Advice for Mature-Aged Solo Travellers
Advice for solo travellers seeking advice on holidays for solo travellers over 50. Odyssey has been offering small group tours for mature and senior travellers all around the world since 1983.
An Antipodean travel company serving World Travellers since 1983
We specialise in educational small group tours tours for solo traveller or those travelling with their partner, exclusively for senior or mature travellers, typically for groups of between 6 to 12 people, and no more than 18 travellers. Odyssey’s package holidays are tailored for the reasonably active senior or mature traveller , be you seeking over 50 travel groups, over 60, or over 70 and seeking to travel as a couple or looking for solo travel tours. Odyssey has been offering this style of adventure and educational programs to since 1983, not just as small group escorted tours of Australia but all around the world.
Odyssey was originally developed by a collection of member Universities across Australia, New Zealand and Asia to lead the way in providing escorted, an educational small group tour for mature aged and senior travellers, to unique and intriguing parts of the world with a tour director and tour guide. Today, Odyssey still has an association with universities through the profile of the tour director for each tour group. It seeks out like-minded organisations and individuals committed to our philanthropic objectives by providing academic based merit scholarships to University students studying in Australia and New Zealand.
Odyssey offers a wide range of educational, cultural and heritage journeys as an organised tour that expand horizons and broaden the mind with some 300 tours listed on the website, from Dinosaurs in Mongolia to a Walking tour of the Camino de Santiago in Northern Spain or the Australian outback.Designed for active, inquisitive travellers in a small tour group environment with a set itinerary. Tour attendees typically number between 6 to 12 and are a couple or solo traveller. This emphasis on small group travel with a tour leader ensures a friendly and personal tour environment for you and your fellow traveller , which is at the heart of our philosophy. Simply put, Odyssey Traveller provides holidays with an itinerary for couples and holidays for solo travellers over 50 .
Tours typically span between two to three weeks in duration. An Odyssey small group tour seeks to stay typically 2 to 3 nights in each location in good 3 or 4 star hotels. These are an escorted tour that have evolved to be a good blend of touring and seeing. As well as opportunities to spend time in key places to take a half or full day break from the group enabling you should you with to be a solo traveller for a few hours or explore with a travelling companion a particular place or take time out for a break, before we travel on to our next destination. For the solo traveller , Odyssey has a expansive range of holidays for solo travellers over 50 to choose from, though we do not offer a regular river cruise or a dedicated solos holiday or solo travel tours.
For the solo traveller there is a single supplement charged on all of Odyssey Travellers small group tour programs. The single supplement reflects the cost of single occupancy of a hotel room with a double bed in your own room (generally, no single bedded rooms are offered across Europe) or a single cabin on a cruise . There are no additional charges made any client booking holidays for solo travellers over 50 years of age, just the single supplement , we like to keep a level of transparency in the prices charged.
In today’s evolving post Covid-19 travel environment that is emerging for tours in late 2020 and 2021, Odyssey is ensuring that you have peace of mind travel with this care program for those participating on as a couple or single travel tour . If you prefer to arrange for a solo tour with your solo traveller friends we can provide you with private solo travel tours .
Odyssey Traveller offers tours all over the world. We have a range of tours across Europe , The British Isles , Asia , Africa , The Middle East , and The Americas . We can take you to see the Northern Lights in the outermost regions of Norway. You can travel with us to the jungles of Madagascar to experience its magnificent landscape and wildlife or see the ruins of Machu Picchu in South America . Or take a journey through history with a tour with the theme of Britain’s canals and railways . If you enjoy a spot of cruising, join our Journey through Mongolia and Russia which includes a 10 night river cruise between Moscow and St. Petersburg, or our Egypt tour with an amazing Nile river cruise . If you prefer to stay closer to home, we have a great selection of tours in Australia to Western Australia, South Australia, Northern territory, Kata tjuta Outback Queensland, but not the great barrier reef or Ayers rock, Kangaroo Island but Tasmania as well as New Zealand, visiting both North island and the South Island including the east coast, Rotorua, Milford Sound, and Queenstown.
Whatever your fascination, Odyssey is certain to have an organised tour that sparks your interest or travel style. Visit a place you’ve never been such as our outback Australia tour, or return to somewhere you know and love in western Australia national park and see it from a completely new perspective on a scenic flight while traveling solo or with a partner as part of an organised tour. There’s no age limit for group travel or solo travel tours over 50 , 60 and beyond! Solo female travellers will find in Odyssey small group tours are safe and respectful environment to explore the world with like minded travel companions.
