PRIVATE Bee-eater, Roller & Little Owl Photo Tour in Dobrogea, 3 to 5 Days
European Bee-eaters, European Rollers and Little Owls, close up, from our hides in Dobrogea. A private photo tour with your own photographer guide, from 3 to 5 days, with half board and premium accommodation.
Duration
3 to 5 days
Tour type
Private, 2 to 6 photographers
Photography
4 to 8 hide sessions
Meals
Half board, optional lunch
Guiding
Photographer guide, in English
Season
7 May to 25 July
The tour in short
Colour, close up
Few European birds are as photogenic as the Bee-eater: turquoise, chestnut and gold, catching insects in flight and bringing them back to the same perch. In early summer the hills and steppe of Dobrogea are full of them, and of the electric blue European Rollers. In the meadows, the European Sousliks stand guard at the entrance of their burrows.
You photograph from our hides, placed near the colonies and the perches the birds use every day, with the light and the background in mind. If you want a different angle of light or a different background, we also have mobile hides, small tents that we move wherever we need them.
You choose the length of your program, from 3 to 5 days, with half board and premium accommodation in Dobrogea, close to the hides. You photograph from the first day to the last: an evening session on the day you arrive, a morning session on the day you leave, and two sessions on every day in between, one in the first hours of light and one in the last. That is 4 sessions on the 3 day program and 8 on the 5 day program. In the middle of the day, when the light is hard, you rest.
Your guide is a professional wildlife photographer who knows these birds and these places well. He plans each session for the light, places the mobile hides when you need them, and helps you in the field. Between the sessions you travel by minibus.
A boat trip, as an option. On some days you can also go out by boat. The accommodation is on the edge of the Danube Delta, so the boat needs time to reach the best places, and you are not among the birds in the first light, as on our tours based in Mila 23.
The bird comes first, always. No food, no lures, no playback at the colonies. The hides are placed so the birds keep their routine, and we never place a hide where it disturbs a nest.
What you photograph
The stars of the Dobrogea summer
From hides · at the colonies
European Bee-eater
Portraits on the perch, insects in the bill, courtship gifts between the pair and, with fast shutter speeds, birds in flight.
From hides · on the hills
European Roller
Blue as the sky above it, watching from a dry branch or a post, then dropping to the ground for a beetle or a lizard.
From hides · in the wild
Little Owls and sousliks
Little Owls living wild at the Bee-eater colonies, and the European Souslik standing upright at the entrance of its burrow, at eye level from a hide on the ground.
Sample itinerary
Itinerary, a 3 day example
This is the most popular program, with 4 hide sessions. On a 4 or 5 day program, every extra day is like day 2. Your guide plans the sessions with you, by the light, the weather and the birds you want most.
Day 1 Arrival in Dobrogea
- Early afternoon Check in at your accommodation, which you can reach by car, with parking on site, and meeting with your guide.
- Afternoon First session in the hides, for the last hours of light.
- Evening Dinner and a short briefing on the days ahead.
Meals today: dinner
Day 2 In the hides
- Early morning The departure is early, at a time your guide gives you the day before, to be in the hides for the first light. Breakfast to go.
- Midday Back at the accommodation when the light gets hard. Rest, image review and optional lunch.
- Afternoon Back in the hides for the last hours of light, at another colony or for another species, such as the Rollers, the Little Owls or the sousliks, with a different background.
- Evening Dinner at your accommodation.
Meals today: breakfast, dinner
Day 3 Last session, end of the tour
- Early morning Last session in the hides, in the first light.
- Late morning Breakfast at your accommodation. End of the tour.
- After breakfast Optional transfer to Bucharest airport or Constanța airport, if you booked it with us.
Meals today: breakfast
Two sessions for every night of your stay. The first day ends in the hides and the last day starts in the hides. Lunch is optional: count on 100 to 150 RON (€20 to €30) per person, paid in cash.
Private photo tour · 2027
from
€500
per person
The price per person depends on the number of days and your group size. For example, on the 3 day program, with 4 hide sessions: €730 per person for 2 photographers, €500 per person for 6.
- Single room from + €120
- Children under 12 50%
- Deposit to book 20%
Essential
- StartDay 1 at your accommodation, early afternoon
- EndLast day, after the morning session and breakfast
- StayPremium accommodation in Dobrogea, close to the hides
- Group2 to 6 photographers, only your group
Price details
What the price covers
The price includes
- A wildlife photographer guide, only for your group, speaking English, for the whole tour
- Premium accommodation in Dobrogea, in a double room with private bathroom
- Half board, from dinner on day 1 to breakfast on the last day
- All the hide sessions of your program, two for every night: from 4 sessions on the 3 day program to 8 on the 5 day program, in our fixed and mobile hides
- All transport by minibus between your accommodation and the hides
- Binoculars on loan for the tour, if you do not have your own
The price does not include
- Drinks, other than water
- Single room supplement, per room, for the whole tour (see the price table)
- Transfer from Bucharest airport, one way: €300 for 1 to 6 guests. From Constanța airport, one way: €200 for 1 to 6 guests. On request
- Optional lunches. Count on 100 to 150 RON (€20 to €30) per person, paid in cash
- Optional boat trips, on request
- Insurance of any kind (travel, camera equipment and so on)
Photo gallery
Images from our hides in Dobrogea
Private tour
2027 prices
Prices are in euro (EUR), per adult, for the whole tour, with half board and premium accommodation, VAT included. They depend on the number of days and the size of your group.
