Danube Delta: bike & boat

Danube Delta: bike and boat

One of the last natural paradise of Europe

By bike and boat along the Danube: there is no better way to explore the river delta. Come with us to Romania to the legendary Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve, one of the last untouched paradises in Europe: floating reed islands, inland lakes, lagoons, gentle hills, marsh and prairie. You can also enjoy Romanian hospitality in 4-star guest house and a national cuisine on the hotel boat. At lunch time picnics are organized or lunch packets prepared. Your bike tour manager guides you through the hilly Danube Delta on flat, unpaved, sand and gravel roads and also on well-paved roads (sometimes with little traffic).

Hotel and Ship Inn

The ship association exists of a raft with cabin tract, sun deck and restaurant as well as a main ship with an engine. Besides there is an accompanying boat that fetches the cyclists also from the narrowest canals of the delta and brings them back to the main ship and there is as well another small one with a platform especially for the bicycles.
In the air-conditioned restaurant typically Rumanian specialities are served - you are surprised from the ingenuity of the national kitchen! The home offers a nice restaurant, air conditioning in the living room and spacious sun decks. For about 20 guests deck chairs and booths (approximately 9 m²) with shower/WC are provided. The Rumanian crew welcomes you with the typical warmth and friendlyness.
In Tulcea you will stay in a 4**** guesthouse which is only a few minutes away from the center of Tulcea.

1. day Arrival in Bucharest

Arrival in Bucharest. Transfer by bus at 2:00 pm from the airport to Tulcea Danube Delta (approx. 4 hour ride) Embarkation and dinner on board.

2. day Nufaru - Sfantu Gheorghe 31 km

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 into a maze of channels, floating islands, dense forests and a pure wilderness experience by boat. Overnight on hotelboat.

3. day Trip to km 0 25 km

A bumpy gravel path – on the right the open range 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 mighty Danube has reached their destination at the lighthouse and empties into the Black Sea, in a myriad of shades and unforgettable sunsets. Overnight on the hotelboat.

4. day Gulf of Musura - Crisan 23 km

Along the birds paradise Musura-Bay the way leads you to the picturesque village Letea. It seems as time stands still here. The houses made of reed and loam, lovely painted in blue and all surrounded by contemplative silence. Close to the village, located on a sandbank, a special wonder of nature can be observed – a tropical forest with climbing plants and lianes. We will reach the fishing village Crisan by boat. Overnight on the hotelboat.

5. day Boat trip Danube Delta

During the boat ride through a labyrinth of narrow waterways we pass by small fishing villages and again experience 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 on the hotelboat.

6. day Monasteries of Dobrogea round trip 32 km

Today you'll cycle to different monasteries in the area of Dobruja, a gently undulating landscape and border region between southeast Romania and northeast Bulgaria. Visit the venerable convent of nuns Celic Dere with its intriguing icons. Slightly up and down you'll cycle to the sleepy Monastery of Saon - idyllically set amongst vineyards, located on the banks of the Danube. Even the little windmill is certainly a popular photo opportunity.

7. day A tour of the lagoon Cape Dolosman 45 km

Today you start your bike tour quite easily by bus. In the old Turkish-populated village Babadag you'll swing yourself on you bike. Discover the bee-eaters nest sites and marvel at the medieval fortress of Enisala located high above the Danube - what a breathtaking view of the Razim lagoon! On a small hill in the southeast of the Razim lake you see the remains of the Byzantine castle of Enisala. Before you return to Tulcea, experience the Nature Reserve of Kap Dolosman with its Roman excavations.

8. day Tulcea-Bucharest departure

In the morning the bus brings you back to the capital Bucharest, where you arrive about 2 pm. Please do not book flights which depart earlier than 4 pm.

Changes of the tour itinerary

Please note that hanges of the tour itinerary may be necessary because of weather conditions or water level).

Worth knowing about your bike & boat trip in the Danube Delta

Below please find more information about your bike trip. If you have any further questions please feel free to contact us by phone: 0049 - (0)6421-886890.

Important information

In case of flood or low tide the shipping company reserves the right to bridge parts of passages with buses. In extreme case the shipping company reserves the right to cancel the journey on short notice. No legal right shall be constituted of both situations. (Water level is force majeure). The same applies for officially ordered – previously not announced – repair work on locks or bridges or in case of undeserved breakdown of engine and power unit. 
Special terms & conditions apply.

Terms & Conditions

Arrival and Departure

The next airport is the Airport Bucharest Henri Coanda. On day 1 you will be picked up at 2 pm and be brought by bus to Tulcea in the Danube Delta (duration approx. 4 hours). On the last day a transfer will bring you back to the airport in Bucharest. Arrival at the airport at approx. 2 pm. Please do not book flights earlier than 4 pm.
If you book extra nights in Bucharest you can go to the center by taxi (costs approx. 30 euros).

The cabins

The cozy cabins are equipped with separate beds and two windows. Showers and toilets are provided in each cabin. The windows can be openend. The cabins have a size of approx. 9 m² and no aircondition is installed in the cabins. However, the evenings on the water are not especially hot. The windows are equipped with insect protection, therefore you can enjoy your nights.

Guest House 4* in Tulcea

The comfortable guesthourse has rooms with air condition and is only a 5-10 minutes walk away from the center of Tulcea.

