Birding Paris, Le Teich, and the Camargue France

If you are interested in Birding Paris, Le Teich, and the Camargue come and join us at Kaiyote Tours!

Birding Paris, Le Teich and the Camargue

This tour focuses more on birds and nature, as compared to our Brittany and Loire Valley tours.  On this tour we spend one full day on Paris and then travel through southern France in search of birds and adventure.   We will visit three historically significant towns: Carcassonne, Arles, and Saintes Maries de la Mer and we will visit two major birding areas: the Arcachon Bay and the Rhone River Delta.  Each day there will be time for birding, walking, exploring, and learning. 

Printable Bird List
(This is a checklist of the birds that we have seen on this trip)

• Travel Dates
• April 1 - 10, 2025, spots left = 4 
• March 29 - April 7, 2026, spots left = 4 
• Additional dates:  Tours by request
• Group Size: 4 Travelers plus guides
• Trip Length: 10 days
• Rates: Rate per person = $4,650 (based on double occupancy)
• Rates include: Domestic transfers and travel within France, lodging, breakfast, lunch, dinner, scheduled group tours, park entrance fees and basic travel insurance.
• Not included: International airfare, customs & immigration fees and visas, alcohol, trip cancellation insurance.
• Adventure level:  Easy, please check the "Welcome" page for definition

Map of the travel route here:  France Map (this map will enlarge when clicked on, opens a new page)

Basic Itinerary

Day 1:  Paris, arrival day
Flights are usually overnight with early morning arrival at the Charles de Gaulle International Airport (CDG) in Paris.  You will be met at the airport and shuttled to the hotel, where we will be staying for 3-nights at the Hotel Paix Republique. This great hotel is located in the heart of Place de la République, which is a wonderful neighborhood in Paris and provides easy access to all the great sights. Activities for the day will depend on your arrival time in Paris. Sites that are close to our hotel include the Place de la Bastille, the Musée Carnavalet, and the National Picasso-Paris Museum. And besides museums, Paris has excellent parks and gardens for walking. Close to our hotel is the Garden of the National Archives. Birding:  There are birds to see in the city parks and gardens.

Day 2:  Paris
A full day to visit the best sites in Paris for art, history, and food.  The specific locations will depend on the key interests of the group.  Overall, we will have four full days in Paris.  There is a lot to see, and we will prioritize museums to make sure you see everything you want. The list of museums, historic sites, and simply fun things to do in Paris is tremendous and is too long to list here.  We can discuss these details when you book your tour.  If you like history, you will want to visit the Hôtel des Invalides and here you will also find the Tomb of Napoleon and the Musée de l'Armée. And at the end of the day, a fabulous dinner in Paris. Birding:  Over 400 species of birds have been seen in Paris. The Bois de Boulogne, which is a 2,100-acre park with woods and gardens just on the western edge of Paris, has a bird list of over 200 species and is one of the best birding areas in Paris. museums. 

Day 3:  Arcachon
From Paris to Bordeaux, it is a 3-hour train ride on the TGV.  The TGV (pronounced tay-zsah-vay) is one of the fastest trains in the world and can travel over 200 miles an hour.  From Bordeaux, it is a 30-minute train to the city of Arcachon.  Arcachon is home to the largest sand dunes in Europe called "The Dune of Pilat", and it is located along the Bay of Arcachon.  The dunes and the bay area are good for both birding and hiking. 

Day 4:  Arcachon
Just outside of Arcachon is one of the best bird reserves in France: Réserve Ornithologique du Teich, "Le Teich".  We will spend most of the day birding the reserve and other local parks in the area.  Over 300 different species of birds have been recorded at this reserve. The area has numerous trails and observation points.  

Day 5:  Carcassonne
From Arcachon, it is a 4-hour train ride to the picturesque medieval village of Carcassonne, where we will spend 1-night.  Just outside the fortress walls and across the river are several beautiful parks for birding and walking.

Day 6:  Camargue
From Carcassonne, it is a 2-hour train ride and a 1-hour bus ride to the seaside village of Saintes Maries de la Mer.  We will be staying at the edge of the Camargue and the Mediterranean Sea. The Camargue is the delta of the River Rhone and covers 190,000 acres.  It is a birding paradise and over 400 different species have been identified.  The most representative species of the delta is the Pink Flamingo because the Camargue is the breeding grounds for this species. The scenery is beautiful. 

Day 7:  Camargue
We will visit the Pont de Gau Ornithological Park.  The Camargue is also famous for the horses that breed here.  Today you will have options for activities:  Birding, Horseback riding, hiking, and cycling.  The village of Saintes Maries de la mer is a wonderful place to enjoy the Mediterranean Sea and there will be swimming and boating options as well. If you enjoy walking and bike riding, the Camargue is a great place to explore.  The Camargue is criss-crossed with dirt paths and roads atop the canals and ponds. 

Day 8:  Arles
It is a 1-hour bus ride to the town of Arles. Arles is an ancient town and people have been living in the area since 800 BC.  Arles has been a cultural center since the late Roman Empire. The Arles amphitheater was built in 90 AD and is still used today for bull fighting and other events.  Vincent Van Gough lived in Arles from 1888–1889 and created over 300 paintings and drawings during his stay. Picasso also spent time in Arles and some of his drawings and paintings are at the Museé Reattu. We will spend one night in Arles.

Day 9:  Paris
Today we travel back to Paris.  It will take a couple short bus rides, a 3-hour train ride and we will arrive in Paris in the late afternoon.  This will be our last day in Paris to visit any locations we missed the first few days or visit spots that were so great we would like to see them again. A visit to Basilique du Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre is always wonderful.  Besides great museums, Paris also has parks, gardens, and famous cemeteries to visit. Bois de Boulogne (Boulogne woodland) was once a hunting ground for royalty and became a city park in 1852 and contains 2,088 acres. Cemetery Père-Lachaise is full of famous people, beautiful statues, and a nice place to take a walk. And the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris is now open after re-construction following the devastating fire of April 2019. 

Day 10:  Fly Home
Flights back to the United States usually leave in the morning, so getting to the airport and getting home is our only scheduled activity for the day.