Odyssey’s small group travel tour itinerary typically depart with a tour guide from a major centre such as Melbourne, Sydney, Cairns, or Brisbane, making it easy to for you join the trip . Single travelers or couples arriving early will often meet the tour leader earlier at the hotel. Otherwise you will meet your travel director and group travel friends on the first evening of the tour , before we start our adventure and venture off the beaten track with you new fellow traveler friends, usually our travel is by coach tour exclusive to the group. We work with reputable local tour company (s) in each destination to better support the local economy. We also assist you with independent travel plans before or after the group travel so you can have a perfect trip and return home with wonderful memories.
Odyssey Travellers’s fully escorted travel programs offer a unique opportunity for the discerning adult to make the satisfying leap from tourist to traveller. By also adding value to your travel we enhance your travel experience and create more meaningful memories.
Many of our tours are organised around a particular theme, so the tour group bonds around its shared interest, and you will travel off the beaten path with experienced and knowledgeable tour guides and tour director. Themes include archaeology, architecture, ballet, fine art, gardens, and performing arts.
Each Odyssey tour you take as couple or as a single traveller counts towards your membership of our Alumni program. Bronze membership starts at the conclusion of your third international tour with us. Membership steps steadily up to Platinum when you can receive a 9% discount of the list price of any international Odyssey small group package holidays offered.
Let us take care of all the details while you concentrate on enjoying the experience. We include many extra services at no extra cost: With Odyssey Traveller there are no hidden extras. In order to find what is covered by the tour, simply refer to the “Incl/Excl” section on the tour page.
Whether travelling solo, in a couple, or with friends, Odyssey Traveller caters primarily for travellers over 50, over 60, over 70 or 80 years of age. Therefore, your travelling companions are sure to share your interests. They will want similar experiences in an environment of mutual understanding. We design all programs with the mature traveller in mind. Travelling solo does not mean travelling alone, so when there’s free time to explore you’re sure to have another solo traveler or couple ready to join you if you wish. Single travelers make about a third of our groups and many a repeat travelers!
All Odyssey Traveller participants want more than just a blur of museums and monuments. We work to create a lively learning experience and cover some of the world’s most fascinating destinations and authentic cultural experiences. We are also, of course, aware of your need for free-time, so many of our itineraries allowing space for you to explore, or simply relax on your own.
Odyssey offers a collection of genuine small group tour(s) Odyssey tours are priced to reflect that these are small group tours. Typically this means you are part of a small group of 6 to 12 people, not part of a group of 18 or more. Small group means you and fellow traveller enjoying an evening meal around one dinner table. So, we do not achieve the economies of scale of 18 plus on a coach that a larger tour operator would offer, because this is not the type of trip or touring experience our clients seek from us.
Odyssey tours are genuinely based around;
An Odyssey escorted tour is based around the premise that you pay less in comparison to a similar small group tour offering. You can make all the arrangements by e-mail, web chat, direct on- line or by mail or telephone from the comfort of your own home. Odyssey arranges everything from educational content, accommodation, to meals, field trips and coach or train travel. We also market directly to you with no hidden extras. We’re also happy to help with advice on every aspect of your trip, whether it be tips on what to pack, to the fitness level required for a walking holiday. Additionally, we can assist with your flights and travel insurance requirements, at your request. If you are travelling solo and wish to share with another single traveler we can assist with pairing you up, just let us know when booking your trip.
If you want to learn more have a look at our articles with plenty of travel advice and travel inspiration about all our destinations. Our article on Single Traveler may be of particular interest to those exploring the option of a solo trip for the first time.
Click here to register for our complimentary catalogue and weekly newsletter to stay in touch with Odyssey Traveller and it’s collection of all inclusive small group educational based tours for the senior and mature traveller. In our newsletter we update you on upcoming tours and new articles published as well as travel deals.
We are a small team based in Sydney Australia, led by Mark Banning-Taylor who joined Odyssey in 2011 with a vision of raising customer service and refreshing the product offering to our key client group. Mark purchased the company in 2018, with a commitment to providing Odyssey scholarships to University students.
We research, prepare and post all our articles on travel and travel advice to our existing and potential customers who are considering joining us on one of our tours.
Published March 2nd 2016; Last updated May 7th 2020.
