21 October 2026

Celebrating 40 years of providing expert-led wildlife holidays in 2026, tour operator Naturetrek has put together its recommendations and new tips for exploring the natural world in 2027. There are exciting new tours from the hills of the South Downs to the islands of the Philippines, underrated wildlife destinations such as Suriname, Paraguay and the Baltics, lesser-visited corners of well-known holiday favourites such as Spain and the USA, and wildlife holiday themes to discover such as beginner birding and conservation success stories.

Andy Tucker, Managing Director at Naturetrek, says: “During Naturetrek's forty years in wildlife travel, the world has shrunk dramatically. The internet means genuinely wild, unexplored places are fewer and further between, and more people than ever are carrying a camera or smartphone in expectation of snapping the perfect image to share back home. At the same time, local guiding standards have soared, and accommodation and service are generally far better than they once were. The flip side is that expectations are higher, and people’s tolerance for things going wrong is lower!

"That’s partly why we’re seeing travellers look beyond the classics. Many have already been to India, Costa Rica and Brazil, and now want to escape the crowds and go somewhere their friends haven’t. Suriname, Paraguay and the Baltics are a perfect fit. There’s also a growing appetite for travelling more slowly or combining different interests in one tour. Our Go Slow holidays are especially popular with the over-70s, and with anyone who wants a wildlife holiday in the truest sense.

“Responsible travel remains at the heart of what we do. In 2027, we’ll build on our conservation projects in Scotland, Italy and Ecuador. We hope to complete a significant land purchase to extend our reserves in Ecuador next year, and we’ll acquire more land elsewhere whenever the right opportunity arises, in locations where habitats and species are under threat and where we can work with local, experienced conservation partners to have the most impact.

“Personally, I’m looking forward to visiting Colombia in November 2027 for the first time in ten years, which is fast-growing in popularity and likely to be one of our top-selling destinations next year.”

Here are some of Naturetrek’s top picks for 2027: 

New Tours 

From relaxing single centre wildlife holidays in Costa Rica and Namibia, to a Zambian safari on foot, island hopping and birdwatching the Philippines, and new walking holidays in the South Downs, Naturetrek’s new 2027 wildlife tours offer a host of ways to explore the natural world and experience new, lesser-seen corners of destinations: 

• Birding the Philippines (NEW): An exciting new itinerary exploring the very best of the Philippines’ endemic birds and regional specialities across four contrasting islands – Luzon, Bohol, Negros and Palawan, including visits to the Philippine Tarsier Sanctuary for close encounters with these remarkable primates and stopping at the iconic Chocolate Hills. 8-24 Jan and 21 May-6 Jun 2027, from £6,995pp. 

• Go Slow in Namibia (NEW): A completely different wildlife safari experience to any other, with otherworldly landscapes and low crowds, this single-centre relaxed tour offers the opportunity to stay at the world-renowned home of the AfriCat Foundation. The superb Okonjima Plains Camp overlooks a productive wildlife waterhole, with specialist tracking for Leopard, Brown Hyena, Temminck's Ground Pangolin and White Rhinoceros, excellent birdwatching opportunities, and day and night game drives with expert local guides and conservationists. There’s plenty of time to enjoy the lodge's facilities including The Barn - a beautifully designed central social hub with views over the water hole, a swimming pool, secluded nooks, and inside-outside dining - and wildlife, at leisure. 23 Aug-2 Sept 2027, from £7,795pp. 

• Go Slow in Costa Rica (NEW): Based for a week at nature-focused boutique Hotel El Lugar within a wildlife-rich forest and pasture, this single centre tour offers a gentle-paced exploration of Braulio Carrillo National Park and the La Selva Biological Station in search of such delights as colourful hummingbirds, tanagers, toucans, Three-toed Sloth and Mantled Howler Monkey. 19 Feb-1 March 2027, from £6,295pp. 

• Ecuador – Spectacled Bear & Andean Birds Photography Tour (NEW): Having long been a popular birdwatching destination, and one of Naturetrek's favourites, Ecuador is also emerging as one of the finest places in the world to observe and photograph the elusive Spectacled (Andean) Bear. This pioneering wildlife photography holiday combines chances to photograph the elusive bear at Bear Canyon, a pioneering conservation project, with exceptional bird photography in the Chocó cloudforests including iconic birds including Andean Cock-of-the-rock and Sword-billed Hummingbird 1-11 April, 6-16 May, 2-12 Sept and 7-17 Oct 2027, from £6,795pp. 

