Three days in Moldova are enough for one route, not three. The classic mistake is trying to fit in the wine, the Dniester and the north — and spending half the trip in the car. Below are three itineraries that do not overlap, each with real distances and the kind of traveller it suits.
All of them start in Chisinau and assume a car. Driving times are indicative and calculated without traffic; on secondary roads, round up.
Itinerary A: wine and the capital
Day 1. You land or arrive, drop the bags and stay in town. An afternoon in the centre with the National History Museum of Moldova and a walk to Stefan cel Mare Public Garden, then dinner at a restaurant serving local cooking.
Day 2. Cricova in the morning — only about 15 kilometres from the centre, roughly 20 minutes. Note: at Cricova visits are possible only with a confirmed advance booking, and tours run between 70 and 110 minutes depending on the package. In the afternoon, Castel Mimi at Bulboaca, some 40–50 kilometres out, under an hour's drive.
Day 3. Purcari in the south-east, around 114 kilometres and two hours of driving. The tour lasts about 40 minutes and runs daily from 9:00.
Who it suits: couples, small groups of friends, anyone coming primarily for wine. Not for families with small children — three days of tastings do not translate well at that age.
Itinerary B: the Dniester and the rock monasteries
Day 1. Orheiul Vechi, roughly 52 kilometres and an hour from Chisinau. Entry to the reserve is ticketed and parking is charged separately. Marked trails run from about one kilometre to over twenty, so you choose according to your legs. Sleep locally, at one of the guesthouses in Butuceni or Trebujeni.
Day 2. Tipova — and here is the trap. It is some 80 kilometres from Orheiul Vechi, but the problem is not the road, it is the descent: about 200 metres of elevation on a dirt and stone path, with a climb of roughly 40 minutes on the way back. Allow at least two hours on the ground and bring hiking boots.
Day 3. Saharna, only 35 kilometres from Tipova, about 40 minutes. The Holy Trinity Monastery, founded in 1776, sits close to the road, and the walk to the waterfall involves hiking but is far less brutal than at Tipova.
Who it suits: people who enjoy walking and want landscape rather than glasses. Not for reduced mobility, or for rainy weather.
Itinerary C: the north, with Soroca
Day 1. North on the M2 road, stopping at Curchi Monastery, about 58 kilometres from the capital. Continue to Soroca, roughly 155 kilometres in total, around two and a half hours.
Day 2. Soroca Fortress in the morning. Planning matters here: the fortress opens Wednesday to Sunday, 9:00–17:30, and operates from spring through November. Arrive on a Monday or Tuesday and you find the gates shut. In the afternoon, Rudi Monastery, some 40 kilometres away.
Day 3. A slow return, stopping at Taul Park or crossing Soroca district.
Who it suits: people who have already been to Moldova and want something other than the wineries. Not for a first contact with the country — the north demands more driving for fewer sights.
Which itinerary, in short
- First visit, two adults, wine as the theme: A.
- You like hiking and the path does not scare you: B.
- Second visit, you want quieter ground: C.
- Family with children: A, with day three swapped for Orheiul Vechi on the short trail.
- No car: any of them, rebuilt as day trips leaving from the capital.
One piece of advice across all three: book your accommodation before you fix the route, not the other way round. On the first weekend of October and on festival weekends at Orheiul Vechi, availability decides the itinerary, not you.
