Day Trips from Chișinău: Orheiul Vechi and Beyond

October 31, 2026

Before you go (October 2026 advice): The US State Department rates Moldova at Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution, and Transnistria at Level 3, Reconsider Travel (travel.state.gov ). The UK FCDO advises against all travel to Transnistria and gives no warning for the rest of the country (GOV.UK ). Drones from the war in Ukraine have entered Moldovan airspace this autumn, and flights from Chișinău have been disrupted at times. Check with your airline and your government before booking.

Where You Can Go in a Day

From Chișinău the practical day trips are a monastery-and-cliff route to the north-west and a wine route on either side of town. Every destination below lies west of the Dniester.

Orheiul Vechi and Butuceni

The reserve is 55 km away and the drive takes about an hour. Visitors come for a cave monastery cut into a cliff above the Răut river and a village of guesthouses. The place appears on Moldova’s UNESCO Tentative List (2017) and carries no World Heritage inscription.

Getting there and paying:

Buses from Chișinău’s Central Bus Station leave at 8:35, 10:20, 13:45, 17:15 and 18:15, and a seat costs 55 MDL.
Buses back leave Butuceni at 6:00, 8:00, 10:00, 15:00 and 16:30. Count on an early last departure and check the reserve’s visitor page .
A ticket to the reserve is 20 MDL, or 10 MDL for concessions. Toddlers and preschoolers enter free.
Parking costs 30 MDL for a car, and bicycles are free.

Wear sturdy shoes and keep to marked trails.

Curchi Monastery

The complex sits about 14 km southwest of Orhei town. Its Baroque cathedral, topped by a 57 m dome, was built in 1872. Five churches share the grounds, and entry is free. From 1959 to 1999 the buildings served as a psychiatric hospital, and monastic life returned in 2005.

Căpriana Monastery

Căpriana is about 40 km north-west of the capital. Documents mention it first in 1429, and the present buildings date from a rebuilding in 1542 to 1545. The Dormition church is regarded as the oldest surviving church in Moldova.

Cricova or Mileștii Mici

Pick one cellar for a half day. Cricova is about 15 km north, with tours from 400 MDL. Mileștii Mici is about 20 km south, with tours from 350 MDL. Combine either with a stop at Castel Mimi, about 35 km east, which opens daily.

Soroca

The round fortress at Soroca, about 160 km away and some 2.5 hours by road, dates from the 15th and 16th centuries and stands on the Dniester. Tickets cost around 30 MDL, and it usually opens from Wednesday to Sunday. Call ahead for the current schedule, and think about an overnight stay.

Planning Notes

Tours or a car make it simpler to link two sites in one day.
Zero alcohol is the safe rule for anyone driving after a tasting.
Cross-border trips to Ukraine are not advisable, because crossings close without much warning.

Compare day excursions on Viator .