Introductory Falconry
Overview
- SKU
- PFALCI
- Locations
- 9 in the UK
- People
- For 1
- Validity
- 12 Months
- Rating
- 4.9 (61)
What's Included
- Expert advice and tuition
- Instructor demonstrations
- Bird handling and flying experience
- Experience gift pack including personalised voucher and message card
What happens on the day?
Participant guidelines
- Minimum age: 8 to 16 depending on location (under 18’s need parental/guardian consent)
- You should be in reasonable health and have a reasonable level of fitness as some walking may be involved
- There is limited space for spectators. Please ask when making your booking
- There is a fee for friends/family to attend/watch with the participant at the Devon location. Please ask for details when making your booking
- The experience content, equipment used and restrictions may vary according to location
Availability
The activity takes place all year round but spring and autumn are ideal seasons for falconry. Waltham Abbey are open February to November.
We recommend you book at least four weeks in advance to ensure that dates are available. All bookings are subject to availability.
You should allow approximately 3 hours for the whole experience.
What about insurance?
The centres contracted with us hold public liability insurance. We also hold contingency liability cover. You will not be liable for accidental damage to equipment, except where damage has been caused as a result of recklessness or wilful negligence.
Please ensure you are familiar with the terms and conditions of the experience.
How it works
Customer Reviews
out of 5 stars
Based on 61 reviews
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5
John
26/09/2021
Falcon experience
Has to be the best Christmas present ever. Had a fabulous day it was a great experience people were very friendly and knowledgeable. I would definitely recommend
out of 5 stars
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5
Stuart
13/09/2021
Amazing
It was a amazing experience and very hands on. Thanks to Duncan and his father who were very informative. Excellent present,. Would recommend it
out of 5 stars
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5
Dave
27/08/2021
Excellent day
An amazing Experience, very knowledgeable and friendly staff.
out of 5 stars
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5
Dave
16/05/2021
Fantastic
This was an excellent experience. The venue was good with quality digs for the birds. It was clear that the birds are well cared for and well loved. The falconer who facilitated the day was very informative and provided an hands on interactive experience flying the raptors and explaining the history of falconry and each species life and conservation. Would definitely recommend.
out of 5 stars
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5
Elaine
09/09/2020
Brilliant
Had a brilliant time. Sally was welcoming, friendly and extremely knowledgeable. You could see the love she has for her birds.
out of 5 stars
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5
Louisa
02/09/2020
A life long wish fulfilled
I have wanted to try falconry for years but never got around to it. My husband got me this for my birthday, it is the best present he has got for me. We went to the Cotswold Falconry Centre, we got to meet 3 stunning birds up close and very personal.😃 Then spent time enjoying a display and walking through the aviaries. The staff were very welcoming and knowledgable. The birds were in stunning condition and well looked after. I would wholeheartedly recommend a trip there.
out of 5 stars
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5
Tracey Harding
02/09/2019
Brilliant day
Had a fabulous day at West Sussex Falconry. Spent 3 hours learning about the birds of prey, holding them and then going to field to fly them. Amazing. The birds are so well looked after by Sally, she’s very caring and passionate about them. A great day out.
out of 5 stars
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5
Nigel
16/08/2019
Up close and personal with a falcon (and more)
We really enjoyed our day at the Kielder Bird of Prey Centre. Impressed by the treatment of the birds as well as the amount of information about birds of prey that we didn't have before. The staff were really good and we got (literally) hands-on contact with several birds. The flying display after lunch was excellent as was the wqayb in which the staff included the many children who were there. Thoroughly to be recommended.
out of 5 stars
Based on 61 reviews
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5
Steve
16/07/2019
Falconry experience
Was a present and was a fantastic experience fully enjoyed .
out of 5 stars
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5
Debbie
06/07/2019
Hubbys present
I joined my husband on this birthday treat, and had a wonderful time, The presenter was witty and interesting, and the day was well worth it
out of 5 stars
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5
KL
10/06/2019
Icarus Falconry
Great experience. Knowledgable, friendly staff. Excellent venue
out of 5 stars
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5
Leigh
25/05/2019
A really lovely experience
I totally enjoyed this and admit now that I was not expecting much. I went because my wife had purchased this experience but came back with a smile on my face for a lovely morning spent handling a range of birds. Our host was lovely and so passionate that it was infectious. Her knowledge, built on a lifetime of experience, was excellent and so interesting and she was a perfect host as well. Fantastic day out that I would do it again.
out of 5 stars
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5
Vicky
22/05/2019
Excellent birthday treat
Kielder Birds of Prey staff superb: treat all visitors very well. The birds look well kept and staff handle them carefully and thoughtfully.
out of 5 stars
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5
Tom
29/04/2019
A great time thank you
My wife and I had a very good day despite the rain. Please thank Vincent in particular. He made sure everyone was involved, he is very personable Thank you Tom K
out of 5 stars
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5
Lynda
05/04/2019
Fantastic experience but a nightmare to book!
