Odyssey Fever Fuels New Greek Tour Bookings for 2027

Set-jetting continues to gain traction as Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of “The Odyssey” reaches theaters this week. Expedia projects set-jetting could grow into an $8 billion industry for U.S. travelers, with 81 percent of Gen Z and Millennial respondents saying they plan trips based on what they’ve watched on screen. A separate survey by Qualtrics Research and EF Go Ahead Tours found similar enthusiasm nationwide, with 65 percent of travelers saying they are very or somewhat likely to visit a destination featured in a movie, show or book and 81 percent say they would consider a trip to Greece because of the new movie.

Odyssey Fever Hits

Private tour operator Unforgettable Greece has already recorded an increase of almost 10 percent in bookings tied to the release.

The 15-Day Greek Odyssey itinerary, built around the path Homer’s hero is said to have followed, begins in Athens, with stops at the Acropolis and the Temple of Poseidon, then continues to Corfu, an island associated with the Phaeacians who helped Odysseus on his way home. Inland visits to Meteora and Delphi highlight the themes of mythology and prophecy, before the trip moves to Olympia and concludes in Kefalonia and Ithaca, where a private boat excursion plies the waters of Odysseus’ homeland.

The itinerary can be adjusted to fit individual schedules. Guests can lengthen a stay in any destination, add or drop experiences, or work with a travel specialist to change the pace. The package includes private chauffeur-driven transfers, 14 nights in boutique and luxury hotels with daily breakfast, guided tours of major sites, and all inter-island flights and ferry connections.

For more information, visit unforgettablegreece.com.

Small-Group Tours

EF Go Ahead Tours has launched its own Odyssey-themed itinerary, Footsteps of the Odyssey in Greece: Kefalonia, Ithaca & Corfu, a 12-day small-group tour set to depart for the first time on June 26, 2027. The itinerary follows Odysseus’ route through six Ionian Islands rather than the mainland and Cyclades stops common to most Greece tours.

The itinerary includes what the company calls “Odyssey Moments,” among them a stop at the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion, the southernmost point of Attica, and a visit to the underground waters of Lake Melissani. Travelers also set foot on Ithaki, Odysseus’ home island, for a guided walk connecting sites such as the Fountain of Arethusa and the Bay of Dexia to the epic’s verses. Other stops include the Necromanteion of Acheron, an ancient oracle site, and a closing dinner styled as a Homeric feast.

The tour starts at $4,499 per person and includes a tour director, handpicked accommodations, sightseeing and select meals; flights and airport transfers can be booked separately through the company. A post-tour extension to the Peloponnese adds stops in Mycenae, a UNESCO World Heritage site, Kalamata and an optional excursion to Sparti.

The new itinerary joins EF Go Ahead Tours’ Greece Collection, with 20 itineraries. Other options include the 9-day A Week in Greece: Athens, Mykonos & Santorini, the 16-day Grand Tour of Greece: Athens, Corfu & Santorini, and the 11-day Food of Greece: Thessaloniki, Athens & Crete, a small-group food-and-wine tour.

For more information, visit goaheadtours.com.

Flight Time

The Odyssey craze is not limited to guided tours. hoper, a Greece-based helicopter booking platform, is positioning itself as another way for travelers to reach the same destinations connected to the story. The company offers private, shared and scenic flights on more than 50 routes across the country, including over the Peloponnese, the mainland region where “The Odyssey” was filmed.

Flights can be booked instantly on their website, with seats starting at around $102 (89 euros), allowing travelers to move between islands and coastal points without relying on ferries or fixed flight schedules.

For more information, visit flyhoper.com/greece.

Classic Greece

Classic Vacations is meeting a rise in film-inspired travel with a new collection of customizable Greece itineraries.

“The recent film ‘The Odyssey’ will serve as a powerful source of inspiration, encouraging travelers not only to visit Greece’s most famous landmarks but also to discover the landscapes, traditions and stories that have shaped one of the world’s greatest epics,” said Vicky Chalkiadaki, Product Development Director at Classic Vacations, in a press statement.

Among the offerings is Follow in the Footsteps of Odysseus, a 9-11 night itinerary spanning Athens, the Peloponnese and Santorini. Like other Classic Vacations journeys, it can be customized, with flights, ferries, transfers, accommodations and guided experiences arranged around the traveler.

The itinerary includes:

• Athens (3 nights): skip-the-line tours of the Acropolis, Ancient Agora and Temple of Hephaestus, then dinner with Acropolis views.
• Peloponnese (3 nights): visits to Mycenae, the Lion Gate, the Treasury of Atreus and the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus.
• Santorini (3-4 nights): a caldera cruise aboard a catamaran, a highlights tour and a volcanic winery visit with sea views.

For more information, visit classicvacations.com.

Variety Cruises

Variety Cruises, a family-owned small-ship line founded in Greece in 1949, built its business on reaching harbors larger ships skip. Capacity stays under 50 guests per voyage, a scale the company says echoes the seafaring style of the era the “Odyssey” describes.

Two itineraries connect directly to the source material:

• Ionian Odyssey runs seven days round-trip from Athens, starting at $3,180 per person. Stops include Ithaca, Odysseus’s homeland in the poem. Historians and destination experts helped shape the route, which ties the region’s landscapes, traditions and archaeological sites to the epic’s themes.
• Antiquity to Byzantium, a shoulder-season option from $2,000 per person, follows Greek civilization from antiquity through the Byzantine period, with stops in Messenia and Voidokoilia. Guests can also visit Diros Cave, long regarded as an entrance to the underworld Homer called the Kingdom of the Dead.

Both itineraries include stops at UNESCO World Heritage sites, Greek meals and time set aside for swimming.

For more information, visit varietycruises.com.