Botanical Holidays

There are few more pleasing sights in the natural world than a meadow filled with wild flowers. The national passion for flora is exemplified by the enormous interest in gardening and flower shows but an increasing number of enthusiasts are also travelling into the countryside to enjoy the myriad of colours and form provided by the plants which enrich the summer months.  Whether inspired by appreciation of the aesthetical appeal of flowers, or a more focused desire to identify individual species, everyone with a penchant for botany will derive pleasure from participating in any of the Naturetrek Botanical holidays. Each carefully designed tour is led by an expert botanist leader and group size limited to avoid the problems inherent in searching for plants amid a large crowd. Travelling with a group of like-minded people also adds a social dimension to the activities especially in the evenings when the finds of the day can be discussed and perhaps photographs compared. Typically a tour will be accommodated in a comfortable hotel or lodge close to an area of outstanding botanical interest which will then be explored through a series of leisurely day excursions with ample time to study the botanical finds. Most European tours are of this format but there are also adventurous tours to remote areas of the world which necessitate more prolonged treks and camping, although on such holidays there will be an accompanying team from our local agents to look after the camping arrangements and prepare the meals. Some of these holidays follow in the footsteps of the pioneering plant-hunters who brought back to this country many species now familiar as garden plants and offer participants unique experiences such as standing amid meadows of wild Tulips or traversing Himalayan valleys filled with primulas and anemones.

 

 As leaders in the field of Botanical tours, Naturetrek have a wide range of holidays to suit every taste from long weekends in Britain to treks in China, Sikkim, Kazakhstan, Ecuador and many other exotic destinations. We have a particularly extensive selection of European Botanical tours offering clients the opportunity to enjoy habitats as diverse as the montane slopes of the Alps and Pyrenees, Baltic peat bogs, Mediterranean coastland and the ‘floating garden’ of Madeira. In addition to scores of dedicated botanical tours there are also other Naturetrek holidays with a more generalist theme embracing birds, butterflies and other aspects of natural history as well as the flora, ensuring that whatever the particular interest of our clients there is certain to be a suitable tour in our programme.

Alpine Flowers of the Tien Shan

A 13-day holiday in the Tien Shan Mountains of Kazakhstan in search of alpine plants.

 

Andean Flora of Ecuador

An exciting and pioneering 16-day holiday in search of the orchids and other special plants of this beautiful Andean country.

 

Autumn Plants of the Peloponnese

An 8-day holiday to the Peloponnese in search of the wonderful displays of autumn-flowering bulbs.

 

Bhutan's Bumthang Valley

A comprehensive 18-day botanical holiday to this last Shangri-la, including a 6-day trek through the forests of central Bhutan.

 

Bulgaria - Flowers of the Balkans

An 8-day holiday in search of the flowers of the Vitosha and Pirin Mountains National Parks and the Rhodope Mountains.

 

Bulgaria in Summer

An 8-day holiday to Bulgaria's Pirin Mountains National Park in search of its birds, butterflies, dragonflies and alpine flowers.

 

Catalonia - The Eastern Pyrenees

An 8-day holiday of birdwatching and botanical walks in the Catalonian Pyrenees.

 

China - Plant Hunting in Sichuan, Land of the Panda

A pioneering 22-day botanical tour to Sichuan Province following in the footsteps of the early plant-hunters.

 

China (Yunnan) - A Plant-hunter's Paradise

An adventurous 19-day holiday to a botanist's paradise, the mountains of north-western Yunnan.

 

Corsica - The Scented Isle

An 8-day holiday of birdwatching and botanical walks in the rugged mountains of northern Corsica.

 

Crete

An 8-day holiday in search of the spring flowers and migrating birds on the island of Crete.

 

Crete in Autumn

An unsual 8-day botanical tour reavealing the wonderful autumn flora of Crete.

 

Flora of the Hampshire Downs

A botanical weekend exploring the chalk habitats of Hampshire.

 

Flowers of Italy's Gargano Peninsula

An 8-day holiday of gentle botanical walks in search of the unique flora, especially the profusion of orchid species.

 

Flowers of South Africa's Drakensberg Mountains

A 14-day tour in search of the plants and animals of the Drakensberg Mountains, the Royal Natal National Park and coastal areas.

 

France - La Brenne

An 8-day holiday in search of birds, plants and butterflies to one of the richest natural history destinations in France.

 

France - The Cevennes

An 8-day holiday in search of plants, birds and butterflies in the south-eastern corner of the Massif Central.

 

France - The Dordogne

An 8-day holiday in search of the plants, birds and butterflies of an unspoilt and idyllic region of rural France.

 

France - The Lot Valley

An 8-day holiday in search of the plants, birds and butterflies of a beautiful region of rural France.

 

France - The Vercors

An 8-day holiday in search of birds, plants, mammals and butterflies in the Vercors massif.

 

Hungary in Summer

An 8-day natural history tour to eastern Hungary in search of birds, butterflies, dragonflies and plants.

