Vultures & Golden Jackals Hide Photo Tour, Bulgaria, 4d/3n, 2027 SHARED
Two days in a hide in the Balkan Mountains of Bulgaria, from sunrise to sunset, with Griffon and Cinereous Vultures and Golden Jackals in front of your lens. A photographer guide and a small group.
Duration
4 days / 3 nights
Tour type
Shared, up to 6 photographers
Photography
2 days in a hide
Meals
Half board, optional lunch
Guiding
Photographer guide, in English
Season
November and December
The tour in short
A day with the vultures
Huge wings landing a few metres from you, squabbles over a carcass, a Golden Jackal slipping in between the giants. In the eastern Balkan Mountains, vultures are back, and a hide puts you right in the middle of their world.
You meet your guide in the Sliven Region of Bulgaria on day 1, in time for dinner. On days 2 and 3 we take you to the hide before sunrise, and you stay there until sunset: the birds come when they decide, and the best moments often come late in the day. On day 4 the tour ends after breakfast.
Coming from Romania? We can pick you up at Bucharest airport, or you can join us after a tour in the Danube Delta.
Real wild birds, in a conservation project. The vultures are free and wild. The feeding place in front of the hide exists for them, not for the photographers, as you can read below.
Included in the price
What you photograph
Days 2 and 3 · from the hide
Griffon Vultures
Landings, take offs and the noisy life of the group at the feeding place, close enough for portraits and wide enough for the whole scene.
Days 2 and 3 · from the hide
Cinereous Vultures
The largest bird of prey in Europe, dark and powerful, often taking over the feeding place when it arrives.
Days 2 and 3 · from the hide
Golden Jackals
Shy and quick, they come in between the vultures for their share. With luck you also see ravens, eagles or other raptors.
Day by day
Itinerary
Day 1 Arrival in the Sliven Region
- Afternoon Meet your guide in the Sliven Region, by dinner time. We send you the exact meeting point after you book.
- Evening Check in and dinner at the hotel, and a briefing on the days in the hide.
Meals today: dinner
Days 2 and 3 In the vulture hide
- Before sunrise We take you to the hide, with a breakfast to go.
- Day Photography from the hide, until sunset. Once you are inside, you stay inside, so the birds are not disturbed. Optional lunch to go.
- Evening Back to the hotel for dinner.
Meals today: breakfast to go, dinner
Day 4 End of the tour
- Morning Breakfast and check out. End of the tour.
Meals today: breakfast
A long day in the hide. You are inside from before sunrise until sunset, with no way out in between. There is no power in the hide, so bring everything you need for the whole day. Lunch to go is optional: €20 per person.
Shared photo tour · 2027
from
€990
per person
3 nights with half board in a double room, two days in the vulture hide and a photographer guide.
- Single room + €120
- Deposit to book €500
Essential
- StartDay 1, by dinner time, in the Sliven Region, Bulgaria
- EndDay 4, after breakfast
- Stay3 nights at a 3 star hotel
- Group2 to 6 photographers
- Minimum age18 years
- DocumentsCheck what you need to enter Bulgaria
Price details
What the price covers
The price includes
- A wildlife photographer guide, speaking English, for the whole tour
- 3 nights at a 3 star hotel, in a double room
- Half board: dinner on day 1, breakfast to go and dinner on days 2 and 3, breakfast on day 4
- Two days in the vulture hide, from sunrise to sunset
- Transfers between the hotel and the hide
- A tripod on loan, if you do not bring your own
The price does not include
- Optional lunch to go: €20 per person per day
- Drinks, other than water
- Single room supplement: €120 per person, for the whole tour
- Optional transfer from Bucharest airport: €300 per car, one way, for 1 to 6 guests
- Insurance of any kind (travel, camera equipment and so on)
Photo gallery
Images from the vulture hide
Shared departures
2027 dates and prices
€990 per person in a double room, single room + €120, in euro, VAT included.
Available dates
Choose your start date in the table below and click Book now. In the booking request form, tell us if you need a single room, a transfer from Bucharest airport or a tripod on loan. We will get back to you to confirm and to send you the next steps.
Period | Places | Price |
|---|---|---|
12 Nov - 15 Nov | 990 | |
10 Dec - 13 Dec | Fully booked | |
1 Apr - 4 Apr | 990 | |
4 Apr - 7 Apr | 990 | |
How to book
- Send a booking request. Choose your start date in the table, add the number of guests and fill in the form. We usually answer in less than 24 hours. Please check your spam folder too.
- We confirm and send you the payment link.
