About seven hours · Ialoveni · Hincesti · Milestii Mici
Collections, a mansion, a million bottles.
Costin Collections Gallery, Manuc Bey, Milestii Mici. Three places most visitors never hear about.
It starts 12 km out of town, in Ialoveni, in a museum founded by the collector Petru Costin: over 25 thematic collections under one roof, one of the most curious museums in the world. Then the Manuc Bey mansion in Hincesti, restored in French neoclassical style, with its halls and its hunting castle. And at the end of the day, Milestii Mici: more than 1.7 million bottles in over 200 km of underground limestone tunnels.
Price
One price per car with guide, not per person.
The day, hour by hour
Ialoveni, Hincesti and the descent into Milestii Mici.
Petru Costin Collections Gallery
Unique museum in Ialoveni founded by the collector Petru Costin: over 25 thematic collections under one roof, one of the most curious museums in the world.
Manuc Bey Mansion
Beautifully restored 19th-century palace complex in French neoclassical style in Hincesti: elegant halls and the hunting castle, which stands apart, a short walk away.
Milestii Mici winery
The world's largest wine collection, more than 1.7 million bottles, in over 200 km of underground limestone tunnels. You choose the program, with a tasting or without. Lunch is possible at the winery, a set menu, with live traditional music.
Paid on site: Milestii Mici tour, with a tasting or without
Back to Chișinău (22 km)
We are back around 16:00, sometimes a little later: it depends on the program at Milestii Mici.
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)
The gallery ticket and the Milestii Mici tour, with a tasting or without, are paid on site. Lunch at the winery is a set menu, optional and paid there too.
Why this day
Why this day and not another.
Three stops that rarely make a guidebook: a museum built out of one man's 25 collections, a neoclassical mansion and the tunnels of Milestii Mici. Curiosity first, wine second.
What guests say
Guests who have spent a day with me.
"Corneliu is a committed guide who took us on tours over several days in Moldova and Transnistria. He went into our interests with many suggestions and ideas, showed us not only the usual sights but also unknown paths."
"Excellent and very professional guide. The tour was amazing and we enjoyed everything."
"By the end, it felt like we'd been traveling with old friends. Cornelio's deep knowledge of history turned each destination into a captivating adventure filled with hidden gems and delightful surprises."
"I'm a solo female traveler from Canada and I had a wonderful private day trip to Odesa from Chișinău with Corneliu. He was very responsive, punctual, and attentive."
Practical bits
Questions guests usually ask.
Group size and price
Toyota Prius+ takes up to 4 guests, €230. Opel Vivaro up to 6 guests, €320. Mercedes Sprinter up to 20 guests, from €720, the exact price once I know your exact number. 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.
Languages
English, German, Russian, Romanian. Italian, Spanish, Turkish and Bulgarian with a guide from my team. Tell me which you prefer when you book.
Pick-up
Anywhere in Chișinău. Hotel, apartment, airport. Send me the address by WhatsApp.
What you pay at Milestii Mici
The Milestii Mici tour, with a tasting or without, is paid on site. Lunch at the winery is a set menu, optional and paid there too.
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
Your date is secured once you pay the deposit: that way you know the tour is yours, and I know I'm expecting you that day. Until then, the request commits you to nothing, but the date isn't reserved either, and another guest may book it. Cancellation: a week before the tour or earlier, we refund everything you've paid. Less than a week before, we refund 50% of what you've paid. On the day of the tour, what you've paid is not refunded, except for documented emergencies.
Weather
We tour year-round. Almost all of this day is indoors, in the museum, the mansion and the galleries, so the weather rarely changes anything. Take a warm layer for the underground part.
Children
Welcome. Child seats available on request, 9 months and up.
Mobility
The gallery and the manor are visited on foot with a guide, and part of the way through the Milestii Mici cellars is by car, as in Cricova. Tell me in advance if walking is a problem and I will check what is possible at each stop before we go.
Can we share the tour with other guests?
Yes, choose “Group tour” in the booking form. We can join you with other guests on the same route and day. If a group comes together, the price is lower: we count it individually and confirm it in advance. If not, you travel privately at the price shown on this page. The group closes 3 days before the tour.
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. 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?
If you have more time
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