The Moldova Wine & Transnistria Independence Day Tour 2019
"I just wanted to say a quick thanks for arranging the tour. It was certainly an adventure I will not forget in a while!"
Join us for a long weekend visiting two of the least visited countries in Europe! Our tour will venture to the beautiful undiscovered winemaking country of Moldova as well as the unrecognised country of Transnistria. If you haven't heard about this unique place, Google it. If you want off the beaten track, this is it! Enjoy four days exploring the booze in a true Soviet time warp with plenty of wine, beer and brandy tastings! This tour also coincides with the Independence Day celebrations and the last Soviet style military parade in Europe...
Saturday 31 August 2019 Guests arrive at Bucharest at leisure ready for our 19:15 night train to Chisinau, Moldova!
On our very Soviet train with grumpy guards, we will enjoy a wine tasting of delicious Romanian wines as well sampling a selection of Eastern Europe food delights!
Our passports will be checked at the border as we exit the EU and the train will also stop for a few hours while the wheels are changed as railway tracks in ex Soviet states are a different size. Stalin was terrified of invading Western nations!
Sunday 1 September 2019 Early morning arrival in Chisinau.
First stop on our epic tour will be a visit to the Cricova winery, home to one of the largest wine collection in the world. We taste wines here in a very traditional Moldovan way - wine paired with local delicacies and Moldovan instrumental music played by a couple of eccentric accordion players!
After a slightly liquid morning, we will head to Tiraspol, the capital of the war torn, breakaway country of Transnistria! This unrecognised country tore away from Moldova in a vicious civil war during the collapse of the USSR. Known as ‘’Europe’s North Korea’’ this is the place where time has stood still. You have to see it to believe it!
We check into our hotel: Hotel Aist, a VERY Soviet experience. If you enjoyed the Cosmos in Chisinau then you will love this hotel for its time warp glory!
After lunch at Andy's Pizza with 50 cent shots of vodka, we head on a city tour of Tiraspol, starting with a stroll down October 25th street, taking in the House of the Soviets with Lenin outside.
We will then see the hulking statue of the Russian general Suvorov, see the eternal flame memorial to the Transnistria civil war and WW2, visit the Transnistrian parliament building with the biggest Lenin statue outside of Russia and the Russian T-34 tank memorial.
After we continue our informative city tour will we head for a refreshing beer in the Dolce Vita Student Pub.
Group dinner and drinks in one of the countries few nightclubs - order the special shot in the colours of the Russian or Transnistrian flag and the bar will blast out the Russian anthem!
Overnight at Hotel Aist.
Monday 2 September 2019 - Independence Day! We get up early and go to the centre for a classic Soviet Party Breakfast: BBQ and vodka! There will be many outdoor shashlick stands on October Street. Take your pick of a good area and sit at the many tables lining the road. As we will be the only tourists here, we will be given a very warm welcome by the locals!
After our breakfast, we walk down October Street viewing all the attractions, including live music and dancing.
We then stop at 7 Fridays, the most popular western style café in Tiraspol. There is a menu from around the world and cheap beer and vodka. We take a private table and wait until the start of the parade.
When the parade is about to start we go outside and walk to the centre for the best view of the Army Parade! Bring your cameras! There will be no Western journalists here, so your photos and videos will be priceless. Just be careful not to get in trouble with the local KGB!
We witness the speeches of the Transinistrian President and Russian Diplomats from Moscow and may have a chance later to meet some of the local politicians as well as the Cossack soldiers.
After the parade we will go to the De Wollant Park to watch the Transnistrian Wrestling Championships where first prize is a sheep!
We will spend the rest of the day exploring Tiraspol's festivities and meeting the friendly locals. As we will be some of the only foreigners here we will be given a very warm welcome!
As the party begins with local pop groups and dancing, we will stock up with a load of booze and head out on the Dniester River for a very special experience: 'The Techno Boat'!
We return for the firework display and then go for a local bar crawl and continue to party well into the night.
Overnight at Hotel Aist.
Tuesday 3 September 2019 After breakfast we take a local minibus back to Chisinau. This is always an experience as the driver will be racing his friends all the way back to the Moldovan capital!
On arrival in Chisinau we will head out on a Pub Crawl/City Tour visiting one sight and one pub nearby! As you may be fed up with Soiviet style food by this point, we will have lunch in an American restaurant and enjoy a beer tasting next door at Tap Room 27!
We catch the 16:45 train back to Bucharest.
Wednesday 4 September 2019 We arrive in Bucharest at 06:15.
End of tour and a sad farewell to our new friends and travel buddies.
We can organise a fun city tour for those with later flights. (Extra Cost).
TOUR COST: £325.00
Price Inclusive of: Accommodation in mentioned hotels on twin sharing basis All transport Western and local guides Entrance fees for all mentioned monuments Wine tasting at Cricova
Price Exclusive of: International air tickets Visa if needed (we can provide support) Meals and drinks (cheap!) Any personal expenses & services not included in the above External costs as mentioned in itinerary £20 single supplement per night
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