Travel Guide to Orhei, Moldova

Ra's Travel Guide to Orhei

A new up and coming city located in the center of Moldova; a complete travel guide to Orhei.

Table of Contents

Not to be confused with Old Orhei, Orhei is a city located in the central area of Moldova. Orhei, formerly known as Orgeev, is a great city to visit for a day trip from Chișinău or Old Orhei. Dating back to the 13th century, you can see the blend of the old and new in one city. Use this travel guide to Orhei to help plan or navigate your trip!

Getting to Orhei, Moldova: Transportation Options and Travel Tips

When visiting Orhei, you will first need to come through Chișinău, the capital of Moldova. Regardless of where in Chișinău, you will need to find your way to Gara Suburban/Central (Central Bus Station) or Gara de Nord (North Bus Station). If you’re coming from the airport, you can take bus mini-bus 165 or trolleybus 30 to the city center. Once in the city center, you can walk to the Central bus station which is located next to Piața Central. This is the recommended bus station to Orhei since marshrutkas/buses leave every 30 minutes. However, if you would like to take the marshrutka from Gara de Nord, take trolleybus 9 or the Gara de Nord minibus directly to the North Bus Station. At this time, the minibus and trolley bus cost 6 Moldovan lei per ride. If you’re not coming from the airport, omit the part of the instructions that refer to the airport and follow the rest.

Another easy way is to use Google Maps and select the bus icon, which will show you the trolleybus route you need to take from where you are in order to reach the Central Bus Station or North Bus Station. Note that Google Maps will not show the minibus routes. However, if you’re not comfortable or confident with public transport you can always call a taxi/grab a taxi, or use the app YandexGo either to get to the Central or North Bus Stations or directly to Orhei (I will explain more about taxis below).

Once at the Bus Station, you will need to purchase a bus ticket to Orhei from the Casa Billet (Ticket House). Depending on the times, the Ticket House may direct you to marshrutkas that have Orhei on the sign or explain that you need to go to one that stops at Orhei along the way. Please make sure to take a bus to Orhei, NOT Orhei Vechi (Old Orhei), Butuceni, or Trebujeni, which all go to Old Orhei. For the marshrutka timetables, visit the official Autogara website here. If you’re not flying into Chișinău, or would like more assurance for your travel route, consider checking on Rome2rio, to compare travel methods and prices.

Where to Stay in Orhei, Moldova?

At this time, there are only 3 hotels in Orhei: Stark Hotel, Chateau Vartely, and Rocas. All of them are located right in the city center and offer a variety of rooms and costs. Note that Chateau Vartely is also a winery so you can pair your stay with a traditional Moldovan meal in their restaurant and/or a wine tasting. (I will share more below)

However, it is possible to visit Orhei as a day trip from Chișinău or Old Orhei, which has more hotels and accommodation types available. At this time, the Orhei marshrutka to or from Chișinău costs around 40 Moldovan lei. There is a marshrutka to Old Orhei from Orhei twice a day which costs 20 Moldovan lei.

The choice is up to you. 🙂

Guides to Moldova

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Guide to Hederlez, the Gagauzian Horse Day Celebration

Getting Around Orhei, Moldova

Car

Renting a car from Chișinău airport is an excellent option for exploring the countryside and various cities in Moldova, providing the freedom to avoid the sometimes challenging public transportation system; however, make sure to acquaint yourself with the country's road signs and laws before driving.

Bus/Mashrutka

In Orhei, mini-buses known as marshrutkas offer transportation within the city and its municipality, but since the routes are not always clearly posted, it's advisable to ask drivers or locals for information; the city routes typically cost 6 Moldovan lei.

Bike

While locals often use bikes for commuting, Orhei lacks dedicated bike lanes and features uneven roads, so when renting a bike, prioritize safety by wearing a helmet and remaining vigilant about surrounding traffic, as cars may not yield to bikes.

Taxi

Moldova does not have Uber or Lyft, but alternatives like the iTaxi app or YandexGo can be used, primarily in the capital city; however, finding available cars in Orhei might prove challenging, so knowing some Romanian or Russian or using a translator will be useful when calling the local taxi number (+373 023 522 222 or +373 069 679 997); flagging down available taxis is also an option, but always inquire about the price estimate beforehand and stick to marked taxis for safety, especially if you don't speak the local languages and stand out as a foreigner.

Walking

Walking is the ideal way to explore Orhei, as the city is relatively small and equipped with abundant sidewalks; you'll be in good company as locals also use walking as their primary mode of transportation, and it's not uncommon to see people walking long distances between cities and municipalities in Moldova.

What to Do in Orhei, Moldova?

OrheiLand

The biggest amusement park in Moldova! Open during the warm months of the year, OrheiLand is great for families and those looking for some thrill and adrenaline rushes. It may not be Disney World, but it is perfect for a few hours or a full day of fun.

Chateau Vartely Winery

As mentioned above, this is Orhei’s winery which offers wine tastings, traditional Moldovan meals in their restaurant, and also is a hotel. This makes it perfect for your wine weekend getaway. Sample from a variety of red and white wines on a winery tour and while surrounding yourself in nature. Make sure to call and reserve your room or wine tasting at least two weeks in advance because only limited spots are available.

Vasile Lupu Monument

Located in the center of town by the library and the town hall is a large monument of Vasile Lupu who secured the Moldovan throne in 1634. Often a few Moldovan flags will be placed nearby creating a great scene for a photo.

Orhei Sign

In front of the Vasile Lupu monument is a large Orhei sign, which is perfect for Instagram photos. I like to collect photos of me jumping or doing a handstand in front of city name signs around the world. If you angle the camera correctly, you can capture the Orhei sign, Vasile Lupu monument, and the Moldovan flags all in the background.

Museum of Ethnography

A small museum dedicated to showcasing the history of Orhei and the variety of artifacts in the area. Periodically the museum will become an art gallery showcasing the local art. The good news… It’s FREE! Additionally, the staff is amazing and very excited to show you around the museum. Please note that the information is displayed in Romanian so you will need to have a translator app ready if you don’t know Romanian.

Defileul Orhei

Hike the many hiking trails taking you around this beautiful park near the Raut river. In the autumn, the trees become painted with different colored leaves creating beautiful photos.

Orhei Autodrom

During the warmer months, the race autodrom comes alive with a variety of car races. Be sure to check by the race track for information on upcoming races.

Lunca Pescarului

Churches

If you’re looking to experience the outdoors, or want an alternative to staying in a hotel, you can camp at this dedicated campground located on the edge of the city. It’s also very close to Orhei land offering some peace and quiet after a day at the amusement park.

In Orhei there are a few different churches located throughout the city center such as Biserica Ortodoxă Românească. All you need to do is search “Church” on Google Map and get ready to visit 10+ churches.. Be aware that they are active churches, so only visit during their set visiting hours if you want to take pictures or just quickly look inside.

Get ready to explore the central region of Moldova with this complete travel guide to Orhei.