Highlights of Moldova - Curchi, Old Orhei and Cricova (Optional)

What a great day! Great communication the evening before, clean and comfortable car, and Oleg was a great guide. He was able to balance the history of each place without it being overwhelming, and seemed incredibly passionate about sharing his country with us.

I originally booked two tours with this company. The first one (Transdnistria) was absolutely fantastic, while I chose this one more as an addition to the trip. In the end, the whole experience turned out to be much better than I expected. I would especially like to thank our guide Oleg, who was incredibly dedicated throughout the trip. He patiently answered countless questions, adapted the tour to our interests, and genuinely went the extra mile to make sure we got the most out of the day. I left Moldova with a much deeper understanding of the country than I expected, and a lot of that is thanks to him. Highly recommended to anyone who wants more than just a standard sightseeing tour.

Oleg, our tour guide, and Nicholas, our other co-tourist from Croatia, were such fun companions. We had a good time talking about everything--history, politics, religion, and culture. The monasteries we visited were beautiful, with Oleg helping make the visit more meaningful by giving us the needed context. I also liked the restaurant where we had lunch. It was a traditional restaurant with delicious, inexpensive traditional food. The tour of the Cricova Winery was awesome. It's an optional visit, but I suggest that you don't miss it. It was a wonderful experience and was for me, the highlight of the day. It was a great tour overall, and I recommend this to everyone who plans to visit Chisinau.

Great tours of the Circova underground wine cellar and the wine castle. Also visit to monastery was beautiful.

A really good full day tour that showed some of the highlights of Moldova. Corina was a great guide - full of insight into modern and old Moldova. We highly recommend this tour to everyone who visits Moldova. Pay the extra for the Cricova tour and tasting - it’s definitely worth it!

Eleonora was an excellent guide. She provided much information about Moldova and Chisinau in addition to details about Curchi, Old Orhei and Cricova,

The tour was great. Was picked up from the hotel, the guide was informative. The sites are lovely to visit and a good balance of walking and driving. I would highly recommend if someone is looking for a relaxing but exciting day to explore some of Moldova’s important sights.

We had a lovely day, and at no point did we feel rushed or that there was not enough time at any of the sights. The winery was a particular high point.

If you're considering this tour, stop hesitating — just book it. Our guide Oleg turned what could have been a straightforward sightseeing day into a genuinely moving experience. We visited three very different but equally remarkable places. Curchi Monastery was breathtaking — the architecture, the setting among the rolling hills, and Oleg's storytelling about its history and spiritual significance gave it real depth. You feel like you actually understand what you're looking at. Old Orhei (Orheiul Vechi) was a highlight I didn't expect. The ancient cave monastery carved into the cliffs above the Răut River is one of those places that makes you stop and just stare. Oleg knew exactly when to give context and when to let the landscape speak for itself. And then Cricova — what a way to end the day. The underground wine city is unlike anything I've experienced. Oleg made sure we understood the history of Moldovan winemaking, not just the tasting, which made the whole thing so much richer. Oleg was knowledgeable, warm, funny at the right moments, and clearly passionate about his country. He treated us like curious guests, not a tourist group to be herded. Highly, highly recommended.

Very nice trip to the highlights near Chisinau. Bring good footwear, as you will do a bit of hiking, and a jacket, as it is very cold in the winery.