Updated July 17, 2026 02:36PM<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
It\u2019s considered the greatest adventure story ever told. A 2,800-year-old-epic poem that\u2019s been retold for millennia is now reborn in theaters today. The Odyssey <\/i>is Oscar-winning director Christopher Nolan\u2019s $250-million-budget film adaptation of Greek poet Homer\u2019s classic. Matt Damon stars as the heroic Greek King Odysseus who embarks on\u00a0a harrowing ten-year journey battling monsters, gods, and the high seas. The film\u2019s cast includes a number of Hollywood heavyweights: Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Lupita Nyong\u2019o, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, and Zendaya.<\/p>\n
Beyond the all-star cast, one of the most extraordinary elements of the film is that it was shot almost entirely on location\u2014and stunning ones at that. Instead of relying on green screen, Nolan filmed over 91 days in remote landscapes and rugged coastlines across six countries, from caves in Greece, to black sand beaches in Iceland, and pine woodlands and towering sand dunes in Scotland.<\/p>\n
Nolan is known for his extreme commitment to practical filmmaking. His directing style in his own words \u201ctaking fanciful ideas and rooting them in reality.\u201d This approach to filmmaking is evident in his blockbuster hits\u00a0like the Dark Knight<\/i> trilogy, Oppenheimer<\/i>, <\/i>and Interstellar<\/i>. But The Odyssey<\/i> might be his greatest challenge yet. The director went to great lengths to make the epic myth feel as real as possible, avoiding relying on computer-generated graphics. From constructing a 60-foot animatronic one-eyed Cyclops to using a real Viking ocean-going expedition ship for sailing on the open seas, Nolan brought this age-old myth to life with the first feature film in history to be entirely shot on IMAX cameras.<\/p>\n Shooting in extreme conditions was as arduous as it was exhilarating for the cast. Damon said this was the hardest film to shoot of his career, in production notes shared with Outside<\/i>, and that it \u201cfelt more like an expedition than a movie.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cEvery location we went to, I would get there, and I would just start laughing, like, \u2018Who thought you should shoot a movie here?\u2019\u201d Damon says. \u201cI remember when we got to Iceland after shooting in these hard places, everybody kept saying, \u2018Iceland will be easy; it\u2019s summertime.\u2019 And Iceland said, \u2018Hold my beer, watch this.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n While summertime in Iceland means long days shooting under the midnight sun on black sand beaches, that doesn\u2019t mean sunny skies. This is the third time Nolan opted for Iceland\u2019s challenging, but dramatic landscapes, after Batman Begins<\/i> and Interstellar<\/i>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe shoot Hollywood stuff all the time, but to go through it when Matt Damon says it was one of the hardest things he\u2019s ever shot, we agree,\u201d Nastasia Sasi Czechowska, operations manager at Truenorth, the production company which facilitated filming in Iceland, tells Outside<\/i>.<\/p>\n \u201cIceland is the perfect location because you have different vistas and different landscapes so close to each other. So you are able to shoot something green, something black sand beach, something glacier\u2026 just within two or three hours of driving.\u201d<\/p>\n The unpredictable weather conditions are also ideal for shooting. This is The Odyssey <\/i>after all, so drama is welcome. \u201cIceland\u2019s weather looks good on camera and fits the story,\u201d adds Czechowska. \u201cIt\u2019s very moody, and you have the perfect light, and you have the perfect scenario for what you want to shoot that you couldn\u2019t have anywhere else.\u201d<\/p>\n Beyond using real-world locations, a full-scale traditional longship (called the Draken Harald H\u00e5rfagre) from Norway was used in filming across Scotland, Iceland, Greece and Italy.\u00a0\u201cDraken Harald H\u00e5rfagre was built as an experimental archaeology project to better understand how large Viking ships actually performed at sea,\u201d Emanuel Persson, CEO and Expedition Leader of Draken Harald H\u00e5rfagre<\/em>, tells Outside<\/em>. Since her launch, she has sailed thousands of nautical miles, including a crossing of the North Atlantic to North America in 2016.