Essential Taiwan (7 days/5 nights)

Essential Taiwan (7 days/5 nights)

Tainan – Sun Moon Lake – Taipei

Crafted by our Taiwan travel experts, this 7-day Essential Taiwan tour brings you the best Taiwan has to offer, from bustling urban centres to serene temples and breathtaking landscapes. It immerses you in the rich culture and beauty of Taiwan. In addition to the rich culture and spectacular natural beauty, you’ll get to savour fantastic food that Taiwan is famous for.

Important Features

• Small group size
• Expert local guide
• Luxury (5 stars) hotel accommodations
• Quality local and Western meals at non-tourist restaurants
• No annoying forced shopping of any kind.

TOUR ITINERARY

Meal Code: B = breakfast / L = lunch / D = dinner

Day 1: Departing for Tainan
Your Taiwan vacation begins with international flight departing from a city of your choice. The airport you are flying to should be Kaohsiung International Airport.

The tour price doesn’t include international airfare but please feel free to check with us for the best air deal.

Day 2: Arrival in Tainan
Upon arrival at Kaohsiung International Airport, transfer immediately to the hotel in Taiwan by private vehicle, which is included in the tour price. The drive takes between 50 and 60 minutes. Have the balance of the day at leisure following hotel check-in.

Day 3: Tainan (B/L)
Tainan is a historical city that once served as Taiwan’s capital between 1683 and 1887.

Morning sightseeing takes in An Ping Old Street, Fort Zeelandia, and Grand Matsu temple.

Fort Zeelandia was a fortress built by the Dutch East India Company between 1624 and 1634 in the town of Anping, present-day Anping District in the City of Tainan. The fort is gone and part of the wall surrounding the fort is still standing. The small museum onsite is fairly informative, giving the visitor a clear idea of what happened during the Dutch colonization days. The terrace inside the compound was rebuilt by the Japanese during their occupation of Taiwan between 1895 and 1945.

We spend the afternoon exploring Chihkan Tower and Confucius Temple. The architectural style of Chihkan Tower looks unmistakably Chinese, but it was built on the site of the original Dutch outpost known as Fort Provintia or Providentia; part of the foundation of Fort Provintia remains and is protected by the government.

Day 4: Tainan – Sun Moon Lake (B/L)
After breakfast, we ride the high-speed train northbound for 2 hours to reach Taichung, where we transfer to a local bus to continue on our journey to Sun Moon Lake. The bus ride takes between 60 and 70 minutes.

Surrounded by forested peaks and crisscrossed by foot trails, the 7.93-square kilometre Sun Moon Lake is a popular resort destination all year round due to its mild climate (elevation 748 metres). The area around the lake is home to the Thao tribe, one of the aboriginal tribes of Taiwan.

After checking into our lakeside resort, we spend the afternoon hiking around the lake and exploring the town centre of nearby Yuchi County.

Day 5: Sun Moon Lake – Taipei (B/L)
Free morning to relax or explore on your own.

After lunch, we go on a 30-minute cruise on the lake, which is followed by a visit to an aboriginal cultural village. East of the lake, the Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village is a theme park with a section devoted to recreated Indigenous villages. Displays here include centuries-old carved lintel pieces, handicrafts and weapons.

We then return to Taichung by public bus for the early evening train (50 minutes) to Taipei.

Taipei is the capital of the Republic of China (ROC) in Taiwan. ROC should not be confused with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) under the rule of the Chinese Communist Party. With a population around 2.7 million, Taipei is also the economic, educational, and cultural centre of Taiwan and one of the major hubs of air transportation in East Asia.

Day 6: Taipei (B/L/D)
Our full-day sightseeing begins at Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, which is followed by the Presidential Palace and  Taipei Botanical Garden.

We spend the afternoon exploring the National Palace Museum which houses a huge collection of national treasures removed from the Forbidden City in Beijing when the national government under the Nationalist Party (Kuomintang, KMT) fled to Taiwan in 1949.

The visit to the 508-metre-tall Taipei 101, a new symbol of the city, takes place after dinner.

Day 7: Returning Home (B)
Your Taiwan tour comes to an end this morning. Transfer to the airport on your own by airport express train or limousine shuttle bus. Further details on airport transfer can be found in the final update sent to you two weeks prior to commencement of your trip.

Hotel List

Dates & Prices

Please contact us for additional departures.

* Land Only price does not include international airfare. Contact us for a fare quote.

Know before You Go

Tourist Visa
Westerners do not need visa to visit Taiwan if the stay is less than 90 days.

Best Time to Visit Taiwan
March to early May is the high season for tourism but it can get very hot in late May.

In the summer (June-August), anywhere you go (with the exception of the mountains) you’ll experience intense heat and humidity. This is the season you should avoid if you can.

Autumn (late September – November) is pleasant when the sky is blue and the weather becomes dry and cool.

Typhoon Season
Technically, typhoons can hit Taiwan any time between June and September. However, it is in August and early September when the intensity of typhoon season reaches its peak. Consider staying away from Taiwan in August and the first half of September.

Public Holidays to Avoid
The single biggest public holiday is the Chinese spring festival. Also known as Chinese New Year, this is a traditional festival based on the Chinese lunar calendar. Consequently, the date changes every year. Generally, it can fall on any day between mid-January and late February. This is the time of year when everybody is going home for family reunion. For most people, the holiday lasts for days. For some, it may mean weeks off work. If you are in Taiwan during this time, you’ll notice that most businesses stay closed for days; highways, airports and train stations also experience significant overcrowding.