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Small group of nice people in Northern Greece looking for birds. 1 leader who knew his way round, was well organised, very knowledgeable and good humoured. Schedules were quite relaxed & I saw 3 new species, 2 more than I had expected. The hotel was comfortable (bed was hard) with excellent views from each room's balcony. Food of good quality in substantial amounts. I felt I had had a holiday, not always true of a bird watching trip.
J.S. Norfolk, Oct 18
Tour Itinerary and Reports
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Greece - Lake Kerkini in Autumn
Tour Code: GRC08A 5-day tour searching for Lesser White-fronted Geese and other special birds found at northern Greece's Lake Kerkini.
5 days
from
£1,495 (Inc flights)
£1,495 (Inc flights)
Land only price
from
£1,295
£1,295
Highlights
Tour Itinerary and Reports
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Summary
Lake Kerkini lies close to the Bulgarian border in northern Greece and is renowned as one of the finest wetland sites in Europe. This tour visits the lake at the onset of winter, our goal sighting being the extremely rare and endangered Lesser White-fronted Goose. Between 12 and 50 of these avian visitors grace the shores of Lake Kerkini each year on their migratory route to mild Mediterranean wintering grounds. We will also keep an eye out for the more conspicuous Greater White-fronted Geese with which the ‘Lessers’ tend to associate, as well as other birdlife of the lake and its surrounds, including Dalmatian Pelicans and huge rafts of Common Pochard. In the hills and woodlands surrounding the lake we’ll search for additional birds such as Sombre Tit, Hawfinch, Alpine Accentor and the elusive Wallcreeper.
- Up to 500 Dalmatian Pelicans plus White Pelicans
- About 40,000 wildfowl overwinter on Lake Kerkini
- Ferruginous Duck, Red-crested Pochard, Smew, Goosander & White-headed Duck
- Up to 1,000 Greater Flamingoes, plus Common Cranes & Spoonbills
- White-tailed & Golden Eagles, plus Eagle Owl and Goshawk in surrounding area
- Grey-headed, Syrian and Black Woodpeckers in woodlands
Grading
Easy paced birdwatching walks.
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DETAILED INFORMATION
Outline Itinerary
Day 1
Fly Thessalonika and drive Lake Kerkini
Day 2/4
Lake Kerkini
Day 5
Return Thessalonika and fly London
What's Included?
- Flights
- Accommodation:
Hotel near Lake Kerkini, all rooms with private facilities.
- Food: All included in the price.
Reviews
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The location of the holiday hotel was close to the lakes. The birdwatching was good and did not include too much travelling. The hotel used was warm, welcoming and the owner offered excellent help to locate the birds around the area.
S.R. Norfolk -
The location and organisation of this trip was excellent. Phil was a patient and thoughtful leader and knew his stuff.
C.M. London -
Everything was very relaxed and well organised from picking up the bus to the return to the airport. Leader very knowledgeable, not just about birds but most wildlife - inverts, plants etc. Lovely area to take a holiday. Accommodation first rate - nice food, plenty of choice. Particularly liked the little owls on neighbouring roofs.
Mr & Mrs G. Leicestershire -
Very peaceful destination offering a good variety of habitats close to base without too much travelling. Guest house accommodation most welcoming and the owner offered excellent support throughout our stay. All the food was delicious and plentiful and the packed lunches provided were brilliant and varied. A most relaxing short break.
E.R. Norfolk
Dates & Prices
2025
Departures
Availability
Cost
Fri 31st Oct – Tue 4th Nov
SPACES
£1,495
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.
£1,295
Single Room Supplement:
Single Room Supplement.
£150
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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
Birding Tours Led by Expert Naturalists
The majority of our wildlife tours focus primarily on birds, allowing us to offer a huge choice of bird holidays. On most of our birdwatching tours we aim to see a wide variety of species, while taking time to enjoy other wildlife as well as cultural highlights and architecture.
Naturetrek Birdwatching Tours
We have one of the largest selections of professionally organised, small group birdwatching holidays around the world and all of our birdwatching tours are accompanied by at least one professional ornithologist leader with detailed knowledge of the area.
The majority of our bird tours have a relaxed, flexible approach which allows more time for photography, detailed wildlife exploration, leisure time and the region’s people, culture, history and architecture, while allowing the group to see a wide range of bird species.
Here is a small selection of our many bird holidays:
- Southern Morocco – an exploration of the birdlife in Morocco’s southern deserts, oases and mountains
- The Camargue in Spring – a short break to enjoy the spring birds of the Rhône Delta and Camargue wetland
- Wallcreepers & Cranes in Northern Spain – a 2-centre holiday focusing on Lammergeier, Wallcreepers, raptors, Cranes, bustards, sandgrouse and more!
- Madeira & Desertas Islands – A Seabird Extravaganza! – a short break focusing on special breeding seabirds, including a night on the remote Destertas Islands
- Peru – Macaws & Machu Picchu – searches for boobies, macaws and Inca Terns
- Spain & Morocco: Birding on Two Continents! – watch the spectacular spring bird migration from both sides of the Straits of Gibraltar
Our Bargain Birdwatching Selection
Our Bargain Bird Tours are intensive birdwatching holidays suitable for the serious birder. They are led by expert English-speaking local guides (and not accompanied from the UK by a tour leader). You can expect a higher-paced tour and to spend long hours in the field.
Our specialist recommends...
"Try Coto Doñana & Extremadura for an excellent introduction to Europe's wetland and steppe birds. I would recommend our bargain holiday, 'Nepal – A Birdwatching Tour' for those interested in Siberian rarities and Ibisbill, while Costa Rica offers a chance to search for arguably the world's most beautiful bird, the Resplendent Quetzal."
Byron Palacios - Tour Leader
Byron Palacios - Tour Leader
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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!