<\/p>\n \u201cMany days were spent working in genuine open-water conditions where weather, wind and sea state were simply part of the day. As a fully operational ocean-going Viking ship, Draken is designed for exactly those environments, so the production was able to film on a real vessel under real conditions,\u201d says Persson.<\/p>\n \u201cFor our crew, it often felt much like any other expedition. Every day depended on the weather, and everyone onboard had to adapt to changing wind and sea conditions,\u201d he adds. Unlike many vessels built or adapted for film, Draken\u00a0is a working ocean-going ship first. Following the production, she returned directly to sailing expeditions.<\/p>\n This epic adventure tale, reimagined on screen and shot all over the world, is sure to spur viewers to wonder: \u201cWhere in the world is that scene in real life?\u201d and maybe even inspire an epic adventure of their own in locations from Iceland to Greece.<\/p>\n A real-world cavern immersed in Greek myth\u00a0was used to stage Odysseus\u2019s encounter with the one-eyed Cyclops monster. Nestor\u2019s Cave, located in the foothills of the Peloponnese region of Greece, has a vaulted ceiling 95 feet high. The prehistoric grotto is located\u00a0above Voidokilia Beach in Pylos, Greece, and has been used since the Neolithic period and has been featured in several Greek myths.<\/p>\n How to have your own adventure here:<\/b> For those interested in exploring the myths and legends\u00a0associated with Odysseus and the Trojan War, New Scientist Discovery Tours<\/a>, a provider of science-inspired tours, is offering a \u2018behind-the-ropes\u2019 access to Mycenae, one of Greece\u2019s most important historical and archaeological sites, as part of its eight-day Mycenaean and Peloponnesian archaeology<\/a> tour.<\/p>\n Coming in\u00a02027, Terra & Tu Cultural Journeys<\/a> is the newest travel collection from Natural Habitat Adventures<\/a>, <\/strong>which offers travelers a chance to dive into the myth-steeped landscapes on its ten-day A Greek Odyssey: Hidden Villages of Arcadia & the Peloponnese Coast<\/a> itinerary. And Backroads also offers a Peloponnese hiking and walking tour<\/a>.<\/p>\n Scenes of Odysseus venturing into the Underworld to seek counsel from the spirits were shot, ironically, near the top of the world in Iceland. Filmed in June 2025, , the scenes captured the mystical light of the all-day midnight sun, across desolate,\u00a0<\/strong>stark terrain. \u201cI knew early I wanted the landscape of Iceland to portray Hades,\u201d Nolan says in the production notes. \u201cThis journey north, further and further into the cold, couldn\u2019t be further away from Odysseus\u2019s home in Ithaca.\u201d The icy Highlands, the cave, and the\u00a0black sands of Hj\u00f6rleifsh\u00f6f\u00f0i were used to convey Hades and other otherworldly sequences.<\/p>\n How to have your own adventure here: <\/b>Explora, the South American B Corp travel operator known for taking small groups into remote places from Patagonia to the Andes, is offering new eight-day expeditions<\/a> to parts of Iceland very few tourists reach. Traveling through Iceland\u2019s Highlands via 4\u00d74 SuperJeeps, travelers are able to hike through remote lava fields and alongside ice caps. Or adventure-loving travelers can learn to drive your own fully modified Jeep Wrangler Rubicon on 40\u2033 tires across remote mountain roads with Rebel Roads<\/a>.<\/p>\n Production of\u00a0The Odyssey<\/i> began\u00a0in February of 2025 in Morocco. The beaches of Essaouira on the Atlantic coast were used in the scene where the Trojan Horse was discovered. A\u00eft Benhaddou, located near the Atlas Mountains, provided space and structures for De Jong to craft the massive, 360-degree set representing the fabled, doomed city of Troy. The ancient city of Troy was recreated at the UNESCO World Heritage site of A\u00eft Benhaddou, with additional filming in Marrakech, Essaouira, and the coastal city of Dakhla.