BIRDWATCHING · HIKING & TREKKING
Good birding hikes & treks fill up weeks ahead and the great ones go first. Below: the 15 to book early, what each includes and how they differ.
Ride camels by Agadir’s Souss River, spot distant flamingos, enjoy sunset views, mint tea, hotel transfers, and strong value for $19.
“A really good hour and a half adventure. The only flamingos we saw were in the far distance. Overall good value for money.”
Explore Ecuador’s Mindo Cloud Forest on a private day tour with hummingbirds, waterfalls, Pululahua views, butterflies, and chocolate.
“The entire tour was wonderful. Nice clean vehicle for transport. The bird watching was excellent and we ticked a few rare birds off our list as well. Our guide Kathy was so friendly and knowledgeable. The waterfall hike was not for the faint of heart but being so close to the waterfall was breathtaking. Lunch was at a beautiful restaurant that we had all to our selves aside from the toucans!”
Review of a private Rocky Mountain National Park birding hike from Denver, with Ryan, wildlife spotting, lunch, transport, pricing, and practical tips.
“BOOK THIS TOUR! We had a great time with Ryan the Birdman. This is not your normal scripted tour. There is no stop 1, stop 2, stop 3.... Since this is a private tour, Ryan can ad lib to your liking. On our tour we saw Moose, Bald Eagles Golden Eagles, Horned Owls, Elk, Wild Turkey, Prarie Dogs, and more. There is no way we would have saw the things we did without Ryan. He would be driving and then just pull off the road, pull out his binoculars and call us out to look at some incredible animal. I cannot recommend this tour enough.”
Review of One Day In Tenerife’s private six-hour tour, with custom trekking, wineries, birdwatching, gastronomy, transport, pricing, and booking tips.
“Una actividad totalmente recomendable para aquellas personas interesadas en la avifauna de la isla. Recorrimos varios puntos del norte de Tenerife y observamos algunos de los "bichos" (con cariño) más característicos. Nos llevamos un graRead more”
Review of Phillip Island’s small-group hike, koalas, Nobbies, and Penguin Parade, with practical advice on price, fitness, meals, and timing.
“A very full day covering several enjoyable experiences culminating with the amazing Penguin Parade. Shane is an excellent and knowledgable guide.”
Review of Doi Inthanon bird watching and hiking from Chiang Mai, with rare birds, Karen guides, waterfalls, meals, tips, and honest value advice.
“Joe took us on a wonderful bird watching trip up a mountain. We saw many different species. Then a hike on a beautiful mountain trail past wither falls and over bamboo bridges. Highly recommended.”
Review of the Chañaral or Damas Island tour from La Serena, with whales, Humboldt penguins, coastal scenery, lunch, and practical tips.
“Helt fantastisk dagstur! Vi fik en masse information på turen hen til havnen og spændene stop hvor vi bl.a. så lamaer. Bådturen var magisk, med både søløver, pingviner, oddere, rovfugle og ikke mindst hvaler! Bagefter fik vi lækker frokost og fik besvaret alle vores spørgsmål. Guiden var virkelig dygtig og meget engageret i at vi fik en god tur. Kan varmt anbefales.”
Review of Antigua’s Finca El Pilar birdwatching hike, with volcano views, forest trails, practical tips, pricing, and honest drawbacks.
“Sehr schöner gepflegter Ort, ideal zum Eintauchen in die wunderschöne Natur, begleitet durch unseren sehr sympathischen Guide Monica. Leider haben wir jedoch außer am Eingang an den Kolibritränken keine Vögel gesehen. Ebenfalls sollte man wissen, dass die Route über sehr viel Treppen bergauf führt. Wer Knieprobleme hat, für den ist diese Tour eher ungeeignet. Insgesamt hat das Preis-, Leistungsverhältnis leider nicht gepasst.”
Explore Kathmandu’s best birding areas with a private guide, Himalayan views, local life, and a chance to spot Nepal’s Spiny Babbler.
“I spent a Day birding with Krishna Thapa, a delightful young guide and artist. We saw lots of wonderful birds, did some walking and driving up to the top of this small mountain outside of Kathmandu. Also visited the small Temple area at the tRead more”
Review of Cancún’s six-hour guided birdwatching hike along Ruta de los Cenotes, with local guides, snacks, transport, and 30-plus bird species.
“Birding with Carlos was great! We saw many species & Carlos was nothing but helpful, knowledgeable & enthusiastic. This tour couldn’t have been better.”
Review of Salento’s small-group birding hike, with binoculars, expert guides, Andean birds, fruit, water, and flexible booking.
“Jorge was a very good guide, professional and knowledgeable. On our walk we saw over 50 birds, 14 of those were new to us. A great morning out.”
Review of the Big Island’s Hakalau Forest birding tour, with rare birds, expert guiding, hiking, transport, meals, gear, and practical tips.
“Excellent day of birding for endemic species on the Big Island. Our guide, Gary, was a great birder and story teller. A very successful and enjoyable day.”
Hike Mount Mogle from Addis Ababa for highland views, endemic birds, village coffee, Tella, lunch, and a waterfall visit for $130.
Review of Phillip Island’s small-group hike, koalas, Nobbies coastline, and sunset Penguin Parade from Melbourne.
“The cost of the trip is too high for the overall experience. It’s better to book a more economic tour and purchase upgraded tickets for Penguin Parade. The hike along Wollomai Beach is good but not great. Apart from the highly priced tour you will easily spend over 50$ on food and souvenirs. It’s best to choose a Penguin Parade tour and upgrade your ticket on the Penguin Parade website.”
Review of a private Cape Peninsula hiking tour with Cape Point, Cape of Good Hope, penguins, scenic drives, and flexible routing.
“I did a full day solo tour yesterday with Patrick, and it was an excellent decision to book with him! He was an excellent guide, very personable and a wealth of interesting information to share. He was able to customize my trip to include a long hike in the Cape peninsula followed by a visit to the Kirstenbosch gardens. I couldn’t recommend him highly enough!”
Pick a species, a habitat or a coastline.
