Toyota Prius+
Up to 4 guests
€260per car with guide, whole tour
Curchi Monastery, Old Orhei, Cricova. Nine and a half hours, three landmarks, home by evening.
A classic first day in Moldova: a baroque monastery restored inside the Orhei forest, a cave church cut into the cliff above the Răut, a village lunch at Butuceni, and the underground wine galleries of Cricova at the end of the afternoon. One car, a professional guide, just you and your party.
Price
One price per car with guide, not per person.
How many are you?
Bigger group? Message us on WhatsApp and I will quote it for you.
Opel Vivaro
Up to 7 guests
€370per car with guide, whole tour
Mercedes Sprinter
Up to 20 guests
€800per 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
Curchi, Old Orhei and Cricova in one day.
Chișinău to Curchi Monastery
Curchi Monastery
One of the most important architectural and spiritual monuments of Bessarabia, set in the Orhei forest ~14 km southwest of Orhei town. Guided visit.
Curchi to Old Orhei
Old Orhei (Orheiul Vechi)
Open-air natural and historical complex with the cave monastery at Butuceni village. Archaeological layers from Paleolithic to Iron Age. Guided visit.
Traditional lunch (optional)
Eco Resort Butuceni, traditional dishes from local products.
Paid on site, ~10-15 EUR per person
Old Orhei to Cricova
Cricova Winery
Moldova's most famous winery: 120+ km of underground galleries in former limestone mines. Winery tour with tasting of 3 wines and 1 sparkling.
Paid on site: winery tour and tasting
Cricova to your hotel
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 winery tour and the tasting at Cricova are paid on site and are not part of the tour price.
Why this day
Why this day and not another.
Three landmarks, three different Moldovas: a baroque monastery restored over the last decade in a pine forest, a cave church dug into limestone above a bend of the Răut, and 120+ km of wine galleries under the town of Cricova. Lunch in a village between them. No bus, no strangers, no fixed schedule once we are rolling.
What guests say about this day
Travelers who took this exact tour.
"We could arrive to both monasteries and Cricova Wine Cellar with perfect timing. Corneliu explained a lot of the history and answered all our questions. The food was also really really good."
"Excellent and very professional guide. The tour was amazing and we enjoyed everything."
"On March 21, 2026, our one-day tour in Moldova was led by guide Corneliu. Huge thanks for his erudition, sense of humor, punctuality, and for the love of his homeland that he radiates."
"The tour was excellent, we could arrive to both monasteries and Cricova Wine Cellar with perfect timing. 100% recommended."
Practical bits
Questions guests usually ask.
Group size and price
Toyota Prius+ takes up to 4 guests, €260. Opel Vivaro up to 7 guests, €370. Mercedes Sprinter up to 20 guests, €800. 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. 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.
Weather
We tour year-round. Winter has its own beauty, snow on the cave monastery is rare and unforgettable. In summer we adjust the schedule to avoid noon heat at Old Orhei.
Children
Welcome. Child seats available on request, 9 months and up.
Mobility
Cricova is wheelchair-accessible on the basic tour. Old Orhei involves a 15-minute uphill walk on uneven stone. Tell me in advance if this is a problem and we'll adjust the route.
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