| Status | Starts | Group size | Leader | Duration/price Inc. flights from/to UK | Duration/price Exc. international flights | Single supp. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
We visit the fabulous steppes, lakes, and marshes of the Hortobágy and the Hungarian forests at the peak of the breeding season. Join us and ‘steppe’ into spring for some of the best birdwatching in Europe.
-
- Fly from London to Budapest and drive to the Zemplén Hills, close to the Slovakian border.
- Accommodation: Zemplén Hills, 3-nights on full board basis.
-
- Today we drive to the Zemplén Hills, where black stork, eastern imperial, and lesser spotted eagles soar in the skies – with an outside chance of golden eagle. The more open country around the Tokaj vineyards may yield red-backed shrike and barred warbler.
-
- On our drive towards the Great Hungarian plains, we will visit Debrecen Woods, some of the oldest oak woodland in the area. Our hotel is well situated near a very productive lake, complete with Little Bitterns. During our stay here, we will also visit Hortobágy fishponds, superbly rich breeding grounds for a variety of bird species, head south into the steppe country, an area of salty soil and short grass unique in Europe and full of life, and further west to explore the steppe woodland. We will also visit the steppe woodland of North Hortobágy – offering good nesting sites for raptors and the hobby – and the grassy steppe, home to the suslik (a ground squirrel), and important prey species for raptors, including the saker falcon.
- Accommodation: Hortobágy, 4-nights on a full board basis.
-
Day 8 Drive back to Budapest & fly back to the UK
All prices are per person and include:
- Services of the naturalist leader
- Flights
- Transfers
- Accommodation
- All meals
- Guided activities
Accommodation
On this tour we spend seven nights in good hotels, all rooms en suite.
Meals
All main meals are included in the price.
Birds
Our tour takes us to the steppes, lakes and marshes of the Hortobágy and the Hungarian forests, at the peak of the breeding season – offering some of Europe’s most exciting birdwatching, including nine species of woodpecker.
- Eastern imperial eagle
- Ural owl
- Red-necked grebe
- Red-footed falcon
Scenery
On our tour we investigate the Hortobágy, an ancient landscape still grazed by herds of the huge, long-horned Hungarian grey cattle, shepherd dogs – some looking like small bears, racka sheep – descendants of an ancient lineage, and the free roaming and ancient, ‘woolly pig.’ We also travel into the green, rolling, forest-clad Zemplen Hills with the famous Tokaj vineyards carpeting their southern slope, home to an extraordinary range of central European forest specialities.
Flights
Price includes return scheduled flights London – Budapest – London.
Ground transport
Ground transportation is by coach.
