Pinglin Tea Culture & Elephant Mountain Day Tour from Taipei
Overview
Hit pause on the city life for a day and immerse yourself in rural Taipei on this one-day tour to Pinglin, Shiding and Shenkeng District.
Pinglin District is well-known for the cultivation of Wenshan Baozhong tea, where you will learn about Taiwanese tea culture and taste the aromatic Taiwanese tea by visiting a tea shop and a tea factory. Shiding District is endowed with breathtaking natural scenery. The stunning Thousand Island Lake and the endless rows of tea plants create picturesque views before your eyes. Shenkeng District is widely-known for the famous tofu street—Shenkeng Old Street, where a variety of stinky tofu dishes can be found and worth giving them a try.
Additionally, you will take a hike along Elephant Mountain Hiking Trail before the end of your tour. The fantastic aerial view of Taipei will blow your mind when you reach the top.
Pinglin District is well-known for the cultivation of Wenshan Baozhong tea, where you will learn about Taiwanese tea culture and taste the aromatic Taiwanese tea by visiting a tea shop and a tea factory. Shiding District is endowed with breathtaking natural scenery. The stunning Thousand Island Lake and the endless rows of tea plants create picturesque views before your eyes. Shenkeng District is widely-known for the famous tofu street—Shenkeng Old Street, where a variety of stinky tofu dishes can be found and worth giving them a try.
Additionally, you will take a hike along Elephant Mountain Hiking Trail before the end of your tour. The fantastic aerial view of Taipei will blow your mind when you reach the top.
Inclusions
- Professional licensed tour guide (Mandarin / English / Japanese)
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Taiwanese local tea tasting
- Local General Liabilities Insurance
- Hotel pickup and drop-off (if private option selected)
What to expect
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Pinglin Old Street, Pinglin Old Street, New Taipei
Pinglin District is located in the southeast of New Taipei City. The climate condition in this area makes Pinglin an ideal place for growing Wenshan Baozhong tea. The streets are lined with tea shops and eateries; the local specialties such as the tea eggs cooked with Baozhong tea and the Baozhong tea flavored ice cream are popular among tourists.
Here you will visit a local tea shop and a tea factory, and learn about the cultivation and making of Taiwanese Tea. Additionally, you are offered to tastes different types of Taiwanese tea, the owner of the tea shop will show you how to properly brew Taiwanese tea and the tips of tea appreciation.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Shihding Ciandao Lake, Shiding Dist., Shiding, New Taipei Taiwan
Next, you will take a short ride to Shiding District, another rural district nearby, to see the famous Thousand Island Lake. The catchment area of Feitsui Reservoir surrounded by hills creates the unique scenery—a lake with thousands of islands, which shares the same name with the Thousand Island Lake in China due to the resemblance between the two.
Duration: 35 minutes
Stop At: Bagua Tea Garden, Shiding Dist., Shiding, New Taipei Taiwan
The natural terrain and climate make the surrounding area of Feitsui Reservoir an ideal farmland for tea-growing. Bagua Tea Plantation is located in this area, too. From the top of the hill, the neatly planted rows of tea look just like the symbols of Eight Trigrams, hence the name.
Duration: 35 minutes
Stop At: Shenkeng Old Street, Shenkeng Street, Shenkeng, New Taipei Taiwan
Your tour continues with a visit to Shenkeng District, where the famous tofu street—Shenkeng Old Street is widely-known among Taiwanese people.
Many eateries are housed in the historical buildings along this 300-meter street, where you can find various stinky tofu dishes, such as steamed stinky tofu, charcoal-grilled stinky tofu, deep-fried stinky tofu and all that. The stinky tofu, as its name implies, gives off a pungent smell. If you are not feeling adventurous, the tofu ice cream is a good option for a pleasant treat.
Duration: 1 hour 50 minutes
Stop At: Elephant Mountain (aka Nangang District Hiking Trail), Lane 150, Songren Rd., Xinyi District, Taipei Taiwan
Before the end of your tour, you will return to Taipei City for a hike along Elephant Mountain Hiking Trail. The name is given because of the shape; from a distance, the mountain looks like an elephant’s head.
The trail is located near Xinyi Shopping District and Taipei 101. Aside from the easy accessibility, it is popular for another reason—a fantastic view of the entire building of Taipei 101 can be captured from the top of the mountain, making this trail a hotspot for photography.
Duration: 1 hour
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Pinglin Old Street, Pinglin Old Street, New Taipei
Pinglin District is located in the southeast of New Taipei City. The climate condition in this area makes Pinglin an ideal place for growing Wenshan Baozhong tea. The streets are lined with tea shops and eateries; the local specialties such as the tea eggs cooked with Baozhong tea and the Baozhong tea flavored ice cream are popular among tourists.