• Walking the South Downs Way (NEW): Two new walking and wildlife itineraries along the South Downs Way - offer opportunities to spot some of the wonderful butterflies, birdlife, botany and landscapes of England’s finest chalk downs. Winchester to Amberley 28 Jun-3 Jul from £1,595pp and Amberley to Eastbourne 3-8 Jul from £1,595pp. 

• Zambia on Foot - Ultimate Africa! (NEW) The South Luangwa is Zambia’s finest national park and widely considered to be one of the greatest wildlife sanctuaries in all of Africa, and this tour features a 5-night mobile camping walking safari, with day spent walking along the course of the Mupamadzi River through a tourist-free and wildlife-rich region of the valley in a small group of maximum 6, in search of Elephant, Lion, Thornicroft's Giraffe, Hippo and more. 28 Aug-8 Sept, from £10,695pp. 

Underrated Wildlife Destinations 

Naturetrek’s pick of the very best lesser-visited destinations for seeing wildlife and enjoying the natural world, including brand new tours to Georgia, Suriname and Paraguay: 

• The Reptiles and Amphibians of Suriname (NEW): A pristine wildlife destination that is one of South America’s least visited and most heavily forested countries, Suriname is barely visited by UK tourists (with an estimated approximately 1,000 UK visitors per year), but offers remarkable wildlife spotting. Naturetrek’s new tour focuses on the wonderful reptiles and amphibians of the Guiana Shield, with opportunities to observe boas, vipers, coral snakes, treefrogs and poison frogs. 13-22 April 2027, from £4,495pp. 

• Georgia’s Caucasus Mountains - Alpine Wildlife & Walking (NEW): With the full package of interesting culture, great walking, fantastic wildlife and excellent food yet not a big, or overrun tourist destination, Georgia is very much on Naturetrek’s mind for 2027. This 9-day holiday explores the spectacular Caucasus Mountains and the rich forests of Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park, home to Black Woodpecker, Red-breasted Flycatcher and signs of Brown Bear, as well as the contrasting landscapes of the Javakheti Plateau and Lake Tabatskuri. There are also excursions to enjoy some of the cultural highlights including the Gergeti Trinity Church and the ancient cave city of Uplistsikhe. 17-25 June and 24 June-2 July 2027, from £3,395pp. 

• Bulgaria in Summer: An under-visited corner of Europe, close to the border with Greece, Bulgaria’s Pirin Mountains National Park offer a wide variety of landscapes and scenery, from alpine meadows dotted with glacial lakes, to conifer forests, dry Mediterranean habitats and rocky tree-lined river valleys home to vibrant birds, butterflies, dragonflies, reptiles and flowers and spectacular walking opportunities. 8-15 July 2027, from £1,995pp. 

• Paraguay: From the Gran Chaco to the Atlantic Forest (NEW): The little-visited Gran Chaco is one of South America's most distinctive birding regions and home to a wealth of Chaco endemics including Chaco Owl and Many-coloured Chaco Finch. Naturetrek’s unique tour combines birding in the Gran Chaco ecoregion with birding in the Atlantic rainforest, two abundant and diverse but hugely under-the-radar areas within this often overlooked wildlife destination - a rewarding travel opportunity combining relatively few visitors, excellent local guides and a genuine sense of exploration. 1-14 September 2027, from £5,995pp. 

Beginner Birdwatching

In 2026, birdwatching officially entered the mainstream with the launch of the second series of the ‘Get Birding’ podcast and birding platform hosted by Sean Bean and his mentor environmentalist Mya-Rose Craig (aka Birdgirl), the rise of #birdtok captivating social media, and a new series of Channel 5’s Sam & Ade Go Birding. Naturetrek’s collection of Beginner Birdwatching tours introduces the pastime to new or novice birders on slower paced tours with an enhanced level of guiding from its expert naturalist leaders, enabling guests to learn to spot different species and develop birdwatching skills. Tom Mabbett, Naturetrek’s Beginner Birding specialist, says: “Knowing that those new to birdwatching may feel intimidated at the thought of joining a tour of avid birders with years of experience, we want to provide newcomers to the birding community with the opportunity to enjoy some of the UK and Europe’s premier birding spots in a supportive, relaxed and non-judgmental way, with tour leaders who will help them to learn bird songs, calls and behaviours, and become immersed in the many joys that the hobby brings - including time outside in nature, mindfulness and meeting likeminded new friends.” 

• Beginner Birdwatching at London's Walthamstow Wetlands (Day Trip): Walthamstow Wetlands is London’s largest urban wetland nature reserve and a haven for many species of waterbirds. On this one day excursion look for regularly spotted species such as Kingfisher and Little Egret, spot passage migrants and learn about the conservation work of the London Wildlife Trust. Runs throughout the year, next departure 10 Jan 2027, £60pp.  