<\/p>\n How to have your own adventure here: <\/b>\u00a0Wilderness Travel\u2019s Morocco: Camels to Casbahs<\/a> guided adventure tour takes you to the hillside citadel of Ait Ben Haddou, the UNESCO World Heritage Site which stood in as the ancient city of Troy in The Odyssey<\/em>. You\u2019ll stay in traditional riads and a private Sahara Desert camp. Essaouira beaches are known for their ideal surfing conditions for beginners, and nearby wild beaches offer world-class breaks. It\u2019s also known as the \u201cWindy City of Africa,\u201d and is a great spot for kitesurfing as well.<\/p>\n The island of Favignana (the ancient \u201cGoat Island\u201d) near Sicily portrayed Ithaca, the kingdom Penelope, Telemachus, and long-lost Odysseus lived in. The 15th-century Castello di Santa Caterina, which sits atop a rugged hill 1,030 feet above the Mediterranean Sea was used for their home. But the fortress has no access roads, which meant the cast and crew had to hike each day to get to the castle for the three-week shoot. Nolan filmed dramatic sea scenes across the Aeolian Islands, a volcanic archipelago off the northern coast of Sicily (depicting the mythological island of Aeolia),including filming around the islands of Lipari and Vulcano, as well as the uninhabited islet of Basiluzzo. Lipari, the largest of the islands, is where Odysseus rested as a guest of King Aeolus, \u201ckeeper of the winds,\u201d in the original epic poem.<\/p>\n How to have your own <\/strong>adventure here<\/strong>: Wilderness Travel\u2019s new Volcano Trails of the Aeolian Islands & Sicily<\/a> tour gives travelers a chance to summit Mt. Etna, hike up to the crater rim on Vulcano Island, watch spectacular volcanic eruptions on Stromboli, and hike on the coasts of Lipari and Panarea.\u00a0Backroads offers a trip to Sicily and the Aeolian archipelago<\/a> as well, including a women\u2019s hiking trip option, too<\/a>.<\/p>\n Nolan chose Scotland\u2019s dramatic Moray Firth coast as a primary filming location for his adaptation of The Odyssey<\/i>. The rugged shores and ancient forests were used to construct scenes of Odysseus\u2019s\u00a0kingdom, Ithaca. The pine woodlands of Culbin Forest set the stage for an epic battle between warriors and giants. And the ruins of Findlater Castle, a 15th-century fortress perched on a 50-foot cliff, served as a striking backdrop in the film, too.<\/p>\n How to have an adventure here: <\/strong>Located near the Moray Firth coast, Sillyearn Mains Aire<\/a> in Moray, Scotland, offers a base for exploring with a campground, bookable through Pitchup.com<\/a>. It\u2019s also just 20 minutes from Findlater Castle.\u00a0<\/strong>Ride mountain biking trails directly from the campsite or take on part of the long-distance North Sea Cycle Route, which passes through the nearby coastal town of Buckie. Head to Lossiemouth for surfing lessons or set out from the nearby WDC Scottish Dolphin Centre on a boat cruise to spot bottlenose dolphins, seals,\u00a0<\/strong>and whales along the Moray Firth.<\/p>\n Kathleen Rellihan believes she read The Odyssey<\/em> in high school, but won\u2019t forget taking her own epic odyssey through Iceland\u2019s remote Highlands. She\u2019s attempted to surf on Essaouira\u2019s beaches, and visited Lipari while studying abroad in Italy. She believes\u201dZeus\u2019s Law\u201d\u2014the divine rule that states hosts must welcome and protect travelers (and guests must behave respectfully)\u2014as any stranger could be a god in disguise\u2014is a timeless travel motto.<\/p>\n![\"Director](\"https:\/\/cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/CT-43454.jpg?width=3840&auto=webp&quality=75&fit=cover\"\/)
A Real Ocean-Faring Viking Ship Was Used in The Odyssey\u00a0<\/em><\/h2>\n
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How to Visit Filming Locations Used in The Odyssey<\/em><\/h2>\n
![\"Voidokilia](\"https:\/\/cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-1367184720-scaled.jpg?width=3840&auto=webp&quality=75&fit=cover\"\/)
Greece<\/h2>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-1560662350-scaled.jpg?width=3840&auto=webp&quality=75&fit=cover\"\/)
Iceland<\/h2>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-74639371-scaled.jpg?width=3840&auto=webp&quality=75&fit=cover\"\/)
Morocco<\/h2>\n
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Sicily and the Aeolian Islands, Italy<\/h2>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-1285061099-scaled.jpg?width=3840&auto=webp&quality=75&fit=cover\"\/)
Scotland<\/h2>\n