A TASTE OF TAIWAN BY TRAIN

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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! On arrival we’ll head to Taroko Gorge, stopping for an aboriginal Taroko lunch, and spending the afternoon exploring the area. Highlights include the dramatic Tunnel of Nine Turns above the gushing Liwu River, the otherworldly Swallow Grotto and the Eternal Shrine, hidden among trees and a spectacular mountain waterfall. We’ll have dinner back in Hualien and check-in to our hotel for the evening.

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.

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.

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!