Private Tour

Cape Town Private Birding Tour

Overview

Available languages

English

9 hours

Mobile ticket

There is so much beauty on the Cape Peninsula, including excellent birdlife, and any visit to Cape Town should include a day exploring the best birdwatching sites such as the Strandfontein Sewage Works! We are Cape Town locals with a love for the natural environment and we'll leave you satisfied beyond expectations after a day in the field!

- A former nature conservationist turned guide will lead the excursion

- We are locals who have grown up on the Cape Peninsula

- We are flexible on the day and can adjust the tour to your interests

- You will get to a couple quieter corners, albeit still experiencing the top Cape Peninsula birdwatching sites

- Our knowledge of the natural environment adds huge value to your experience

Additional Info

Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries

Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health

Not recommended for pregnant travelers

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

What To Expect

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden

A visit to the iconic Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden on the eastern slopes of Table Mountain offers exellent birding potential. From fynbos endemics like Orange-breasted Sunbirds and Cape Sugarbirds to forest birds such as Sombre Greenbuls and African Paradise Flycatchers. Olive Thrush, Cape Batis and Lemon Dove along with the resident Spotted eagle-owls are all regularly seen.

2 hours • Admission Not Included

Rondevlei Nature Reserve

We visit Rondevlei, part of the False Bay Nature Reserve on the Cape Flats which affords excellent Wetland and Strandveld birding.

1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Not Applicable

What‘s Included

500ml water

Air-conditioned vehicle

Boulders Beach Penguin Colony

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden

Silvermine Nature Reserve

We'll stop at a local cafe to order a sandwich to have as a picnic lunch. This can be discussed with the guide. Lunch, coffee, etc. is for your own account.

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Options

Cape Town Private Birding Tour

Pickup included

Reviews

5.00

21 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

Cape Town Birding Tour
Brendan D,,Dec 12, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
Mark was an extremely experienced and knowledgeable guide who showed me around Kirstenbosch, Rondevlei and Strandfontein, identifying all the flora and fauna. He knew exactly where in the gardens and reserves we could find the most elusive birds and delighted in finding them all. Heartily recommended!
Perfect Day.
Joan L,,Nov 15, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
Mark was an amazingly good birding guide. I cannot say enough about how knowledgeable and patient he was. From pick up to drop off he shared his knowledge of Cape Town, the fauna and flora, and changes in the local climate over the years. I saw an incredible number of birds! I could not be happier about this excursion.
Wonderful Birding Experience at Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden
dominiekd223,,Nov 10, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
I booked a morning birding tour at Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden with Marc Hawthorne as my guide. It was a wonderful day. Marc started with an interesting explanation about the history of the garden and the different types of vegetation. Then he took me through the park to enjoy its natural beauty. Marc guided me to some of the most beautiful birds in the garden, always accompanied by clear and engaging explanations. We saw, among others, the Orange-breasted Sunbird, the Spotted Eagle-Owl, the African Paradise Flycatcher, and many more. A fantastic experience for anyone who loves birds and nature!
Wonderful day birding with Mark
Charlie T,,Aug 9, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
We had a wonderful day birding with Mark. He is a highly knowledgeable local guide, definitely recommend him.
A wonderful day birding with Mark
charliet121,,Aug 9, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Mark was wonderful, extremely knowledgeable guide; birds, plants, flowers, wine ! highly recommended. He has lived and worked in the Western Cape his whole life, so you really get true local knowledge.
Birds and More - Two Amazing Experiences!!
835Eric,,Jun 13, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
We did two tours with Mark – one birding focused and one for wine tasting - and loved them both! Mark is incredibly knowledgeable and personable and is a wonderful host. He came highly recommended and we could see why. In addition to seeing so many amazing birds and drinking some very good wine, we got to see an array of stunning scenery and learn about the ecosystem, culture and history of the area. Mark has such broad and deep knowledge of the area that he can adjust and tailor your experience on the fly and offer an amazingly wide range of different experiences. I wish we had had time to spend another week or two with him doing other things – for example getting further out on some of the trails – he seems to been out on every one of them in South Africa! In short, spending a couple of days with Mark was an absolute delight – we can’t wait for our next trip to Cape Town so we can do more!
Great day out watching so many different birds!
EmilieK739,,Jun 4, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
We had a great day with Mark. In fact we then booked an extra half day to go visit another place to see kingfishers :) (which we saw several of!) We saw so many different birds especially at Kirstenbosch gardens. Sunbirds were stunning and Kerrie got some fantastic photos of them. The penguins at Boulders beach were also adorable and we could have easily spent longer there watching them! (But we had already spent many hours in the various places!) Mark is very knowledgeable about the flora and fauna and is such a friendly guy to chat to. If you are in Cape Town and want to spot birds then look no further as this is the perfect day out. We will definitely book an excursion with Mark again if we ever visit Cape Town in future.
Birding with Mark
G2229BZenzos,,May 9, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
I had the pleasure of spending a day birding with Mark, in Cape Town Area. We spent the entire day, and what a day: Mark was able to show me more than 50 different species of birds, from the colourful tiny jewels all the way to flamingoes, hawks and falcons. Mark is an outstanding guide, with unparallel knowledge of the area, both nature and history. I learned so much about the flora, the history and the birds, of course! I will do it again!
Bird Watching
James W,,Dec 21, 2024
- Review from Viator
5.00
Very experienced tour guide had a very memorable trip with Mark so knowledgeable A truly enjoyable day
A fantastic day of birding - highly recommend!
Jamie J M 94,,Dec 21, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Despite the last-minute nature of my booking request, Mark was kindly able to take me out birding around Cape Town for the day back in October. It was a great day from start to finish - we hit a few different sites in Mark’s car and built up a great list of birds. Mark’s impressive local knowledge and experience also enabled us to find a few target species I likely wouldn’t have seen on my own. Mark was great in terms of allowing flexibility in the day to target the species I really wanted to see, as well as introducing me to others I wasn’t familiar with, and all the while teaching me more about the wider ecology of the Fynbos. As an ecologist myself, I really valued that extra insight. On top of that, I found Mark to be very easy company - endlessly polite and professional, and full of stories from his years living and working in the area. The day was one of the highlights of my trip to SA, and I would absolutely recommend Mark and his company to any visiting birders. Cheers!