Itinerary
Day 1 / BUCHAREST ARRIVAL
Meet your guide at the airport in Bucharest and transfer to the GRAND CONTINENTAL HOTEL 5*
Enjoy some leisure time at the hotel and dinner on your own, for which we have a very nice recommendation:
the oldest surviving restaurant in Bucharest: CARU’ CU BERE (The Beer Wagon), which offers also different shows each night (reservations upon request).
The restaurant was established in 1879 in Calea Victoriei Street by Ion Carabasanu, a former Romanian army volunteer, coming from Transylvania. The building and the establishment became famous in the commercial field of Bucharest, at the beginning of the 1900’s, when the owner, received the military decorations of the Order of the Romanian Crown and of the Order of the Star of Romania. Today, the restaurant is as loved as it was when it first opened. The restaurant is a relaxing 10 minutes’ walk from to the hotel.
Meal plan: no meals included on this day
Day 2 / BUCHAREST - IASI
After a delicious breakfast, you will dedicate the first part of the day to explore the capital city of Romania- Bucharest.
Your day will start with a panoramic tour and continue with the visit to the biggest administrative building in the world The Palace of Parliament.
Built by the former communist ruler Nicolae Ceausescu as part of his ambitious urban development, this building stands for one of the most extravagant and expensive constructions made in the last century.
After the visit you will be transferred to the airport where you will take the flight to Iasi.
Arriving to Iasi you will be transferred to the hotel PLEIADA BOUTIQUE HOTEL& SPA 5*, where you will have dinner and spend the night.
Meal plan: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 3 / IASI
In the morning you will have breakfast at the hotel and start your day with a guided city tour of Iasi.
Iasi is considered to be the cultural capital of Romania and was for many centuries a melting pot of cultures, traditions and religions as it always stood at the crossroad between Constantinople, nowadays Istanbul, and Russia. Today it is considered as the economic center of Moldavia province but during its history the city was the capital of Romania during hard times. It was here that the first University of the country was built and also where the first newspaper was printed. The is considered to be a must see in Romania as it is hosting 5 Universities and over 100 old Orthodox churches, with the oldest one dating as back as the 15th century.
Durring the tour among beautiful sites you will see along the way, you will visit the Palace of Culture.
Built in 1925 by the Romanian architect I.D Berindei, the building was constructed in the Neo-Gothic style and first served as the Palace of Justice until its purpose changed and today it is hosting four different Museums that are representative for the history, science, art and traditions of the Moldavia region.
After lunch, on your own, you will enjoy free time in the beautiful Copou park.
Dinner on your own.
Meal plan: Breakfast
Day 4 / IASI - CUCUTENI - DELENI
Breakfast at the hotel and head for the Cucuteni Museum of Ancient Civilization. Here you will find depicted in an authentic manner, fragments from the daily life of a civilization that lived 7000 years ago.
You see here artifacts such as spiral motif vessels painted in 3 colors: white, black and red and tools and weapons that belonged to this lost civilization.
You will then arrive to Deleni where you will check in the beautiful POLIZU MANSION 5*, and you will have the rest of the day free to relax and enjoy the wonderful premises of the mansion. Located among beautiful hills this property was built in the 19th century and is an outstanding architectural and historical value of the area, as it keeps alive the spirit of the boyars that were gathering here at the end of the II World War.
Meal plan: Breakfast
Day 5 / DELENI - HARLAU - HUMOSU NATURE RESERVE - DELENI
After a delicious breakfast at the mansion you will start your day with start your day in the town of Harlau, one of the oldest settlements of the Moldavia region, that dates back to the 14th century. Here you will visit the Museum of Vineyard and Wine, that is situated within a 19th century building and that will teach you everything you need to know and more about the process of making wine here in this region since immemorial times.
After serving a delicious lunch- box prepared by the mansion you will head to Humosu Nature Reserve, where you will have a short stop to admire the beautiful landscape.
In the afternoon you will return to the mansion, where you will have free time.
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch- box, Dinner
Day 6 / DELENI - GURA HUMORULUI - VORONET - HUMOR
In the morning after breakfast you will leave behind the beautiful Polizu Mansion and head to Gura Humorului to visit Humor Monastery which boost an exquisite painting arrangement.
Considered to be the best treasures in terms of authenticity in Romania, the painted monasteries in Bucovina are the greatest example of religious architecture and design of the 15th and 16th century.
Humor is one of the five monastery’s decorated with Byzantine frescoes both on the inside and the outside, together with Voronet, Moldovita, Sucevita and Arbore, and these are considered unique in the Orthodox world. Built in the 16th century Humor Monastery presents a special interest as it is the first one ever built of its kind.
The paintings are representing cycles of religious tales, their purpose being to bring to life, in the eyes of the local community at the time, scenes from the Bible and the life of the saints as well as images of heaven and hell, angels and demons.