Find your price
Find your number of days and your group size. Count only adults and children over 12; children under 12 pay 50% of that price. Click on a price, then choose your start date in the booking request form, and tell us which birds you want most. We will get back to you to confirm availability and the next steps.
Please choose your start date first.
| Days Guests | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Single room |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 days / 2 nights4 hide sessions | + €120 | |||||
| 4 days / 3 nights6 hide sessions | + €180 | |||||
| 5 days / 4 nights8 hide sessions | + €240 |
Price per adult, for the whole tour, VAT included. Single room supplement per room, for the whole tour. On a phone, swipe the table sideways to see all group sizes.
Booking request
How to book
- Send a booking request. Click on your price in the table, or fill in the form directly, with your preferred dates, guesthouse, meals and number of guests. 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 and cannot be moved to another program.
Children
- Your group size counts only the guests who pay the adult price: adults and children over 12.
- Children under 12 are not counted in the group size. Each child under 12 pays 50% of the adult price for your group size.
- For example, 2 adults and 1 child under 12, on the 4 day program: you look at the price for 2 photographers, €1,130. Each adult pays €1,130 and the child pays €565.
- The tour takes at most 6 guests, children included.
- Parents are fully responsible for supervising their children during the tour.
Our hides
Fixed hides and mobile hides
Our fixed hides stand at the Bee-eater colonies and near the perches of the Rollers and the Little Owls, placed for the light and a clean background. The birds know them and ignore them.
For another angle of light or another background, and for the sousliks in the meadows, we also have mobile hides: small tents for 1 or 2 photographers, which we move wherever we need them.
- You sit still. A session in a hide means hours of patience, often in the same position.
- It can be hot. Early summer days in Dobrogea are warm, even inside the hide.
- No coming and going. Once the session starts, you stay in the hide until your guide comes for you.
Packing list
Bring with you
Camera gear
- A telephoto lens of at least 300 mm, a teleconverter if you have one. Longer is better
- A wide or standard lens for landscapes
- Plenty of memory cards and spare batteries, charged the evening before
- A tripod or a monopod, and a bean bag if you use one
- A rain cover for your camera
- Your binoculars. If you do not have any, we lend you a pair
Clothing and comfort
- Light clothes in natural, muted colours, long trousers and long sleeves. Avoid red, white, yellow and bright blue
- A light warm layer for the early mornings and a rain jacket
- A sun hat with a brim and sunglasses
- Sunscreen and insect repellent
- Plenty of water and a few snacks for the hide sessions
Before you book
Is this tour for you?
A hide photography tour
Early starts and long, quiet hours in a hide, waiting for the bird to land in the right light. There are no lessons, but your guide gladly answers your questions.
Only in early summer
The hides are open from 7 May to 25 July, when the birds are at their colonies and nests. Outside this period, see our private photo tour in the Danube Delta and Dobrogea.
Want the water birds too?
Our private photo tour combines the hides of Dobrogea with pelicans, herons and Kingfishers from our boat in the 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
The colony stays undisturbed
Bee-eaters and Rollers come back to the same places every year, as long as they are left in peace. Our hides are built so the birds go on with their lives as if we were not there.
No lures, no food
What you photograph is natural behaviour: real perches, real prey, real light. No playback at the colonies.
Distance from the nests
The hides stand at a distance that keeps the birds calm. We never place a mobile hide where it disturbs a nest or a burrow.
Small groups
At most 6 photographers, spread over several hides, quiet and hidden, so the colony is never under pressure.
Questions and answers
Frequently asked questions
What can we photograph?
European Bee-eaters, European Rollers and Little Owls from our fixed hides, and European Sousliks from mobile hides in the meadows. Around them you may also see Hoopoes, Golden Orioles, Corn Buntings, wheatears and other birds of the hills and steppe of Dobrogea. Wildlife is wild, so no species can be promised.
When is the best time?
The tour runs from 7 May to 25 July. In this period the birds are at their colonies and nests and use the same perches every day.
Can we change the angle or the background?
Yes. Besides our fixed hides, we have mobile hides, small tents that we move wherever we need them for another angle of light or another background.
How many hide sessions do I get?
Two for every night of your stay: an evening session on the first day, a morning session on the last day, and two sessions on every day in between. That is 4 sessions on the 3 day program, 6 on the 4 day and 8 on the 5 day program.
Can we go out by boat?
Yes, as an option, on some days. The accommodation is on the edge of the Danube Delta, so the boat needs time to reach the best places, and you are not among the birds in the first light. If boat photography at sunrise is what you want most, see our private photo tour with nights in Mila 23.
What lens do I need?
A telephoto lens of at least 300 mm, and longer if you have one. The hides are close to the perches, but the birds are small.
Is lunch included?
No. The tour is half board, from dinner on day 1 to breakfast on the last day. You can have an optional lunch during the midday break, at your accommodation. Count on 100 to 150 RON (€20 to €30) per person, paid in cash.
I travel alone. Can I book this tour?
Yes. You pay the price for 2 photographers, and the room is yours.
How do I get there?
By car: the accommodation can be reached by car and has parking. Or with our transfer, one way: from Bucharest airport €300, from Constanța airport €200, for 1 to 6 guests. We send you the exact address when you book.
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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