Explore and learn about Flinders Island on an escorted small group tour for mature and senior travellers who enjoy a walking holiday. For couples or solo travellers. We also explore Cradle Mountain and Launceston.
Spend a week in the Blue Mountains outside Sydney exploring the historic homes and gardens of the region over a week. For mature and senior travellers. This small group tour visits 13 very different homes and gardens during the Autumn.
Discover the World Heritage Sites of the southern states of Australia travelling in a small group tour. A journey of learning around the southern edges of the Murray Darling basin and up to the upper southern part of this complex river basin north of Mildura. We start and end in Adelaide, stopping in Broken Hill, Mungo National Park and other significant locations.
A fascinating small group tour, with an amazing mix of culture and history – the islands of Greece, the cradle of Western civilisation, where traces of a centuries-old history exists. Visit Santorini, a remnant of a volcanic era; Crete, the home of the Minoan civilisation with important archaeological finds at Knossos and Phaistos. Rhodes, inhabited since the Stone Age; and venture further to the island of Cyprus, where east meets west.
Houses and gardens of Southern Tasmania runs for five days and takes in ten different gardens and three heritage-listed houses. We will step back into the past and experience life as it was two centuries ago.
The Tasmania Wilderness summer school is held annually in Hobart in early January. This summer school allows you to experience the great western wilderness of Tasmania, while staying at a comfortable ‘base camp’ in a Hobart hotel!
Spend a week in the Blue Mountains outside Sydney attending this summer school course exploring the historic homes and gardens of the region over a week. For mature and senior travellers. This small group tour visits 13 very different homes and gardens.
Our program takes us to contemporary feats such as the Aswan Dam and also to current crucibles of the Egyptian experience such as Tahrir Square. Proof, were it needed, that Egypt’s role as the pivot of civilisation is far from ended. There is the opportunity to visit our Morocco, Jordan or Iran tours before embarking on this tour of Egypt.
Bounded by the majestic Himalayan ranges in the north and edged by an endless stretch of golden beaches, India is a vivid kaleidoscope of landscapes, magnificent historical sites, royal cities, colourful people and rich culture. Its ancient monuments are the backdrop for the world’s largest democracy
Our small group guided tour in the Netherlands provides us with a delicious taste of its delights. We view the main sights of old Amsterdam, a World Heritage Site, first on foot and then from the comfort of a cruise along its 17th century canals. Our exploration of Dutch gardens includes the Hortus Botanicus, an impressive university garden. Timed to enjoy what is perhaps the highlight of the program – a visit to Keukenhof’s bulb gardens. They contain more than 7 million tulips, daffodils and hyacinths which fill over 32 hectares.
Enjoy the authentic experience of the Oberammergau passion play on this escorted tour with one of the best small group tour companies in Europe. Our destinations and itineraries provide small group journeys for like minded people. For solo travelers a minimal single supplement applies.
Enjoy the best of Bach travelling with mature couples or solo travellers in a small group tour. We take time to appreciate not just the music but also to explore Bach’s history and influences. The program spends 16 days visiting the locations that where influences on his life as well as attending the Bach Music festival in Leipzig.
Explore and learn about historic Alice Springs, The MacDonnell ranges, and Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. This escorted small group tour for mature and senior travellers, travelling as a couple or solo travellers also visits the Hermannsburg Lutheran mission plus Henbury meteorite site learning about the Aboriginal outback and contemporary art.
An escorted tour to Northern Ireland & Ireland, with local guides and itineraries that give authentic experiences Ireland‘s capital, Dublin, including 1/2 day tour of St Patricks cathedral and Trinity college. Destinations also Aran islands , Kerry plus the world heritage site, the giant’s causeway. Ireland tours for singles over 50 and couples.
Enjoy the authentic experience of the Oberammergau passion play on this small group escorted tour. One of the best small group tour companies Europe, the destinations and itineraries provide small group journeys for like minded people. For solo travelers a minimal single supplement applies.
Our escorted tour gives guests an insight into the history of this Icelandic nation. Travelling as a small group, our daily itineraries explore the Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon and others, national parks and majestic waterfalls as we learn about Iceland’s natural heritage and its Viking past from experienced local guides. There is a single supplement for solo travellers.
Our 21 day small group tour explores the land of great philosophers, myths, and legends. We will learn about the culture and heritage of modern Greece which only found independence in its uprising from the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century.
