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South Africa - Western Bird Photography Tour (Small Group)

© Cape Rockjumper by Adam Riley
South Africa - Western Bird Photography Tour (Small Group) 2026

12 Jul 2026 - 24 Jul 2026 (13 days)

ZAR79,950 2 SPACES AVAILABLE

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Tour Leader: David Hoddinott

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Tour Price (Per person): ZAR79,950 (USD4,725 * GBP3,628 * EUR4,129 * AUD7,294)

Single Supplement: ZAR4,900 (USD290 * GBP222 * EUR253 * AUD447)

Flight costs (Linked Tour): ZAR1,500 (USD89 * GBP68 * EUR77 * AUD137)

This tour pairs with: South Africa - Eastern Bird Photography Tour (Small Group) 2026

South Africa - Western Bird Photography Tour (Small Group) 2027

14 Jun 2027 - 26 Jun 2027 (13 days)

ZAR84,000 SPACES AVAILABLE

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Tour Leader: Quinton Paul Josop

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Tour Price (Per person): ZAR84,000 (USD4,964 * GBP3,811 * EUR4,338 * AUD7,663)

Flight costs (Linked Tour): ZAR1,650 (USD98 * GBP75 * EUR85 * AUD151)

This tour pairs with: South Africa - Eastern Bird Photography Tour (Small Group) 2027

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

South Africa - Western Bird Photography Tour (Small Group) 2028

12 Jun 2028 - 24 Jun 2028 (13 days)

ZAR89,000 SPACES AVAILABLE

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Tour Leader: Quinton Paul Josop

Book Now

Tour Price (Per person): ZAR89,000 (USD5,259 * GBP4,038 * EUR4,596 * AUD8,119)

This tour pairs with: South Africa - Eastern Bird Photography Tour (Small Group) 2028

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

Southern Africa’s dry west is a unique and fascinating, yet under-visited land and offers exceptional opportunities for bird, mammal, and scenic photography. A hotbed of faunal and floral diversity, this area harbours two botanical regions found nowhere else on earth: the Cape Floristic Region and the Succulent Karoo. Our Western South Africa Bird Photo Tour showcases these areas and the range of special bird’s endemic to them; you can expect not only great birds, but some of the most dramatic scenery in Africa! Tour highlights include the stunning fynbos-clad slopes of the Western Cape, home to the stunning Cape Rockjumper and numerous other endemics; and the arid and semi-arid areas of the Karoo, which provide another great backdrop for a variety of bustards, larks and other endemics before we head back to Cape Town, taking in an impressive Cape Gannet colony and the West Coast National Park on the way.

Highlights

  • Visit one of only two land-based African Penguin colonies and enjoy exceptional viewing and photo opportunities of these special and highly endangered birds
  • Exploring and photographing the unique Fynbos and Karoo ecosystems
  • Visiting the spectacular Cape Gannet breeding colony at Lambert’s Bay
  • Opportunities to see and photograph some of South Africa’s most range-restricted and special endemic and near-endemic species including Southern Black Korhaan, Ludwig’s Bustard, Red and Sclater’s Larks, Karoo Eremomela, Cinnamon-breasted and Victorin’s Warblers, Orange-breasted Sunbird, and Black Harrier
  • Excellent chances of seeing the two endemic bird families to Southern Africa – Rockjumpers & Sugarbirds

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

Top Birds

Cape Rockjumper; Cape Sugarbird; Cape Siskin; Cape Bulbul; Protea & Black-headed Canaries; Orange-breasted & Southern Double-collared Sunbirds; African Penguin; African Oystercatcher; Crowned, Bank & Cape Cormorants; Hartlaub’s Gull; Southern Black & Karoo Korhaans; Ludwig’s Bustard; Cape Spurfowl; Victorin’s, Namaqua, Cinnamon-breasted, Layard’s & Rufous-eared Warblers; Fairy & Fiscal Flycatchers; Karoo Eremomela; Barlow’s, Red, Sclater’s & Cape Long-billed Larks; Cape Penduline Tit; White-backed Mousebird; Karoo & Tractrac Chats; Karoo Scrub Robin; Cape Grassbird; Karoo Prinia; Southern Boubou; Cape Batis; Verreaux's & Booted Eagles; South African Shelduck; Karoo Thrush; Forest & Cape Canaries.

Top Mammals

Afro-Australian Fur Seal; Southern Right Whale (seasonal); Common Eland; Blesbok (Bontebok); (Cape) Mountain Zebra; (Red) Hartebeest; Cape Grey Mongoose; Cape Grysbok; Springbok; Klipspringer; Grey Rhebok; Chacma Baboo; Meerkat.