You will then have lunch and continue to visit Voronet monastery.
Located 20 miles east, from Suceava and built by the famous Moldavian ruler Stephan the Great in the 15th century, this is the most stunning of the painted monastery’s and it is known as the “Sistine Chapel of the East” as it offers an amazing abundance of frescoes. Another particular element here is the special blue color used intensely throughout the paintings, that no one can’t exactly pinpoint and that have a composition unknown even now after 500 years, called today Voronet Blue.
After the visit you will check in to the EL QUATRO HOTEL 5* where you will spend the night.
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 7 / HUMOR - MOLDOVITA- SUCEVITA - MARGINEA - SUCEAVA
After breakfast in this day this day you will visit another two of this amazing monasteries. The first one will be Moldovita. Built in the 16th century, the predominant gold and blue paintings on this monastery took almost five years to be completed and they are a true unique feature with the most important scenes being the vivid siege of Constantinopole and the Tree of Jesse, a very famous middle age iconographical theme.
Your day will continue with a stop in Marginea, to visit the famous dark ceramic shops. Here this practice has been going on since the Neolithic but during the 12th and 15th century Marginea became known in all the region for the fine kitchen and storage ceramic items that even today is made with the same care by the new generations that learned from their fathers how to work the clay.
Lunch on your own.
After this stop you will visit the Suceava Citadel, an impressive structure built in the 14th century as part of the fortification system, composed of fortified settlement, monasteries and princely courts, with the purpose to defend the population against the ottomans.
The final visit of the day will be Sucevita monastery, another great example of Byzantine art. The paintings on this particular monastery date from the year 1601, which makes it one of the last one of its kind ever being built, if not the last.
In the afternoon you will arrive at the guesthouse CASA DE OASPETI SUCEAVA 4*, the former property of the Romanian dictator, Nicolae Ceausescu, in Suceava, where you will spend the night.
Meal plan: Breakfast
Day 8 / SUCEAVA - IASI - CHISINAU - CRICOVA WINERY - CHISINAU
Breakfast at the hotel. Departure from the hotel and head to Chisinau. After the lunch served at Acasa la Mama Restaurant you will have a half day city tour. One can hardly find a more greenish, attarctive and welcoming city. This can be easily proved during the panoramic tour where you will see in brief the main cultural, historical and commercial places of interest. An important role in terms of architecture development had the famous architect Bernardazzi.
After the tour you will be transferred to Cricova Winery. In Cricova underground galleries you will see over seventy streets covering an area of nearly 53 hectares, each bearing Bacchic names: Sauvignon, Cabernet, Cahor etc. Here you can admire one of the oldest bottles of wine in Moldova, dating from 1902. There is one story always told in this place about the Russian pilot Yuri Gagarin, who during a visit in 1966, after getting tipsy, got lost and missed the exit. He went out the next day, having spent the night in the tasting room, currently named after him. In one of Cricova’s luxurious tasting halls, a couple years ago the Russian president Vladimir Putin celebrated his 50th birthday.
After the wine tasting and dinner at Cricova Winery you will be transferred at Radisson Blu Leogrand Hotel 5*.
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 9 / CHISINAU – CURCHI – ORHEIUL VECHI – BRANESTI – CHISINAU
Breakfast at the hotel. Departure from the hotel and transfer to Curchi Monastery. The complex of the Curchi Monastery is surrounded by a high stone wall endowed with towers at each corner, creating the image of a fortress. The main church, built in 1810, has a monumental look, enhanced with baroque elements, yet keeping Moldavian traditional style.
After this visit you will be transferred to Orheiul Vechi where you will attend a cooking lesson at Butuceni Guest House. Here you will have thechance to cook stuffed cabbage rolls, traditional pies, homemade bread, mamaliga and various cookies. Good mood and a glass of tasty wine will help you to feel a real chef. After the master class, you will have the possibility to buy homemade jams and pickles from the cellar.
After a delicious lunch and a folklore performance you will take a tour Orheiul Vechi Complex. The remnants of the first human settlements, which are some tens of thousands years old, were found in the stone caverns from here. On the rocky hill, you’ll find the ruins of a strong get-dacian fortification and the calendar, which acted as a sanctuary for celebrating religious holidays and rituals in this prehistoric community. The originality of Orheiul Vechi’s landscape is due to the defile of the Raut River, dug under the form of a canyon in the limestone layers of the former Sarmatia sea, about 14 million years ago.
You’ll participate also to a fruit harvest in Orheiul Vechi then you will be transferred to Branesti. Branesti is located in the forest near Orheiul Vechi. It has 50km of underground cellars, reaching to depths of 60 beneath the surface. There are two tasting halls at Branesti, one of which is located underground. The halls are decorated with wood and metal that reproduce images related to wine cultivation and winemaking. Here you’ll be able to enjoy dry white and red collection wines and sparkling wines inside the Stone Age Underground restaurant. Dinner will be served also here.