The experience exceeded our expectations. Vincent was our very knowledgeable handler and gave the spectators in our small group the opportunity to get up close and personal with the birds, all helped by the perfect weather conditions and Vincent’s great sense of humour. On a cold fresh day it was also great to have a morning coffee break included in the deal. My recommendation would be that you book this experience directly with the Cheshire Falconry Centre and not through Virgin Experiences!
out of 5 stars
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5
Mark
16/02/2019
Up close and personal
Introduction to falconry was an great way to see these birds in there natural habitat, and be able to see them fly. Plus the end of the session was a great photo opportunity with an aptly named golden eagle named Genghis Khan .
out of 5 stars
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5
Sian Hill
24/10/2018
I love birds of prey!
Had a great morning, got to handle 6 birds and learn a lot about the different species. Will definitely go back to Cheshire Falconry. I upgraded my original voucher so i got to spend more time there.
out of 5 stars
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5
lesley
08/10/2018
beautiful birds
an introductory half day experience to get up close to birds of prey. owl and hawks flying to land on my arm - fabulous! and then held a golden eagle.. brilliant
out of 5 stars
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5
Robin
10/09/2018
A wonderful experience
Sally gave us an amazing insight into the characteristics and characters of the birds. It was wonderful to be so close to such fantastic birds and to have the opportunity to handle some of them. Altogether a great experience.
out of 5 stars
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5
Penny
04/09/2018
A day strictly for the birds
Had a fab day Falconry experience. Andrew was great in explaining the different types of owls and falcons and giving all of the group lots of hands on experience. It was also good that spectators could walk round with the participants to watch and take lots of photos.
out of 5 stars
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5
Lucie
21/08/2018
Icarus falconry highly recommended!
I booked my experience with icarus falconry in northampton. The falconry is within the grounds at holdenby house which is a beautiful and picturesque setting. The staff at the falconry were friendly, helpful and very knowledgeable. I learned a lot about the birds they have there, which is a vast amount, big and small. I got the opportunity to interact with a variety of the birds and the day was relaxed and very enjoyable. I'd love to do it again!
out of 5 stars
Based on 61 reviews
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5
Nick
06/08/2018
8 year old loved it
Well planned and executed. Guides and staff were particularly good.
out of 5 stars
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5
Nicola Winskill-hales
06/08/2018
Outstanding experience
Absolutely loved my experience. Very informative beautiful birds. Will definitely go back. Staff very friendly holding the birds was amazing totally in love with the Eagles and loved holding an owl and having her fly to me. Never did I think I would do somthing like this but would highly recommend. I can't wait for when my boy is older to bring him here to learn about conservation and experience the birds. What they do here for conservation is outstanding and it's a must visit . Thank you for
out of 5 stars
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5
Hannah
22/07/2018
Amazing day
My son (aged 10) was given this as a present. We initially had a problem trying to book as most centres around the UK required children to be 14. However after speaking to The Cotswolds Falconry centre they managed to customise their children's experience with the voucher I had and made it so that two people could enjoy the day. The smile on my sons face when he returned home said it all. I cannot thank the staff enough for making my sons dream come true. A day he will never forget.
out of 5 stars
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5
Paula T
18/07/2018
Fabulous
I booked my falconry introduction with Devon Bird of Prey Centre just out maids Totnes. Fabulous- very knowledgable Marcus looked after us and nothing was too much trouble- very flexible approach to the group- expectations exceeded, wonderful
out of 5 stars
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5
Julia Hall
11/07/2018
Fantastic experience
Amazing time at the Icarus Faclonry Centre. Friendly, informative staff and real hands on experince. Highly recommended.
out of 5 stars
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5
Steve
01/07/2018
Great fun with the Harris Hawks!!
We spent about 1.5 hours out in the fields around Eagle Heights flying the hawks Will and Stan to and from our gloves. We really appreciated the informative guidance from Sophie the bird of prey manager. This was then followed by a 1 hour bird of prey display, and then tea and cakes. It was a fun afternoon which I would recommend to anyone who wants to gain a more "hands on" experience of birds of prey. The experience was purchased for me by my 2 daughters as a Christmas present.
out of 5 stars
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5
Peter
12/06/2018
falconry
An excellent couple of hours.
out of 5 stars
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5
Gordon
15/05/2018
Brilliant Day with the Hawks
I had a wonderful Day courtesy of a virgin experience Introductory to hawks. At Cotswold Falconry Centre . The staff were very Very good, full of information and an eye opening experience to have a hawk land on your arm.
out of 5 stars
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5
Dave
14/05/2018
Fantastic day
Very informative and amazing how the golden eagle swoops down from a great height and perch on your arm, was not disappointed.
out of 5 stars
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5
Michelle from Preston
11/05/2018
Amazing birds
What a wonderful day - great experience and excellent knowledgeable handler. So much fascinating information and to get up close and handle the birds was wonderful. Well recommended.
out of 5 stars
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5
Anne
05/05/2018
Fantastic!
