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Photography tour to Bulgaria: floating hides and more

Travel with Yves Adams to Bulgaria and learn all about floating hide photography. Floating among marshland birds is the main goal, but in the meantime you'll be surprised with extras on the side. Interested?

Departure

1 Aug 2026

Return home

9 Aug 2026

Duration

9 days

Maximum number of participants

Travel language

English

Which nature photographer doesn’t dream of being given carte blanche with the floating hut on bird-rich ponds in wild nature? In Bulgaria you can have fun unabashedly in the water among bird species that are difficult to approach or photograph in other places. Connoisseurs will have no doubt: this is a top trip for those who are curious about floating shelters or for photographers who are already familiar with floating huts. Unique in Europe!

Strenghts of this tour:

guidance by two professional photographers with excellent knowledge of floating hides
sophisticated preparation so that we can guarantee the best photos
an ‘all inclusive‘ with the exception of the flights
small group so that you are personally guided
floating hides included

Special (bird) species

Bulgaria during summer, is there a better place to photograph birds in Europe? All fledglings and juveniles are busy exploring the world. We concentrate on river wetlands, open water, swamps, reedbeds, flooded grasslands, meanders,… Prepare for the following photo subjects: great crested grebe, little grebe, black-necked grebe, red-necked grebe, ducks, terns, various herons, shorebirds,…

There is of course also a lot to experience from the water. The countless extensively managed meadows and wooded areas buzz with life: songbirds, various woodpecker species and small mammals are also on the agenda.

As expected in a country like Bulgaria with unspoilt nature, there are also many surprises possible! Look forward to a few extra nice species such as the mighty osprey! You might come home with action shots indeed… Enough now with spoiling the surprise, until we’re there! You can rest assured: this photography tour to Bulgaria is again a unique STARLING tour. A travel formula full of surprises, specially designed by our competent guides

Unique: the floating hide

To approach water birds undisturbed and to have an incredibly beautiful point of view, we use a hide that can float on water. We walk on the bottom of the pond with waterproof waders and from the hide, we approach birds that usually don’t care about that camouflaged bump on the water.

Have you already worked with the floating hides on one of our trips or workshops? Then you already know that this is one of the best ways to photograph birds. It also gives the greatest satisfaction because you can fully express your own creativity. You choose your own light, distance, background,… and you have your own hut. We enter various water features with our floating hut.

We naturally provide an extensive initiation session for newcomers. But rest assured: you will immediately love it and will undoubtedly never experience such a thrill behind your telephoto lens again!

During this photography tour we use, among other things, the inflatable floating hides from the producer Mr Jan Gear. Our tour guide Yves is an ambassador for Mr Jan Gear and helped design the successful floating hide himself. This trip is an ideal opportunity for a participant to try out the hut extensively!

Locations far away

For this photo tour, we explore the other side of Europe, where nature is much more unspoilt than ours. But it doesn’t stop there: we travel even further to wild areas with barely known sites to unpack our floating hides. Here, no one will disturb us and we have the birds all to ourselves.

We travel to pristine wetlands. The very dynamic habitat attracts special birds every year. Because we are very dependent on the water level, we have numerous plan B locations in case the water level is not perfect. These are spread throughout the area, ranging from abandoned fish breeding ponds, river meanders, swamps,…

What makes this photo trip to Bulgaria so special?

The fact that we are traveling to Bulgaria in the summer is unprecedented and unique!
You photograph in a unique setting from exclusive floating cabins.
All this under the expert guidance of Yves Adams and local guides.

Photography

Is this photography trip to Bulgaria something for you?

You are looking for a photo tour during the summer holidays.
You like photographing birds from a very special point of view.
You are curious about photographing from floating huts.
You are in normal physical condition and are not afraid of water.

Beginner Expert

Basic Luxurious

Easy Heavy

Interested? We keep you posted

Gallery

All images on our website are our own work and made by our participants and guides. So what you see gives a realistic picture of what you can see, experience and photograph yourself on our trips.

The tour schedule is flexible and dependent on the weather, local conditions and observations.

01/08

Your departure city - Burgas

Today we’re landing in Burgas, which will also be our base for the next few days. After a short drive, we’ll arrive at the hotel.

02/08 - 08/08

Seven full days of floating hides

Just outside the city lie the Burgas wetlands, dominated by two large lakes, including Lake Burgas, Bulgaria’s largest natural lake. Here, we’ll have the chance to get very close to the wild birds. On the water and in the reed beds, the birds are accustomed to the presence of the (floating) hides. Photography takes place during early morning sessions and in the afternoons until sunset, when the light is at its best. Between sessions, there is time for rest, post-processing and relaxation. Depending on the conditions, we will also visit additional top locations such as the salt pans of Pomorie.

For seven days, we’ll immerse you in the wonderful world of floating hides. We guarantee you’ll return home with stunning photos and award-winning shots. Yves Adams, one of the first nature photographers in the Benelux to use floating hides on the water, will teach you all the tricks of the trade.

09/08

Return trip to your departure city

After a final session we travel back to the airport for a flight to your departure city.

Accommodation, meals and transportation

The accommodation is standard to comfortable. We are staying in a local family-owned hotel.

The price is based on single rooms. If you do not want a single room but want to share a room with your partner or a friend, you will receive a 100 euro discount per person. Please note this in the comments section of the registration form.

Meals are provided and local transport is provided by minibus.

For guaranteed departure, we look for flights or train tickets. For the trip you can choose to go by train or by plane. Count on 350 – 450 euros per person for your transport. You can book this through us, but you are free to book it yourself.

Fitness and goals

We try to organize as many sessions as possible with the floating hides during this trip. This mainly means that we get up very early every morning and go into the water shortly afterwards. During the afternoon we take a break if it gets too hot, and in the late afternoon we return to the water until around sunset. Then we will have dinner in our restaurant. So prepare for long days and full memory cards.

Depending on the water level, the degree of difficulty can vary from very comfortable wading through waist-high water to difficult in very shallow or chest-high water. In those less comfortable zones it can be difficult to float and better fitness is required. But we offer enough variation, and ensure that everyone has somewhere to go according to her or his desires and condition.

Climate

It is summer so we expect pleasant and warm temperatures during the day. However, we are active early and go into the water. So also provide warmer clothing during this trip. We also provide a customized material list for each participant. If desired, we can provide wading suits on site, but we recommend that each participant brings their own wading suit.