A walking tour into England, Scotland and Wales provides small group journeys with breathtaking scenery to destinations such as Snowdonia national park , the UNESCO world heritage site Hadrians wall and the lake district. each day tour provides authentic experiences often off the beaten path from our local guides.
As a travel company we seek to keep guests off the beaten path. Trips that are remembered for authentic experiences. Our small group journeys in Turkey are fully escorted by an experienced local guide and an Odyssey guide to give this type of experience whether at one of the many UNESCO World heritage sites explored or local bazaars. It is always about the adventure and memories that we will create.
Our program explores the lands of Spain and Portugal, two countries bound by many centuries of history reflected in their modern cultures. Divided by history and language, contiguous neighbours Spain and Portugal were once host to gigantic empires that still bear their languages and lifestyles.
Join our small group guided tour of Spain, exploring this fascinating country over 10 nights with like minded people. We start in Barcelona and make our way slowly towards Madrid. Enjoy the food and culture while learning about the history of each location from our expert local guides and Odyssey Program Leader.
This small group tour to the Yorke Peninsula, Eyre Peninsula, and the Gawler Ranges is designed for mature and senior traveller or solo traveller to discover the hidden gems of South Australia. Visiting the lesser-known western half of South Australia to explore the pristine coasts of the Yorke Peninsula and Eyre Peninsula – often strikingly underdeveloped compared to the East Coast of Australia – and the rugged landscapes of the Gawler Ranges. Delve deeper, and you’ll find a fascinating and often unexpected local history.
Escorted small group tour of the Kimberley. We explore and visit Cape Leveque, The Bungles, Bell Gorge, Mitchell plateau & Halls Creek in the dry season. Amazing landscapes intertwined with Aboriginal communities resident for some 45,000 years. We also view the Wolfe Creek meteorite crater.
Our 21 night program has daily itineraries with plenty of authentic experiences provided by passionate local guides in the key destinations in France, Channel Islands and England for this small group of like minded people. For Solo travellers minimal single supplement applies for this European tour.
For centuries Malta, Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica held the key to the Mediterranean. Unlike other European tour companies, Odyssey provides a tour leader and local guides to share detailed itineraries about the destinations on these small group journeys. This escorted tour explores the geography, history, culture and peoples of these 4 islands. For mature couples and solo travellers. A reasonable single supplement is charged.
For centuries Malta & Sicily, held the key to the Mediterranean. Unlike other European tour companies, Odyssey provides a tour leader and local guides to share detailed itineraries about the destinations on these small group journeys. For mature couples and solo travellers. A reasonable single supplement is charged.
Another Small group tour of the British isles of the Channel Islands. This fully escorted, small group walking tour, takes the active senior off the beaten path with local guides to Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark and Herm.
An escorted small group tour to the Baltic States of Europe that explores the key destinations of this region starting in Berlin, then making its way through Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland and concluding in St. Petersburg. Each day has scheduled itineraries supported by local guides who share knowledge and authentic experiences of the places visited. This is small group travelling to the Baltics for like minded people.
Escorted tour on the Trans-Siberian railway network from West to East starting in Helsinki and finishing in Irkutsk after 21 days. This is small group travel with like minded people and itineraries that maximise the travel experience of the 6 key destinations explored en-route. Our small group journeys are for mature couples and solo travellers.
Discover the the Brewarrina fish traps, Aboriginal art at Mt Garrett and visit the opal fields of White Cliffs. This small group also visits the World Heritage Site of Mungo man and lady stopping in Mungo National Park and other significant locations such as Broken Hill.
This 16 day escorted small group tour of Victoria for the senior or mature traveller who enjoys learning whether as a couple or solo traveller explores an area of central Victoria that is rich in historic houses, gorgeous gardens and some amazing art.
Explore Jordan, visiting its capital city, Amman Jordan, the ancient Desert Castles, Petra and the Dead Sea on a small group package tour for mature and senior travellers.
Escorted Small group tour of up to 8 mature and seniors Motorcycle riders visiting and learning about Tasmania’s wildlife and history. Visit Maria Island, Freycinet peninsula, Cradle Mountain, Strahan, Lake St Clair and Bruny Island over 14 days.
Escorted 13 day small group tour of the East coast of New Zealand’s North island. Off the beaten track, for like minded people curious about history, culture, wine and landscapes. Your tour director and local guides share their knowledge with you the traveller on this New Zealand tour for senior travellers.
