Wednesday 4th October – Chisinau 

• Arrive at your own leisure into Chisinau – the capital city of Moldova, is well connected with many European and Middle Eastern countries and the Caucasus. Self-transfer to our centrally located Soviet hotel. Pre-tour accommodation can be arranged for your convenience (for a fee). 
• Those of you arriving early, we can head to the Soviet open-air museum located just outside Chisinau. The museum has many interesting pieces from the Soviet era, including aircrafts, an extensive flag collection, statues of heroes from the USSR and the largest collection of horseshoes – It’s fascinating and bizarre, but a real hidden gem! 
• Pre-tour meeting will be held at the lobby of our hotel at 6:00pm to discuss tour itinerary and to meet your fellow travellers and YPT guide. 
• We’ll head out for dinner to the best steak house in the city, and for those inclined, a few refreshments at a local establishment.
• Overnight in Chisinau.   

Thursday 5th October – Chisinau     

Morning  

• Early morning start with a selection of breakfast options, before we start to explore this beautiful, untouristy and underrated European city.   
• Our local guide will be ready and waiting for us at 9:30am, with a brief introduction to explain what’s ahead of us.  
• Your journey will feature historical events and vital figures in Moldavian History. We’ll enter a memorial complex dedicated to the brave soldiers who lost their lives during Great Patriotic War and the recent conflict with Transnistria – In true traditional Soviet style the memorial depicts scenes of battle to victory and a prosperous future under the red star of communism. 
• The walking tour continues into the Military Museum where you’ll find scattered military hardware from various ages. This includes tanks, fighter jets from the Cold War and cannons used against the Ottomans.   
• Along the way, we’ll meet Moldova’s national hero, Stephen the Great, who features on the local currency. The tour concludes outside the Presidential Palace, initially intended to be used for the Supreme Soviet of the Moldavian SSR.  

  Afternoon   

• After learning much about the history of Moldova and the impact of socialism on the country, we’ll head to a restaurant which serves hearty Moldavian cuisine – we recommend trying Sarmale (stuffed cabbage rolls) and Borscht (traditional soup) and maybe a swift glass of beer. 
• Despite being the least visited country in Europe, Chisinau has plenty to offer. For those wishing to see a performance at the National Opera and Ballet Theatre, wine tasting is complimentary (remember you must arrange your own tickets prior to the tour).  
• For those wishing to explore Chisinau’s Soviet history, we highly recommend the visiting the abandoned Chisinau Circus, the Komsomol monument and the epic Yuri Gagarin mosaic – or you can simply walk around and discover the city. 
• Once everyone’s ready we’ll head up to the National Hotel, built during the peak of the Soviet era. The hotel was used by the KGB for espionage purposes to spy on guests but is now deserted and a shell of its former glory – it’s also a great spot to enjoy the views overlooking Chisinau and appreciate the brutalist architecture over the sunset.   
• We’ll have dinner at a popular grill house, followed by drinks.   
• Overnight in Chisinau.    

Friday 6th October – Chisinau – Bender – Tiraspol  

Morning  

• Breakfast at our hotel before our schedule ahead.   
• Our morning begins at 9:30am where we’ll meet our Transnistria fixer for instructions and guidelines we must follow during our time in the breakaway republic of Transnistria.  
• We’ll head off for a 2hour road trip where we’ll stop at a gas station to pick up supplies – please note this will be last time you’ll be able to use your bank cards until we return.  
• Once we reach the border, we’ll disembark our vehicle for passport control, before we head into Transnistria.  
• Our first stop into the self-proclaimed republic will be in the city of Bender, the second largest city in Transnistria and the only one located west of the Dniester River. 
• Before we can do anything, we’ll need to exchange our money for the local currency at the bank. While we wait for the group, we can explore the local market that sells local produce – we highly recommend picking up some divin (cognac), vodka and/or honey for gifts.  
• Keeping to the Soviet theme, we’ll head to the CCCP café for lunch – a typical stolovka with a selection of hearty cuisine surrounded by USSR memorabilia.   

