Birding Tour Bulgaria & Danube Delta, 7d/6n, 2027 SHARED
Our small group birding tour from Bucharest to Bucharest: two nights for the vultures of the Balkan Mountains in Bulgaria, four nights in Mila 23 for the wetland birds of the Danube Delta, at most 6 birders.
Duration
7 days / 6 nights
Tour type
Shared, up to 6 birders
Birding
5 days, in 2 countries
Meals
Half board
Guiding
Birding guide, in English
Season
April and September
Danube Delta
Water birds
Bulgaria
Vultures & more
The tour in short
From vultures to pelicans
One week, two countries, two very different worlds. You start with the cliffs and open skies of the Balkan Mountains in Bulgaria, then move to the lakes, channels and reedbeds of the Danube Delta, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
We pick you up in Bucharest and take you to the Balkan Mountains, in the Sliven Region, for two nights. Here the big raptors rule the sky: Griffon Vultures, Cinereous Vultures, Egyptian Vultures and Golden Eagles. Bearded Vultures have already been released here, and with a little luck you may see one.
On day 3 we take you across into Romania and transfer you by boat to Mila 23, in the middle of the Danube Delta, for four nights. Three birding days follow, each in a different habitat: the lakes around Mila 23, Letea and the salt marshes of the marine delta, and Caraorman. On day 7 we drive you back to Bucharest.
The bird comes first, always. No chasing, no feeding, no lures. We keep a respectful distance and never enter nesting areas. Playback is used rarely, once or twice at most, and never near sensitive species or nests.
Included in the price
Five days of birding
Days 1 and 2 · Bulgaria
Vultures of the Balkan Mountains
Cliffs, gorges and open skies in the Sliven Region: Griffon, Cinereous and Egyptian Vultures, Golden Eagles and other raptors.
Days 4 to 6 · boat and land
Wetland birds of the Danube Delta
The lakes around Mila 23, the salt marshes at Letea and the shores at Caraorman: pelicans, herons, egrets, Pygmy Cormorants, terns and shore birds.
Every morning · sunrise
Out at first light
Each birding day starts at sunrise, when the birds are most active, on the cliffs in Bulgaria and on the quiet channels of the Danube Delta.
Day by day
Itinerary
Day 1 Bucharest to the Balkan Mountains
- Morning Pick up at Bucharest airport or at a meeting point in the city centre.
- Day Drive to Bulgaria, to the Balkan Mountains in the Sliven Region, and check in.
- Evening First birding session, then dinner.
Meals today: dinner
Day 2 Vultures and raptors
- Early Departure before breakfast, with breakfast to go.
- Day Birding in the Balkan Mountains, from place to place, for the vultures and your target species. Optional lunch, not included in the price: at a local restaurant or a picnic in nature.
- Afternoon Back at the accommodation, dinner.
Meals today: breakfast, dinner
Day 3 Morning birding, then to the Danube Delta
- Sunrise Morning birding session in the Balkan Mountains.
- Morning Breakfast, then departure for the Danube Delta: we drive you to Tulcea, in Romania.
- 16:00 By boat to Mila 23, birding on the way.
- Evening Check in at the guesthouse and dinner.
Meals today: breakfast, dinner
Day 4 Lakes and waterbirds around Mila 23
- Sunrise Birding by boat in the first light.
- 9:30 Breakfast at the guesthouse.
- 10:30 Birding on the lakes and channels around Mila 23, in our open boat.
- Evening Dinner at the guesthouse and the day’s list.
Meals today: breakfast, dinner
Day 5 Letea and the salt marshes
- Sunrise Birding by boat.
- 9:30 Breakfast at the guesthouse.
- 10:30 To Letea, birding on the water and on the salt marshes of the marine delta, at the nesting and roosting places around the saline lakes.
- Evening Back in Mila 23 for dinner.
Meals today: breakfast, dinner
Day 6 Caraorman: shore birds and freshwater lakes
- Sunrise Birding by boat.
- 9:30 Breakfast at the guesthouse.
- 10:30 To Caraorman, for shore birds and the birds of the freshwater lakes.
- Evening Back in Mila 23 for dinner.
Meals today: breakfast, dinner
Day 7 Back to Bucharest
- 8:30 Breakfast at the guesthouse.
- 9:30 By boat to Tulcea, birding on the way.
- Afternoon Drive to Bucharest. End of the tour.
The earliest arrival in Bucharest is 16:00. Plan your flight or your onward travel after that.
Meals today: breakfast
Lunch is optional. Your guide tells you each day where and when. Count on €20 to €30 per person, or 100 to 150 RON in Romania, paid in cash. The order of the days can change with the weather and the latest sightings.
Shared birding tour · 2027
from
€2,000
per person
6 nights with half board in a double room, 5 days of birding, all transfers from Bucharest and back, and Danube Delta fees.
