UNIQUE EXPERIENCES IN THE DANUBE DELTA
Group tour departure
How flexible are you?
Group tours leave on set dates. Adding ±2 or ±3 days usually shows you more departures.
Our tours
Popular tours for 2027
Destinations: Danube Delta
Three nights in Mila 23, in the heart of the Danube Delta, with a day on the lakes and channels, a day trip to Letea Forest and a sunrise tour on the water.
From €470 per person
See the tour: Danube Delta Nature Tour 4d/3n, 2 day trips included, SHARED 2027
Destinations: Danube Delta
Skip the crowds: boat trips at sunrise and in the late afternoon, when the speed boats are gone and the Danube Delta is quiet again.
From €470 per person
See the tour: Danube Delta Summer Nature Escape, Skip the Crowds, 4d/3n, 2027
Destinations: Danube Delta
Four nights in Mila 23 and three days of birding from sunrise, on the lakes, at Letea and at Caraorman, with a specialised guide and at most 8 birders.
From €800 per person
See the tour: Danube Delta Birdwatching Tour 2027: Small SHARED Group, 5d/4n
Destinations: Danube Delta
8 to 10 hours of birding from sunrise, in an open boat built for the Danube Delta, to Mila 23, with a guide who is both a birder and a wildlife photographer.
Destinations: Danube Delta
A day by boat from Tulcea to Letea, with a coffee stop in Mila 23, a safari car to Letea Forest and an optional lunch in a local household.
Destinations: Danube Delta
Four nights in the heart of the Danube Delta, with a last night at Letea from April to June, sessions at sunrise and in the evening light and at most 4 photographers in the boat.
From €1,000 per person
See the tour: Wildlife Photo Tour to the Danube Delta, 5d/4n, 2027 SHAREDChoose your trip
Find your way into the Danube Delta
One day from Tulcea
Day Trips
Shared or private, by boat to Letea, Mila 23, Caraorman or Sulina, and by minivan into Dobrogea, with a guide who knows the way and the stories.
See the day trips
Stay in the heart of it
Multi Day Nature Tours
Two to six nights in Mila 23, a fishing village reached only by water, with boat trips at the best hours of the day and dinners cooked by your hosts.
See the nature tours
From sunrise, with a birder
Birdwatching Tours
Small groups and private tours in the Danube Delta and Dobrogea, with a specialised birding guide, for beginners and seasoned birders alike.
See the birding tours
In the first and last light
Photo Tours
A low open boat and a wildlife photographer guide, hides in Dobrogea, and photo tours to Lake Kerkini, the Balkan Mountains and Transylvania.
See the photo tours
Film crews, projects, agencies
For Professionals
Boats, permits, guides and local access for your production, your photography project or your groups. Everything on request.
See how we work
Before you come
Danube Delta Guide
When to come, how to get here, where to stay, what lives in the Danube Delta, and the birds month by month. Written by the people who guide you.
Read the guide
How we travel
The Danube Delta, without the speed boats
Most visitors see the Danube Delta from a covered speed boat, under a low roof, behind walls of cloudy plastic sheeting. You see almost nothing of the landscape, and the experience is close to zero. Add loud music, a boatman who speaks no English and a race from one stop to the next, and the birds fly away long before the boat arrives. We do it differently, and we are proud of it.
Open boats, at low speed
Our own boats, built for the Danube Delta, with low power engines. Nothing between you and the landscape: you see, hear and smell the Danube Delta all around you.
At the right hours
In summer, from about 9:30, hundreds of speed boats race through the main channels. Our summer trips leave at sunrise or in the late afternoon, when the Danube Delta is quiet again.
The right guide for your trip
Naturalists, specialised birders and wildlife photographers, each on the trip made for them. A nature tour, a birding tour and a photo tour are not the same trip.
Open boat means open. No roof, no shade, no heating. That is what makes it a complete experience. We offer you a fabulous day on the water; your part is to come prepared for sun, wind and rain.
Our guests
What our guests say
Outstanding!
We highly recommend this company to visit the Delta. The contact person, Calina, was very nice and responsive to all our questions and requests. Our guide was Bogdan. He is not only a good navigator, a nice, vastly knowledgeable and accommodating fellow, he also has an incredible eyesight. He was able to spot (and name!) birds and their nests way ahead of time so that we were prepared to watch them and take photos. His English is near perfect and it was a pleasure to share meals with him at the various stops (Mila23 and Letea). In addition, he is an enthusiastic lover of nature preservation and knows all the ins and outs on the subject.
