Almost every journey to Gagauzia starts in Chișinău. Moldova’s capital is a green, low-key city of wide Soviet-era boulevards, shady parks and a surprisingly lively café and wine-bar scene. It has the country’s international airport, its main bus stations, nearly all its tour operators and by far the widest choice of hotels.
It also deserves a day of its own before you head south: the cathedral park and Triumphal Arch, the sprawling central market, a couple of good museums and an evening over Moldovan wine.
Top things to do: Chișinău
Cathedral Park and the Triumphal Arch
The neoclassical Nativity Cathedral and its bell tower stand in a park at the centre of the city, facing the 19th-century Triumphal Arch and the government building across the main boulevard.
Ștefan cel Mare Central Park
The city’s oldest park, with a statue of the medieval prince Stephen the Great at its gate, an alley of busts of writers and a much-loved fountain.
Central market
A huge, chaotic and thoroughly enjoyable market near the bus station: fruit, cheese, pickles, honey, walnuts and wine — a useful preview of what you will eat in the south.
Museums
The National Museum of History and the National Museum of Ethnography and Natural History give helpful background on the peoples of Moldova, including the Gagauz.
Wine bars and restaurants
Chișinău is the easiest place to sample wines from all over Moldova by the glass, including bottles from the southern Valul lui Traian region.
How to get to Chișinău
- Chișinău International Airport (RMO) is about 13 km from the centre, with trolleybus, taxi and ride-hailing connections. Buses and trains also link the city with Romania, including Iași and Bucharest.
- For Gagauzia, marshrutkas to Comrat, Ceadîr-Lunga and Vulcănești leave from the Southern Bus Station (Gara de Sud), a taxi or bus ride from the centre.
Insider tips
- Stay centrally: most tours offer pickup from city-centre hotels.
- Use a ride-hailing app or an official taxi to reach the Southern Bus Station with luggage.
- Exchange offices in the centre give fair rates for euros and dollars; you will need lei in cash in Gagauzia.
Tours & day trips: Chișinău
These bookable day trips are the easiest way to see Chișinău and the area around it — check each itinerary for the exact stops:
Walking tour from €60 Chișinău Walking Tour with Local Guide
A relaxed 2.5-hour walk through the central streets of Chișinău with an expert guide — a good way to get your bearings in the capital before heading south.
- The central streets and main attractions
- Expert local guide
- Easy to fit in on an arrival day
Walking tour from €37 Discover Soviet & Modern Chișinău: Walking Tour with Wine
A fun, relaxed walk through the Soviet and modern centre of Chișinău with wine along the way, starting with a first glass at the Ștefan cel Mare monument. The cheapest experience on this list.
- Soviet and modern city centre
- Wine along the way
- Starts at the Ștefan cel Mare monument
Half-day tour from €162 Moldova: Tour of Cricova Winery with Wine Tasting & City Tour
A visit to the Cricova winery with a tasting, followed by a one-hour city tour of Chișinău — a compact way to cover the capital and its most famous cellar in a single afternoon.
- Cricova winery visit
- Wine tasting
- One-hour tour of Chișinău
Half-day tour from €210 Chișinău & Castel Mimi Wine Tour – With Wooden Monastery
A guided city tour of Chișinău, including the old wooden church from Hirișeni, followed by a visit to the elegant Castel Mimi winery.
- Guided city tour of Chișinău
- The old wooden church from Hirișeni
- Castel Mimi winery