- Single room + €240
- Deposit to book 20%
Practical
- StartDay 1, morning, in Bucharest
- EndDay 7, from 16:00, in Bucharest
- Stay2 nights in the Balkan Mountains, Sliven Region, 4 nights in Mila 23
- Group2 to 6 birders
- Minimum age12 years
Price details
What the price covers
The price includes
- A specialised birding guide, speaking English, for the whole tour
- 6 nights at 3 star level, with en suite bathroom, in a double room: 2 nights in the Balkan Mountains and 4 nights in Mila 23
- Half board: dinner on day 1, breakfast and dinner on days 2 to 6, breakfast on day 7
- 5 days of guided birding: 2 in Bulgaria and 3 in the Danube Delta
- A spotting scope, always with the guide
- Binoculars on loan for the tour, if you do not have your own
- All transfers, from Bucharest to Bucharest, by car and by boat
- Fees for visiting the Danube Delta
The price does not include
- Optional lunches. Count on €20 to €30 per person, or 100 to 150 RON in Romania, paid in cash
- Drinks, other than water
- Single room supplement: €240 per person, for the whole tour
- Insurance of any kind (travel, equipment and so on)
Photo gallery
Birds from our tours
Shared departures
2027 dates and prices
€2,000 per person in a double room, single room + €240, 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 or binoculars, and where we pick you up: at the airport or in the city centre. We will get back to you to confirm and to send you the next steps.
Period | Places | Price |
|---|---|---|
13 Apr - 19 Apr | 2000 | |
17 Sep - 23 Sep | 2000 |
How to book
- Send a booking request. Choose your start date and guesthouse 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 20% deposit, online, through the payment link. Until then, no places are held for you.
- Pay the balance at boarding, in cash or by card (RON or EUR).
A request is not a booking. Please pay within 3 days of our email. If we do not receive the 20% deposit 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, at pick up, in cash or by payment link, in RON or EUR.
Children
- The minimum age for this tour is 12 years.
- Children over 12 pay the adult price.
- Parents are fully responsible for supervising their children during the tour.
Our boats
Open boats, the complete experience
In the Danube Delta you bird from our 7.3 m open boat, built for the Danube Delta. With at most 6 birders, everyone has room to move and scan, you hear a bird before you see it, and nothing blocks your view of the sky.
- No roof. The boat is not covered when it rains.
- No shade. You are in the sun for much of the day.
- No heating. Sunrise on the water can be cold, even in summer.
We offer you a fabulous experience. Your part is to come prepared.
Packing list
Bring with you
Essential
- Your passport or EU identity card: you cross into Bulgaria and back
- Your binoculars, 8×42 or similar. If you do not have any, we lend you a pair
- A field guide or a bird app in your language
- Clothes in natural, muted colours, long trousers and long sleeves
- A sun hat with a brim, not a cap, and sunglasses
- A warm layer for sunrise and a rain jacket or a rain poncho
- Comfortable walking shoes, waterproof if possible
Recommended
- Your camera, ideally with a telephoto lens
- A small backpack and a water bottle
- Sunscreen, insect repellent and a few snacks
Try Kite Optics stabilised binoculars. On the tour you can test the Kite Optics APC 42 ED 14×42 stabilised binoculars in the field. If you like them, use the code ILGO10KO for 10% off.
Before you book
Is this tour for you?
A birding tour
Early starts, long days in the field and a guide who knows the birds. If you want a relaxed discovery of the Danube Delta, see our multi-day nature tours.
A shared tour
You bird with other guests, in the same car and the same boat, at the same hours. A minimum of 2 birders is needed for a departure, and never more than 6.
On the road
Days 1, 3 and 7 include long drives between Bucharest, Bulgaria and Tulcea. You bird on the way whenever possible.
Meet our guides
Experts in the wild
Our guides are more than birding experts. They are conservationists, researchers and naturalists, some with degrees in biology, who take part in bird monitoring and conservation projects. Years in the field mean they know where the birds are, how they move through the seasons and how to watch them without disturbing them.
Specialised birders
They know the calls, the plumages and the difficult identifications, and help you at your own level.
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
Nature comes first
Our tours are designed to keep our impact low, in the Balkan Mountains and in the Danube Delta. Our sightings feed into bird monitoring, and part of every tour supports conservation.
Vultures in the Balkans
Part of the tour fee goes to FWFF, who protect and bring back the vultures of the Balkan Mountains. You can also donate to them directly.
Lower power engines
Our boats run on engines with less power than they would normally carry. That means less disturbance in the water, less fuel and lower emissions.
Distance from nests
We never enter nesting or breeding areas, and we keep our distance from nests on cliffs and along the shoreline. No sighting is worth disturbing a bird.
Questions and answers
Frequently asked questions
What birds can we see?
In the Balkan Mountains: Griffon, Cinereous and Egyptian Vultures, Golden Eagles and other raptors. Bearded Vultures have already been released here, so with a little luck you may see one. In the Danube Delta: pelicans, herons, egrets, cormorants, terns, shore birds and many more. To build your own target list, see our list of the birds of the Danube Delta and Dobrogea. Wildlife is wild, so no species can be promised.
Where do you pick us up in Bucharest?
At Bucharest airport, or at a meeting point with parking in the city centre, which we send you before the tour. We do not pick up from hotels.
When should I book my flight home?
On day 7 the earliest arrival in Bucharest is 16:00. Book a flight that leaves well after that.
I am a beginner. Is this tour for me?
Yes. Your guide helps with identification and adapts the pace to the group.
I do not have binoculars. Can I still come?
Yes. Tell us when you book, and we lend you a pair for the whole tour.
Is lunch included?
No. The tour is half board. Your guide tells you each day where and when you can have an optional lunch. Count on €20 to €30 per person, or 100 to 150 RON in Romania, paid in cash.
Can I have a room to myself?
Yes, with a single room supplement of €240 for the whole tour. Solo travellers book a single room.
How many birders are needed for the tour to run?
A minimum of 2. There are never more than 6 birders on the 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!
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