Few countries can match Bulgaria’s scenic splendour and wildllife diversity. The landscape changes every few kilometres to reveal alpine mountains, rivers with spectacular gorges, vast meadows and forests, coastal wetlands and sandy beaches. With this comprehensive wildlife tour we have tried to bring together most of the country’s fascinating birding, botanical and wildlife features and aspects.

Day 1
The tour starts in the early afternoon from the coastal town of Varna, as participants will be picked up from their hotels in the area or from Varna Airport by 14.00 (2.00pm). We then drive north to coastal  Dobroudzha (about an hour and a half drive) where we check in for 2 nights near the town of Kavarna. On the way we can stop at one of the Eurasian Eagle Owl sites to see this impressive bird.

Day 2
Morning – the Coastal lakes of Durankulak and Shabla and the sand dunes, that separate the lakes from the sea, where we can find some interesting plants, such as Alyssum borzaeanum, Silene thymifolia, Glaucium glavum, Euphorbia lucida, etc.  Here we will be also able to see a great variety of water birds, including the Pygmy Cormorant, Ferruginous Duck, Western Marsh Harrier, Paddyfield Warbler, Savi’s Warbler, Bearded Reedling, the tick-billed race of the Common Reed Bunting (ssp. reiseri) and various species of herons, gulls, terns, shorebirds, plus European Roller, European Bee-eater, Lesser Grey Shrike, Red-backed Shrike in the surrounding areas.

At noon we will visit the steppes and cliffs around Cape Kaliakra, where we can observe the Mediterranean subspecies of the European Shag (ssp. desmarestii), Long-legged Buzzard, Eurasian Stone Curlew, Alpine Swift, Red-rumped Swallow, Greater Short-toed Lark, Calandra Lark, Tawny Pipit, Olivaceous Warbler, Pied Wheatear, Black-headed Bunting.

Some of the most important species of plants to be seen here are Adonis flammea, Artemisia pedemontana, Iris pumila, Scutellaria orientalis, Salvia nutans, Nonnea atra, Ruta glaveolens, Euphorbia myrsinites, Stipa lessingiana, Silene caliacrae, Salvia austriaca,  etc., as well as many species of Potentilla, Onosma, Vicia, Lathyrus, Pisum, Artemisia.

Day 3
Transfer to the southern Bulgarian coast through the Eastern Balkan Mountains and the Kamchia Nature Reserve, which preserves a unique riverine floodplain forest, composed of Fraxinus oxycarpa and Quercus pedunculiflora, with a wide variety of liana plants, including Smilax excelsa and Periploca graeca. Bird species likely to be seen at both sites include the Lesser Spotted Eagle, Black Stork, Black Woodpecker, Grey-headed Woodpecker, Middle Spotted Woodpecker, Barred Warbler, Semi-collared Flycatcher, Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler, Sombre Tit.

Accommodation for the next two nights will be in the town of Sozopol (~ 30 km south of Bourgas).

On the way, when we pass the city of Bourgas we can visit the Bourgas wetlands for about a couple of hours  – to see various water birds like the Great White Pelican, Dalmatian Pelican, Pygmy Cormorant, Squacco Heron, Black-crowned Night Heron, Purple Heron, White-tailed Eagle, Black-winged Stilt, Curlew Sandpiper, Collared Pratincole, Eurasian Penduline Tit.

Day 4
Strandzha Mnts, located in the south-eastern corner of Bulgaria, where in the forests of Fagus orientalis, Quercus polycarpa, Quercus hartwissiana we will look for the White-backed Woodpecker, Black Woodpecker, Grey-headed Woodpecker, Middle-spotted Woodpecker, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Short-toed Treecreeper. In the forests and open habitats we could find a great variety of rare plants, including Daphne pontica, Rhododendron ponticum, Epimedium pubigerum, Laurocerasus officinalis, Ilex colchica, Mespulus germanica, Pyracantha coccinea, Stachys thracica, Verbascum bugulifolium, Salvia forskahlei, Trachystemon orientale, Cistis incanus, Geranium asphodeloides, etc.

In the late afternoon – on the way back to Sozopol we can visit the sand dunes and grasslands at the Ropotamo river complex (south of Sozopol). Here we will try to find some rare plants like Tulipa thracica, Ruscus aculeatus, Leymus racemosus ssp. sabulosus, Silene euxina, Linum tauricum ssp. bulgaricum, Stachys maritima, Limodorum abortivum, Verbascum phoeniceum, Verbascum bugulifolium, Iris sintenisii, Jurinea mollis, Calystegia soldanella, Crambe maritime.

