The Odyssey filming location guide: Real places from Nolan's epic adaptation you can visit

Christopher Nolan's epic action fantasy film, The Odyssey, starring Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, and Zendaya, premiered on July 17, 2026, in the U.S. The film is an adaptation of Homer's ancient Greek poem bearing the same title. It follows the Greek King of Ithaca, Odysseus, who begins a long, perilous journey back home after the Trojan War. On his way to Ithaca, he encounters mythical beings/creatures.

The film was shot over 91 days in two million fleet of Imax film. The film is made on a whopping budget of $250 million, making it one of Nolan's most ambitious projects. According to Variety, The Odyssey was filmed in multiple locations across Morocco, Iceland, Italy, Scotland and Greece.

Speaking with The Associated Press, Nolan shared why he preferred to shoot on real locations,

"For me, being on a real location, shooting certain things like when the crew is out setting sail on that boat, or going through a storm, I want it to feel almost like a documentary.I want to just put the audience there, like they’re really there."

Here's more about it.

The Odyssey filming locations: How to visit?

Here's a list of filming locations of Nolan's The Odyssey

Morocco

Morocco served as one of the primary locations for filming The Odyssey. The dunes and mud buildings/forts were a perfect backdrop for Christopher Nolan's film. The majority of the filming took place in parts of Marrakech, El Haouz, Tahanaoute, and Ouarzazate. The interior of Menelaus's palace was shot in Marrakech, while the White Dunes near Dakhla apparently served as a location of Ogygia, the home of Calypso.

Apart from these places, filming also took place in the magnificent red clay fortress of Aït Benhaddou in Morocco. This UNESCO-listed village was transformed into the besieged city of Troy. This site sits along the old Caravan route between the Sahara and Marrakech.

The village is well known for its ksar, a fortified settlement built using clay and straw. Projects such as Gladiator, Game of Thrones and The Mummy were shot in Aït Benhaddou. Located 30 kms away from Ouarzazate and around 191 kms away from Marrakech, Aït Benhaddou is easily accessible.

The sequence featuring the Greeks towering Trojan Horse was shot in sea-facing walls of Essaouira. The Trojan horse discovery and the departure from Troy were shot on the beaches.

A two and a half hour drive from Marrakech, in Essaouira, one can visit the port, walk through the old alleys, and spend their time at the beach promenade. To visit Essaouira, you can book a cab or take the intercity bus from Marrakech.

Italy

With its pristine beaches and mesmerizing landscape, Italy was the perfect location to film The Odyssey. The filming shifted to Sicily in March 2025 when the cast and crew were spotted on the island of Favignana. Castello di Santa Caterina, the historic hilltop fortress, was a primary filming location for The Odyssey.

Also called Goat Island, Favignana is located on the West coast of Sicily and is known for its crystal clear water and tuna fisheries. One of the three Aegadian Islands, the best months to visit are from July to September. To reach Favignana, one can take a thirty-minute ferry from Trapani.

The filming also took place in the Aeolian islands of Vulcano, Lipari and Basiluzzo and some parts of Malta as well. One can take a ferry from Milazzo, a port on Sicily's north-east coast. One can also avail the hydrofoil services, Liberty Lines and Siremar, to reach the islands.

Scotland

The Moray Firth Coast in Scotland is also one of the main filming locations of The Odyssey. The 500-mile coastline is known for its resident bottlenose dolphins. It has some of the best harbour villages. The best way to explore the coast is via roads. The Western Moray coast can be accessed via the A96, and the eastern via A98. However, one can also avail the train services at Elgin and Forres. Filming mainly took place in Findlater Castle and Culbin Forrest.

Greece

Between March and April 2025, production for The Odyssey shifted to the Peloponnese region in Greece. This included Nestor's Cave, Voidokilia beach, Methoni castle and, Acrocorinth, and Almyrolaka beach.

Located at the tip of the Balkans, this peninsula has the Gulf of Corinth to the north and the Aegean Sea to the south and east, while the Ionian Sea lies in the west. It is home to the cities of Sparta and Olympia and the ruins of Mycenae.

One can take a flight to Athens from their desired location and then drive to the Peloponnese region (which usually takes 2-5 hours). While there are two airports, Kalamata and Patras, they operate with only a few destinations in Europe.

Iceland

In Homer's poem, Odysseus travels to the underworld to meet Tiresias, the blind prophet. Nolan selected Iceland to shoot this magical scene. The caves of Hjörleifshöfði mountains and Markarfljót river in Southern Iceland, Landeyjahöfn harbour in South Coast, and the peninsula of Snæfellsnes in Western Iceland were some of the filming locations of The Odyssey. The summer months (June to August) are the best time to visit Iceland. All the places are easily accessible via car or guided tours from Reykjavík.

As per Entertainment Weekly, some sequences of The Odyssey were also filmed at Universal Studios in Los Angeles, United States.