10 Days Taiwan Island Tour

Taiwan is an administrative region of China, the capital of Taipei. Taiwan is located in the southeast sea of the Chinese, facing the Pacific Ocean in the east, Fujian Province in the west and Philippine in the south. Taiwan province is composed of more than 80 islands, including Taiwan island, the largest island in China, and other surrounding islands and penghu islands. More than 70 percent of Taiwan’s population of 23.5 million is concentrated in the five metropolitan areas in the western part of the island, the largest of which is the Taipei metropolitan area centered in Taipei city. This tour is included Taipei, Kaohsiung, Chiayi, Taitung, Hualien which will an overall understanding of Taiwan.

Highlights:

Travel around Taiwan Province.
Hava a city tour in Taiwan.
Taste Taiwan local food.
Experience Taiwan local culture.

Brief Itinerary

Day 1: Taipei Arrival
Day 2: Taipei – Chiayi
Day 3: Chiayi – Kaohsiung
Day 4: Kaohsiung – Taitung
Day 5: Taitung – Hualien
Day 6: Hualien – Taipei
Day 7: Taipei – Jiufen – Taipei
Day 8: Taipei
Day 9: Taipei
Day 10: Taipei Departure

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1 Taipei Arrival

Sightseeing and Activities:
Accommodation: Taipei
Meals:

Upon arrival at Taipei International Airport, our driver and tour guide will meet you at the airport lobby then tranfer you to your hotel.

Day 2 Taipei – Chiayi

Sightseeing and Activities: Sun Moon Lake , Wenwu Temple, Literature Warrior Temple, Holy Monk Shrine, Holy Monk Shrine, Nine Aboriginal Tribes Culture Village, Sun Moon Lake Sky Ropeway
Accommodation: Chiayi
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

In the morning, you will be served traditional Taiwanese Breakfast, then be transfered to Nantou, where Sun Moon Lake is located. It is Taiwan’s largest lake with the east side shaped like “Sun”, and West side shaped like “Moon”, hence the name “Sun Moon Lake”. Sightseeing around the area includes: famous Wenwu Temple and Literature Warrior Temple dedicated to Confucius as Master of Pen and to Kuan Ti as Master of Sword, Holy Monk Shrine and Peacock Garden.

After touring round Sun Moon Lake, you will be transfered to the “Taiwanese Gourmet Restaurant” to have lunch, then depart for “Nine Aboriginal Tribes Culture Village” to see the shows and beautiful garden of the theme park and Aboriginal culture village. Experience Sun Moon Lake Sky Ropeway (1878m length) for the beautiful panoramic view of the lake. Tonight you will stay at Chiayi City, there is a night market near your hotel.

Day 3 Chiayi – Kaohsiung

Sightseeing and Activities: Alishan National Scenic Area, Kaohsiung City, Kaohsiung Harbor, Liuho Night Market, Love River
Accommodation: Kaohsiung
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

After breakfast, you will depart for the “Eight Wonders of Taiwan – Alishan”, which is located at the end of the Alishan Forest Railway. If the weather permits, you will be able to see the eternal sea of clouds and sunrise on Jhushan after an early morning walk through a spectacular landscapes of valleys and trails. Sightseeings around the Alishan National Scenic Area including: Cherry Blossom (Season: Mar-Apr), Sister Lake, Zhaoping Park, Sochun Temple, Old Alishan Tree Site, Eternity Bridge, Alishan High Mountain Tea Farm.

After the experience the amazing Alishan, you will be transferred to Kaohsiung City, where will have the City Tour of Kaohsiung, see the largest industrial harbor – Kaohsiung Harbor in Taiwan, and the second busiest harbor in Asia. Visit: Shiziwan, Former British Consulate over looking the Kaohsiung Harbour. In the evening, you will visit “Liuho Night Market“, to taste the Taiwanese Gourmet (your own expense), desserts and snacks. You will visit the famous “Love River” which is now renowned for its café culture and night tour which are popular among local couples for a romantic night. Tonight you will stay at the hotel in Kaohsiung City next to Lotus Lake & Kaohsiung Park and night market.

