Our offer for the Wine Road in Moldova available in 2016

“Wine Road in Moldova”
Period: March– November
Duration: 5 Days/4 Nights
Places to visit: Cricova Wine Cellars, Milestii Mici Wine Cellars, Ascony Winery, Chateau Purcari,
EtCetera Winery; historical and religious sites – Museum complex Orheiul Vechi, Capriana
Monastery, Hincu Monastery
Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrival at Chisinau. Transfer to hotel. Free time. Overnight at hotel.
Day 2: City tour Chisinau – Cricova Wine Cellars – Museum Complex „Orhei Vechi“
08:30 – 10:30 - After having a breakfast at hotel, we begin this day with a city tour of Chisinau guided
by an English speaking guide. During this excursion 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.
You will 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 wine
sparkling 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 with light snacks.
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 excursion 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. Free time. Dinner at hotel. (optional)
Overnight in Chisinau.
Day 3: Monasteries in the forest “Codru”: Hincu, Capriana. Milestii Mici Winery.
Ascony Winery, Puhoi village.
09:00 – departure to the woods of Moldova “Codrii”
After breakfast at hotel we’ll leave for the forests “Codrii” for visiting the14th 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 city. 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 excursion 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 – 19:00 – Excursion around the winery followed by wine tasting and dinner.
19:00 - Back to Chisinau. Free time. Overnight in Chisinau.
Day 4: Transnistria (Tiraspol) – South-East of Moldova: Purcari Winery and Chateau –
Etcetera Winery
08:00 – departure to the unrecognized Republic of Transnistria.
This day you will have a half day trip to Transnistria and will learn the history of this self-proclaimed
independent and unrecognized Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic.
09:30-12:00 – First stop will be the capital of Transnistria-Tiraspol for a city tour. Tiraspol is the second
largest city in Moldova. The city is located on the Eastern bank of the Dniester River. It was founded by
the Russian general Alexandr Suvorov in 1792. Tiraspol is a regional hub of light industry, such as
furniture and electrical goods production.
12:00- Leaving Transnistria for heading to the famous estate and winery Purcari –the oldest wine-estate
in Moldova for a tour.
13:30 – 15:30 - 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 and enjoy the excellent lunch in the restaurant of the
winery.
15: 30 – departure to a small family winery EtCetera which is situated in a nearby village.
16:00 – 18:30 - 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 dinner in fresh air.
18:30 – 20:30 - Back to Chisinau and arrival. Free time.
Day 5: Flight back home.
Breakfast at hotel. Free time for doing shopping. Check-out. Transfer to the airport.
Cost of the tour 5 days/4 nights
Accommodation/sharing twin room (EUR)
Nobil Boutique Hotel/Club Royal Park Hotel 5*
Hotel Jazz 4*
Hotel Thomas Albert/Hotel Jolly Alon 4*
Hotel Codru/City Park Hotel 4*
Hotel Dacia/Jumbo 4*
Hotel Vila Verde 3*
2 pax
4 pax
6 pax
15 pax
SSUP
672
545
533
474
230
632
505
493
434
150
572
445
433
433
150
562
435
423
364
120
542
415
403
344
100
502
375
363
304
60
Services included:
 Accommodation 4 nights sharing Twin room on BB basis
 ESG services on the whole 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 3 wines for groups of 2-4 pax and 6 wines for groups from
6 pax
 Ascony winery, tasting of 3 wines
 Chateau Purcari, tasting of 4 wines
 EtCetera Winery, tasting of 5 wines
 Meals: 3 lunches, 2 dinners
 Entry fee: Butuceni museum