An excellent and truly exceptional experience ☺️ We took the 8 am tour, which included stops at Mila23 and Caraorman. The driver/guide, Victor, was incredibly attentive. He provided helpful advice, anecdotes, and stories. He pointed out the birds and animals along the riverbanks and gave us ample time to observe and photograph them. A truly wonderful experience. I wholeheartedly recommend it.
A very prepared team of guides who explained to us both the fauna, the flora and the different theories by which the Danube Delta was formed, developed. Very friendly people, respectful with a sense of humor. We were initially worried that the boats were not covered, considering that strong sun was announced, but it was ideal so we saw the birds from all sides. To as many tourists as possible!
We bought a 5-day stay, everything is extremely well organized, our guide named Iulian is a true professional, he amazed us with information, explanations and examples throughout the stay, making daily excursions to the most important areas of the Delta. We chose accommodation at the Casa Vanessa guesthouse, impeccable for all the accommodation services offered. Very good food, cleanliness and great interest in the client. We thank the hosts on this path, we thank the guide Iulian and we thank the company ''Despoteră Delta Dunării,, If it were possible I would give 50 stars. Thank you.
Great trip into the heart of the Delta.
Excellent three nights and two full days trip with excursions from Mila 23. Victor was the perfect guide and bootsman and we saw all the highlights of birds. Easygoing and very respectful of nature. The modern open boat used made for better viewing and experiencing of the surroundings
A wonderful day well spent in the Delta
Florin was very personable and accommodating. He is a biologist by training and knew the plant species we encountered, not to mention an expert ornithologist. Plus, he’s just a great guy!
We had a great tour with Ilie (hope it's the right way to write it). Very fond of nature and birds, he took the time to show us Delta's wonders. Good English and joyful to top it all. There was also a typical lunch in a fisherman's village.
It was a great day in an incredibly beautiful landscape that allowed us to discover Danube Delta.
The exploration tour with Discover Danube Delta more than met our expectations.
Although we had an error in the payment and therefore the booking was not complete, they spontaneously looked for a guide and still made the tour possible. Super flexible and customer friendly. The ride itself was totally informative and we could see many unique birds and their breeding grounds thanks to the competent guide.
Once in Letea there are delicious fish dishes in huge portions, what its money is really worth.
All in all, the landscape of the Danube Delta is a strong recommendation for any naturalist and Discover Danube Delta makes the ride unforgettable.
Iulian stands out as one of the finest tour guides I've had the pleasure of encountering. His amiable nature is matched by his extensive knowledge of everything related to the Danube Delta. I wholeheartedly endorse him to anyone seeking a memorable experience.
A great one-day-long experience. The 3 of us had our private little boat, because no one else applied for this day. Our guide was really helpful and has a great knowledge. He even gave us his binoculars if there were interesting birds. We had one stop halfway before we entered Letea. It can be a bit uncomfortable to sit this long in a boat, but it's still acceptable. The food was delicious even though I didn't eat fish, I had chicken instead. Each meal is traditional. There was a little problem with the safari car as it got stuck in the sand, but after like 10 minutes, we got out. The car goes on a bumpy road so you need to be careful not to hit your head or drop your belongings. Anyway it was an awesome experience to spend a whole day in the nature.
We did the expedition on Tuesday the 15th in English. It was really great. The guide shared his passion with us. The explanations were clear and interesting. We also went on the 4x4 ride with the wild horses. We loved that too. The meal at the local's home was very good. It was a really great day. I highly recommend it.
A wonderful day trip to the Danube Delta. Excellent tour guide. Highly recommended. The diversity of wildlife is fascinating. The large number of pelicans and wild horses were a highlight for me. It's something you simply have to see. I would have gladly given more than 5 stars.
Unforgettable experience!
We did the full day tour from Tulcea to Letea and return. This included the boat and ‘safari’ section. We had an amazing day and it was one of our highlights of our trip to Romania.
