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- Short description
- Basic information
- Program
- Map of the tour
- Photo galleries
- How to join us
- Ask for more information
Short description
This compact 5-day Moldova program covers the country’s most interesting and remarkable places.
We stay at a comfortable hotel in Chișinău and take day trips each day. Walks around Chișinău are included, mainly in the evening after we return from the day’s main sites.
One day is dedicated to the “Golden Triangle”—Moldova’s three most famous places: Curchi Monastery, Old Orhei, and Cricova Winery, including a tasting of at least four wines.
A full day is devoted to Pridnestrovye (Transnistria), also known as the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (PMR). We’ll visit key sites in Bender and Tiraspol, the capital of this self-proclaimed republic. Here we’ll step back into the Soviet era, which this territory still seems not to have left behind. We’ll eat in a Soviet restaurant, see monuments from Soviet times, and immerse ourselves in that bygone world. But not everything here is Soviet—we’ll also see the well-preserved 15th-century Bender Fortress.
Another day takes us to southern Moldova—Gagauzia, and specifically Comrat, the capital of the Gagauz Autonomous Republic. We’ll visit the local Gagauz museum in the village of Besalma to learn about the history and culture of this small community. Lunch will be at the ethnographic complex “Gagauz Sofrasi” in the village of Congaz, where we’ll try traditional Gagauz dishes.
We’ll also visit Taraclia, the administrative center of Moldova’s Bulgarian community, known for its diverse cultural heritage and significant ethnic Bulgarian population. There’s a fascinating museum, cultural center, and monuments related to Bulgarian history. We’ll meet members of the community, talk with them, and immerse ourselves in this Bulgarian atmosphere outside Bulgaria.
Finally, we’ll visit Cipriano Monastery and the Soviet Museum of Petru Costin in the town of Ialoveni before departing for home.
Basic information
Travel period: summer and autumn;
Dates: 10–14 October 2026; 10–14 May 2027
Duration: 4 nights/5 days;
Group: 10 people;
Price for the program in Moldova: 850 euros/person (group of 10 people). If the group is smaller, the price will increase slightly.
The price includes:
Guides: company guide and local guide;
Transfers/transport: all transfers and transportation by minibus in Moldova;
Accommodation: 4 nights at Manhattan Hotel & Restaurant in Chișinău – 4 stars or similar (may be 3 stars, but with the same quality), with breakfast included, in double rooms; single occupancy is available.
Museum and attraction tickets: all museum and attraction tickets mentioned in the program, including a tasting of 4 wines, sparkling wine, and light snacks at Cricova Winery.
Airfares The group will fly from Sofia, Bulgaria, to Chișinău. You can meet us at Sofia Airport or at the hotel in Chișinău. We can arrange flights from your home country to Chișinău. If you’re flying separately, we can also arrange transfers to the hotel. Contact us to discuss the available options.
Visa EU citizens do not need a visa for Moldova. For other nationalities, please contact us.
This program provides an overview of the trip’s key details. If you need a solution tailored to your specific circumstances, please contact us via email. We can arrange flights from anywhere in the world to the trip’s starting point, as well as airport/hotel transfers and any required documents. Our team will support you throughout the entire planning process. Feel free to reach out via email!
Program
Day 1: Flight to Chișinău, Moldova
Today we fly to Chișinău, Moldova. Additional flight details will be shared once the group is finalized. Please also see the Airfares section above. In the evening, enjoy a walk around the city center or choose an activity of your preference.
Day 2: The Golden Triangle of Moldova—Curchi Monastery, Old Orhei, and Cricova Winery
Curchi Monastery is one of Moldova’s most important architectural and religious landmarks. Located in the Orhei Forest near the village of Curchi, about 14 km southwest of Orhei, it’s considered one of the country’s most beautiful monasteries—a true gem and one of Moldova’s most impressive sites.
Next, we visit the ethnographic reserve "Old Orhei" (the villages of Butuceni and Trebujeni), set in a picturesque valley. We'll explore a fascinating archaeological site with ruins of two cities dating from the 14th–16th centuries. Then we continue to the well-maintained Orthodox cave monastery "Saint Mary Dormata," carved into the rocks and expanded by monks over the centuries. From the still-functioning church, a magnificent view opens over the entire valley.
Lunch is at a splendid restaurant—a landmark in itself.
