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
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.
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.
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!
Excellent!!
The trip was very well organized. The route was beautiful and we stopped often to watch birds or because the guide told us interesting information. In any case, fantastic nature!
This was an outstanding day trip. Such beautiful scenery and rare birds on every corner - we saw so many birds we have never seen before. Our guide Ilie was really knowledgeable and knew the name of every bird in English as well as Romanian. He also had great stories about the history of the area, and his passion for nature and conservation really shone through. The meal at Letea was amazing - I highly recommend including it in your trip, if you like fish. After reading previous 5 star reviews, we hoped the trip would be good, but it really exceeded expectations. Huge thank you to Ilie for the day.
Wonderful experience
A wonderful experience! A lot of wildlife and adventure! Our guide (Victor) was amazing! You can not leave Romania without doing it!
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.
Danube Delta at it’s best!!!
Totally awesome trip. We were out the whole day and Bogdan, the guide showed us the Beauty of the danube delta! We saw Eagles, Pelicans, kingfishers and many more! Highly recommend this tour!
Incredible experience! We took the tour in English on Tuesday, July 15th, and our guide was extremely friendly and took the time to explain everything to us. I highly recommend it.
An unforgettable three-day expedition!
An unforgettable three-day expedition! Our guide introduced us to small unrun canals in the delta and introduced us to many birds, from the smallest to the largest. He gave us a lot of details about their manners, their habitat, the amount of individuals in the delta...
The accommodation was also up to standard with an excellent host cook who introduced us to local cuisine. In short, nothing wrong!
Danube Delta
This tour was just what I wanted. A boat ride through the delta area, a chance to see birds, and the wild horses. Lunch was local fish, fixed in a variety of ways with accompaniments. I recommend this tour.
One of the best things I ever did in my life.
I did the photography tour and everything was just incredible. It's hard going, but totally worth it. It's so beautiful there and the wildlife and birdlife is stunning.
Special thanks to Calina, Marius, and Ionut. You were all amazing and work so hard! The accommodation is beautiful and the staff there are so nice! Thank you to all who made my stay so wonderful!
I hope one day to return to the delta and witness its magic again!
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.
Definitely worth it!
Beautiful views and experiences of the Danube Delta with such great flora and fauna that are well explained.
Including very good local food and beautiful photos of course!
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!