After dinner you will be transferred to Chisinau.
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 10 / CHISINAU – TIRASPOL – CHISINAU
Breakfast at the hotel. Departure from the hotel and transfer to Tiraspol. In Tiraspol, a businessman has created a real treasure, one of the largest fish hatchery in Europe. The factory is equipped with the latest technologies and the fish can reach the size of a man. You will get the chance to see how is processed some of the most expensive culinary delights – caviar and taste it. In Tiraspol you will have the opportunity to travel in time back to USSR. You will start by visiting the monument of Vladimir Lenin and tanks left from the Second World War. The city seems to be a ghost of the Soviet past. Nevertheless, you will be amazed by the contrasts, one of which is the football complex Sheriff, a pearl of contemporary architecture. Lunch will be served at Kumanek Restaurant.
After lunch you will visit Kvint Factory where you will taste some high quality cognac. Harmony, refinement and tradition underlie the oldest and most genuine spirits: Doina, Surpriznii, Suvorov and of course the 50 years old Cneazi Vitghenstein. Offer yourself the opportunity to be one of the people who have tasted these cognacs.
Atfer this visit you will be transferred to dinner at Vatra Neamului Restaurant in Chisinau. Transfer back to hotel.
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 11 / CHISINAU DEPARTURE
After breakfast transfer to airport for your flight back home.
Meal plan: Breakfast
Accomodation & Tarriffs
| Location | 4* Category | 5* Category |
|---|---|---|
| Bucharest | Hotel Grand Continental | |
| Iasi | Pleiada Boutique Hotel&Spa | |
| Deleni | Polizu Mansion | |
| Humor | El Quatro Hotel | |
| Suceava | Casa De Oaspeti Suceava | |
| Chisinau | Radisson Blu Leogrand Hotel |
| Tarriffs | 5* Category |
|---|---|
| Total tarrif/person | 4295 euro |
Included services
- 11 nights’ accommodation at the specified hotels or similar
- Meals specified in the program
- English speaking guide throughout the tour
- All transfers and tours indicated in the outlined itinerary
- Excursions, visits and activities, according to the program
- Entrance tickets for all the mentioned visits
- Passenger welcome kit with map, suggested restaurants, gift and pick-up time
- 24-hours emergency phone numbers
- Visa assistance if required
Extra services
- Visa costs if visa is required
- Flights or other flight related costs
- Early check-in & late check-out
- Porterage (airport & hotel)
- Other meals, except for the ones specified in the program
- Additional drinks, except the ones indicated in the meal plan
- Tips for guide and driver
- Optional excursions and visits
- Personal expenses
- Medical insurance
- Other services or expenses, except the ones mentioned in the “included” section (for example: massages, casino, telephone, internet, etc.)
Observations
- Remarks about feasibility of tours: most tours can be done also during the winter November- March but some roads may not be accessible in that period due to heavy snow fall.
- Tariffs are subject to changes, especially if heavy fluctuation in exchange rate and/or fuel prices.
- All tours and tariffs are subject to changes in case of cancellations or overbooking of flights, changes in timetable, bad weather and road conditions, strike, closing of sites, natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods.
- No services have been blocked for this tour. Ground services availability will be checked when we receive your enquiry. The availability will be re- confirmed, when the deposit has been made and received.
- In case of a last minute notification from the hotel, regarding the already confirmed availability, we commit ourselves to replace it with another hotel from the same category, or a superior one.
- For the transportation services, we will use cars, mini vans or buses, adequate to the number of participants.
Reservation
- The prices are valid for 2018, except legal holidays in Romania, when additional costs may apply.
- We will supply you with all the required company details, including the SWIFT code, in order to safely proceed with the payment.
- Payment will be made in Euros, to the provided bank account.
- In case of payment by credit card, the bank will perceive an extra commission of 1.6%, of the full value of the transaction.
- The payment will be made, as follows:
- For the ground services, an advance payment of 30% of the full value of the package, will be made at the moment of the reservation.
- The other 70% of the full value of the package, will be paid the latest, one month before the beginning of the services and the exact dates for the payment will be set through annexes to the contract.
- For service confirmations received 30 days before they commence, full prepayment will be made at the moment of the confirmation.
- If the client wishes to include also the flights in the present package, the price for the flights, will be paid in full, at the moment of their reservation.
- Airline companies can modify the flight’s schedule or status, according to their internal organization, without any prior notice to the travel agency. Trip Tailor cannot be made liable for any changes in the schedule of the booked flight, which falls completely in the responsibility of the airline company.
