Experience Dobrogea in full

Highlights:

• visit beautiful monasteries and citadels situated in great scenery;
• immerse yourself in ethnic foods and customs;
• hike a trail on a horseback;
• visit a museum dedicated to the fishermen;
• explore the various vineyards and wine tasting;
• experience local crafts;
• kayak in a pristine environment;
• hike a very old gorge on the way to a cave system;
• visit ancient and medieval fortresses;
• meet the newest Romanian land;
• walk on wild beaches;
• take a boat ride to the last wild horses in Europe;

Full description:

1st day

We pick you up from the airport, or your accommodation in Bucharest and drive to the historical region of Dobrogea. This day is about taking in the landscape in an old gorge, filled with caves and stories. One of these stories talks about a hermit that walked the “Way of Saint Andrew”, an old pilgrimage forgotten path. The sunset will catch us in the medieval fortress of Enisala.

The last destination for the day will be our accommodation, in Jurilovca village. Here we will rest after dinner and prepare for the adventure.

2nd day

Today is all about history, heritage and culture – this area is famous for its many nations living together, without conflict, accepting each other. We combine the ancient Roman, Greek and Dacian citadels and cultural sites, with the medieval mixture of Turkish and Venetian.

We shall discover the only underground church still in place from the time of the Turkish conquest, the ancient harbor of the Greeks and the legend of the old Dacian leader who burnt all the vineyards. And speaking of wine, we will do a tasting of local wines with a friend, a sommelier, who will explain why this land was so south out in ancient times – the taste of the wine is exquisite.

Our dinner will have a Lipoven feel – a Slavic ethnic group that has a distinctive feel to its food.

3rd day

The day starts with an Oriental feel to it, Turkish coffee and Tatar food, a tribute to these people of these lands. After this, our boat lives for Sulina. Here, for starters, we sightsee the city of Sulina and visit the old Lighthouse and the point where the Old Danube is kissing the sea. The evening ends with a traditional outdoor pot cooked meal and eating around the campfire (a traditional fish borsch), and some music.

We spend the night in Sulina.

4th day

This day is all about travelling in search of finding tranquillity. We start early to see the life of a fisherman and his daily struggle to find fish. After that we stop to eat near Letea Forest, the oldest natural reservation in Romania, the place where wild horses still roam free. Lunch will be in place as we arrive at Letea; this time it will be a different dish, after all in the Delta there are so many ethnic groups, all with their unique customs and food.

On our way back, the boat driver will take us through a series of canals and lakes in search of rare birds. The pelicans, wild ducks and the spoonbill are just a little part of what we can meet. Our personal favourite is the little European roller, that nests in the banks of the river.

This night of accommodation is also in Sulina.

5th day

In the morning, we’ll go to Tulcea by speedboat. This day is dedicated to the various historical sites in the area and also to the cultural heritage of the region. The first objective for today is The Fishermen’s Village Museum. Here we shall better understand how is traditional life on the lakes and marshes of the Danube Delta, in contrast with today’s aspect.

The second site is Cocos monastery, deep into the forest; an exemplary place of tranquillity and balance. From there we go to visit the monastery of Celic Dere, with it’s love stories; the last place of the day being the ancient Celtic citadel that was conquered so many time, not even the stories could keep up.

At our accommodations, dinner will be cooked outside, on a camp fire, in a pot; and, if we have some energy left, we could hike for a little while to the top of the nearby mountain, to watch the stars and lights of the cities mix together.

6th day

Today is about Macin Mountains; this area is a National Park in which there are many endangered species of plants, insects or animals. On this day, we will ride on horseback on a scenic landscape of the mountain. Don’t worry, if you don’t know how, there are instructors!

In the afternoon we shall go to a nearby village to learn a local ancient craft and on our way back we will have a wine tasting in the vineyards of Vincon Macin.

7th day

We wake up early to pack for a nearby lake, filled with stories; a few kayaks will await us and we can visit the second largest aquatic ecosystem in Romania, after the very popular and sometimes noisy, Danube Delta. Kayaking doesn’t scare the birds and other animals so we may see pelicans, spoonbills and even jackals.

After this voyage we drive back to Bucharest, to the airport or your accommodation.

The price includes:

• transfer from/to airport or accommodation in Bucharest using modern vehicles with AC;
• all meals starting with lunch first day and ending with lunch last day (3 meals a day);
• 6 nights accommodations in at least 3 star establishment (hotel, bead&breakfast, etc.);
• all boat transportation, drivers and storytellers in the Delta;
• access to local craft masters;
• all entrance fees in the Reservation and other sites;
• wine tasting;
• English speaking licenced private guidance;

Price does not include:

• other meals than mentioned;
• fees for video camera in all museums and locations;
• free time activities;

General terms and conditions:

We kindly request our guests to be ready 10 minutes before departure.

All tours are escorted by English speaking licensed guides.

Please provide information related to your specific culinary requirement (allergies, food preference, diets, etc) and keep in mind that some traditional dishes may not accomodate all requirements.

We kindly ask to provide the guides with information related to any specific illness or condition so that we may accomodate it as best as possible.