• The Somerset Levels - A Beginner Birdwatching Tour: This 3-day break focuses on the spectacular winter congregations of Starlings and flocks of wildfowl found on the ancient moors and wetlands at RSPB’s Somerset Levels - an iconic introduction to birdwatching. 3-5 Feb 2027, from £550pp. 

• The Forest of Dean in Spring: England’s second largest expanse of ancient woodland, the Forest of Dean in late spring offers chances to see - and hear - delightful woodland species such as Pied and Spotted Flycatchers, Redstarts and Wood Warblers. 19-21 May 2027, from £485pp. 

• Extremadura in Spring - A Beginner Birdwatching Tour: Spain’s Extremadura region is one of Europe’s finest and most exciting birding regions, whose sun-drenched steppes, vast open plains and oak-forested hills will introduce first-time birders to such sights as the ‘foam bath’ display of Great Bustards, Golden Eagles and Griffon Vultures circling overhead, and iconic species such as Roller, Bee-eater and Hoopoe, all from a delightful country house hotel serving delicious regional food and wine. 6-12 April 2027, from £1,895pp. 

Conservation Success Stories 

As a tour company run by naturalists for naturalists, Naturetrek’s team has a passion for conservation and is committed to ensuring the long-term protection of species and habitats. It’s proud to offer small group tours led by expert naturalist leaders to wildlife areas where species and habitats have benefitted from pioneering conservation programmes - including to Naturetrek’s own wildlife reserve project in Ecuador - where travellers can see the measurable difference that conservation and responsible wildlife tourism in collaboration with local communities can have: 

• Iberian Lynx in Spain: In 2002, the Iberian Lynx population in Spain and Portugal was down to just 94 due to diseases affecting its key prey, rabbits, as well as habitat destruction and fragmentation. But after a two-decade conservation programme delivered by a coalition of partners including the EU, regional and national governments in Spain and Portugal, wildlife NGOs and local communities, the status of the world’s rarest cat was changed from ‘endangered’ to ‘vulnerable’ on the IUCN’s global red list of threatened species in 2024, rising to 2,663 individuals in 2026, with experts saying if the pattern continues the species could be out of danger by 2040. Naturetrek pioneered Iberian Lynx watching tours to Spain, establishing a programme in 2006 with holidays to two Iberian Lynx habitats in the Coto Doñana and Sierra Morena, spending many quiet hours scanning scenic viewpoints for the magnificent cat. Naturetrek works with expert local guides in Doñana, one of the few companies licensed to operate in the core lynx area, and watches from viewpoints in the Sierra de Andujar for completely unobtrusive lynx viewing from a distance. Spain Realm of the Iberian Lynx - 17-22 Jan, 22-27 Feb, 14-20 Nov & 21-26 Nov 2027, from £1,795pp. 

• Beavers in the UK: Once widespread across Britain, Beavers were hunted to extinction for their fur 400 years ago, but today are increasingly recognised for playing a vital role in shaping ecosystems and have been part of a series of reintroduction trials around the UK, with the government confirming in February 2025 that they can be licensed for release in the wild not just enclosures. The first English release license went to the National Trust at Purbecks Heath in Dorset, with the Cornwall Wildlife Trust releasing a pair in February this year. On Naturetrek’s Cornwall - Beavers, Choughs & Cetaceans tour wildlife fans can visit the Woodland Valley Reserve, which has worked in partnership with the Cornwall Wildlife Trust since 2017 to support a healthy, breeding population of Beavers, which have transformed a small stream into a network of pools and wetlands maintained by a range of impressively engineered dams, benefiting other wildlife and helping reduce flood risk. 10-14 July and 4-8 Sept 2027. 

• Ancient Carpathian Forest in Romania: Since 2009, Foundation Conservation Carpathia has been one of Europe’s largest private conservation initiatives, with a goal of rewilding the largest forested area in Europe spanning 250,000 hectares and the ultimate endeavour of gaining protection as a National Park. The area is home to iconic species such as Brown Bear, Wild Cat, Red Fox and European Bison as well as a diversity of birdlife. Naturetrek’s Romania - Wild Carpathia tour works in collaboration with the organisation, taking the small group to visit the initiative and learn about its conservation projects, visit its hides, biodiversity farm and learn about its educational programmes. 15-23 May 2027, from £2,895pp. 

