Danube Delta Birdwatching Tour 2027: Small SHARED Group, 4d/3n
Our shorter small group birdwatching tour in the Danube Delta: four days and three nights in Mila 23, two days of birding from sunrise, with a specialised birding guide and at most 8 birders in the boat.
Duration
4 days / 3 nights
Tour type
Shared, up to 8 birders
Birding
2 days, from sunrise
Meals
Half board
Guiding
Birding guide, in English
Season
April to early October
The tour in short
Two birding days, two habitats
The short version of our small group birdwatching tour. You stay three nights in Mila 23, in the middle of the Danube Delta, and spend two days birding with a specialised guide, each day in a different habitat.
Every birding day starts on the water at sunrise, when the birds are most active, and continues after breakfast. The first day is for the lakes and channels around Mila 23 and their waterbirds. The second goes to Letea, for the salt marshes of the marine delta and the nesting and roosting places around the saline lakes.
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. Beginners and experienced birders are equally welcome: your guide helps with identification and adapts the pace to the group.
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
Two days of birding
Day 2 · by boat
Lakes and waterbirds
The lakes, channels and reedbeds around Mila 23: pelicans, herons, egrets, cormorants, grebes and terns.
Day 3 · boat and land
Letea
The salt marshes of the marine delta, with nesting and roosting places around the saline lakes.
Every morning · sunrise
On the water at first light
Each birding day starts at sunrise, when the birds are most active and the channels are quiet.
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 Back to Tulcea
- Sunrise A last birding session by boat, back for breakfast.
- After breakfast By public boat to Tulcea, booked by us.
- Arrival In Tulcea. End of the tour.
We confirm the departure time of the public boat during the tour.
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 trip to Letea, 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
€600
per person
3 nights with half board in a double room, 2 days of birding, boat transfers from Tulcea and Danube Delta fees.
- Single room + €120
- Deposit to book 20%
Practical
- StartDay 1 at 15:30, Port Tulcea Aval
- EndDay 4, in Tulcea
- StayGuesthouse in Mila 23
- Group2 to 8 birders
- Minimum age12 years
Price details
What the price covers
The price includes
- A specialised birding guide, speaking English
- 3 nights at a guesthouse in Mila 23, in a double room
- Half board: dinner on day 1, breakfast and dinner on days 2 and 3, breakfast on day 4
- 2 days of guided birding, by boat and on land, and a sunrise session on day 4
- A spotting scope, brought by the guide for the stops on land at Letea
- Binoculars on loan for the tour, if you do not have your own
- Boat transfer from Tulcea to Mila 23, and the public boat back to Tulcea on day 4
- 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: €120 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
€600 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 or binoculars, and we will get back to you to confirm and to send you the next steps.
Period | Places | Price |
|---|---|---|
15 Apr - 18 Apr | 600 | |
10 May - 13 May | 600 | |
20 May - 23 May | 600 | |
10 Jun - 13 Jun | 600 | |
21 Jun - 24 Jun | 600 | |
12 Jul - 15 Jul | 600 | |
26 Jul - 29 Jul | 600 | |
9 Aug - 12 Aug | 600 | |
26 Aug - 29 Aug | 600 | |
6 Sep - 9 Sep | 600 | |
20 Sep - 23 Sep | 600 | |
30 Sep - 4 Oct | 600 |
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
Our 7.3 m open boat was built for the Danube Delta. With at most 8 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 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
- Waterproof shoes for the walks on land
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?
Want one more day?
Our 5 day birdwatching tour has three days of birding and adds a day at Caraorman, for shore birds.
A shared tour
You bird with other guests, on the same boat, at the same hours. A minimum of 2 birders is needed for a departure, and never more than 8.
A birding tour
Early starts and long days in the field. For a relaxed discovery of the Danube Delta, see our multi-day nature tours.
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 and to protect the delicate ecosystem of the Danube Delta. 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 8 birders in the boat, 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 bird nests along the shoreline. No sighting is worth disturbing a bird.
Questions and answers
Frequently asked questions
What birds can we see?
It depends on the month. To build your own target list, see our list of the birds of the Danube Delta and Dobrogea, with the species month by month. Wildlife is wild, so no species can be promised.
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 trip to Letea, 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.
How many birders are needed for the tour to run?
A minimum of 2. There are never more than 8 birders in the boat.
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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