Wildlife guide
This wildlife travel guide is meant to be like a trailer for the new Attenborough series. Because we also have individual travel guides for more specific wildlife holidays, such as our safaris, bear watching and whale watching.
Wildlife tracking on foot map and highlights
Africa is the obvious place for a classic safari holiday, but in countries such as South Africa and Botswana you will usually get around by jeep or even boat, with occasional short walking safaris perhaps led by San Bushmen or Maasai tribespeople. In other parts of the world you might be tracking a specific animal: snow leopards in India or Tajikistan for instance, red pandas in the Nepalese Himalayas, wolves in France and Sweden, and trek for much longer durations, taking to vehicles or horseback only when conditions demand it. In every instance, however, wildlife tracking on foot allows for a deeper connection with the landscape and a greater understanding of the connectivity of different habitats than you would get by simply driving through.
Wildlife tracking on foot, whether you’re in the snowy Himalayan foothills or the plains of Africa, is an opportunity to use all of your senses and discover elements of the natural world that are all too easy to miss from a vehicle![]()
1.
Central Asia
2. France
3. India
4. Kenya
5. Namibia & Botswana
6. Nepal
7. Sweden
8. South Africa
9. Tanzania
10. Zambia
2. France
3. India
4. Kenya
5. Namibia & Botswana
6. Nepal
7. Sweden
8. South Africa
9. Tanzania
10. Zambia
Central Asia
1. Central Asia
Of around 9,000 snow leopards in the wild, many are found in the Ala Too and Pamir ranges of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Expert rangers track the leopards beforehand to optimise your chances of sightings and you’ll work with local conservationists to track these mysterious creatures along with wolves, ibex and Marco Polo sheep, setting camera traps, sleeping in mountain lodges, and taking to horseback in deep snow.
France
2. France
The elusive wolf and lynx are both staging a comeback in the French Alps, and can often be seen with the assistance of expert trackers and high mountain guides. Generally the trekking is quite easygoing but snowshoes and poles can be required at times. Staying in a winter refuge, you may also encounter chamois, mouflon, wild boar and deer in these beautiful landscapes.
India
3. India
Rare snow leopards inhabit remote regions such as the valleys of Hemis National Park in India’s Ladakh region. The acclaimed tours here last between 12 and 17 days as you need time to acclimatise before heading out with local guides and spotters armed with scopes and binoculars. Due to the cold (November to March is the best time, when the leopards come low to feed) and the altitude, the minimum age is usually 18.
Kenya
4. Kenya
Walk with a knowledgeable Maasai guide, able to identify animal footprints (and different types of dung!) for a closer look at the interlinked ecosystems that make up the great Mara savannah. The Naboisho Conservancy is community-owned and a fantastic place for a walking safari and to discover Maasai traditions, while you can also visit a guiding school to learn how the Maasai develop their skills.
Namibia & Botswana
5. Namibia & Botswana
They are two of the great African destinations for a classic safari experience, but Botswana and Namibia also make perfect places to head out on foot. In Botswana you might walk with San Bushmen to discover tribal desert survival skills, and ancient rock art, while in Namibia a trek along a dry river bed can conjure up memorable sightings of desert elephants.
Nepal
6. Nepal
Search for endangered red pandas in the Himalayan foothills, an increase in the population here having made encounters much more likely. Trips support vital habitat protection initiatives, and are led by local guides, with spotlights and thermal imaging used where possible. Trekking is at altitude but not especially strenuous. Avoid the hot summer and monsoon season for your best chances of success.
Sweden
7. Sweden
Bergslagen Forest, west of Stockholm, is a haven for beavers, wolves and moose along with rarely sighted lynxes. Wildlife tracking tours here are ideal for younger nature enthusiasts, with gentle walks suitable for kids aged eight and over. You’ll follow hoof prints, droppings and bite marks on trees to locate the animals, and the certain highlight is a night in a tented camp to hear wolves howling around you.
South Africa
8. South Africa
As with elsewhere in Africa, most South Africa safaris involve the standard morning and afternoon game drives by 4x4 vehicle. However there are many reserves where anyone over 14 can take a short, guided trek in search of iconic wildlife and many species of bird. Expect to be on the trail for up to four hours, and for it to be one of the most magical days of your entire safari holiday.
Tanzania
9. Tanzania
In Tanzania you can track wildlife on foot in one of the great wonders of the natural world: the vast Ngorongoro Crater, 12 miles across. The crater acts as a form of natural enclosure, and the animal population doesn’t join the Serengeti migration. You might see lions, black rhinos, gazelles, wildebeest and zebras – though from a distance of course, as well as learning about Maasai farming lifestyles in the crater.
Zambia
10. Zambia
South Luangwa National Park in Zambia is where the first African walking safari took place, and to explore the park on foot today remains a magical experience, with populations of elephants, giraffes, lions and the opportunity for some superb leopard-watching. Stay in remote camp not accessible by vehicle, before continuing on to the neighbouring North Luangwa National Park where you can see hartebeest, reedbuck and eland.
Our Wildlife tracking on foot Holidays
Red Panda tracking tour in Nepal
Watch iconic Red Pandas in the the wilds of Eastern Nepal
From
£2395
10 days
ex flights
Harpy Eagle birdwatching tour in Brazil
The only specialist Harpy Eagle tour worldwide
From
£4350
9 days
ex flights
Ecuador herping photography tour
Join world renowned experts on our herping tour
From
£3895
14 days
ex flights
Primate trekking holiday in the DRC
The ultimate primate-watching safari in the Congo
From
£3995
10 days
ex flights
Best of Rwanda safari, 12 days
Explore Rwanda's beautiful nature in 2 weeks
From
US $5191 to US $6912
12 days
ex flights
Snow Leopard tracking in the Himalayas
Join expert guides and track snow leopards in the Himalayas
From
£2395 to £2675
17 days
ex flights
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about Wildlife tracking on foot or need help finding a holiday to suit you we're very happy to help.
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More about Wildlife tracking on foot
The phrase ‘take only photographs, leave only footprints’ is never truer than when you’re on a walking safari, but at the same time as being incredibly low impact, wildlife tracking on foot is totally immersive.
Wildlife tracking on foot in Africa is not so much about getting up close with the Big Five, though that’s certainly possible, but zooming in on the Small Five, led by amazing guides and trackers from local communities, and following an easy-going pace.
When it comes to wildlife tracking on foot in Sweden your destination should be Sarek National Park: remote, dramatically beautiful, and home to wildlife including moose, bears and lynx.
The global population of the endangered snow leopard is thought to be no more than 9,000 or so, with some of the largest populations found in the under-explored mountain ranges of Central Asia.
Explore a true wilderness in company of expert naturalists and guides with snow leopard tracking holidays in the Himalayas, as you search the mountains for one of the world’s rarest and most majestic big cats.
Is wildlife tracking on foot safe? Given that you’ll be accompanied by expert armed guards and that even the biggest carnivores are intelligent enough to keep a fair distance between themselves and man, your greatest danger is likely to be boot-rub.
Need some tips and advice for wildlife tracking on foot? You’re in the right place, as our specialist operators share their wisdom on everything from how to track predators to the types of wildlife you’re going to encounter in Sweden.
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