Cricova and Milestii Mici: Two Underground Wine Routes for One Day

Once you have seen the photos of Moldova's underground wine cities online, a natural question comes up: should you visit Cricova or Milestii Mici. Both places sit just outside Chisinau, both hide dozens of kilometers of tunnels and thousands of bottles of wine, and both deserve a proper day out. In this article we look at what sets the two routes apart, how much you can realistically fit into a single day, and how CarPoint can help you organize the trip without unnecessary hassle.

Cricova: an underground wine city with history

Cricova is probably Moldova's most recognizable wine brand abroad. It is one of the largest underground wine cellars in the world, with tunnels stretching over 120 kilometers. Inside, there is a genuine underground wine city, with streets named after grape varieties, a historic bottle collection, and dedicated tasting halls.

Cricova is best known for its sparkling wines made using the classic method, along with an impressive collection that includes bottles of real historic value. Walking or riding through the tunnels and seeing the production areas and underground halls leaves a strong impression, even on people who do not particularly care about wine. The sheer scale and atmosphere are worth the trip on their own.

What to know before you go

• The cellars stay at around plus 12 degrees Celsius year round, so it is worth bringing a warm layer even in summer.
• There is an underground city package, without tasting, which is a guided walk through the tunnels and historic halls.
• Entry follows a fixed booking time, so the visit needs to be arranged in advance, at least a couple of days ahead.

Because of this booking requirement, Cricova is not a place you can simply drop by on the way somewhere else. It is worth planning ahead, and this is exactly where CarPoint can help: if you join one of our tours, we take care of arranging the entry time for you.

Milestii Mici: a Guinness World Record underground

Milestii Mici is the second most popular stop on Moldova's wine map and the main alternative to Cricova if you want to see something even more striking in scale. The site is officially listed in the Guinness Book of Records as holder of the largest wine collection in the world. The idea alone, that somewhere underground there is more wine stored than anywhere else on the planet, is reason enough to make the trip.

If Cricova is more about history and sparkling wine production, Milestii Mici is first and foremost about the sheer scale of the collection and the feeling of walking through a true wine museum. Many travelers who have visited both places say the two experiences complement each other rather than repeat one another.

Cricova or Milestii Mici: which one to choose

If your time is limited to just one stop, it helps to think about what matters more to you.

• If you care about the history of production and sparkling wines, Cricova is the stronger choice.
• If you want to experience a record breaking scale of wine collection, Milestii Mici is the one to pick.
• If you cannot decide and have a full day available, both can be combined, as long as the timing is planned carefully.

Can you really combine both in one day

Technically both sites are close to Chisinau, and the temptation to squeeze both into one packed day is real. In practice this takes careful planning. Cricova has a fixed entry time tied to your booking, and each site needs several hours once you account for the visit itself, the drive, tasting, and possibly lunch.

If you have a full day and want to see both places, it is best to agree on the timing in advance: one visit in the morning, the second in the afternoon, with enough buffer for travel between them and for the fact that it is easy to lose track of time underground. If your day is tighter, or you are traveling with children and prefer not to rush, it is more sensible to choose one site and give it more time, saving the other for a future visit.

There is also a third option, combining Cricova with other landmarks in the region. CarPoint's classic Orhei and wine tour, for example, pairs Cricova with Old Orhei and Curchi Monastery, giving you a full day where the wine stop is part of a broader route through central Moldova's historic and natural sites.

How to organize the trip with CarPoint

There are three sensible ways to plan a visit to the wine tunnels, and the right choice depends on how much control you want over the route.

Option 1: rent a car and drive yourself

If you are comfortable behind the wheel and want to move at your own pace, deciding yourself where to linger longer, self drive rental is a convenient option. Current prices and available cars are shown on carpoint.md, updated in real time. A few practical points: the rental deposit is 200 EUR, accepted in cash only and returned after the car is inspected at the end of the rental. The minimum driving experience required to rent with CarPoint is 3 years.

Option 2: hire a driver

If you would rather skip driving yourself but do not need a guide's commentary along the way, you can simply hire a car with a driver. The driver takes you to Cricova or Milestii Mici, waits while you visit, and brings you back, without you worrying about navigation or parking. This option has a real advantage for a wine trip: Moldova has zero tolerance for alcohol behind the wheel, so having a driver means you can actually taste the wine at the tasting hall instead of just watching others do it. An English speaking driver is also available as an option. It is a simple, comfortable way to get there and back.

Option 3: a guided tour

If you would rather enjoy the ride with a guide who can tell you about the wine, the tunnels, and the surrounding region, and not worry about navigation, parking, or coordinating an entry time at the cellars, a guided tour is the more relaxed choice. A good guide simply makes the day much more enjoyable: our guides know a great deal about the region and love sharing stories along the way, and they can do it in whichever language you prefer, we have guides working in Russian, Romanian, English, and German. CarPoint offers both group tours, which are more affordable if you join other travelers on a chosen date, and private tours, just for your own group. The price of a tour depends on the date and the number of people, so we work out the details individually. Send us your travel date and the number of people, and we will suggest a format and put together a quote.

A few practical tips

• Bring a warm layer, the tunnels stay cool year round regardless of the weather outside.
• Plan your Cricova visit in advance, entry there follows a fixed booking time.
• If you are traveling with children or older relatives, allow extra time for walking between the halls, the tunnels are extensive.
• Decide in advance what matters more to you, history and production at Cricova or the record breaking scale of the collection at Milestii Mici, this makes choosing easier if your day is limited.

Both routes are memorable in their own way, and both deserve a dedicated day on a trip through Moldova. If you are not sure where to start, get in touch, we will help you choose a format, take care of the booking, and make sure your day underground goes smoothly and without unnecessary hassle.