Birding Tour Danube Delta & Dobrogea, 8d/7n, 2027 SHARED
Our small group birding tour in Romania, from Tulcea to Tulcea: four nights in Mila 23 for the wetland birds of the Danube Delta, three nights in Tulcea for the raptors and steppe birds of Dobrogea.
Duration
8 days / 7 nights
Tour type
Shared, up to 6 birders
Birding
6 days, by boat and by car
Meals
Half board
Guiding
Birding guide, in English
Season
April to early October
Danube Delta
Water birds
Dobrogea
Raptors & steppe birds
The tour in short
Wetlands and steppe in one week
Two of the richest birding areas in Europe, side by side. You start on the lakes, channels and reedbeds of the Danube Delta, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, then move to the rocky hills, old forests and open grasslands of Dobrogea.
On day 1 we transfer you by boat from Tulcea 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 5 we transfer you by boat back to Tulcea, your base for three nights, and your birding moves to land. By car and on short walks, your guide looks for raptors over the hills, steppe birds on the grasslands and passerines in the forests and scrub, on a route built around your target list. The tour ends in Tulcea on day 8, after breakfast.
The tour runs the whole season. In the hot months you bird early in the morning and in the evening, and rest in the middle of the day, when the birds rest too.
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
Six days of birding
Days 2 to 4 · 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.
Days 5 to 7 · by car
Raptors and steppe birds of Dobrogea
Rocky hills, old forests, open grasslands and quiet valleys: raptors, steppe birds and passerines, far from the water.
Every morning · sunrise
Out at first light
Each birding day starts at sunrise, when the birds are most active, on the quiet channels of the Danube Delta and on the hills of Dobrogea.
Day by day
Itinerary
Day 1 Tulcea to Mila 23
- 15:30 Meeting and boarding at Port Tulcea Aval.
- 16:00 By boat to Mila 23, birding on the way.
- Evening Check in at the guesthouse and dinner.
Meals today: dinner
Day 2 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 3 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 4 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 5 Back to Tulcea, first birding in Dobrogea
- Sunrise Birding by boat.
- 9:30 Breakfast at the guesthouse.
- 10:30 By boat to Tulcea, birding on the way.
- About 13:00 Arrival in Tulcea, transfer to your accommodation and check in.
- Evening First birding session in Dobrogea. The route depends on the season and on your target list.
- Evening Dinner at the accommodation.
Meals today: breakfast, dinner
Day 6 Hills, forests and steppe of Dobrogea
- Early Departure before breakfast, with breakfast to go. If you prefer breakfast at the accommodation, the departure is after it.
- Day Birding by car and on short walks, from place to place, for your target species. Optional lunch, not included in the price: at a local restaurant or a picnic in nature.
- Afternoon Back in Tulcea, dinner at the accommodation.
Meals today: breakfast, dinner
Day 7 More of Dobrogea
- Early Departure before breakfast, with breakfast to go, or after breakfast if the group prefers.
- Day Birding in other habitats of Dobrogea, for the species still missing from your list. Optional lunch on the way.
- Afternoon Back in Tulcea, dinner at the accommodation.
Meals today: breakfast, dinner
Day 8 End of the tour in Tulcea
- Morning Breakfast at the accommodation. End of the tour.
- Optional Transfer to Bucharest or Bucharest airport, if you booked it with us. The driver picks you up at the accommodation.
Meals today: breakfast
In July and August the days follow the heat: after the sunrise session and breakfast you rest at the guesthouse, and the afternoon session, including the trips to Letea and Caraorman, starts at 16:30 and ends at sunset. Boat transfers still leave after breakfast.
Lunch is optional. Your guide tells you each day where and when. Count on 100 to 150 RON (€20 to €30) per person, paid in cash. The order of the days can change with the weather and the latest sightings.
Shared birding tour · 2027
from
€1,450
per person
7 nights with half board in a double room, 6 days of birding, boat transfers from Tulcea, transport in Dobrogea and Danube Delta fees.
- Single room + €280
- Deposit to book 20%
Practical
- StartDay 1 at 15:30, Port Tulcea Aval
- EndDay 8, after breakfast, in Tulcea
- Stay4 nights in Mila 23, 3 nights in Tulcea
- 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
- 7 nights at 3 star level, in a double room: 4 nights at a guesthouse in Mila 23 and 3 nights in Tulcea
- Half board: dinner on day 1, breakfast and dinner on days 2 to 7, breakfast on day 8
- 6 days of guided birding: days 2 to 4 in the Danube Delta, by boat and on land, day 5 on the water at sunrise and in Dobrogea in the evening, days 6 and 7 in Dobrogea, by car
- A spotting scope, always with the guide for the birding on land
- Binoculars on loan for the tour, if you do not have your own
- Boat transfers from Tulcea to Mila 23 and back, and all transport in Dobrogea
- Fees for visiting the Danube Delta
The price does not include
- Optional lunches. Count on 100 to 150 RON (€20 to €30) per person, paid in cash
- Drinks, other than water
- Single room supplement: €280 per person, for the whole tour
- Parking at the port in Tulcea, about €8 per car per day
- Transfer from Bucharest or Bucharest airport, €300 per car one way, for 1 to 6 guests, on request
- Insurance of any kind (travel, equipment and so on)
Photo gallery
Birds from our tours
Shared departures
2027 dates and prices
€1,450 per person in a double room, single room + €280, 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, binoculars or a transfer from Bucharest, and we will get back to you to confirm and to send you the next steps.
Period | Places | Price |
|---|---|---|
15 Apr - 22 Apr | 1450 | |
20 May - 27 May | 1450 | |
10 Jun - 17 Jun | 1450 | |
25 Jul - 1 Aug | 1450 | |
19 Sep - 26 Sep | 1450 | |
30 Sep - 7 Oct | 1450 |
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 arrival at the boarding point, 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. 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 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 boat and the same car, at the same hours. A minimum of 2 birders is needed for a departure, and never more than 6.
Boat, car and short walks
The first days you sit mostly in the boat. In Dobrogea you travel by car and walk a little at each stop, on easy paths.
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 Danube Delta and in Dobrogea. Our sightings feed into bird monitoring, and part of every tour supports local conservation.
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.
Small groups
Never more than 6 birders on the tour, and only a short time near any one bird.
Distance from nests
We never enter nesting or breeding areas, and we keep our distance from nests along the shoreline and on the cliffs. No sighting is worth disturbing a bird.
Questions and answers
Frequently asked questions
What birds can we see?
In the Danube Delta: pelicans, herons, egrets, cormorants, terns, shore birds and many more. In Dobrogea: raptors, steppe birds and passerines of the hills and forests. It depends on the month, so 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.
Why should I send you my target list?
Because the route in Dobrogea is built around it. Tell us the species you want to see most when you book, and your guide plans the days for them.
Does the tour run in July and August?
Yes. In July and August the first session is at sunrise, then you rest at the guesthouse after breakfast. The afternoon session, including the trips to Letea and Caraorman, starts at 16:30 and ends at sunset.
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 100 to 150 RON (€20 to €30) per person, paid in cash.
How do I get to Tulcea?
By car, bus or train, or with our transfer from Bucharest or Bucharest airport: €300 per car one way, for 1 to 6 guests. If you come by car, parking at the port costs about €8 per day.
I have less time. Can I join only the Danube Delta part?
Yes. The first five days also run on their own, as our 5 day birdwatching tour in the Danube Delta.
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!
Coming from Bucharest?
Tulcea is about 300 km from Bucharest. Book our private transfer together with your tour, or come by train or minibus.
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