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Matt and Toby made this a wonderful holiday, not just by ensuring that we saw a wide range of birds but also in the attention to the detail of the logistics. We saw everything we hoped for and much more besides. This has been one of our best holidays. I will certainly be recommending this holiday to friends.
RM, Surrey, Feb 24
Tour Itinerary and Reports
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Florida
Tour Code: USA02Swap the British winter for some Florida sunshine and experience the wide variety of birdlife that inhabits its woodlands, wetlands and sawgrass prairies.
10 days
from
£3,495
£3,495
Land only price
from
£2,995
£2,995
Highlights
Tour Itinerary and Reports
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Summary
Florida is one of the best birdwatching locations in North America: the perfect place for an introduction to American birds, as well as for a temporary escape from the British winter! This 10-day ‘Bargain Birdwatching tour’ begins in Orlando and concludes in Miami. It visits many of Florida’s outstanding wetland and coastal habitats as well as areas of woodland and open prairie. The famed Everglades Swamps ensure that the bird tally includes impressive concentrations of herons and waterbirds, but we should also see many species of wader and raptor as well as local specialities such as Roseate Spoonbill, Snail Kite, Sandhill Crane and Red-cockaded Woodpecker.
- Fantastic introduction to birding in the new world
- Explore the world-famous Everglades
- Enjoy warm winter sunshine
- Snail Kite, Limpkin, Florida Scrub Jay
- Masses of herons, egrets and wintering wildfowl and shorebirds
- Guided by an expert Naturetrek ornithologist
Grading
A standard bird watching tour with no prolonged treksFlorida, in the south-east corner of the USA, provides a great introduction to birding in North America with the added bonus of a sub-tropical climate. As well as a great selection of east coast birds there are a good number of specialities to be searched for such as the endangered Snail (Everglade) Kite, the unique Limpkin, the bizarre Smooth-billed Ani, Caribbean species such as Short-tailed Hawk, Shiny Cowbird and White-crowned Pigeon. The southern latitude also encourages a number of other species to over-winter rather than migrate to Central and South America; these include a number of American warblers and possibilities of Scissor-tailed Flycatcher and always a chance of a Caribbean vagrant. Add to this the wealth of wintering wildfowl and shorebirds plus the array of resident species and introduced exotics (68 species of parrot have been recorded in Florida!), there are the makings of a mouth-watering trip. In February the weather is normally settled with temperatures at Miami averaging 24°C with a humidity of 54% and precipitation of 47mm. Given a normal year, conditions should be perfect for pleasant birdwatching. The trip will have few long drives (more than two hours) without regular stops at some of the plethora of State Parks, Wildlife Refuges and National Preserves. We will visit Merritt Island (Cape Canaveral) but not for the Space Centre but for one of Florida’s richest Wildlife Refuges, protected by its proximity to NASA HQ! The prairies and swamplands around Kissimmee and Lake Okeechobee will also focus our attention as will the complex of Refuges on the Gulf Coast around Sanibel Island and the primeval Corkscrew Swamp. Finally we will drive across the northern edge of the Everglades National Park, explore the park as far as Flamingo and bird around the Homestead/South Miami region for a strange mix of exotics! Birds in Florida are often ridiculously tame, especially some of the herons and egrets, offering great photo opportunities to both beginner and experienced photographers. The relatively relaxed pace of the trip will accommodate such needs. It is unlikely that this will be your first and last trip to North America!
Outline Itinerary
Day 1
Orlando/Titusville
Day 2
Titusville
Day 3/4
West Palm Beach
Day 5/6
Fort Myers
Day 7/8
Homestead
Day 9
Miami – Fly London
Day 10
London
What's Included?
- Flights
- Accommodation: Accommodation will be in standard motels with private facilities on the basis of sharing a twin-bedded room.
- Food:
No meals are included in the tour cost (although we expect some of the hotels will include a free breakfast). Please allow about £25-40 per day.
Reviews
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I am immensely satisfied to have been to Florida with Matt and Toby. The accommodation was great, the day trips into the field were a pleasure, the list of birds was incredible and there were many jaw dropping moments to be forever remembered thanks to these two guys.
AS, Merseyside, Feb 24 -
Had a superb holiday with lovely like minded people. The birds were amazing - so plentiful and so accessible. The two tour leaders were both excellent birders and planned our itinerary so we saw a very wide range of species. The hotels were first class and the food top notch. I have travelled with Naturetrek on several occasions and found them to be really good. Hence the reason I go back.
