EILAT BIRD FESTIVAL 2026

22 – 26 March 2026

We are delighted to announce that registration is open for Eilat Bird Festival 2026, offering an amazing birding program in Eilat and the Arava.

Hosted by BirdLife Israel, the Eilat Bird Festival brings together birders from the world over for unforgettable five days of birds, migration and nature during the peak of spring migration.

Eilat is one of the most impressive locations to experience the spring migration spectacle, as millions of birds funnel through the area on their way north from Africa to Europe and Asia. A large variety of habitats, from salt marsh and ponds to agricultural fields and kibbutz gardens, host a mouthwatering range of migratory species. The natural desert environments provide important stopover sites for open country birds who are looking for food and water after their long crossing of the Sahara Desert, while the local desert species are in full breeding activity.
The Festival is based in Eilat and takes in all the major sites and key species of Southern Israel.
Over 200 species of birds are possible during the Festival, as well as a nice list of reptiles and mammals. Highlights include: Black Scrub-Robin, Steppe Eagle, Bonelli’s Eagle, Greater Flamingo, Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse, Namaqua Dove, Arabian Bee-eater, Dead Sea Sparrow and so much more.

Once again, the Festival will be based at the Kibbutz Eilot Country Lodging just outside of the city, away from the hustle and bustle of downtown Eilat. The Kibbutz welcomes us with friendly hospitality, clean, comfortable rooms surrounded by the beautiful kibbutz gardens, great food and beautiful views of the surrounding mountains.

In 2026, the Eilat Bird Festival will coincide with the Champions of the Flyway bird race which will be held on 25^th March. Teams from around Israel and the world will race for 24 hours to find as many birds as possible and claim the title of Champions of the Flyway 2026 – all while raising awareness and funds for the conservation of threatened falcons in Israel. Festival participants will join in with the fun and keep a list of all the birds seen that day as a group, and will celebrate together with all the teams at the closing ceremony brunch on 26^th March.

There is no doubt that the Eilat Bird Festival is by far the best value package for birding Eilat and southern Israel during the peak of spring migration. We are happy to continue providing the perfect platform to elevate your amazing birding experience. The Festival is led by the best leaders in Israel, so make sure to book your package soon. We thank our followers and many returning clients which are a testament to the quality of the event.

The Eilat Bird Festival includes:

- Pickup and transfer from Tel Aviv and Jerusalem on day 1.
Drop off in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem on last day (day 5).

- One night at Kibbutz Neot Smadar Guest House and three nights at Kibbutz Eilat Country Lodging on HB basis (breakfast and dinner included)

- Birding program at some of the best hotspots in southern Isreal.

- All transportation within the country in comfortable, air-conditioned vehicles.

- All entry fees are included.

Not included: flights, visas, insurance, lunch (we will stop everyday where light lunches can be purchased), communication, beverages, laundry, tips for drivers and guides.


Detailed itinerary:

Day 1 Sunday 22 March, 2026 - 7:00 Departure from Tel Aviv and Jerusalem

The day will start with a short visit to the Nili and David Jerusalem Bird Observatory, where we will pick up more participants. From there we will continue south to the Dead Sea. We will visit the fields north of the Dead Sea in search of desert and migratory species, we will stop at a great observation point for the migration of raptors, and on the way south we will stop at other birding sites in the Arava Valley. We will arrive in our guest house at Kibbutz Neot Smadar in the late afternoon for dinner followed by a lecture.

Overnight at Kibbutz Neot Smadar Lodging

Day 2 Monday 23 March, 2026 – Uvda Valley and Kibbutzim

We will start the day birding in the Uvda Valley to search for larks and other desert birds before returning to the Kibbutz for breakfast. After breakfast we will bird in the area of the Kibbutz and then slowly head south to Eilat, stopping at Yotvata and other Kibbutzim on the way to search for birds, including in Kibbutz Samar for Black Scrub-Robin. We will end the day at Kibbutz Eilot Country Lodging.

