Why go
- Capital and largest city of Moldova.
- Served by Chişinău International Airport (RMO).
History
Chișinău is the capital and largest city of Moldova by area and population. The city is Moldova's main industrial and commercial centre. It is situated in the middle of the country, on the river Bîc, a tributary of the Dniester. According to the results of the 2024 Moldovan census, the population of the city proper stood at over 567,000 inhabitants, while the population of the Municipality of Chișinău numbered over 720,000 people. Chișinău is the most economically prosperous locality in Moldova and the country's largest transport hub. Nearly a third of Moldova's population resides in the metropolitan area.
Airports
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 12 airlines, 25 direct destinations
- Air Moldova 9U (Embraer 190, A320, EM2) · 19 routes: Athens, Beauvais, Bologna, Bucharest, Dublin, Frankfurt, Istanbul, Kiev, Larnaca, Lisbon, London, Milano, Moscow, Rome, Sochi, St. Petersburg, Surgut, Venice, Villafranca
- Meridiana IG (737) · 3 routes: Bologna, Milano, Villafranca
- Carpatair V3 (737-300) · 2 routes: Rome, Venice
- Wizz Air W6 (A320) · 2 routes: Rome, Treviso
- Air Baltic BT (Dash 8-400) · 1 route: Riga
- Alitalia AZ (ATR 72) · 1 route: Bucharest
- Austrian Airlines OS (Fokker 100, Dash 8-400) · 1 route: Vienna*
- Fly Dubai FZ (737-800) · 1 route: Dubai
- Lufthansa Cargo LH (Embraer 195) · 1 route: Munich*
- S7 Airlines S7 (A321) · 1 route: Moscow
- Tarom RO (ATR 42, ATR 72) · 1 route: Bucharest
- Turkish Airlines TK (A319, 737-700) · 1 route: Istanbul
Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.
Regional airports
Further out, but often the cheapest way in — the airports the low-cost carriers use. Each links to its own town's guide for getting from there into the city.
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 3 airlines, 7 direct destinations
- Tarom RO (737-300, ATR 72, ATR 42, Dash 8-400) · 7 routes: Bologna, Bucharest, London, Rome, Tel-aviv, Torino, Vienna*
- Alitalia AZ (737-300, ATR 72, ATR 42) · 4 routes: Bologna, Bucharest*, Rome*, Torino
- Austrian Airlines OS (Dash 8-400) · 1 route: Vienna*
Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.
Where things are
Photographs
credit: Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons · See source page
When to go
The warmer, longer-day half of the year is the safest bet for a first visit.
Cooler and quieter, with fewer visitors and better value.
Short days and the coldest weather — check local conditions before travelling.
Getting there & around
Getting there. The nearest airport on record is Chişinău International Airport (RMO); 6 other airports serve the wider area. Check rail and road links from the tourism sources below. By air: KIV has direct flights to 25 destinations on 12 airlines (incl. Bucharest, Bologna, Istanbul, Milano, Moscow…).
Getting around. Use the map above to orient yourself; nearby hotels, attractions and places to eat are listed from the live Ultimate data for Chisinau (Kishinev). Local transit details will be added as the guide is expanded.
Local transit
Trains & rail
Private aviation
On-demand charter, jet cards and the semi-private scheduled carriers that serve this city.