In the afternoon, we reach Cricova Winery, one of Moldova's largest. Its underground cellars feature over 200 km of tunnels and passages, created from the 15th century onward when stone was quarried to build Chișinău. They were converted into an underground winery in the 1950s, and today much of the labyrinth is used for wine storage. The electric train ride through the tunnels includes several stops for tasting (4 wines, 1 sparkling wine, and light snacks included), a film in a cinema hall where we'll drink wine while watching, tasting rooms, museums, and more. The entire visit lasts about 2 hours, including the tasting.
In the evening, we return to our hotel in Chișinău.
Day 3: The Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic—Tiraspol and Bender, or Back to the USSR
After crossing the border between Moldova and Pridnestrovye (Transnistria)—the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (PMR)—we first visit Bender Fortress, a 16th-century stronghold built by the Moldavian ruler Stephen the Great as part of the defensive chain along the Dniester River. In 1538, when the city became part of the Ottoman Empire, Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent restored the fortress and renamed it Bender. Today, you can explore the museum, the torture chamber, and other well-preserved structures.
We’ll explore Soviet-era architecture in Bender, including the Tighina Military Cemetery, Bendery Railway Station, the Gorky Cinema, local mosaics, and other notable sites.
Lunch will be at a traditional Soviet-style restaurant or bistro.
Next, we head to Tiraspol, the administrative center of the self-proclaimed Pridnestrovye (Transnistria) region. We’ll see Lenin monuments, the Glory Monument, the 1936 theater, Taras Shevchenko University, the House of Soviets, Tiraspol’s Soviet parks, and many other sites. If you’re interested in history or want to see remnants of the USSR, Tiraspol offers an authentic glimpse into that world. In the evening, we return to our hotel in Chișinău.
Day 4: Gagauzia and the Bulgarians of Taraclia
Today we explore southern Moldova.
We begin in Gagauzia, in Comrat—the capital of the Gagauz Autonomous Republic. The Gagauz are a distinctive Orthodox community that speaks a Turkic language. Nearly 70% of Comrat’s residents are ethnic Gagauz, a Turkic people who migrated from Bulgaria in the early 19th century. We’ll visit the local Gagauz museum in the village of Besalma to learn about the history and culture of this community.
Lunch will be at the ethnographic complex "Gagauz Sofrasi" in the village of Congaz, where we’ll try traditional Gagauz dishes.
Next, we head to Taraclia, the administrative center of Moldova’s Bulgarian community. The town is known for its diverse cultural heritage and significant ethnic Bulgarian population, and it plays an important role in the region’s economy and cultural life—blending Moldovan and Bulgarian traditions.
We’ll visit the Historical and Ethnographic Museum in Taraclia, which houses a rich collection of artifacts documenting Bulgarian life in the region. We’ll also see the Monument to Bulgarian Settlers and the church of "Saint Demetrius of Thessaloniki".
Day 5: Cipriano Monastery and the Soviet Museum of Petru Costin in Ialoveni
Cipriano Monastery lies on the edge of a vast forest between the villages of Strășeni and Cipriana, on the Isnovăț River, not far from Chișinău. Founded in the 15th century during the reign of Alexander the Good, it was rebuilt by Stephen the Great in 1470. The complex includes three churches: "Dormition of the Mother of God" (1545), "Saint Nicholas" (1840), and "Saint George" (1907). The oldest—the "Dormition of the Mother of God" church—was founded by Petru Rareș.
This is one of Moldova's most beautiful and best-preserved monasteries.
Our final stop is the open-air museum dedicated to the Soviet Union—the gallery of Petru Costin in the town of Ialoveni. This vast private collection, assembled over approximately 45 years, features dozens of Soviet, socialist, and communist monuments, along with airplanes, cars, and other artifacts.
Transfer to the airport for the flight back home.
Take a look at the publication dedicated to this interesting place - Discovering Moldova's Hidden Soviet Legacy: The Socialism Museum in Condrița, Moldova
Map of the tour
Photo galleries
High-quality, royalty-free (RF) photos from the Thousand Voyages Archive, available for download:
Gypsy Hill: Where Dreams and Reality Collide in Moldova Soroca Fort: A Medieval Fortress on the Dniester Taraclia: Moldova's Bulgarian Heart Comrat: Gateway to Gagauzia Bender: A City Between Two Worlds Tiraspol, the capital of Transnistria, Moldova The Socialism Museum in Condrița, Moldova
How to join us
Please email us for more information about this trip or to sign up. We’ll respond promptly and keep you updated on all organizational details. If you’re a group of 5–8 people, we can discuss dates that work for you. You can also join the list for future trips—just send us your names. That’s it!
Ask for more information
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