell * Dartmouth * Duke * Emory * Georgia Tech * Harvard * Iowa State * Michigan State * National Trust for Historic Preservation * Northwestern * Ohio State * Oregon State * Penn State * Princeton * Rice * Smithsonian Journeys * Texas A&M * Tufts University * UC Berkeley * UCLA * University of Chicago * University of Colorado * University of Michigan * University of Minnesota * University of North Carolina * University of Notre Dame * University of Pennsylvania * University of Texas * University of Virginia * University of Washington * University of Wisconsin * Vanderbilt * Virginia Museum of Fine Arts * Williams College * World Affairs Council
Odysseys Unlimited is a BBB Accredited Business; a member in good standing of the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA); and holds appointments to International Airlines Travel Agent Network (IATAN) and Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA).
Our itineraries list a rating beside each hotel. Rather than impose our own subjective ratings, our source is the standard travel industry manual, Hotel & Travel Index, which ranks hotels throughout the world based on standard criteria. This allows you to effectively judge the value of a particular trip and accommodations, and to make an educated decision relative to other travel companies.
Geared to travel professionals in the travel industry, the Hotel & Travel Index’s classification system comprises three categories: Deluxe, First Class, and Tourist Class. Within each category, a lodging may be rated superior, moderate, or with limited service to further define it.
Some hotels may be too small, too new, or too remote to be included in the Index, so we list them as Not Rated. This in no way implies inferior quality or service. Please note that our small ships are not included in the Index; their ratings here are based on the classifications of their operators.
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