Ffestiniog Travel
Romania’s Danube Delta & the Carpathians – a Wildlife Paradise
10 daysfrom $5,148
Ffestiniog Travel · Escorted tour
Moldova & Eastern Romania
Romanian speaking Moldova shares much of its culture with its larger neighbour, but having been absorbed into the USSR, its Soviet past is evident
Day by day
- Day 1overnight: Iaşi
Flight to Iaşi, Romania
Early flight from London via Vienna for a mid-afternoon arrival in Iaşi for an overnight stay in a centrally located hotel.
- Day 2overnight: Chişinau
Chişinau
A short drive brings us to the Moldovan border from where we continue through pleasant scenery to Chişinau, Moldova’s capital city, for a 2-night stay. There will be time to explore this charming city with its surprising number of parks and other green spaces.
- Day 3railovernight: Chişinau
Mimi Castle & Winery
Taking the train to Bulboaca, we visit a winery and elegant chateau to enjoy wine tasting, lunch (all included) and time to look around the beautiful surroundings. Return to Chişinau by train.
- Day 4overnight: Butuceni
Cricova & Butuceni
Our first visit today is the nearby Cricova winery for an underground tour of its vast complex where wine is produced on an industrial scale and underground transport is by ‘golf cart’. Wine tasting and lunch are again included. We continue to the remote village of Butuceni, nestling deep in a river valley and dominated by its tiny monastery on a cliff top. There will be time to visit its underground chapel which opens onto the cliff face. 2-night stay in the village with evening meals included.
- Day 5overnight: Butuceni
Tipova
Visit the village of Tipova where the River Dniester has carved a deep wide valley offering superb views across to Transdniester, the disputed breakaway part of Moldova still under Russian influence and where, of course, we don’t venture. We visit Eastern Europe’s largest cave monastery and lunch (included) is in the charming nearby riverside village of Lalova.
- Day 6railovernight: Iaşi
Across the Border
Return to Chişinau to enjoy a little free time before catching the late afternoon train to Romania. At the border, our train is lifted to replace the Russian broad gauge bogies with those for the European standard gauge. We reach Iaşi in late evening and transfer to our hotel for a 2-night stay.
- Day 7overnight: Iaşi
Iaşi by Tram
Iaşi is a tram enthusiast’s paradise. As well as modern trams, there are many older trams of the sixties and seventies from various German cities still in regular operation. We hire a vintage tram for the morning for a tour of the system. Afternoon at leisure for independent sightseeing as the city has much to offer.
- Day 8overnight: Moldovita
Probota Painted Monastery
Visit one of Bucovina’s famous painted churches at Probota, with lunch (included) in a village en route, before driving to the province of Bucovina and the village of Moldovita. Here we stay for the 2 nights on full board.
- Day 9railovernight: Moldovita
Moldovita & Sucevita
We ride the scenic Moldovita narrow gauge steam railway (a former forestry line), visit the Moldovita and Sucevita painted monasteries and enjoy a stunning drive through mountain scenery.
- Day 10railovernight: Iaşi
Gura Humorului to Iaşi
After a short visit to Voronet Painted Monastery and the regional market town of Gura Humorului, we catch the mid-afternoon train back to Iaşi, arriving early evening.
- Day 11
Iaşi to London
Transfer to the airport for the afternoon flight via Vienna to London, arriving mid-evening.
Included
- Flights in Economy Class by scheduled airline
- Rail travel as specified
- Other travel by private mini-coach
- Hotel accommodation in Chişinau and Iaşi
- Other accommodation in good quality guest house or family homestay with en-suite facilities
- All breakfasts, 4 lunches and 4 evening meals
- Admissions to wineries with wine tasting and Painted Monasteries
- Airport and other transfers
- Services of a tour leader from London and throughout the tour plus local professional Romanian guide within Moldova and Romania
- All local taxes/fees
- All gratuities
