Moldova & Romania Highlights: Self-Launched
10 days · Moldova & Romania
SKR Reisen charges £2,380
No-markup version: ~£463 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A do-it-yourself version of SKR Reisen's 10-day Moldova & Romania highlights trip, covering Chisinau, Soviet-era Transnistria, rural monasteries, Gagauzia, the Danube Delta and Bucharest. The original is a German-language guided coach tour with return flights from Frankfurt; this self-launched version uses marshrutkas, minibuses, trains and a rented bike or shared boat trips instead. Costs are rough per-person estimates in GBP, excluding international flights to Chisinau and home from Bucharest (budget £120-220 return on Wizz Air/Ryanair if booked early). Moldova and Romania are still cheap and under-visited — expect very good value, though rural transport is slow and needs patience.
Day-by-day
Arrive in Chisinau
Chisinau, Moldova
Land at Chisinau Airport and take trolleybus 30 or marshrutka 165 into the centre (about 6 lei / £0.25). Check into a central hostel or budget guesthouse around Stefan cel Mare boulevard, then walk the city: Piata Marii Adunari Nationale, the Cathedral Park and the oddly wonderful Soviet-era Circus building. Grab dinner at a local restaurant — try placinte (stuffed flatbreads) and mamaliga — and stock up on supplies for tomorrow.
🚌Trolleybus 30 from airport to centre (~£0.25); walking in town
🛏Central hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Chisinau (£12-18)
- →Self-guided walk of Chisinau centre
- →Cathedral Park and Piata Marii Adunari Nationale
- →Placinte dinner at a local canteen
Transnistria: Tiraspol & Bender
Tiraspol & Bender, Transnistria
Catch a marshrutka from Chisinau's Central Bus Station to Tiraspol (roughly 1.5-2 hours, ~50 lei). Bring your passport — you'll get a registration slip at the 'border' checkpoint, keep it. Wander Tiraspol's Soviet time-capsule centre: the Tank Monument, House of Soviets and Kvint brandy factory shop. Continue by local bus to Bender and walk up to the Ottoman-era Tighina Fortress on the Dniester. On the way back, stop at Noul Neamt Monastery near Chitcani. Return to Chisinau in the evening by marshrutka.
🚌Marshrutka Chisinau-Tiraspol (~£2.50 each way), local bus to Bender (~£0.50), marshrutka back to Chisinau (~£2.50)
🛏Central hostel or guesthouse, Chisinau (£12-18)
- →Self-guided Tiraspol Soviet city walk
- →Tiraspol local market
- →Tighina (Bender) Fortress
- →Noul Neamt Monastery
- →Optional wine tasting at Cricova or Milestii Mici (book ahead)
Rudi & Soroca
Rudi, Soroca
Take a minibus from Chisinau north towards Soroca (about 2.5 hours, ~60 lei) and hop off at Rudi to see the white-washed Holy Trinity Church, one of Moldova's most photogenic rural churches. Continue to Soroca: climb through the round Genoese-style Soroca Fortress on the Dniester bank, see the Roma hill district, and walk to the Candle of Gratitude monument with river views. Overnight in a Soroca guesthouse.
🚌Minibus Chisinau-Rudi-Soroca (~£2.50-3 total); local taxis in Soroca
🛏Guesthouse in Soroca (£15-22)
- →Holy Trinity Church, Rudi
- →Soroca Fortress
- →Candle of Gratitude Monument
- →Roma hill viewpoint
Saharna, Tipova & Orheiul Vechi
Orheiul Vechi
Head south towards Rezina/Saharna by minibus and hike down to the Saharna Monastery and waterfall gorge. Then loop to the dramatic Tipova rock monastery carved into the cliff above the Dniester. Continue to Orheiul Vechi, Moldova's standout landscape: walk the easy trail from Butuceni village to the cave monastery, check out the village craft workshops, and if you fancy it splash out ~£5 each on a horse-drawn cart ride. Overnight in a rural guesthouse in Butuceni or Trebujeni.
🚌Minibus Chisinau-Rezina (~£2), local taxis/marshrutkas between sites (~£5)
🛏Rural guesthouse in Butuceni/Trebujeni (£15-25, dinner often included)
- →Saharna Monastery and gorge hike
- →Tipova rock monastery
- →Orheiul Vechi cave monastery hike
- →Butuceni village craft stop
- →Optional horse-drawn cart ride (~£5 pp)
Gagauzia: Comrat, Besalma & Congaz
Gagauzia, Moldova
Travel south by minibus towards Comrat, capital of the autonomous Gagauz region (about 1.5-2 hours from Chisinau, ~50 lei). See Comrat Cathedral and the Soviet monuments, try Gagauz food (gozleme and homemade wine). Continue to Besalma for the Gagauz History and Ethnography Museum, then Congaz for the open-air ethnographic complex. Take a marshrutka back to Chisinau or stay in Comrat and return the next morning.