Day 3 Tuesday 24 March, 2026 – Eilat

We will start with a morning tour in the Eilat Birding Center to look for migrants. After breakfast at the guest house, we will ascend to the impressive Eilat mountains to observe the migration of raptors as they move north out of Sinai. After a lunch break we will visit the world-famous KM20 flamingo salt ponds, and other water reservoirs in the Eilat area. Then back to Kibbutz Eilot Country Lodging for dinner and an evening lecture.

Day 4 Wednesday 25 March, 2026 – Champions of the Flyway

Today is Champions of the Flyway race day. Racing teams will be gathering in the Arava from all over to try to see as many birds as possible in one day. We will accompany some of these teams, and experience the exciting action as we keep our own bird list for the day.
We will start the day with an early morning visit to the Eilat Birding Center so see experience the excitement of the race and return to breakfast at the guest house. After breakfast we will visit some of the parks around Eilat that attract migrants such as Holland Park, Ophira Park and Canada Park. In the afternoon we will revisit the Flamingo ponds and the water reservoirs to wrap up some remaining birds before heading to North Beach to watch seabirds as all the teams from Champions of the Flyway gather at the end of the day.
Then it’s back to Kibbutz Eilot Country Lodging for dinner.

Day 5 Thursday 26 March, 2026
We will check out of the hotel early and head to the banding station at the Eilat Birding Center and a walk around the park. In mid-morning we will join the Champions of the Flyway teams at North Beach for a group photo before heading back to the Park for brunch with all the teams and the award ceremony of the race. After the ceremony, we will start heading back to Tel Aviv and Jerusalem with a couple of short birding stops on the way.
Estimated arrival time in Jerusalem 18:00/Tel Aviv 19:00

Please note - the tour program during your stay in Eilat is relatively flexible and can change according to bird reports and weather that week. You can be sure that we will keep you busy with birds all day.

Prices

Double room (per person): 4520 NIS

Single room: 5590 NIS

Double room – per person (SPNI members and BirdLife Israel’s Bird Club): 4250 NIS

Single room (SPNI members and BirdLife Israel’s Bird Club): 5320 NIS

EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT - REGISTER BEFORE 31/12/25 AND RECEIVE A 5% DISCOUNT ON PRICE

REGISTER NOW WITH A DEPOSIT OF 700 NIS. FINAL BILL WILL BE SENT BEGINNING OF JANUARY 2026

For more information contact Alena Kacal at [email protected]

Let’s go birding in Eilat this spring!


Conservation commitment: The Eilat Bird Festival is a program of BirdLife Israel, part of the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI). Your participation in this festival supports the ongoing research, conservation and education work of BirdLife Israel, and helps to protect important stopover sites for hundreds of millions of birds who migrate through Israel every year.

Carbon offset donation: Participants are invited to donate an additional amount to help offset their carbon footprint in participating in the tour. BirdLife Israel offers an offsetting option. If you choose to do so, your donation will go to the Start-Up Nature wetland restoration program of BirdLife Israel. This program is restoring wetlands around the country in order to create new stopover sites for migratory birds and support biodiversity. To offset your carbon: https://secured.israelgives.org/en/pay/StartUpNature

Cancellation policy: The Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel’s cancellation policy complies with Israel’s consumer protection law and regulations. This cancellation policy sets up favorable conditions for individuals who are participating in our birding festivals. It is as follows:

- Cancellation up to 2 months before the event – 5% cancellation charge. Optional refund of balance of charge.

- Cancellation between 2 months and 1 month before the event – 50% of the total fee.

- Cancellation less than 1 month before the event - you will be charged the full price for the package booked.

- If you are cancelling because of a medical condition please make sure to provide the necessary paperwork with your cancellation and we will assess the situation before charging penalties.

If SPNI makes the decision for any reason to cancel the festival- a full refund will be given.

SPNI reserves the right to cancel the favorable cancellation policies or to determine from time to time additional favorable cancellation conditions at its complete and exclusive discretion.

We highly recommend that all participants purchase travel insurance that will cover the cost of any cancellations due to sickness or flight cancellations as well as health insurance during the trip.

For more information, contact Alena Kacal at [email protected]