Naturetrek

What Naturetrek does

Naturetrek is a UK-based specialist tour operator founded in 1986 by David and Maryanne Mills, headquartered in Chawton, Hampshire, with 51–100 employees. The company designs and sells expertly-guided wildlife holidays — including group departures, tailormade itineraries, expedition wildlife cruises, and UK day trips — to naturalists, birdwatchers, wildlife photographers, and conservation-focused travelers across more than 90 countries and all seven continents. Pricing is per-person on packaged tours ranging from approximately £1,395 to £8,995, with optional single supplements and land-only variants, and revenue is generated one-time at booking.

The operating model is direct-to-consumer: Naturetrek sells through its own e-commerce website (naturetrek.co.uk), UK and US toll-free phone lines, printed brochures, e-newsletters, and conservation partnerships (Butterfly Conservation, RSPB, Birdfair). The core 'technology' is a booking and itinerary management platform supporting a deep catalog of tour pages, tour reports, and destination guides accumulated over four decades. Customer acquisition relies heavily on word-of-mouth, niche publication advertising (BBC Wildlife, Birdwatching, RSPB Magazine, RHS The Garden, The Telegraph, The Times), and event presence at Birdfair. The company holds an ATOL licence (no. 2962), ABTA membership, and AITO membership, and has donated over £4m to conservation causes including protection of 2,181 acres of Ecuadorian cloudforest and proprietary reserves in Scotland and Italy.

Name

Naturetrek

Legal name

Naturetrek

Website

https://naturetrek.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Naturetrek is a UK-based wildlife tour operator, founded in 1986, that designs and sells expertly-guided group, tailormade, and expedition cruise holidays across 90+ countries to naturalists, birdwatchers, and wildlife enthusiasts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Tourism Services

NAICS

Tour Operators (561520), Tour Operators (56152)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Safari & Wildlife Travel Agencies (THAKAFAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wildlife & Safari Tour Operators (THAKADAG), Safari & Wildlife Adventure Tour Operators (Land-Based) (THAAADAD), Wildlife Viewing & Birdwatching Tours (THAAAEAB), Polar & Remote-Destination Expedition Tour Operators (THAKADAM)

Keywords

• Wildlife tour operator
• Guided nature holidays
• Birdwatching tours
• Expedition wildlife cruises
• Botanical and mammal tours

Headquarters

HQ city

Chawton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Package Holiday Sales: Naturetrek generates revenue through selling packaged wildlife holidays and cruises that include flights, accommodation, food, expert naturalist guides, and activities. Pricing varies by destination, duration, and whether flights are included (e.g., £1,395-£8,995 per person). The company offers both group tours and tailormade/custom itineraries to all seven continents.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Naturetrek is a specialist wildlife tour operator that sells guided group wildlife holidays, customized tailormade wildlife holidays, expedition wildlife cruises, and UK-based naturalist day trips. Packages typically bundle flights, accommodation, food, and an expert naturalist tour leader, and span destinations across all seven continents including birding, mammal watching, botanical, butterfly, and wildlife photography focus areas. Pricing ranges from approximately £1,395 to £8,995 per person depending on destination, duration, and inclusions.

