7-Day Taiwan Tea Tour

Highlights
Itinerary
Accommodation
Inclusions/Exclusions
Important Info

Highlights

Love tea and travel and want to indulge both? We understand! Taiwan has so much to offer the curious traveler, not least of which includes a rich tea culture, evident in a devotion to its production and reverent consumption in gorgeous towns like Dongshan and Pinglin.

Tick must-see highlight boxes with visits to Taroko National Park, the National Palace Museum, bustling night markets, and Indigenous villages traveling at a relaxed pace between destinations. Immerse yourself in the love of tea and its accouterments with a visit to Xing-Yuan Tea Farm, an authentic tea plantation in Dongshan. It’s here you’ll learn about tea production firsthand, enjoy making and drinking tea and hear directly from the grower. In pretty Pinglin – a mountainous region distinctive for its patchwork of plantations and passionate tea growers – you’ll have the chance to wander the Pinglin Tea Museum, the largest of its kind in the world, and explore an historical town that has retained much of its old world charm by keeping its tea culture alive.

Apart from easy driving distances between destinations, a thoughtfully curated selection of sights and Taiwan highlights, this tour is taken at a relaxed pace. It has all the best of a ChinaTours.com tour: A friendly bilingual guide who is attentive to your needs on tour; the choice of four and five star hotels (excluding the homestay in Tienxiang, which is non-starred accommodation); flexibility with meal choices allowing you to experience Taiwanese culinary genius and create delicious travel food memories; late model airconditioned transport; and more.
We are tea and travel lovers too and it would be our pleasure to bring this tour to life for you. Call the team and enquire how to book your adventure today.

Itinerary

Day 1 - Arrive in Taipei

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 surrounds. Be sure to check with your guide for insider local dining options.

Meals included: Nil

Day 2 - Taipei

Joined by your guide after breakfast, commence your Taipei city tour by passing the Presidential Square, visiting Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall, and watching the solemn and impressive Changing Ceremonies of the Honor Guard at the National Revolutionary Martyrs’ Shrine, which is dedicated to Chinese soldiers who died at the hands of war. Replicating the architecture of the Hall of Supreme Harmony in Beijing’s Forbidden City, the names of over 390,000 war dead are noted here. From here, move on to the National Palace Museum. Here you’ll discover the museum’s remarkable collection of artefacts, treasures, and antiquities that transport you through Chinese history. Enjoy lunch at the celebrated Din Tai Fung. There are almost too many Taiwanese dishes to count at this culinary icon, 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 delicious stuffed steamed buns (or dumplings) loaded with different fillings.

Spend the afternoon being enthralled by the bird’s-eye panoramic view of Taipei city and well beyond by taking the lift 89 storeys to enjoy the Taipei 101 Observatory. Then channel your inner Zen with a tea tasting at the elegant historic Wistaria Tea House, a historical teahouse in the Daan District of Taipei. With a delightful Japanese art deco architectural design, circa 1920 to 1930, the teahouse is a favorite among locals and visitors alike. Tea and tea ware can be purchased, however the delicate, peaceful ambience here warrants a visit for the window in time it provides.

Finish your day in by joining locals filling up with what is widely recognized as some of the best traditional Taiwanese street foods and snacks at the nostalgic Ningxia Night Market, which is Taipei’s longest running organized food market and is beloved by locals, expats, and international visitors. Once you’ve had your fill, your guide will return you to the hotel.

Meals included: Breakfast

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

Day 3 – Taipei – Taroko Gorge

This morning enjoy the drive to Hualien, on route making your way through the Xueshan Tunnel, considered one of the longest tunnels in the world. The day’s first stop is the Dongao Indigenous Village, for an up close experience of their culture and traditions. With the help of your guide, choose a typical indigenous-flavored lunch at the renowned Dageeli Indigenous House before heading to Taroko National Park to appreciate the many incredible points of natural interest and beauty 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

Day 4 – Taroko – Jiaoxi (Yilan)

After breakfast rejoin the Suhua Highway making stops at scenic Qingshui Cliff and Fenniaolin Fishing Port, both perfect spots to capture beautiful travel memories that showcase the very best of Taiwan’s ocean and mountain landscapes.