🚌Marshrutka Chisinau-Comrat-Besalma-Congaz (~£4-5 total)
🛏Guesthouse in Comrat or Chisinau (£12-20)
- →Comrat Cathedral
- →Gagauz History and Ethnography Museum, Besalma
- →Ethnographic complex, Congaz
- →Gagauz food tasting
Chisinau to Tulcea
Tulcea, Romania
Long travel day south. Best route: marshrutka or bus from Chisinau to Cahul or direct to Galati, then minibus/train onward to Tulcea in Romania (total roughly 7-8 hours, £10-14). Alternatively take a night bus. Once in Tulcea, the gateway to the Danube Delta, visit the Delta Museum (Museum of the Danube Delta) to orientate yourself, and book tomorrow's boat trip with a local operator at the port or via your guesthouse.
🚌Bus/minibus Chisinau to Tulcea via Galati (~£12), local bus in Tulcea (~£1)
🛏Guesthouse or hostel in Tulcea (£15-22)
- →Museum of the Danube Delta, Tulcea
- →Tulcea waterfront wander
- →Book a shared Delta boat trip
Danube Delta boat day
Danube Delta
Join a shared small-boat or catamaran tour into the Danube Delta channels — book direct with operators at Tulcea port (roughly £30-45 pp for a full day shared). You'll wind through reed beds and floating villages, watch for pelicans, herons and cormorants. Many trips include a fish lunch with a local family (about £8-10) — the classic Delta experience. Return to Tulcea in the evening.
🚌Shared boat from Tulcea port (~£35)
🛏Guesthouse in Tulcea (£15-22)
- →Full-day Danube Delta shared boat tour
- →Fisherman's fish lunch
- →Birdwatching and floating villages
Caraorman & the Delta dunes
Caraorman, Danube Delta
Take a public ferry or shared boat from Tulcea to Crisan or Baltenii de Sus (~£6-10), then arrange a local speedboat across to Caraorman and walk or jeep to the Caraorman sand dunes — an odd, beautiful landscape of forest and shifting sand. Lunch at a local family homestay or village guesthouse (about £8). Head back to Tulcea late afternoon or stay overnight in the Delta for a quieter night.
🚌Public ferry/shared boat Tulcea to Crisan/Baltenii de Sus (~£8), local motorboat and jeep (~£15)
🛏Delta guesthouse in Caraorman/Crisan or Tulcea (£15-25)
- →Boat ride to Caraorman
- →Caraorman dunes walk
- →Lunch at a local family home
- →Village walk in the Delta
Tulcea to Bucharest
Bucharest, Romania
Take a morning bus or train from Tulcea to Bucharest (bus ~4-5 hours, ~£10; or bus to Constanta then InterRegio train). Drop bags at a hostel in the Old Town area, then self-guide a city walk: Revolution Square, the Patriarchal Church on Dealul Mitropoliei, the Palace of Parliament exterior, and the lively Old Town (Lipscani) lanes. Finish with a traditional dinner at Caru' cu Bere or a cheaper local bistro.
🚌Bus Tulcea-Bucharest (~£10), metro/walking in Bucharest (~£1)
🛏Hostel in Bucharest Old Town (£15-25)
- →Revolution Square
- →Patriarchal Church
- →Bucharest Old Town walk
- →Palace of Parliament exterior
- →Traditional dinner at Caru' cu Bere or a local bistro
Bucharest & depart
Bucharest
Morning for any bits you missed — maybe the Stavropoleos Church, a modern art gallery, or the Village Museum if you have time. Take bus 783 or the train from Gara de Nord to Otopeni Airport (about £1.50) for your flight home.
🚌Bus 783 to Otopeni Airport (~£1.50)
🛏N/A (departure day)
- →Stavropoleos Church
- →Last wander of Old Town
Self-launched vs. SKR Reisen
| This itinerary (self-launched) | SKR Reisen | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£463 | £2,380 |
| Duration | 10 days | 10 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,917 per person (81%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more SKR Reisen-style trips? Check them out here.~£463
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Moldova & Romania Highlights: Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £463 per person for 10 days in Moldova & Romania. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with SKR Reisen?+
Yes — SKR Reisen charges around £2,380 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £463 — a saving of roughly £1,917 (81%) per person.
How long is the Moldova & Romania trip?+
This itinerary runs 10 days, covering 10 day-by-day stops through Moldova & Romania.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, adventure, budget trip through Moldova & Romania, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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