Pinglin Tea Culture & Maokong Day Tour from Taipei

Good Opportunity to Enjoy "Outside Taipei" Mountain Area and Countryside

There is some walking that gives a better view and understanding of life outside Taipei. We ate lunch in a rustic outdoor area next to the family's tea farm, then had a tea tasting experience, followed by a visit to the Tea Museum

Response from the operator: Thank you for sharing your experience! We’re glad you enjoyed exploring beyond Taipei, from the scenic walks and tea farm visit to the local lunch, tea tasting, and Tea Museum. We hope this experience gave you a deeper appreciation of Taiwan’s tea culture and countryside. We look forward to welcoming you again!

via Viator

Unique and interesting tour!

If you're only in Taiwan for a few days and you're focusing your time in the Taipei area, this tour is a great way to get out into the countryside and see more of the country, even though you're never more than, like, 20 miles from Taipei 101. I like tea, but I wouldn't say I'm a huge connoisseur or have much knowledge about it, so this was interesting and sort of like doing a wine tour in France - seeing the plants, learning about the production process, and having proper tastings to learn how to best enjoy the product. Honestly, even if you're not really into tea, you could find this tour interesting (and the tea we tasted was pretty weak compared to what I'm used to, so if it's not usually your thing, you could probably muddle through). Walter was a very good guide, too, and very knowledgable. I didn't really know what to expect, but it was lovely! It was also only a small group of five, which made us nimble and didn't feel like you're part of a herd; we actually got to chatting with the other tour-goers, which was nice. The only critique I have was that the lunch stop in Shenkeng is not great if you're not into stinky tofu. If you are, then you're in luck! Because they're famous for it and, well, the whole Shenkeng Old Street reeks of the stuff. I'm not a fan and so it was tough to avoid the smell when trying to find something a bit more palatable. This wasn't listed as the lunch stop on the TripAdvisor itinerary so I hope that Edison will consider changing this up - even Taiwanese people will say that stinky tofu is an acquired taste, so going somewhere with more options and somewhere that doesn't have that ambient stench in the air would be preferable. Otherwise, this is a fun, unique itinerary that's worth checking out!

Response from the operator: Thank you so much for taking the time to share such a detailed and thoughtful review! We’re so happy to hear that you enjoyed getting out into the countryside, learning about Taiwanese tea, and experiencing the tea-making process and tastings. We love your comparison to a wine tour in France — that’s a wonderful way to describe the experience! We’re also very glad to hear that Walter made the tour enjoyable with his knowledge and friendly approach. And it’s great to know that the small group made the day feel more relaxed and personal, giving you the chance to connect with the other guests as well. We truly appreciate your honest feedback about the lunch stop in Shenkeng. We completely understand that stinky tofu is an acquired taste, and we’re sorry that the location wasn’t ideal for you. Your suggestion about choosing a lunch spot with a wider range of options and a more comfortable atmosphere is very helpful, and we’ll certainly share it with our team for consideration. Thank you again for your recommendation and for helping us improve our tour. It was a pleasure having you with us, and we hope to welcome you again on your next visit to Taiwan! 😊

via Tripadvisor

Great introduction to tea, and to the countryside around Taipei

As far as I can tell, this appears to the tour (with Edison Tours) that I took. Although the tour at the time was called 'Pinglin Tea Culture/Elephant Mountain Day tour', the itinerary appears to be the same. It was a great small-group tour, with an excellent guide (can't remember the name of the guide, sorry). We started with a drive to the ThousandIsland Lake (Tei-Tsui reservoir), a very beautiful area with many tea plantations on the hillsides. We stopped at a tea plantation for a bit of an explanation about tea and how it is grown. We also had the opportunity to buy tea products (but no pressure to do so). After this we drove to the Pinglin Tea Museum, which was interesting, and which also had a very nice garden setting. We then visited the Pinglin Old Street, a street that preserves traditional Taiwanese architecture. While here, we went to a shop where we had a demonstration of how tea is traditionally prepared, and got to taste different varieties of local tea. We also had an hour to explore Pinglin Old Street. There we could get lunch if we wished (at our own cost). The day ended with a drive to the Maokong area, where we walked on the Zhangsha trail downhill for about 40 minutes, ending at a temple with a beautiful view over part of Taipei from its terrace, after which we took the Maokong gondola down to the valley, and then were taken back to our starting point. Overall it was a great introduction to some of the beautiful scenery around Taipei, and also the the tea culture in Taiwan.,

via Tripadvisor

Kuan and Qiu are the Dynamic Duo

We had an amazing time. Kuan and Qiu are the dynamic duo. They made the tour fun. Their energy and vibe was just heart felt and warm. We had a great time just talking and enjoying each other’s company. If anyone is interested in doing this tour, I highly recommend requesting Kuan and Qiu if you want to have a memorable tour experience

via Tripadvisor

Tony was a great guide....

Tony was a great guide. He is very knowledgeable about teas and about Taiwan. If you like tea, this tour is for you.

via Viator