Afternoon  

• After lunch we’ll explore Bender. You’ll see the government buildings still bearing the bullet holes left from the Civil war – a reminder for those who are quick to forget.
• We’ll continue down the street until we come across Lenin standing opposite the local cinema – little has changed at the venue apart from them showing modern films. 
• Our walk will take us to the renovated and well-maintained train station. You’ll notice that there’s are no trains – it’s an empty ghost station. There are Soviet monuments and an old Soviet train from WWII, with the hammer and sickle on the front, very few locals come here which makes it great for a photo opportunity. 
• When we’re ready we’ll head to a local shop to pick up supplies for our garage party! During the peak of the Soviet Union, the public were given Lada cars and garages to maintain their vehicles in, however some ingenious comrades decided to turn their garages into the ultimate mancave! Our veteran, who has a collection of weaponry from many Soviet engagements will let us socialise in the Soviet garage, cheers! 
• We’ll check into our hotel to quickly freshen up and walk to our restaurant – although busy on the weekend, Tiraspol has a calm and relaxing vibe.   
• Dinner at a popular Tiraspol restaurant followed by drinks – we recommend  trying the vodka tasting sets!
• Overnight in Tiraspol. 

 Saturday 7th October – Tiraspol  

Morning  

• We’ll have a relaxing morning breakfast before our day ahead of us in the capital city.
• Once we’re ready we’ll walk into Tiraspol – One thing you’ll notice is how clean, friendly and structured society it is. We’ll start off by the epic statue of Russian General, Alexander Suvorov – who founded the capital in 1792. You’ll be seeing the General throughout your trip, as he features on much of the currency and is considered a national hero. 
• We’ll find the numerous flags on flying – the Russian Federation and Transnistrian flags alongside the flags of each each district of Transnistria. Opposite are the flags of Transnistria and the breakaway brotherhood states of Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh and South Ossetia. What’s most interesting is the large national emblem – your guides will explain the meaning behind it.  
• Like every town and city, we’ll visit Lenin standing outside the government building – this statue is currently the tallest outside Russia.  
• We’ll continue down October Street, visiting the Eternal Flame Memorial complex dedicated to the Soviet-Afghan war, WW2, Transnistrian Civil War and Chernobyl nuclear accident. Opposite the Flame is the battle-damaged T-34 monument from WWII. You’re permitted to climb on it and get an awesome photo. 
• On our walk along October Street, we’ll pass the Abkhazia and South Ossetia embassy and our favourite bookshop, to pick up some Soviet and Transnistrian nationalist paraphernalia – perfect place to acquire your Transnistrian flag and fridge magnet! 
• We’ll pass by some beautiful Soviet era architecture and the impressive House of Culture, with a bust of Lenin waiting outside.  
• Our walk will end up at Gagarin Boulevard. Here we’ll see a bust and a massive mural of Yuri Gagarin – pilot, cosmonaut and the first man in space. It’s easy to remember those facts but his achievements were celebrated worldwide, despite the tensions during the past (Cold War) and recent times. 
• We’ll pop into Dolce Vita Café, an inexpensive place with great buffet-style food and the eatery of choice for students at nearby Tiraspol University – it’s not uncommon for students to come and strike up a conversation, not only to practice their English skills but also out of curiosity (remember, no one really visits unrecognised countries). 

Afternoon 

• After lunch, we’ll visit the University and see the memorial dedicated to the students and teachers who fell during the Great Patriotic War. Something that’s not so Soviet is the statue of Harry Potter and Hedwig, located opposite. 
• We’ll then switch it up and board an old Soviet ferry without an engine and cross the Dniester River to see how the village people live, across from Tiraspol – this is an area truly lost in the USSR! 
• We’ll visit a still-functioning palace of culture with an enormous head of Lenin outside, pockmarked with Kalashnikov bullet holes after Moldovan troops symbolically executed him during the Civil War. 
• We’ll then visit a stunning and completely self-sufficient monastery complex that must be seen to be believed. We know many of the priests there and sometimes, they allow us to sample their incredible homemade wine. However, this is subject to whether the one priest with the key is available on the day. 
• We’ll head back to the hotel to freshen up and relax.  
• For dinner, we’ll head to YPT’s favourite restaurant Back in the USSR – the owner is a personal friend of the guides and always accommodates the YPT group. The restaurant has loads of Soviet-era memorabilia and there will be music. Those inclined to a Soviet disco and beverages are welcomed to stay!
• Overnight in Tiraspol. 

