Moldova
Moldova – Moldova Food and Wine Tour – a 6 day tailormade tour starting from £925 per person.
Sandwiched between Romania and Ukraine, Moldova’s cultural influences borrow heavily from neighbouring states and from a Soviet Socialist past. Indeed, those in Moldova’s self-proclaimed breakaway republic of Transnistria still seem to prefer hammer and sickle communism to liberal European democracy.
The tour visits the country’s capital, villages and main historic sites, and explores its winemaking tradition, in a short but intriguing week that can’t avoid contemporary geopolitics.
Most people are unaware that Moldova exists and are unable to locate it on a map. Sandwiched between Romania and Ukraine, this tiny country is home to the ‘breakaway republic’ of Transnistria, making it one of the quirkiest in Europe. With influences ranging from the Ottoman Empire to Romania to Russia, Moldova is a fascinating melange of cultures.
On this short trip basing ourselves in Chisinau, we will take in some of the most important historical sites including a 13th century cave monastery at Orheiul Vechi. Visit the fascinating breakaway republic of Transnistria with its capital Tiraspol which has a distinctly Soviet feel. The focus of the tour however is to explore the culture of Moldova through the medium of its excellent wine and cuisine.
Hearty lunches are included from Days 2 – 5 leaving the evenings at leisure for you to explore independently and maybe take in a bar or two. Moldova is the 11th largest wine producing nation in Europe and the history of wine-making stretches back some 5000 years. We explore the astonishing and vast underground wine cellars of Cricova contrasting with smaller wineries with of course opportunities to sample excellent local wines.
For those seeking knowledge of ancient viticulture, combined with history and a culinary adventure in a little known land, then this short tour should be high on your list.
- Fitness
- Off the beaten track
- Culture
- History
- Wildlife
Tour Pace
Moderate
Tour style
Traveller
Relaxed Pace
Relaxed tours are easy paced with plenty of leisure time built in. The tour will in all probability still be off the beaten track, with the occasional early start and there may still be occasional long drives. In general on a relaxed pace tour you can enjoy easy-going activities and experiences with opportunities to absorb the sights and immerse yourself in the local surroundings.
Moderate Pace
Moderate pace tours are ideal if you want a tour experience that combines activities and experiences with some time to relax. Typically you will be active and busy for part of the day but then also have time to rest and recharge your batteries. In general on a moderate paced tour there may be some long journeys involved but the tour is not an expedition or a road trip. On a moderate paced tour it will be necessary to have some early starts.
Busy Pace
A busy paced tour means that you can expect to be doing, seeing or experiencing something new almost every day, and moving on from place to place to pack in as much as possible. There may be early starts, long journeys and tiring days along the way, but you’ll return home feeling you’ve really experienced as much as you possibly could.
Pioneer Class Tours
On our Pioneer tours, you will be amongst an elite group of intrepid travellers and some of the first to explore a country that few have been privileged enough to discover. Of course, exploring such areas of the world will come with its challenges; it may mean several nights camping, long journeys by 4WD and the need to maintain a degree of flexibility for when carefully laid plans change. These are challenging tours in countries and areas that may have poor infrastructure, high levels of poverty and illiteracy. This can translate in to low standards in hotels, bad roads and poor driving standards among other issues. We try and smooth out as much of these issues as we can but you should be prepared to experience the bad with the good.
Traveller Class Tours
Our Traveller itineraries are at the core of our programme. These journeys are designed for travellers who still want to discover a land away from the tourist crowds but expect minimum standards. Accommodation will be primarily hotel based, although you could still find yourself camping, or the guest of a local family. Depending on the destination and itinerary, you’ll likely be travelling in a private vehicle, with occasional use of public transport. This is adventure travel with some of the rough edges smoothed out.
Itinerary.
Day 1 – Arrival in Chisinau
Arrive in Chisinau where you will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. Depending on your time of arrival you may have the opportunity to explore the city. Overnight at Jolly Alon Hotel or similar. No meals are included today but our local team will make recommendations for dinner in the city.
