Meals

8 breakfasts 4 lunches 5 dinners

Guide

The services of a Local Insider is included

Transport

Train tickets

Others

Welcome meeting Taipei City tour Taichung City tour Fengjia Night Market visit Sun Moon Lake cycle Sun Moon Lake boat cruise Wenwu Temple visit Ho Ho Cha Tea Factory tasting Confucius Temple visit Tainan City tour Kaohsiung City tour Shoushan National Nature Park visit Formosa Boulevard Station visit Visit to Qixingtan Jiufen & Shifen tour Shifen Old Street Sky Lantern Experience Taipei 101 Building photo stop Evening at Raohe Night Market Taiwanese cooking experience & lunch The Grand Hotel visit Guard changing ceremony at Martyrs’ Shrine National Palace Museum visit

Accommodation

8 nights accommodation FX Hotel, Taipei This impressive hotel in the heart of Taipei’s business district, is tastefully decorated with plush accents, Baroque interiors and all of the modern features you’d expect in a trendy hotel. There is a restaurant, fitness center and outdoor event space and the hotel is near both the train station and Liaoning Night markets. Park City Hotel (T), Taichung This metropolitan hotel in the city centre of Taichung is within walking distance of the train station. Rooms are bright, spacious and colourful, shared spaces are open and modern, and breakfast is served in a charming Cantonese restaurant. You’ll also have full access to a well-equipped fitness centre. FX Inn, Kaohsiung In Kaohsiung you’ll be staying in the Qianjin District, at this fashion-inspired hotel. Rooms are brimming with personality, designed in different themes and each popping in colour. The trendy Kitchen X restaurant can be found on the top floor, and it’s in these youthful surroundings that you’ll enjoy a delicious breakfast. There’s also The Caffeine on the first floor, which offers coffee, cakes and light meals throughout the day. Park City Hotel (H), Hualien Our second Park City Hotel stay will be in Hualien City, and this branch places equal importance on creating a cosy, natural space for visitors to relax in the heart of the city. The beds are super comfy, and the room design is calming, with a lovely flow of sunlights coming in through the windows. Breakfast can be enjoyed either in the Park Cafe & Lounge or in Delicacy Restaurant, while downtime can be spent mastering your game skills in the Chess Room.

Not included:

Flights

International flights are not included

Optional

Lake/Ocean Cycling

Others

Hotel transfers Visas Travel Insurance Flights to and from the destination Resort/City taxes (where applicable)

Insurance

Travel Insurance is not included

Start planning your experience

Day 1 Welcome To Taiwan!
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Welcome To Taiwan!

Make your way to the hotel on arrival in Taipei, where you can check-in and make yourself comfortable. The group will gather early in the evening for a welcome meeting with our Local Insider – your expert guide for the trip – and dinner at an authentic local restaurant.

Accommodation

FX Hotel Taipei

Activities included

Welcome dinner
Day 2 Tour Taipei And Take The Train To Taichung
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Tour Taipei And Take The Train To Taichung

Your first morning starts with a guided tour of the capital, Taipei. Our Local Insider will take you to see the Office of the President, the guard changing ceremony at CKS Memorial Hall and Lungshan Temple. There’ll be time to grab lunch at one of the variety of food court options in Taipei Main Station before we embark on our first train journey, to Taichung City. High-speed rail means we’ll barely travel an hour before reaching our destination and heading straight out on a tour of the city’s finest sights, including Rainbow Village and National Taichung Theatre. This evening we’ll visit Fengjia Night Market, one of Taiwan’s most famous markets, to experience the hustle and bustle of Taiwanese street food culture, and tuck into some delicious local delicacies.

Accommodation

Park City Hotel (T)

Activities included

Taipei City tour

Taichung City tour

Fengjia Night Market visit
Day 3 Cycle, Sip Tea And Visit A Temple At Sun Moon Lake
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Cycle, Sip Tea And Visit A Temple At Sun Moon Lake

We’ll start the day right with a stunning two-hour cycle around Sun Moon Lake – a vast body of gorgeous turquoise water surrounded by forested mountain peaks, and Taiwan’s only large natural lake. At the end of our cycle we’ll visit Xiangshan Visitor Center, a strikingly unique building that homes a delightful cafe with views over the lake. After lunch at a local restaurant we’ll head out onto the waters with a gentle hour-long cruise, followed by a visit to the hilltop Wenwu Temple, which offers a higher vantage point over the lake. The area is famous for black tea, and we’ll visit Ho Ho Cha Tea factory to experience a hand-rolling and tasting session. Having seen the lake from pretty much every angle possible, and indulged in various local delights, we’ll return to Taichung for dinner and an evening at your leisure.

Accommodation

Park City Hotel (T)

Included activities

Sun Moon Lake Cycle

Lunch

Sun Moon Lake boat cruise

Wenwu Temple visit

Ho Ho Cha Tea Factory tasting

Dinner
Day 4 Work Up An Appetite In Taiwan’S Culinary Capital
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Work Up An Appetite In Taiwan’S Culinary Capital

Our next stop is Tainan, known by people in Taiwan as the country’s culinary capital, with an especially rich seafood culture. You can ask our Local Insider about the must-try dishes on the train, but we’ll keep your stomach waiting as we first visit the 350 year-old Confucius Temple. Then it’s off to a famous local restaurant to finally experience traditional Tainan cuisine. Our tour of the city continues after lunch, with stops at various historical sites like Chikan Tower, Anping Fort and Anping Old Street, as well as a chance for some retail therapy at Hayashi Department Store. Early evening we’ll jump back on the bus for an hour-long trip to Kaohsiung, where you’ll check-in to the hotel and have a night at your own leisure.