Victor was our guide and he was excellent from start to finish. He was very friendly, knowledgeable and so passionate about the region and its beautiful nature and ecosystems. He taught us so much and even let us use his binoculars to get a closer look at interesting things. We saw so many species of birds and wild horses etc.
The lunch in Letea was great too, we loved the fish soup and the sweets at the end were some of the best we had.
The only advice I would give to people interested in doing the tour is make sure to pack some sunscreen and a hat! It is a long time on the water in the sun, so as long as you go prepared you will have a great time and follow the tips that the guide posts on their website!
We had a wonderful experience in the Delta! The guide (Mr. Ionuț) was very involved in showing us the most wonderful places! The boats are very clean, used only for tourists. The speed of travel is average, at points of interest (frogs, white-tailed deer, swans, water lilies, etc.) there are stops for photography. Professional agency. I recommend.
Unique nature experience
The excursion was a unique nature experience, our guide a really dear, friendly person who liked to answer questions but also told a lot about the Danube Delta, it was very special! We even saw a herd of cows swimming through the water.
With lunch we were out for 11 hours, but they flew like nothing. The food was very lovingly prepared traditionally, before the departure we could say what we would like, vegetarian was also possible...the guide then passed this on to the cooks..My daughter was also very enthusiastic, it was our highlight this holiday week--nothing could keep up!
My tip to take a light jacket with me, as it was already getting cooler on the way home due to the relative wind.
Read more reviews on TripAdvisor and Facebook.
Who we are
A local team, based in Tulcea since 2004
We are guides, birders and wildlife photographers who live and work in the Danube Delta and Dobrogea, in every season. We show you the Danube Delta as we see it: wild, quiet and full of life, away from the crowds. Read more about us or meet the team.
Licensed tour operator
Alternative Travel, operated by SC Dobrogea Misterioasă SRL, with a licence and an insolvency insurance policy renewed every year.
Our own boats and guides
Boats built for the Danube Delta and guides who know where the wildlife is this week, not last year.
Nature comes first
Members of the Ecotourism Association of Romania and of the Rewilding Tourism Network. We never enter nesting areas and never chase wildlife for a sighting or a picture.
Danube Delta guide
Read before you come
Our boats
Why we travel in open boats
What an open boat means for your day on the water, and why it changes what you see and hear.
Places
The trip to Letea Forest
Old oaks between the dunes, the horses of Letea and the long way there, from the river delta to the marine delta.
Birds
Birds of the Danube Delta and Dobrogea
Our list of the species, month by month, to plan your visit or build your target list.
Questions and answers
Frequently asked questions
Where do the tours start?
Almost all our boat trips and tours start at Port Tulcea Aval, Intrarea Marmurei 3, Tulcea. It is not the public harbour and not the town promenade. The page of each tour tells you the meeting hour.
How do I get to Tulcea?
By car, bus or train, or with our transfer from Bucharest or Bucharest airport, on request. If you come by car, there is a guarded car park at the port, paid separately.
When is the best time to visit the Danube Delta?
April to June is the busiest season for birds, with the colonies, the pelicans and the spring migration. In July and August go out at sunrise or in the late afternoon, away from the speed boats and the heat. September and October bring the autumn migration and quiet water. From December to February we run winter birding and photo trips, for those who come dressed for real cold.
What is the difference between a shared and a private tour?
On a shared tour you join other guests on a fixed program and pay per person. On a private tour the boat and the guide are only for your group, and you pay one price for the group.
I am not a birder or a photographer. Which tour is for me?
Choose a day trip or a multi day nature tour. They are made for nature lovers, at a relaxed pace, with a guide who explains the places, the wildlife and the life of the villages. Birding and photo tours have other hours, other routes and other guides.
Are the boats covered?
No. Our boats are open, with no roof, no shade and no heating. Bring a hat, sunscreen and a rain jacket or a rain poncho, and a warm layer for the early mornings.
How do I book?
Open the tour, choose your date and send us a booking request. We send you the confirmation and the payment link. Your booking is confirmed only when the payment shown on the tour page is made. A request is not a booking.
Contact
- Emailcontact@discoverdanubedelta.com
- Phone, SMS, WhatsApp+40 763 869 400
+40 757 894 456 - Meeting pointPort Tulcea Aval, Intrarea Marmurei 3, Tulcea
- For bookings and requests we always prefer email. Thank you!