A Taste of Moldova: 8 Days Wine & Culinary Journey

Tour Overview

Itinerary Highlights

Day 1: Arrive Chisinau

VIP airport transfer to premium hotel. Welcome dinner at a top Chisinau restaurant with paired Moldovan wines. Overnight in Chisinau.

Day 2: Cricova & Milestii Mici — The Wine Cities

Full day exploring Moldova’s legendary underground wine cities. Private tour of Cricova’s 120km of tunnels — see the presidential tasting rooms and the national collection. Champagne-method sparkling wine tasting. Then to Milestii Mici for a tour of the Guinness-record collection. Lunch in the underground gallery. Overnight in Chisinau.

Day 3: Chateau Purcari & Et Cetera

Visit Castel Mimi, a stunning 19th-century chateau restored to its original grandeur. Wine tasting at Moldova’s most beautiful winery. Continue to Chateau Purcari, where the British Royal Family sources their wine. Premium tasting of Purcari’s iconic Negru de Purcari. Overnight near Purcari.

Day 4: Soroca — The Roma Capital

Drive to Soroca on the Dniester. Visit the medieval Soroca Fortress, a perfectly preserved 15th-century citadel. Then explore the famous “Gypsy Hill” — a surreal neighborhood of extravagant Roma mansions, each more elaborate than the last, built by successful Roma families. Continue to Curchi Monastery. Overnight in Chisinau.

Day 5: Transnistria & Tiraspol

Full day in Transnistria. Bender Fortress, Tiraspol’s Soviet monuments, and a unique experience in a country that exists but is recognized by no one. Lunch at a traditional restaurant. Visit the Kvint distillery for brandy tasting. Return to Chisinau.

Day 6: Gagauzia — Comrat & Wine

Drive south to the autonomous region of Gagauzia. Visit Comrat’s museum and the region’s excellent wineries. Taste Gagauz specialties like kavurma (lamb stew) and gogos (donuts). Visit a traditional Gagauz household. Afternoon return via the Struve Geodetic Arc, a UNESCO site stretching across 10 countries.

Day 7: Orheiul Vechi & Farewell

Final day at Orheiul Vechi — the cave monastery, the archaeological museum, and traditional Moldovan lunch in a village home. Afternoon visit to Chateau Vartely for a final premium tasting. Farewell gourmet dinner.

Day 8: Depart Chisinau

Morning market visit for Moldovan honey, walnuts, and wine to take home. Transfer to airport.

Inclusions

• 7 nights (premium hotels + 1 night at winery)
• Daily breakfast + 5 lunches + 3 dinners
• Private guide and driver
• 5 premium winery visits with tastings
• Cricova & Milestii Mici private tours
• All entries and experiences

Why This Culinary Journey

• 5 of Moldova’s finest wineries — from Cricova to Purcari
• Castel Mimi — Moldova’s most beautiful chateau
• Gagauz cuisine — unique in Europe
• Soroca’s Roma mansions — one of the world’s strangest neighborhoods
• Wines served to the British Royal Family

What’s Not Included

• Entrance fees to attractions
• Tour Guide
• Meal (lunch and dinner)
• International flights
• Travel insurance
• Personal expenses