Habitats Covered

Mountains, semi-desert, fynbos, coastal waters, wetlands

Expected Climate

Temperate with occasional rain, can be cold in winter

Max Group Size

5 with 1 Rockjumper leader

Tour Pace & Walking

UNDEMANDING: This tour is ideal for birders and wildlife enthusiasts of all experience levels. It’s suitable for most mobility levels and offers a relaxed pace, ensuring an enjoyable experience for everyone.

Moderate. Suitable for all birding / wildlife / photography interest levels and most mobility capabilities. Can be a little tiring due to travel distances. Our Bird Photo Tours are a hybrid between our Classic birding tours and dedicated photographic tours. You don’t have to be a professional photographer or have the biggest lens; this is for everyone with an interest in photography and birding. Whether you’re using a bridge camera or the latest body and prime lens, our aims are the same. • These tours are not aimed at seeing the most species possible on the route, rather taking time to photograph key targets and any other interesting species we may find. Naturally, the overall species list will be lower than a comparable birding focused tour. • Whilst we may use blinds, feeders and hide setups on some of these tours, we will not be spending an entire day nor even several hours fixed in one spot. • These tours are suitable for photographers who prefer opportunistic photography over entire days in a hide. • Our leaders will assist in helping everyone secure good photographic opportunities and advise as much as they can on camera setup. However, they are not professional photographic tour leaders.

Accommodation

Comfortable lodges.

Ease of Birding

Undemanding, most species provide good visuals. A small number of scarce/rare species.

Photographic Opportunities

Good to very good. Some hides.

What our clients say about us

Julian Parsons
SZ, South Africa 2022

I participated on the Flock To Marion & Western Cape-I tour. The tour was great , the Flock was indeed a wonderful experience. Julian, our guide on the land section was very professional, attentive and made the tour a big success. The accommodation facilities were great.

Daniel Danckwerts
MW, South Africa 2021

This was our first tailor-made tour. It won't be our last. We had a great time. Dan was an excellent guide, working all the angles to get us our target birds while still covering the area specialties, affording us great looks at birds for which we had only fleeting views on our previous South Africa tour with Rockjumper (which was also great!). Dan was very persistent, which paid off in seeing a good number of very difficult specialty birds that many avid South African birders have not seen. We even had two lifer flufftails in a single day, thanks in part to Doug McCulloch, who took the morning off from his new job to help out with the Red-breasted Flufftail. Thanks, Doug! We could have used one more day in the Joburg area, as there were a few birds that were not accessible within the time frame of the tour. This always happens, though, and I am glad we went from a 6-day to a 10-day tour. This is the reason for the overall rating of 9 rather than 10. Overall, the three of us had a great time on the tour. Thanks for putting it together for us!

Keith Valentine
TD, South Africa 2018

Keith Valentine is a great guide and his knowledge of the birds and their calls was just amazing.

Daniel Danckwerts
EL, South Africa 2022

Daniel Danckwerts was excellent—great hearing and eyesight and was excellent at pointing out exactly where the skulky bird was lurking. He was able to find the group many birds that various members of the group had missed on previous trips to South Africa. And more importantly, he was a store of information about the birds, animals and Kruger. Teamed up with Daniel was our most excellent Kruger driver-guide Dirk who knew where everything was and could find it. We navigated this very complicated trip (flight to Skukuza, travel in south Kruger, flight to Cape Town, testing for covid, boarding the MSC Orchestra and off on our cruise around the Cape of Good Hope only with Daniel’s help and guidance. I am hoping to return to Kruger (for the third time) to bird with Daniel and Dirk on the Kruger Challenge. More than the birds, the trip was fun.

David Hoddinott
EB, South Africa 2014

My wife and I were part of a six person tour of South Africa that was led by David Hoddinott. Our trip was excellent and seamless. David was the perfect guide for our group and, as I’m sure you’re aware, is an extraordinary birder and bird finder.... Thank you to Rockjumper, and David especially, for taking the time to create such a wonderful trip for our group. As always, I’m sure that it’s a challenge to accommodate numerous personalities within a group and David was great at it. We all liked him from day one and he was always positive and up for anything. He was an absolute joy to be with. We’d previously been to Zimbabwe, Uganda, and Botswana and South Africa was a totally different experience. We really enjoyed the people that we got to meet and the sheer beauty of the country is breathtaking. David’s enthusiasm and pride of his homeland was inspiring and infectious. We can’t thank him enough for making it come alive for us. And thanks to all who had a part in setting it all up. We’d happily recommend Rockjumper to anyone thinking about a trip led by you.

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