Taiwan's Top Three 5 Day Private Tour (Classic)
HIGHLIGHTS
- • Explore Taiwan's most beautiful scenic spots: Taroko Gorge, Sun Moon Lake, and Alishan
- • Hike the trails of Taroko Gorge, the world's largest marble canyon
- • Savor the flavors of Taiwan and meet the locals over indigenous cuisine and Chinese food
- • View the sea of clouds from the peaks of Alishan's mountains
- • Learn about the island's origins, history, and culture through your knowledgeable guide
See the best of Taiwan at the top three destinations! Discover Taiwan's diverse, storied and breathtaking geography on this 5-day exploration of the island's top three natural wonders. We'll start on the amazing east coast, where towering cliffs meet the Pacific Ocean before heading into geologically stunning Taroko National Park for a day of hiking and temple hopping. We'll head across the high peaks of central Taiwan to Sun Moon Lake, whose crystal blue waters have inspired artists for centuries. Afterward, we'll visit Taiwan's beloved Alishan mountain park, prized for its distinctive Oolong tea, amazing sunsets, and lush forests. Along the way, we'll stay in great local 3 and 4-star hotels, delight in Taiwanese delicacies ranging from flavorful snacks to indeginous meals, sample some of the world's finest teas, and have an awesome, once in a lifetime adventure while fully immersed in the island's local culture, past, and present.
*This tour includes Central Cross-Island Highway which is closed recently owing to the collapse in late 2022. Hopefully, the road will be reopened when you come. Or the route will be altered with Beiyi Highway, passing through Taipei city, stopping by Sanxi, and staying at Maoli/Taichung on day2.
Related Article: Alishan: Where the Sun Starts Its Day

▴ Explore central Taiwan's most beautiful spots

▴ Day 1: Pass by Qingshui Cliff on the famous Suhua Highway coastal road, towering over 1,000 meters above the Pacific Ocean

▴ Day 2: View Taiwan's majestic Central Mountain Range on the way to Sun Moon Lake

▴ Day 3: Discover the magic of Sun Moon Lake with a boat ride, cycling, and hiking.

▴ Day 4: Take a ride on the narrow gauge Alishan mountain rail.

▴ Day 5: Enjoy the sunrise in Alishan, for it’s only at this time of day that you’ll be treated to a view of the “sea of clouds."

