Nature Conservancy Travel and Trips - Travel the world with The Nature Conservancy

Travel with The Nature Conservancy - Nature Travel - Ecotourism - Nature Tours and Ecotourism

Receive our free e-newsletter and learn about our global work to preserve biodiversity — including birds and other wildlife.

Other Travel Opportunities with the Conservancy

Ecotourism
Ecotourism generates funds for conservation, reduces threats to wildlife, and benefits communities.

Nature Lodging
The Nature Conservancy offers overnight accommodations or multi-day trips and tours.

Travel to an exotic place with The Nature Conservancy on one of our customized nature travel tours!

Our journeys highlight the Conservancy's work to save the Last Great Places on Earth. They allow you to connect with the natural world, learn about local conservation efforts and reignite your love of the outdoors. See below for our latest journeys!

Of course, the Conservancy is conscious that travel — especially by car or airplane — releases carbon emissions into the atmosphere that contribute to climate change. We hope that you consider this as you plan your next trip. You can calculate your carbon emissions and find simple ways to reduce your impact on the climate at nature.org/whatsmyimpact.

For more information about the following adventures, click the trip name for detailed itineraries, or complete the form at support.nature.org/travel. As an added benefit, you'll also get invitations to other events, our monthly e-newsletter and special opportunities to protect important wildlife habitats. You are also welcome to contact Rudy Dietz, field trip program manager, at 503-802-8170 or excursions@tnc.org.

Our Upcoming Journeys
(Click trip names for detailed itineraries)

Best of Indonesia
Voyage I: Port Moresby to Manado
February 15 - March 6, 2010
Price $10,280     Limit 20
Cruise from New Guinea’s fascinating Asmat villages to the northern tip of Sulawesi Island. Explore the Raja Ampat archipelago — whose seas, part of the fabled Coral Triangle, are considered to hold the richest species variety on the planet. Sail the breathtaking coast of the MacCluer Gulf, visiting remote tribal villages and, during two days in the spectacular volcanic Halmahera Islands, make expedition stops to visit villages and snorkel or dive in the rich waters. Across the Sea of Maluku, investigate the waters of Bunaken National Marine Park, a World Heritage Site protecting thousands of bird, coral and fish species. Come aboard with Zeghram Expeditions! Note: Voyages I and II may be combined for a reduced fee.

Best of Indonesia
Voyage II: Manado to Bali
March 2 - 18, 2010
Price from $9,380     Limit 20
Orchid-shaped Sulawesi is home to a phenomenal variety of flora, fauna and marine life — as well as some of the most fascinating cultures in the world. Expedition highlights include Bunaken Marine Park, home to nearly 70 percent of all fish species known to the Indo-western Pacific region; a visit to a nature reserve where we’ll look for crested black macaques and cus cus, small rodent-like animals; and the Togean Islands, an equatorial paradise of dense jungle, coral reefs and isolated atolls. In the highlands of Toraja, view the unique boat-shaped architecture and cliffside graves marked by life-sized effigies. Walk in Komodo National Park, watching for the world’s largest lizard, the Komodo dragon, and snorkel or dive in the Flores Sea. Bali’s magical atmosphere pervades its verdant landscapes, temples and towns, and offers a fitting finale to this grand voyage. Come aboard with Zeghram Expeditions! Note: Voyages I and II may be combined for a reduced fee.

Klamath Birding Weekend
March 5 - 8, 2010 (FULL) or
March 12 - 15, 2010
Price $750 Limit 8
Observe hundreds of bald eagles in their wintering habitat in the Klamath Basin, one of the country’s greatest wetlands, with naturalist and expert birder, Eric Horvath. The basin’s marshes, meadows, open water, sagebrush steppe, juniper woodlands and coniferous forests also provide habitat for golden eagles, prairie falcons, and spectacular concentrations of waterfowl including snow geese, Ross’ geese, greater white-fronted geese and thousands of ducks. Learn about the area’s history and what the Conservancy is doing to improve this biodiversity hot spot . (Price includes a $100 suggested, tax-deductible donation to The Nature Conservancy.)

Sea of Cortez Wildlife Cruise
March 21 - 28, 2010 (FULL)
Price from $1,900 Limit 14
Experience the incredible thrill of seeing blue whales, Earth’s largest living creatures, in Baja’s Sea of Cortez. Encounter schools of dolphins along the way, and several whale species including humpback, sperm, finback, minke, pilot and orca. Enjoy daily land excursions to remote desert islands with Galapagos-like diversity. Watch blue-footed boobies and red-billed tropic birds nesting or feeding in the mangrove-lined estuaries, and snorkel with brilliantly colored fish along rocky shorelines. Join Baja Expeditions for this incredible trip aboard their comfortable, 80-foot motor vessel, the Don Jose.

Birds of Texas: Big Bend and the Edwards Plateau
April 12 - 21, 2010 or
April 22 - May 1, 2010 (FULL)
Price from $1,900 Limit 14
Roam part of the 800,000-acre Big Bend National Park with naturalist Eric Horvath in search of birds including Cassin’s kingbirds, Mexican jays, road-runners and elf owls, as well as interesting geology and many species of blooming cacti. Join Conservancy staff for a tour of the Davis Mountains Preserve, home to Montezuma quails and common black hawks. On the way to the Edwards Plateau, look for scissor-tailed flycatchers, Harris’ hawks and cave swallows. Once in the hill country, search for the black-capped vireos, golden-cheeked warblers and green kingfishers. Lodging in comfortable motels, cabins and lodges. (Price includes a $300 suggested, tax-deductible donation to The Nature Conservancy.)

