Odysseys Unlimited

A Massachusetts company built on small groups

Odysseys Unlimited is a tour company based at One Newton Place, 275 Washington Street, in Newton, Massachusetts, that runs its own escorted small-group tours abroad and in North America. The site presents the tours as its own ("our small group tours") and promises "Just 12 to 24 Guests, Guaranteed", "Expert Tour Directors", "Excellent Hotels & Unique Lodgings" and, in its words, outstanding value with no hidden costs. Its destination menu covers Europe (from Austria, Croatia and Greece to Norway, Portugal, Scotland and Türkiye), Africa and the Middle East (Botswana, Egypt, Jordan, Kenya, Morocco, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe), Australia and New Zealand, Central and South America (Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Peru), Asia (from China, India and Japan to Nepal, Uzbekistan and Vietnam) and North America (Canada and the United States). Prices are in US dollars, and the phone line, 1 888 370 6765, is staffed Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET.

The homepage introduces Bruce Epstein as president and founder, in a video about the company's customer service "before, during, and after your tour". It also lists the awards the company cites: a seven-time honoree in the Travel + Leisure World's Best Tour Operators awards, ranked #2 Best Group Tour Company in USA Today's 10 Best Readers' Choice poll, a first-time honoree in the Condé Nast Traveler World's Best Tour Operators awards, and Rolling Stone's 2026 Travel Awards "Coolest Group Travel Experience".

The catalog of tours

The tours page counts 52 tours and rates each on the company's own activity scale: 1 Easy, 16 Easy/Moderate, 30 Moderate and 5 Moderate/Challenging, with none rated Challenging. Each card gives a length, a short description and a "from" price. The first page of results shows:

• Across Spain and Portugal With Paradores & Pousadas, 17 days from Lisbon across northern Spain to Barcelona, Moderate, from $6,374.
• Africa's Wildlife, 14 days in Botswana's Chobe National Park, at Victoria Falls and in Zambia's South Luangwa National Park, Easy/Moderate, from $9,984, with a Cape Town extension.
• Alaska's Untamed Wilderness, 11 days through Denali, Wrangell-St. Elias and Kenai Fjords national parks, Moderate, from $8,197.
• Along Central Asia's Silk Road, 17 days, from $7,994.
• Alpine Splendor: Switzerland and Austria, 14 days, from $7,592.
• Ancient Greece With Santorini and Crete, 14 days, Moderate/Challenging, from $7,392.
• Australia in Depth With Tasmania, new for 2027, 20 days from Sydney to Uluru, the Great Barrier Reef, Adelaide, Tasmania and Melbourne, from $12,997.
• Canadian Rockies Explorer With Glacier National Park, 11 days, with the park's Red Jammers, Lake Louise and the Athabasca Glacier, from $7,391.
• Classic Safari: Kenya & Tanzania, 16 days, from $11,696.
• Costa Rica's Natural Heritage, 11 days in winter and spring from $4,781 or 10 days in fall 2027 from $5,181, with a Tortuguero pre-tour option.
• Discovering Portugal, 13 days with stays in two pousadas, from $4,972.

The reservation form lists the rest by name, among them Egypt & the Eternal Nile, Insider's Japan, Journey through Vietnam, Machu Picchu to the Galapagos, Patagonian Frontiers by land and sea, Provincial French Countryside, Scotland: Highlands and Islands, Treasures of India and The American West with Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. The homepage features a reworked New Zealand Adventure that adds the Otago Peninsula, Larnach Castle and an albatross nesting site, and says fall 2027 dates are in the new 2027 e-catalog.

Departures built around events

A blog post on the site lists departures timed to annual events. Guests on most June, July and August departures of The American West attend the Cody Nite Rodeo in Wyoming. Select July and August departures of Scotland: Highlands and Islands and Journey through Britain include reserved seating at the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. The March 25 and 27 and all April and May 2027 departures of European Tapestry include Keukenhof while the tulips bloom. The February 8 and 9 departures of Treasures of India reach the Nagaur Cattle Fair, and the November 2 and 6 departures the Pushkar Camel Fair. July and August Alpine Splendor departures fall during the Salzburg Festival. The post also points to Insider's Japan for cherry blossom season, warning that space is "currently extremely limited", and says September or October departures of Exploring Iceland offer the best conditions for the northern lights. The Classic Safari and Tanzania Adventure tours are suggested for the Great Migration.

Booking through a Travel Counselor

Booking starts with an online reservation request, and the site is clear that "submitting this request does not guarantee a reservation". The form asks for a tour and departure date, the number of guests, a departure airport or a "Land Only" option, and any pre-tour option, post-tour extension or additional options, which it notes "are not included in your estimated cost". Prices are "per person based on double occupancy", and the form says tour prices, excluding airline taxes, surcharges and fees, "are guaranteed". A single supplement is marked "Limited availability", with details handled by a Travel Counselor, who contacts the traveler "within one business day" and emails instructions for the deposit. The form asks guests not to buy their own flights before the final payment date, "typically 95 days out from departure".

Returning guests get a Frequent Traveler Program with a discount after the first, third and tenth tour. The menu also lists Private Departures, a Flexible Travel Option Program marked new for 2026, a Physical Activity Levels on Tour guide, an FAQ and General Terms and Conditions. A blog post on solo travel says the 12- to 24-person tours fit solo travelers in, offering "built-in camaraderie and ample time for individual exploration".

What the site leaves open, and who it suits

The homepage, tours page and reservation form do not give the deposit amount, the cancellation and refund terms, or what the Flexible Travel Option Program covers; those sit in the terms, the FAQ and the call with a Travel Counselor. The Frequent Traveler discounts are named without amounts, and the "from" prices on the cards come without a list of included meals or entrance fees.

Odysseys Unlimited suits travelers who want a guided trip abroad in a group of 12 to 24 with hotels, a tour director and a set itinerary arranged, and who like talking to a person before paying a deposit. The activity ratings help match a tour to a traveler's pace, and the event-timed departures give a good reason to pick particular dates.