Sunday 8th October – Tiraspol – Grigoriopol – Dubăsari

Morning  

• We’ll have breakfast before we gather our belongings and make our way to rural Transnistria.  
• Before we leave the capital, there’s a flea market we’ll visit, located just outside of the city. Here, you’ll many cheap antiques and Soviet-era memorabilia. It’s also a nice place to relax, have a coffee and people-watch. 
• Once we’re ready, we’ll start our road trip to Grigoriopol – along the way we’ll stop off at a one of the most famous Soviet bus stops and Soviet memorials – more will be explained along the journey as these locations are kept exclusively for YPT. 
• Once we arrive in Grigoriopol, we’ll have some free time to explore the various sights that the small town offers. Here, you can find a Lenin statue and various war memorials – however for those who are keen, your guide will show you an impressive mosaic, tucked away behind the markets.  
• We’ll have lunch in Grigoriopol, where there are various small stores selling tasty Eastern European snacks.  

Afternoon  

• Once we’re ready we’ll start making our journey to Dubăsari. Along the road trip, we’ll stop off at a tank memorial – The Barrow of Glory. The memorial commemorates the four soldiers who lost their lives within the tank while liberating Dubăsari from the German-Romanian invaders. Ultimately the crew lost their lives within the tank, which fell into the Dniester River from a bridge during a fierce battle.  
• On our arrival to Dubăsari, the third largest city in Transnistria, we’ll check into our hotel and a have a quick break to freshen up and relax. 
• Our tour of Dubăsari will include various key sites, including a peaceful memorial located in the park and a functioning stadium built during Soviet times. 
• We’ll take you to a very isolated Soviet music college that is still actively used. It has a large and beautiful Lenin outside and a perfectly intact giant Soviet emblem.  
• Next, we’ll visit the hydroelectric dam controlled by the Russian Army. The area is of strategic importance, hence why there is a heavy military and hardware presence. 
• The best way to meet locals in this rural isolated town is at the local bar – we’ll be stepping back in time while we’re having a few refreshing drinks in this beautifully preserved Soviet-era establishment.  
• Dinner in Dubăsari and drinks for those wishing to stay out longer. 
• Overnight in Dubăsari.  

Monday 9th October – Dubăsari – Rîbnița – Chisinau  

Morning  

• We’ll start the morning with an Eastern European breakfast. There’s time in the morning to visit the Sheriffs store opposite, to purchase snacks and gifts. 
• Before we leave Dubăsari we’ll take a group photo by the epic Soviet mosaic next to our hotel – for those who would like to see another hidden mosaic at the fabric factory, we can take a quick trip.  
• Along our road trip we’ll make a stop at one of the best Soviet signs and bus stops in Transnistria – an excellent opportunity to take pictures and a perfect example of socialist art.  
• Once we arrive to Rîbnița also commonly known as Rybnitsa, we’ll head straight to the impressive cathedral before we walk around the memorial park, dedicated to the Great Patriotic War. The scenery is impressive, with Soviet memorials alongside the cathedral and communist apartment blocks in the background. 
• We’ll make our way into the heart of Rîbnița to see Lenin standing just outside the city hall, before visiting the largest Soviet mosaic on the tour.  
• What makes our route around Rîbnița so unique is that we’ll walk towards the residential apartment blocks and Ladas until we reach the flea market. Here, you can find cheap local products and Soviet-era memorabilia.  
• For lunch, we’ll head to our Moldavian restaurant and have our final meal in the unrecognised state of Transnistria.  

Afternoon 

• After lunch, we’ll head to a Sheriff store one final time, to pick up snacks for our journey back to Chisinau and to exchange our Transnistrian Rubles back to Euros/USD. 
• We’ll take the northern border crossing back into Moldova – from here we’ll drive straight to Chisinau. Depending on the time, we’ll make stops along the scenic journey. 
• Once we arrive to Chisinau at 4:30pm, the tour concludes – YPT can arrange additional nights in Chisinau and are more than happy to provide advice for ongoing flights or trains. 

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