After a 30-min drive, begin your exploration into the world of Taiwanese tea from Maokong. Located in southern part of Taipei City, Maokong is a popular destination for tea lovers, hikers, and those seeking panoramic views of the city. Once a major tea-producing area, Maokong is now known for its traditional teahouses, scenic hiking trails, and the captivating Maokong Gondola.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

On the way back to our meeting point, you can choose to be dropped off at Taipei 101.