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Jake and Will were amazing and looked after us throughout the trip. Jake's knowledge of the wildlife and habitats was brilliant. Sitting with the Sousliks was so lovely and I could have stayed for hours. I also saw my first Nuthatches which I had hoped for. There was also time to visit the city and explore, with cake thrown in!
C.H. Essex, Jul 24
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Hamsters & Sousliks - A Weekend in Vienna
Tour Code: AUT03A relaxed weekend in the cultural city of Vienna to observe much of the city's wildlife, including Europe's rarest rodent - the European Hamster!
4 days
from
£995 (Inc flights)
£995 (Inc flights)
Land only price
from
£895
£895
Highlights
Tour Itinerary and Reports
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Summary
The beautiful city of Vienna, Austria's capital, is our setting for this long weekend away to search for the critically endangered European Hamster, among other smaller mammals. The vast graveyards and parks on the outskirts of the main city are home to many of these delightful rodents and we stand a very good chance of seeing multiple individuals. Other wildlife in the form of Red Squirrel, European Ground Squirrel (European Souslik) and Roe Deer should also be seen, whilst avian life here can sometimes comprise Black Woodpecker, Middle Spotted Woodpecker and Pied Flycatcher. This short break will also take in the cultural elements of the city centre, with optional visits to the Natural History Museum, the Schonbrum Palace, St. Stephen's Cathedral or the incredible neo-gothic Rathaus. With time to explore the wildlife and the city, this will be the perfect long weekend getaway.
- Observing the enigmatic and critically endangered European Hamster
- European Ground Squirrel (Souslik), Red Squirrel and Roe Deer also likely
- A variety of woodpeckers and other woodland birds
- Time to visit the many cultural highlights of Austria's capital
- Stay in a 4* hotel
- Public transport only during this tour
- Led by an expert naturalist
Grading
Grade A - Easy day walks. On Day 3, we will walk a minimum of 4 kilometres.
Outline Itinerary
Day 1
Depart Heathrow; arrive Vienna
Day 2
Hamsters & sightseeing
Day 3
Sousliks & sightseeing
Day 4
Depart Vienna; arrrive Heathrow
What's Included?
- Flights
- Food:
Breakfast and lunches are included in the tour cost. Dinners are not included and will comprise different venues each evening.
Reviews
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Jake and Will were excellent leaders. They went out of their way to make sure everyone was happy and were knowledgeable and fun. It was a highlight to see the hamsters as well as the souslik and red squirrels. It was great to have the opportunity to see the city too.
S.N. London, Jul 24 -
The hamsters and sousliks were both absolutely captivating. It was lovely to get multiple opportunities to visit the hamsters and there was a perfect mix of wildlife and culture. We appreciated the easy going itinerary with no pressure to join the group for evening meals, etc. After a couple of days navigating public transport with the group we were confident enough to make a return visit to the sousliks on our own, which was a wonderful bonus.
C.N. Surrey, Jul 24
Dates & Prices
2025
Departures
Availability
Cost
Fri 13th Jun – Mon 16th Jun
6
£995
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
Land only cost:
The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.
£895
Single Room Supplement:
Single Room Supplement.
£195
Tour Leader:
Please note that, whilst we assign leaders to particular tours well in advance, we reserve the right to make changes if necessary
Jacob Everitt
Tour Leader: Jacob Everitt
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[description] => Short Break Wildlife Holidays
Among our programme is a significant range of short breaks, designed specially for those wishing to enjoy some of Europe’s top natural history highlights at the best time of year. All of these holidays have the bonus of being short-haul and supported by like-minded wildlife enthusiasts.
Naturetrek Short Break Wildlife Tours
Short breaks are becoming increasingly popular and in response to the high demand for this type of holiday we are continuing to increase our programme both within the UK and abroad. Most of our short breaks are within Europe, for convenience of travel.
For some of our mini-breaks there is an option to travel by plane or train, and we offer a choice of duration and type of break, from a weekend’s birdwatching in the Somerset Levels to a 6-day whale watching tour in the Azores.
A selection of our UK short breaks:
- A winter bird watching break in Norfolk
- An autumn holiday to enjoy the Red Deer rut in Ardnamurchan, Scotland
- A wildlife weekend in the New Forest
A selection of our overseas short breaks:
- In Spain we look for the world’s rarest cat, the Iberian Lynx
- Wolves on the plains in rural northern Spain
- An exploration of La Brenne’s exceptionally rich butterfly-life in northern France
Our specialist recommends...
"We offer two superb short breaks to the lovely island of Madeira in search of whales, dolphins and seabirds. It’s hard to beat our Just Brown Bears trip for families, while if you fancy something off the beaten track, try Estonia in Early Spring for some excellent spring birdwatching."
Paul Stanbury - 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.
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Tour Reports
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!
