Explore the natural wonders of Taiwan on a 5-day tour from Taipei. Visit Sun Moon Lake, walk with Buddhist monks at Fo Guang Shan Monastery, drive along the Maopitou Coastal Scenic Area, and more. Enjoy accommodation in 5-star hotels.
Day 1: Taipei, Sun Moon Lake, and Natural Hot Spring
Following hotel pickup, drive to Sun Moon Lake, located in the lofty mountains of Central Taiwan, 2,500 feet (762 meters) above sea level. Stop at the Wenwu Temple (Literature Warrior Temple), dedicated to Confucius as the Master of Pen and to Kuan Ti as the Master of Sword.
Continue your sightseeing tour to the Holy Monk Shrine and Tse-En Pagoda, then proceed to your hotel for check-in. Stay overnight at the Fleur De Chine at Sun Moon Lake (or a similar hotel).
Day 2: Sun Moon Lake, Fo Guang Shan Monastery, and Kaohisung
After breakfast at your hotel, enjoy a walk around the Xiangshan Visitor Center before driving to Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Monastery, the most famous Buddhist sacred site in southern Taiwan.
Learn about Buddhism during a monastery walking tour and taste Buddhist vegetarian lunch (cost not included). Talk with some of the monks and nuns during a visit to the Main Shrine and Great Buddha Land, the site of a huge Buddha statue.
Continue to Kaohsiung, the second largest city in Taiwan, and visit Liuhe Tourist Night Market. Stay overnight at Kaohsiung in the Grand Hi Lai Hotel (or similar).
Day 3: Kaohsung, Kenting, and Taitung
Join a morning tour of Kenting National Park, located at Taiwan’s southern tip. Travel past 37 miles of coral-rimmed shoreline and along 3 sides of the park to see its main attractions.
Stop at the Eluanpi Lighthouse and Maopitou Coastal Scenic Area (Maopitou Park). Continue to Taitung via the Southern Link Highway. Stay overnight at the Royal Hotel Chihpen in Taitung (or similar).
Day 4: Taitung, East Coast National Scenic Area, and Hualien
After breakfast, enjoy an exciting East Coast National Scenic Area tour. The East Coast National Scenic Area, known as Taiwan's last unspoiled land, stretches for approximately 100 miles (170 kilometers) down the east coast of the island.
Weathering, erosion, and accumulation have produced a wide range of landforms. Your tour will stop at Xiaoyeliu, Sanxiantai, and the Stone Steps. By late afternoon, head to Hualien for an overnight stay at the Silks Place Taroko (or similar).
Day 5: Hualien, Taroko Gorge, Taipei
Spend a full day at Taroko National Park. Go to Taroko Gorge, a beautiful, narrow ravine created by the Liwu River, cut deep into the mountains of solid marble.
Travel along a road that's been carved into sheer walls of rock, winding its way past forested peaks and cliffs, towering thousands of feet above it. Hundreds of feet below, the river roars past gigantic marble boulders.
Stop at Eternal Spring Shrine, Swallow Grotto, Marble Bridge, Tienshiang, and a marble factory before driving back to Taipei via the Su-Hwa Highway. Ride through the 8-mile-long Hsuei-Shan Long Tunnel before arriving back in the city.