• The Ecuadorian Andes: Working with local conservation partners, Naturetrek has channelled profits into establishing reserves in key biodiversity hotspots around the world where habitats and species are threatened: this includes 2,181 acres of cloudforest in the Ecuadorean Andes, classified by WWF as one of the world’s 200 most important wildlife corridors. At the Naturetrek Reserves in Ecuador, where Naturetrek works in partnership with Ecuadorian NGO Fundación EcoMinga, an estimated 105,000–212,000 tonnes of carbon have been prevented from being released, several species new to science have been discovered, former poachers have been retrained and employed as rangers and researchers, and a community homestay scheme has created employment, income and education. The Reptiles & Amphibians of Ecuador tour includes an exploration of the Naturetrek Reserves as part of a 17-day discovery of the country’s diverse habitats. 2-18 Feb 2027, from £7,695pp. 

The Booming Baltics 

Gaining in popularity as part of the general rise of the ‘coolcation’, the Baltics seem to be capturing the imagination of UK travellers in their own right - offering easy access to beautiful, wild spaces, a slow travel ethos, and often being overlooked in favour of Europe’s better‑known wildlife destinations. Estonia registered 70,000 Brits visiting in 2024-25 - rising almost to pre-pandemic levels, and a total 1.66m international tourists in the first half of 2026, a 4% year-on-year increase. Meanwhile Latvia’s tourism board reported last year that the most significant increase in the number of foreign guests in 2025 compared to the previous year was from the UK with almost 19k UK visitors (nearly 20% of total visitations). Lithuania’s tourism board reported in early 2026 that the country receives around 90,000 UK tourists each year, and it has recently joined the Association of Touring & Adventure Suppliers (Atas) to showcase its outdoor activity and nature-based offering to the UK market. Naturetrek has increased its Baltic offering in the last couple of years due to increased demand and interest in its world-class wildlife and natural world offering, and now includes 9 trips to Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania within its collection, showcasing spectacular bird migrations, beautiful endemic birdlife, elusive mammals, tranquil forest-and-lake-filled landscapes and island-studded coastlines within a truly wild corner of Europe: 

• Estonia - A Eurasian Lynx Special: An exhilarating 8-day holiday to Matsalu National Park and the remote Lahemaa National Park in Estonia to search for one of Europe's most elusive mammals, the Eurasian Lynx. The country banned hunting the mammal in 2014, and numbers have returned to around 500, making it the leading country for tracking and finding this rarely seen nocturnal creature. 20-27 March 2027, from £2,595pp. 

• Latvia in Spring: Relatively undeveloped, with extensive forests, wetlands and coastlines that are rich in birds, Latvia is a hugely underrated birdwatching destination. This spring tour coincides with the migration at Cape Kolka when many thousands of seaducks, raptors and passerines are funnelled into a narrow point of land. The tour also visits Kemeri National Park whose wetlands host flocks of migrating waders and terns and forests are home to charming woodpeckers, and then on to Lake Lubāns Wetland area staying in a beautiful lakeside lodge. 14-21 May 2027, from £2,195pp. 

• Lithuania in Autumn: The southernmost of the Baltic States and located under the Baltic Flyway, Lithuania is perfectly placed for an autumn wildlife exploration. On this 8-day tour explore the famous Nemunas Delta, looking for the many thousands of birds migrating along this route annually, including warblers, wagtails, tits and gulls, and crossing the lagoon at the Curonian Split to look skywards for Common Kingfisher and White-tailed Eagles. 25 Sept-2 Oct 2027, from £2,495pp. 

Finding Wilderness in the Most Popular Holiday Spots 

ABTA’s Holiday Habits 2026-27 report identified the top 5 holiday destinations visited by UK travellers over the last 12 months and the top destinations Brits intend to travel to during 2027 as: Spain, France, Italy, USA and Greece. While these enduringly popular holiday spots will draw big crowds to the usual hotspots you’d expect - whether that’s Spain’s Costa Brava or the USA’s theme park-filled Florida - there are still plenty of wild, lesser-visited corners to discover: 

• SPAIN: Asturias - Thoroughly off the British tourist trail, with 80% of its visitors domestic, the Asturias region of southern Spain is a timeless, quiet and wild corner of the country home to bears, wolves and rich flora and birdlife. It’s also made incredibly special by its people and traditions, with its Asturian architecture of stone and clay-tiled villages and pastoralist lifestyle, and Naturetek’s tour stays in the high alpine regions of Someido Natural Park (a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve) in a village where locals still live this traditional way of life. 24 Jun-1 Jul 2027, from £1,995pp. 

