I pick you up at your hotel in the morning, and while you settle in, I glance at your feet out of habit. Trainers mean we can set off straight away. Sandals aren't the best choice for this kind of trail, and we'll talk about that on the way. On this day we walk forest trails twice, with stones and roots underfoot almost all the way, wet ones near the water. There's no getting out, taking a photo and driving on: we spend most of the day in the forest and by the water, and you'll see the Dniester from the road and then from above, at Tipova.
I love this route for its lack of queues: no coaches with other groups, no underground galleries where you end up huddled in a jacket. Just the trail, the river and a quiet that starts the moment you step out of the car at Saharna. If you came to Moldova for the wine, I'll suggest a different route. But if you've long wanted to walk rather than sit, this day will suit you better than any other.
Above all, it's for people who have already seen a wine cellar or don't plan to. For those who climbed the rock at Old Orhei in fifteen minutes and asked for something longer: at Tipova the way down and back up takes about an hour, and the trail is noticeably steeper. For families whose children already walk on their own, because a waterfall needs no explaining to a child. And for anyone who likes taking pictures, because the main shot of the day, the Dniester from above, is waiting at Tipova, from several cliff edges.
I wouldn't recommend it if half an hour down over stones and then half an hour back up is hard for you, or if you need to be back in town early, because we get home towards evening. Nor is it the day for anyone hoping to see vineyards: there's no winery on this route, and I leave it out on purpose. Two walks and a long lunch in between fill the whole day, and I'd rather not turn a walk into a race for the sake of one more stop.
The drive to Saharna takes an hour and forty-five minutes, sometimes a little less, and the first hour on the main road goes by in conversation. I tell you how the country works, why it has so many monasteries above the river and what's for lunch; you tell me why you came and what you've seen so far. Besides making the journey feel shorter, the conversation gives me a sense of everyone's stamina, so I can judge how long we'll stay at the Saharna waterfall and how much time to leave for the viewpoints at Tipova. A group with plenty of stamina walks faster and sits longer by the water; a more cautious group goes slowly and stops more often. Both are fine, because nothing on this day needs rushing.
We reach Saharna before the heat sets in. Many call the monastery the most beautiful in the country. I won't argue, but I'll lead you on into the forest, which is what we came for. We go into the monastery itself if you like.
The trail is easy: thirty to forty-five minutes through the woods to the waterfall and back, nothing steep, so you can walk and talk without losing your breath. You always hear the water before you see it. The waterfalls are small, don't expect Iceland, but you can walk right up to them, wet your hands and stand in the cool air that hangs around the water even in July. Talk there usually dies down by itself for a couple of minutes, and I won't hurry anyone.
I allow plenty of time at Saharna so that nobody has to run to the waterfall. Some walk the trail to the end, others sit on a rock by the first waterfall and stay there. That's fine too: on this day the timetable follows the group, and nobody is late for anything.
Lalova is about forty-five minutes from Saharna, and Hanul lui Hanganu stands right in the village. Lunch is optional and paid on site, but I'd advise not skipping it. It's Moldovan village cooking without restaurant frills, and after the forest that's exactly what you want: hot, and plenty of it. You choose your own dishes, and I translate the menu and explain what each one is. You can have a glass of wine, just remember the way down and back up at Tipova is still ahead.
The hour and a half is deliberate. In the middle of the day the sun is at its highest, and that time is better spent in the shade over lunch than on an open trail. After lunch you've rested, your legs want to walk again and the heat is easing. In summer I keep strictly to this order and shift our departure if needed, so you start the Tipova trail after the worst of the heat.
After lunch we drive to Tipova, which is very close. This trail is different: first down, then back up, and I'd honestly describe it as moderately difficult. The way down takes about thirty minutes, and the climb back the same. In places the path is rocky and fairly steep, so watch your feet and save the looking around for the top. On the way back up someone always asks how much further, and I say about the same again. There are several viewpoints, and from each the Dniester looks a little different: limestone cliffs, the river far below, and across the water the left bank, that is, Transnistria. That view is why I bring people here, and in the afternoon the light on the rocks is softer than at midday.
Tipova has waterfalls too, but they're about an hour and a half's walk each way, so a normal day doesn't include them. If you want to go, tell me in advance and we'll arrange it separately. I'll certainly show you the cave monastery cut into the same rocks, but I'm leaving it out of this article and will tell you about it there: this piece is about the trail and the river seen from above.
The drive back to Chișinău takes about an hour and a half, and guests usually fall asleep somewhere halfway. I don't take offence; to me it means a day well spent.
You need soles that don't slip on wet stone: trainers will do, hiking boots are even better. Sandals are far from ideal, but if you have nothing else, you can walk in them, very carefully and at your own risk. Leave flip-flops and heels at the hotel. Dress in layers: the forest by the water is cool even in summer, the viewpoints are windy and the car is air-conditioned. In summer a cap and sunscreen come in handy. Take a small bag so your hands stay free on the climb. I hand out half a litre of water per person in the car, but for this day bring the same again. And charge your phone the night before, because you'll take more pictures than you expect.
There are no entry tickets on this route, not at the monasteries or anywhere else, so on site you pay only for lunch. Everything else is in the tour price: the car with fuel for the whole day, me as your guide in English, German, Russian or Romanian, pick-up and drop-off anywhere in Chișinău, and water. If you'd prefer Italian, Spanish or Turkish, a guide from my team who speaks it will come with you. Up to four people ride with me in a Toyota Prius+, five or six in an Opel Vivaro, and seven to twenty in a Mercedes Sprinter. Twenty people walk more slowly than two, and I allow for that too.
Children usually like this day more than museum halls, because to them the waterfalls and the climb are a game. There's one condition: the child either walks the half hour down and the half hour up on their own or rides on dad's shoulders. Seats for children from nine months are available on request and included in the price. If someone in your group can't manage the way down and back up at Tipova, tell me beforehand and I'll adjust the day so that nobody waits for the others in the sun or pushes past their limits.
The easiest time to come is from April to October. Spring and autumn are nicer for walking than summer, and in summer the order is: the forest in the morning, lunch in the heat, the rocks once it cools. Winter works too, with hardly any tourists, but after rain and in frost the stone gets slippery. If the weather is really bad, I'll suggest moving the trip or choosing another route myself, because I won't drag you along a wet trail just to tick a box.
Of my day trips, this one is probably the simplest on paper: no collections, no underground halls with a “largest in the world” sign, just forest, stone underfoot and the river below. Guests end it pleasantly tired, as after a good walk, and the next day they usually ask for something calm. So if you have two days in Moldova, start with this trip and save the cellars for the second day, when your legs will welcome a rest.
The detailed itinerary, the cars and the price for the day are on the tour page: Tipova and Saharna. If you're not sure you'll manage both walks, write to me and we'll work out together how to fit the day to your group.
Message me on WhatsApp with the date you have in mind and how many of you there are, plus a note on everyone's walking ability. I'll tell you when I'll pick you up and fit both walks to your group's pace.
In the morning we walk down to cells cut into the limestone above the Dniester and climb back up, then a village lunch with a family in Lalova and a winery in Orhei. Here is how the day works and who it suits.
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Ten hours, roughly 320 kilometres and one town on the Dniester at the end of the road. Here is how my longest day out works and who it suits.
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An hour and a half under oaks and hornbeams in the morning, then a wine tasting with lunch overlooking the vineyards. How the day works and who it suits best.
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