Pinglin Tea Culture & Maokong Day Tour from Taipei

based on 14 reviews

Duration:8 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
Location: Taipei, Taiwan

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This tour to Maokong and Pinglin presents a unique opportunity to explore the intriguing world of Taiwanese tea culture from seed to cup.

Your tour begins with a scenic Maokong Gondola ride, offering stunning views of Southern Taipei from high above. Upon descending, you'll leisurely stroll along either the Maokong Tea Fragrance Loop Trail or Maokong Zhangshu Trail, each offers picturesque landscapes awaiting your exploration. Then continue your journey at Taipei Tea Promotion Center for Tieguanyin and Baozhong.

In the latter part, you'll venture to the other two tea-originating locations, Shiding and Pinglin, relishing the awe-inspiring beauty of Thousand Island Lake and the distinctive Bagua Tea Plantation. Afterward, a visit to the Pinglin Tea Museum in New Taipei City will enhance your tea knowledge. As the tour approaches its end, you will have the opportunity to savor authentic Taiwanese tea at a local tea shop, concluding your tea tour with an additional depth of expertise.

WHAT'S INCLUDED

WHAT TO EXPECT

1.
After a 30-min drive, begin your exploration into the world of Taiwanese tea from Maokong in Taipei City’s Muzha District. Your adventure commences with a scenic ride on the Maokong Gondola, designed for leisurely travel, boasts the lengthiest route, offering awe-inspiring aerial vistas of Southern Taipei. This picturesque ride offers stunning mountain scenery from a lofty vantage point, making it a favored activity among foreign tourists exploring Taipei.
2.
The Maokong Tea Fragrance Loop Trail comprises four short, paved paths. Along the trail, you’ll encounter beautiful natural features like potholes, waterfalls, and forests, all visible during the hike. Known as the easiest hiking trail in Maokong, it’s suitable for individuals of all ages. The Maokong Zhangshu Trail is another beloved leisure trail among the locals, particularly during the blooming season of Lupinus. Along this trail, you’ll discover the terraced fields, ponds, tea gardens, and more, creating the sensation of stepping into an idyllic picture as you stroll through this scenic landscape.
3.
The Taipei Tea Promotion Center for Tieguanyin and Baozhong serves as a leisurely park dedicated to showcase the exceptional quality and authenticity of Taiwan’s Tieguanyin and Baozhong teas. By exploring the center, visitors can gain insights into the evolution of Taiwanese tea and ecological knowledge through the informational exhibits, tea panning machines, and more.
4.
After a few hours of walking, you might find yourself hungry and craving some local foods. Maokong, a popular place for a nature getaway in suburban Taipei, nestled in the mountains, offers prime locations to enjoy stunning panoramic views of the Taipei Basin. Beyond its scenic beauty, Maokong is a hotspot for tea tasting. Abound with teahouses, most of them offer freshly brewed teas and meals, allowing you to enjoy a delectable lunch in the delightful aroma of tea at your own expense.
5.
Following lunch, after 1-hour drive, your tea tour proceeds with a visit to Thousand Island Lake in Shiding District, New Taipei City. Shiding, a rural area celebrated for its tea cultivation and stunning landscapes. The catchment area around the Feitsui Reservoir, nestled among hills, creates a distinctive scenery—a lake adorned with numerous islands. Its resemblance to the Thousand Island Lake in China has bestowed upon it the same name.
6.
The natural terrain and climate create an ideal environment for tea cultivation in the surrounding area of Feitsui Reservoir. The Bagua Tea Plantation also locates in this area. When viewed from the hilltop, the neatly planted rows of tea bushes resemble the symbols of Eight Trigrams, which inspired the plantation’s name.
7.
After indulging in the natural tea aroma, your tea tour continues to uncover the intricacies of tea processing and its evolution. The Pinglin Tea Museum, a Hokkien-style Siheyuan architecture, embodying the traditional dwelling of Taiwan, inviting the visitors to delve into the world of Taiwanese tea. This museum houses a rich collection of traditional harvesting tools, tea sets, samples, and more, offering insights into the history and evolution of Taiwan’s tea industry. Additionally, the interactive equipment within the museum offers visitors an immersive, sensory-rich experience.
8.
While in Pinglin, you can’t miss the chance to savor authentic Taiwanese tea at a local tea shop. The tea sommelier will demonstrate the proper brewing techniques to bring out the flavors of the tea leaves, making your tea more aromatic and enhancing your tea tasting experience. Moreover, you will have the opportunity to sample various types of Taiwanese tea during your visit.