When you arrive at Suao, visit the fishing port and traditional seafood market, and the following lunch at a local seafood restaurant, drive to Dongshan where you’ll visit the Xing-Yuan Tea Farm. Meet the plantation’s owner who will guide you around the farm and share his professional knowledge and experience of tea growing and production. Finish the visit with a unique tea making experience and tasting.

Savor dinner at Golden Gate Restaurant in Luodong to enjoy the traditional Yilan food. After being on the move all day, balance out the activity with a relaxing natural hot spring bath at the hotel in Jiaoxi.

Meals included: Breakfast

Day 5 – Jiaoxi – Pinglin - Taipei

Relax at the hotel this morning before driving to Pinglin, a ‘tea town’ populated with many tea plantations that together create a picturesque landscape easily admired from the car. Learn more about the tea culture, tea varieties, and why tea culture is so ubiquitous in Pinglin when you visit the Pinglin Tea Museum. Believed to be one of the world’s largest museums dedicated solely to showcasing the history, production, and marketing of tea, the delightful recreation of scenes that show how tea was and still is produced will give you the sense you’ve stepped back in time. Choose from the tea selection available at the many tea shops in Pinglin, with help from your guide if needed. In the late afternoon, jump back in the car for 40 minutes to Taipei.

Meals included: Breakfast

Day 6 – Taipei

After breakfast, head for Beipu, a rural town in Hsinchu County with many claims to fame. Apart from the architecture reflected in the traditional houses and streets, Beipu is renowned for its history and tea. Wander Beipu’s historical streets with its many tea shops. For an authentic tea experience, join locals over a freshly made brew of the distinctively honey-flavored ‘Pong Fong’ tea, also known as ‘oriental beauty’ tea.

For lunch, you’ll be hosted at local favorite Beipu Shitang - also known as Beipu Canteen – where you’ll have the opportunity to savor local specialties. In the afternoon, get hands-on and make your own Lei Cha, a famous Hakka snack.

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.

Meals included: Breakfast

Day 7 – Depart from Taipei

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

Accommodation

Inclusions / Exclusions

Inclusions:

Admission fees: to sightseeing spots and activities specified
Activities specified in the itinerary
Excellent professional English-speaking guide
Ground transport in an air-conditioned vehicle with a licensed driver as specified
4 star or 5 star hotel accommodation with breakfast, based on double/twin occupancy as specified. Please note accommodation in Tianxiang is a welcoming and well-appointed homestay which is not star rated
Tea farms visits
Travel agency liability insurance during the tour
Government taxes and fees.

Exclusions:

International/domestic flights to/from Taipei
Visa
Gratuities to guides and drivers and any expense of personal nature
Meals: Lunches and dinners are excluded allowing you flexibility around meal choices. Your guide is able to make recommendations and order for you, if required
Tour package does not include travel insurance. Please purchase travel insurance before your trip to protect for any unforeseen circumstances.

Important Information

Important information – FOR PRIVATE TOUR

This is a private tour for your group of family or friends. There will be no other travelers in the group apart from you
Smart casual dress and comfortable walking shoes are recommended
Prices based on twin occupancy
The prices shown are not valid during any official holidays (including National Day, New Year’s Day and Chinese Spring Festival, etc.)
The itinerary may be adjusted due to any unforeseen circumstances
Optional tours to other destinations are also available
Any city not included in the existing tour package can be blended into a private tour.
Arrangements for entering and exiting Taiwan from/to Hong Kong and Indochina are also available
Stays at Taipei can be extended upon your request incurring an extra cost.

General Important Information

Booking Information

After purchase, you will receive a receipt and a Purchase Confirmation email with a Passenger Information Form. The Passenger Information Form must be completed within 72 hours of the purchase.

Any special requests, preferences, and optional extras MUST be clearly stated in your Passenger Information Form. Any change requested after submitting your Passenger Information Form cannot be guaranteed, is strictly subject to availability, and will incur surcharges as outlined in the Schedule of Fees below.

