Wine Road in Moldova Period: March November Duration: 6 Days/5 Nights Type of Tour: Private and small groups (2, 4, 6, 8, 10,15 pax) En route: Cricova Wine Cellars, Milestii Mici Wine Cellars, Asconi Winery, Chateau Purcari, EtCetera Winery; Branesti wine cellars, Chateau Vartely Winery, Wine Shop&Bar Carpe Diem Cultural Highlights: Open-Air Museum Complex Orheiul Vechi, Museum of Handicrafts and National Carpets, Monasteries Hincu and Capriana Itinerary: Day 1: Arrival at International Airport Chisinau. Transfer to the hotel. Check-in hotel in Chisinau. (D) Visit to the vinoteca Carpe Diem to enjoy evening in a nice atmoshpere and with a glass of a good wine. Have a pleasant dinner followed by wine tasting. Overnight at hotel. Day 2: City tour Chisinau Cricova Wine Cellars Museum Complex Orheiul Vechi (B, L) 08:30 10:30 - After having a breakfast at the hotel, we begin this day with a city tour of Chisinau guided by an English speaking guide. During this tour you will get acquainted with the city history, will visit the historical part of our capital. You will make a stop at the monument Stefan the Great and Saint, the Bell Tower, the Triumph Arc, the Central Square and the Central Cathedral, the Parliament, the Presidency, and will have a pleasant walk along the Alley of Classics of Romanian Literature, visit the souvenirs shop; you ll see some of our churches and cathedrals as well. 11:00 12:30 - Later you ll have a perfect possibility to see our underground city of Cricova with famous wine-cellars, and even taste some of their perfect wines and sparkling-wines. Have a tour along the underground tunnels of the wine-cellars, and take a train through the tunnels.
You ll see a large wine collection and you ll get acquainted with the process of wine and sparkling wine production. The Integrated Factory Cricova is the only factory in Republic that produces sparkling wine through the classical French fermentation method aging in bottles for up to 3 years. All Cricova wines can be tasted in luxurious tasting halls, which are a veritable masterpiece of exquisite architecture. Tasting of 4 wines. 12:30 - Heading to Orhei region. 13:00 - Stop in Butuceni village for lunch in a boarding house. Enjoy national Moldavian cuisine. 14:30 17:00 - guided tour around the museum complex Orheiul Vechi (Old ORHEI) - an impressive monastery complex that presents the remains of different civilizations established between Nistru and Prut rivers. This is a cave complex comprising caves, grottos, churches, and hermitages. The open air museum represents a true natural fortress, inhabited since ancient times. 17:00 18:00 - departure to Chisinau and arrival. Time at leisure. Visit to Enoteca INVINO to see their unique personal collection of best wines of Moldova and have a chance to sample some of them. (OPTIONAL). Free dinner. Overnight in Chisinau. Day 3: Monasteries in the forest Codru : Hincu, Capriana. Milestii Mici Winery. Asconi Winery, Puhoi village. (B, L) 09:00 departure to the woods of Moldova Codrii After breakfast at hotel we ll leave for the forests Codrii for visiting the14 th cent. Monastery Capriana, and the convent Hincu that is hidden in a dense forest. 10:00 11:00 - First stop is the village with one of the oldest monasteries in Moldova Capriana. For a long period of time it was the headquarters of Moldova s bishop. It was founded by the great Moldovan Ruler Stefan the Great. Closed and dilapidated during the post-war period, it was only reopened again in 1989, becoming a symbol of national revival. 11:00 12:00 - Then we continue to the convent Hincu. Convent was founded in 1678 and firstly it was a women's hermitage. Its founder is a Moldovan nobleman Mihai Ginkul (Hincu), who built the nunnery at his daughter's will: there she took the veil. During the 18 th century it was destroyed for many times by
