UNIQUE EXPERIENCES IN THE DANUBE DELTA
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See what is available for your group
- Day trip or a longer tour. Choose a day trip from Tulcea, or a tour of several days.
- How many of you. Select the adults and the children in your group. You see only the dates with enough available places for all of you.
- Your dates. For a day trip, pick the day in the calendar. For a longer tour, pick the first day you can start, then the last day you must be back. Gold dots mark group tour departures; adding ±2 or ±3 days usually shows you more of them.
Group tour departure
How flexible are you?
This season
Season Offers
Destinations: Dobrogea
Your own birding guide and car among the wintering flocks of Red-breasted and White-fronted Geese, swans and eagles, on the lagoons and fields south of the Danube Delta.
PrivateBirding & PhotoPRIVATE Winter Birding & Bird Photography Day Trip in the Danube Delta, from Tulcea
Destinations: Danube Delta
Wintering birds, frozen reeds and empty channels, with your own boat and a birder photographer guide, when almost nobody else is on the water. Come dressed for real cold.
Destinations: Lake Kerkini
Four nights at Lake Kerkini and six boat sessions at sunrise and in the evening light, with Dalmatian Pelicans flying at eye level. Single room included.
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
Amazing
We had a very pleasant and exciting day visiting the Danube Delta. Victor was a very accommodating, kind and informative guide who spoke good English. We would highly recommend this amazing tour. To top it off it was excellent value for money as well.
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!
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
Wonderful day trip
It was a very impressive day trip, varied and interesting.
The beautiful Danube Delta comes very close to you in a smaller boat in the narrow waterways.
An amazing experience from a high qualified professional (Florin) who guide us around the huge area of the Danube Delta. A lot of birds and other fauna and plants. And a nice trip in Letea zone where we also had a very good fisherman lunch.
Wonderful Adventure
Incredible trip! Well planned, in a beautifully designed boat for birding, with each trip out being different but equally amazing. Our hosts Iliuta and Marius were extremely knowledgable and kind, going that extra mile to make the trip special for us. The scenery and wildlife were breathtaking - waves of pelicans taking off and flying just above our heads, watching an osprey eating its catch, seeing four otters swim right up to the boat and the best ever sunrises we have seen, to name but a few highlights. A nature photographer's dream! Ticked off all the birds we were hoping to see and more, like a pallid harrier! Lovely hotel, overlooking the Danube which was very clean, staff were delightful and the food was delcious with a large variety of fresh fish for me but also other local food for my vegetarian husband. An unforgettable experience!
(Penny and Jon)
I did the nature day trip, and it was fantastic thanks to Ilie. He loves nature and knows the delta so well. He knew every bird - all 45 species we saw and cheerfully pointed out flora as well. This company also respects the wildlife greatly, going slowly and quietly around feeding and nesting birds. We had a fantastic lunch in Letea and got to see the old forest there as well.
Great experience!
Beautiful visit on the delta. Guide was fantastic, prepared and helpful. The safari I would say quaint, the typical lunch with fish was really hearty and good. The used boat had no cover therefore sunscreen, long sleeved shirt, hat that covers the ears if the wind bothers you.
We really had an AMAZING time in the delta with our guide. He was wonderful in every way - from caring for our personal needs to his unbelievable skill in navigating the area and his encyclopaedic knowledge of the species and the ecology. He was able to showcase so many amazing species for us but above all he was so sensitive to, and understanding of, the ecological dynamics of the area and the processes at play in the delta today. Any visit to habitats is bound to have some impact on the habitat and species but I felt confident he did everything possible to minimise that impact. On top of that he was wonderful company. Everything just wonderful - thank you
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.
Educational and beautiful
The tour guide had extensive knowledge of ornithology, botany, and mythology. He was able to answer our questions and more. The boat captain was also top-notch. He knows the delta, it is his home, and he steers the boat safely. We saw many birds and also the wild horses. The traditional food in the delta was served by friendly locals and it tasted good. It was a wonderful day and we will recommend this excursion.
Exceptional experience
Highly recommend it. The guide is extremely knowledgeable on birds, plants and fish. He's very easy to talk to, and goes out of his way to ensure you have the best experience possible. He's also a photographer and therefore understands how to position the boat for the best lighting and composition (if these are possible to manipulate under the circumstances).
Lunch and cocktails were also all devine.
No complaints whatsoever
Perfect one day trip
Amazing tour, our guide Viktor was very knowledgeable and friendly, answered all our questions and more, so we definitely learned a lot! Danube Delta is so beautiful an unique, I highly recommend visiting it!
The most spectacular travel on the channels of Danube!
Favorite part : the whole trip!!
We discovered Danube Delta it was an absolute trip, feom early morning till near sunset on stupendous channels, speechless,...also the tour guide exquisite. We will never forget and by all means come back. Thank you.
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.
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!