Our eastern South Africa birding and wildlife tours combine the great birds and mammals of the world-renowned Kruger National Park, the teeming Zululand game reserves, the endemic-rich mist-belt forests and grasslands of the Natal Midlands and the lofty peaks of the magnificent Drakensberg. Target species include Kori Bustard, Southern Ground Hornbill, Bateleur, Southern Bald Ibis, Bearded Vulture, Blue and Wattled Cranes, Blue Korhaan, Ground Woodpecker, Yellow-breasted Pipit, Rudd’s and Botha’s Larks, Spotted and Orange Ground Thrushes, Drakensberg Rockjumper, Gurney’s Sugarbird, the splendid Pink-throated Twinspot, Neergaard’s Sunbird, Narina Trogon, Woodward’s Batis, Gorgeous and Olive Bushshrikes, Chorister Robin-Chat, Brown and Bearded Scrub Robins, Knysna and Livingstone's Turacos, Bush Blackcap and Rudd’s Apalis. Our chances of achieving the classic ‘Big Five’ (Lion, Leopard, African Elephant, African Buffalo and both Black & White Rhinoceroses) are excellent, while less common mammals include African Wild Dog, Cheetah and the endemic Black Wildebeest. 

Please note: these prices are subject to foreign exchange fluctuations.

Top Birds

Blue, Wattled and Grey Crowned Cranes, Denham’s Bustard, Blue Korhaan, Southern Bald Ibis, Drakensberg Rockjumper, Gurney’s Sugarbird, Bush Blackcap, Ground, Bennett's and Olive Woodpeckers, Rudd’s and Botha’s Larks, Knysna, Purple-crested and Livingstone’s Turacos, Chorister Robin-Chat, Drakensberg and Karoo Prinias, Grey Tit, Karoo and Olive Thrushes, Fairy Flycatcher, Layard's and Chestnut-vented Warblers, Cape Parrot, Narina Trogon, Gorgeous and Olive Bushshrikes, Spotted and Orange Ground Thrushes, Cape and Sentinel Rock Thrushes, Rudd’s Apalis, Woodward’s and Cape Batises, Crimson-breasted Shrike, Southern Pied Babbler, Violet-eared, Grey and Black-faced Waxbills, Brown and Bearded Scrub Robins, Buff-streaked and Sickle-winged Chats, Pink-throated Twinspot, Neergaard’s, Scarlet-chested and Southern Double-collared Sunbirds, Green Malkoha, Half-collared and Giant Kingfishers, Little and White-fronted Bee-eaters, Southern Boubou, Cape and Forest Canaries, Cape, Spectacled and Southern Brown-throated Weavers, Yellow-breasted Pipit.

Top Mammals

The ‘Big 5’(Lion, Leopard, African Elephant, African Buffalo and both Black & White Rhinoceroses), Meerkat, African Wild Dog, Black Wildebeest, Nyala, Cheetah, Giraffe, Greater Kudu, Plains Zebra, Warthog, Common Eland and Sloggett’s Vlei Rat, Hippopotamus.

Habitats Covered

dune and mist-belt forest, acacia savanna, high elevation and coastal grasslands, mountains, wetlands

Expected Climate

subtropical with chances for occasional rain, warm to hot in Kruger and Zululand, cooler in highlands, can be cold in winter

Max Group Size

8 with 1 Rockjumper leader

Tour Pace & Walking

moderate pace with undemanding walks, some long drives

Accommodation

comfortable guesthouses and lodges

Ease of Birding

easy

Number of Species Expected

320 - 380 (400 - 450 with extension)

Other Attractions

Kruger National Park, Sani Pass and Drakensberg Mountains, dramatic scenery, Zulu culture, Indian Ocean, iSimangaliso Wetland Park

Photographic Opportunities

excellent

What our clients say about us

Gregory de Klerk
CS - South Africa

We‘ve had a fantastic time in Cape Town so far, please express our gratitude to Greg again as well for the great time we had with him.