Product overview

Naturetrek is a specialist wildlife tour operator offering a portfolio of travel products centered around wildlife observation and natural history experiences. The core offering consists of Group Wildlife Holidays (expertly-guided group tours to all seven continents), Tailormade Wildlife Holidays (customized itineraries), Wildlife Cruises (expedition vessel charters), and Day Trips (UK-based naturalist-guided excursions). The product portfolio spans diverse wildlife focus areas including African Safaris, Arctic Tours, Bear Watching, Bird Watching, Botanical Holidays, Butterfly Watching, Dolphin Watching, Jaguar Watching, Mammal Watching, Northern Lights Tours, Photography Tours, Whale Watching, and Wolf Watching. Tours range from multi-day international expeditions to single-day UK experiences, with examples including The Bavarian Alps (alpine flora/fauna), Finland's Mammals (carnivore watching), and Estonia seasonal bird migrations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Group Wildlife Holidays Expertly-guided group wildlife holidays and treks to destinations across all seven continents, covering diverse experiences including tigers, jaguars, bears, whales, African safaris, birding, botany, mammal watching, butterflies, and wildlife photography. Designed for naturalists, birdwatchers and wildlife enthusiasts seeking expert-led group travel.
• Tailormade Wildlife Holidays Customized tailor-made wildlife holidays designed to individual customer preferences, covering destinations across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Australasia, Europe, and wildlife cruises. Quote-based pricing tailored to destination, duration, group size, and specific requirements.
• Wildlife Cruises Expedition cruises to spectacular wildlife destinations, chartering the best expedition cruise vessels at optimum times of year with expert guides. Includes Arctic, Antarctic, and other remote wildlife cruise itineraries.
• Day Trips UK-based day trips visiting reserves and habitats across Britain, guided by expert naturalists. Designed for local naturalists and birders seeking short naturalist-led excursions.
• The Bavarian Alps Tour

Quantifiable outcome

• Over £4m donated to conservation causes including protection of 2,181 acres of endangered cloudforest in Ecuador
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Butterfly ConservationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNaturetrek has donated £224k to Butterfly Conservation projects in the UK and Europe as part of their conservation commitment. This long-standing partnership supports butterfly and moth conservation efforts across the region.
• BirdfaircoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBirdfair is the premier birdwatching fair/event in the UK. Naturetrek participates in Birdfair and displays the Birdfair logo as a partner, leveraging this important industry event for marketing and customer engagement.
• RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerNaturetrek advertises in RSPB Magazine and maintains a partnership with the RSPB for customer acquisition and conservation collaboration.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Steppes Travel: UK-based tailormade travel company with strong wildlife and natural history focus. Comparable in tailormade B2C model, UK HQ, and overlap on wildlife/birding itineraries across multiple continents.
• Audley Travel: UK tailormade travel specialist offering wildlife safaris and nature-focused itineraries. Comparable in B2C tailormade model, UK HQ, country-specialist guide model, and presence across Africa, Asia, and the Americas.
• Exodus Adventure Travels: UK-based adventure and wildlife tour operator offering group and self-guided trips worldwide. Comparable in UK B2C tour-operator model, broad destination portfolio, and overlap on wildlife and nature itineraries.
• Wildlife Worldwide: UK-based wildlife tour operator offering group and tailormade wildlife holidays worldwide with expert guides. Most directly comparable to Naturetrek in product, customer persona (naturalists/birdwatchers), and UK-headquartered B2C model.
• Explore Worldwide: UK small-group adventure tour operator with strong wildlife and nature itineraries. Comparable in B2C group tour model, UK HQ, and ATOL/ABTA-style consumer protections on similar price-point holidays.
• Wild Frontiers: UK tailormade adventure travel company covering off-the-beaten-track wildlife and nature destinations. Comparable in UK B2C small-group/tailormade model and overlap on wildlife itineraries in Africa, Asia, and the Americas.
• The Naturalist Travel: Specialist wildlife and birdwatching tour operator offering small-group naturalist-led trips across the globe. Closely comparable to Naturetrek's core group wildlife holiday offering and naturalist guide positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Intrepid Travel: Large global adventure tour operator with wildlife components and conservation partnerships. Comparable in small-group wildlife itineraries and conservation positioning, but broader adventure footprint and much larger scale than Naturetrek.

Emerging players

• Travel The Unknown: UK specialist in tailormade wildlife, birdwatching, and nature-focused travel to emerging destinations. Comparable in B2C tailormade UK model and naturalist target persona with similar destination mix.
• Heritage Expeditions: Small-ship expedition cruise operator focused on wildlife and natural history itineraries in remote regions. Comparable to Naturetrek's chartered Wildlife Cruises segment in target customer (naturalists) and expedition-vessel model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/naturetrekwildlifeholidays
• Xx.com/naturetrektours
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/naturetrek-limited

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Naturetrek