Taste of Taiwan – 12 Days

Start from the hotel at 9 am. Morning visit to the Lin Family Garden which is a beautiful heritage site and shines a light on the family traditions of Taiwan.  Then visit the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall and break for a light lunch at a famous tea house nearby. After lunch is a traditional Chinese Tea Tasting. Then onto Yong Kang Street which is a bustling artisan area with boutique coffee shops and additional points of cultural interest. Beef noodles or other fine dishes can be enjoyed before dinner. Returning to the hotel at around 6 pm.

Pick up from the hotel at 9:30 am for a 10:00 am guided tour of the National Palace Museum.  Here you’ll find the greatest collection of Chinese Arts and Artifacts in the world. At least 2-3 hours are required.  From here, we’ll travel to the beautiful Yang Ming Shan to see the flowers and do some gentle hiking after a lunch of fresh mountain veggies and other delights.  Spend a relaxing afternoon in Yang Ming Shan before returning to the city for dinner and a foot massage in ‘shemingding’ (little Tokyo). Back to the hotel around 9 pm.

Depart from the hotel at 8:30 am and stop in Yeh Liu to visit the unique geological park. Then onto the old Gold Mining Town of Jiu Fen to visit the museum (includes the prison camp in Jingwaushi). Continue down the East Coast to Hualien where you can enjoy local food (dumpling soup with vinegar, mochi, and seafood, etc.) and culture.  The hotel has an excellent sauna and spa facilities.

Depart from the hotel at 8:30 am for Taroko Gorge.  First, stop at the Eternal Spring Temple to visit the Pagoda and Monastery. Then continue into the gorge stopping at Swallows Grotto, Lui Shwei trail and the Bai Yang trail. We will be staying in the very heart of Taroko Gorge in wood cabins nestled into the hills’ side. Aboriginal dancing for evening entertainment.

Depart from Taroko Gorge at 9 am and begin the climb from 700 meters to 3,500 meters as we cross the central cross highway. One of the most stunning roads in Asia. Visit a 3,200-year-old divine tree. See monkeys on the roadside as we head for Herhua Mountain for a high-altitude stroll.  Lunch at the top for roast chicken before we drop down to Sun Moon Lake. Dinner at the Crystal Hotel.

Visit tea gardens and do some DIY tea making activities.  Return to Sun Moon Lake to take an afternoon-chartered boat ride with drinks. Then some free time strolling the old lakeside village of Ita Thoa.  Dinner at the Sun Moon Lake restaurant for some local foods including wild boar.

Depart early for Ali Shan over the beautiful route 21 going up past Jade Mountain. Beautiful Mountain passes before arriving in Ali Shan National Forest.  Lunch and dinner in the National Park which has a great selection of mountain foods.

Depart at 8:30 am for our drive to Tainan, the ancient capital of Taiwan. Lunch in Anping Tainan, then a brief tour of An-Ping, the oldest trading port in Taiwan.  Plenty of quaint old streets for exploring here. Check into the hotel around 4 pm. Roast Duck for dinner in the Hotel.

Foguangshan Buddhist Temple in the morning before visiting the old British consulate at Takaw in the early afternoon.  Return to Tainan to visit the Dutch Fort and Confucius Temple. For dinner, we’ll try traditional street food for the final night.