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From start to finish this holiday was well planned and executed. Nothing was overlooked. Both guides were friendly and extremely knowledgeable. They kept an eye on factors such as weather and changed the itinerary in order for us to experience the best. Birds and plants were in abundance with several firsts for me. Go Slow in Austria was the perfect adventure. The scenery was amazing, hotel wonderful and food delicious. First class organisation. Pre holiday information was clear and concise. Real life experience matched up to holiday brochure descriptions. Website is also clear and informative. All aspects of the holiday were spot on.
H.D. Northamptonshire, Jun 24
Tour Itinerary and Reports
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Go Slow in the Austrian Alps
Tour Code: AUT02A leisurely 8-day botany and birdwatching holiday to the mountains of the Austrian Tyrol, based in the charming village of Ehrwald.
8 days
from
£2,095 (Inc flights)
£2,095 (Inc flights)
Land only price
from
£1,850
£1,850
Highlights
Tour Itinerary and Reports
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Summary
The breathtaking Austrian Alps support a rich diversity of mountain birds and plants, all amidst astonishing alpine scenery. On this leisurely tour, we’ll stay for seven nights at the 4-star Alpen Residence Hotel, situated in the centre of the small Tyrolean village of Ehrwald. Over the course of the week, we’ll use an extensive network of cable cars and chairlifts to explore the surrounding area in depth, never walking more than three miles a day over flat or gently rolling terrain. On our excursions, we’ll botanise and birdwatch past lakes, peaks, woods and meadows, searching for special highland species, and enjoying the sweeping mountain vistas as we go. Each day’s activities will end in mid-afternoon with tea and cake at the hotel, allowing us ample time to relax, wander the nearby woods, or simply slip into the heated pool.
- Enjoy the Austrian Alps’ epic scenery & fascinating wildlife at a gentle pace
- Chairlifts take you straight to the best areas – no need for long hikes!
- Flowers including Alpenrose, Sword-leaved Helleborine & Lady's Slipper Orchid
- Many other orchids possible too, including the rare Chamorchis alpina
- Alpine birds such as Snowfinch, Lammergeier, Nutcracker & Golden Eagle
- Take a spectacular cable car ride up the Zugspitze, Germany’s highest mountain
- Stay in a delightful 4-star hotel, with heated pool, spa & large gardens
Set in the beautiful Austrian Tyrol, close to Austria’s border with Germany, the picturesque village of Ehrwald sits at the base of the mighty Zugspitze, Germany’s highest mountain. The 4-star Alpen Residence Hotel, lying at the heart of this small Tyrolean village, will be our base for the week. From it we will enjoy a range of leisurely botanical and wildlife excursions, exploring the magnificent surrounding alpine landscapes of the Tiroler Zugspitze Arena by means of the region’s extensive network of cable cars and chairlifts. These will allow us a very flexible programme of activities, with each day of excursions ending in the mid afternoon with tea and cake back at our hotel, leaving ample time to relax, enjoy the extensive gardens, wallow in the hotel’s warm pool or spa, or take a gentle stroll in the nearby larch woodlands.
Our plan will be to use chairlifts to ascend each day, then walk for up to three miles over flat or gently undulating terrain. On one day we will visit an alpine lake, Heiterwanger See, where a stroll along the shoreline may yield such plants as One-flowered Wintergreen and Fly, Butterfly and Burnt-tip Orchids. On another day, at the top of the Grubigstein cable car, we should find abundant Alpine gems including gentians, rock jasmines, Alpenrose, Red, White and Swordleaved Helleborines and perhaps even Lady’s Slipper Orchids. Time exploring the woods should also be worthwhile – a chance to find such species as Astrantia bavarica, Pink Globe Orchid, Small White Orchid and Lesser Twayblade. We will try to choose a clear and sunny day for the spectacular cable car ride to the top of the Zugspitze itself, where the flora and fauna will be more limited but the views will be breathtaking. The region’s birdlife is typical of the Alps, with Golden Eagle and Lammergeier always possible overhead, Nutcracker and Western Bonelli’s Warbler in the forests, plus Snowfinch, Alpine Chough and Alpine Accentor on the higher slopes. If the weather is kind, there should be numerous colourful butterflies on the wing too. After a leisurely week of botanising and wildlife-watching, we will return to Munich Airport to catch our flight home.
Outline Itinerary
Day 1
Fly Munich; transfer Ehrwald
Day 2/7
Natural history excursions from Ehrwald
Day 8
Transfer Munich; fly London
What's Included?
- Flights
- Accommodation:
We are based for the week at the 4* Alpen Residence hotel in Ehrwald. We will be staying in spacious ‘Deluxe’ rooms which each have a balcony and sitting area. The hotel’s spa includes a warm pool, two steam rooms, sauna and comfortable relaxation areas.
