Wildlife vacations in Europe
From rewildling projects in the forests of eastern Europe to research and conservation programmes involving wolves, lynx and brown bears, although Britain is known as a nation of animal lovers sometimes we need to cross the Channel to find a better way.
Sometimes luck will play a part in spotting an animal on vacation but if you can lessen the odds and listen to local tour operators and conservationists who make it their business to keep animals out of harm's way then you'll be far more likely to achieve success, with little or no disturbance to an animal's existence.
Our Wildlife Vacations
Swim with Orcas in Fjords of Norway
6 night live-aboard tour in the stunning fjords 0f Norway
Sweden vacations, Wolves, Moose and Beavers
Wildlife vacation in Sweden with full focus on large mammals.
Whale & dolphin research in Ligurian Sea, Italy
Whale and dolphin conservation trip
Whale watching in the Azores
Classic whale watching trip in the Azores archipelago
Wildlife vacation in the Isle of Mull, Scotland
Spot whales, otters and eagles on Isle of Mull, Scotland
Family swimming with dolphins in the Azores
A family focused adventure and experience of a lifetime.
Family volunteering with bears in Romania
Unique family volunteering vacation at a bear sanctuary
Wolverine photography tour in Finland
Photograph & watch wild wolverines, a very elusive species
Swimming with wild dolphins in the Azores
Live a dream and swim with wild dolphins
Bird watching tours in Hungary
Visit Bukk N.P. with a birding specialist
Blue Whale tour in the Azores
Visit the Azores at the best time to see Blue Whales
Carpathian Mountains conservation & culture vacation
Wolves, bears & sightseeing
Blue whale watching in the Azores, Pico Island
Best time to see Blue Whales in the Azores
Brown bear tracking in Northern Greece
Track wild bears & explore the wilderness with park rangers
Birdwatching vacation in Greece
Visit top bird watching sites in Greece with a superb guide!
Wild Taiga self drive vacation in Finland, Finnish National Parks
Self guided driving tour in Finland's Wild Taiga wilderness
Madeira small group vacation, wildlife & nature
Active wildlife week vacation in Madeira
Hebrides cruise, The Sounds of Mull, Luing, Shuna and Jura
Cruise the Sounds of the Hebrides: Mull, Luing, Jura, Shuna
Bird watching short break to Hungary
Visit Bukk National Park with a birding specialist
Birdwatching vacation in France
Great Bird Watching, Food, Wine and Bonhomie
Norway wildlife vacation, walking safari
Camping wildlife vacation in the Norwegian wilderness
Isle of Mull wildlife vacation in Scotland
Ultimate week of wildlife spotting on the Isle of Mull
Scotland whale and wildlife vacation
Marine & land wildlife tours in Scottish Highlands & Islands
Amur leopard photography tour in Russia
Photograph the world’s rarest cat, the amazing Amur leopard
Russian Arctic cruise, High Arctic Odyssey
Explore the extreme regions of the High Arctic
Scotland winter wildlife vacation
Unique night vision camping safari in the Cairngorms
Lewis and Harris Outer Hebrides cruise, Scotland
A cruise to the Outer Hebrides, the edge of the Atlantic.
Bear photography tour in Finland
Photograph brown bears in specialist photography pro-hides
Lesvos birdwatching vacation in Greece
Top birding with a private bird guide on Lesvos Island
Whale watching
That first fist of water expelled from a blow hole or the deepest, richest, fish breath ever inhaled, whale watching tours will leave you in humbled awe as to the size and grace of this barnacle crowned king of the open ocean.The Azores, off the west coast of Portugal, is one of Europe's key whale watching locations with sightings practically guaranteed from April through to September. The sight of a Blue Whale, in particular, is just astonishing with the spring migration signalling the start of whale watching season with the likes of Baleen, Sperm, Humpbacks and Orcas soon to follow. Aside from the Azores, Norway is another important European country to watch whales with Orcas, Humpbacks and Fin whales following shoals of herring through the fjords around Tromsø from November through to January, in addition to Humpbacks, Pilots, Minkes making appearances throughout the summer season.
Searching for browns bears
There can be few more thrilling wildlife vacations in Europe other than bear watching and if you've got the patience and the strength of spirit to follow a guide into the depths of Eastern Finland then you'll find fortune certainly favours the brave. After the freezing temperatures of winter, Finnish landscapes, on the borders with Russia, wake up to melt waters and spring flowers but spending a night in a camouflaged bear hide is probably going to paint a picture that's a tad more exciting than the prospect of picnics on lush, green meadows.Romania and northern Greece are two more European regions where brown bears are known to exist and finding out more about conservation, tracking techniques and where and when to spot one of the world's most endearing animals is the only way to approach from a safe and successful distance.
Bison tracking in Poland
Our top Wildlife Vacation
Swimming with wild dolphins in the Azores
Live a dream and swim with wild dolphins
Trip departs every Saturday in May through to the end of October
Wolf tracking in Europe
Wildlife vacations in Europe always promise the thrill of spotting an animal in its natural habitat but sometimes hearing a primeval cry in the dark is just as exciting a prospect.Wolves have long been fated as the bad guy of fictional tales and farming folklore however, cut aside the lazy stereotypes and assumed fear factor and you'll discover a creature that holds just as many charming characteristics as it does predatory instincts.
Tracking wolf prints through the forests, mountains and national parks of France, Poland, Slovakia, Romania and Sweden is an incredibly rewarding experience and if you're lucky enough to actually see what is an extremely shy and elusive animal then you'll soon begin to realise that man's perception has only been created purely to further his own end.
Birding vacations in Europe
Long gone are the days when bird watching vacations were considered boring and if you're feeling motivated to head to Hungary in search of Honey Buzzards or Spain in search of Sandgrouse then right here is where you get twitching. Imagine hiking high into the Pyrenees to find Golden Eagles wheeling overhead or training your binoculars on thousands of Common Cranes ascending across a lake in the Ebro Valley. Bird watching vacations in Europe release you from the shackles of overcrowded hides and noisy nature reserves and thrust you into the natural habitat of some of Europe's most captivating countries.From Barcelona to Zaragoza, Bukk National Park to the Tisza Floodplains, if you're still inclined to think of birdwatching as a pursuit of pensioners then think again as this is where things really start to take off.
Go wild in Sweden
Swimming with dolphins
If you had to hazard a guess at most people's bucket list ideas then swimming with dolphins is probably going to come out pretty close to the top.As with all animals that we love the only place for this sort of activity to take place has to be in the wild with the warmish waves of the Mediterranean setting the scene for a safe and sensible experience to make your heart leap with adulation. Playful? Yes. Friendly? Yes. But something to be captured, trained and put on show? No way! Swimming with dolphins is an activity to be enjoyed in the wild where pods communicate with each other and tricks are performed for fun and pleasure rather than for performance fees and an uneducated audience.
Lynx tracking vacations
There can be few other creatures in Europe quite as reclusive as the Lynx and if you think seeing them in a zoo counts as an encounter then you really need to get out more.Slovakia's Carpathian Mountains are one such location to get your Lynx experience started on the right foot with winter often the best time to track those elusive paw prints captured in the snow.
Scat, scent and radio signals are all used by the experts to help research and follow these cautious cats and if you're planning on getting to grips with snow shoes and cross country skiing then Slovakia's snow-covered terrain is an excellent environment to get started.
Montenegro is another essential Lynx stomping ground with no more than 50 Balkan Lynx known to inhabit parts of Prokletije National Park with the rugged peaks of the Dinaric Alps a well known hiding place for one of Europe's most hard to spot big cats.
More about Wildlife