• FRANCE: The Vercors (travel by train) - Framed perfectly by the resplendent snow-capped Alps in the distance, and the deep Isère Valley in the foreground, the Vercors Regional Nature Park is an area of exceptional beauty, incorporating France’s largest nature reserve, the Hauts Plateaux. Its incredible habitats and wildlife include alpine meadows carpeted with wild pansies and tulips, limestone cliffs with resident Wallcreepers, Short-toed Eagles gliding above sunny southern slopes and Silver Fir and Mountain Pine forests home to Vultures, Black Woodpeckers and a small population of Wolves, said to have recently recolonised the area from the Italian Alps. 10-17 May 2027, from £2,195pp. 

• ITALY: The Bergamesque Alps - One of the most biodiverse, yet lesser-known, areas of the Italian Alps, the ‘Bergamo Alps’ as it’s often known is enclosed by Lake Como in the west, Lake Iseo in the east and the large valley of Valtellina in the north. Its picturesque habitats include the rare grassland habitat of the Serio River home to busy birds like Red-backed Shrike and European Bee-eater alongside vibrant orchids, serene pre-alpine lakes teeming with birdlife and dragonflies, and the Scalve Valley with its views of dolomitic peaks. 29 May-6 June 2027, from £2,395pp.

• USA: Arizona’s Sky Islands - A backcountry wildlife region, the ‘Sky Islands’ area is the most biodiverse of North America and the meeting point of four major North American ecosystems, with 450 bird species, 300 butterflies and 100 mammals. Encompassing the Santa Rita, Huachuca and Chiricahua Mountains, in July and August, a ‘second spring’ brings a burst of flowering, hummingbird and butterfly diversity from the harsh deserts to the high mountains. 

• GREECE: North-eastern Greece’s Nestos Delta, Nestos Gorge and Lake Kerkini - Tucked between Turkey, Bulgaria and the clear blue waters of the Thracian Sea, this north eastern region of Greece lies on an important migration ‘flyway’ between Africa and Europe, with the Nestos National Park boasting a mosaic of salt marshes, coastal lagoons and wet meadows and opportunities for spotting some of 270 bird species, the spectacular Nestos Gorge offering picturesque trails and chances to see Honey Buzzards and Bee-eaters, and photographers’ paradise Lake Kerkini, with its array of herons, Dalmatian and White Pelicans and more. 

Visit naturetrek.co.uk to see the full collection of 2027 tours. 

ENDS

Notes to editors:

About Naturetrek: Established in 1986, Naturetrek has 40 years’ experience in operating group and tailored wildlife holidays, offering the largest selection of professionally organised, expert-led wildlife holidays and tours in the world. Naturetrek’s team of wildlife enthusiasts and dedicated travel professionals is passionate about organising outstanding, competitively priced and responsible wildlife holidays, short breaks and day trips around the world. To speak to the experts for more information on any of Naturetrek’s wildlife itineraries, or to request a copy of the latest brochure, call 01962 733051 or visit www.naturetrek.co.uk.

Sustainable Tourism at Naturetrek: Naturetrek is a tour company run by naturalists for naturalists, all committed to ensuring the long-term protection of species and habitats. It remains a family-owned business and actively invests its profits in purchasing land to be managed by wildlife and conservation charities for the benefit of the natural world. In 2000, Naturetrek was one of the very first British tour operators to encourage its clients to contribute towards off-setting their carbon emissions. Since 2007, Naturetrek has made contributions for every flight that it books, donating £15 for every person booking a long-haul holiday and £5 for each short-haul traveller to its local conservation partners. To date this has raised over £625,000 and funded Naturetrek’s very own ‘carbon retention’ project, building up the ‘Naturetrek Reserves’ in collaboration with its Ecuadorian partner, Fundación EcoMinga. The project has created an invaluable wildlife corridor between the national parks of Llanganates and Sangay National Parks on the eastern slopes of the Ecuadorian Andes in an area now covering 2,181 acres and saving a valuable habitat and its endangered wildlife from deforestation, as well as preventing the release of an estimated 105,000 – 210,000 tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere. In 2023, Naturetrek purchased the 120-acre ‘Macchietelle estate’ in Italy's central Apennines, which it has passed by way of a 30-year stewardship agreement to the Italian conservation charities Salviamo L’Orso (Save the Bear) & IntraMontes. In August 2025, Naturetrek completed the purchase of the 3,609-acre Stuckindroin estate in Scotland where, working with an experienced wildlife conservation organisation, it will be part of a 200-year project to restore the native Scottish rainforest and other nature-rich habitats across the Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park.

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