Moldova
Moldova is one of Europe's best-kept secrets: a small country of rolling vineyards, cave monasteries carved into river cliffs and a leafy, low-rise capital that wears its Soviet past and its café culture side by side.
This guide books the headline experiences properly, from the underground wine cities of Cricova and Milestii Mici to the gorge and cliff monastery at Orheiul Vechi, the blue-domed calm of Curchi, the fortress at Soroca and the unrecognised border-crossing day trip to Tiraspol and Bender. It then matches you to a hotel in Chisinau, because in a country this compact the capital is the base for everything, and a good night's sleep makes the long lunches and tastings easier to enjoy.
Cricova Underground Winery Tour with Tasting
A city of limestone tunnels under the hills north of Chisinau, with streets named after grape varieties, an electric tour car and a cellar holding some of the most famous bottle collections in Europe. The signature Moldova day out.
Milestii Mici Underground Winery Tour with Tasting
The wine cellar famous for the size of its collection, with tunnels you can drive through and racks of bottles stretching into the distance. A record-setting stop just south of Chisinau.
Old Orhei Cave Monastery and Open-Air Museum Tour
The most dramatic landscape in Moldova: a river gorge with a cave monastery carved into the cliff, village houses on the banks and farm lunches in the valley. The day trip most travellers remember best.
Transnistria and Tiraspol Soviet Time Capsule Tour
A day trip across an unrecognised border into a region that still wears its Soviet past: Lenin statues, hammer-and-sickle emblems and a currency you cannot spend anywhere else.
Hand-picked: every experience here has strong traveler reviews and a verified booking link.
A city of limestone tunnels under the hills north of Chisinau, with streets named after grape varieties, an electric tour car and a cellar holding some of the most famous bottle collections in Europe. The signature Moldova day out.
The wine cellar famous for the size of its collection, with tunnels you can drive through and racks of bottles stretching into the distance. A record-setting stop just south of Chisinau.
The most dramatic landscape in Moldova: a river gorge with a cave monastery carved into the cliff, village houses on the banks and farm lunches in the valley. The day trip most travellers remember best.
A working monastery with a blue-domed church and quiet gardens, usually paired with Orheiul Vechi. A calm counterpoint to a day of cliffs and cellars.
A restored castle-style wine estate east of Chisinau, with cellars, gardens and a tasting that suits travellers who prefer a polished setting to tunnels.
One of the best-known wine estates in southeast Moldova, famed for a signature red blend, modern tasting rooms and vineyards close to the Dniester. A longer day for serious wine fans.
A day trip across an unrecognised border into a region that still wears its Soviet past: Lenin statues, hammer-and-sickle emblems and a currency you cannot spend anywhere else.
A large Ottoman-era fortress on the Dniester, reached on a day trip that also takes in Transnistria. Thick walls, long history and river views.
A round stone fortress on the Dniester in northern Moldova, with a hill of unusual Roma mansions nearby. A long but rewarding day trip.
A day in the autonomous region in the south, where a Turkic-speaking Orthodox community keeps its own language, foods and festivals.
A hiking day to a cave monastery carved into a cliff above the Dniester, with village scenery along the way.
One of the oldest monasteries in Moldova, set in the Codri forests west of Chisinau, paired with a winery tasting.
Hotels we would book ourselves, from splurges to good-value bases.
$$$Central Chisinau
A large international-brand hotel in the centre of the capital, popular with business travellers, tour groups and visitors who want a dependable base for winery and monastery day trips.
Check rates →Central Chisinau
A design-led hotel in the MGallery collection, aimed at travellers who want character and a polished stay in the capital.
Check rates →Central Chisinau
A small luxury-minded boutique hotel in the capital, suited to travellers who value personal service and an intimate setting.
Check rates →Central Park area
A hotel whose name points to its setting by the central park, giving easy access to the green heart of Chisinau.
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$$Chisinau
A long-standing hotel with a Soviet-era feel, valued for its space, practical pricing and easy access to the city.
Check rates →Central Chisinau
A mid-range hotel in the capital, suited to travellers who want a comfortable, central stay without the price of the largest brands.
Check rates →Chisinau
A smaller, guesthouse-style stay with a quieter, greener feel than the big city hotels.
Check rates →Chisinau
A small boutique hotel in the capital for travellers who like an intimate, personally run stay.
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$$Chisinau
A boutique-style hotel with an English-flavoured name, offering a comfortable, small-scale stay.
Check rates →Chisinau
A relaxed boutique stay for short city breaks and wine-focused weekends in Chisinau.
Check rates →Ready-made pairings: a top sight and a hotel that suits it. Add both to your trip and book each when you are ready.
Do
Cricova Underground Winery Tour with TastingStay
Radisson Blu Leogrand Hotel ChisinauCentral Chisinau
Do
Milestii Mici Underground Winery Tour with TastingStay
BERDS Hotel Chisinau MGallery CollectionCentral Chisinau
Do
Old Orhei Cave Monastery and Open-Air Museum TourStay
Nobil Luxury Boutique HotelCentral Chisinau
A three-day plan that pairs the capital with an underground cellar, a cliff monastery and a long lunch, with the order that avoids backtracking.
How to choose between the underground cellars and the estate wineries, what to taste and how to plan a tasting trip without driving.
A guide to Moldovan dishes, markets, wine bars and how to order, with tips for vegetarians and for pairing food with local wine.
A seasonal guide to Moldova, covering weather, the wine harvest, festivals and what each season is best for.
A guide to the best day trips from the capital, with distances, durations and how to combine them.
A practical, neutral guide to a Transnistria day trip: what you will see, how the border crossing works and how to prepare.