- Food:
All food is included in the tour price. An excellent buffet breakfast and evening meal will be taken at the hotel each day, and we will plan to take picnic lunches to keep us going during our daily excursions.
Reviews
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The holiday consisted of day trips from an excellent hotel led by two naturalists, one focusing mainly on the flowers we could see, the other on the birds. We went to a different location each day and often used local cable cars and chair lifts to get high up the mountains. Another day there was a boat trip. The naturalist leaders identified the flowers we saw and birds we saw and heard and led us to interesting places I would never have found for myself. I am particularly interested in European orchids and had the thrill of seeing meadows purple with marsh orchids and of seeing the Lady’s Slipper Orchid in glorious flower hidden away deep in the woods. This was a Go Slow holiday which meant distances and days were shorter than on a standard Naturetrek holiday.
J.R. London, Jun 24 -
The focus was on appreciation of Alpine plants in the late spring/early summer. The client group were all really enthusiastic about this and the guides very knowledgeable. It was at a relaxed pace and we used different cable cars or chairlifts on most days to walk short distances and appreciate the beautiful surroundings. The hotel and food was excellent! Naturetrek run trips focussed on some aspect of the beauty of the natural world and with each of my three trips with them I have always found the guide to be extremely knowledgeable, the holiday well thought through and well organised. It’s probably my favourite holiday company.
J.W. Nottinghamshire, Jun 23 -
The arrangements from start to finish were excellent. The hotel was outstanding - good food and very comfortable. The daily trips out were wonderful and well-planned, taking into account the needs of the group, variety, length of trips etc. The area was outstanding - beautiful scenery, great nature, knowledgeable leaders, etc . . . . . All transport was taken care of - comfortable and safe drivers.
M.S. Leicestershire, Jun 23
Dates & Prices
2025
Departures
Availability
Cost
Thu 29th May – Thu 5th Jun
1
£2,095
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.
£1,850
Single Room Supplement:
Single Room Supplement.
£250
Tour Leader:
Please note that, whilst we assign leaders to particular tours well in advance, we reserve the right to make changes if necessary
Bruce Middleton
Tour Leader: Bruce Middleton
Bruce Middleton lives in Hampshire and is a botanist, ecologist, wildlife artist, wildlife photographer and a honey bee keeper. He has worked for a range of voluntary organisations such as: British Trust for Volunteers and the British Trust for Ornithology. Bruce has had over 25 years in landscape and species conservation management working for West Sussex County Council, Sussex Downs Conservation Board, South Downs Joint Committee and the South Downs National Park Authority. He is currently a freelance wildlife Consultant and surveyor. He has an all-round interest in natural history who loves botanising all over the British Isles and Europe.
Wed 25th Jun – Wed 2nd Jul
1
£2,095
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.
£1,850
Single Room Supplement:
Single Room Supplement.
£250
Tour Leader:
Please note that, whilst we assign leaders to particular tours well in advance, we reserve the right to make changes if necessary
Bruce Middleton
Tour Leader: Bruce Middleton
Bruce Middleton lives in Hampshire and is a botanist, ecologist, wildlife artist, wildlife photographer and a honey bee keeper. He has worked for a range of voluntary organisations such as: British Trust for Volunteers and the British Trust for Ornithology. Bruce has had over 25 years in landscape and species conservation management working for West Sussex County Council, Sussex Downs Conservation Board, South Downs Joint Committee and the South Downs National Park Authority. He is currently a freelance wildlife Consultant and surveyor. He has an all-round interest in natural history who loves botanising all over the British Isles and Europe.
Sat 12th Jul – Sat 19th Jul
SPACES
£2,495
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.
£2,095
Single Room Supplement:
Single Room Supplement.
£225
Tour Leader:
Please note that, whilst we assign leaders to particular tours well in advance, we reserve the right to make changes if necessary
Bruce Middleton
Tour Leader: Bruce Middleton
Bruce Middleton lives in Hampshire and is a botanist, ecologist, wildlife artist, wildlife photographer and a honey bee keeper. He has worked for a range of voluntary organisations such as: British Trust for Volunteers and the British Trust for Ornithology. Bruce has had over 25 years in landscape and species conservation management working for West Sussex County Council, Sussex Downs Conservation Board, South Downs Joint Committee and the South Downs National Park Authority. He is currently a freelance wildlife Consultant and surveyor. He has an all-round interest in natural history who loves botanising all over the British Isles and Europe.
2026
Departures
Availability
Cost
Thu 18th Jun – Thu 25th Jun
SPACES
£2,095
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.
£1,850
Single Room Supplement:
Single Room Supplement.
£250
Thu 25th Jun – Thu 2nd Jul
SPACES
£2,095
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.
£1,850
Single Room Supplement:
Single Room Supplement.
