Tour to Cape Town

Cape Longclaw (Macronyx capensis) is one of the many endemics to enjoy in this tour. Image by Carles Oliver

The area around Cape Town (Western Cape is name of this Southern Province) is the area of whole Africa with a longest list of endemics. Here, the unique Mediterranean landscapes of scrubs and semi-arid countryside, known as fynbos and karoo, host a long list of birds only to be found here. Most of this species are also to be found in other areas of South Africa but others such as Cape Rockjumper, Orange-breasted Sunbird, Agulhas Long-billed Lark or Victorin’s Warbler are to be found in a small area around Cape Town.

Besides, Cape Town offers one of the most wonderful off shore tours in the world to enjoy sea birds. Here it is possible to enjoy several species of Albatrosses, Shearwaters and Petrels in a unique cocktail of endemics, Western Palearctic winter visitors and Antarctic species!

Barcelona Birding Point offers a tour to this area of South Africa at the end of October and early November. The tour can be booked as a tour in itself, or as an extension of our tour to North-East South Africa

General Information of the tour:

  • Lenght: 8 days, 8 nights
  • Starting/ending city: Cape Town
  • 2022 Dates: October 13th to 21st
  • Price per person: 1990€* (without international fligths); 2870€* (with international flights from Barcelona). Special quote when booking also our previous 15-days long tour to South Africa
  • Deposit: 450€
  • Single room surcharge: 340€
  • Bookings: Please email us to info@barcelonabirdingpoint.com

Read the trip report of our last tour to Cape Town

*price in twin room. Price per person includes all ground services along the tour, fees to natural places, guiding, local guides (if necessary), transportation along the tour, accommodation in twin rooms, pelagic trip, and all meals along the tour. Please be aware that final price can vary depending on the aerial tariff at the moment of your booking.

Daily Planning of the tour:

Those tour participants attending our South Africa tour starting on October 15th will arrive to Cape Town with an internal flight from Durban.

Day 1. Early breakfast in our lovely accommodation South of Cape Town. This day we will enjoy a sea trip to look for the amazing variety of sea birds off Good Hope Cape. During the day we expect to enjoy different species of Albatrosses including Shy, Black-browed and Indian Yellow-nosed. There are also good chances for Northern Royal Albatros. Sea birds are extremelly common here and we will also enjoy species such as Southern Royal Petrel, Antarctic Prion, Sooty Shearwater, Wilson’s Storm Petrel, Pintado Petrel, Pomarine Skua, or White-chinned Petrel among many other. Here there is also good chances for Humpback Whales and other sea mammals. In the bay, we will look also for the scarce Bank Cormorant along with Crowned & Cape Cormorants. In the afternoon we will explore False Bay Nature Reserve inside Cape Town. Here we will enjoy good numbers of wildfowl including Maccoa Duck, Cape Shoveler, Southern Pochard, and Spotted Thick-knee but also Cape Grassbird and Little Rush Warbler.

Shy Albatros (Thalassarche cauta) is a common view off shore Cape Town. Image by Carles Oliver

Day 2. This day we will explore a number of locations East of the city covered by the incredible fynbos in blossom, where we will look for endèmics such as Cape Rockjumper, Ground Woodpecker, Cape Sugarbird, Sentinel Rock Thrush, Orange-breasted Sunbird, Cape Siskin, Cape Bunting, Antarctic Tern and Jackal Buzzard. Other good birds that may appear include Swee Waxbill, African Stonechat and African Penguin.

Day 3. Morning visit to the National Garden in Cape Town. This is an excellent location for forest species such as Terrestrial Brownbul, Cape Batis, Lemon Dove, Cape Robin-chat, Long-billed Crombec and, if lucky, Knysna Warbler, Forest Buzzard and Spotted Eagle Owl. In the afternoon transfer to West Coast National Park, where we will do some birding in the afternoon looking for first sights on more endèmics including Blue Crane, Black Harrier, Chestnut-vented Warbler or Karoo Lark. Overnight close to West Coast National Park.

Day 4. Morning birding in West Coast National Park before transfer to Ceres, where we will spend two nights. In the morning we will look for Southern Black Korhaan, African Hoopoe, Red-faced Mousebird, Red-capped Lark, Levaillant’s Cisticola, Southern Shelduck, Grey-winged Francolin, Bokmakierie and, if lucky Dusky Sunbird or Red-chested Flufftail. A 90 minutes transfer will give us access to Ceres area, where will spend 2 nights.

Southern Black Korhaan (Afrotis afra) in West Coast National Park. Image by Carles Oliver

Days 5 & 6. During these two days we will explore the extensive Karoo plains North of Ceres as well as some rocky areas. In the endless semi-arid Karoo plains we will look for Tractrac & Karoo Chats; Thick-billed, Karoo Long-billed and Grey-backed Larks; Rufous-eared and Namaqua Warblers, Lark-like Bunting & Black-headed Canary among several more. The hillsides around can produce Verreaux’s Eagle, Mountain Wheatear, Cape Penduline Tit as well as Layard’s Warbler, Alpine Swift and Karoo Eremomela and, if lucky, Cinnamon-breasted Warbler. Day 6 in midday transfer to De Hoop Nature Reserve.

Day 7. Full day in De Hoop Nature Reserve, where we will enjoy a wide range of birds including Denham’s Bustard, Southern Black Korhaan, Bar-breasted Apalis, Southern Boubou, Karoo Robin Chat, Secretary Bird, Karoo Korhaan, Acacia Pied Barbet, Cape Griffon Vulture, Agulhas Long-billed Lark, Brown-hooded Kingfisher, Cape Spurfowl, Blue Cranes and several more while enjoying wonderful views on mammals including Bontebok, Eland, Cape Mountain Zebra. This is also a wonderful place to enjoy Southern Right Whales.

Agulhas Long-billed Lark (Certhilauda brevirostris), one of the most sought-after birds in South Africa. Image by Carles Oliver

Day 8. Morning birding in De Hoop Nature Reserve before our last transfer (about 150 minutes) back to Cape Town for your flight back home.

Additional Information of this tour

WHAT’S INCLUDED
8 nights of accommodation in twin/double room, breakfasts, lunches and evening meals, birding guides, ground transport, boat tickets and reserve entrances/fees.
NOT INCLUDED
Flight tickets to Cape Town / from Cape Town. Alcoholic and soft drinks are not included, travel insurance, any other item not listed as “INCLUDED”
ASSEMBLING
Tour participants attending from our previous South African tour exploring the North East of the country will arrive via internal Flight to Cape Town on 29th October, and will transfered to our accommodation for the start of this itinerary on 30th October, early morning. Tour participants not attending the previous tour should arrive into Cape Town along October 29th. We will facilitate a transport to our accommodation to guarantee a grateful trip.
ACCOMMODATION
4 accommodations expected in this tour. We will enjoy lovely small owned B&B and lovely, comfortable countryside hotels for a great experience of birding.
WEATHER
You may expect a mild temperature of about 20ºC to 25ºC degrees all along the itinerary. We may have some rain during the tour.

For further information and bookings please mail to; info@barcelonabirdingpoint.com

Southern Boubou (Laniarius ferruginosus) near Cape Town. Image by Carles Oliver