Keith Valentine
PS, South Africa - Birds & Wine 2018

I'd read and heard positive feedback about Rockjumper before I booked the tour, so I was quite pleased when Keith Valentine, our guide, and Rockjumper were able to exceed my expectations. I knew Keith's role within the firm, so my expectations were particularly high. Keith was terrific. He knows the birds in great detail, including their field marks, calls, and where they can be found. He also deeply understands what it means to provide his customers a great experience, which he did his best to provide. A true leader and nice person that others in the firm can hopefully learn from and follow. All in all, this was a trip of a lifetime for me and my wife.

Daniel Danckwerts
AC & MJ, South Africa 2019

Thanks to Rynart Bezuidenhout and Daniel Danckwerts for an unforgettable tour. Their effort to give us the very best experience was sublime. Not only was our ambition to see the wanted birds, animals and nature much more than fulfilled – our competent, friendly and openminded guides also managed to give a perspective into the life and culture in South Africa of today. This we appreciate a lot.

Keith Valentine
JT & LT - Birds & Wine

We are writing to say thank you for all you did for us on our recent Birds and Wine tour with you and Alvaro. We really enjoyed meeting you and spending two weeks touring with you around South Africa. The itinerary that you put together with Alvaro was great and all the arrangements worked out to give us a wonderful tour. Your knowledge of the birds and patience spent helping us find and see all the birds really helped us to enjoy our experience and increase our knowledge. We spent much of our time in the Manyoni Reserve in the vehicle with you and it was always exciting finding the wildlife and hearing your analysis of the situation. We also truly appreciated your selection of wineries to visit, the wines we tasted, and the wines you selected to take with us to Zebra Hills Lodge. Your knowledge of the wine and wineries greatly added to our pleasure on the tour. We live in the Northern California wine region and the opportunity to compare South Africa’s wine with the product we know was very enlightening for us. Both the wineries we visited and the wines we tasted convinced us that we were in an excellent wine producing region of the world.

André Bernon
K

Andre, our guide, has such an infectious nature, which had a huge positive effect on our stay. His incredible knowledge of birds was indeed humbling. A birder's paradise and a guide passionate about birds and nature - what more could one ask for?

South Africa - Eastern IV 2024

20 Sep 2024 - 04 Oct 2024 (15 days)

ZAR79,950 - 3 Spaces Available

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Tour Leader: James Wade Lee

Tour price (Per person): ZAR79,950 * USD4,375 * GBP3,400 * EUR4,024 * AUD6,683

Single Supplement: ZAR7,100 * USD389 * GBP302 * EUR357 * AUD593

Can be linked with: South Africa - Cape Extension IV 2024

South Africa - Eastern V 2024

11 Oct 2024 - 25 Oct 2024 (15 days)

ZAR79,950 - No Spaces Available

Wait List
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Tour Leader: Quinton Paul Josop

Tour price (Per person): ZAR79,950 * USD4,375 * GBP3,400 * EUR4,024 * AUD6,683

Single Supplement: ZAR7,100 * USD389 * GBP302 * EUR357 * AUD593

Can be linked with: South Africa - Cape Extension V 2024

South Africa - Eastern I 2025

10 Jan 2025 - 24 Jan 2025 (15 days)

ZAR79,950 - Spaces Available

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Tour Leader: James Wade Lee

Tour price (Per person): ZAR79,950 * USD4,375 * GBP3,400 * EUR4,024 * AUD6,683

Single Supplement: ZAR7,200 * USD394 * GBP306 * EUR362 * AUD602

Can be linked with: South Africa - Cape Extension I 2025

South Africa - Eastern II 2025

31 Jan 2025 - 14 Feb 2025 (15 days)

ZAR79,950 - Spaces Available

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Tour Leader: Ryan Tyrer

Tour price (Per person): ZAR79,950 * USD4,375 * GBP3,400 * EUR4,024 * AUD6,683

Single Supplement: ZAR7,200 * USD394 * GBP306 * EUR362 * AUD602

Can be linked with: South Africa - Cape Extension II 2025

South Africa - Eastern III 2025

21 Feb 2025 - 07 Mar 2025 (15 days)

ZAR79,950 - Spaces Available

Book Now
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Tour Leader: Ryan Tyrer

