Finland and Romania Wildlife Tour

Finland and Romania both exist on Europe’s edge, where the more staid influences of the EU meet the passions of Russia and the Balkans. Their cities both buzz with a new embrace of tech and design innovation. And they both possess some of the last, best pristine wild areas on the continent, with remarkably high concentrations of animals. Birds and bears will be the target of Apex’s journey through these countries, taking you from swamps to Taiga, river delta to inland sea. See rare freshwater seals, brown bears and Wolverines, and up to 300 species of resident and migratory birds on this 16-day exploration of Europe’s wild edge.

• Day 1
• Day 2
• Day 3
• Day 4
• Day 5
• Day 6
• Day 7
• Day 8
• Day 9
• Days 10–12
• Day 13
• Day 14
• Day 15
• Day 16

• Saturday, May 19: Arrive Oulu, Finland

  Arrive this afternoon into Oulu, whose city center is spread out on several islands on the Gulf of Bothnia. Oulu is one of Finland’s most pleasant cities, with a thriving student and tech community. It is also the gateway to some of Europe’s best bird watching, as much of the surrounding area is wetlands. Enjoy a welcome dinner with fellow travelers and your expedition leaders, and overnight at the Radisson Blu Oulu.

• Sunday, May 20: Oulu

  Rise early for a full day of bird watching. Northern owls are the focus here, and expert guides have intimate knowledge of nesting sites, giving you the best chance to spot all five of the region’s key species—Great Grey, Ural, Hawk, Tengmalm’s and Pygmy. Black, Hazel and Willow Grouse are also present in the area, as well as Three-toed- and Black Woodpeckers. We will also visit Liminka Bay, one of the most significant wetlands in Europe. Mid ay is the prime migration period for waders and one of Europe’s prettiest waders the Ruff can often be found feeding and lekking in large groups. Dinner and overnight at Radisson Blu Oulu.

• Monday, May 21: Oulu / Kuusamo

  After breakfast we will drive east toward Kuusamo, in search of rare and interesting birds that are absent in the Oulu region. Target species here include Rustic and Little Bunting, Capercaillie, Red-flanked Bluetail, Siberian Jay and Siberian Tit, and Hazel Hen. Hear the marvelous sounds of displaying Little Gulls in the bogs around town, as well as Spotted Redshank, Ruff and possibly Jack Snipe. Dinner and overnight at Sokos Hotel Kuusamo.

• Tuesday, May 22: Kuusamo / Wild Brown Bear Lodge

  After another early morning birding in the Kuusamo area, we drive southeast toward the western edge of the vast Siberian Taiga. Stopping at the many lakes, swamps and forests along the way in search of resident wildlife. Turn off the main road and head into the dense forest on the Finnish-Russian border, known for its diversity of fauna and density of large mammals. Check in to the Wild Brown Bear Lodge, keeping watch for Mountain Hare, Red Fox, White-tailed Eagles, Black Woodpecker, Northern Bullfinch and Ural Owls around the property. After dinner, head out to observation hides for an overnight, for the best chance to view Brown Bears and Wolverines up close. Late May is the height of mating season, so there may even be some performing by male bears if females happen to be in the vicinity. Dinner and overnight at Wild Brown Bear Lodge.

• Wednesday, May 23: Wild Brown Bear Lodge

  Return to the main lodge this morning to freshen up and have breakfast. You may want to enjoy some time in a local sauna or peruse the property on foot. This evening, take advantage of the late light and set out with a guide to look for rare Flying Squirrels, Moose, beaver, Forest Reindeer and many birds, including grouse, woodpeckers and rare tits, as well as bears, Wolverines and even wolves. Dinner and overnight at Wild Brown Bear Lodge.

• Thursday, May 24: Wild Brown Bear Lodge / Lake Saimaa

  After breakfast, load up for a full-day drive southwest to the pristine Finnish Lakeland, with its crystalline waterways, dense forests and endless skies. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Rinssi-Eversti, next to the lake.

• Friday, May 25: Lake Saimaa / Helsinki

  Spend the morning on a boat in Finland’s largest lake, Saimaa, looking for the world’s rarest seal—the inland Saimaa Seal. An endemic species of ringed seal, the Saimaa Seal may be the most endangered pinniped on Earth, with less than 300 individuals remaining. May is the best time to see them out of the water, lounging on rocks. You may also see European Beaver and a variety of waterfowl and owls. In the afternoon depart for the quirky harbor-side capital, Helsinki, and transfer to your hotel in the vibrant Design District. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Lilla Roberts.

