Gorgeous Formosa 7 Days Tour, Taiwan

Duration: 7 Days | 6 Nights
Destination: Taipei - Taroko Gorge - Sun Moon Lake - Tainan - Kaohsiung - Lukang
Departure & Return Locations: Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) / Taoyuan International Airport (TPE)
Arrival Day: Saturday (guided touring Monday to Friday)

A week that takes in the best of Taiwan in one loop: two free days in Taipei with a hop-on hop-off double-decker bus pass, then five guided days down the island. Drive the dramatic east-coast cliff highway to Taroko Gorge and stay by the Pacific, cross the Central Mountain Range at Wuling (3,275 m, the highest point on Taiwan's road network) to Sun Moon Lake, then head south to Tainan, Taiwan's oldest city, and Kaohsiung, with a vegetarian lunch at Fo Guang Shan Monastery, before finishing in the temple town of Lukang. Tours run in small groups of 2 to 4 guests with an English-speaking driver-guide.

2027 Arrival Dates (Saturdays): 9 & 23 Jan, 13 & 27 Feb, 13 & 27 Mar, 10 & 24 Apr, 8 & 22 May, 5 & 19 Jun, 3*, 17* & 31* Jul, 14* Aug, 4 & 18 Sep, 2, 16 & 30 Oct, 13 & 27 Nov, 11 Dec.
*Summer school-holiday departures - supplement applies (see Tour Price).

Day 1 (Sat): Arrive Taipei
Arrive at Taoyuan International Airport (TPE), where a private car meets you for the transfer to your Taipei hotel (driver only, no guide). The rest of the day is free. A one-day Taipei Metro pass is an easy way to get around the city on your own.
Overnight: Hotel Cham Cham Taipei or similar 4-star (Category A: Caesar Park Hotel Banqiao, The Landis Taipei or Howard Plaza Hotel Taipei, or similar 5-star)

Day 2 (Sun): Taipei at Your Own Pace (B)
Explore with your one-day Taipei double-decker sightseeing bus ticket, valid 09:10-19:50 for unlimited hop-on hop-off travel on both the Red and Blue routes, with onboard audio commentary in English. The Blue Route takes in the Shilin Official Residence and its gardens and the National Palace Museum, home to around 690,000 treasures from the Song to Qing dynasties. The Red Route covers the National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and its hourly changing of the guard, Taipei 101 and its 89th-floor observatory, the Songshan and Huashan 1914 creative parks, and the Yongkang Street food quarter near Dongmen Station for xiaolongbao, beef noodles and mango shaved ice.
Overnight: Hotel Cham Cham Taipei or similar 4-star (Category A: as Day 1)

Day 3 (Mon): Taipei - Taroko Gorge (B)
Meet your English-speaking guide at 08:30 at the Caesar Park Hotel Banqiao, Howard Plaza Hotel Taipei or The Landis Taipei (confirmed at booking). Drive through the 12.9 km Hsuehshan Tunnel to Yilan, then follow the east-coast cliff highway south with a photo stop at Qingshui Cliff. Arrive at Taroko National Park around 13:30 for the Visitor Centre and the Taroko Archway.

Much of the park is still closed for repairs after the 2024 earthquakes, and the gorge road is open only at set hours. From around 15:00 you drive up through the marble gorge, viewing the Eternal Spring Shrine, Swallow Grotto, Tunnel of Nine Turns and Cimu Bridge from the vehicle, and stop to walk around Xiangde Temple, the furthest point currently open to visitors. Exit the gorge by 17:00 and continue to your hotel on the Hualien coast.
Overnight: Lakeshore Hotel Hualien Taroko, ocean-view room (Category A: Silks Place Taroko, garden-view room)

Day 4 (Tue): Taroko - Central Cross-Island Highway - Sun Moon Lake (B)
Leave at 08:30 on the Central Cross-Island Highway, which climbs through the mountains to Wuling on Mt Hehuan at 3,275 m, the highest point of any road in Taiwan, with panoramic views over the Central Mountain Range. The highway is open under traffic controls with limited access hours. Descend to Sun Moon Lake, a National Scenic Area, around 15:00 and drive along the shore to the Wen Wu Temple, which overlooks the lake.
Overnight: Lealea Garden Moon, street-view room (Category A: The Lalu, courtyard deluxe room)