▴ Day 5: Sip tea with a view at Alishanwin Tea House
ITINERARY
Day 1 / Taipei - Taroko Gorge
Our tour begins with a drive down the stunning east coast, where towering cliffs meet the ocean before turning inland to spend a full day in geologically stunning Taroko National Park. Best known for being the home of visually stunning Taroko Gorge, the park is also a treasure trove of rivers and waterfalls, cliffs and trails, tunnels and temples. We'll hike, sightsee, and explore the gorge, perhaps even seeing some of the local monkeys who call the area home before retiring for the night at hotel.
Day 2 / Taroko Gorge - Sun Moon Lake
After breakfast in the hotel, we'll head higher still, across the island's mountainous spine. While the drive is long, we'll take many breaks for sightseeing, photography, and soaking in panoramic views. We'll stop to touch the trunk of the Bilu sacred tree, said to date back to biblical times. After reaching the top, we'll descend into the valley, reaching magical Sun Moon Lake, the island's largest and most pristine body of water.
Day 3 / Sun Moon Lake
Yesterday was about travel, so today is about staying put and exploring Sun Moon Lake to the fullest. We'll travel across the lake on a pleasure boat, hike through a magnificent grove of climbing bamboo, and visit the serene Xuanguang temple, a major pilgrimage site for followers of the Buddhist faith. We'll have great meals, and do a cycling trip around the lake (listed as one of the top ten cycling routes in the world by CNN Travel) before heading back to our lake view hotel.
Day 4 / Sun Moon Lake - Alishan
On the journey's fourth day we'll say goodbye to Sun Moon Lake and head deeper into the mountains. Our goal for the day is the Alishan scenic area, but the landscape through which we'll be passing is so beautiful that we'll take our time, stopping for a tribal meal with a great view first followed by a visit to a well known tea farm, where we'll walk a trail passing through some of Taiwan's most beloved tea fields. Once we get to Alishan, we'll take a ride on the narrow gauge Alishan mountain rail before checking in at Alishan house hotel.
Day 5 / Alishan - Taipei
It's the final day of the tour, and you'll want to get up early to enjoy the sunrise in Alishan, for it's only at this time of day that you'll be treated to a view of the "sea of clouds" for which the area is justly known. The morning will be taken up by hiking through the high mountain forests of the area, including past a cypress tree that's said to be a thousand years old. After lunch, we'll head to a tea house called Alishanwin for tea with tremendous views before heading back to Taipei City.
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Pick-up from your accommodation in Taipei
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Pass by Qingshui Cliff on the famous Suhua Highway coastal road, towering over 1,000 meters above the Pacific Ocean
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Head into Taroko Gorge, including visits to the Eternal Spring Shrine and the Swallow Grotto.
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Hike the Baiyang Trail to the Baiyang Waterfall and through the Water Curtain Tunnel
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Stay in TripAdvisor 3★Taroko Liiko Hotels (TWIN/DOUBLE) or equivalent
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Breakfast at hotel
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Cross the Central Mountain Range on the Central Cross-Island Highway and enjoy the wondrous high-mountain scenery
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Visit the Bilu Sacred Tree, a Formosan Chinese fir over 3,200 years old
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Drive to the highest point of Taiwan's highways - Wuling (3,275 meters above sea level)
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Arrive at Sun Moon Lake
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Stay in TripAdvisor 4★ Lealea Garden Hotel (Sun Moon Lake-Moon)(TWIN/DOUBLE) or equivalent
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Breakfast at hotel
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Bicycle ride along the lake
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Tour of Wenwu Temple
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Leisure boat ride from Ita Thao Wharf
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Hike to Xuanguang temple
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Stay in TripAdvisor 4★ Lealea Garden Hotel (Sun Moon Lake-Moon)(TWIN/DOUBLE) or equivalent
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Breakfast at hotel
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Scenic mountain drive
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Tea farm visit with trail walk
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Alishan Mountain railway ride
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Dinner at hotel
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Stay overnight in Alishan, TripAdvisor 4★ Alishan House Hotel (The Historical House Room) (TWIN/DOUBLE) or equivalent
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Early breakfast at hotel
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Sunrise walk or train ride to view famed “sea of clouds” (optional)
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Hike through forest, including visit to thousand year old Cypress
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Tea with a view at Alishanwin Tea House
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Return to Taipei
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Meal :
Breakfast : 4 | Lunch : 0 | Dinner : 1 -
Duration :
5 days 4 nights -
Pick-up :
At your accommodation in Taipei city
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Drop-Off :
At your accommodation in Taipei city -
Group Size :
1-6 people -
Language :
English
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DETAILS
Inclusions
- •Knowledgeable English-speaking guide to introduce you to local culture and history
- •Four nights stay at 3 and 4-star hotels with breakfast
- •Admission to all venues
- •All transportation including 5-seater sedan / 8-seater van and driver
- •Travel insurance
Exclusions
- •Optional activities not mentioned in itinerary
- •Lunches
- •Gratuity
Cancellation Policy
Cancellations made between 30 and 15 days prior to departure will receive a 90% refund.
Cancellations made between 14 and 7 days prior to departure will receive a 70% refund;
Cancellations made less than 7 days prior to departure are non-refundable.
REVIEWS
We will certainly tell our friends the best way to see the sights in Taiwan
The highlight of our visit to Taiwan was the MyTaiwan tour to 3 of the most spectacular natural wonders of the country: Taroko Gorge, Sun Moon Lake, and the Alishan area, but a huge part of why we enjoyed it so much was because our tour guide, Bill Wang, was also spectacular. For one thing, he knows a great deal about the landscape and history, and is a wonderful story teller. He clearly loves what he does and it is contagious. He seemed to enjoy our questions, no matter how many, and we had great conversations. He'd give some information, and the question in my head was always why, but I didn't have to ask because he posed his own why, and answered himself with enthusiasm. I'm learning Chinese, and he helped me a lot, especially with fine points I could not get from my text books. He is also a very good driver and patient with difficult situations like fog on mountain roads, and heavy traffic in Taipei at the end of the journey, and he remained cheerful through all of that. He was very attentive to our needs and wants. If we wanted to linger some place that wasn't on the itinerary, no problem, he easily changed plans according to our desires. He was attentive in other ways too. When I had a cold and couldn't find a decongestant easily nearby, Bill came out of his hotel to see if I needed to go to a doctor. It was just a cold! Everyone was so kind, assembling fruit drinks, hot tea, fresh fruit. It was hard to say goodbye at the end of the journey, because we felt like good friends by then. So we were very pleased with our tour and so lucky to have had Bill for a guide. We will certainly tell our friends the best way to see the sights in Taiwan.- 1
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845991-YKHZA
We really enjoyed our 5 day tour with Bill Wang! He was very knowledgeable about every place we visited, cracked funny jokes, and had a very warm and welcoming personality. We would highly recommend him to our English speaking friends if they come visit Taiwan!