Moldova tours & holidays
At this stage we don't have any organised trips to Moldova
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Our Moldova trips
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Explore tailor-made tripsMoldova at a glance
CAPITAL CITY
Chişinău
POPULATION
2,913,281
CURRENCY
Leu (MDL)
LANGUAGE
Romanian
TIME ZONE
EET (UTC +2)
CALLING CODE
+373
ELECTRICITY
Either Type C ‘Europlug’ or Type E ‘Schuko’ plug, 220-240V
Learn more about Moldova
Best time to visit Moldova
Moldova enjoys a typical continental climate with warm summers and cold winters, with temperatures ranging from -5°C to 40°C. Spring and autumn are mild, and summers pleasant.
The best time to visit areas like Chişinău, Tiraspol and Transnistria is from May to August. July and August are the high season. The first week of October is also a very good time, due to the annual Wine Festival in Chişinău.
Geography and Environment
Moldova is a small, landlocked, mostly rural country of rolling steppes in the Balkans, surrounded by Ukraine to the north, east and south, and Romania to the west.
This is one of Europe’s least known destinations, unspoilt even, where traditional village life can still be experienced, ancient ruins explored, forested hills hiked and growing city life uncovered.
Transnistria
Transnistria is a thin strip of land between the Dniester River and the border of Ukraine, officially known as the Prednistrovie Moldovan Republic (PMR). It declared independence after the Soviet Union broke up into pieces, but is only recognised as an independent entity by other unrecognised former Soviet breakaway republics. It is, however, 'de-facto independent' from Moldova – with its own parliament, police force, currency and coat of arms among other things – and still upholds Soviet values.
The security situation in Transnistria is unpredictable as the region is not under Moldovan control and tensions may be heightened reflecting developments in eastern Ukraine. Many Western countries do not have an embassy or consulate in Moldova.
Usually, embassies in Russia or Romania provide consular assistance to travellers in Moldova; they do not have any recourse inside the territory of Transnistria and will only be of very limited or no assistance in the case of an emergency.
Medical care is almost non-existent in Transnistria, especially for non-citizens. Even if you have travel health insurance, it will often not be valid in Transnistria (even though it may be valid in Moldova) and your insurance might not cover you for any expenses incurred for lost or stolen items. Please choose carefully when shopping for your travel insurance. Please also be aware that international credit/debit cards and traveller's cheques are not accepted anywhere in Transnistria.
Moldova travel FAQs
Travellers from Europe, North America, Japan, Australia and New Zealand do not need a visa to visit Moldova. A 90-day stay within a 6-month period is permitted. Citizens of other countries must either obtain a visa in the nearest Moldovan embassy, at the airport, or at some land border crossings with Romania.
Service charges are not usually included on a bill. Consider adding a 5-10% tip.
WiFi is fast and widespread in hotels and restaurants in the capital Chişinău and other big cities. 4G mobile internet is also available in most urban centres.
Mobile coverage is good across the country, but roaming rates can be high. It’s simple and low-cost to purchase a local SIM card.
Moldova has Western-style flushable toilets.
Water is safe to drink in Chişinău, but in more rural areas consider sticking with filtered water. For environmental reasons, try to avoid buying bottled water.
Credit cards are widely accepted in urban centres, less so in more rural parts. It is best to have a reserve of cash.
There are ATMs in Chişinău, but they are not always reliable.
Absolutely. All passengers travelling with Intrepid are required to purchase travel insurance before the start of their adventure. Your leader will record your travel insurance details on the first day of the trip. Due to the varying nature, availability and cost of healthcare around the world, travel insurance is an essential part of every journey.
Learn more about travel insurance
We take the health and safety of our travellers seriously and take every measure to ensure that trips are safe, fun and inclusive for everyone. When you travel with us, you have access to our global support network and local on‑ground leadership, and you can rest easy knowing we have a zero-tolerance policy on discrimination.
We recommend that all travellers check with their government or national travel advisory organisation for the latest information before departure. The World Health Organisation also provides useful health information.
Travelling from Australia?
Go to: Smart Traveller
From Canada?
Go to: Canada Travel Information
From the UK?
Go to: UK Foreign Travel Advice
From New Zealand?
Go to: Safe Travel
From the US?
Go to: US Department of State
Yes, all Intrepid trips support the Intrepid Foundation. In fact, we make a donation on behalf of every traveller. Trips to this country directly support our global Intrepid Foundation partners World Bicycle Relief and Eden: People + Planet. Intrepid will double the impact by dollar-matching all post-trip donations made to The Intrepid Foundation.
World Bicycle Relief
World Bicycle relief is providing people in rural communities with the basic right to mobility. The organization provides people in low-income communities with bicycles to mobilize school kids, health workers and farmers in rural areas, giving them access to vital education, healthcare and income. Donations help provide Buffalo Bicycles, specifically designed to withstand the rugged terrain and harsh environment of rural regions, to those who need them most.
Find out more or make a donation
Eden: People + Planet
Eden are helping to mitigate climate change by restoring forests worldwide. They are working to restore ecosystems, conserve biodiversity and build climate-resilient communities globally through tree planting and landscape restoration. Donations from our trips support restoration across planting sites in 10 countries around the globe.