Cricova & Milestii Mici Wineries

Cricova and Milestii Mici turn Moldova’s wine country into an underground adventure. At Cricova, you ride a small electric train through a maze of tunnels. At Milestii Mici, you walk through cool, dark galleries about 85 meters below ground, passing barrels and dusty bottles in one of the world’s largest wine collections.

I like the small group of no more than six, which gives your guide room to answer questions and adjust the pace. I also like the easy hotel or apartment pickup and the chance to visit both famous wineries in about six hours. The main drawback is time: one review found the tastings and visits a little rushed, so serious wine enthusiasts may want more time at each cellar.

Key points to know before booking

• Two famous underground wineries in one outing: See Cricova’s labyrinth by electric train and Milestii Mici’s galleries on foot.
• The cellar temperature matters: Bring warm clothes, since the tunnels can feel chilly even when Chisinau is warm.
• A genuinely small group: The tour accepts a maximum of six people, allowing more direct contact with the guide.
• Guides add more than transport: Victor, Mtvarisa Luchian, and Victoria Birgau have been specifically praised for attentive service, explanations, and help with language needs.
• Wine and snacks are included: Lunch is not, so plan your expectations around a tasting outing rather than a full-day food tour.

Why Cricova and Milestii Mici belong on a Moldova itinerary

Moldova’s wine culture is one of the country’s best reasons to leave Chisinau for a few hours. The two wineries on this tour offer different underground settings, which makes the pairing worthwhile. You are not simply visiting two tasting rooms with similar menus.

Cricova is known as an underground city built around wine storage. Its cellar roads and passages form a large maze, and the usual way through the tunnels is by small electric train. That detail gives the first stop a sense of movement and scale. You are not just standing beside a few barrels while someone pours wine. You are being taken into a working underground world.

Milestii Mici offers a different rhythm. Here, you walk through cool galleries and avenues where large barrels line the routes. Bottles covered in dust wait in storage, giving the cellars a quiet, old-fashioned feel. The winery is about 85 meters underground and is officially associated with a Guinness World Records entry for its huge wine collection.

You should keep the contrast in mind when booking. Cricova is the more structured ride through underground passages. Milestii Mici puts more emphasis on walking and seeing the storage galleries close up. Together, they give you a better sense of how wine is kept, aged, and presented in Moldova.

Starting from your Chisinau hotel or apartment

The tour includes pickup and drop-off at your hotel or apartment in Chisinau. That is a useful part of the price, since you do not have to arrange separate transport to two wineries outside the city.

The experience lasts approximately six hours and is offered Monday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The exact order and time spent at each cellar can depend on the day’s schedule, but you should expect a compact outing rather than a slow, all-day country excursion.

Your driver and guide handle the transfers between the wineries. The provider is Hi Moldova DMC, and the tour is offered in English. Specific guides connected with the experience include Victor, Mtvarisa Luchian, and Victoria Birgau. Their roles may differ between the winery and the vehicle, but the strongest part of the service is the personal attention.

Mtvarisa has been especially noted for making the trip enjoyable while also explaining Moldovan culture and winemaking. Victor has been praised for punctual pickup and attentive service. Victoria Birgau has led the Milestii Mici cellar visit and explained the site in detail. If language matters to you, it is worth asking at booking whether a particular guide or language option is available on your date. The published tour language is English, though one German-speaking party received help with a German-language visit.

Inside Cricova’s electric-train cellar

Cricova is the first major reason to choose this tour. The winery is described as an underground city, and that is a more useful image than thinking of it as a normal cellar with a few rooms.

The underground tunnels form a large labyrinth used for wine storage. You enter the passages by electric train, which lets you cover more ground without turning the visit into a long walk. The train also gives you a clear view of the scale of the operation. You can sit back, look through the passages, and hear the guide explain what you are seeing.

