Dates & Prices

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Dates: 16th – 23rd June 2027 Confirmed departure

Price: £1,795 places available

Single Room Supplement: £195

Deposit: £150 per person

Price Includes: All meals, accommodation, ground transport, services of guides, holiday report & donation to Butterfly Conservation

Not Included: Flights, travel insurance, drinks & any other personal items.

Conservation Donation: Butterfly Conservation Europe

Leader: Peter Eeles & Ben Greenaway

Group Size & Travel: Minimum of 4 and a maximum of 12 guests & 2 leaders

Grade: Gentle paced and generally easy

Holiday Highlights

  • Enjoy 80-100+ butterfly species from the areas known checklist of approximately 230 species
  • Star species we’ll look for include Southern Swallowtail, Scarce Fritillary, Cynthia’s Fritillary, Titania’s Fritillary, Italian Festoon, Small Apollo, Alpine Blue, Piedmont Ringlet, Camberwell beauty, Poplar Admiral & many more!
  • A relaxed pace one centre tour, based at a very comfortable hotel with a swimming pool to cool off in after a day in the field!
  • Led by experienced butterfly enthusiast & author Peter Eeles and knowledgable butterfly guide Ben Greenaway
  • Great tour to develop your photography skills & portfolio as butterflies can be easily found on foot from the hotel early mornings or evenings
  • We are working in collaboration with the National Park authorities to survey the area and contribute new records
  • Tour supports Butterfly Conservation & Butterfly Conservation Europe

An exclusive & relaxing one centre butterfly holiday in the beautiful Italian Alps!

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Join us on our exclusive butterfly holiday in the Piedmont region of northwest Italy, to explore the Parco Naturale delle Alpi Marittime (Natural Park of the Maritime Alps), also known as the Park of Kings!

True to the meaning of its name (foot of the mountain), Piedmont is a land of mountains. It is surrounded on three sides by the Alps, with the highest peaks (24 over 3,000m) and largest glaciers in Italy.

The Natural Park is twinned with the Parc National du Mercantour, which extends along the French side along a common border of over 35 kilometres.

Italy itself is an incredibly rich country for butterflies with about 260 species! We should find around 100 species or more (100 seen in 2019 and 115 seen upon our return in 2022), including some local specialities and rarities such as Scarce Fritillary and Southern Swallowtail.

A small selection of other highlights includes Apollo, Clouded Apollo, Black-veined White, Cleopatra, Mountain Clouded Yellow, Scarce Fritillary, Cynthia’s Fritillary, Titania’s Fritillary, Queen of Spain Fritillary, High Brown Fritillary, Grison’s Fritillary, Scarce Copper, Purple-edged Copper, Purple-shot Copper, Alcon Blue, Large Blue, Mazarine Blue, Geranium Argus, Silvery Argus and Almond-eyed Ringlet.

Our trip is timed to enjoy a good diversity of species which are beautifully fresh and emerging every day during our stay. For example, in 2022 we had the pleasure of seeing literally hundreds of Apollos, Large Blues, several Copper & Fritillary species. All of which were in fine condition & perfect for photography.

Depending on the season and emergence times we may also be fortunate to find Italian Festoon, Scarce Large Blue, Alpine Blue, Small Apollo, Poplar Admiral, Large Tortoiseshell & Camberwell Beauty.

Our base for the week is a family run hotel in Bagni di Vinadio, a small village lying at 1,300m above sea level in Valle Stura, located 10 km from Vinadio, known for its fortifications and mines of Savoia-Ruà. The area is one of the most uncontaminated places in the entire Maritime Alps.

The hotel sits right next to the Thermae, famous and in use since Roman times for the therapeutic properties of the waters found there. The hotel is also equipped with a swimming pool with sun terrace, a large children’s playground, and bowling green.

The Maritime Alps Park is home to chamois, ibex, wild boar, deer, marmots and mouflon. Once the king’s favourite prey, today the chamois has become the symbol of the Park. There are also some impressive birds to look up for during our tour, including Bearded Vulture and Golden Eagle. Due to the nature of our tour though we’re perhaps more likely to have our eyes lower down and so will no doubt enjoy seeing some of the areas impressive total of approximately 2,000 plants.

Aside from the wonderful location, butterflies and other wildlife, what makes this holiday special is the team we’ve assembled to lead it. They are Peter Eeles, who is a highly knowledgeable and experienced butterfly enthusiast. He is also the author of the highly acclaimed book Life Cycles of British and Irish Butterflies, first published in 2019. And Peter is joined by a rising star in the European butterfly world & excellent leader of tours, Ben Greenaway.

This is a very popular tour – we recommend booking early to avoid disappointment!

          

Our approach to this tour has evolved over the years. Rather than covering large distances, we now focus on a small number of exceptionally rich Alpine valleys, allowing us to explore them in depth and respond flexibly to conditions as the week unfolds. By working locally, we are able not only to find a wide range of species, but to understand how they use the landscape — from valley floor to high alpine slopes.

Day 1 – Wednesday 16th June – Arrival and transfer to the Alps We transfer from Nice airport into the Italian Alps via the spectacular Col de la Lombarde, making several stops along the way to begin our introduction to the region’s butterflies. We arrive at our base in the late afternoon.

Day 2 – Thursday 17th June – Exploring the home valley We begin close to our base, exploring the San Bernolfo valley and surrounding areas. This valley is exceptionally rich, with a range of habitats accessible within a short distance. Early morning starts are possible for those interested in photography or observing butterflies as they become active. One of the quiet highlights of the week is the possibility of encountering the elusive Poplar Admiral. This is a species that cannot be reliably “chased”, but instead rewards time spent in the right habitat. By working our home valley in depth, and timing the trip carefully within its flight period, we give ourselves the best possible chance of sharing in one of Europe’s most special butterfly encounters.

Day 3 – Friday 18th June – Targeted excursion for Scarce Fritillary A more focused day, travelling a short distance to explore carefully selected sites near Demonte. Here we search for Scarce Fritillary, one of the key species of the trip, alongside a range of other butterflies associated with lower altitude habitats.

Day 4 – Saturday 19th June – Neighbouring valleys and higher ground We explore adjacent valleys, including areas such as the D’ischiator Valley. The day offers a range of options, from gentle exploration of flower-rich meadows to more energetic walks into higher alpine habitats.

Day 5 – Sunday 20th June – Entracque and Southern Swallowtail sites Our main excursion of the week takes us to the Entracque area, where we visit a series of well-known sites for Southern Swallowtail. These warm, rocky habitats support a distinctive butterfly community and often provide excellent photographic opportunities.

Day 6 – Monday 21st June – A day to slow down and go deeper We remain close to our base, making the most of the exceptional habitat on our doorstep. This day often includes opportunities to focus on butterfly behaviour, identification, and photography, with time to revisit productive areas and enjoy the valley at a more relaxed pace.

Day 7 – Tuesday 22nd June – Flexible day Our final full day is deliberately left open. Depending on the week, we may revisit key sites, target species missed earlier, or simply spend more time in the most productive areas.

Day 8 – Wednesday 23rd June – Departure Transfer back to Nice airport, with stops en route as time allows.

Please note The itinerary is intentionally flexible and may change during the week depending on weather conditions and the progress of the butterfly season.