Journey to central Taiwan for a full sensory immersion in tea culture at POUYUENJI HILLS, a tea-themed resort where traditional puer tea ceremony becomes an experience engaging sight, smell, taste, and touch. (Note: When POUYUENJI HILLS is closed, the tour visits Beipu Old Street to experience traditional Hakka culture and enjoy lunch at a historic restaurant.) Spend your afternoon exploring Taichung's creative side at the Taichung Green Museumbrary, where contemporary art museum and modern public library merge in award-winning architecture—a perfect spot for leisurely discovery before diving into Fengchia Night Market, one of Taiwan's largest and most popular night markets beloved by students and locals alike.

Experience local life with a guided tour through a traditional Taichung market, where vendors sell fresh produce, meats, and ingredients that supply the city's best restaurants and home kitchens. Learn to identify quality ingredients and see how locals shop for their daily meals. Then venture into central Taiwan's mountains to Sun Moon Lake, where you'll visit a historic tea factory to learn about the region's celebrated Ruby Red Tea before taking a peaceful boat ride across Taiwan's largest alpine lake.

Discover Chiayi's deep food traditions, from ancient preservation techniques to street food perfected over generations. Visit a traditional soy sauce maker where natural fermentation still happens in massive ceramic urns exposed to sun and air—a slow, months-long process that creates complexity impossible to achieve industrially. After exploring the ornate 17th-century Chaotian Temple, experience Chiayi's celebrated night market food scene, where vendors have earned recognition (including features on Netflix's "Street Food") for their dedication to single, perfected dishes.

Climb into the Alishan mountains where elevation, cool temperatures, and frequent mist create ideal conditions for Taiwan's most prized oolong tea. At a working tea farm perched high in the mountains, learn from farmers how altitude slows tea growth, allowing leaves to develop the complex flavors that make Alishan tea command premium prices. If season and weather permit, try your hand at tea picking, selecting only the youngest leaves. Experience a traditional high mountain tea ceremony surrounded by clouds and mountain peaks—an immersive moment connecting tea, nature, and tradition.

Journey to Tainan, Taiwan's oldest city and former capital, where the island's culinary traditions run deepest. A cultural heritage tour reveals layers of history—Dutch forts, centuries-old temples, and traditional merchant houses—that help explain why Tainan is considered Taiwan's food capital. On the Old Street, family-run eateries serve recipes perfected over generations, and you'll have flexibility to choose from Tainan's famous specialties based on what's freshly made and your guide's recommendations. The beautifully restored Hayashi Department Store, Taiwan's first with an elevator, offers a glimpse of 1930s Japanese colonial elegance.

Explore southern Taiwan's diverse attractions, from the spiritual serenity of Fo Guang Shan—one of Taiwan's largest Buddhist monasteries—to Kaohsiung's vibrant urban landmarks. Visit the iconic Dragon and Tiger Pagoda where locals believe entering through the dragon's mouth and exiting through the tiger's turns bad luck to good, then discover Pier 2 Art Center where former harbor warehouses now pulse with creative energy, artist studios, and contemporary installations.

Head south to Pingtung where Taiwan's tropical climate supports cocoa farming that has surprised the international chocolate world with its quality. Tour an ecological farm to see cocoa pods growing on trees and follow the complete bean-to-bar process—from fermentation to roasting to finished chocolate. Taste award-winning chocolates made on-site, understanding how terroir affects flavor. Then drive along the stunning Pacific coast to Taitung for an authentic indigenous meal where the menu is determined by what's seasonal, local, and traditionally prepared—an intimate encounter with indigenous food culture.

Experience Chishang, where some of Taiwan's best rice grows in fields surrounded by 360-degree mountain views. Cycle easy, flat paths through the patchwork of bright green or golden brown paddies depend on the season—a landscape so photogenic it's been featured in countless films and advertisements. Over lunch, taste the difference that pure water, clean air, and careful farming make in Chishang's premium rice, prized enough to be exported to high-end restaurants in Japan.

Spend the day along Taiwan's dramatic east coast, where mountains meet the Pacific and indigenous Amis communities maintain strong connections to traditional foodways. Walk the scenic King Kong Road with expansive ocean views, then experience an indigenous omakase-style meal at a restaurant overlooking the endless Pacific. Learn how indigenous cooks use wild vegetables, fresh seafood, and foraged ingredients in traditional preparations, then share a meal together—an authentic cultural exchange centered around food and stories.

Deepen your understanding of indigenous cuisine with a hands-on cooking class, where local cooks guide you through preparing traditional dishes while sharing the cultural significance and ancestral knowledge behind each recipe. Then experience one of Taiwan's most spectacular drives along Qingshui Cliff, where sheer marble cliffs rise nearly 1,000 meters directly from the ocean—a dramatic section of coastline that's become one of Taiwan's most photographed natural landmarks. End your day soaking in Jiaoxi's natural mineral-rich hot springs, a perfect way to relax after days of culinary exploration.

Complete your island circuit with a visit to Kavalan Distillery, where Taiwan's subtropical climate—once considered a disadvantage for whisky making—has become an asset creating unique maturation and flavor profiles. Learn how this young distillery, founded in 2005, quickly earned international acclaim by beating established Scottish and Japanese competitors in blind tastings. Sample different whisky expressions to understand what makes Taiwanese whisky distinctive. Celebrate your journey's end with a famous roasted duck feast, a beloved regional specialty, before returning to Taipei.