Starting from

1750€

Duration

4 Days

Min. Participants

1

Max. Participants

4

Difficulty

Medium

General Info

Portugal’s landscape is remarkably diverse within a small area, supporting a rich avian fauna. The birding tours organized by Portugal Birding enable bird enthusiasts to explore multiple habitats teeming with species, all accessible without lengthy travel.

Just half an hour from Lisbon’s city center and its airport, two key wetland protected areas—Tagus Estuary and Sado Estuary—are ideal starting points. They host an impressive array of birds such as Greater Flamingo, White Stork, Eurasian Spoonbill, Glossy Ibis, Squacco Heron, and Purple Heron. Raptors like Booted Eagle and Black-winged Kite are common here, alongside ground-feeding species including Little Bustard and Collared Pratincole. Visitors can also spot Pallid Swift, Bluethroat, Dartford Warbler, Savi’s Warbler, Melodious Warbler, alongside Iberian Chiffchaff, Grey Shrike, Woodchat Shrike, and a variety of waterfowl, gulls, terns, and other waders.

A further drive of about an hour takes travelers to Alentejo, where diverse habitats such as plains and hills host additional unique birds. The plains of Castro Verde are home to species like Great Bustard, Common Crane, Red Kite, Montagu’s Harrier, Lesser Kestrel, and Eurasian Stone-curlew. Black-bellied Sandgrouse, Great Spotted Cuckoo, European Roller, Calandra Lark, Tawny Pipit, and Rufous Bush Robin further enrich this frontier of bird diversity. Meanwhile, the scenic Guadiana Valley Natural Park’s cliffs and hills are favored by Black Stork, Iberian Imperial, Golden and Bonelli’s Eagles, along with vultures—Cinereous and Griffon. The area also supports European Turtle Dove, Eurasian Eagle-Owl, White-rumped Swift, Iberian Green Woodpecker, Eurasian Crag Martin, Red-rumped Swallow, Black-eared Wheatear, Blue Rock Thrust, Golden Oriole, Spanish Sparrow, Hawfinch, Rock Bunting. In these are we also can see striking birds, including Little Owl, Red-necked Nightjar, Eurasian Hoopoe, Common Kingfisher, European Bee-eater, Sardinian Warbler, Spectacled Warbler, and Iberian Magpie

Itinerary

Day 1 – Pick up at Lisbon Airport or your Lisbon accommodation and set out for south area of the river Tagus. Explore multiple zones and diverse ecosystems within the Tagus Estuary Natural Reserve, such as the mudflats and salt marshes at Hortas, the Atalaya salt pans, Ribeira das Enguias, Samouco, and the rice paddies and grazing lands of Barroca d’Alva. Spend the night at Hotel TRYP Montijo, or a similar hotel.

Day 2 – Continue discovering notable locations and landscapes in the Tagus Estuary Natural Reserve. Today’s itinerary includes open fields, rice paddies, reed beds, lagoons, mudflats, and salt marshes in the Ponta da Erva region, as well as the Cork Oak forests of Pancas. A boat tour might be possible either in Tagus or Sado river.. Overnight at Hotel TRYP Montijo or similar.

Day 3 – Depart to Mértola in the Alentejo area and tour the expansive plains of Castro Verde. Overnight at Hotel Museu in Mértola, or a comparable hotel.

Day 4 – Explore the rugged terrain and scenic overlooks of Guadiana Valley Natural Park, visiting sites such as Mértola, Mina de São Domingos, and Casével. Head back to Lisbon at the end of the day. Overnight in Lisbon

Conditions and Price

Starting/ending of the Tour:

Lisbon

Price of the tour

1750€ per person (min 2 pax)
Single supplement (200€)

Prices Inclues

– Comfortable transport 
– Accommodation
– Guiding services with daily check lists and 24/7 support.
– Park fees
– Our Briding trip includes all meals

Prices excludes

– Flight Tickets 
– Drinks, snacks and hotel extras
– Travel insurance
– Itens of personal nature and tips