Tatars and was totally neglected. On the Hinculs' insistence in the 19 th century the cloister was reconstructed and inhabited by monks. At the same time both stone churches (Assumption and St. Paraskeva) and the storages were built. 12:00 - Departure to Milestii Mici winery and cellars After breathing the fresh air of Codrii forest we ll leave for the world-known wine-cellars of Milestii Mici to see their rich wine collection and an underground wine galleries. The wines stored here are made of various years crops, beginning with the 1968 to 1991. The Golden Collection of Milestii Mici contains over two million bottles of harmonious wines dating from the period of Moldavian wine making prosperity Pinot, Traminer, Muscat, Riesling, Feteasca, Codru, Negru de Purcari, Trandafirul Moldovei, Auriu and others. The Mileştii Mici wine was repeatedly awarded. 13:00 15:00 - You will have a pleasant walk in the cellars followed by wine tasting and lunch. You will pass by car these 200 km of natural lime galleries. 16:00-16:40 - After lunch we proceed on to the village of Puhoi for visiting a new winery Asconi 17:00 18:00 Guided tour around the winery followed by wine tasting. 18:00 18:40 - Back to Chisinau. Free dinner. Overnight in Chisinau. Day 4: Chateau Vartely Winery - House of Handicrafts and National Carpets Stone Epoch: Branesti Winery and underground hotel. (B, L) 09:00 after breakfast, drive to Orhei region to explore a new area of professional wine-makers. First winery to be visited on the route will be Chateau Vartely Winery and Touristic Complex placed on a hill and opening an astonishing view on the town Orhei, surrounding area and vineyards. 10:00 13:00 - A tour around the wine complex will be followed by wine tasting in some of their elegant tasting halls where the tourists will be offered some of the best wines produced there. Lunch will be served in a winery restaurant or on the open terrace. 13:00 further drive to a nearby village of Clisova Noua to find oneself in a place where old national carpets and handicrafts articles are stored and carefully preserved by the owner of the collection herself. You ll be done a tour around the property where the mistress will personally tell the origin of each carpet and article exposed there. You ll even have the possibility to witness the production of new handicraft articles and carpets produced on the spot by the ladies being at weaving work. Some of the articles are exposed for sale and you can take a piece of Moldova with you.
14:30 depart to Branesti village to explore the future underground stone hotel Stone Epoch and visit the winery Branseti where you ll feel the atmosphere of our ancestors by walking around the stone galleries and listening the stories of the local wine production. Wine tasting will be done in one of the stone galleries with massive oak tables and chairs that will undoubtedly take you some centuries ago. 17:00 drive back to Chisinau. Time at leisure. Free dinner. Overnight in Chisinau. Day 5: South-East of Moldova: Purcari Winery and Chateau Etcetera Winery (B, L) 10:00- Leaving Chisinau for heading to a small family winery EtCetera which is situated in a village of Krokmaz close to the Ukrainian border. 12:00 15:00 - You ll be given a tour by the wine-maker himself and have the opportunity to taste some of the award winning wines and take lunch in fresh air with a view on their vast vineyards. 15:00 departure to the famous estate and winery Purcari the oldest wine-estate in Moldova for a tour. 15:30 17:30 - Visit the production, grape processing and the wine storage areas, including bottle line. Walk into the cellars where the wine is matured in oak barrels and bottles, including the Purcari wine collection. You ll have a possibility to taste their glorious wines some of the favorites of the Queen Elisabeth. 17:30 19:30 - Back to Chisinau and arrival. Free dinner. Overnight in Chisinau. Day 6: Flight Back home. (B) Breakfast at hotel. Free time for doing shopping. Check-out before 12 am. Transfer to the airport.
B-Breakfast, L-Lunch, D-Dinner Cost of the tour 6 days/5 nights. Package price is per 1 pax and given in EUR. Accommodation in 2 pax 4 pax 6 pax 8 pax 10 pax 15 pax SSUP Bristol Central Park Hotel 4* in Chisinau 809 686 611 590 560 531 188 Aria Hotel 4* in Chisinau 796 674 598 578 548 519 150 Nobil Luxury Boutique Hotel 5* in Chisinau 909 786 711 690 660 631 263 Services included: Accommodation in Chisinau, 5 nights sharing Twin/DBL room on BB basis ESG services as per itinerary Transport services acc. the program incl. transfers from/to airport Excursions + wine tastings in the wineries: Cricova winery, tasting of 4 wines Milestii Mici winery, tasting of 5 wines Asconi winery, tasting of 3 wines Chateau Purcari, tasting of 4 wines EtCetera Winery, tasting of 5 wines Chateau Vartely Winery, tasting of 6 wines Branesti Wine Cellars, tasting of 3 wines Carpe Diem Wine Shop&Bar, tasting of 5 wines Meals: 5 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 1 dinner Entry fee: Orheiul Vechi Museum, Museum of Carpets Water for the bus, 1 bottle 0.5 per day per pax