Tour information
Transylvania is a fascinating place within the Carpathian Basin with its varied habitats and it is also one of the last strongholds for bears in Europe. The estimated population is around 5000-8000 individuals! This is a fantastic tour to photograph the Carpathian Brown Bear from our specially-built hide network in the mighty Hargita Mountains where about 350 of these wild creatures still live. September is one of the best time to see and photograph (with luck) the shy Hazel Grouse. We will give a special effort on this tour to photograph this beautiful grouse!
Tour starting and ending time: It is important to book your flight according to the official starting and ending times of the tour! Our bus and guide will be waiting all participants in the Otopeni Airport at Bucharest. Please make sure you can reach the starting point in time at 14:00 on the tour starting date! If you wish to arrive earlier to Bucharest our office can help you to book accommodation and logistics. However if you arrive early you need to make your way to the airport for the meeting time. In some cases we can pick up clients from the nearby airport hotels (please check with our office). Also very important that the tour only ends at 13:00 on the last day so please do not book flights out of Bucharest earlier than 16:00 on the last day!
Timing: Fixed dates but also available upon request
Recommended period between 20th August to 15th September
Duration: 5 days (4 nights)
Logistics: Our daily routine is variable. Normally the bear hides are occupied around early afternoon and photographers stay there until dusk (5-6 hours). We have hides and different optional excursions for the mornings but usually spent to track down Hazel Grouse from mobile tents or along secluded forest tracks.
Recommended equipment: We suggest that you bring along lenses which range from 200mm to 500mm but wide angle lens can be good for landscape photography.
Expected number of birds species photographed on this tour: Brown Bear; if additional excursion taken up to 5-15 species of birds.
What to bring: torch, binocular, tripod, proper clothing.
Accommodation & Road Transport:
Our accommodation is the Hargita Bear Lodge which is owned and run by our bear expert Zsolt. They make sure your stay in this remarkable area will be unforgettable. The lodge is located close to the bear hides to minimize travel. The hotel has en-suite facilities. Transfer from airport car or minivan (depending on group size) while road transport during photography days is by minivan or car (4×4 if required) depending on weather conditions and group size.
Walking: The walking effort is minimized for short uphill walks to some of the bear hides. Some hides can be reached by car but no more than 300 meter walk to any of the bear hides. On the various excursions the walking effort is easy to moderate.
Climate: In August and September we have usually nice and settled weather. Early mornings can be distinctly cool and mist is possible too for landscape photography. Daytime temperature can range from 10C to 25C from late August to early September.
Price and Date
| Tour date: | September 3 ‒ September 7, 2025 |
Guaranteed departure | |
| Price from: | 1150 €/person |
| Deposit: | 400 €/person |
| Single room suplement: | 120 €/person |
| Availability: | 1 place available |
|
BookingGuaranteed departure
|
|
Booking deposit: As soon as you fill out a booking form we will send you a deposit invoice and information of the final payment.
Group size:
The minimum group size is 2 photographers
The maximum group size is 6 photographers
Cost includes:
- Bucharest-to-Bucharest all inclusive
- The use of our unique bear hide system
- All transportation throughout the tour
- All meals
- All accommodation
- All entrance fees
- Local guides
Cost excludes:
- International flight to Bucharest
- Personal Travel Insurance
- Alcoholic drinks
- Services of personal nature (telephone calls, laundry etc.)
- Tips to guides
Detailed Itinerary
We have three full days for photography allowing plenty of chances to have an intimate insight of the private life of these large mammals. We have three different hides with different surroundings but our actual usage of hides depends on the current bear activity. It is possible to use a different hide every day but this is all subject of discussion with the guide on the first evening when up-to-date information will be available.
Day 1 The tour begins at Bucharest, from where we will transfer to Zeteváralja (Sub Cetate) at the base of the Hargita Mountains where we will stay in the Hargita Bear Lodge. The Hargita area is primarily inhabited by Székely Hungarians. Upon arrival we will have a discussion of plans for the next three days. The local forester will supply us with all necessary information about the bear activity.
Days 2 – 4 We will have three full days of photography. This will allow us to have ample opportunities for Brown Bears, we will spend three afternoons in our bear hides! In the mornings we usually spend time to search for Hazel Grouse. In the best palces (changes annually) we use mobile tents and also drive along forest roads to track them down. If we are lucky we will have the opportunits to photograph this beautiful and shy bird even from our bear hides – happened several times in previous years, but not every year. We also have two non-bear hides available for wildlife in the vicinity of the Bear Lodge, a drinking station in the lodge garden and our squirrel hide in the forest. In some years Lesser Spotted Eagle photography is still possible in September although much better chance on the April and May tours to the region. On request we can also arrange a dawn visit to the Gheorgeni (Gyergyó) Basin for an early morning landscape photography.
Day 5 We will return to Bucharest where the tour will end. For more information (about the hides, comfort, hide technical information, bears, bird species) visit our hides menu item or contact us!