£250
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[description] => Botanical Tours – See Wild Flowers with our Expert Botanical Guides
There are few more pleasing sights in the natural world than a meadow filled with wildflowers. Seeing plants in their native habitat is always exciting and our flower tours offer you an incredible choice, from dazzling tropical blooms and the thrill of finding elusive orchids or delicate alpines, to seeing island endemics or British flora. Our tours range from week-long holidays focusing on the ‘Alpine flowers of the Swiss Alps’, the ‘Italian Dolomites’ and the ‘Alpine Flowers of Slovenia’s Julian Alps’, to orchid-hunting on Italy’s Gargano Peninsula and searching for the Autumn Plants of Greece’s Peloponnese. We also visit more remote areas of the world in search of plant-life, from the Tien Shan Mountains of Kazakhstan where we look for wild tulips, to the rainforests and spiny deserts of Madagascar where over 80% of the flora is endemic.
Many of us want to know more about the plants we see around us. Whether inspired by an appreciation of the aesthetic appeal of flowers, or a more focused desire to identify individual species, everyone with an interest in botany will derive pleasure from joining one of Naturetrek’s flower tours.
Why choose Naturetrek’s botanical holidays?
- All our botanical holidays are led by expert botanist guides
- All levels of interest and expertise are catered for, from hobby gardeners and complete beginners to keen botanists who wish to explore a new area with the help of a knowledgeable leader
- We keep the overall focus on flora, though expert guidance is also given on other wildlife
What can I expect on a typical Naturetrek botanical holiday?
- Travel with a group of like-minded people
- Stay at a comfortable hotel or lodge, close to an area of outstanding botanical interest
- Enjoy a series of leisurely day excursions with ample time to appreciate the local flora
In addition to our dedicated flower tours, we also offer holidays with a wider theme to encompass birds, butterflies and other aspects of natural history as well as the flora. Our spring tours to 'Crete' and ‘The Island of Cyprus’ are both timed to allow us to enjoy the botanical highlights as well as the spring bird migration, whilst ‘Croatia and Slovenia – Spring in Istria’ also allows time to enjoy a little of the local culture. ‘Romania – the Wildlife of Transylvania’ combines an appreciation of the flora of the Carpathian Mountains with birding, butterflying and a trip to look for Brown Bears from a purpose built hide, and our holidays in both the ‘French Pyrenees’ and the ‘Spanish Pyrenees’ combine birds, butterflies and botany throughout the week.
Our specialist recommends...
"I'd recommend 'Wengen – Alpine Flowers of the Swiss Alps', 'Crete' and 'The French Pyrenees', which all offer some fascinating European botany, along with plenty of wider natural history and some stunning scenery. If you’re keen to travel a little further afield, I’d suggest joining us in South Africa for our 'Wild Flowers of the Cape & Namaqualand' tour”
David Tattersfield - Tour Leader
David Tattersfield - Tour Leader
Relaxed Wildlife Holidays
Our programme of Go Slow wildlife holidays allows guests to enjoy the natural world at a more leisurely pace than on one of our conventional wildlife holidays. There will be more time to relax, more time to potter, excursions will be optional and we hope you will return, not only having enjoyed a fascinating mix of birds, plants and other wildlife, but also feeling refreshed and relaxed!
Our Go Slow tours range from week-long holidays that offer warm spring sunshine and gentle natural history excursions in Portugal, the Camargue and Mallorca, to tours which take on a more cultural air each afternoon, such as Go Slow … in Istria in Autumn and Go Slow … in Southern Spain. Our Go Slow holidays in the Swiss Alps and Cyprus both combine the best of the region’s botany and birdlife, or, if you would like to travel a little further afield, why not join us for a leisurely-paced exploration of India’s Tiger Country, Kenya’s Masai Mara, or South Africa’s Western Cape?
What can I expect on a typical Naturetrek Go Slow holiday?
On each Go Slow holiday we aim to offer as many of the following as possible:
- A single-centre holiday
- Direct flights with sociable timings
- Comfortable hotel of high quality (with swimming pool if possible), serving meals of a high standard
- Leisurely paced walks on gentle terrain
- Expert leaders, as ever, with more time for interpretation & explanation
- A maximum of 6 hours in the field each day (9.30am-3.30pm with picnic lunch or two 3-hour excursions)
- Morning and afternoon toilet/comfort stops
- Minimal long drives
- Back in time for afternoon tea
- All excursions optional
- All-inclusive cost (except bar drinks & laundry)
- Time to relax, read, paint, potter, swim or enjoy anything else that you might wish to do!
Our specialist recommends...
"If you’re looking for wonderful wildlife and great hospitality at a slower, more relaxing pace, our Go Slow portfolio could be just right. Why not consider Go Slow … in Extremadura, based at Viña las Torres in the heart of the Extremadura countryside, to enjoy some of Europe’s top birdwatching? Or, for something more exotic, have a look at Go Slow … in Trinidad, which is based at the incomparable Asa Wright Centre.”
Andy Tucker - Operations Manager
Andy Tucker - Operations Manager
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!
