11 Days Taiwan Family Tour
Highlights
Discover a Taiwan you never knew existed as you travel this glorious emerald island over 11 days enjoying every aspect of the ultimate Taiwan family tour. Come ready for adventure and prepared for fun because this tour delivers on both in spades.
Hit the ground running in Taipei where you’ll spend a full day absorbing the city’s highlights, culture, and cuisine before traveling by road to Nantou to experience Wujie Indigenous Village, affectionately referred to as ‘home of the clouds’ or the ‘Shangri-La of Taiwan’. The first of several opportunities to experience culture and history on this tour, including at Jiufen Village and Toucheng Farm, you’ll gain a deep appreciation of how traditional cultures continue to thrive amidst Taiwan’s development.
Itinerary
Day 1 – Arrive in Taipei
Arrive at Taipei Taoyuan airport where you’ll be greeted by your local guide. Escorted by your driver, you’ll be transported directly to your hotel, on the way taking the opportunity to learn a little about this vibrant city. After check-in, you’re free to rest, relax, or explore the local surroundings. Be sure to check with your guide for insider local dining options. Taipei abounds in traditional and contemporary cuisine, with our selection, including Din Tai Fung for steamed stuffed buns and dumplings or Shi-Yang for a unique dining experience of creating fine food in a thoughtfully designed tranquil setting.
Day 2 – Taipei
Joined by your guide after breakfast, take a leisurely bike ride around the Dajia Riverside Park before visiting the National Palace Museum. Here you’ll discover the museum’s remarkable collection of artefacts, treasures, and antiquities that transport you through Taiwan’s history. From there, head to Tamshui. Amble along Tamshui Old Street with your guide, as you explore the history of the area famous for its ‘old world’ feel, endless shopping choices, and delicious, must-try local specialties. Spend the afternoon enthralled by the bird’s-eye panoramic view of Taipei city and well beyond by taking the lift 89 storeys to enjoy the Taipei 101 Observatory. Finish your day in by joining locals filling up with what is widely recognized as some of the best traditional Taiwanese street foods and snacks at the nostalgic Ningxia Night Market. The market is Taipei’s longest-running organized food market and is beloved by locals, ex-pats, and international visitors. Once you’ve had your fill, your guide will return you to the hotel.
Day 3 – Taipei – Wujie Indigenous Village
Farewell Taipei and drive to Puli, located approximately three hours away by car. After a delicious lunch at the locally much-loved Yazhuo Hakka Restaurant, with its authentic Hakka cuisine, drive through the mountains to Wujie Indigenous Village, affectionately referred to as ‘home of the clouds’ or the ‘Shangri-La of Taiwan’. Located 760 meters above sea level, Wujie offers much in the way of idyllic natural beauty and fascinating indigenous culture, with fine examples of nature’s best and man-made history evident in and around the village. Under the care and hospitality of your local guide, enjoy a short offroad 4WD adventure to Zhuoshui River where the famous Fish Head Rock can be seen. Wade into the middle of the stream and turn your vision skyward for a view that’s poetically described as ‘a thread of sky’; which is in fact, the thin line of the sky that is visible as the gorge appears to almost close overhead. Following this spectacle of nature, you will be driven to a local Wujie Village homestay to overnight and sample local indigenous food specialties.
Day 4 – Wujie Indigenous Village – Sun Moon Lake
Rise early for a scenic drive to a tea farm located at the mountain’s peak. Here can you not only appreciate the challenges facing tea growers but also savor the sunrise view, which appears magically amidst a sea of clouds (weather permitting).
After breakfast, the adventure continues with a hike that follows the river to Momonar Waterfalls along the Wujie Dam and old trails used by villagers and Japanese settlers. Return to the homestay for a traditional lunch of local indigenous dishes before driving to Sun Moon Lake. Climb aboard a private motorboat and enjoy an hour’s cruise around the lake before completing the lake’s circumference again, this time by car, making several stops at culturally significant sites along the way, with Wenwu Temple, Ida Thao Indigenous Village, and Cien Pagoda among them. A short drive to your hotel for the night completes your day’s adventure.
Day 5 – Sun Moon Lake – Alishan
Morning lovers can take advantage of a final opportunity for a leisurely walk or short scenic bike ride along Sun Moon Lake before breakfast and departing to Alishan. On route, you’ll make a brief detour via Yushan National Park, stopping at Tataka Visitor Center located 2,610 meters above sea level – the perfect spot for enjoying the fresh alpine air and walking trails on offer here.
Sample local cuisine at an Alishan restaurant by making selections with the help of your guide before checking in to your Alishan accommodation for the evening. After check-in, it’s time to get close to nature with a forest walk. Feel the ancient cypresses rise up around you in a green ‘cloak’ on the guided walking tour that showcases highlights like Sisters’ Pond and Plum Garden. Reflect on Alishan’s natural beauty as you relax for the evening at your hotel.