Catering

The cook on board is a member of the crew and prepares the breakfast, packed lunch and a warm dinner in the evening. The catering consists of full board. Catering starts with the dinner on the arrival day and ends with the breakfast on the departure day. Vegetarian catering is possible, please announce this with reservation and discuss it again with the tour guide on site.

Condition of the bike paths

In the middle of the Danube Delta you cycle on flat, unpaved paths, sand and gravel roads or otherwise on well-paved country roads (sometimes with some traffic) through the varied hilly landscape. The sand and gravel roads require a bit of stamina, but due to the shortened length of the stage, they can be done easily by anyone who has some cycling experience. Depending on the possibility, longer daily stages can also be selected on site. Individual sections along the Danube are bridged by boat or bus. Your support bus / support boat is always close by and can therefore "piggyback" even tired cyclists. The group consists of 12-20 persons.

Available rental bikes

The offered 24-speed-hybrid-bikes are citybikes with an aluminium frame and kitted with responsive brakes and gears. Plus: mudguards, comfort gel saddles, flat palmed grips, Schwalbe Marathon anti puncture tyres.
E-bikes are not possible on this trip.

Extra costs which are not included in the tour price

A fuel surcharge, which may apply due to the sharp rise in fuel prices, is not included in the cruise price and must be paid in cash on arrival on board the ship. We will inform you of the amount of the surcharge, if any, in the travel documents approx. 3-4 weeks before arrival.

7 day hotline service

In case of chain breakdown, flooding or other bad surprises that makes a continuation of your tour impossible: no problem, we also work during weekends and you can reach us 7 days a week in case of emergency.

Passport and visa requirements, health regulations

For EU citizens, there are no special passport or visa requirements and no health formalities to be considered for this trip.

Corona travel information:
Before booking your trip, please inform yourself about the measures in place to contain the Corona pandemic.

An up-to-date overview of applicable measures and travel and safety advice regarding Covid-19 for all countries in the EU and Switzerland can be found here:
https://reopen.europa.eu/en/

You can also find more information on our website at:
Corona virus and holiday planning

Travel insurance

The tour price already includes the statutory insolvency insurance. In addition, we recommend that you take out travel cancellation insurance upon receipt of your travel confirmation in order to protect yourself against financial disadvantages in the event of travel cancellation, interruption of travel, illness or accident.

Danube Delta

After passing through several countries and absorbing countless lesser waterways, the Danube empties into the Black Sea south of the Ukrainian border. The Danube Delta (Delta Dunării), included on Unesco’s World Heritage list, is one of Romania's leading attractions. At Tulcea, the river splits into three separate channels: the Chilia, Sulina and Sfântu Gheorghe arms, creating a constantly evolving 4187-sq-km wetland of marshes, floating reed islets and sandbars. The region provides sanctuary for 300 species of bird and 160 species of fish. Reed marshes cover 1563 sq km, constituting one of the largest single expanses of reed beds in the world. The delta is a haven for wildlife lovers, birdwatchers, fishers and anyone wanting to get away from it all for a few days. There are beautiful, secluded beaches at both Sulina and Sfântu Gheorghe, and the fish and seafood, particularly the fish soup, are the best in Romania.

Danube Delta

Tulcea

Die Besonderheit von Tulcea ist, dass sie nachweislich eines der ältesten städtischen Siedlungen Rumäniens ist. Im 8. Jahrhundert v.Chr. wurde die getodakische Siedlung gegründet und von Herodot erstmalig erwähnt. Bezeichnet wurde die Siedlung als Castrum Aegyssus. Die Römer entwickelten die Hafenstadt zur Basis ihrer Schwarzmeerflotte. 1416 wurde die Stadt von Mehmet I. erobert, der die Stadt den Namen Tolcu gab. Bis zur Mitte des 19. Jahrhunderts herrschten die Osmanen in der Stadt.

Tulcea

Celic Dere and Saon Monastery

One of the most important monasteries, widely considered the center of Christianity around here, is the Celic Dere Monastery. It is located just half an hour away from Tulcea, between the village of Telița and Frecăței. The site is beautifuly situated in the middle of the woods, in a beautiful clearing on the Cilic valley. The people that built the church were priests from Transylvania and Basarabia, who had lived on the Athos Mountain, in Greece. After a short time, the monks were moved to Saon, where they built another monastery. At Celic Dere the monks were replaced by nuns.

Celic Dere and Saon Monastery

Enisala Fortress

The fortress next to the town of Enisala was built in the 14th century by merchants from Genoa, who at that time had a monopoly on Black Sea shipping. After the conquest of Dobruja in the 15th century, the Ottomans used the complex as a military garrison, only to give it up in the 16th century.

Enisala Fortress

Bucharest

Known for its wide, tree-lined boulevards, glorious Belle Époque buildings and a reputation for the high life (which in the 1900s earned its nickname of "Little Paris"), Bucharest, Romania's largest city and capital, is today a bustling metropolis. Romanian legend has it that the city of Bucharest was founded on the banks of the Dambovita River by a shepherd named Bucur, whose name literarily means "joy." His flute playing reportedly dazzled the people and his hearty wine from nearby vineyards endeared him to the local traders, who gave his name to the place.

Bucharest