Had the most amazing time!
out of 5 stars
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5
Barry
30/04/2018
Excellent
What an experience flying birds of prey
out of 5 stars
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5
Jo
12/03/2018
Falconry day at Icarus Falconry
I went with my dad for his 70th birthday treat. Great day, the instructors Jo and Tom were really friendly and knowledgeable. It was a jam packed 3 hours where my dad got to handle 5 different birds. All the birds at the centre looked to be well cared for and that is a big bonus to see. Would definitely recommend
out of 5 stars
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5
Wim
16/11/2017
Heel veel geleerd
Heel goed verzorgd. Spannend. Veel gezien en veel geleerd.
out of 5 stars
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5
David
31/10/2017
Great experience
Very informative hands on experience involving lots of different bird species. Brilliant flying the birds to our fists.Well worth the money.
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5
Medwyn
24/09/2017
Perfect (Cheshire Falconry)
Couldn't have asked for a better experience: - Knowledgeable instructor/guide - Amazing variety of birds - Lots & lots of interaction with the birds - Complete value for money - Excellent location Book it! Fun for all ages & abilities!
out of 5 stars
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5
Ray
07/09/2017
Great day out
What a wonderful day out at the falconry for the hole family and having the birds landing on you is out of this world I would recommend this to anyone who would like a good day out
out of 5 stars
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5
David
03/09/2017
Fantastic from start to finish.
Had a few Falconry places to choose from. At random I picked Icarus at Northampton. The location was out of cause his world. Staff suburb and the 3 hrs I was there were informative and fun. Lots of well looked after birds that were all gorgeous. Loved every minute. I would recommend this experience to anyone.
out of 5 stars
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5
Tony
19/08/2017
Fabulous day
Great experience and plenty of information provided. Wanted to do this for years, and was not disappointed
out of 5 stars
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5
Peter
13/08/2017
Well worth doing
A very good afternoon. Good fun, informative and great to be able to handle Hawks.
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5
Dave b
11/08/2017
Enjoyable and very informative day
The day was brilliant and I learnt so much in a short space of time. The experience of the birds being so close and being able to have them on my hand was amazing. I will be going back and I recommend people book and go along and sample these magnificent animals for themselves.
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5
Andrew or Dave2
09/08/2017
Really enjoyable experience
Introducing to Falconry was a brilliant morning working with some beautiful owls, hawks and buzzards, got to see 6 very different birds very closely, they were stunning. The young gentleman who ran the session was incredibly knowledgeable and knew the subject in depth, talked for 3 hours and I was interested in everything he said, considering the afternoon session where the birds are taken out to hunt!!
out of 5 stars
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5
Suzi
08/08/2017
Absolutely fantastic!
I loved every minute of this. I was lucky enough to be the only one there (though can be up to 8 in the group). The guy that ran it was super knowledgable and it was great to be able to meet all the birds and chat about them. I got to fly 4 birds: a barn owl, Eurasian eagle owl, a Harris hawk and a Bataleur eagle. Although flying eagles is usually a seperate experience so not guaranteed. The only negative was that the site wanted to charge £40 for spectators which isn't a small fee in my eyes.
out of 5 stars
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5
Stephen
17/06/2017
A truly amazing experience
It turned out to be one of the best experiences I have ever had. I ended up having 3 hours to myself as 2 others cancelled the day before. The Falconer Andy and his mate Mich were absolutely amazing with their in depth knowledge. My wife and I were treated superbly and I can only thank Cheshire Falconry for what will be one of the most memorable moments ever. Thanks very much.
out of 5 stars
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5
Peter
23/05/2017
Introductory Falconry Experience
On arrival at the Hotel my wife and I were met by lovely staff who provided us with an enjoyable lunch. We then met our Falconer Matt who had a wonderful sense of humour and provided us with a lot of information with regard to all the beautiful birds. We handled and flew a Barn Owl, a Harris Hawk and an Eagle Owl with Matt and then with Falconer Mark a most beautiful Battler Eagle. We had a most wonderful and memorable time.
out of 5 stars
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5
Sandra
08/05/2017
Introductory Falconry
Amazing day, very informative, very enjoyable. Staff very friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. Loved every minute of it, birds beautiful and so well looked after. The venue was easy to find and in a most wonderful setting.
out of 5 stars
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5
Paul
27/03/2017
A thoroughly enjoyable experience
Really very well presented by obviously enthusiastic people. An absolute eye-opener and informative introduction into the world of birds of prey,
Locations
Locations shown shouldn't be used for route planning
South West
- Moreton in Marsh, Gloucestershire
- Totnes, Devon
North West
- Northwich, Cheshire
East of England
- Waltham Abbey, Essex
East Midlands
- Northampton, Northamptonshire
- Leicester, Leicestershire
- Chesterfield, Derbyshire
North East
- Kielder, Northumberland
South East
- Chichester, West Sussex