Day 4 Kaohsiung – Taitung

Sightseeing and Activities: Kenting National Park, Maopitou, Sail Rock, Oluanpi Light House
Accommodation: Taitung
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

After breakfast, the tour will depart for today’s exciting journey towards the east side of Taiwan. Today’s highlight for many visit Taiwan is a visit to Kenting National Park, undoubtedly one of the most beautifully reserved natural forest in Taiwan. It is located in south of Taiwan with popular beach bordering on the tropical region of Taiwan where palm tree, banana trees, sugar cane and surfing beach are part of the scene. It’s an excellent place for swim, surf, and dive.

Other sightseeings will be visited today are the southernmost tip of Taiwan, “Maopitou” (named after the shape of cat-nose-like rock.) & ‘Sail Rock’. The coast of coral reef is worth a visit for land-reforms which strongly affected by wave erosions, efflorescence, and salt-soaking. The natural landscape like wave erosion caves, ditches, and pillars are amazing, sea view here is attractive and very enjoyable. The Oluanpi Light House will also be visited (it is the world’s first military equipped light house). We then continue to Taitung via the Scenic Southern Link Highway. Overnight at Taitung and enjoy a relaxing ‘water therapy spa” at the hotel in Taitung.

Day 5 Taitung – Hualien

Sightseeing and Activities: Tainan Aboriginal Beinan Cultural Village, Luye Hill, RuiSui Dairy Farm, Butterfly Valley, Historical GuanFu Sugar Factory & Aboriginal Amei Tribe Culture Centre
Accommodation: Hualien
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

After breakfast at the hotel, we will drive to “Tainan Aboriginal Beinan Cultural Village” it is the site where the Neolithic Beinan People who live here 2000-3000 years ago, BC civil human evidences have been found. Then we will drive thru the HuaTong Mt Route, to visit Luye Hill (Luje Gaotai) located in the mesmerizing East Rift Valley Scenic Area filled by high mountains, hills, terraces, and plains, providing an ideal location for hot air ballongs. Luye Hill is also fames for its tea, one may find the fields down the hill are most likely tea plantation. In additions, it is a popular spot for paragliding and camping.

We will stop at RuiSui Dairy Farm where you will able to see the Taiwanese dairy farmers at work, and taste the famous RuiShi Gourmet Lunch. All ingredients are freshly grown from the RuiSui Farm including the freshest milk from the cow. As you hold up a cup of fresh milk, and sit outdoor alfresco area, you can enjoy the coffee, pure fresh air in the beautiful scenery. Where we will stop at: “Butterfly Valley” which is abundance with beautiful landscape and natural environment. It’s just the perfect essence to a perfect relaxing vacation and well renowned butterfly sceneries. Here you can enjoy an unique natural experience and amazing comfortable sensation Outdoor Hot Spring & Spa in the deluxe Butterfly Valley Resort. Afternoon visit Historical GuanFu Sugar Factory & Aboriginal Amei Tribe Culture Centre. Tonight you will be stayed overnight at Hualien City.

Day 6 Hualien – Taipei

Sightseeing and Activities: Chi Hsing Bay, Taroko Gorge National Park, Liwu River, Chingshuei Cliff
Accommodation: Taipei
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

This morning you will depart for north of Hualien – the obscure coastal village of Chi Hsing Bay. The beach here remains undeveloped and have a spectacular backdrop of mountains. It is a great place to relax. We then visit Taroko Gorge National Park. The Taroko Gorge is an exceptionally beautiful area of Taiwan. It is the “Seven Wonder of Asia”, its narrow raving created by the Liwu River which has cut deep into the mountains of solid marble. A road carved into sheer walls of rock rewinding its way past forested peaks and cliffs towering thousands of feet above it, while hundreds of feet below a river roars past gigantic marble boulders. Stops will be made at Eternal Spring Shrine, Swallow Grotto, Tunnel of Nine Turns, Marble Bridge, Tienshiang and Marble Factory. On our way back to Taipei, we will drive pass the “Chingshuei Cliff” located on the section of the Suao-Hualien Highwaythat stretches between Heping and Chongde stations, is one of the most spectacular sights on Taiwan’s Pacific coast. The cliff is more than 1,000 meters high and drops almost vertically into the sea.

The highway snakes along its curving face more than 20 kilometers, with the sheer cliff rising on one side and a sheer drop to the ocean on the other.We will then drive back to Taipei via Su-Hua Highway and Hsuei-Shan Long Tunnel (12.9 kilometers) to arrive Taipei at around 5PM, and then you will be driven to explore the vibrant night life of Taipei, e.g. Taipei 101 Building, Night Markets… etc. Tonight you will start your 3 nights accommodation at Howard Plaza Hotel, which is located at the most convenient & popular & busiest shopping district of Taipei City!

