Greece has emerged as the top destination for 'set-jetting' travellers inspired by Christopher Nolan's blockbuster The Odyssey, a mythic action-epic adapting Homer's Greek classic. Shot entirely on IMAX 70mm film cameras across Morocco, Greece, and Iceland, the film stars Matt Damon as Odysseus, Anne Hathaway as Penelope, Tom Holland as Telemachus, alongside Zendaya and Robert Pattinson.
As three in four travellers reveal they'd book a trip based on a film or book location, GetYourGuide has created a post-movie itinerary to experience the myth firsthand. The travel platform's survey found that 77% of people would visit a destination after seeing it in a movie, TV show, music video, or book. Americans lead at 84%, followed by Brits (81%), Germans (78%), and the French (65%).
From Troy to Ithaca: A Mythic Itinerary
The itinerary begins in Troy, close to Çanakkale, Turkey, where the Trojan War serves as Odysseus's backstory. The archaeological site is open all summer, offering visitors the chance to climb inside the replica Trojan Horse, walk the nine layers of the ancient city, and visit the Troy Museum.
Next is Ithaca, Greece, widely accepted as Homer's Ithaca. Odysseus spent 10 years trying to reach it, but travellers can hike it in a day along the Odysseus Trail, visit the Cave of the Nymphs, and take quiet satisfaction in arriving without losing a single ship.
Island Adventures and Ancient Sites
In Kefalonia, Greece, where Odysseus had only a raft and divine intervention after seven years of captivity, travellers can book a boat tour with better logistics and sunscreen. Grab Emily Wilson's translation — the first by a woman — and open it on a quiet Ionian bay; the opening line, "Tell me about a complicated man," hits differently with the sea lapping at your feet.
For a theatrical experience, the Mythopraxis Athens Living Museum offers a new retelling of the complete Odyssey in just over an hour, with wine included. In Zakynthos, Greece, where wine has been produced since antiquity and was used by Odysseus to floor a Cyclops, visitors can sample local vintages on a guided winery tour.
Oracle and Mycenae: Final Stops
In Delphi, the ancient oracle site on the slopes of Mount Parnassus, where Tiresias told Odysseus what hardships lay ahead, visitors can see if they fare any better. The views are spectacular, even if the advice isn't more encouraging.
Finally, Mycenae offers a walk through the Bronze Age citadel and the Lion Gate, meandering through Agamemnon's legendary kingdom — and sparing a thought for Agamemnon, whose return home was arguably worse than Odysseus's.
"Movies don't just entertain — they inspire people to pack their bags," said Maren Schullerus, GetYourGuide's Regional Manager for Central and Eastern Europe. "When a film captures a place's atmosphere and history the way the new adaptation of The Odyssey promises to, we see it translate directly into bookings at GetYourGuide."
"And Greece makes that easy — it's a country where the mythology, the landscape, and the culture are so intertwined that you feel the story the moment you arrive. People don't just want to watch the adventure. They want to stand where it happened," she added.
