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Nativity Cathedral, Chișinău

Travel guide · Underground wine cellars and cliffside monasteries

Travelling to Moldova

The largest wine cellars in the world, a monastery carved into a cliff above the Răut river and green Chișinău. We tell you when to go, what to see and what to eat.

Updated 18 October 2026 · How we make our guides

  • Best time: from March to November
  • Where to eat: a traditional restaurant
Photo: Pudelek · CC BY-SA 4.0

Moldova in 30 seconds

  • The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Moldova are from March to November.
  • To eat like a local: a traditional restaurant. Don’t leave without trying: Mămăligă, Plăcintă, Sarmale.

Moldova in November

Yes: November is a good time to travel to Moldova. Our data shows no weather or seasonal warnings that month.

More destinations for November

When to travel to Moldova

The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Moldova are from March to November.

  1. Jan with warnings
  2. Feb with warnings
  3. Mar no warnings
  4. Apr no warnings
  5. May no warnings
  6. Jun no warnings
  7. Jul no warnings
  8. Aug no warnings
  9. Sep no warnings
  10. Oct no warnings
  11. Nov no warnings
  12. Dec with warnings

More destinations for those dates: where to travel in March · where to travel in April · where to travel in May · where to travel in June

  • from December to February

    Cold winter

    It’s cold and snowy; the vineyard landscapes are dormant.

    What to do: September and October, with the grape harvest, are the best time.

What to see in Moldova

The cities and areas most worth your time, with their highlights. Open each one for all the places, where to stay and its day trips.

  • Chișinău

    Chișinău

    A green capital of parks and avenues, with a central market and Soviet architecture.

    • Nativity Cathedral
    • Arc de Triomphe
    • Central market
    • Ștefan cel Mare Park
    Chișinău guide
  • Orheiul Vechi

    Orheiul Vechi

    A cave monastery in a cliff above a bend in the Răut river.

    • Cave monastery
    • Răut meander
    • Butuceni
    • Church of the Ascension
    Orheiul Vechi guide
  • Cricova

    Cricova

    An underground city of wine, with more than a hundred kilometres of tunnels.

    • Underground galleries
    • Wine collection
    • Sparkling wine tasting
    • Reception halls
    Cricova guide
  • Mileștii Mici

    Mileștii Mici

    The cellar with the largest wine collection in the world, in old quarries.

    • Golden Collection
    • Galleries
    • Tasting
    • Wine shop
    Mileștii Mici guide

Day trips and activities

What’s most worth booking from each city. We take you straight to the best-rated tour on GetYourGuide, with its reviews and dates.

From Chișinău

From Orheiul Vechi

From Cricova

From Mileștii Mici

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What to eat in Moldova

To eat like a local: a traditional restaurant, and order mămăligă or plăcintă. And don’t leave without trying:

  • Mămăligă

    Polenta with cheese and soured cream.

  • Plăcintă

    A pie filled with cheese, cabbage or pumpkin.

  • Sarmale

    Stuffed cabbage rolls.

  • Zeamă

    A sour chicken soup.

  • Răcituri

    Meat in aspic.

  • Wine

    Reds and sparkling wines from Cricova.

The typical dish of Moldova, at home

Plăcintă
Photo: Wikimedia Commons · Public domain

Plăcintă

Moldova’s flat pie, made of very thinly stretched dough filled with cheese, cabbage or pumpkin, fried or baked. You’ll find it in every home and at every celebration.

  • Serves 6
  • 1 h 30 min

Ingredients

  • 400 g flour
  • 1 egg
  • 200 ml warm water
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • Salt
  • Cheese filling: 400 g curd cheese or crumbled feta, 1 egg and dill
  • Oil or butter

How to make it at home

  1. Knead the flour with the egg, water, oil and salt until you have a very elastic dough. Leave it to rest for 30 minutes, coated in oil.
  2. Mix the cheese with the egg and dill.
  3. Divide the dough into 6 balls and stretch each one until very thin.
  4. Put the filling in the centre and fold the edges inwards to make a square or round parcel; flatten it slightly.
  5. Fry them in a pan with oil over a medium heat, or bake them at 200 °C, until golden.

The trick: With sautéed cabbage, or with pumpkin and sugar, they’re classics too.

Curious facts about Moldova

What guidebooks don’t tell you and will help you understand the country better.

  • Mileștii Mici has the largest wine collection in the world, according to Guinness.
  • The galleries at Cricova stretch for more than 100 kilometres and are toured by car.
  • It’s one of the least visited countries in Europe.
  • Romanian is spoken (in the Latin alphabet).
  • Plăcintă is the snack you’ll find in every home.
  • It has more vineyards per inhabitant than almost any other country.

Traditions of Moldova

Customs and celebrations that will help you experience the country like a local.

  • First weekend in October National Wine Day

    A festival in Chișinău.

  • 1 March Mărțișor

    A red-and-white cord to welcome spring.

  • Hora

    A circle dance.

  • Spring Orthodox Easter

    Painted eggs.

What not to do in Moldova

First-trip mistakes that are easy to avoid.

  • Don’t go to Transnistria: official travel advice warns against it.
  • Don’t forget a jacket in the cellars: they stay at 12 °C all year round.
  • Don’t drive after the tastings.
  • Don’t take photos of official buildings.
  • Don’t turn down home-made wine if you’re offered it.
  • Don’t expect English to be spoken outside Chișinău.

Before you go

Entry requirements depend on your passport and change: always check them with official sources before travelling.

Frequently asked questions about Moldova

What people search for most before travelling to Moldova.

What’s the best time to travel to Moldova?

The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Moldova are from March to November.

What to see in Moldova in a week?

The essentials of Moldova: Chișinău, Orheiul Vechi, Cricova and Mileștii Mici. How many places fit into your days, and in what order, depends on your dates and how you get around: the Bagintravel app plans your trip day by day in a minute.

What to eat in Moldova?

Mămăligă, Plăcintă, Sarmale, Zeamă, Răcituri, Wine. To eat like a local: a traditional restaurant.

What is the typical dish of Moldova?

Plăcintă. Moldova’s flat pie, made of very thinly stretched dough filled with cheese, cabbage or pumpkin, fried or baked. You’ll find it in every home and at every celebration.

What should you not do in Moldova?

Don’t go to Transnistria: official travel advice warns against it. Don’t forget a jacket in the cellars: they stay at 12 °C all year round. Don’t drive after the tastings.

Is it worth travelling to Moldova in November?

Yes: November is a good time to travel to Moldova. Our data shows no weather or seasonal warnings that month.

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Guide reviewed 18 October 2026. Seasonal data, places and areas: the same ones the Bagintravel app uses. Sources and method.

Photos: cover, Pudelek (CC BY-SA 4.0). Chișinău, Rodion Gavriloi (CC BY-SA 4.0). Orheiul Vechi, Alex Prodan md (CC BY-SA 4.0). Cricova, Alexander Murvanidze (CC BY-SA 3.0). Mileștii Mici, Diego Delso (CC BY-SA 4.0).