... Well, as a client, you are paying for a tour that is well organised and a guide who knows the birds and the locations well. Andy Hirst has visited all the tour locations many times and knows the areas well and all the species likely to be encountered, through 40 plus years birding in the UK and overseas. We've been running tours for over 25 years for individuals, groups and bird clubs. Where over 95% have returned for a second tour- Most have been on several if not all our tours- so we must be doing something right. Our itineraries, pace, locations, accommodation & transport are all carefully thought out and tailored to the ability of each group. And we have a track record of finding the birds!

One of our aims is to find the birds and to take the time to sit, watch and learn. We will point out the identification features and offer a really personal service, something we can do with small group sizes (max. group size 8 with 1 leader, max group size 12-14, with 2 leaders- not the 16+ as with most tour operators). Being a small group and organisation we can be very flexible. If a bird is showing well, then we will stay and really enjoy the experience. There are no ultra rigid time constraints to quickly move on. Our itineraries are flexible enough to take in everyone's wishes, including photographers for example.

As a small operation our overheads are small, which means we can undercut all the large operators who have offices and service staff to pay for. In a sentence we can offer personal, friendly, professional & expertly lead superbly organised tours, at affordable prices. As time goes by we hope to develop more tours, both in the UK and overseas, so if there is somewhere you or your friends want to go, then just let me know (Click here for contacts details). If you have a group of friends together, or a private party, then we can tailor make a tour to suit your group requirements and dates.

Protection- your payments are held in a trust account until you return from your tour this is to comply with regulations. Although Gone Birding are not ABTA/ ATOL Bonded- we don't need to be as our tours start and finish at the destination airport. However you are fully protected as we only use ATOL protected airlines, which means if the airline goes under, the ATOL coverage means we will be brought back home by another airline.

Most of the GB clients are from the north, so wherever possible we try to fly from local airports, although occasionally the best deals will involve flights from the London airports, but we usually sort out taxi's/ minibuses to take us all to the airport.

Some tour operators offer loyalty discounts if you regularly go away with them, well at Gone Birding we don't!- Why? Because our tours are already discounted, so whether it's your first tour with us, or your tenth (yes some people keep coming back year after year), you are guaranteed the best deal and service that we can offer.

In all our tours there are no hidden extras. If something is not covered in the ground price then we will tell you from the start. All the tours are inclusive of ground transport, guides, guiding fees, accommodation, food and entrance fees.

Terms & Conditions

What's Covered & What's Not

Upon your return you will receive a species list from the tour, with a trip report available via the Gone Birding website, with preferential booking on the same tour(s) in future. (We are sure you will want to go with us again).

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