Castel MIMI winery facade, Bulboaca, Moldova

One day · Chișinău · Wooden Church · Bulboaca

The capital first, the castle after.

Chișinău on foot, the Wooden Church, Castel MIMI. Seven and a half hours, 81 km, the shortest drive of all my days.

A morning in the green capital on the Bic: Nativity Cathedral, the Triumphal Arch, Cathedral Park, the old streets pressed against the new ones. Then fifteen minutes to an oak church built in 1642 at Harjauca Monastery and moved here in 2009, and half an hour more to Bulboaca, where a wine estate looks more like a chateau than a cellar.

from €240 / car (1 to 4 guests) 7.5 hours, 09:00 to 16:30 81 km EN · DE · RU · RO Pick-up in Chișinău included

Price

One price per car with guide, not per person.

How many are you?

Toyota Prius+

Up to 4 guests

€240per car with guide, whole tour

Opel Vivaro

Up to 7 guests

€340per car with guide, whole tour

Mercedes Sprinter

Up to 20 guests

€750per car with guide, whole tour

The price covers a professional licensed guide, the car and the fuel for the whole day. Entry tickets, tastings and lunch are paid on site, so you decide what you take.

Peak season and no guide free on your dates? There is a plan B: a car with a professional driver from my team, English-speaking on request, for less than a guided day. Message me on WhatsApp and I will check what is possible.

The day, hour by hour

City, church and castle in one day.

09:00-11:30

Guided tour of Chișinău

Green capital on the Bic river: Nativity Cathedral, Triumphal Arch, Cathedral Park, old and modern architecture.

11:30-11:45

To the Wooden Church

11:45-12:00

Wooden Church of Chișinău

Built in 1642 at Harjauca Monastery, moved and restored in 2009, now in the Village Museum. Tallest wooden church in Moldova (27 m), made of oak.

12:00-12:30

To Castel MIMI (Bulboaca)

13:00-15:30

Castel MIMI winery

Among the top 15 most beautiful wineries in the world. Guided tour with 'Iconiq' wine tasting (5 wines and 5 appetizers).

Paid on site: winery tour and Iconiq tasting

15:30-16:30

Castel MIMI to Chișinău

No surprises

What's in the price, what you pay on site.

What's in the price

  • Professional licensed guide, car and fuel for the whole day
  • Tour in your language: English, German, Russian or Romanian
  • Pick-up and drop-off anywhere in Chișinău
  • Bottled water 0.5 L per person

Paid on site

  • Entry tickets to monasteries, museums and wineries
  • Wine tastings (paid on site, cash or card)
  • Meals (lunch estimates given per tour, paid on site)

Why this day

Why this is the day for a short trip.

Eighty-one kilometers all day. If you have one afternoon between meetings, or you landed this morning and fly out tomorrow, this is the day that fits: the capital properly explained, the tallest wooden church in the country at 27 meters of oak, and a winery that lands on the lists of the most beautiful in the world. No long transfers, no early start.

What guests say about traveling with me

Reviews from my guests.

"Excellent and very professional guide. The tour was amazing and we enjoyed everything."

Maria Ioannidou · 🇬🇷 Greece · Group of 6, Cricova + Old Orhei · January 2026

"Corneliu is more than a car rental, he is also an excellent guide. We got to know many corners of the country with him over a week that we would never have found alone."

Sve N. · 🇩🇪 Germany · 1-week journey · 2024

Practical bits

Questions guests usually ask.

Group size and price
Toyota Prius+ takes up to 4 guests, €240. Opel Vivaro up to 7 guests, €340. Mercedes Sprinter up to 20 guests, €750. Every price is for the car and the guide for the whole tour, not per person. For a bigger group, write to me and I will quote it.
What is the tasting at Castel MIMI?
The guided winery tour comes with the Iconiq tasting, 5 wines and 5 appetizers. It is paid on site and it is not part of the tour price.
How much walking?
The Chișinău part of the day is a guided walk through the center, roughly two and a half hours with the car nearby. Tell me in advance if you would rather see more of it from the car and we adjust.
Languages
English, German, Russian, Romanian. Tell me which you prefer when you book.
Pick-up
Anywhere in Chișinău. Hotel, apartment, airport. Send me the address by WhatsApp.
Payment
Cash (EUR, MDL, USD) or bank transfer. Half on booking confirmation, half at the end of the tour. Entry tickets, tastings and lunch are paid on site.
Cancellation
Free cancellation a week before the tour or earlier. Less than a week before, 50%. On the day of the tour, no refund except documented emergencies.
Children
Welcome. Child seats available on request, 9 months and up.
What if no guide is available on my dates?
It happens in peak season. The fallback is a car with a professional driver, English-speaking on request, without the guided part - and it costs less than a full guided day. Write me on WhatsApp with your dates and I will tell you the same day what I can offer.

Book this day

Ready to plan?

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