L.E. Greater Manchester, Feb 24 -
Fabulous! We were really impressed with the exceptional variety of birds and other wildlife Matthew always managed to find for us everyday. The itinerary was very comprehensive enabling us to get the most out of this trip and we enjoyed every bit of the tour from bird watching in the rain at dawn (our only rain!) to the daily trips to a range of different bird sites. The opportunities for bird spotting and photography were second to none at all locations and we couldn't believe the vast number of different species of birds and other wildlife Matthew had found for us by the end of the trip. This was our first experience of a Naturetrek holiday so unlike the other participants we had nothing to base our experience on. With this in mind we were extremely impressed with the organisation of the tour and can honestly say it gave us an experience that exceeded all expectations. Matthew was brilliant, very knowledgeable and informative as our trip leader. He also arranged a good variety of restaurants for our evening meal venues. We also liked the fact we were able to add extensions to the dates enabling us to spend extra days before and after the scheduled tour in Florida with Naturetrek taking care of the flight arrangements and joining instructions to meet the tour leader at Orlando Airport. The holiday was definitely good value for money. Due to Covid this was our first holiday in two years which made it even more enjoyable. Thank you all at Naturetrek!
A.W. Norfolk, Feb 22 -
The trip was an excellent introduction to birding in Florida with many opportunities to get close to wildlife in a variety of habitats. We have used Naturetrek for many years and were yet again impressed with their helpfulness and efficiency. Their selection of destinations and attention to detail make them our first choice for this kind of trip.
D.A. West Yorkshire, Feb 22 -
The variety of wildlife, in addition to the different habitats we experienced, made the tour one of the most memorable and wonderful nature holidays to date. The itinerary was extremely well planned to give us an excellent insight into the birdlife and other wildlife of Florida. Matthew and Toby were exceptional leaders and worked extremely well together.
HM & JM, Somerset, Feb 20 -
This was one of the best holidays I've had. This was down to the brilliant leaders Matt and Toby, and the wonderful wildlife to be found and experienced in Florida. Amazing! There was an all round interest in all wildlife - insects, birds, mammals, reptiles - which was excellent.
DC, Suffolk, Feb 20 -
The whole trip was really good. Each day produced excellent sightings of wildlife - just could not believe that every day was equal to or better than the day before! Florida just kept on giving! Both myself and my partner will have many happy memories of this trip as there were so many great wildlife encounters. Both Matthew and Toby were great leaders - very friendly, helpful and fun to be with, probably some of the best leaders we have had.
NS, Suffolk, Feb 20 -
This was a great trip; lots of variety, lovely scenery and well researched birding spots with the birds we were hoping to see. I was pleasantly surprised at the attractiveness of the rural landscape, as well as the better known areas like Sanibel Island and the Everglades. The manatees, dolphins and raccoons were a bonus too! Our tour guide Matthew's sense of humour and enthusiasm brought the group together, and made for a thoroughly enjoyable trip.
MJ, USA, Feb 19 -
The holiday was a wonderful experience. The itinerary was very varied and well balanced and the management and birding skills of the leader, Will Wagstaff, exceptional. He was ably assisted by Rob Mileto who helped to ensure that the whole trip more than lived up to my expectations.
T.M. Suffolk
Dates & Prices
2026
Departures
Availability
Cost
Wed 4th Feb – Fri 13th Feb
SPACES
£3,495
Flights:
Most Naturetrek tours include flight costs ex-UK. If flights are not included, we indicate that here.
Flights are included in the tour cost
Regional Departures:
On certain tours it is possible to depart from a regional airport (rather than London). If a regional departure is possible, we indicate that here.
Regional Departures are available. Call 01962733051
Land only cost:
The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.
£2,995
Single Room Supplement:
Single Room Supplement.
£495
Prefer to Travel in a Private Group?
For any interested natural history club or society, we can arrange for a private departure of this tour.
Enquire
Why Naturetrek?
At Naturetrek we craft expertly-guided group and tailor-made wildlife holidays and cruises to all seven continents. On one of our holidays, you can be assured that our passionate team will enable you to experience and enjoy the best of the world's wildlife and natural spectacles in as comfortable and rewarding a manner as possible, caring as best we can for the environment in the process. We are proud to provide:
- The widest choice of wildlife holidays worldwide
- Tours managed and led by naturalists, for naturalists
- Outstanding value and exceptional customer service
Furthermore, as a Naturetrek client, our office team are always to on hand to help you – so if you have any queries about your holiday, whether before or after you have booked, we will be delighted to answer them on the phone. Please just give our team a call!
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