 

Italy - The Sorrento Peninsula

An 8-day exploration of the rich Mediterranean and mountain flora, birds and butterflies of this relatively undiscovered area.

 

Ladakh's Markha Valley

A 17-day holiday, including a 10-day trek in Ladakh's beautiful Markha Valley and wildlife walks in the Indus Valley.

 

Madagascar's Endemic Flora

A pioneering 14-day botany holiday to Madagascar in search of the island's endemic flora and other unique wildlife.

 

Madeira - The Floating Garden

An 8-day natural history tour exploring the Madeiran archipelago in search of birds, plants and butterflies.

 

Menorca

An 8-day holiday on this beautiful Mediterranean island, in search of both its birds and flowers.

 

Mount Everest & the Gokyo Lakes of Nepal

A 22-day holiday (with a 15-day trek) to enjoy the breeding birds and spring flowers of the Everest National Park.

 

New Zealand's Native Flora

A 20-day botanical tour from the ancient Kauri and podocarp forests, to the endemic alpine flowers, herbs and shrubs of the south.

 

Norway - Alpine Flowers of the Gol Plateau

An 8-day holiday of botanical and natural history walks amongst the artic-alpine flora of southern Norway.

 

Romania - Wild Flowers of the Carpathians

An 8-day botany holiday to the beautiful Carpathian Mountains of Romania.

 

Sardinia

An 8-day holiday in search of the plants, birds and butterflies of the island's coastal lagoons and mountainous interior.

 

Slovakia - Flowers of the Mountains and Plains

An 8-day holiday in search of Slovakia's plants and butterflies.

 

South Africa: Birds & Botany

A unique holiday in search of the birds and the magnificent plant-life of a comprehensive range of South African habitats.

 

South Africa's Garden Route

A 14-day tour focusing on the wonderful scenery and rich flora of South Africa's Garden Route.

 

Spain's Picos de Europa Mountains

An 8-day holiday of birdwatching and botanical walks in the Picos de Europa Mountains.

 

Spring Flowers of Western Andalucia

An 8-day holiday of gentle walks and botanising in the mountains of western Andalucia.

 

Spring in North Cyprus

An 8-day natural history holiday to the fascinating Turkish part of the island of Cyprus.

 

Spring in Southern Portugal

An 8-day holiday of botanical and birdwatching walks and excursions in the hills, steppes, woodlands and coastal wetlands.

 

Sri Lanka's Tropical Flora

A 13-day celebration of Sri Lanka's tropical flora and botanical gardens.

 

Sweden - Oland in Spring

A 7-day tour to enjoy the breeding birds and spring migrants, as well as the flowering orchids and other plants, on Oland.

 

Switzerland - Alpine Flowers of the Upper Engadine

An 8-day, single-centre holiday focusing on the alpine flora and glorious scenery of the Upper Engadine Valley in Switzerland.

 

The Apennines: Italy's Abruzzo National Park

An 8-day natural history holiday looking at the plants, birds and butterflies of the Abruzzo National Park.

 

The Burren

A 4-day botanical tour looking at the unique flora of the Burren in Ireland.

 

The French Pyrenees

An 8-day holiday of birdwatching and botanical walks in the high Pyrenees.

 

The Great Gardens of Cornwall

A 5-day tour celebrating the wonderful variety of flora in some of the great gardens of Cornwall.

 

The Island of Cyprus

A 9-day spring holiday in search of migrating birds, orchids and other flowering plants on the Isle of Aphrodite.

 

The Island of Samos

A 9-day holiday on the Mediterranean island of Samos in search of spring flowers, insects and migrating birds.

 

The Italian & French Alps

An 8-day holiday exploring the Gran Paradiso and Vanoise National Parks.

 

The Italian Dolomites

An 8-day botanical holiday exploring the Dolomites Mountains of north-eastern Italy.

 

The Langtang Valley of Nepal

A 24-day holiday, incorporating a 19-day trek through the finest forests and alpine meadows of Nepal.

 

The Spanish Pyrenees

An 8-day holiday of birdwatching and botanical walks in the Spanish Pyrenees.

 

Tulip Meadows of Kazakhstan & the Tien Shan Mountains

A 16-day botany tour of the steppes and Tien Shan Mountains, with particular emphasis on the spring display of wild tulips.

 

Tuscany in Spring

An 8-day exploration of the natural history and cultural treasures of Tuscany.

 

Wengen - Alpine Flowers of the Swiss Alps

An 8-day appreciation of the wonderful alpine flora - and birds and butterflies - of the Bernese Oberland.

 

Wild Flowers of Estonia

A 9-day botanical holiday in search of the wild flowers of Estonia, amongst them a fine selection of orchids.

 

Wild Flowers of Sicily

An 8-day appreciation of the wild flowers of Sicily's Mount Etna and the Madonie Mountains.

 

Wild Flowers of the Cape & Namaqualand

An appreciation of the magnificent spring flowers of southern Africa at the peak of the wild flower season.

 

Wild Flowers of Western Australia

A 17-day tour to enjoy the kaleidoscopic floral display in one of the world's botanical 'hotspots'.