On purchasing this tour product, you are bound by the General Terms and Conditions, in addition to the specific terms and conditions outlined in this Important Information.

Surcharges

Please note: that online credit card payments and PayPal payments incur surcharges.

Tour Start Dates

Private and custom tours can be scheduled to commence on any day. Multi-day small group tours start on set dates as indicated in the booking calendar for the specific tour.

Cities for Commencement of Tours

Taipei for a multi-day small group, and most private tours, unless otherwise specified.
Any city for custom tours.

Express Trains
Standard seat for five-star (Luxury) and four stars (Superior) tour packages.

Destination Transfer

Air-conditioned vehicle with a licensed driver.

Arrive Early

Accommodation options are available for early arrival prior to the commencement of the tour. Bookings can be made online prior to checkout or arrangements can be made with a ChinaTours.com travel consultant.

Stay Behind

Accommodation options for staying behind after completion of the tour are available. Bookings can be made online prior to checkout, or arrangements can be made with a ChinaTours.com travel consultant.

Tour Guide:

All ChinaTours.com tour guides are bilingual speakers with intimate knowledge of an area/city, its culture, history, people, and food, which they will share on tour. ChinaTours.com does not operate commission-based shopping tours, which means our tour guides do not receive commissions for commission-based shopping stops.

A private driver-guide will be arranged for 1-2 travelers tour group.

Small Group Size:

The maximum number of passengers in a multi-day small group tour is 12 people.

Optional Tours/Activities

Optional tour activities are available on request. Please contact ChinaTours.com directly to customize your optional tour activities and destinations.

Accommodation

Five-star and four-star hotels with the premium locations selected by ChinaTours.com are one of the best hotels in each destination.

Bedding Configuration

Bedding included in accommodation is double or twin bedding (subject to availability). Special arrangements are available on request; additional charges may apply due to a third party or hotel requests.

Adjoining/Interconnecting Rooms

Adjoining/Interconnecting rooms are available subject to passengers’ requests. Additional charges may apply due to third-party or hotel requests.

Child/Infant Policy

– Child/infant prices can be quoted separately.

– Free of charge for Infant age 2 and under; child price valid for 2 to 11 years old.
Please note: Children must be accompanied by a responsible adult 18 years old and over to travel. No unaccompanied minors are allowed.

Meals

– All breakfast included,

– Lunch & Dinner are excluded so you are free to choose cuisines, while guides will give recommendations and guide you there.

Other Important Information

Passport

Customers are required to provide valid passport details either at the time of purchase. or within 72 hours of purchase. Failure to do so may result in the cancellation of the booking. In this instance, customers will be responsible for any costs and fees incurred.
Passport validity should be at least six months from the date of entry into Taiwan.

Visas

For the visitors who come from one of the visa-exempt countries or countries whose nationals are eligible for visas on arrival, no visa is required if they stay less than 60 days. Otherwise, visitors must obtain a visa or authorization in advance. Please start arranging your visa as soon as you receive your documentation to account for any delays due to consulate operating hours.

Gratuities/Tipping

Gratuities (tips) for services of the tour guide and driver throughout the tour are not included in the tour package price.

Insurance

ChinaTours.com tour packages do not include travel insurance. We strongly recommend the purchase of comprehensive travel insurance prior to departure to provide for any unforeseen circumstances.

Schedule of Fees

For changes to travel arrangements:

First change – No charge
For all subsequent changes – USD50
Any charges applied by a third party (for example, airline, cruise company, accommodation provider, other travel providers) cannot be waived

Cancellation

For China Tour Packages, ChinaTours.com charges cancellation fees at a percentage of the total tour package price, which is stated as follows:

More than 120 days prior to the tour start date, no cancellation fee

60 -120 days prior to tour start date: 10 percent cancellation fee

31 – 59 days prior to tour start date: 30 percent cancellation fee

15 – 30 days prior to tour start date: 50 percent cancellation fee

Within 14 days prior to tour start date: 100 percent cancellation fee

Any charges applied by the third party (airline/cruise/train company, hotel, other service providers, card fee, bank fee) can not be waived.