Here you will visit a local tea shop and a tea factory, and learn about the cultivation and making of Taiwanese Tea. Additionally, you are offered to tastes different types of Taiwanese tea, the owner of the tea shop will show you how to properly brew Taiwanese tea and the tips of tea appreciation.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Shihding Ciandao Lake, Shiding Dist., Shiding, New Taipei Taiwan
Next, you will take a short ride to Shiding District, another rural district nearby, to see the famous Thousand Island Lake. The catchment area of Feitsui Reservoir surrounded by hills creates the unique scenery—a lake with thousands of islands, which shares the same name with the Thousand Island Lake in China due to the resemblance between the two.
Duration: 35 minutes
Stop At: Bagua Tea Garden, Shiding Dist., Shiding, New Taipei Taiwan
The natural terrain and climate make the surrounding area of Feitsui Reservoir an ideal farmland for tea-growing. Bagua Tea Plantation is located in this area, too. From the top of the hill, the neatly planted rows of tea look just like the symbols of Eight Trigrams, hence the name.
Duration: 35 minutes
Stop At: Shenkeng Old Street, Shenkeng Street, Shenkeng, New Taipei Taiwan
Your tour continues with a visit to Shenkeng District, where the famous tofu street—Shenkeng Old Street is widely-known among Taiwanese people.
Many eateries are housed in the historical buildings along this 300-meter street, where you can find various stinky tofu dishes, such as steamed stinky tofu, charcoal-grilled stinky tofu, deep-fried stinky tofu and all that. The stinky tofu, as its name implies, gives off a pungent smell. If you are not feeling adventurous, the tofu ice cream is a good option for a pleasant treat.
Duration: 1 hour 50 minutes
Stop At: Elephant Mountain (aka Nangang District Hiking Trail), Lane 150, Songren Rd., Xinyi District, Taipei Taiwan
Before the end of your tour, you will return to Taipei City for a hike along Elephant Mountain Hiking Trail. The name is given because of the shape; from a distance, the mountain looks like an elephant’s head.
The trail is located near Xinyi Shopping District and Taipei 101. Aside from the easy accessibility, it is popular for another reason—a fantastic view of the entire building of Taipei 101 can be captured from the top of the mountain, making this trail a hotspot for photography.
Duration: 1 hour
Additional information
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Infants must sit on laps
- Most travelers can participate
- Each guest is allowed to bring one piece of carry-on baggage.
- If the group size is less than 7 people, your tour guide might also serve as the driver (driver-guide).
- Ensure you carry enough cash with you to cover your expenses for meals, beverages, souvenirs, tips, etc. Convenience stores and most of the eateries in Taiwan don't accept credit cards as a form of payment.
- Not recommended for travelers with physical disabilities.
- A small amount of walking is involved; comfortable shoes are recommended.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 18 travelers
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Ticket delivery
You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.
Cancellation
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start time of the experience.
monicapE8033YC
May 2023
My trip to Shiding, Pinglin and Shenken Old Street was a wonderful experience. My tour guide, Mr. Joseph, was very attentive and caring. He made sure I could see and learn about everything that was of interest to me. He also facilitated my discussions with some very interesting and kind people, d...
My trip to Shiding, Pinglin and Shenken Old Street was a wonderful experience. My tour guide, Mr. Joseph, was very attentive and caring. He made sure I could see and learn about everything that was of interest to me. He also facilitated my discussions with some very interesting and kind people, discussion about tea, about tea ceramics, incence and woodwork. This day trip was a great way to start my vacation in Taiwan! Thank you very much, Mr. Joseph, and to your colleagues from Edison Tours, for making sure everything went so well!❤️hannahj848
August 2023
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 translati...
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.Traveler64045180409
July 2023
Fantastic experience really great host who explained everything. He was super interesting I will 100 percent request him again. The tour it's self was fantastic I did not realise how beautiful Taiwan is
Fantastic experience really great host who explained everything. He was super interesting I will 100 percent request him again. The tour it's self was fantastic I did not realise how beautiful Taiwan isDiscover53688836761
June 2023
Wow! What an amazing experience. Our tour guy, Joseph was very kind, professional, and knowledgeable, especially how he explained the way how the tea is processed and the origin of the tea. We definitely recommend this tour! We had a great time. Thanks! The Chao family
Wow! What an amazing experience. Our tour guy, Joseph was very kind, professional, and knowledgeable, especially how he explained the way how the tea is processed and the origin of the tea. We definitely recommend this tour! We had a great time. Thanks! The Chao familyJason W
June 2023
Highly recommend this tour! The scenery was gorgeous, the guides are so nice and welcoming and our entire group had a great time! Accommodations were made for varying levels of physical fitness during the more difficult hiking parts. This tour was a good way to leave Taipei proper to see the surr...
Highly recommend this tour! The scenery was gorgeous, the guides are so nice and welcoming and our entire group had a great time! Accommodations were made for varying levels of physical fitness during the more difficult hiking parts. This tour was a good way to leave Taipei proper to see the surrounding area.