UNIQUE EXPERIENCES IN THE DANUBE DELTA
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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
A wonderful experience. Our tour was postponed free of charge due to terrible weather, with the agreement of all participants. The wait was well worth it; just the four of us had a fantastic day and not only saw many birds but also learned a great deal about the delta and its native wildlife. The extra euro for the tour is definitely worth it if you want to travel sustainably and actually see something!
Highly recommended
The tour was very well run, with a lot of specialist knowledge about the birds to be seen. The organization worked really well and the team was really great.
We were very satisfied
Donaudelta Bootstour
The boat tour through the Danube Delta was great! Since the tour guide was a biologist, he could explain a lot about the plants and animals. We all enjoyed it very much.
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.
Highly recommended for the serious birder
We went on a full day trip with guide Marius and boat driver Paul. Started 5:30 am, back by 15:00.
It was above and beyond my expectations, and the knowledge of Marius, from the ID challenges of Caspian Gulls versus Yellow-legged, to finding Syrian Woodpecker (a photo species need I had).
Great tour
We did a Winter Danube delta tour in December and it was great. Just make sure to get dressed properly (very warm clothes) and get ready to enjoy the tour. Our guide and boat skipper were both very knowledgeable and friendly, which made the whole trip even more pleasant. Even though winter isn't the season with the most wildlife we managed to see numerous birds (white-tailed eagle, swans, woodpecker...), wild boars and a jackal. I would recommend the tour to anyone who wants an adventure a bit out of the ordinary.
Wonderful experience!
We had a fantastic private 5-day/4-nights nature tour with Discover Danube Delta. Calina handled everything very professionally and the organisation was excellent. Everything went very smoothly starting with the transfer from Bucharest. Marius was an amazing guide, he had eyes and ears for everything and really helped us make the most of our tour. We saw nearly 90 species and learnt a lot. The delta is a magical place and we would love to return.
WOW!!!
This was the highlight of our holidays!!!
Wonderfully organized tour, all day in the channels of the delta, super friendly and funny, with a lot of knowledge about wildlife.
So mayne birds, 2 sea eagles above our boat included.
Just WOW!
I spent almost 2 days reading references of companies to find the best one for me and my friends and I was really successful! We ordered sunrise boat trip and it was absolutely stunning! The guide knew all the names of the bird species (also fish) and showed us many amazing places during the trip. It was also really great to talk about the nature as his knowledge is really good! Once again thanks 🙏
Deep insight into the Danube Delta
The ranger who led the tour was outstanding. Not only were the birds seen explained, but also the problems in protecting the delta were reported.
Amazing experience
Amazing experience.,well organized ,our guide Mariusz is a great expert on birds, speaking several languages and he was very kind. We will recommended this fantastic experience.
Once in a lifetime experience
I spent amazing days bird watching in the Danube Delta - they started already with a group of pelicans flying over us in Tulcea and ended with a few spotted eagles on the way back to Tulcea. In between we saw and heard so many birds! From the picturesc fishermen village Mila 23 we had excursions to Letea and Caraorman. Our tour hosts Iliuta and Marius were increadibly caring and knowledgeable. The employees of our hotel showed a kind of hospitality like visiting long not seen relatives, while offering impeccable services.
I will never forget the days of peaceful gliding along the canals and lakes.
Extraordinary Journey
We spent twelve days in Romania. This trip was the highlight of our vacation. Victor is an amazing guide. He’s incredibly knowledgeable about the area: the vegetation, the birds, the insects, and all aspects of the ecosystem in the delta. Prepare for a long, but an extraordinarily meaningful day.
Amazing tour with lots of animals to see.
We had the private tour through the Danube Delta to Sulina. The tour was wonderful. We saw a lot of birds and water animals. The boats are very comfortable and good for exploring the small canals. Our guide Ili is very ambitious and knowledgeable. He knows a lot about the Danube Delta and its animals. We had a grwat day and will certainly book another tour at this agency.
Amazing birdwatching experience
We did a private day bird tour of the delta and it was amazing! The delta is beautiful and we saw so much wildlife including loads of pelicans, 5 woodpecker species, 5 tern species, lots of white tailed eagles, really close view of a wildcat and very loud marsh frogs and fire bellied toads! Over 90 species altogether. Our tour guide Marius was very knowledgeable, accomodating and friendly and our driver Victor was skillful! I would highly recommend to anyone who wants to see the wildlife of the delta
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!