Accommodation

FX Inn

Included activities

Confucius Temple visit

Traditional Tainan lunch

Tainan City tour
Day 5 Unique Temples, Vibrant Artworks And A Cityside Nature Park In Kaohsiung
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Unique Temples, Vibrant Artworks And A Cityside Nature Park In Kaohsiung

The modern maritime metropolis of Kaohsiung City is our playground for the day. We’ll start by visiting the city’s most iconic spots, including Dragon and Tiger Pagodas – a striking two-tower temple, one entrance guarded by a giant tiger statue and the other by a fiery dragon – Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum and Pier-2 Art Center, a vibrant cultural artspace, teeming with amazing works of street art. In the afternoon we’ll stop at a souvenir shop for tea and snacks before being transferred to Shoushan National Nature Park, a verdant greenspace with the best views imaginable over Kaohsiung skyline. Finally we’ll return to the city to check out Formosa Boulevard Station’s famous ‘Dome of Light’ – one of the world’s largest glass artworks – before heading out for a group dinner and spending the rest of the night at your own speed.

Accommodation

FX Inn

Included activities

Kaohsiung City tour

Shoushan National Nature Park visit

Formosa Boulevard Station visit

Dinner
Day 6 Mountains And Beaches
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Mountains And Beaches

It’s an early start this morning as we board the express train to Hualien City – equipped with breakfast-to-go from the hotel – for the longest journey of our trip (around four hours). Luckily, the route is an incredibly beautiful one, and watching the mountains and ocean views of the East Coast National Scenic Area fly past the window is an experience in and of itself – the joys of train travel! After arrival we’ll head to an area where the mountain peaks meet the calm coastline near Taroko Gorge. While the gorge remains closed due to the recent 2024 earthquake, we’ll explore the Qixingtan region, famous for its lake, ocean and mountain views. You can choose to cycle through the natural scenery or relax at one of the cafes and enjoy an ice cream by the sea. We’ll have dinner back in Hualien and check-in to our hotel for the evening.

Accommodation:

Park City Hotel (H)

Included Activities:

Visit to Qixingtan

Optional Activities:

Lake/Ocean Cycling
Day 7 Mountain Towns, Street Food Delights And An Unforgettable Lantern Experience
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Mountain Towns, Street Food Delights And An Unforgettable Lantern Experience

This morning we’ll go on one final scenic train ride, this time back towards the capital, but hopping off in Jiufen, an incredibly picturesque mountainside town just east of Taipei. Narrow old streets are packed with teahouses and street food shacks, not to mention the gorgeous old Shengping Theater. We’ll have lunch with stunning mountain views over the northeastern coast, before heading to Shifen Waterfall and Shifen Old Street, where we’ll experience the releasing of sky lanterns – a famous tradition in this part of the country. We’ll end up back in Taipei City, heading to the 101 Building for a photo opp at Taiwan’s tallest building, before spending the evening at Raohe Night Market – a haven for street food lovers.

Accommodation

FX Hotel Taipei

Included activities

Scenic lunch

Jiufen & Shifen tour

Shifen Old Street Sky Lantern Experience

Taipei 101 Building photo stop

Evening at Raohe Night Market
Day 8 A Taiwanese Cooking Masterclass To Round Off The Trip
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

A Taiwanese Cooking Masterclass To Round Off The Trip

Our last full day is all about enjoying Taipei at a relaxed pace, starting at a local cooking school, where you’ll master the art of Taiwanese cuisine and leave with a recipe or two for the road. In the afternoon we’ll visit The Grand Hotel, a magnificent red-column masterpiece and an amazing example of grand Chinese architecture. Nearby is the Martyrs’ Shrine, where we’ll head to watch the changing of the guards ceremony, before popping by the National Palace Museum. We’ll round up the day with a farewell dinner at a local restaurant, where the group can reminisce on an unforgettable Taiwanese experience.

Accommodation

FX Hotel Taipei

Included activities

Taiwanese cooking experience & lunch

The Grand Hotel visit

Guard changing ceremony at Martyrs’ Shrine

National Palace Museum visit

Farewell dinner
Day 9 Until Next Time, Taiwan!
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Until Next Time, Taiwan!

After one last breakfast at the hotel it’s time to say goodbye! After check-out you can either head straight to the airport, spend more time exploring Taipei, or continue the adventure somewhere else!

9 days tour

A Taste Of Taiwan By Train

This tour includes:

Not included:

Start planning your experience

Itinerary of your trip A Taste Of Taiwan By Train

Welcome To Taiwan!

Tour Taipei And Take The Train To Taichung

Cycle, Sip Tea And Visit A Temple At Sun Moon Lake

Work Up An Appetite In Taiwan’S Culinary Capital

Unique Temples, Vibrant Artworks And A Cityside Nature Park In Kaohsiung

Mountains And Beaches

Mountain Towns, Street Food Delights And An Unforgettable Lantern Experience

A Taiwanese Cooking Masterclass To Round Off The Trip

Until Next Time, Taiwan!

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