Some photos of this tour

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      Publicado em Google Google
      Trish Ebert profile picture
      Trish Ebert
      Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5Trustindex verifica se a fonte original da avaliação é Google.
      Fabulous tour. Fabulous guide. We had a wonderful day with Rui in October 2026. Not only did he show us lots of birds, he showed us some great Portuguese hospitality. The flocks coming into roost at the end of the day was a magical highlight!
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      Sarah Ngo profile picture
      Sarah Ngo
      Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5Trustindex verifica se a fonte original da avaliação é Google.
      I highly highly recommend birding with Rui. He’s an incredible birder and bird photographer with deep knowledge of local birds and habitats around Portugal and Spain. He’s also a lovely kind person. I had an incredible 2 days of birding with him and look forward to birding with him again next time I’m in town.
      Publicado em Google Google
      Saul Herrera Villalobos profile picture
      Saul Herrera Villalobos
      Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5Trustindex verifica se a fonte original da avaliação é Google.
      Best Birding so far Nice photos and spots Rui is the best option if you want good results
      Publicado em Google Google
      Susan Brickner-Wren profile picture
      Susan Brickner-Wren
      Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5Trustindex verifica se a fonte original da avaliação é Google.
      Rui was fantastic! We scheduled ahead of an October visit, with only one day available to bird. Issues with flights coming into Portugal caused problems for my husband to check in for the Ironman triathlon. That meant we had to cut the birding time short to get him back to register. That didn’t mean my target species wishlist got smaller! Rui was a couple minutes early to pick us up in Cascais. He pivoted perfectly when he realized we had to get back earlier than originally planned to get my husband squared away for his tri. Fabulous birding. Obvious he knew the areas, the timing for the birds to be active, local species as well as what species were moving through. We enjoyed a lovely bakery with traditional pastries and coffee, perfectly timed and much appreciated. Rui gave us the option to snack and keep birding or go for lunch. Since my husband would compete in a tri just a couple of days later, he needed a real meal. The food at a bustling mom and pop restaurant was so good it brought back memories of grandmas kitchen. Phenomenal birding scored me over 50 lifers and more for my husband! Don’t hesitate to book a tour with Rui, even if you’re traveling alone. Easy and fun conversation was a bonus to excellent birding.
      Publicado em Google Google
      jing profile picture
      jing
      Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5Trustindex verifica se a fonte original da avaliação é Google.
      Booked full day tour for tagus estuary. Trip included hotel pick up and drop off. During trip, we also got to visit a local Portuguese place for morning coffee and lunch. During trip, rui will drive us around to different birding spots. Rui will do ebird list for you so you can focus on looking at birds. Rui was great at matching our pace. We spotted over 70 species of birds. He would re position the car so we could get better shots. He also gave pointers on how to steady and focus my camera. When spotting birds he helped us reposition the camera and binoculars so we could see the bird. He pointed out different birds we were interested in like kestrels and herons. Rui is very knowledgeable, he brought us to places birds were at previously. He also explained how he identified different birds based on their flight pattern and calls. He also talked about activities in tagus estuary like rice and cork farming. Very glad we booked this tour instead of going to tagus estuary ourselves! We learnt so much about european birds and had a much more enjoyable birding adventure because of rui! Amazing and worthwhile experience!
      Publicado em Google Google
      Raymond Newman profile picture
      Raymond Newman
      Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5Trustindex verifica se a fonte original da avaliação é Google.
      My birding trip with Rui was a delight from start to finish. All pre-trip enquiries were fully addressed promptly and the outing was exactly as promised. I was picked up at 7.00am and was safely delivered back to my hotel at 7.15pm. Rui ensured that we were at the best places at the most advantageous times bearing in mind the tides. His knowledge of birds was consummate and together with his local knowledge it should be no surprise that we amassed a day list of 85 species from seven different sites in proximity to the Tagus. I enjoyed his company and his sense of humour. I thoroughly recommend his services to you .
      Publicado em Google Google
      Bill Palmer profile picture
      Bill Palmer
      Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5Trustindex verifica se a fonte original da avaliação é Google.
      We did the Targus Estuary day tour with Rui on September 22, 2026. Our day started with a 7am pick up at our accommodation, followed by the most amazing sunrise from the Vasco da Gama Bridge over the Tagus River. We then meandered (by car) through wetlands, rice fields, woods, pastures, waterways and to the Targus Estuary Nature Reserve. Rui’s enthusiasm for locating and viewing the wide variety of bird life and habitats was much appreciated. We saw 79 species of bird during the day. Some of the lifers included Kentish Plover, Wilson’s Phalarope, Common Hoopoe, European Serin, Corn Bunting, Whinchat and the Yellow Crowned Bishop male in breeding plumage The stork nests were also amazing. Rui provided us with a comprehensive trip report. It is a wonderful conclusion to a great day. The map, list and photos are a terrific summary and we have had fun showing our friends the birds we saw. It was a wonderful day. Rui is an exceptional guide and birder. It’s like being out for the day with your friend. Morning coffee in Alcohete had the best pastel de nata (Portuguese tart) we had in Portugal and lunch was a great authentic local experience. The heat, 38 degrees defeated us in the afternoon, so Rui arranged for an electric trolley ride to the hide at the reserve. It was a nice site to finish on. We highly recommend Rui’s tour and if we come back to Portugal we will be in touch. Debbie & Bill
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      Tariq Asmi profile picture
      Tariq Asmi
      Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5Trustindex verifica se a fonte original da avaliação é Google.
      What an amazing day spent with Rui! Prior to the trip he was so great in helping us plan (including many recommendations for wonderful places to eat during our stay In Lisbon). He is extremely flexible and accommodating, and most of all has a true love of nature and a passion for birding and bird photography. Had an amazing day yesterday, saw well over 70 species, While in the the actuary during the late rice harvest experienced thousands of storks mustering on land and spiralling in flight, flamboyance of flamingoes stepping in rhythm, also thousands of ibises congregating and complementing the numbers of flamingoes and storks. A great way to get out of Lisbon and appreciate the beauty and other settings of the region. A truly amazing day of birding made spectacular by Rui. (Do you also have a giggle at the stork condos.) -Tariq (Toronto, Canada)
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      Bernd K profile picture
      Bernd K
      Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5Trustindex verifica se a fonte original da avaliação é Google.
      The night tour was a fantastic experience and a real highlight of my trip to Portugal! My guide’s enthusiasm for birds and nature made it even more special. A wonderful adventure that I’ll remember for a long time. Highly recommended!
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      Philip Elbek (mentalwarbler) profile picture
      Philip Elbek (mentalwarbler)
      Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5Trustindex verifica se a fonte original da avaliação é Google.
      Rui and I was on a 12 hour trip in the vicinity of Lisbon. Rui was able to adapt the trip to my wishes, but was also great at suggesting places to go depending on local rarities, the season, tidal currents, heat, direction of the sun etc. Rui also knew great places for small breaks to get some local lunch, coffee, pastries or something refreshing to drink on a hot day. I ended up getting 7 lifers, including several I had not thought about when arraging the trip with Rui. I would 10/10 recommend and also do again another time.
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