The amphibian and reptile fauna of the Ropotamo area is also remarkable.

Day 5
Transfer southwest to the Eastern Rhodopes, with a long stop in the Sakar Hills, where we will be looking for the Eastern Imperial Eagle, Levant Sparrowhawk, Masked Shrike, Isabelline Wheatear, Olive-tree Warbler and Eastern Orphean Warbler. We will also see many European Rollers, European Bee-eaters, Eurasian Hoopoes and Black-headed Buntings, as well as colonies of European Souslik.

Accommodation in the area of Krumovgrad for 2 nights.

Day 6
We will spend the whole day in the Eastern Rhodopes, exploring various habitats – cliffs, arid areas, dry deciduous forests and scrub.

Main birds to be seen here: Eurasian Griffon Vulture, Eurasian Black Vulture, Egyptian Vulture, Black Kite, Booted Eagle, Short-toed Eagle and Golden Eagle, Long-legged Buzzard, Black Stork, Chukar, Eurasian Scops Owl, Sombre Tit, Eastern Black-eared Wheatear, Isabelline Wheatear, Blue Rock Thrush, Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler, Eastern Orphean Warbler, Eastern Subalpine Warbler and Olivaceous Warbler, Lesser Grey Shrike, Woodchat Shrike, Western Rock Nuthatch, Ortolan Bunting, Black-headed Bunting.

The diversity of amphibians and reptiles in the Eastern Rhodopes is also very attractive, including Yellow-bellied Toad, Common Tree Frog, Spur-thighed Tortoise, Eastern Hermann’s Tortoise, Balkan Green Lizard, Erhard’s Wall Lizard, Balkan Wall Lizard, European Glass Lizard, Dice Snake, Large Whip Snake, Eastern Montpellier Snake, Nose-horned Viper, Eurasian Sand Boa, Dahl’s Whip Snake.

Day 7

In the morning we can visit one of the vulture feeding places in the Eastern Rhodopes, where we can observe some of the birds of prey and other species that we missed or did not see well the day before.

Then we will transfer to the Western Rhodopes with several stops in the higher parts of the mountain to look for interesting plants and birds in the coniferous forests and meadows. Accommodation in the Trigrad area for two nights

Day 8

In the morning we will visit the Trigrad Gorge, where the main target will be the Wallcreeper. Other birds to be seen here include the Alpine Swift, Eurasian Crag Martin, Peregrine Falcon, White-throated Dipper, Black Redstart and Rock Bunting.

This is the time of the blooming of the beautiful flower Haberlea rhodopensis.

Other interesting plants: Sideritis scardica, Scabiosa rhodopensis, Arenaria rhodopaea, Hypericum montbretii, Secale rhodopaeum, etc.

In the rest of the day we can explore coniferous forests and meadows in the area, looking for Spotted Nutcracker, Rock Bunting, Crested Tit, Common Firecrest, Goldcrest, Corncrake, as well as some rare flowers, butterflies and reptiles.

Day 9
Morning transfer for ~ 3 hours to the northern part of the Pirin National Park, where we will spend the whole afternoon (we will reach the high mountain areas on the tour bus along an asphalt road going up to ~ 2000 m).

Birds: Spotted Nutcracker, Common Crossbill, Ring Ouzel (ssp. alpestris), Common Firecrest, Goldcrest, Willow Tit, Rock Bunting, Eurasian Siskin, Black Woodpecker, etc., plus small chances to see a Rock Partridge.

Plants: Lilium martagon, Geum coccineum, Dactylorhiza saccifera, Gentiana lutea, Gentiana asclepiadea, Dianthus petraeus, Silene roemerii, Cirsium appendiculatum, Heracleum verticillatum, Pinguicula balcanica, Dactylorhiza cordigera, Bruckentalia spiculifolia, Viola biflora, Campanula velebitica

Accommodation for two nights in the northern foothills of the Pirin Mountains.

Day 10
Morning transfer for ~ 1,5 hours to Rila National Park, where we will spend the whole day, looking for Hazel Grouse, Eurasian Pygmy Owl, Black Woodpecker, Grey-headed Woodpecker, Spotted Nutcracker, Horned Lark, Water Pipit, Tree Pipit, Ring Ouzel (ssp. alpestris), Crested Tit, etc.

Day 11
Transfer (for about three hours) to Sofia for departure.