The Best of Chisinau: Moldovan Capital Explored by Car and on Foot

We invite you on an engaging sightseeing tour of Chisinau — the green and welcoming capital of Moldova, where history blends harmoniously with the modern rhythm of life.

Highlights

During this extended city tour, you will learn how Chisinau was founded and how it was developing, see its oldest building, and discover architectural masterpieces from the Russian Empire era, the Romanian and Soviet periods, as well as modern-day landmarks. Every building and sculpture has its own fascinating story, which our guide will bring to life for you.

The extended city tour includes a part covered by car, a snack break at an atmospheric coffee house, a walking tour of the city center, and a final coffee stop to complete the experience.

Extended Chisinau Tour Program

🔹 Part One (by car):

• The famous Chisinau Circus;

• The symbolic stone marking the city’s foundation site, and its oldest building — the Old Believers’ Mazarache Church;

• The railway station — a postwar building with national character, and the Monument to the Victims of Soviet Deportations;

• The Eternity Memorial Complex, where locals celebrate Victory Day, honor heroes, and pay tribute to veterans of the Great Patriotic War;

• The Water Tower, with a visit to the observation deck on the top floor;

• The scenic Valea Morilor Park with its elegant Cascade Stairs, almost as long as the Potemkin Stairs in Odessa;

• Chisinau’s most “exotic” building: the National Museum of Ethnography and Natural History;

• A hidden courtyard where mid-19th- and 20th-century buildings stand side by side with an unusual modern structure — the Artcor creative hub.

🔹 Coffee break

Time to relax and recharge at the atmospheric Kofemolka — a coffee shop that can also be defined as a museum of urban life. Your coffee will be prepared in the traditions of old Chisinau.

🔹 Part Two (walking tour):

• The National Museum of History of Moldova with the statue of the Capitoline Wolf, just like the one in Rome;

• The National Library of Moldova;

• The National Art Museum of Moldova;

• Saint Theodora of Sihla Church;

• The monument to Queen Marie of Romania;

• The Sinadino (Greek) Church;

• The Organ Hall;

• Chisinau City Hall;

• The Government of Moldova House and the Great National Assembly Square;

• The monument to Stephen the Great, the most renowned ruler of the Moldavian Principality;

• Stephen the Great Park, the oldest in Chisinau, with the alley of classic Moldovan writers and the monument to the great Russian poet Alexander Pushkin, who spent four years in Bessarabian exile;

• Vladimir Hertza’s mansion, which was the first building of the Art Museum;

• The Transfiguration of the Lord Church, which, like many other churches in Chisinau, served a very different purpose during the Soviet period;

• The Presidential Office;

• Maria Biesu National Opera and Ballet Theatre;

• The Cathedral Park ensemble: the Nativity of Christ Cathedral, the Bell Tower, and the Triumphal Arch, the most iconic architectural symbol of Chisinau.

🔹 Final touch: a stop at Today cafe in Cathedral Park for coffee or another pleasant drink.

Duration of the extended city tour: approximately 5 hours.

The price includes:

• Transportation within Chisinau;

• Guide’s services;

• Coffee and a seasonal treat at Kofemolka;

• A drink at Today.

Not included: additional drinks and food in cafes, personal expenses.