Taiwan Tea Tour (7-day Private Tour)

Day 1 – Taipei
• Fly into Taipei and transfer to your hotel.
• We’ll experience a tea ceremony, led by a local tea master and featuring a selection of Taiwan's finest teas. Enjoy dinner - with some excellent local tea, of course.

Day 2 – Hualien
• Early morning departure for a four-hour drive to Hualien. Stops along the way at the hot & cold springs park in Jiaoxi in Yilan County. Optional stops at Kavalan Whiskey distillery.
• After we’ve set you up in your hotel and you’ve taken a rest, we can look around this lively city of 100,000 people.

Day 3 – Ruisui District
• Basing ourselves in Hualien, today we’ll drive to Ruisui for scenery and, naturally, more tea. The district is famous for its hot springs; if you want to soak, bring your swimsuit. Along the way, we can make a stop at Danongdafu Forest Park, a former sugar plantation that’s been turned into a sprawling recreational woodland.

Day 4 – Sun Moon Lake
• From Hualien, we’ll start on a fabulous scenic drive through the mountains. The road crests at two miles above sea level, but before then we’ll likely halt for a cup of hot ginger tea at Bilu Sacred Tree.
• We’ll make regular stops so you can photograph the gorgeous panoramas, then descend toward one of Taiwan’s most famous attractions, Sun Moon Lake. You’ll arrive in time to see the lake (by private boat, if you let us know in advance) and take a short rest in your hotel before dinner.

Day 5 – Tea Plantations
• Among the lakeside attractions we’ll visit are Cien Pagoda and a pair of temples.
• After lunch, you can stretch your legs at the nearby Antique Assam Tea Farm, a restored Japanese-era tea plantation which is as educational as it is scenic. It’ll then be time to say goodbye to the lake and head to the oolong-growing part of the mountainous Alishan region.

Day 6 – Tea Plantations
• We’ll have the entire day to explore the Greater Alishan region, visit tea plantations, meet farmers and try their teas. The scenery throughout is wonderful; if you’d like to go for a hike, we’ll show you a trail that matches your physical condition.
• We can go for a gentle stroll through the forests around Fenqihu.

Day 7 – Wrap up
• Whatever time you fly out, we’ll help you make the very most of your final day in Taiwan. Before putting you on the bullet train at Chiayi HSR Station, we can bring you to the Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum, which has a superb permanent exhibition about tea culture, as well as sections devoted to Asian textiles, Buddhist Art and other themes.

Additional information:
• Prices based on twin sharing. Single supplement is US$402.