• Saturday, May 26: Helsinki / Bucharest, Romania

  Enjoy breakfast before transferring to the airport mid-morning for your flight to Bucharest, Romania. Land this evening and check in to the Angelo by Vienna House Bucharest airport hotel for dinner and overnight.

• Sunday, May 27: Bucharest / Tulcea / Danube Delta

  After breakfast at the hotel, board vans for the drive to Tulcea, the Danube Delta’s main harbor town. Stop en route at lakes and bogs to look for birds, including ever-present bee-eaters and colorful rollers. Arrive in Tulcea this afternoon, and embark the vessel, known locally as a ‘ponton,’ your home for the next four nights on the Danube. Be on deck as the ponton heads to the Central Channel. As we leave civilization behind, the first typical Delta bird species start to appear, among them Black-headed Gulls, Caspian Terns, Glossy Ibises, Squacco Herons, Pygmy Cormorants and noisy Greylag Geese with their distinctive rosy beaks. The riverine trees might hold Black and Grey-headed Woodpeckers. Enjoy dinner and overnight onboard.

• Monday–Wednesday, May 28–30: Danube Delta

  The Delta consists of over 2,000 square miles of lakes, channels, reed beds and willow stands—ideal breeding habitat for a staggering array of birds. May is the height of the breeding season, so there are sure to be memorable sightings. The route is flexible, depending on bird activity and changing access in the maze of channels. Conditions permitting, visit lakes along the Sontea Channel, where Great and Little Egrets, Grey, Purple and Squacco Herons, Black-crowned Night Herons, Eurasian Spoonbills, and Great and Pygmy Cormorants are frequently seen as they move between breeding colonies. Specialties include Dalmatian Pelican and Pallas’s Gull. Europe’s biggest breeding colony of Great White Pelicans—more than 2,000 pairs—is also found here, and the massive flocks of pelicans flying overhead as they move to the Delta’s lakes to feed is sure to be a highlight of the trip. We will use smaller boats to access the most hidden parts and channels of the Delta. This will allow us to have a more intimate experience with the flora and fauna and close-up views of some of the shyer resident species. Spend your final night onboard the ponton moored close to Tulcea, ready to disembark after breakfast the following day.

• Thursday, May 31: Tulcea / Sinoe

  Transfer to vans this morning for a drive to the Dobrogea region on the Black Sea. En route, visit Babadag Forest, a Mediterranean deciduous forest that is home to many birds, including Levant Sparrowhawks, Long-legged Buzzards, Short-toed, Booted and Lesser-Spotted Eagles and Sombre Tits. Once in Sinoe, a good home base for birding in the area, venture out to watch for migrant species as they arrive off the Black Sea. On a good day, waves of herons, ibises, pratincoles, ‘marsh terns’ and waders may be seen passing overhead. This is also the best area to see the rare Paddyfield Warbler and the large Pallas’s Gull. Dinner and overnight at Grindul Lupilor Pension, on the region’s beautiful Wolf Peninsula.

• Friday, June 1: Sinoe

  Take a full day to enjoy the area and see as many birds as possible. Histria, whose well-preserved Greek ruins attract many visitors, is perhaps the richest birding location along the Black Sea Coast, noted for its colony of Collared Pratincoles and the localized Paddyfield Warbler. Vadu is a remarkable wetland site whose muddy pools, ponds, extensive reed beds, steppe and sandy scrub attract many resident and migrating birds including Collared Praticole, White and Dalmatian Pelicans, Ruddy Shelduck and Ferruginous Duck. The dramatic limestone Cheia Gorge harbors breeding Levant Sparrowhawk, Booted and Short-toed Eagle, Long-legged Buzzard, Rock Thrush, Pied Wheatear and Ortolan Bunting. Dinner and overnight at Grindul Lupilor Pension.

• Saturday, June 2: Sinoe / Bucharest

  This morning drive through the countryside back to Bucharest. Arrive in the early afternoon for a guided walking tour of the city’s Old Town, pretty much all that is left of pre-World War II and pre-Communist Bucharest. See the spectacular refurbishment taking place, and learn of the multiple “belles epoques” the city has experienced. Enjoy a celebratory farewell dinner this evening and overnight at Epoque Hotel.

• Sunday, June 3: Bucharest

  Depart early this morning on international flights homeward.