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Posted By : Jodie V
The best day I had in Taiwan! This tour was the highlight of my trip and we saw so many amazing places and I loved the tea ceremony. The tour was made extra special because it felt personal and I enjoyed the chats I had with the tour guide and the other travellers.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-06-24 10:40:46

Posted By : Sarah G
This tour was a nice trip to south of Taipei.
We enjoyed beautiful landscapes at a leisure pace with our friendly guide, Jackie, who was mindful of everyone needs in the group.
The tour is well organized with a comfortable bus and van for smaller roads.
However we saw only one small tea field at the beginning of the tour and didn't learn much about tea.
Other tea tasting in Taiwan had gave us more information on tea culture and tea variety than the tour.
The tea ceremony is also the same as any tea tasting in Taiwan tea shop / tea house with less precise information.
Very limited time was given for the tea museum so we didn't have the time to read all the information in there.
I would recommend the tour if you don't have the opportunity to try tea in Taiwan or if you don't know anything about tea culture.
The tour is good also if you don't want to travel on your own in this area of new taipei city as it was still a nice journey.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-05-22 16:06:55

Posted By : Christian W
This tea tour in Taipei is a delightful exploration of Taiwanese tea culture. We started with a gondola ride to Maokong that provides a beautiful view of Taipei and the surrounding mountains. A walk through the beautiful nature followed and we stopped shortly at a Buddhist temple. Btw, almost everywhere on this tour there were tea plants to be discovered.

The day continued to the tea museum and then to a tea tasting, where a tea sommelier demonstrated proper brewing techniques and offered a variety of local (award winning) teas to taste and shop.
The final stop of the tour was the stunning Thousand Island Lake, a sight not to be missed.

The guide on this tour was not only friendly but also highly competent, with great English skills that made the whole tour accessible for non-Chinese speakers like us. Not to forget - both thumbs up for our kind driver.

I would highly recommend this tour to anyone interested in tea or looking for a peaceful retreat into nature while visiting Taipei.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-05-12 01:17:22

Posted By : Reese_C
Overall, it was a good experience. The guide was experienced and knew the answer to all my questions. He allowed a flexible schedule to allow the group to decide how long each section took.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-02-25 02:59:26

Posted By : Ming Kion Y
It was a great experience overall. Thanks to Molly from Edison Tour for the informative tours on the day. Highly recommended for those who want to experience tea culture.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-02-15 20:48:20

Posted By : Yogawafaa
Thank you SO much Mr Walter -The BEST tour guide- for an unforgettable day with so much learnings, history, and appreciations of Taiwan! 谢谢老师
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-02-14 03:57:30

Posted By : alyssal934
A well rounded cultural experience of Taipei. Starting with the Pinglin Tea plantation mountain. Participate in a tea ceremony sampling delicious local teas. Stop for lunch at old Shenkeng Street and try the famous stinky tofu delicacy. End the tour with a staircase hike up to Elephant Mountain right behind Taipei 101 tower for great city views. Had a fun tour guide, Jacky keep the day rolling with good humour and to time.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-01-11 00:47:04

Posted By : wen_J
The tour was great. Our guide Jackie spoke fluent English and our favorite is the tea tasting. One advice, if you want to buy great tea, bring cash. They do not accept credit card due to the small scale of the tea shops. Hiking to the top of Elephant mountain was awesome. Great opportunity to get some exercise while getting a panoramic view of the city
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-01-08 00:35:58

Posted By : Diana_F
This is a 3 part tour with a mix of experiences. We did not venture far from Taipei. But the scenery was so different. The tea plantation was picturesque and so quiet. Able to take some amazing pictures. Then we headed off to a tea shop to try 3 different variety of teas served the traditional way. The owner was very knowledgeable and engaging. No pressure to buy and answered lots of questions. Finally the hike up the elephant mountains was short but challenging. You an do more if time allows. A great view of Taipei at the top.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2023-12-27 20:32:56

Posted By : hannahj848
Fantastic tour! Signed up as a solo traveler thinking I'd join a group but I was the only one, so it was a private tour! Paul was an excellent guide through and through. Caring, knowledgeable, and funny. Because I was the only one, we were able to do things at my pace. Paul was great at translating at the tea house. Also appreciated our driver; the van was comfortable and I felt safe during the very windy roads.
The landscapes are beautiful. Elephant Mountain was strenuous but worth it. If you're not sure about the climb, then definitely sign up for the half day tea experience through the same company, just without the hike.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2023-08-25 09:05:00