Day 2 – Chisinau walking tour - Asconi winery - Chisinau
(Approximate driving time today is 1.5 hours)
After breakfast meet your local guide and embark on a walking tour of the capital, visiting key sites including the Arc de Triomphe, the Cathedral, and the Moldovan Parliament. Continue with a visit to the National Museum of Ethnography, with its collection of archaeological treasures and old Bessarabian carpets. If time allows, It may also be possible to visit one or two local markets including a food market. Later this morning, we drive a short distance from the capital to Asconi winery, a family run winery producing wine since 1994. Asconi produce a diverse range of wines using modern methods but retaining traditions of previous wine producing generations. Enjoy a tour of the winery and enjoy a relaxing lunch of Moldovan and Romanian cuisine and taste some of the wines before transferring late afternoon back to Chisinau where your evening will be at leisure to relax or perhaps sample a couple of bars in Chisinau. Overnight Jolly Alon Hotel or similar. (BL)
Day 3 - Chisinau - Orheiul Vechi - Cricova - Chisinau
(Approximate driving time today is 3 hours)
After breakfast continue to Orheiul Vechi, an impressive 13th Century cave monastery complex set amidst dramatic scenery. This will be followed by lunch at a local pension with traditional dishes and Moldovan wine (two glasses of wine included). After enjoying the hospitality of our hosts, continue to the incredibly vast underground tunnels totally some 75 miles that house the wine cellars of Cricova. Tour the tunnels and enjoy tasting and enjoy up to 4 of the wines before returning to Chisinau where the evening is at leisure. Overnight Jolly Alon Hotel or similar. (BL)
Day 4 – Cheeses of Moldova – Tipova Monastery – Chateau Vartely - Chisinau
(Approximate driving time today is 3.5 hours)
This morning we visit a couple in the village of Horodiste engaging in charity and social projects, in particular the production of cheese. Moldova is rich in high quality natural milk and the couple buy milk off local villagers as a raw material to make cheese providing much needed income for villagers. You will enjoy tasting up to 5 different cheeses paired with homemade wine. We then continue to Tipova and visit the impressive Orthodox cave monastery dating from the 11th Century and built into cliffs some 200 metres above the Dnistr River. Our final stop today is Chateau Vartely one of the top Moldovan winemakers where you will enjoy a late leisurely lunch and taste up to 5 different wines before returning to Chisinau where your evening is at leisure. (BL)
Day 5 – Bender – Republic of Transnistria – Tiraspol – Purcari Winery – Et Cetera Winery - Chisinau
(Approximate driving time today is 2.5 hours)
This morning drive to the border and cross into the breakaway republic of Transnistria. We head to the city of Tighina, or Bender, where you can explore the 16th century fortress and visit the on- site museum. We will also visit the War Memorial, before continuing onto the capital, Tiraspol where we enjoy a walking tour including the Lenin monument and tanks from the Second World War. Continue to the oldest wine estate in Moldova, Purcari is located no more than 50 km’s from the Black Sea and dates from 1827. Enjoy tasting 3 varieties of wine and then take lunch on the estate. Finally, today we visit the boutique Et Cetera Winery started by the Luchianov family in 2003. After years of travelling the world, mathematician Alexandru Luchianov decided to settle down in his native Moldova and pursue his passion for wine-making using modern techniques and traditional methods. Take a tour of the winery and taste up to 4 varieties of wine straight from the barrels. You will also have the chance to try local ‘Placinta’, a traditional pastry common to Ukraine and Romania as well as Moldova. It is a type of pastry stuffed usually with apples or cheese. Return to Chisinau where your evening is at leisure. Overnight Jolly Alon Hotel or similar. (BL)
Day 6 – Departure from Chisinau
The tour ends today after breakfast when airport transfers leave to meet onward flights. (B)
Dates & Price.
We offer this Moldova Food and Wine Tour for private departures only.
Prices start from £925 per person, based on two people travelling and sharing a room.
We can also tailor a similar or totally different itinerary to meet your requirements. Please contact us to discuss your travel plans.
Tour Notes
Single Supplement
Single Supplement from £150.
Flights
Return flights from London to Chisinau start at around £320. Please contact us for a quotation.
Transfers
Airport transfers are included in the tour price.
Extra Accommodation
Extra night accommodation pre and/or post tour in Chisinau costs from £46 per person, per night sharing a twin/double room and £79 per person in a solo occupancy room.
Please note that the prices quoted above are for the category of accommodation and hotel used for this particular tour. Depending on the hotel eventually confirmed there may be some difference in the rate advertised by the hotel, and the prices available through Undiscovered Destinations. It should be noted we will not apply a surcharge should more expensive accommodation be used. At the same time in the event that a lower rate is available for the confirmed hotel we are unable to offer a refund.
Combine Moldova with Bulgaria and Romania
Why not include Bulgaria and Romania to your tour for a more in depth look at this fascinating and little visited part of Europe? Please contact us to discuss your travel plans !
Download PDF.
Download the full tour dossier for this trip here.
For expert advice get in touch now with our passionate,
well-travelled team.
+44(0) 191 296 2674 from THE UK
1-800-614-2967 from THE US & CANADA
1-300-956-415 from AUSTRALIA
Tour inclusions.
- All accommodation
- Private air conditioned transport throughout
- Return airport transfers
- Services of English-speaking guide / tour leader
- Meals as listed (B – Breakfast, L – Lunch, D – Dinner)
- Wine tasting at the cellars mentioned in the itinerary
- Wine accompanying the lunches
- Water accompanying the lunches
- Entrance fees for sites listed as part of the itinerary
Tour exclusions.
- International flights
- Any airport taxes
- Travel insurance
- Visas
- Drinks
- Items of personal expenses
- Tips (Discretionary)
Read more about Moldova and our other tours in Europe
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