A key feature is the National Oenotec, a notable wine collection kept in the Cricova cellars. The collection adds a historical and cultural layer to the tasting. You are not only sampling Moldova’s wines. You are seeing how prized bottles are stored and presented in a place built around wine.

The visit should suit both experienced wine drinkers and casual tasters. You do not need to be able to identify every grape or tasting note to enjoy the tunnels. At the same time, the cellar setting gives wine enthusiasts details to ask about, including storage, aging, and the purpose of the underground galleries.

The limitation is time. Since the tour also includes Milestii Mici, Cricova cannot be treated as a long, private winery visit. If you prefer a slow tasting with extensive discussion of each bottle, this combined tour may feel brisk.

Walking through Milestii Mici at 85 meters underground

Milestii Mici changes the mood. Instead of mainly seeing the cellar from an electric train, you walk along its cool, dark galleries and avenues. Large barrels sit along the routes, and wine bottles coated in dust remain in storage.

The setting is the main attraction. The darkness, chill, and narrow underground atmosphere make this feel very different from a standard winery tour. Bring a sweater, jacket, or other warm layer. This is not optional advice for most people. A cool cellar can feel surprisingly cold after a warm day outdoors.

Milestii Mici is associated with the world’s largest underground cave network and the biggest wine collection in the world, officially documented by Guinness World Records. Those claims help explain why the site is treated as more than a tasting stop. The scale is part of the experience, even though you will only see a portion of the full network during a short visit.

Walking lets you take in details at a slower pace than the train at Cricova. You can look at the barrels and bottles as you move through the galleries, then continue to the tasting. Still, do not expect complete freedom to wander. This is a guided visit within a six-hour route that includes another major winery.

Milestii Mici is likely to appeal most to you if you enjoy atmosphere and unusual places. The old bottles, noble dust, dark corridors, and deep underground location make it memorable even before you taste anything.

What the tasting and snacks are like

Wine tasting and alcoholic drinks are included, along with snacks. The sample menu lists a starter of snacks, so you should think of the food as something to accompany the wine rather than a meal.

Lunch is not included. This matters because six hours can cover a large part of the day, and tasting wine on an empty stomach is not ideal. Plan accordingly, especially if you prefer a substantial meal with your wine. The supplied details do not specify a lunch stop or a full food menu, so do not book this expecting a winery lunch.

The tastings are designed to introduce you to Moldovan wines and their different notes. A casual drinker can enjoy trying several wines without needing technical vocabulary. If you are a connoisseur, you will likely want to ask direct questions about the bottles, production, aging, and regional character.

One practical point is worth stressing: the tasting schedule may feel tight. A six-hour route covering two large cellar complexes, transfers, touring, and wine sampling leaves limited room for lingering. The experience works best when your priority is seeing both famous wineries. If your priority is detailed tasting analysis, a tour focused on one winery might suit you better.

The minimum drinking age is 18. Alcoholic beverages are included, but responsible drinking still matters because the tour involves travel between sites and a full return transfer to Chisinau.

The value of a $237.65 tour

At $237.65 per person, this is not a budget sightseeing trip. You are paying for a private-style small group, hotel or apartment pickup and drop-off, a driver and guide, entry into two major wineries, wine tasting, snacks, and alcoholic beverages.

The maximum group size of six is central to the value. A large coach tour could lower the cost, but it would also make questions and personal attention harder. Here, you have a better chance of speaking directly with the guide and getting help with the details that interest you.

The price also covers the convenience of combining both wineries in one outing. Arranging Cricova and Milestii Mici independently could require separate transport and careful timing. This tour removes that work and keeps the day focused on the cellars.

Still, the value depends on your interests. Wine lovers who want to visit both landmark wineries will get more from the price than people who only want a quick tasting. If you dislike organized touring or prefer to spend hours at a single cellar, the short schedule and fixed route may not feel worthwhile.

The 4.9 rating from 22 reviews and a 100 percent recommendation record point to very strong satisfaction, especially with the guides and service. I would put more weight on the repeated praise for punctual pickup, polite attention, and clear explanations than on the score alone. Those are the details that affect your day directly.

