Grand Tour: HUNGARY & ROMANIA

Kiskunság & Hortobágy National Parks, HUNGARY &
Transylvania, Carpathians and Danube Delta Reserve, ROMANIA, 15 days

Several strikingly different birding areas in Europe make this journey a GRAND TOUR! The combination of two such interesting areas as Hortobágy National Park in Hungary and Transylvania in Romania will be most rewarding. Add to this several days in the Danube Delta and on the Black Sea Coast, including 2 days on a luxurious Floating Hotel with en-suite facilities and you have a truly great adventure!

If you are looking for something really exciting and original, you are warmly invited to participate in this tour! During the trip you will encounter several different habitats thus your bird list will contain amazingly varied species, probably including Saker Falcon, Red-footed Falcon, White-tailed Eagle, Imperial Eagle, Common Crane, Ferruginous Duck, Pygmy Cormorant, Dotterel, Dipper, Nutcracker, Wallcreeper, Rock Bunting, Hazel Grouse, 8 species of woodpeckers with pelicans, Glossy Ibis and migration passage.

You will be also surprised by encountering so many different ethnic cultures, medieval monasteries, churches, castles, everyday village life, craftsmen and nomadic shepherds.

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Fact File

3 days in Hungary
12 days in Romania
starting in Budapest and finishing in Bucharest, possibility of leaving or joining on the 8th day in Bucharest
visiting the Hortobágy, Transylvania, Eastern and Southern Carpathians, Danube Delta
using 6 accommodations

Highlights

exploring Kiskunság and Hortobágy National Park in Hungary
visit the famous Turda Gorge area in Transylvania
3 days in the Southern Carpathians, including bearwatching
2 full days in the Danube Delta
1 day in Histria and Vadu, one of the best birding areas in Europe
visit to the famous Babadag Forest
birding in the Macin Hills and Cheia Gorge

Accommodation

2 nights at Kiskunság or Hortobágy, Hungary
2 nights in Torockó, Transylvania
2 nights in Zarnesti, Southern Carpathians
1 night in Sinaia, Southern Carpathians
4 nights in Mamaia, a resort at the Black Sea
3 nights on a floating hotel in the Danube Delta

Departure Dates

May-June and September

http://www.ecotours.hu/calendar

Price

Ask for the actual price.
Our price includes:

all travel as noted in the itinerary;
all accommodation based on shared rooms (most rooms are twin bedded), at most locations there are single rooms as well for extra charge (Please ask for a single room at the time of booking!);
3 meals per day, generally breakfast at the accommodation, packed lunch, dinner (consists of at least two courses);
services of the leader(s);
trip materials.

Not included:

flights to and from Budapest;
optional programmes to places of interest and entrance fees involved;
airport and other departure taxes, tips;
food beyond generally 3 meals/day mentioned in the itineraries;
excess baggage charges;
telephone calls;
alcoholic beverages;
compulsory personal insurance.

If you have questions about the inclusion of any cost item, please contact us.

Activity level

Generally easy to moderate walks
Some longer drives expected

Optional programmes

Optional bearwatching in the Carpathians

Itinerary

Day 1-2

At Budapest Airport our English speaking guide meets us. During the afternoon we check en route for Imperial Eagle, as we travel to the famous Hortobágy National Park where we explore the marshes, fishponds and grasslands to look for Pygmy Cormorant, Ferruginous Duck, Long-legged Buzzard and Saker Falcon. Red-footed Falcon, Great Bustard and Stone-Curlew is also possible.

Days 3-4

Travelling towards the Romanian border we pass through the city of Debrecen where we stop to enjoy the woods that attract many species of woodpeckers. In Transylvania we visit the spectacular Turda Gorge, looking for Golden Eagle or a late Rock Thrush.

Days 5-6

We reach the Fagaras Mountains in the Southern Carpathians, where we should see Three-toed Woodpecker and Nutcracker. At Zarnesti we search for Eagle and Ural Owl, Wallcreeper and Chamois. Optional programme can be an evening visit to a bear watching hide. with a very good chance to see the largest carnivore of Europe.

Day 7

We travel to the town of Sinaia in the Bucegi Mountains where we look for Wallcreeper and Alpine Accentor. A small detour can be made to see "Dracula's Castle" near Bran which would be an optional programme..

Days 8-9

We will be birding and raptor spotting whilst travelling to Mamaia on the Black Sea coast. We drive via Bucharest and we pick up the guests joining us here. Those on the 8-day trip will leave us here as well. On the coast we visit Histria and Vadu for White and Dalmatian Pelicans, Pygmy Cormorant, Ruddy Shelduck and Paddyfield Warbler in the reeds.

Days 10-12

We head north towards the Danube Delta crossing Babadag Forest home to Levant Sparrowhawk, Booted and Lesser-Spotted Eagle and Sombre Tit. At Enisala we have another chance to enjoy the spectacle of pelicans! We arrive to our floating hotel in Tulcea and we spend 2 full days birding along the rich waterways of the Danube Delta! We expect to see Grey-headed Woodpecker, hundreds of Dalmatian and White Pelicans, Pygmy Cormorants, Herons, Egrets and many more.

Days 13-14

We leave the boat and head for the Macin Hills to look for Pallid Harrier, Long-legged Buzzard and Isabelline Wheatear. We also visit Cheia Gorge to search for Pied Wheatear and raptors.

Day 15

We head for Bucharest birding en route.

Enquiry

Booking