6 Best Local Tours in Chișinău

The tour turned out to be even better than I expected and was a wonderful experience of immersion into Moldavian history and culture. Veaceslav was perfectly on time in picking me up at my hotel and within minutes was already pointing out all the significant sites around Chisanau as we drove out the city. I soaked up the narratives on different villages, the explanations of various periods of Moldavian history, geopolitics and traditions. Veaceslav was definitely extremely knowledgeable and his friendly demeanor and natural rapport made this the perfect private tour. He also helped me take some wonderful photos for the memories. i enjoyed the visits to the Curchi monastery, the Turkish bath and Butuceni village with its cave monasteries and traditional peasant lodgings. The tour ended with a delectable lunch at one of the pensions in the village where all the food was locally sourced. I highly recommend this tour And assure anyone booking this that they will have as wonderful an experience as I did with Veaceslav! Hope to be able to come back to Moldova soon and do another tour with him.

Perhaps the title is a spoiler for most foreign travellers who plan to visit Transistria but locals prefer to call their land like that. No matter what the name it's definitely a place worth visiting which drives you back to the soviet eras but not only that. I won't say anything more about the trip, I will leave the rest to Veaceslav, the cool and friendly tour guide, who will provide you with lots of historical details and of course anything you need to know about the destination. So, if you ever happen to find yourselves in Moldova don't skip this trip to Transistria. It will be something to remember.

I had a really good experience visiting Transnistria with Veaceslav. I came alone to Chisinau from Bucarest to visit this country, As it was sometimes described as a dangerous place on the Internet, I felt way more confident visiting it with a local.
Finally, it turned out to be a pretty safe and peaceful place ! But it is still the "sovietic style" place I'd expected it to be.
Veaceslav is an excellent guide, he knows everything there's to know about the country : traditions, politics, economy, hitsory, … I definitely recommend !

Chisinau is not the prettiest of all Eastern European cities, but Roxy Love managed to offer me a very interesting tour. And there are beautiful spots in Chisinau, I confirm !
During the walk she told many stories from the Soviet times as well as from during the independence of Moldova.
The way Roxy Love offered her tour was just like it should be, I fully enjoyed it.
And not a detail : she speaks English to perfection (she lived several years in London).
Summary : I recommend this tour to anyone visiting Chisinau.

What a great tour, Roxy has excellent English and makes this trip simple, which is what I like. Authentic experience from the full mini bus to eating in the soviet canteen. The day flew by and was so straightforward. Worth the small cost to make this must do Moldovan excursion easy. I’d recommend this lady to sort out any tours you want in Moldova.

We were expecting to have a trip back to Soviet Union. The surprise was that the region is really developing. The fortress and a park in Benderi are renovated. Main streets are quite clean and people are friendly in Tiraspol. There is also modern real estate start to appear. So those who are really for hard core experience has to hurry up.

The best way to explore and love Chișinău. Roxy is very knowledgeable, pleasant and friendly and speaks English fluently. After booking, she asked if we had any special requests, which was very nice. We took the 3 hour city tour, but everything is possible. Just ask!

In this trip we enjoyed professional guide of a very friendly local. He showed us great views, churches, rural life, historical sites. We even had some de-tours to eat walnuts growing in Moldova:) And of course, Old Orhei is a must-see if you are visiting Moldova!

Veaceslav was on time and the tour I went to provided a lot of insight into Moldovan culture. Even though one of the wine tours was cut short due to a technical problem, I highly recommend the wine tour as it was great fun and informative! :)

We booked a tour to Transnistria and Milesti Micii winery, and it all went great! The tour itself is amazing, and Veaceslav gave us the best interaction and information we could’ve asked for, driving us safely in a very comfortable car.

Kat is one of the best guides we ever have had on our tours! She is a pro, very friendly and knows what she is talking about. We can highly recommend her as a guide anywhere in Moldova!

My day tour with Kat Pro (Ecaterina) was easily the best tour I've ever had. In fact, I wouldn't call it so much a "tour" but instead a great day out with a really good friend who just happened to know lots of fascinating history and local information.
I've tried to think about the best way to describe the day, going through a few rough drafts, and I think the best way is to describe the special touches Kat provided, those things that go beyond the expectations of the average tour and make the experience truly memorable.

I originally booked my tour a few months back for a trip to Bender Fortress and Tiraspol. Naturally, Kat met and exceeded those expectations. She brilliantly recounted the events at Bender: Suleiman the Magnificent, Charles XII of Sweden, Baron von Munchausen, et al. Likewise, in Tiraspol, she took me to the key sights and explained their significance: the tank monument and memorial to those who died in the Afghanistan and Transnistrian war, the Suvorov monument, the cathedral to Christ's birth (Christmas Cathedral), the House of Soviets, etc.

But, again, it was the extra touches Kat provided that made it a fabulous day. For example, en route to Bender we stopped to buy watermelons and fresh grapes from roadside vendors; we went shopping at the Sheriff Hypermarket; we explored the different neighborhoods in Tiraspol; we took lunch in the very stylish Hotel Russia restaurant; and we made an impromptu stop at the impressively elegant Mimi winery. We talked about travel, life and a mutual affection for cats. Again, this was more a grand day out with a good friend than a purchased, scripted tour. I might forget that the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent built the Bender stone fortress in 1538, but I'll always remember chatting and munching on grapes by the roadside and searching for a cat themed mug in the Sheriff Hypermarket.