Day 5 (Wed): Sun Moon Lake - Tainan (B)
Visit the Holy Monk Shrine, the Ita Thao lakeside village and the Tse En Pagoda on the hills above the water, then drive south to Tainan, Taiwan's capital until the late 19th century. In the afternoon, walk around Anping Fort and Anping Old Street, one of the island's oldest streets.
Overnight: The Place Tainan, Smart room (Category A: Shangri-La's Far Eastern Plaza Hotel Tainan, deluxe room)

Day 6 (Thu): Tainan - Fo Guang Shan - Kaohsiung (B/L)
See Chihkan Tower, built by the Dutch in 1653, and the Confucius Temple of 1665, Taiwan's first, then continue to Fo Guang Shan Monastery, the largest Buddhist monastery in Taiwan. Visit the Main Shrine and the Buddha Museum and have a vegetarian lunch at the monastery. Check in at Kaohsiung in the late afternoon. In the evening you can walk the harbour city or visit Liuhe Night Market on your own.
Overnight: Howard Plaza Hotel Kaohsiung, deluxe room, or similar (both categories)

Day 7 (Fri): Kaohsiung - Lukang - Taipei (B)
Start with the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas and the Spring and Autumn Pavilions on Lotus Pond, with time for a walk or a coffee by the water. Around 11:30 drive north to Lukang, one of Taiwan's three great historic towns, to visit Longshan Temple. You arrive at Taoyuan International Airport around 17:00, or at your Taipei hotel if you are staying on (onward airport transfer from Taipei not included).

Tour Price
• Price is per person, twin share, on a small-group seat-in-coach basis (2 to 4 guests) with an English-speaking driver-guide on Days 3 to 7.
• The price shown is for Category B 4-star hotels and includes the Day 1 airport-to-hotel transfer. Upgrade to Category A 5-star hotels by selecting the option above.
• Single supplement: US$450 per person (Category B) or US$690 per person (Category A).
• Summer departures (arriving 3, 17 and 31 July and 14 August 2027): supplement of US$50 per person.
• Rates are valid for 2027 arrivals (1 January to 31 December 2027).
• All prices are subject to availability and can be withdrawn or varied without notice.
• Prices are guaranteed once the booking is confirmed by us and paid in full by the due date.
• Final pricing depends on your group size and needs. Itineraries are subject to change.
• Amounts in this description are shown in US$ and are converted at the rate applying when the booking is confirmed.

Inclusions:
• 2 nights in Taipei, 1 night on the Hualien coast at Taroko, 1 night at Sun Moon Lake, 1 night in Tainan and 1 night in Kaohsiung, twin share, in your chosen hotel category
• Daily breakfast and a vegetarian lunch at Fo Guang Shan Monastery (Day 6)
• Arrival transfer from Taoyuan International Airport to your Taipei hotel (private car, driver only)
• One-day Taipei double-decker sightseeing bus ticket (Day 2)
• English-speaking driver-guide, Days 3 to 7
• Air-conditioned car or minivan, depending on group size
• Entrance fees for all sights in the itinerary
• Local travel insurance for the duration of the tour, arranged by our ground operator

Exclusions:
• International flights
• Transfer from your Taipei hotel to the airport if you stay on after Day 7
• Meals not mentioned
• Taipei Metro pass and transport on your free days
• Comprehensive travel insurance
• Tips for the guide and driver, porterage
• Personal expenses such as laundry, telephone, minibar and pay TV
• Anything not specifically mentioned

Please note:
• This is a seat-in-coach tour that operates with a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 4 guests.
• Taroko National Park: if the park is completely closed on your arrival, Days 3 to 5 change to Taipei - Sun Moon Lake, Sun Moon Lake - Lukang - Chiayi, and Chiayi - Alishan - Tainan. If the park is partly open and the Central Cross-Island Highway is passable, the original itinerary runs.
• If Silks Place Taroko is not operating, Category A guests stay at the Lakeshore Hotel Hualien Taroko in an ocean-view room.
• If the highway between Taipei and Hualien is closed by bad weather, you travel by train instead, with a surcharge of US$25 per person. Flooding or landslides in the mountains may also lead to changes to the itinerary.
• Hotel check-in is usually around 15:00 and check-out around 11:00. Early check-in or late check-out incurs a surcharge.
• Ground operator cancellation charges: 10% within 14 days of arrival, 30% within 7 days, 50% within 3 days and 100% on the day of arrival or for a no-show.
• We strongly recommend comprehensive travel insurance from the time of booking.

Please refer to our Standard Booking Conditions for booking terms and conditions.