Combined Walking and Wildlife Tours

Naturetrek started by, and still specialises in, organising bird-watching and wild flower treks to remote and mountainous regions of the world. Though our broad programme of holidays now includes many tours which involve little or no strenuous walking, we still offer an excellent choice of walking and trekking wildlife holidays, from the Himalaya to the Pyrenees and the Camino de Santiago to the Inca trail.

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Speak to Our Wildlife Specialist

David Mills
Founding Director

Featured Wildlife Walking Tours

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Our Wildlife Specialist Recommends

"Well, I’m a little biased as I am particularly fond of the Himalaya. However, if you want to find some spectacular mountain scenery and wildlife nearer to home, try ‘Wild Asturias – Realm of the Bear’ for mammals and birds, the Dolomites or Alpujarra for butterflies and Switzerland for alpine flowers!”

David Mills – Founding Director

Walking Wildlife Holidays on Offer:

These tours involve walking all day on most of the days, and tend to be 8 days in the mountains of Europe (although not exclusively) and are either botany or general natural history in focus. Often in remote areas where there are very few other people, our expert naturalist guides will lead you through some of the most majestic scenery, whilst at the same time helping you discover the wonderful flora and fauna that inhabit the region. These tours are for those who enjoy spending a whole day on foot, being able to cope with some strenuous terrain on sometimes uneven ground, and their reward will be, apart from the memorable landscapes and wildlife encounters, a hearty dinner at the end of each day and a great sense of satisfaction at the end of the holiday! Some of our favourite destinations are:

  • The Alps, which offer classic mountain vistas. Switzerland, in particular, with its beautiful alpine meadows, spruce forests and glaciers, is hard to beat for a superb holiday combining botany and walking
  • The Pyrenees – we offer various itineraries with tours on both the French and Spanish sides. Wilder and less manicured than the Alps, this mountain range has a large number of different habitats and a wealth of natural history as a result  
  • The little visited Picos de Europa in northern Spain rewards those who visit with outstanding natural history – birds, plants and butterflies galore!
  • Italy has a number of regions which are ideal for walking and afford plenty of wildlife – alpine flowers and butterflies in the Dolomites and unknown Sibillini Mountains, and Marsican Brown Bear in the Abruzzo National Park (in the Apennines)
  • Zambia - walking between bush camps in Zambia’s South Luangwa National park, home to over 500 species of bird and 60 mammals, is a unique and unforgettable experience!

Looking for something even more adventurous?

Strenuous treks as the main feature of the tour – lasting up to 15 days – in some of world’s most spectacular and sparsely populated mountain ranges, we offer a selection of trips, including the Himalaya & Nepal’s Langtang Valley, where we go in search of breeding birds, alpine flowers, mammals and other wildlife. Here are a few more choices:

  • We have two options in Ladakh searching for Snow Leopards - our original trip which involves camping for several nights and a new departure staying in a recently opened lodge, for those who prefer a roof over their head!
  • Mount Everest & the Gokyo Lakes of Nepal to enjoy the world’s highest peaks & their unique natural history
  • A holiday to Bhutan’s Bumthang Valley, an area with the most temples and historic sites in the this secretive country, in search of spring flowers, particularly rhododendrons
  • Our Peru – Macaws & Machu Picchu trip has the option to complete the infamous Inca Trail, which culminates after 5 days of trekking with the best view of Machu Picchu, looking down at the monumental Inca city from the Sun Gate.

Be it day walks or trekking, in mountains, hills or the savannah, we offer a wide variety of holidays where you can truly stretch your legs, breathe in the cleanest of air, and enjoy the natural history of our world on foot.