Moldova including Gagauzia and Transnistria Tour from Chisinau

On arrival at Chisinau International Airport, you will be transferred to your accommodation in Chisinau. After settling in, you can have a walk through downtown and explore the city centre on your own.

In the morning, you will discover Tighina Fortress located in Tighina town and built in the 15th century by the prince of Moldova, Stephen the Great. Originally built as a small wooden fort, it was later fortified in stone by the prince of Moldova, Petru Rares. Occupied by the Ottomans in 1538 (in a campaign lead by the sultan Suleiman the Magnificent), the fort was strengthened in 1541 and became the center of an Ottoman "raya" (in which were included the surrounding Moldavian villages). In the 18th century, the fort was strengthened by Moldovan craftsmen under the direct supervision of Dimitrie Cantemir. Tighina Fortress is an architectural ensemble of irregular quadrilateral plan, surrounded by wide walls, 2-3 meters thick, made of limestone and brick.

In the afternoon, you will have lunch at a restaurant in Tiraspol.

In Tiraspol, you will set off on a time travel. During the city more tour, you will discover Vladimir Lenin’s monument and the tank left from the Second World War. The city seems to be a vestige of the Soviet past. Nevertheless, you will be amazed by the contrasts, one of which is the football complex „Sheriff” - a pearl of contemporary architecture.

You will continue your journey to Kvint wine and brandy factory where harmony, refinement and tradition underlie the oldest and most genuine spirits. Here you will be acquainted with the taste of 10-30 years old spirits such as Surprise, Tiraspol, Kvint Sunny, Victoria and Suvorov. The professional sommelier and specialist in quality of Kvint factory will lead the tasting process.

You will start the day by travelling to Comrat where you will enjoy a city tour. Comrat is the capital of the autonomous region of Gagauzia, located in southwest Moldova. This is a very interesting territory since the majority of its habitants are Gagauzians. These are the only representatives of Turkic origin that affiliated with the Eastern Orthodox Church. Gagauzians migrated from Bulgaria together with ethnic Bulgarians and settled in Moldova in 19th century.

Next, you will visit Karagani winery – a family winery with a specific emphasis on the Gagauz origins of the Cerven family, who owns the company. Located in Vulcanesti, in the southern part of Moldova, this small family enterprise is engaged in grape cultivation and wine production. Karagani wines are produced by original technology from selected grapes of European and national varieties, grown on its own vineyards. On this land, you more will discover the tastes of Karagani wines and the specificity of Gagauz cuisine, while tasting Gagauz dishes.

After lunch, you will visit the National Gagauz Museum of History and Ethnography “D. Cara-Ciobanu” in Besalma village. The museum presents the history, culture and everyday life of the Gagauz people from ancient times until nowadays. One of the personalities of this small nation was the writer D. Cara-Ciobanu, who spent his life promoting this culture. He founded this museum, which features more than 6,000 exhibits, including works by famous writers, poets and famous artists in Gagauzia. One of the most valuable items in the museum is the collection of original films produced during the Gagauz colonization of the steppe of Bugeac.

After the excursion at the museum, you will be transferred to Chisinau.

Chisinau is the main administrative, scientific and cultural centre of Moldova. During the walking city 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.

The day will continue with the excursion at Asconi winery founded in 1994 and located in Puhoi village. 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. During the excursion, wine tasting and lunch at the winery you will be able to discover the wonders of this place. In 2020, Asconi received the Grand Gold Medal at the biggest more profile competition in Asia - Asia Wine Trophy 2020 for the wine "Cabernet Sauvignon".

Next stop of the day will be at the Medieval Wooden Church Assumption of Virgin Mary which is the oldest wooden church in the country. It was built of oak trees from Calarasi woods by the freeholders of Hiriseni in 1642 in the courtyard of Hirjauca Monastery. In 2010, the church was dismantled and reassembled in Chisinau. It is the only wooden church in Moldova that keeps its classical medieval Moldovan architecture.

On departure day, you will be transferred from the hotel to Chisinau International Airport. If your flight is in the afternoon, you will have the option to explore Chisinau for a while on your own in the morning and buy some souvenirs.