Itinerary

Boat & Bike Romania: Danube Delta

8 days / 7 nights | Accomodation: Hotelboat | Guided tours

This cycling trip by “hotelboat” meanders through the stunning beauty of Europe's last natural paradise Danube Delta to mile "0", where the mighty Danube River empties into the Black Sea. The tour takes you through Romania’s Delta the second largest and best preserved of Europe’s deltas. You will travel along canals with floating reed islands, lagoons and lakes. The landscape alternates between gently rolling hills and swamp and prairie land and amazes one with its diversity and beauty. Life in small fishing villages is tranquil, the solitude and silence of the almost impenetrable thiket many times interrupted only by the calls of Dalmatian Pelicans, Cormorants and Egrets. Under expert guidance you will discover the fauna and flora of this landscape, which is also rich in history and enjoy Romania hospitality and cuisine on board your floating hotel and in the cosy guesthouse.

Highlights of this Bike & Barge Tour

✔ Staying on a floating hotel and in a cosy guesthouse

✔ Europe's last natural paradise with untouched land of beauty, nature and wildernis

✔ Hearing the calls of Dalmatian Pelicans, Cormorants and Egrits

✔ Enjoying Romanian hospitality and traditional food on board of a floating hotel.


Itinerary

Day 1: Individual Arrival

Individual arrival to Bucharest/Airport; 02:00 p.m bus transfer (approx. 4 h) into the Danube Delta to Tulcea; Embarkation on the comfortable floating hotel. Dinner and overnight.

Day 2: Nufaru – Sfantu Gheorge (Cycling 31 km / 20 miles )

Along the most southern Danube arm through the nature reserve Bestepe Hills. A wonderful view deep down into the Delta will make you forget some ascents. At the small fishing village Murighiol we enter by boat into a maze of channels, floating islands, dense forests and a pure wilderness experience. Overnight Hotelboat

Day 3: The journey to mile “0” (Cycling 25 km / 16 miles )

A bumpy gravel path – on the right the wide open of the Black Sea, on left side the lush green reeds and marsh land. In the loneliness of the Danube Delta Cormorants and Great White Egrets are our permanent companions. Mile “0” at Sulina: the Danube has reached its destination at the lighthouse and starts to meld with the salt of the sea. The thought of the long journey of this mighty river let us pause. Overnight Hotelboat

Day 4: Gulf of Musura – Crisan (Cycling  23 km / 15 miles)

Along the birds-paradise Musura-Bay on natural streets to the picturesque village Letea. It seems as time stays still here. The houses made of reed and loam, lovely painted in blue, and all around a contemplative silence. Nearby the village, located on a sandbank, a special wonder of nature can be seen – a tropical forest with climbing plants and lianes. We will reach the fishing village Crisan by boat. Overnight Hotelboat

Day 5: The Fauna & Flora of the Danube Delta (rest day)

During the boat ride through a labyrinth of narrow waterways we will pass by small fishing villages and again experience very intensively the incredible diversity of the Fauna and Flora of the UNESCO World Heritage Danube Delta. In the afternoon we return from a surreal dream world to the vibrant town life of Tulcea. Overnight Hotelboat

Day 6: Abbey of the Dobrogea (Cycling 26 km / 16 miles)

Round trip through a gently rolling landscape to the Orthodoxe nunnery Celic Dere, the biggest convent of the Dobrogea territory. The romantic, dreamy abbey of Saon with its distinctive windmill, is located amidst vineyards right on the bank of the Danube. Near parques from a ridge a fantastic view over the extensive, juicy green floodplain directly on the boarder to the Ukraine. Transfer back to Tulcea. Overnight in Tulcea guesthouse 4*

Day 7: Lagoon-tour to the cape Dolosman (Cycling 42 km / 26 miles)

By bus to the old, Turkish-populated village Babadag. By bike we are passing nesting sites of bee-eater colonies and reach the medieval fortress of Enisala, which is located high over the Danube. Lets take a breathtaking view over the Lagoon Razim! The nature reserve of Cape Dolosman with the Greek-Roman excavations of Argamum seperates the Delta-lakes Golovita and Razim. Overnight in Tulcea guesthouse 4*.

Day 8: Disembarkation – Transfer Tulcea - Bucharest Airport

After breakfast transfer by bus back to the airport Bucharest; arrival approx. 2 p.m.; we recommend to book flights with a departure time of 4 p.m. or later.
Possibility of additional nights in Tulcea or Bucharest.

Due to changing wind and weather conditions as well as organizational requirements we reserve the right to make changes of routing and program.