Moldova wine tour: Cricova Winery, Old Orhei & Curchi Monastery

An underground city of wine beneath your feet, and a thousand years of monasteries and ruins above it.

A full-day tour of Moldova visiting three major sites: Cricova Winery (an underground complex at 60-80 meters depth with wine tasting), the Old Orhei Archaeological Complex (cave monastery, ethnographic museum, and 14th-16th century Tartar ruins), and Curchi Monastery, a significant monument of Moldavian religious architecture. Hotel pickup, entrance fees, a professional guide in English, Italian, Russian or Romanian, and lunch at a local restaurant are included. The tour runs 8 hours and accommodates small groups of 3–10 people.

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit Moldova's cultural and wine highlights

• Visit Curchi Monastery complex
• Explore Old Orhei archaeological complex
• Lunch at local Moldavian restaurant
• Tour Cricova Winery and wine tasting

The Experience

What makes Cricova Winery different from any other wine region is that the cellars themselves are a city—a real underground labyrinth carved 60 to 80 meters down, with streets and sections that stretch for kilometers. You spend 2.5 hours there walking through the tunnels, tasting three types of wine, and eating nuts and biscuits while surrounded by the scale of the place. It's not a vineyard you visit; it's an underground kingdom you move through.

Old Orhei is where the day shifts from wine to history. The archaeological complex sits in the open air and holds layers: a cave monastery carved into the cliff, the Butuceni Ethnographic Museum (built in the early 1900s), and the ruins of Shehr al-Djedid, a Tartar city that stood from the 14th to 16th centuries. You walk through all of it in one place, which is why the operator calls it a unique natural and historical complex. Curchi Monastery comes earlier in the day—about 30 kilometers from Old Orhei—and represents over two centuries of Moldavian religious architecture, making it one of the country's most significant monuments.

Lunch happens at a local restaurant serving authentic Moldavian food in the ethnic village setting. The whole day is arranged: your hotel provides the pickup, a professional guide leads you through each site, entrance fees are covered, and the wine tasting is included. Groups stay small, usually 3 to 5 people, though the tour can accommodate up to 8 or 10 depending on bookings. The guide speaks English, Italian, Russian, or Romanian.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off.
• entrance fees to Cricova Winery, Old Orhei Archaeological Complex, and Curchi Monastery.
• a 2.5-hour underground tour of Cricova with wine tasting (three types of wine, nuts, biscuits, and water).
• lunch at a local restaurant serving authentic Moldavian food.
• professional guide in English, Italian, Russian, or Romanian.

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfant seats availablePublic transport nearby

Operated by Moldova Tours

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want to see three major Moldavian heritage sites in one day without arranging transport or navigating between them yourself—the small group size and fixed itinerary mean the day holds together, and the underground winery and archaeological complex are the kinds of places that need a guide to make sense of what you are standing in.

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Top questions

What exactly is inside Cricova Winery that makes it worth 2.5 hours?

Cricova Winery is an underground city carved 60 to 80 meters below the surface, with huge labyrinths of streets and wine storage sections. The tour includes a walk through these tunnels, a tasting of three types of wine, and snacks; the scale and the depth are what set it apart from a standard winery visit.

What will I see at Old Orhei Archaeological Complex?

Old Orhei holds a cave monastery carved into the cliff, the Butuceni Ethnographic Museum (from the early 1900s), and the ruins of Shehr al-Djedid, a Tartar city that stood from the 14th to 16th centuries—all in one open-air complex where you walk between the layers of history.

How long is the full day, and what's included in the price?

The tour runs 8 hours and includes hotel pickup and drop-off, entrance fees to all three sites, a 2.5-hour Cricova Winery tour with wine tasting, lunch at a local restaurant, and a professional guide in your choice of English, Italian, Russian, or Romanian.

Will I be in a private tour or a group?

Groups are usually 3 to 5 people, though the tour can be private or shared with up to 8 to 10 people depending on the number of bookings—most departures run as small groups rather than large ones.

What is Curchi Monastery, and why is it on this tour?

Curchi Monastery is one of Moldova's most significant religious monuments, with over two centuries of cultural, religious, and historical importance reflected in its architecture. It sits about 30 kilometers from Old Orhei and represents the country's Moldavian religious heritage.