- Your booking is confirmed when you pay the deposit of 500 EUR, online, through the payment link. Until then, no places are held for you.
- Pay the balance on day 1, in cash or by payment link (EUR).
A request is not a booking. Please pay within 3 days of our email. If we do not receive the deposit of 500 EUR by then, the request expires and the places go to other guests. If you decide later, write to us first to check that there is still room. Do not pay an old payment link without asking us: if the places are taken, we can only refund you.
Bookings are taken only through the form or by email. The phone is for information only.
Cancellation policy
- More than 90 days before the tour, you can postpone your trip. You receive a voucher valid for 2 years.
- Less than 90 days before the tour, the deposit is not refundable.
- The balance is paid on day 1, in cash or by payment link, in RON or EUR.
Children
- The minimum age for this tour is 18 years.
Packing list
Bring with you
Camera gear
- A 600 to 800 mm lens for close portraits
- A 300 to 500 mm lens for single birds and action
- A 200 to 300 mm lens for groups and the whole scene
- A tripod with a good head (we lend you one if needed)
- Enough batteries and memory cards for a whole day: there is no power in the hide
Clothing and comfort
- Warm clothes in several layers, a warm hat and gloves: you sit still for many hours in November and December
- Warm boots and thick socks
- A thermos with a hot drink
- Water and food for the whole day, if you do not take the lunch to go
Choose your lens in the morning. Once you are set up in the hide, you keep that lens for the day. Think about the images you want before you leave the hotel. We do not offer any warranty or insurance for your photographic equipment.
Before you book
Is this tour for you?
Patience pays
Some hours are quiet, then everything happens at once. If you can sit still and wait, this is one of the most spectacular hides in Europe.
Inside the hide
Comfortable chairs and room to stand, and open windows without glass, so nothing stands between your lens and the birds. A long day, but not an uncomfortable one.
More vultures?
Our birders also watch the vultures of the Balkan Mountains in spring and autumn, on the Birding Tour Bulgaria & Danube Delta.
Meet our guides
Experts in the wild
Our photo guides are professional wildlife photographers and experienced naturalists. They read the light, know how the birds behave and position the boat for the light, the background and the angle, without disturbing the subject.
Wildlife photographers
They photograph here all year and know where and when the light and the birds come together.
Local
They live and work in the Danube Delta and Dobrogea, and are in the field in every season.
The bird comes first
No chasing, no flushing, no stress for a picture or a tick on the list.
Our commitment to conservation
Helping the vultures come back
Vultures almost disappeared from the Balkans. Today they are returning to the Balkan Mountains thanks to long years of conservation work, and your visit is part of it.
Why the vultures are fed
Feeding is an exception to our rules, made for conservation. There are not enough natural carcasses left in the mountains to sustain the vulture population, so the conservation team feeds them at a safe place, away from poisoned baits.
Your tour supports FWFF
The hide is run with the Fund for Wild Flora and Fauna (FWFF), the local custodians of the vultures. Part of your tour fee goes to their work in the field.
Partners we trust
We work only with partners who follow the principles of nature conservation and ethics in wildlife photography. You stay inside the hide for the whole day, so the birds are never disturbed.
Questions and answers
Frequently asked questions
Will we see vultures?
The vultures come to the feeding place regularly, but they are wild birds and decide for themselves when to come. No sighting can be promised, and the Golden Jackals are even less predictable.
Can I leave the hide during the day?
No. You go in before sunrise and come out after sunset. Leaving would scare the birds away for everyone. Bring everything you need for the day.
Is there a toilet in the hide?
Ask us when you book, and we explain how the day works in the hide.
Which lens should I bring?
A 600 to 800 mm lens for close portraits, 300 to 500 mm for single birds and action, 200 to 300 mm for groups and scenes. You choose one in the morning and keep it for the day, so a second body with another lens helps a lot.
Can you pick me up in Bucharest?
Yes, from Bucharest airport, for €300 per car, one way, for 1 to 6 guests. Tell us when you book.
Is lunch included?
No. The tour is half board. You can order an optional lunch to go for the hide, €20 per person per day, or bring your own food.
Can I have a room to myself?
Yes, with a single room supplement of €120 for the whole tour. Solo travellers book a single room.
How many photographers are needed for the tour to run?
A minimum of 2. There are never more than 6 photographers on this tour.
Contact
- Emailcontact@discoverdanubedelta.com
- Phone, SMS, WhatsApp+40 763 869 400
+40 757 894 456 - For bookings and requests we always prefer email. Thank you!
Watch
Related videos
