The Bavarian Alps

Tour Code: DEU01

An 8-day programme of daily walks in search of the alpine flowers, birds, butterflies and mammals of the Bavarian Alps; plus a wealth of rich local history and culture.

8 days from
£2,095 (Inc flights)
Land only price from
£1,850
book now

Highlights

Summary

Summary

Some of Europe’s most beautiful mountain scenery is found in the Bavarian Alps in southern Germany. This tour focuses on the Berchtesgaden National Park, which lies along the Austrian border and protects 200 sq km of pristine mountains rising to 2,700 metres. The park is home to a rich variety of alpine flowers, birds, butterflies and other wildlife. We will take daily natural history hikes of 5 to 8 miles inside the park exploring its mountains, valleys, lakes and forests. The area is also culturally very rich, and we’ll make an excursion to the historic city of Salzburg – Mozart’s birthplace, as well as to Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest retreat, perched on Kehlstein Mountain.

  • Spectacular scenery includes Konigssee & Mount Watzmann
  • Martagon Lily & Whorled Solomon’s Seal on high ‘alms’ (alpine meadows)
  • Flora includes Herb Paris, Twayblade, Globe Flower, Alpenrose & orchids
  • Spotted Nutcracker, Alpine Accentor & Golden Eagle among varied birdlife
  • Picturesque market towns & world-famous churches
  • Traditional Bavarian cuisine & hospitality
  • Led by expert locally based guides

Grading

Grade B. Mountain day-walks at a gentle pace, although can be steep in some places (up to 10km maximum and longest walks are optional).

One of the oldest states in Europe, Bavaria lies in the southernmost region of Germany, along the border with Austria, and covers 20% of the country’s total land area. Rich in culture and home to some of Europe’s most beautiful mountain scenery, there is a local saying that Bavaria is ‘not part of Germany, but near it’. Indeed the state has a very strong and colourful identity of its own, with Bavarians taking great pride in their traditions, which include playing the Alpenhorn and Maypole dancing, the regional dress of lederhosen for men and dirndls for women, such culinary specialities as white sausage and excellent local beers (served by the litre!), and centuries-old folk music amongst the many charms of the region.

At the heart of the Bavarian Alps, the Berchtesgaden National Park, situated between the Austrian city of Salzburg and the historic spa town of Bad Reichenhal, conserves the very best of this unique region and is the focus of this exciting Naturetrek holiday. Once a royal hunting reserve, this national park now protects over 200 square kilometres of pristine mountains rising to 2,700 metres. The park’s spectacular scenery includes the deep glacial Königssee (King’s Lake), glaciated valleys, deep gorges and mountains that are cloaked with forest beneath the 2,000-metre tree-line. We will explore this wide range of habitats and altitudes during daily hikes in Berchtesgaden’s fabulous mountains and valleys, focusing on the area’s rich variety of alpine flowers, birds, butterflies and other wildlife. Our comfortable base for this holiday is a traditional family-run Bavarian hotel, enjoying magnificent views of the mountains from the forested slopes near the village of Bischofswiesen, close to the national park. Not far away, nestled beneath the imposing and jagged Watzmann Mountain range, lies the picturesque and unspoilt market town of Berchtesgaden — delightfully quaint and quintessentially Bavarian!

Within the national park we will explore the wonderful meadows and forests of the Klausbachtal Valley, rich in such wild flowers as Lady’s Slipper Orchid, White and Red Helleborine, Lily of the Valley and May Lily. We will also look out for birds such as Golden Eagle, Hazelhen and Capercaillie. On another day we will explore the Königssee, scanning the surrounding area for mammals such as Chamois and Red Deer as well as the many woodland and water birds to be found here. After exploring the lake, we will visit the world-famous St. Bartholomew Church before searching nearby mixed forest and clearings along the lakeside banks for interesting flora such as Herb Paris, Twayblade and Bird’s-nest Orchid. These woods are also home to a rich birdlife — including Crested Tit and White-backed Woodpecker — and abundant butterflies.

At higher altitudes we will look for birds such as Golden Eagle, Alpine Chough, Ring Ouzel and Alpine Accentor, while descents through the forests give us the chance of Black and Three-toed Woodpeckers, Nutcracker and Goshawk. One of the highlights of a visit to the Berchtesgaden National Park in early summer is the carpets of alpine flowers in its high meadows; Globe Flower, Arnica montana, Alpenrose, Alpine Snowbell, Primula auricula, and numerous gentians are among the many species we hope to see. Marmots and Ibex are also likely. We will weave our way down on well maintained, but in places steep, trails through old growth spruce and fir forest where some of the trees are over 300 years old. This is a good habitat to search for Coralroot Orchid and One-flowered Wintergreen, before crossing the lower meadows where there is a wealth of butterflies and flowers to see.

While our main aim on this tour will be to enjoy the mountain scenery, wildlife and flowers, a visit to this region of Germany would not be complete without the chance to discover aspects of Bavarian history and culture. We will be based very near the beautiful city of Salzburg — a World Heritage Site, birthplace of Mozart and, more recently, the setting for ‘The Sound of Music’ — and will pay the city a visit during our tour. The area around Berchtesgaden National Park is also known for its association with Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich, and you will have the chance to visit Hitler’s imposing ‘Eagle’s Nest’, perched high above Berchtesgaden town on Kehlstein Mountain.

Finally, after a week spent enjoying the stunning mountain scenery, wildlife, flowers and local Bavarian history and culture we reluctantly have to transfer back to Salzburg for our flight home. However, if you have time, and wish to extend your stay in this special region of Germany, extra nights in Salzburg are highly recommended.

DETAILED INFORMATION
Itinerary

Outline Itinerary

Day 1
Fly Salzburg; transfer to Bischofswiesen
Day 2/7
A programme of daily natural history walks in the Berchtesgaden National Park at the heart of the Bavarian Alps
Day 8
Transfer to Salzburg; fly London
cloud_downloadDownload Full Itinerary
What's Included

What's Included?

  • Flights
  • Accommodation: A delightful, and typically Bavarian, family-run hotel in the mountains near Bischofswiesen with stunning views. All rooms have private facilities. (Please note that no twin rooms are available.)
  • Food:

    All food included in the price.

Reviews
Dates & Prices

Dates & Prices

2025

Departures Availability Cost
Tue 10th Jun – Tue 17th Jun SPACES £2,095
Book Tour Show Details
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
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
TL 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
Wed 27th May – Wed 3rd Jun SPACES £2,095
Book Tour Show Details
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
Wed 10th Jun – Wed 17th Jun SPACES £2,095
Book Tour Show Details
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 
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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




All Botany Tours

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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:



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




  


 


All Birdwatching Tours

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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?

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!