Day 6 – Alishan – Taijiang National Park – Kaohsiung
Rise early for what is arguably Taiwan’s best view*, visible only by taking the old Alishan train to Chushan (and if weather permits). Return to the hotel for breakfast, then check out and depart for Taijiang National Park to enjoy a thoughtfully arranged eco-tour starting at Liukong Pier.
Board a river raft for a close-up experience of the lagoon and its sandbars, including Guosheng Lighthouse, offering views of Dingtoue Sandbar and Taiwan Strait. The sandbar itself is highlighted, providing both a windbreak to the forest and home to a thriving biodiverse ecosystem. Watch mictyris – monk crabs – as they scuttle across the sandbar and take a stroll along Qigu Sea Wall to admire the beautiful sunset and lagoon.
Drive from here to Kaohsiung, the second-largest city and the largest port in Taiwan. Get amongst it when you take a ferry to Chi-Jin Peninsula to view Kaohsiung’s city from a different perspective. On arrival there, make the most of a guided walking tour of Chi-Jin seafood street. Enthusiasts wanting to experience more of Chi-Jin can jump on board a rickshaw for a totally different tour of the area.
Head back to Kaohsiung to visit Renai River, also referred to by locals as Love River, then head on to the Pier-2 Art Center. Savor a dinner of local specialties, then visit the Liuhe Night Market or Kaohsiung Metro’s Formosa Boulevard Station (or both). When you see the design and glasswork at the station, you’ll understand why it is ranked as one of the most beautiful in the world. Your guide will ensure you are safely checked in to your hotel in Kaohsiung where you can finally relax and rest for the next day’s adventure.
Day 7 – Kaohsiung – Kenting – Chihpen (Taitung)
After breakfast, you’ll make the half-hour drive to Pingtung for a visit to the National Museum of Marine Biology & Aquarium, Taiwan’s most respected facility for marine research. The whole family will be mesmerized by the exhibits, which are beautifully designed and provide for maximum learning. Hear from the guide about the facility’s research programs and gain a deeper understanding of the waters, coral, and marine species that are so important to the island.
After the aquarium visit, shift gears as you take to the road again and drive to Kenting National Park, stopping at Maopitou (Cat Nose Tip), Sail Rock, Oluanpi Light House – the southern-most most point of Taiwan, and Longpan Park – delivering a magnificent view of the island’s coastline.
On the final stage of your day’s travel drive to Chihpen where you’ll check in to your hotel and enjoy a natural hot spring bath.
Day 8 – Taitung – Hualien
Farewell Taitung and enjoy driving along the east coast for a full view of the coastal scenery on the way. The day’s first and only stop is at Rueisuei, a small village that is home to the local Hakka, Hoklo, and Taiwanese indigenous people. It’s here you’ll have the chance to experience white water rafting on the Xiugulun River; an activity that takes three to four hours to complete as you travel a distance of 24 kilometers. After the adrenaline has dropped a notch or two, continue the drive along the East Coast to Hualien where you’ll stay for the night.
Day 9 – Hualien – Taroko Gorge – Toucheng (Yilan)
Prepare yourself for a full day of exploring after breakfast when you drive to Taroko Gorge for a tour that showcases the very best of the Taroko National Park. Delight in scenic spots along the way Taroko Gorge Gateway, Shakadang Trails, Eternal Spring Shrine, Swallow Grotto, Tunnel of Nine Turns, and more. With the help of your guide, enjoy a typical indigenous-flavored lunch at the renowned Dageeli Indigenous House on your way from Taroko.
After lunch, the drive continues to Toucheng Farm, an eco-friendly organic vegetable and animal farm. The whole family will enjoy the opportunity for a hands-on educational experience of a Taiwanese farmer’s lifestyle. On the way from the farm, rejoin the Suhua Highway making stops at scenic Qingshui Cliff and Fenniaolin Fishing Port, both perfect spots to capture beautiful travel memories that showcase the very best of Taiwan’s ocean and mountain landscapes. After check-in takes the remainder of the day to wander the farm or join the arranged activities. Fancy making a sky lantern or painting your wishes before releasing them into the night sky? You can at Toucheng Farm.
Day 10 –Toucheng – Jiufen – Taipei
Start your day inhaling the fresh farm air, then enjoy a hearty breakfast of farm ingredients. Leave the farm in the morning, as you drive along the Northeast Coast towards Jiufen Village, a scenic route along Taiwan’s Northeast Coast. Enjoy the guided walking tour through the village’s historical street. Following lunch, ordered with the assistance of your guide, your sightseeing continues with the drive to Yehliu Geopark. Marvel at the remarkable natural rock formations created by erosion and other natural forces. Let your imagination carry you away with what you ‘see’; mushrooms, animals, heads, and more. If time permits, a stop will be made at Xiaoyoukeng Geological Site of Yangmingshan National Park, worth a visit for the eerie spectacle created by the volcano’s fumarole. From here, you will be transferred to your hotel for the evening.
Day 11 – Depart from Taipei
Today you will be met by your guide and transferred to Taoyuan International Airport for your departure flight, concluding your tour of Taiwan.
