Wildlife tours

The coastal climate of western Latvia modulates into the continental climate of eastern Latvia. Latvia’s geographic position alongside the Baltic Sea has fostered unique conditions where northern-southern and western-eastern vegetation can be found flourishing side by side. Similar patterns can be found in the animal kingdom. There are many national parks and protected nature territories with maintained trails and viewing platforms. It is easy to enjoy nature and learn about different flora and fauna.

We tailor-made all our tours according the clients’ specific needs interests and fitness level. In this section we have included the samples of each type of tour to give an idea what we can offer – bird and mammal watching, mushroom hunting and botanic tours in Latvia. The tours tend to pass various biotops maximizing impressions and number of  species seen.

 

Accommodation

Depending of your needs the itinerary can be organized changing accommodation every night and spending most time out on the field. Or we can organize activities around one or two base hotels. Most our hotels in these tours have en suite facilities. However sometimes we have to use hotels where WC and bathroom have to be shared because of the lack of alternative hotels in the area.  We tend to give priority to small hotels or guest houses own by local people, located at rural areas with lots of space to walk around. Early breakfast is always possible.

Guides and specialists

Besides tour guides we can use also local guides of the sites or invite experts (zoologists, mycologists, entomologists etc.) for a talk or excursion of the specific interest.   We can organise also themed talk with the specialist in the evening or organize, for example, a butterfly show, moths studies using a moths trap or bats watching night and similar activities.

Information

We provide detailed information and maps for your itinerary including route description, sites, and facilities on the way as well as check-lists.

Birdwatching Mammal
watching
Mushrooming Botanic
tours
What are the group tours?
Overview Tour details
N/A
1 day
Latvia
from 75 EUR / pers

Mushrooming in Gauja National park

The tour is lead by the professional mycologist and combines the mysterious world of mushrooms with local culinary traditions. Latvia has ancient traditions involving mushrooms. For centuries they been used for eating.  Mushroom gathering tradition is well alive and persuaded in Latvia more than in any other European country. People carrying baskets full of mushrooms in autumn is common site in the country roads and trains coming into the city. Almost every Latvian has some secret mushrooming place and there are plenty of funny stories around the subject. There is even a mushroom gathering festival annually. Modern as well as traditional mushroom preparation is very popular. There are around 4100 mushroom species in Latvia, 1100 of those are cup mushrooms. About ¼ of these are edible. The most popular edible ones are various Boletus and Chanterelles. 
 

Mushroom picking Distance from countries capital city75 Active season months8-10
N/A
6 days
Latvia

Mushroom Tour at Kurzeme Region

This is for people who enjoy forests, wildlife, local traditions and has a specific interest in the different species of funghi. Everyone could try their hand at mushrooming, identification and by the end of the day together with guide sort out the collected mushrooms. The tour passes several national parks and late back villages. The group will also visit to one of shitake mushroom growers for comparison reasons.

Walking Botanical Mushroom picking
N/A
7 days
Total distance driving 1534 km
Latvia

Autumn Birdwatching Tour

The most spectacular autumn events are the Crane shows which can be observed at the bogs and fields. The tour will pass several of these places. We have included different biotops in the tour- seacost, different forests, bogs and fish ponds- in order to see various bird species.

Birdwatching
N/A
10 days
Total distance driving 1229 km
Latvia

Spring Birdwatching Tour

Latvia is among one of the world’s three most important bird migration paths, and during migration seasons tens of thousands birds can be seen at one place. The tour will spent significant time along the sea coast in order to catch the highlights of migration. In spring time also flood-lands become alive with activities of thousands of birds and provide great atmosphere for birdwatchers. This tour explores different biotops to get the best impressions of the spring time migration.

Birdwatching
N/A
7 days
Total distance driving 760 km
Latvia

Autumn migrations

From Riga airport the tour goes straight into countryside to Jaunmoku manor, surrounded by an attractive park. Next day, birding starts at Ķemeri National Park, including wet-forest areas and locations around Lake Kaņieris and Ķemeri village. Then the route follows the west coastof the Gulf of Riga with some small stops along the way and longer walks at Mērsrags. Next you spend some time at Cape Kolka and its surroundings which is a prime migration spot. Visitthebroad-leafforests of Slītere National Park around the ancient coast of the Baltic Ice Lake and drive through Užava floodplain fields, then stop at the westernmost point in the country, Akmeņrags. The tour continues to Liepaja and Pape Ornithological Station and lake where it is possible to spend a night watching the owl migration if it has started. Then we drive through Zvārte wooded area and make some stops at fish ponds on the way back to Riga.

