Explore the natural wonders of Taiwan on a 5-day tour from Taipei. Visit Sun Moon Lake, walk with Buddhist monks at Fo Guang Shan Monastery, drive along the Maopitou Coastal Scenic Area, and more. Enjoy accommodation in 5-star hotels. Day 1: Taipei, Sun Moon Lake, and Natural Hot Spring Following hotel pickup, drive to Sun Moon Lake, located in the lofty mountains of Central Taiwan, 2,500 feet (762 meters) above sea level. Stop at the Wenwu Temple (Literature Warrior Temple), dedicated to Confucius as the Master of Pen and to Kuan Ti as the Master of Sword. Continue your sightseeing tour to the Holy Monk Shrine and Tse-En Pagoda, then proceed to your hotel for check-in. Stay overnight at the Fleur De Chine at Sun Moon Lake (or a similar hotel). Day 2: Sun Moon Lake, Fo Guang Shan Monastery, and Kaohisung After breakfast at your hotel, enjoy a walk around the Xiangshan Visitor Center before driving to Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Monastery, the most famous Buddhist sacred site in southern Taiwan. Learn about Buddhism during a monastery walking tour and taste Buddhist vegetarian lunch (cost not included). Talk with some of the monks and nuns during a visit to the Main Shrine and Great Buddha Land, the site of a huge Buddha statue. Continue to Kaohsiung, the second largest city in Taiwan, and visit Liuhe Tourist Night Market. Stay overnight at Kaohsiung in the Grand Hi Lai Hotel (or similar). Day 3: Kaohsung, Kenting, and Taitung Join a morning tour of Kenting National Park, located at Taiwan’s southern tip. Travel past 37 miles of coral-rimmed shoreline and along 3 sides of the park to see its main attractions. Stop at the Eluanpi Lighthouse and Maopitou Coastal Scenic Area (Maopitou Park). Continue to Taitung via the Southern Link Highway. Stay overnight at the Royal Hotel Chihpen in Taitung (or similar). Day 4: Taitung, East Coast National Scenic Area, and Hualien After breakfast, enjoy an exciting East Coast National Scenic Area tour. The East Coast National Scenic Area, known as Taiwan's last unspoiled land, stretches for approximately 100 miles (170 kilometers) down the east coast of the island. Weathering, erosion, and accumulation have produced a wide range of landforms. Your tour will stop at Xiaoyeliu, Sanxiantai, and the Stone Steps. By late afternoon, head to Hualien for an overnight stay at the Silks Place Taroko (or similar). Day 5: Hualien, Taroko Gorge, Taipei Spend a full day at Taroko National Park. Go to Taroko Gorge, a beautiful, narrow ravine created by the Liwu River, cut deep into the mountains of solid marble. Travel along a road that's been carved into sheer walls of rock, winding its way past forested peaks and cliffs, towering thousands of feet above it. Hundreds of feet below, the river roars past gigantic marble boulders. Stop at Eternal Spring Shrine, Swallow Grotto, Marble Bridge, Tienshiang, and a marble factory before driving back to Taipei via the Su-Hwa Highway. Ride through the 8-mile-long Hsuei-Shan Long Tunnel before arriving back in the city.

Take the express train to Hualien for a scenic day trip. Discover the natural beauty of Taroko Gorge National Park in the company of a guide. Come across striking cliffs, walk through tunnels, and visit the Eternal Spring Shrine. Meet your host and board the express train bound for Hualien on your own. Sit back and enjoy a 3-hour journey to paradise. Upon arrival in Hualien, your tour guide will greet you at the train station and take to you to the world-famous Taroko National Park. Your one-day tour to Taroko Gorge National Park will start from the Archway of Taroko Gorge. From the archway entry to Tianxiang, this 12.5-mile (20 km) section of Central Cross-Island Highway through the steep marble cliffs and tunnels of the gorge will take your breath away. Walk along the Shakadang Trail, where the river gently flowing through the marble boulders as you meanders along the trail in parallel. The turquoise blue water of the river is crystal clear that you can see the riverbed from above. The next stop is Swallow Grotto. The potholes on the cliff surface were created by the ground water and the rapid stream of the river. In the past, they were the natural nesting location of swallows, hence the name. Walking through the tunnels, you will be amazed by the stunning views of the marble cliffs reaching up to the sky. After lunch, stop by Cihmu Bridge (Motherly Devotion Bridge), a suspension bridge made of marble and named by Late President Chiang Jing-guo after a heart-warming story about a loving mother. Next, head to the Tunnel of Nine Turns, considered to be the most scenic section of Taroko Gorge. As you walk along the trail, you can see the meandering river running through the deep and spectacular canyon from above, and you can also have a closer look at the faults and folds of the sheer marble cliffs, as well as the vegetation on the walls. Visit the Eternal Spring Shrine, which commemorates the 225 military veterans who died during the construction of the Central Cross-Island Highway. Before you return to the train station for your train back to Taipei, your will visit a local marble factory, where you can get some handcrafts made of marble or souvenirs featuring the local characters, to enrich your travel collection. Then you will visit the most romantic beach in Taiwan. Qixingtan Beach, a crescent-shaped beach covered with sprawling pebbles. Your 14-hour adventure then ends with drop-off at Taipei Main Station.