It was a great, full day made magnificently memorable by Kat. Many thanks.

My day tour with Kat Pro (Ecaterina) was easily the best tour I've ever had. In fact, I wouldn't call it so much a "tour" but instead a great day out with a really good friend who just happened to know lots of fascinating history and local information.
I've tried to think about the best way to describe the day, going through a few rough drafts, and I think the best way is to describe the special touches Kat provided, those things that go beyond the expectations of the average tour and make the experience truly memorable.
I originally booked my tour a few months back for a trip to Bender Fortress and Tiraspol. Naturally, Kat met and exceeded those expectations. She brilliantly recounted the events at Bender: Suleiman the Magnificent, Charles XII of Sweden, Baron von Munchausen, et al. Likewise, in Tiraspol, she took me to the key sights and explained their significance: the tank monument and memorial to those who died in the Afghanistan and Transnistrian war, the Suvorov monument, the cathedral to Christ's birth (Christmas Cathedral), the House of Soviets, etc.
But, again, it was the extra touches Kat provided that made it a fabulous day. For example, en route to Bender we stopped to buy watermelons and fresh grapes from roadside vendors; we went shopping at the Sheriff Hypermarket; we explored the different neighborhoods in Tiraspol; we took lunch in the very stylish Hotel Russia restaurant; and we made an impromptu stop at the impressively elegant Mimi winery. We talked about travel, life and a mutual affection for cats. Again, this was more a grand day out with a good friend than a purchased, scripted tour. I might forget that the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent built the Bender stone fortress in 1538, but I'll always remember chatting and munching on grapes by the roadside and searching for a cat themed mug in the Sheriff Hypermarket.
It was a great, full day made magnificently memorable by Kat. Many thanks.

Due to the coronavirus (and being from a country that had cases), I wasn't able to visit Transnistria, but Veaceslav had already double checked and planned alternate options to replace the tour...a sign of a prepared tour guide!

I really enjoyed the tour of Old Orhei + Curchi monastery as a result, which gave some insight into an authentic countryside experience. I saw women walking to wells, people selling flowers on the side of the street, men doing repairs "old school" with limited machinery, and even, some rare soviet cars from the 1950s. And of course, there were beautiful views of the numerous lakes, rivers and valleys. Veaceslav drew my attention to many details and gave thoughtful anecdotes - some historical, some personal - that really gave the tour a special touch. I really enjoyed this moment and recommend Veaceslav as a tour guide to get the insider Moldovan experience.

Moldova is not the top of the tourist list, there is no grand cathedral or castle. But it is the local people that make Chisinau the place that everyone should visit. It is a destination that perfectly fits the like a local vision of tourism and the guided tour provided by Roxana perfectly fits this model. She will take you through the lovely parks, on an old trolley bus, to a lake where locals promenade in the evening and to a place where you can try Moldavia's food and excellent wine. Also she will answer your question on Moldova and life in this country. I took the tour on my first day and it launched the rest of my stay. Roxana was also able to offer advice on transport for my subsequent days.

I had a layover in Chisinau and I decided to have a short city center overview tour by car instead of being stuck in the airport premises. The guide/driver Gorita Veaceslav met me at the airport (extra 15 euro both ways) and took my hand luggage to his car. He was welcome and told me about the country/city and people. It was very interesting to listen to him. It was a combined riding/walking tour and despite freaking cold weather on that day, we did out best to walk and see.
I do recommend this tour company as reliable and this tour in particular for those short in time or with long layover in the airport. You will be pleased to spend 3-4 hours with Veaceslav showing you his home city.

Our family enjoyed an interesting trip to Bender and Tiraspol. Nicolai, our guide, was very knowledgeable about the complex history of the region and even had a series of maps to show how the borders changed over the centuries. We walked around the Bender city center and visited landmarks in leafy neighborhoods before stopping for lunch and touring the fortress. Tiraspol was just a few minutes down the road but had a completely different feel, and our guide found a good spot for ice cream on a hot day. Nicolai took us to the Kvint shop at our request to pick up a bottle and went above and beyond to ensure we had a comfortable and memorable day out. I highly recommend the day tour!

We had a wonderful walking and driving tour around Chisinau with Veaceslav, whose warm personality more than made up for the freezing weather and snow. We took in the main square, a beautiful park, passed by several important religious sites and Veaceslav was very helpful in giving us tips for the rest of the day in the city. We spent the afternoon in the historical museum and then the modern art gallery. Veaceslav was so helpful, professional and friendly that we were able to book two more tours with him for the following days, which were also amazing, spectacular and infused with the same sense of pride and knowledge about his home country. Highly recommended!

Roxy took us to the highlights of Chisinau, as a good tour guide would, but she also took us to some spots where the locals hang out and had some cool stories about how people spend their time, how creatives make their art, where protests happen (and why), and some bits of the history of Moldova that you might not hear from someone who doesn't have her unique and worldly perspective. Roxy was a great guide, and I can't recommend her highly enough--if you're on the fence about coming to Moldova, get off that fence and onto a plane, train, bus, or whatever. It's a hidden gem of Europe with loads of stories to tell (and wine to drink).