Danube Delta Guided Day Trip with OPEN Boat - Private

Guided Day Trip with OPEN BOAT (excursion boat) to the Danube Delta. Besides crossing the area of Danube Delta, by nature wild and full of life, you can get on Letea Sand Island, to see the famous wild horses in the Letea Forest and you can go also to the only city of the Delta, Sulina, where you’ll have some time for visiting the city and for a swim into the Black Sea.

The guide

A trip to the Danube Delta has no charm without a GUIDE. The guide is the one making difference between a successful trip, full of information and a dull ride with a boat driver. All our guides are members of AGPDD (Danube Delta Professional Guide Association).

The boat

The boat you’ll go is an open boat, designed for tourism, equipped with benches with backrest and cushions for highest possible comfort. Everyone on the boat will receive a life jacket. The boat will run in slow / medium speed.

The boat is not covered, has no roof, no tarp. This program is dedicated to experienced tourists, who come to discover the nature of the Danube Delta.

The trip

Basically, it’s a day trip you can see a good part of the Danube Delta, you can feel the pulse of this area, far away from the world, eat a traditional fishermen lunch, to see a piece of nature unique in the world, a forest also unique in the world, the only city in the Delta and take a swim into the Black Sea. We cover virtually all the landmarks of the Danube Delta, for a full day!

Departure is from our pontoon in Port Aval – Tulcea. The trips last from 6 to 12 hours. Given the duration of the trip, please be sure you can reach the embarking point at maximum established hour in the table below for each trip in part, to have time to get back in Tulcea during day light.

The prices are

Prices are for a boat and are in euro (EUR).

Included in price

• Guide, English language
• Boat for the trip (including gasoline)

Excluded from price

• Lunch
• Drinks
• Car to Letea Forest
• Any kind of insurance (travel, for personal goods etc)

The trips offered by us are

1. Danube Delta Day Trip Tulcea – Mila 23

This trip is done on the Tourist route No 1. Departure is from Tulcea, you’ll go downstream on Tulcea Canal, to the junction with the Canal 36 (in about 10 minutes you already are in the Danube Delta), you’ll go downstream on Canal 36 and then turn right on Garla Sireasa, a deltaic areas rich in fauna (water birds and animals). You’ll continue the trip on Garla Sontea among floods full of birds and vegetation. Here you have the opportunity to see white and yellow water lilies, swans, coot, ducks, geese, spoonbills, godwits, ibises and even pelicans.

Then you’ll cross the lake Furtuna, one of the large lakes of the Danube Delta, a beautiful lake, rich in wildlife. If are windy days and high waves, the lake will be avoided. The guide will decides whether or not crossing the lake.

Follow Olguta Canal and get to Mila 23, right in the middle of the Danube Delta. The length of this route is about 3 hours. At Mila 23 you’ll visit the village, eat a traditional fish lunch (optional) at a very nice 3 *** pension. After lunch you’ll start on the way back, much the same route as coming but, in opposite direction, everything looks completely different, you will not recognize the places we passed. Duration of the way back is about 2 hours.

Additional costs:

Lunch can be taken at a local household. They cook in the system “menu of the day”, the same menu for everyone, based on fresh fish. On request they can provide alternative menu without fish or vegetarian (only the second dish). If you want the lunch, you have to tell this to the guide in the morning, at departure. Beware! There is no restaurant so you can not give orders on arrival. The cost of the lunch is 60 lei / person (aprox 12 euro).

The last hour to depart to this trip is 11:00

2. Danube Delta Day Trip Tulcea – Mila 23 – Letea

Departure is from Tulcea, you’ll navigate downstream on Tulcea Canal, to the junction with the Canal 36 (in about 10 minutes you already are in the Danube Delta), go downstream on Canal 36 and then turn right on Garla Sireasa, a deltaic areas rich in fauna (water birds and animals). Continue the trip on Garla Sontea among floods full of birds and vegetation. Here you have the opportunity to see white and yellow water lilies, swans, coot, ducks, geese, spoonbills, godwits, ibises and even pelicans.

Then cross the lake Fortuna (Furtuna) one of the large lakes of the Danube Delta, a lake very beautiful and rich in wildlife. If are windy days and high waves, the lake will be avoided. The guide will decides whether or not crossing the lake.

