From Chisinau: visit Cricova and Milestii Mici Wineries

Two giant wine cities lie beneath Moldova’s countryside, and this six-hour tour lets you visit both in one well-organized day. At Cricova, you ride through more than 120 kilometers of underground galleries, then taste wine and sparkling wine. At Mileștii Mici, the tunnels stretch about 200 kilometers and hold more than two million bottles.

I like the easy hotel pickup and the fact that a private car keeps the day simple. I also like the contrast between the two cellars: Cricova focuses on wine production and sparkling wine, while Mileștii Mici gives you a substantial tasting with prosciutto, salami, carpaccio, nuts, prunes, and breadsticks. The main drawback is price: at $247 per person, this is costly for one person, especially since the winery tours themselves may include you with larger groups.

Key points

• More than 320 kilometers of underground wine roads: Cricova and Mileștii Mici together offer an astonishing look at Moldova’s cellar culture.
• Golf-car transport underground: You do not walk the full tunnel systems, but you should be comfortable going about 80 meters below ground.
• Two very different tasting stops: Cricova includes wine, sparkling wine, biscuits, nuts, and water, while Mileștii Mici pairs three wines with a fuller food plate.
• A private ride from Chisinau: Drivers such as Alexandru and Octavian have been praised for punctual hotel pickup and smooth transfers between the wineries.
• Useful in every season: Mileștii Mici stays at roughly 12 to 14 degrees Celsius underground, so warm clothing matters even in summer.
• A bottle to take home: The Mileștii Mici visit includes one bottle of Univers wine as a gift.

Why Moldova’s wine cellars are the main event

Moldova’s wine culture is not confined to a tasting room with a few barrels on display. Here, former underground limestone workings have become vast cellar networks with named streets, storage areas, production rooms, and collections of bottled wine.

That scale changes the feel of the outing. You are not simply sampling three or four glasses. You are seeing why wine storage has become such a major part of Moldova’s identity. The rides through the tunnels also make the visits practical. Walking through hundreds of kilometers would be impossible, so the golf cars carry you from one section to the next.

The tour reaches about 80 meters underground. If enclosed spaces make you uneasy, think carefully before booking. The product is not suitable for wheelchair users or people with mobility impairments, and children under four are not accepted.

Starting from Chisinau with a private driver

The day begins with pickup at your hotel or apartment in Chisinau. You are asked to wait in the lobby 10 minutes before the scheduled time, and the exact pickup time is provided after booking.

The drive to Cricova is about 14 kilometers north of the city. After that, Mileștii Mici lies around 20 kilometers south of Chisinau, in Ialoveni District. That north-to-south route is one reason a private vehicle is useful. You avoid arranging separate taxis and can return directly to your accommodation at the end.

The transport is private, but that does not always mean every part of the cellar visit is private. At Cricova, the underground tour may place you with other people in a larger winery group. The private element is mainly your pickup, transfers, and guiding arrangement.

The strongest practical feature is the organization. Alexandru is named as a punctual, friendly driver, while Octavian is also praised for professional service. One couple reported being the only customers in the company’s car, which gave them a comfortable transfer between the two wineries. You may receive one of these drivers or another member of the team, but the setup is designed to keep the day moving without fuss.

Cricova’s 120 kilometers beneath the ground

Cricova was founded in 1952 and sits in a pleasant setting north of Chisinau. Its underground galleries extend for more than 120 kilometers, making the cellar feel more like a buried town than a traditional winery.

The first visit lasts about 2 hours and 20 minutes. You travel through the underground streets by golf car and see several important sections:

• The Wine Maturation Section
• The Classic Sparkling Wine Production Section
• The National Collection and Tasting Complex

The production areas help connect the drink in your glass with the work behind it. You learn about the path from grape to bottle, while the guide explains how wine matures and how classic sparkling wine is made.

Cricova’s tasting program includes four wines and one sparkling wine in the general tour description. The included package is also described as three wines and one sparkling wine, with biscuits, nuts, and water. Since those details differ slightly, I would confirm the exact tasting lineup when booking. Either way, expect a mixed flight rather than one single style of wine.

This is the more technical of the two winery visits. If you enjoy seeing how wine is produced, stored, and presented, Cricova gives you plenty to work with. If you mainly want a long, relaxed meal, the tasting is lighter than the one at Mileștii Mici.

Bring a sweater or jacket. The underground setting stays cool, and the tour information specifically advises warm clothing. Comfortable shoes also make sense, even though the golf cars handle most of the distance.

Mileștii Mici and its two million bottles

After Cricova, the tour crosses the Chisinau area toward Mileștii Mici, south of the capital. This winery claims tunnel routes totaling about 200 kilometers and a collection exceeding two million bottles. Those figures make it the larger cellar of the two.

The visit lasts roughly 110 minutes and includes a guided tour by golf car. The underground temperature remains between 12 and 14 degrees Celsius throughout the year. That steady cool air is ideal for storage, but it can feel cold when you are dressed for Moldova’s summer weather.

Mileștii Mici offers a more food-focused tasting. You receive three wines:

• Dry white wine
• Dry red wine
• Vintage dessert wine

The food includes prosciutto crudo, salami, carpaccio, breadsticks, nuts, and prunes. This makes the second stop feel more like a proper pairing session, rather than a quick sample between cellar displays.

You also receive one bottle of Univers wine as a gift. That adds some value to the price, particularly if you enjoy bringing home a local bottle rather than buying a souvenir separately. Souvenirs beyond the included bottle are not part of the tour.

