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 Bears. On this tour we will also have the chance for creative photography as well as the classic options. Apart from the usual afternoon bear hide photography we will offer the possibility to visit a bear hide at every dawn on the tour. In late May and early June wild flowers also present around the hides and capturing these fantastic mammals in backlit conditions will be a great experience! This is also the time for mother bears to bring out first their tiny cubs. With a bit of luck we can witness some young bears!
Our hide network in Transylvania is expanding and we hope to use 4 bear hide by 2023. But on this tour we will only visit those hides which offer us the most unique possibilities for our images!
Those who wish to try any other available subjects it is also possible. In late May and early June Corncrakes could be still active or even Lesser Spotted Eagles. Even a visit to try for Wallcreeper is possible however it is a full day programme.
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: Last week of May and first week of June
Duration: 7 days (6 nights)
Logistics: Our daily routine on this tour will be something like this: an early morning coffee, biscuits and fruits at around 04:15. At around 04:45 we drive to the backlit bear hide and have a photo session from 05:30 to 08:30. We will be back to the lodge for proper breakfast. From 10:00 to 13:00 there will be free time which can be used for resting or using the hides in the garden of the lodge. We will have a lunch at 14:00 and then go to bear hides from 16:00. The second bear photography session will be from 16:30 to 20:00. Back to lodge for a dinner at 21:00.
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; and there certainly be chance for some birds too.
What to bring: torch, binocular, tripod, proper clothing from 5-25C temperature range.
Accommodation & Road Transport:
Our accommodation is the Hargita Bear Lodge which is owned and run by our bear expert Zsolt Babos. 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 May and June we usually have nice and settled weather. Daytime temperature can range from 5C to 30C from late May to early June.
Price and Date
| Tour date: | June 1 ‒ June 7, 2025 |
Guaranteed departure | |
| Price from: | 1790 €/person |
| Deposit: | 400 €/person |
| Single room suplement: | 180 €/person |
| Availability: | 4 places available |
|
BookingGuaranteed departure
|
|
| Tour date: | May 31 ‒ June 6, 2026 |
Guaranteed departure | |
| Price from: | 1880 €/person |
| Deposit: | 400 €/person |
| Single room suplement: | 180 €/person |
| Availability: | 6 places 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 7 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 five full days for bear photography allowing plenty of chances to have an intimate insight of the private life of these large mammals. We have four different hides with different surroundings but our actual usage of hides depends on the current bear activity. On this tour especially so, as our prime target will be mother bears with small cubs and also backlit photography at dawn! Our guide will have the very up-to-date information which hides offer the best chance.
Day 1 The tour begins at Bucharest at 14:00, from where we will transfer to Zeteváralja (Sub Cetate) at the base of the Hargita Mountains where we will stay all 6 nights 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. Our resident guides will supply us with all necessary information about the bear activity.
Days 2 – 6 We will have five full days of photography. This will allow us to have ample opportunities for Brown Bears. We will have two photo sessions daily for bears. We have three main focus for bears:
1) to capture bear images in backlit conditions
2) to capture bear images with environment
3) to capture images of large male bears
4) to capture images of mother bears with cubs (if any visiting the hides at the given year – changing yearly)
Keeping these in mind we will have 5 different dawn photography sessions and hopefully some will deliver the hoped for images. We must have a nice sunrise, we must have bears in that one-hour timeframe when the light is best plus it would be great to have suitably cold early mornings so the bear’s body can be steaming in the early morning. We will also focus in the afternoons for those hides where we have the biggest chance to come across mother bears with cubs! Our bear expert on the spot is even willing to take out photographers on a ‘stalking bear session’ if we have anybody ineterested!
This will surely be a memorable experience!
Day 7 After a last morning photography 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!
