Chisinau
Your 2022 travel to Moldova will start from Chisinau airport - the only international airport in the country. The Republic of Moldova is only 450 kilometers from north to south and 200 kilometers from east to west so we recommend you to use a taxi during all your Moldova visit as it is cheap (0.5 EUR/1 km) and from the airport to the city center, it will only cost you 10 EUR.
Chisinau is located right in the center of the country, so you can live in Chisinau and use it as a base for your 1-day trips to the countryside but the better option is to mix your travel and spend 1-2 nights in a rural house in beautiful Moldova villages.
Chisinau tourism can offer you:
Parks: Gradina Botanica, Dendrariu (Arboretum), Valea Morilor.
Museums: National Museum of Ethnography and Natural History, Village Museum with the old wooden church, Museum of Moldova State University, The National Museum of History of Moldova, National Art Museum of Moldova, Peperete Art Gallery.
Churches: Orthodox Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Saviour and Ciuflea Monastery.
Take advantage of attractive Moldova prices and try activities in Chisinau like:
massages at a price of 20 EUR per 1 hour.
dental treatment which is a minimum of 5 times cheaper than in Europe with the same quality level.
all kinds of SPA procedures - full-body mud mask, acupuncture, paraffin body wrap, to name a few.
Besides, for just 100 Euro you can get travel emotions you will never forget and take Air ballooning.
In the evening you first visit one of the wine tasting rooms (Poiana wine, Purcari wine bar, Vartely, Invino, Wine.md, WINE GOGH, etc) and after that go to a nice restaurant and get a gastronomic orgasm from Moldovan cuisine, Gagauz cuisine or Ukrainian cuisine.
Within 30 minutes from Chisinau there are 2 objects of national pride:
Cricova wine cellars - the longest cellars in the world with a total length of the underground galleries exceeding 60 km.
Milestii Mici. It has a unique collection of more than 2 million bottles and is registered in Guinness Records as the biggest Wine Collection in the world.
And, of course, you should include in your 2022 trip itinerary Moldova wine festival in early October.
If you come to Moldova from Europe for 4-5 days then start with the most popular Moldova tourism route and head to Curchi monastery and after it to Old Orhei (a historical and archaeological complex in Butuceni village plus an Orthodox monastery still inhabited by monks). The best you can do after that is to book accommodation in a traditional style rural house, relax there with a glass of house wine and enjoy delicious Moldovan cuisine outdoors. The next day either make kayaking on river Dniester or visit monasteries Capriana/Hincu and Codry National Park. Continue your visit to Moldova to Gagauzia (an autonomous region in the south with its own culture) and get to know Gagauz cuisine: shurpa, gozleme, kaurma, turshu and mandja. If you travel here in early November you can take part in Wine Festival -Gagauz Șarap Yortusu.
One day of your trip you should definitely devote to visiting 1 of 3 wineries in the South-East Purcari wine region:
Castel Mimi Wine Resort - a splendid winery with tasting tours and accommodation in just 45 minutes from Chisinau.
Et Cetera - a family-owned winery 2 hours from Chisinau in remote area.
Purcari - chateau of most famous Moldovan wine producer named after one of Moldova Wine growing regions.
If you prefer complete freedom, rent a car in Moldova and among other routes choose to drive 160 km North-East to Soroca fortress on the Dniester river. During this 1-day trip, you can also make stops in Saharna monastery and Tipova monastery and on your way back taste Chateau Vartely winery.
North part of the country is the least-known segment of tourism in Moldova but places like Costesti Lake, La Castel gorge, Naslavcea village, and 1 more night spent in a rural house with tasting traditional dishes (zeama, placinte, mititei, tocana, sarmale) will add a lot to your Moldova travel emotions.
One of the main reasons to visit Moldova is Transnistria - another autonomous region in the east side of the country where you can make a “back to USSR” trip. From Tiraspol (main city in Transnistria region) drive to Bender fortress and Kitskan Monastery.
FAQ
What’s the main reason to travel to Moldova in 2022?
Prices. Moldova is the poorest country in Europe and you can benefit from that during your Moldova trip. The price for accommodation for 2 persons in apartments in the center of Chisinau with rating 9.5+ is only 35-40 EUR per night. In a fancy hotel, a double room with breakfast included will cost around 80-90 EUR/night. The same relates to taxi prices (0.5 EUR for 1 km), prices in restaurants (dinner in a perfect local restaurant cost 15 EUR including several glasses of wine). All the entrances to museums are worth a penny. Prices for dental treatment is 5 times lower than in Europe, as well as massages and SPA procedures. The only cause of such a big difference between local prices and European ones is extremely low salaries in Moldova. Nothing more.
What types of tourism exist in Moldova?
We have religious tourism with lots of different monasteries usually located in very picturesque places.
We have wine routes in the south, south-east and central part of the country.
You can also mix wine tours with rural tourism: spend several days and nights in traditional Moldovan houses with house wine and organic food right from the straight from the garden.
Medical tourism with lots of dental clinics, SPAs, and massage parlors.
How many days do I need to spend during my first trip to Moldova?
Do come here for at least 1 week. Make Chisinau as your base, visit parks/museums/wineries, take air ballooning&kayaking and definitely spend 2 nights in the countryside to feel the traditional way of life and taste homemade organic food and wine. Besides, you can have massages every day paying for it only 20 EUR/hour.