Birdwatching
N/A
6 days
Latvia

Botanical tour of Kurzeme

The tour passes through national parks and protected nature territories of interntional importance, following the sea shore. It also stops at small charming towns, several historic sites and traditional villages. During the tour you learn not only about rare and protected plants and local traditions but also enjoy beautiful landscapes, wilderness and solitude.

At the Ķemeri National Park you will follow a fenland trail, see wild meadows and stop at a bird-watching tower beside Lake Kaņieris. Then we explore the Engure Lake Nature Park where 22 types of orchids can be found. Next day thr route heads to Slitere National Park, the former territory of the Baltic Ice Lake and Litornic Sea. You will follow the Cape Kolka pine-tree trail and Peterezers Lake trail with ancient dunes and landscape. Then head to Stiklu Bog trail, in the largest bog territory in Latvia. At Užava you will discover the largest 'grey' dune in the Baltics before following the wild banks of the River Venta and visiting the charming town of Kuldiga, with its well-preserved wooden architecture and the widest waterfall in Europe. The route follows the Abava valley created by the melting of ancient ice. At Sabile you can stop at its famous Wine Hill - location of the most northerly grown grapes from which wine is produced - and follow a botanic trail with stops at the grandest oak tree in Europe. On the way to Riga, walk 5 km long Cena Heath trail which features low, high and transit bogs and related plants.

Botanical Active season months6-7
N/A
10 days
Latvia

A wild experience in Latvia

Autumn is a peak bird migration time when huge flocks frequently cross the sky above your head. Cranes perform impressive displays in the fields. There are still some dragonflies and butterflies to see, plus wild animals including wild boar, deer and beaver. The landscape acquires its beautiful autumn colours while we people can enjoy oursleves gathering the wild autumn harvest - mushrooms, cranberries, cowberries and much more.

From Riga the tour goes along the Vidzeme sea coast with areas of Devonian sandstone, coastal meadows and numerous places to watching wading birds. At Salacgriva you visit the traditonal lamprey weirs and can taste them grilled. The tour goes to Seda bog, which is an important nesting site for water birds. Here you might see several types of geese, swans and cranes as well as some mammals and dragonflies. Then the route goes to natural coniferous forests at Mežole with great biological diversity. Next the tour focuses on mushrooms and berries in the Gauja National Park which also provides great views of the river valley with some steep Devonian banks with several medieval castles and manors perched on top. Then the tour goes back to Riga and on to two important national parks. Ķemeri National Park has a Black Alder trail through wet forest, ideal for spotting woodpeckers. In contrast the Big Heath trail passes though a landscape of raised and transit bog and sulphurous springs. At Slītere National Park you have a wildlife day visiting a beaver lodge, tracking variousforestanimals and possibly seeing some of them. Cape Kolka offers excellent costal migration action. The tour goes along the steep sea coast of Jurkalne, stops at Ventspils town for lunch with a bracing walk along its breakwater, then turns inland towards Riga. On the way there are stops at the Abava ancient valley and Sabile wine hill.

Birdwatching Mushroom picking Mammal watching Active season months9-10
N/A
7 days
Latvia

Mushroom tour of Vidzeme region

Mushrooming is one of the most popular autumn activities in Latvia. The tour is lead by a professional mycologist and combines the mysterious world of funghi with local historic heritage and mushroom preparation traditions. Mushrooming starts at one the most popular mushroom pickers' sites in the suburbs of Riga. Then it's on to try various locations in the mushrooming paradise of the Gauja National Park, walk nature trail along the Amata river and have a picnic at picturesque outcrop Zvārtes Rock. Further on, the route reaches charming Ungurmuiža Manor park with its ancient oak trees and some specific fungal species. Next the tour visits a shiitake mushroom grower and mysterious Zilaiskalns hill featuring a highland landscape as well as the flatlands of Lake Burtnieks. Zīle Forest is a rare European biotope with ancient oak forest and park type meadows while the natural coniferous forest at Mežole is one of the richest interms of biological diversity. Here you can find mushrooms which are indicators of natural forest. You also visit oyster mushroom growers along the route. Then it's Āraiši reconstructed Bronze Age settlement built on a lake where there are good examples of how mushrooms can damage and destroy man made objects. At one of the guest houses the chef will demonstrate how to cook your collected mushrooms the local way.

Mushroom picking Active season months8-10