Follow Olguta Canal and get to Mila 23, right in the middle of the Danube Delta. The length of this route is about 3 hours. At Mila 23 take a short stop and see the Lotka Museum opened by Ivan Patzaichin then proceed to Letea through a very beautiful route: Lakes Radacinos, Three Iezere, Bogdaproste (when the water level permits) then enter the Old Danube Canal and reach the village Letea. Here you’ll take a jeep (optional) and go to visit Letea Forest, the northernmost subtropical forest in Europe. You can see wild horses, oak trees grown on salty sand and other attractions of the place (depending on season).

In Letea you can visit the village, talk with the locals, eat a traditional fish lunch (optional) at a local household, very beautiful and simple. After lunch you’ll start on the way back, on a slightly different route.

The last hour to depart to this trip is 9:00

Timing for this trip is:

• about 2 – 2.5 hours from Tulcea to Mila23 where you’ll take a break
• about 2 hours from Mila23 to Letea
• 1 hour lasts the visit to the forest and 1 hour the lunch (if you want)
• the return trip is about 4 hours (all the tourist route).

Additional costs:

Lunch can be taken at a local household. They cook in the system “menu of the day”, the same menu for everyone, based on fresh fish. On request they can provide alternative menu without fish or vegetarian (only the second dish). If you want the lunch, you have to tell this to the guide in the morning, at departure. Beware! There is no restaurant so you can not give orders on arrival. The cost of the lunch is 60 lei / person (aprox 12 euro).
Visiting Letea Forest by safari car. We’ll go by car to the entrance to the forest and from there we’ll walk into strictly protected area.

Prices

• 20 lei (aprox 5 euro) / person if the group is at least 5 pers or if there is the possibility of join to another group.
• 100 lei (aprox 25 euro) / car for a smaller group than 5 people without being joined to another group (you’ll have the car only for your party).

3. Danube Delta Day Trip Tulcea – Mila 23 – Sulina

A high requested trip, especially in the summer months. You’ll see what means the Danube Delta until Mila 23 (see description above) then you’ll go on the Old Danube to Crisan and on Sulina Branch till the city of Sulina. You can visit the city and then you can take a swim into the Black Sea. Optionally yio can have also lunch. Being a city, you can choose terrace / restaurant where you wish to have lunch.

You’ll have free time for about 4 hours. At 17:00 you’ll return to the boat and navigate to Tulcea, on the Danube.

The last hour to depart to this trip is 9:00

Timing for this trip is:

• about 2 – 2.5 hours from Tulcea to Mila23 where we take a break
• about 1.5 hours to Sulina
• the way back is about 2 – 2.5 hours

4. Danube Delta Day trip Tulcea – Mila23 – Letea – Sulina

It is a very long and demanding trip. The route to Letea is described above (Route 2). From there you’ll go on Garla Barbosu, a very nice canal covered with water lilies from spring until the fall, until Sulina city where you can visit points of interest and / or you can take a swim into the Black Sea..

The last hour to depart to this trip is 8:00

Timing for this trip is:

• about 2 hours from Tulcea to Mila23 where we take a break
• about 2 hours from Mila23 to Letea
• 1 hour lasts the visit to the forest and 1 hour the lunch (if you want)
• 1 hour to Sulina.
• the way back is about 2 – 2.5 hours

You’ll have free time for about 2-3 hours. At 17:00 you’ll come back to the boat and return to Tulcea on the Danube.

Additional cost:

Lunch can be taken at a local household in Letea or in Sulina. In Letea, they cook in the system “menu of the day”, the same menu for everyone, based on fresh fish. On request they can provide alternative menu without fish or vegetarian (only the second dish). If you want the lunch, you have to tell this to the guide in the morning, at departure. Beware! There is no restaurant so you can not give orders on arrival. The cost of the lunch is 60 lei / person (aprox 12 euro). In Sulina are restaurants so you can order what you want and pay there.

Visiting Letea Forest by safari car. You’ll go by car to the entrance to the forest and from there you’ll walk into strictly protected area. Costs are so:

• 20 lei (aprox 5 euro) / person if the group is at least 5 pers or if there is the possibility of join to another group.
• 100 lei (aprox 25 euro) / car for a smaller group than 5 people without be joined to another group (you’ll have the car only for you).

For groups larger than 10 people we can do these trips with two or more boats.

Required

• Raincoat
• Insects repellents
• Sunscreen cream
• Season appropriate clothing, long robes are mandatory, trousers, shirt and a sun hat or you will get a sun burn. Clothing with colors close to nature are recommended; red, white, yellow and blue are to be avoided
• Trekking shoes, especially for the tours to Letea or Sulina
• Sunglasses