Hungary - Mammal Tours

Bats day and night

Bat watching holiday in Hungary, 7 days

Join us for this unique bat watching holiday that provides an exciting programme for anybody enthusiastic about these special creatures! The tour offers the chance to see not less than 15-20 species of the European bat fauna, and with a little extension of 3 or more days you can add a few other species as well as 3 dormouse species, small rodents and beaver. The basic tour visits one of the richest and bat-wise most explored areas of Europe. We will be based at two locations; 3 nights in the Bükk Hills and 3 nights in Aggtelek. Our local guides are National Park rangers with expert knowledge and many years of experiences of monitoring and protecting bats and their habitats. We will make sure you don't miss the most exciting sites of this scenic area. In addition you will taste the best local wines and enjoy the famous Hungarian cuisine and special Slovak dishes.

The Bükk National Park is situated East of Budapest. Its warm climate and the caves provide perfect habitats resulting in a high abundance of bat species.

Aggtelek National Park is situated in the North-Eastern part of Hungary. It was one of the first national parks in the country and similarly to its Slovak twin, it was primarily created for protecting geomorphological formations such as surface karst phenomena and caves.

The diversity of birds, butterflies and wildlife in general is also exceptional in the nationalparks visited during our tour, and though the holiday focuses on bats, there will be ample opportunities to look for Imperial Eagle, Saker, Black Woodpecker, or Camberwell Beauty, Pallas's Fritillary and Hungarian Glider. Wolf and Lynx are also present in the area, although it is very difficult to see them.

As bats usually use old, often abandoned houses, buildings and churches we will select places with small risk of injury. On some occasions we will visit the colonies in shifts of 4-5 of us at the same time in order to secure the peace of the animals.

Enquiry

Booking

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Fact File

- 3 days in the Bükk Hills and 3 days in Aggtelek

- start and finish in Budapest

- using 2 accommodations located close to the sites

Highlights

- 15-20 species of bats

- capturing of bats with mist nets

- rare bird and butterfly species

- other wildlife, including optional Beaver watch and small mammal trapping

Accommodation

3 nights in Aggtelek NP

3 nights in Bükk NP

Departure Dates

http://www.ecotours.hu/calendar

Price

Ask for the actual price.

Our price includes:

- all travel as noted in the itinerary;

- all accommodation based on shared rooms (most rooms are twin bedded), at most locations there are single rooms as well for extra charge (Please ask for a single room at the time of booking!);

- 3 meals per day, generally breakfast at the accommodation, packed lunch, dinner (consists of at least two courses);

- services of the leader(s);

- trip materials.

Not included:

- flights to and from Budapest;

- optional programmes to places of interest and entrance fees involved;

- airport and other departure taxes, tips;

- food beyond generally 3 meals/day mentioned in the itineraries;

- excess baggage charges;

- telephone calls;

- alcoholic beverages;

- compulsory personal insurance.

If you have questions about the inclusion of any cost item, please contact us.

Activity level

Generally easy to moderate walks

Optional programmes

Visit to Baradla Cave

Itinerary

1-3

After arriving to Budapest we meet our English speaking guide, and we drive to Aggtelek National Park. We visit 2-4 bat colonies close to the village of Jósvafő to see Geoffroy's, Greater and Lesser Horseshoe Bat. Evenings will be spent with mist netting and it will bring us Greater and Lesser Mouse-eared, Serotine and Grey Long-eared Bat. We visit an old vineyard and have a typical Hungarian goulash. Later we try another site for catching bats to see Bechstein's, Mediterranean Horseshoe, Brandt's, Pond and Natterer's Bat. Pallas's Fritillary, Large Blue, Large Copper and Poplar Admiral are just a few examples of butterflies we might also see in the region.

4-6

We travel to the Bükk National Park. On our way we might stop to visit a valuable Lesser-horseshoe Bat colony in the Cistercian Abbey in Bélapátfalva. We can also visit a very significant building dweller colony of Geoffroy's, Greater Horseshoe, Mediterranean Horseshoe and Lesser Mouse-eared Bats. In the evening we will observe and catch bats at one of the most diverse swarming caves in Hungary were with a little luck 14 bat species can be noted on a single night (Alcathoe's, Greater, Lesser and Mediterranean Horseshoe, Daubenton's, Pond, Bechstein's, Brandt's, Whiskered, Greater and Lesser Mouse-eared, Geoffroy's, Natterer's, Barbastelle and Brown Long-eared Bats).

Eger is a wonderful baroque town, which also holds several bat species in various locations. A visit will bring us with good chances to see (and hear) the northward spreading Mediterranian species such as Kuhl's and Savi's Pipistrelles, while we can observe a Noctule Bat colony underneath a motorway.

If time permits we can visit a site, where Schreiber's Long-winged Bats are leaving ther roost in good numbers.

We travel to Budapest to catch our afternoon flight back home. If time permits we can have a short sightseeing in the city.