Escorted program for couples and single travellers visiting Hobart, Launceston through the Tamar Valley along the rugged coastline of the north coast and heading back south to the pristine wilderness around Cradle Mountain and then on through Strahan, Queenstown and past Lake St Clair, before arriving back in Hobart. This 18 day small group tours to Tasmania for mature and senior travellers interested in the colonial history of Tasmania. We follow the footsteps of the colonists, visiting the churches where they worshipped, the houses in which they lived, the taverns where they drank and some of the mills in which they worked.
Escorted small group tour of the Flinders range in South Australia from Adelaide. Learn about Coober Pedy, Wilpena pound and water system of Lake Eyre as we explore and learn also about the history of the people who explored the Flinders.
Small group tour for the mature and senior traveller of the Darling river. Learn about the history, culture and landscapes of the Darling, a key part of the Australian river system including Aboriginal trading routes and aquaculture. Suitable for mature and senior couples or solo travellers.
Escorted 14 day small group walking tour of New Zealand. Off the beaten track, for hiking fit like minded people curious about history, culture wine and landscapes. For mature couples and solo travellers, walk tracks from the Bay of Islands to Stewart Island.
Explore and learn as part of a small group tour for seniors on this package tour to Darwin and Kakadu National park, a UNESCO world heritage site. This program also visits Arnhem land. Our focus is on ecology, landscapes and history on this 14 day program in the far north of the Northern Territory.
Small group tour of up to 15 mature and seniors travellers visiting and learning about Tasmania’s wildlife and history. Visit Maria Island, Freycinet peninsula, Cradle Mountain, Strahan, Lake St Clair and Bruny Island over 16 days.
Small group tour touring most of the Australian territory, travelling through the outback and visiting many of the famous sights as well as off the beaten track locations, giving you the opportunity the explore and meet our people in the most remote locations. Learn about the history of the people who explored the deserts, from indigenous communities to Europeans, as well as Burke and Wills, visit White Cliffs, Birdsville, Marree and far north Kakadu and the Kimberley.
Small group tour for couples and solo travelers touring most of the Australian territory, travelling through the outback and visiting many of the famous sights as well as off the beaten track locations, giving you the opportunity the explore and meet our people in the most remote locations. Learn about the history of the people who explored the deserts, from indigenous communities to Europeans, as well as Burke and Wills, visit Bourke, Normantown, Charters Towers far north Kakadu, returning back along the Stuart Highway to Adelaide and cross country to Sydney through the Blue Mountains.
An escorted tour of the Scottish isles including the isle of Skye draws on local guides to share their knowledge of the destinations in this unique part of Scotland. UNESCO world heritage site are visited as breathtaking scenery and authentic experiences are shared in a group of like minded people on this guided tour of remote Scotland.
This 22-day tour begins much like our 16-day tour of Pakistan, travelling from Karachi to Islamabad with a six-day extension that allows us to further explore the northern parts of the country.
Our guided small group tour of Devon and Cornwall in England, designed for mature and senior travellers who are travelling with their partner or as a solo traveller. A journey filled with medieval treasures, charming fishing villages in the north Cornish coast, stunning cliff-top coastal views of the blue Atlantic, and atmospheric destinations traditionally linked to the legends of King Arthur.
Escorted small group tour for senior and mature travellers as a couple of solo traveller. Upto 12 people of WA’s Wildflower regions including Esperance and the Fitzgerald river National park. Local guides and program leader share knowledge about this fascinating region whilst in bloom.
Join Odyssey Traveller on this tour small group guided tour of Wales, an unforgettable travel experience through varied landscapes from south Wales to north Wales and back, travelling on the coast overlooking the Irish Sea and through picturesque Welsh villages, starting in Cardiff city centre.
This small group program is designed to give people an opportunity to explore Tbilisi, Baku, Yerevan as well as important monuments, historical and religious sites, diverse landscapes and ancient architecture by visiting the Caucasus Mountains and the lowlands of Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan. Led by local English speaking guides, there will be the opportunity to meet local people.
Join Odyssey Traveller as we go on a 27-day small group journey for mature and senior couples and solo travellers across Central America, exploring the history and diverse scenery of Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, and Guatemala.
Advice for solo travellers seeking advice on holidays for solo travellers over 50. Odyssey has been offering small group tours for mature and senior travellers all around the world since 1983.
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