Tour guides Moldova

5 ideas for guided tours in Moldova

• Chisinau

  

  Along its wide, tree-lined boulevards, Chisinau blends quiet parks with buildings that bear the marks of another era. Around Ștefan cel Mare Park, benches, kiosks, and the shade of linden trees invite you to slow down. At the end of the paths, the Cathedral of the Nativity stands white and simple, its bells setting the rhythm.

  The city is best explored on foot — straight streets, broad sidewalks, cafés where you stop without checking the time. Markets overflow with fruit and jars of preserves, conversations flow, quick hands move behind the stalls. As you leave, you keep the feeling of a simple, almost homely daily life.

  Farther west, Valea Morilor Park opens into a green amphitheater around a lake where joggers and families circle. Gentle slopes, stairways, small bridges — you loop around before heading back down to the water. The city noise fades until only a soft background remains.

• Cricova, the underground city of Moldovan wines

  

  Just a few kilometers from Chișinău, Cricova stretches underground rather than above it. Dozens of kilometers of tunnels form a true labyrinth, lined with barrels and bottles. The air stays cool and still, the stone holding the memory of past harvests.

  The cellars are explored by small train, like a hidden city whose streets are named after grape varieties. One tasting room follows another, with vaulted ceilings, long tables, and a hushed atmosphere. It quickly becomes clear that wine here is as much a cultural treasure as an economic one.

  Further on, Mileștii Mici impresses with an even vaster network, while in the open air, Orheiul Vechi tells a different story—of hermitages carved into the rock. These contrasts say much about Moldova, a land of stone, vineyards, and memory.

• Soroca Fortress

  

  In northern Moldova, the Soroca Fortress rises above the Dniester with its round towers and thick walls. Built in the 15th century under the rule of Stephen the Great, it once defended the borders and watched over the river crossing. The place still carries that military presence, solid and unshaken.

  Inside, the central courtyard feels stripped down — bare stone, footsteps echoing. Stairways lead up to the ramparts, where the view opens over the river and the Ukrainian bank beyond. It’s easy to picture the sentries keeping watch on the horizon, the cold eastern wind at their backs.

  Life goes on all around in the town of Soroca, with its lively market and Roma quarter lined with colorful houses. Farther south, <strong>Chisinau</strong> shows a more modern face of Moldova, while to the east, the <strong>Cricova</strong> wine cellars speak of the country’s deep winemaking tradition.

• Codrii forest

  

  West of Chișinău, the Codru forests spread out in a dense expanse of ancient beeches and oaks. Walking here means stepping into a cooler world, with the sound of rustling leaves, trails that disappear into the woods, and quiet clearings. The reserve also shelters a small nature museum, quietly telling the story of local wildlife and plants.

  Some paths climb to higher points, revealing a patchwork of Moldovan hills. You might spot deer, rare birds, or just fresh tracks in the mud after the rain. The Codru remains one of the country’s green lungs, a refuge far from the cities.

  Not far away, the Mileștii Mici cellars dive underground into a completely different world, while Orheiul Vechi offers its cliffs and hermitages overlooking the Răut. Together, these places show the richness of Moldova’s landscapes—stone, vineyards, and forest.

• Orheiul Vechi

  

  Visiting Orheiul Vechi means stepping into a landscape where history and nature blend together. On a high promontory, the ruins of the Târguşor Fortress recall centuries of battles against invasions—stones worn but still standing. The site holds a special power, as if suspended above the valley.

  The cave dwellings are the next to catch your eye. Carved into the rock thousands of years ago, they once served as shelters, places of worship, and later as Orthodox churches. Inside, silence reigns, broken only by light filtering through the openings.

  Around the site, nature takes over. Green hills, fields of wheat, and the winding curves of the Răut River at the base of the cliffs. Walking along its banks, you are often alone—sometimes passing a fisherman or a herd making its way through the valley.