Tour price (Per person): ZAR79,950 * USD4,375 * GBP3,400 * EUR4,024 * AUD6,683

Single Supplement: ZAR7,200 * USD394 * GBP306 * EUR362 * AUD602

Can be linked with: South Africa - Cape Extension III 2025

South Africa - Eastern Bird Photography Tour 2025

27 Feb 2025 - 11 Mar 2025 (13 days)

ZAR78,950 - 4 Spaces Available

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Tour Leader: Quinton Paul Josop

Tour price (Per person): ZAR78,950 * USD4,321 * GBP3,358 * EUR3,974 * AUD6,599

Single Supplement: ZAR7,250 * USD397 * GBP308 * EUR365 * AUD606

Can be linked with:

South Africa - Eastern IV 2025

19 Sep 2025 - 03 Oct 2025 (15 days)

ZAR79,950 - Spaces Available

Book Now
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Tour Leader: James Wade Lee

Tour price (Per person): ZAR79,950 * USD4,375 * GBP3,400 * EUR4,024 * AUD6,683

Single Supplement: ZAR7,200 * USD394 * GBP306 * EUR362 * AUD602

Can be linked with: South Africa - Cape Extension IV 2025

South Africa - Eastern V 2025

10 Oct 2025 - 24 Oct 2025 (15 days)

ZAR79,950 - Spaces Available

Book Now
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Tour Leader: James Wade Lee

Tour price (Per person): ZAR79,950 * USD4,375 * GBP3,400 * EUR4,024 * AUD6,683

Single Supplement: ZAR7,200 * USD394 * GBP306 * EUR362 * AUD602

Can be linked with: South Africa - Cape Extension V 2025

South Africa - Eastern I 2026

09 Jan 2026 - 23 Jan 2026 (15 days)

ZAR83,100 - Spaces Available

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Tour Leader: Ryan Tyrer

Pricing notes : *Prices are estimated and dates may change*

Tour price (Per person): ZAR83,100 * USD4,548 * GBP3,534 * EUR4,183 * AUD6,946

Can be linked with:

South Africa - Eastern II 2026

30 Jan 2026 - 13 Feb 2026 (15 days)

ZAR83,100 - Spaces Available

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Tour Leader: Ryan Tyrer

Pricing notes : *Prices are estimated and dates may change*

Tour price (Per person): ZAR83,100 * USD4,548 * GBP3,534 * EUR4,183 * AUD6,946

Can be linked with:

South Africa - Eastern III 2026

20 Feb 2026 - 06 Mar 2026 (15 days)

ZAR83,100 - Spaces Available

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Tour Leader: James Wade Lee

Pricing notes : *Prices are estimated and dates may change*

Tour price (Per person): ZAR83,100 * USD4,548 * GBP3,534 * EUR4,183 * AUD6,946

Can be linked with:

South Africa - Eastern Bird Photography Tour 2026

31 May 2026 - 12 Jun 2026 (13 days)

ZAR82,500 - Spaces Available

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Tour Leader: David Hoddinott

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Tour Leader: Dušan Brinkhuizen

Pricing notes : *Prices are estimated and dates may change*

Tour price (Per person): ZAR82,500 * USD4,515 * GBP3,509 * EUR4,153 * AUD6,896

Can be linked with:

South Africa - Eastern IV 2026

04 Sep 2026 - 18 Sep 2026 (15 days)

ZAR83,100 - Spaces Available

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Tour Leader: Gregory de Klerk

Pricing notes : *Prices are estimated and dates may change*

Tour price (Per person): ZAR83,100 * USD4,548 * GBP3,534 * EUR4,183 * AUD6,946

Can be linked with:

South Africa - Eastern V 2026

09 Oct 2026 - 23 Oct 2026 (15 days)

ZAR83,100 - Spaces Available

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Tour Leader: Julian Parsons

Pricing notes : *Prices are estimated and dates may change*

Tour price (Per person): ZAR83,100 * USD4,548 * GBP3,534 * EUR4,183 * AUD6,946

Can be linked with:

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