Day 7 Taipei – Jiufen – Taipei

Sightseeing and Activities: sky lantern experience, Jiufen Village, Japanese Prisoner of War Camp, Danshui Old Street
Accommodation: Taipei
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

After breakfast, you will be taking to Pingxi, which is famous for sky lantern experience(included) – a must-do experience in Taiwan. The international event, PingXi Sky Lantern Festival is one of the three most popular customs of lantern festival in Taiwan. The other two are: Yanshui Firecrackers Festival in Tainan & Bombing the Master of HanDan in Taitung.

Feel spirited away in this decommissioned gold minning mountain, Jiufen Village – originally built by the Japanese and now a maze of lanes and alleyways with rich history and culture. Founded during the Qing Dynasty, this small town was a relatively isolated village until the discovery of gold during the Japanese occupation in 1893, quickly developing the town due to the gold rush. Many buildings here remain unchanged to this day, reflecting the Japanese influence on both architecture and culture in Taiwan. During World War II, the town housed a Japanese Prisoner of War Camp where capture Allied Force soldiers (main British and Australians) were forced to work in the gold mines. After the war, gold mining activities declined, and the Jiufen Village today exists as a tourist destination remembering and celebrating Taiwanese history and culture.

After Lunch, we will depart for Yehliu Ocean Park. It is known for its spectacular rock formations, sculptured throughout the ages by wind and sea erosion leaving fascinating pillars, including the famous “Queen’s Head” and “Fairy’s Shoe”.

The next stop in the evening will be Danshui Old Street (Tamshui) located along the riverfront in Tamsui (Danshui), Tamsui Old Srteet is a boardwalk-like area full of shops, carnival games, restaurants, cafes, and xiaoch (snacks). The waterfront area is a great place to watch the sunset over the Tamsui River. A ferry can be taken from the pier at Tamsui Old Street across to Bali Left Bank, a relaxing waterfront area popular with cyclists.

Day 8 Taipei

Sightseeing and Activities: Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall, National Palace Museum, Martyrs’ Shrine. Yangminshan National Park, Shilin Night Market
Accommodation: Taipei
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

After breakfast, we will visit: Presidential Building (pass by), Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall and National Palace Museum (has the largest Chinese art and painting collection – more than 650,000 pieces). After lunch, we will visit Martyrs’ Shrine. Yangminshan National Park – how fortunate Taipei is to have this diverse park at its doorstep, complete with forested mountains, hot springs, rolling grass hills, and some handsome lodgins and restaurants. The park covers 114.55sq km, with a top elevation of 1120m, and is easily accessible from the downtown area by frequent bus. In the evening, you will be treated by the famous Taiwanese foot massage. You will sit in the reclining comfortable couche to receive the foot rubs from massage therapists. The massage concentrate swiftly pressing, probing and prodding. Some, albeit groaning, seem to enjoy the massage, which is popular among the local Taiwanese after a hard day’s work.

Tonight you will visit the largest night market in Taiwan, “Shilin Night Market” with regards to food and one of the most popular night life spot for locals and visitors. The nightmarket consists of two major elements: general merchandise and local Taiwanese cuisine. Along the western edge of the market is the food paradise located in the brand new underground area. Many if Taiwan’s traditional food can be found and bought for reasonable prices (A$1~2 per meal). The recommended food are: Giant Fried Chicken Steak, Bubble Milk Tea, Oyster Omelette, Oyester Vermicelli, Fried Bun, and of course the most notorious Taiwanese goodie, Stinky Tofu. The market showcases Taiwan’s culture with vivid colours and general atmosphere, along with friendly shop keepers and plenty of delicious food and cheap clothes, shoes and merchandises.

Day 9 Taipei

Sightseeing and Activities: Ximending, Xingyi Shopping District, East Chungxiao
Accommodation:
Meals: Breakfast

After breakfast, you will have leisure time to explore the vibrant city of Taipei. Taipei is a shopaholic’s heaven. You can find all sorts of bargain to all the world famous brands at one shopping district. You can catch the MRT to many parts of the city, e,g. Ximending, Xingyi Shopping District, East Chungxiao Area for shopping.