The small-group advantage

A maximum of six people changes the feel of a winery outing. You can hear the guide more easily, ask about the cellars, and avoid the impersonal quality that often comes with large groups.

This format also gives the guide a better chance to notice what you need. If you are unsure about a wine, want more cultural background, or need help with the route, the conversation is easier than it would be on a full bus.

The guide can make a large difference here. Mtvarisa Luchian has been praised for combining winery information with stories about Moldovan culture and winemaking. Victor has been singled out for friendly, attentive driving and reliable pickup. Victoria Birgau has provided detailed explanations at Milestii Mici.

You should not assume that a named guide is guaranteed on your date. Names connected with the experience include these guides, but assignments can change. The important takeaway is that the tour depends heavily on the person leading it, and the small group gives that person room to add value.

Practical advice for a smoother cellar visit

Wear warm clothes, even if Chisinau feels mild or hot when you leave your hotel. The underground passages at both wineries can be chilly, and Milestii Mici is specifically described as being about 85 meters below ground.

Wear something comfortable for walking. Cricova uses an electric train, but Milestii Mici includes walking through underground galleries and avenues. The supplied information says most people can participate, but it does not provide detailed accessibility information, so ask the provider directly if you have mobility concerns.

Keep your schedule flexible around the approximate six-hour duration. Pickup, transfers, cellar visits, and tastings all take time. The tour operates Monday through Saturday, and the listed hours are 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. It is not offered on Sunday according to the provided schedule.

The mobile ticket makes it easy to keep your confirmation on your phone. Confirmation is received at the time of booking. Hotel and apartment pickup is included, but you should provide accurate accommodation details so the driver can find you.

Free cancellation is available if you cancel at least 24 hours before the experience starts. Changes or cancellations made within 24 hours are not accepted for a refund, with cut-off times based on local time.

Who should book this Moldova wine tour?

I would choose this tour if you want to see both Cricova and Milestii Mici without arranging your own transport. It is especially well suited to wine lovers, first-time visitors to Moldova, couples, and small groups who value a guide’s attention.

It also works for casual tasters. You do not need advanced wine knowledge to appreciate an electric train through Cricova or a walk through dusty underground galleries. The unusual settings carry much of the appeal.

I would pause before booking if you want a long lunch, extended time at one winery, or a highly technical tasting. The route is ambitious for six hours, and one account found the day a little rushed. You should also consider the price carefully if your main goal is only to drink a few wines.

Should you book Cricova and Milestii Mici?

Book it if you want an efficient, well-supported introduction to Moldova’s two best-known underground wine sites. The combination of Cricova’s electric train, Milestii Mici’s deep walking galleries, included tastings, and a six-person limit gives you a strong mix of scale and personal service.

Bring warm clothes, expect snacks rather than lunch, and leave room for a brisk pace. If that trade-off suits you, the tour offers a memorable look at Moldova’s wine culture without the hassle of planning two cellar visits yourself.

FAQ

Where does the Cricova and Milestii Mici tour take place?

The tour begins in Chisinau, Moldova, and visits the Cricova and Milestii Mici wineries.

How long does the tour last?

The tour lasts approximately six hours.

Is hotel pickup included?

Yes. Pickup and drop-off are provided from hotels and apartments in Chisinau.

What language is the tour offered in?

The tour is offered in English.

How many people can join the tour?

The tour has a maximum of six travelers.

Is wine tasting included?

Yes. Wine tasting and alcoholic beverages are included.

Is food included?

Snacks are included. Lunch is not included.

How old must I be to drink on the tour?

The minimum drinking age is 18.

Should I bring warm clothing?

Yes. Warm clothes are recommended because the underground wine tunnels and galleries can be chilly.

What is the cancellation policy?

You can cancel at least 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before the start time are not accepted for a refund.