Walking the Redwood Coast
May 2 - 8, 2010 (FULL) or
May 9 - 15, 2010
Price $1,580     Limit 8
Walk among the legendary redwood forests of California’s northern coast — some of the largest living things on Earth — with experienced tour guide George Baetjer. Enjoy warm fall weather and uncrowded trails as we trek through national and state parks featuring a mixture of old-growth forest and scenic coastal trails. Visit two Nature Conservancy cooperative projects: Lanphere Dunes, the most pristine dune ecosystem on the West Coast, and Crook Point, a spectacular coastal headland not normally open to the public. (Price includes a $250 suggested, tax-deductible donation to The Nature Conservancy.)

Birding Southeast Oregon: Malheur National Wildlife Refuge
May 15 - 19, 2010
Price $790     Limit 8
Visit the Great Basin Desert, including the best birding spots and areas protected by the Conservancy. Coinciding with peak songbird migration and waterbird courtship displays, our trip will focus on getting close looks at many birds of the West. With bulrushes still low, temperatures mild and bird diversity superb, we’ll spend two days at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge — one of North America’s best birding locations. We’ll also take time to identify and photograph wildflowers, learn about regional conservation strategies, and enjoy the dramatic scenery of one of Oregon’s most beautiful places. (Price includes a $100 suggested, tax-deductible donation to The Nature Conservancy.)

Hells Canyon Country: Wildlife and Landscapes
June 2 - 6, 2010 (FULL)
Price $1,395     Limit 10
Explore two of North America’s most unique and wild landscapes: Hells Canyon, the continent’s deepest canyon, and Zumwalt Prairie, one of North America’s largest remaining native grasslands. Enjoy dazzling wildflower displays, and observe an astounding concentration of nesting raptors. Drink in spectacular canyon vistas, and learn about the Nez Perce, the landscape’s original inhabitants. Watch elk, deer and bighorn sheep — and meet ranchers at work — in this rugged habitat. Expert naturalists will accompany you to unravel the remarkable stories of this landscape. The Nature Conservancy is proud to offer this unique trip in partnership with Wallowa Resources.

Rafting the Umpqua River
July 14 - 15, 2010
Price $510     Limit 17
Set amidst the wilderness areas and national forests of Southern Oregon’s Cascades, the North Umpqua is one of the most beautiful rivers in the Northwest. Towering Douglas-fir forests line this steep and rugged canyon, shading the crystal clear water as it leaps and falls through steep gorges and boulder-strewn rapids. With 25 significant rapids and numerous smaller ones within 25 miles — and professional guides from Ouzel Outfitters — the Umpqua delivers a truly fun and enjoyable paddle rafting experience. Lodging is at the famous Steamboat Inn.

Forests and Fjords: Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula
July 17 - 25, 2010
Price $4,950     Limit 11
Discover the wildly diverse maritime and montane habitats of Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula. From the Resurrection Bay town of Seward, we’ll take a boat to the glaciers and seabird cliffs of Kenai Fjords National Park, accompanied by sea otters, Dall’s porpoises and — with luck — orcas and humpback whales. During our drive to the Kachemak Bay town of Homer, we’ll explore the Kenai Mountains on a short raft trip. Next, we’ll venture across Cook Inlet on a grizzly bear viewing fly-and-hike day trip, boat to the south side of the bay to walk intertidal and forest trails, and spend an evening in the artist village of Halibut Cove. Hikes to Exit Glacier and a Nature Conservancy Aleutian tern colony, plus a visit to the Alaska SeaLife Center, round out this nine-day natural history adventure. (Price includes a $300 suggested, tax-deductible donation to The Nature Conservancy.)

Rafting the Deschutes River
August 4 - 6, 2010
Price $635     Limit 12
Flowing out of the Cascade Mountains of Central Oregon, the Deschutes River carves its way through the high desert, forming a spectacular canyon before finishing its journey at the Columbia River. Scenery treats you to majestic rocky canyons, a lush riparian zone alive with a variety of birds, and famous fishing waters teeming with rainbow trout. Join us for three wonderful days of sun and fun with Ouzel Outfitters, while learning about conservation issues surrounding this amazing river. Our journey will include time for hiking and exploration, as well as morning and evening opportunities for redside rainbow trout fishing.

Rafting the Middle Fork of Idaho’s Salmon River
August 25 - 29, 2010
Price $1,615    Limit 21
Raft the Salmon River’s famous Middle Fork — the “Crown Jewel of the National Wild and Scenic River System” — which offers 100 roadless, motorless river miles through the largest mountain wilderness in the lower 48. The Middle Fork offers some of the best whitewater in North America as it splashes past numerous cultural sites and hot springs. Blue ribbon dry fly fishing for cutthroat trout provides catch and release opportunities for beginners and experienced anglers alike. Professional guides from Hughes River Expeditions will lead the way. Note: $100 flight fee applies.

Kenya Safari
August 26 - September 3, 2010
Price $9,895   Limit 12
Our journey into Kenya begins in the Lewa Wildilfe Conservancy, one of Africa’s most extraordinary conservation success stories. This private reserve has played an instrumental role in returning black and white rhinoceros from the brink of extinction and is also a sanctuary for endangered Grevy’s zebras, sitatungas, cheetahs and elephants. Next is the Namunyak Conservancy, where conservation and community have partnered in this stunning landscape of rolling hills, perennial rivers and the Masai spiritual mountains of the Matthews Range. Our focus is on walking, led by local game scouts. One of Africa’s most acclaimed game reserves, the Masai Mara is renowned for its annual wildebeest migration. Game drives will take us among plains animals including gazelles, impalas, wildebeests, hartebeests, topis, zebras and giraffes. Predators flourish here; the Mara is famed for its lions, which we may see hunting in the early morning or evening. Note: $400 small group fee may apply.