Come for the wine. Stay for the plot twists.

A Tipple Tours Moldova wine tour is a small-group trip through a country with excellent wine, fascinating history and a remarkable ability to make an underground cellar feel like a town with a serious storage habit.

You’ll taste local wines, explore Chișinău, eat well and visit places that make your friends ask, “You did what in Moldova?” Depending on the departure, there may also be a wine festival, a fortress, a bottle museum or an unexpected final-day activity. We like to keep a little room in the itinerary for the unusual.

Here’s what the experience is generally like.

You don’t need to be a wine expert

If you can say, “I like this one,” you’re qualified to join us.

We introduce you to Moldovan wines and local grapes such as Fetească Albă, Fetească Regală, Fetească Neagră and Rară Neagră. You’ll hear what makes them interesting, meet people who know the wines and have time to taste without being examined at the end.

No one will make you identify a grape blindfolded. We have other ways to make a trip memorable.

The group is small and sociable

Tipple Tours groups are typically around 4–12 people, which is enough to make new friends but small enough that the guide can still learn everyone’s name before the second winery.

Some guests arrive with a friend; others come solo. On most departures, your own room is included with no single supplement. Check the specific departure page for its room arrangements.

The mood is relaxed and friendly. You can chat over lunch, compare favourite wines and discover who has brought the most ambitious suitcase for the journey home.

Chișinău is your starting point

The tour begins in Chișinău, Moldova’s capital. We’ll explore some of the city, enjoy local food and get our bearings before heading further afield.

Expect a mix of parks, churches, monuments and Soviet-era architecture. Your guide can help make sense of the city’s history, while the group gradually learns where the good coffee is and which restaurant portions should not be underestimated.

There’s time to settle in too. We don’t believe every minute needs to be filled with organised activity. A hotel break is useful - particularly when the itinerary includes both evening plans and a cellar with its own underground streets.

Mileștii Mici is not a quick cellar visit

One of the classic Moldova experiences is Mileștii Mici, where limestone galleries run beneath the countryside and the underground streets are named after grape varieties.

It’s less “we’ve popped down to the basement” and more “the basement appears to have developed a transport network.”

You’ll explore the galleries and learn about the winery’s history and collection. Bring your camera, listen to your guide and try not to wander off in search of the underground bus station.

The wine comes with food, stories and breathing space

This is a boozy tour, but the days aren’t designed as a race to see how many glasses can be collected before lunch. Tastings sit alongside meals, sightseeing and time to rest.

You’ll try Moldovan dishes and have chances to ask producers about their wines. There’s no need to pretend every bottle is your new favourite. Be honest, enjoy what you like and let the winemaker tell you what you’re tasting.

Water, lunch and a sensible pace are excellent travel companions. They’re not glamorous, but neither is trying to remember a wine’s name by describing the label to a search engine at the airport.

Some departures include National Wine Day

Selected October departures may be timed around Moldova’s National Wine Day in Chișinău. The festival brings together wineries, food, music and tastings, giving you a chance to explore a wide range of producers in one lively setting.

Festival dates, participating wineries and activities change each year, so check the specific tour details before booking. The 2026 itinerary, for example, included time at the festival and a scheduled hotel break between the daytime and evening celebrations. It was a sensible plan. We occasionally have those.

Moldova has a wonderfully unexpected side

Depending on the departure, the itinerary may include more than wine. Our October 2026 National Wine Weekend itinerary included a day trip to Bender Fortress and Tiraspol, a bottle museum and a tasting at Kislov Winery in Transnistria.

That’s a day with a fortress, unusual history, thousands of bottles and another wine tasting. It is not the sort of thing most people mean when they say they’re going “somewhere relaxing for a few days.”

Visits and access can change, especially for cross-border excursions, so the confirmed itinerary and current travel advice always take priority. Not every departure includes the same stops.

Expect a plan, but not a whistle and clipboard

We organise the main itinerary and local arrangements, but there’s room for relaxed meals, breaks and the occasional free hour. We want you to see the important places and still have time to enjoy being there.

The trip is guided, so you don’t have to build every day from scratch or negotiate your own way to a wine cellar. Flights are not included so you would need to arrange your travel to Chișinău separately.

What should you bring?

Pack comfortable clothes, shoes you can walk in, a light layer for cooler underground spaces and a little extra room in your suitcase. You may find a bottle you love. This is not a guarantee that your luggage will agree with your plans.

Bring a curious attitude too. Moldova is rewarding when you’re open to trying unfamiliar wines, dishes and experiences. You don’t have to memorise the whole history of the region before arriving. That’s why there’s a guide.

Is the Moldova tour right for you?

It’s a good fit if you enjoy wine, food, small groups and destinations that feel a little different from the usual weekend break. It’s especially suited to people who want to taste generously, learn a few things and come home with stories that don’t fit neatly into a beach-holiday photo album.

If you’re looking for a resort stay where you never leave the pool, this probably isn’t it. If you’ve ever thought, “I’d love to drive through a wine cellar, eat Moldovan food and see what else the day has in store,” then Moldova may be calling.

Possibly from underground.

Ready to explore Moldova?

A Tipple Tours Moldova wine tour brings together local wine, food, history and the unexpected, all in a small-group trip with the important details planned for you.

Take a look at the current Moldova Wine Tour for the latest itinerary, dates, inclusions and room details.

Small groups. Big pours. Quite possibly a cellar with road signs.