7-Day Taiwan Food Tour

Arrive at Taipei Taoyuan airport where you’ll be greeted by your local guide. Escorted by your driver, you’ll be transported directly to your hotel, on the way taking the opportunity to learn a little about this vibrant city. After check-in, you’re free to rest, relax, or explore the local surroundings.  

Meals included: Nil  

Note: Starting from January 1, 2025, the hotels in Taiwan will no longer provide the disposable toiletries (e.g. toothpaste, toothbrushes, combs, razors, and shower caps) in the guest rooms to align with government’s green travel policy.

Step out after breakfast ready to take on Taipei. The day’s adventure commences with a visit to the city’s famous Nanmen Market, perhaps the most traditional of Taipei’s food markets. You’ll join a two-hour cooking class at Cook Inn during which you’ll be paced through the steps of favorite local Taiwanese savory and sweet culinary classics. 

After imbibing the fruits of your labor, you’ll enjoy a change of pace by visiting the National Palace Museum. Here you’ll discover the museum’s remarkable collection of artifacts, treasures, and antiquities that transport you through Chinese history. Spend the afternoon enthralled by the bird’s-eye panoramic view of Taipei city and well beyond by taking the lift 89 stories to enjoy the Taipei 101 Observatory.  

Come back down to earth and make your way to dinner at Din Tai Fung Restaurant. There are almost too many Taiwanese dishes to count, but the one you simply can’t go past is Xiao Long Bao. Yes, they taste as good as they look, so be prepared to eat at least a handful of these stuffed steamed buns (or dumplings) loaded with different fillings. And if that wasn’t quite enough, under the helpful eye of your trusty guide, dive into the feast of tasty street food and snacks at the perennially popular Ningxia Night Market. While a walk may be in order, you’ll be transferred back to the hotel by car to rest up before the next day’s travel. 

Meals included: Breakfast  

Note: Due to the closure of the National Palace Museum each Monday, your tour guide may adjust your itinerary. 

In the morning, you’ll head off to Hualien following the Suhua Highway. On route, make a stop at Dong'ao indigenous village, where the local culture and traditions can be experienced firsthand. With the help of your guide, enjoy a typical indigenous-flavored lunch at the renowned Dageeli Indigenous House on your way to Taroko. After lunch, your adventure at Taroko National Park starts, with many incredible points of natural interest and beautiful on the itinerary: Taroko Gorge Gateway, Shakadang Trails, Eternal Spring Shrine, Swallow Grotto, Tunnel of Nine Turns, and more. At the end of your day’s sightseeing, check in to your hotel, located in the Taroko National Park itself. 

Meals included: Breakfast 

(Taroko National Park was closed due to serious damage from the massive earthquake in April 2024. As of March 2025, some areas of the park are reopened while most trails and attractions still remain closed.）

After breakfast and checking out hotel, drive to Yilan along Suhua Highway for the very best of Taiwan’s ocean and mountain landscapes. Make a stop at Suao, a fishing port and traditional seafood market, where you can observe the fishermen, market workers, and customers buying and selling the fare that keeps them afloat and fed. Take advantage of the opportunity to enjoy the best of what’s offered when you dine in for lunch at a local trout farm in Niudou. Enjoy a full farm-to table experience at a scallion farm in Sanxing, including hand-picking the scallions and making scallion pancakes in the local traditional method.

In the afternoon, visit the National Center for Traditional Arts, a thoughtfully designed facility dedicated to the preservation of traditional performing and creative art forms in Taiwanese culture. Have dinner at the Golden Gate Restaurant, considered by locals as the home of authentic traditional Yilan food. Enrich your cultural insights further with a visit to the Luodong Night Market, a favored food destination with locals, before checking in and enjoying a relaxing natural hot spring bath at the hotel in Yilan.

Meals included: Breakfast 

Visit the Lanyang Museum in the morning to learn about the local history, the culture, and the landscape in Yilan. Head to Jiufen Village and enjoy a scenic drive along Taiwan’s Northeast Coast. Take a walking tour back in time as you explore Jiufen Old Street, once a bustling gold mining town and now a village that retains much of its historical old-world charm. Enjoy a faithful recreation of the traditional mine worker’s lunch, similar to that eaten by miners from the last century. 

Following lunch, the sightseeing continues with the drive to Yehliu Geopark. Marvel at the remarkable natural rock formations created by erosion and other natural forces. Let your imagination carry you away with what you ‘see’; mushrooms, animals, heads, and more. If time permits, a stop will be made at Xiaoyoukeng Geological Site of Yangmingshan National Park, worth a visit for the eerie spectacle created by the volcano’s fumarole. From here, you will be returned to your hotel for the evening. 

Meals included: Breakfast 

Rise refreshed and enjoy breakfast before heading out on a one-day Hakka Discovery Tour. The day begins with a visit to Zhudong Market, one of Taipei’s long-established traditional markets that’s remained a favorite with locals for over 60 years. Let your eyes guide you – or if in doubt, draw on the insider knowledge of your guide – to make a selection of local Hakka pastries and cakes. Enjoy! 

The next stop will be the small Hakka town in Beipu, a rural town in Hsinchu County that has many claims to fame. Apart from the architecture reflected in the traditional houses and streets, Beipu is renowned for its history and tea. You’ll be hosted at local favorite Beipu Shitang - also known as Beipu Canteen – where you’ll have the opportunity to savor local specialties.  

Walk off lunch as you wander Beipu’s historical streets and then join locals over a freshly made brew of the distinctively honey-flavored ‘Pong Fong’ tea, also known as ‘oriental beauty' tea. You’ll even have the chance to make your own Lei Cha, a favorite among Hakka snack lovers. Finally, after exploring on your feet all day, you’ll appreciate the opportunity to return to your hotel in Taipei where you can relax for the rest of the evening. 

Add a final Taiwan food memory to your adventure by booking an optional dinner at the fabulous Shi-Yang Restaurant, after which you can enjoy your last evening on tour. 

Meals included: Breakfast 

Today you will be met by your guide and transferred to Taoyuan International Airport for your departure flight, concluding your tour of Taiwan. 

Meals included: Breakfast