MOLDOVA - ROMANIA TOUR INCLUDING THE PAINTED MONASTERIES OF BUCOVINA (UNESCO)

7 days / 6 nights
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DISCOVER MOLDOVA AND ROMANIA DURING THIS 7-DAY TOUR!

Discover Moldova and Romania during the same tour covering important tourist attractions of these countries including the painted monasteries of Bucovina (UNESCO). Offer yourself the opportunity to travel in time to Orheiul Vechi in Moldova, a 40-thousand-year-old natural amphitheater and visit Iasi city in Romania, named an open-air museum. Discover Asconi family winery and Milestii Mici – the largest wine cellar in the world (200 km) in Moldova and visit the Painted Monasteries in Romania including Probota, Voronet, Sucevita and Moldovita included in the list of UNESCO’s World Heritage sites. Don’t miss the opportunity to visit the Seat Fortress of Suceava in Romania. The city of Suceava was the capital of the former Principality of Moldova between 1388 and 1565 and the fortress is the most significant medieval site closely linked with the history of this region.


Highlights

Asconi winery

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Manuc Bei Manor

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Milestii Mici winery

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Chisinau city

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Cultural, Natural and...

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"Placinte" and roll-ups...

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Curchi Monastery

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Capriana Monastery

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Iasi city

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Probota Monastery

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Seat Fortress of Suceava

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Voronet Monastery

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Egg Museum

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Moldovita Monastery

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Sucevita Monastery

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Putna Monastery

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Itinerary A day-by-day plan to guide your journey. Download PDF

Day 1: Arrival in Chisinau, Moldova and visit of Asconi winery

Chisinau – Puhoi – Chisinau

On arrival at Chisinau International Airport, you will be transferred to Puhoi village where you will enjoy an excursion, wine tasting and dinner at Asconi winery. This is a family-owned winery, whose foundation is a long-standing tradition and experience in the production of Moldovan wine. The winery achieved a lot due to modern wine making technologies. Nowadays at Asconi estate European varieties are grown, but special attention is paid to indigenous varieties such as Rara Neagra, Feteasca, etc. One of the features of Asconi winery is that they pick up the grapes mechanically at night when the grapes are still cold.

After dinner, you will be transferred to Chisinau where you will check in at the hotel.


HIGHLIGHTS: Asconi winery

Day 2: Discovery of Milestii Mici – the largest wine cellar in the world (200 km)

Chisinau – Hincesti – Milestii Mici – Chisinau

In the morning, you will travel to Hincesti where you will visit the Manuc Bei Manor that now houses the Museum of History and Local History. The actual house is a real castle in the French style, with a winter garden, guard towers and a park - built in the second half of 19th century based on the project of Alexander Bernardazzi, and for decades was the estate of family Mirzoyan, descendants of Manuc Bei. In the 70-ies of the 20th century, Manor House Museum was opened, including a collection that now includes more than 20,000 artifacts. The most valuable is the collection of the Moldovan national costumes and textiles.

Next, you will take a ride to Milestii Mici winery located at a depth of 40-85 m in Milestii Mici village. Measuring about 200 km, all underground streets make up the largest network of caves ever dug by a human being, which appeared after the extraction of limestone deposits. The winery holds an impressive collection of more than 2 million bottles. The "Golden Collection" of Milestii Mici winery, which has over 1,5 million bottles, is the pride of the whole country, as in August, 2005, it was registered in the Guinness World Records as the biggest wine collection in the world. You will feel like a king/ queen here, admiring the beauty of this place, tasting wines in which you will feel the fire of sun and vigor of earth and enjoying national cuisine dishes.

After visiting Milestii Mici winery, you will be transferred to Chisinau where you will enjoy a walking tour of Chisinau city which is the main administrative, scientific and cultural centre of Moldova. During the tour, you will discover pieces of history and culture of the city such as the Nativity of Christ Cathedral, the Bell Tower, the Arch of Triumph, the Monument of Stephen the Great, etc.


HIGHLIGHTS: Manuc Bei Manor, Milestii Mici winery, Chisinau city

Day 3: Visit of Orheiul Vechi - a 40-thousand-year-old natural amphitheater and wine and food experience at Butuceni guesthouse

Chisinau – Orheiul Vechi – Butuceni – Curchi – Chisinau

The day will begin with a visit of Orheiul Vechi (Old Orhei) - a natural amphitheater revealing a territory which was first inhabited 40 000 years ago. The Cultural, Natural and Landscape Reserve Orheiul Vechi includes a series of historical and cultural monuments as well as natural landscapes in the gorge of the Raut River. Ancient fortifications, cave monasteries, monks and hermits – here you can follow the history of this region. The remnants of the first human settlements were found in the stone caverns from here. On the rocky hill, you will find the ruins of a strong Geto-Dacian fortification, which acted as a sanctuary for celebrating religious holidays and rituals in this prehistoric community. The originality of Orheiul Vechi landscape is due to the gorge of the Raut River, dug under the form of a canyon in the limestone layers of the former Sarmatian Sea, about 14 million years ago.

Next, you will visit Butuceni guesthouse, where you will enjoy a culinary masterclass during which you will learn how to cook traditional “placinte” (pies) with sour cherries or roll-ups with rose petal jam. At lunch you will taste traditional Moldovan dishes such as “zeama” (chicken soup with homemade egg noodles), “mamaliga” and the dessert made by you that will melt in the mouth.

The day will continue at Curchi Monastery. The monastery is surrounded by a high wall of stone, set with towers at each corner, creating the impression of a fortress. The Nativity of Virgin Mary Church built in 1775 by Iordache Curchi is an example of neo-byzantine style, while St. Nicholas Church has monumental forms built in classicism style with baroque elements.


HIGHLIGHTS: Cultural, Natural and Landscape Reserve Orheiul Vechi, "Placinte" and roll-ups masterclass at Butuceni guesthouse , Curchi Monastery

 

What's included

  • Accommodation in a double (DBL) or twin (TWN) room at the hotel of your choice in Chisinau (3 nights) and proposed hotels in Iasi (2 nights) and Suceava (1 night);
  • Breakfast at the hotel of your choice;
  • Lunch on day 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 of the itinerary;
  • Dinner on day 1 of the itinerary;
  • Excursions on the entire itinerary;
  • Entrance fees according to the itinerary;
  • Tasting of 6 types of wine at Asconi winery and 7 types of wine at Milestii Mici winery;
  • Culinary masterclass in Butuceni village;
  • Culinary masterclass in Dolhesti village;
  • Transportation during the entire itinerary;
  • English speaking guide.