The two stops work well together. Cricova gives you sparkling wine and a look at production sections. Mileștii Mici offers the larger bottle collection and the more generous food pairing. You get variety instead of repeating the same tasting format twice.

What the six-hour schedule feels like

The listed duration is six hours, including pickup, both winery visits, and the return to Chisinau. The scheduled cellar portions add up to a little more than four hours, leaving time for the drives and transfers.

A typical flow looks like this:

1. Hotel pickup in Chisinau
2. Travel north to Cricova
3. Underground Cricova tour and tasting
4. Transfer south to Mileștii Mici
5. Underground tour, wine tasting, and food pairing
6. Return to your Chisinau hotel or apartment

The schedule is fairly tight. One couple described leaving the first winery around 3 p.m., reaching the second around 3:15, and returning to the hotel by about 5:40. Exact timing can vary, but the day is built for seeing both cellars rather than lingering for hours at either one.

That pace is a strength if you have limited time in Moldova. You can cover two major wine destinations without giving up a full extra day. The tradeoff is that you will not have much flexibility to extend a tasting, browse at length, or stop elsewhere.

What you are really paying for at $247

At $247 per person, this is not a budget wine outing. The price includes transportation, hotel pickup and drop-off, professional guide services, entry to both wineries, both tasting programs, food at Mileștii Mici, and the bottle of Univers wine.

The value depends heavily on your group size. For one person, the cost is hard to defend unless you place a high value on private transport and a simple, door-to-door day. A solo visit may feel expensive because the winery tours can still join larger groups once you arrive.

For two or more people, the private car and direct transfers make more sense. You are paying for convenience, not just wine. You do not need to find your way to two rural cellars, coordinate return transport after tastings, or worry about getting back to Chisinau.

I would also compare this tour with the cost and effort of arranging both wineries independently. The included food, guide, transport, tastings, and gift bottle add up. Still, the price should be viewed as a premium private excursion, not as two inexpensive cellar admissions.

The high rating of 4.8 from 14 bookings reflects strong satisfaction with organization, the drivers, and the wineries. One clear reservation concerns the cost, so I would make that the deciding factor rather than assuming the tour is cheap.

The food and wine experience

The tasting is not designed as a full lunch, but Mileștii Mici provides enough food to make the wine feel grounded in local eating habits. Salami, prosciutto crudo, carpaccio, breadsticks, nuts, and prunes cover salty, savory, crisp, and sweet notes.

At Cricova, the lighter snacks of biscuits and nuts keep the focus on the wines and sparkling wine. Water is included, which is useful during a day with several pours.

The wine selection is broad enough to show different styles. You taste dry white, dry red, and vintage dessert wine at Mileștii Mici, while Cricova adds sparkling wine to its program. Your guide explains the wine process from grape to bottle, so the tasting is not just a series of glasses with no context.

If you are a serious wine collector, do not expect a private sommelier session or a custom flight based on your personal preferences. The program is fixed. If you are new to Moldovan wine, the set format gives you a helpful first look without requiring specialist knowledge.

Languages, comfort, and who should book

Guiding is available in English, Romanian, and Russian. The experience works best for adults and older children who are comfortable with underground spaces, golf-car rides, and a scheduled tasting program.

I would recommend it to you if:

• You are based in Chisinau and want both major cellars in one day.
• You prefer hotel pickup to arranging rural transport.
• You enjoy wine, cellar architecture, and production stories.
• You want a private vehicle and guide rather than a large coach excursion.
• You can handle cool underground rooms and a descent of about 80 meters.

I would hesitate if you dislike enclosed spaces, have mobility limitations, or want a slow, unplanned day. The tour is not suitable for wheelchair users, people with mobility impairments, or children under four.

Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before the activity for a full refund. You can also reserve now and pay later, which helps if your Chisinau plans are still taking shape.

Should you book both wineries?

Book this tour if you want the most efficient introduction to Moldova’s wine culture and value a private ride more than a low price. The combination is well chosen: Cricova gives you the production story and sparkling wine, while Mileștii Mici brings the bigger bottle collection, fuller food plate, dessert wine, and included bottle.

I would not book it expecting complete privacy inside every cellar or a bargain. For a solo visitor, $247 is a serious expense. For a couple or small private group, the price is easier to justify because the transport and planning are handled from start to finish.

Pack warm clothes, wear comfortable shoes, and confirm the exact Cricova wine count before paying. If those details suit you, this is a practical and memorable way to see two extraordinary underground wineries without sacrificing a day to complicated transport.

FAQ

How long does the winery tour from Chisinau last?

The full activity lasts about six hours, including hotel pickup, travel to both wineries, the cellar visits, tastings, and return to Chisinau.

Which wineries are included?

The tour visits Cricova Winery and Mileștii Mici Winery, both in the Chisinau area of Moldova.

How far underground do the tours go?

You should be prepared to travel about 80 meters underground during the winery visits.

How are visitors transported inside the cellars?

The underground streets are traversed by golf cars.

What wines are served at Mileștii Mici?

The tasting includes a dry white, a dry red, and a vintage dessert wine.

What food is included at Mileștii Mici?

The pairing includes prosciutto crudo, salami, carpaccio, breadsticks, nuts, and prunes.

Is transportation from my hotel included?

Yes. Hotel pickup and drop-off in Chisinau are included, with the exact pickup time provided after booking.

What languages are available for the guide?

The guide service is available in English, Romanian, and Russian.