From Taipei: Pinglin Tea Culture and Maokong Gondola Tour｜Taiwan

Start your day with a relaxing ride on the Maokong Gondola, a scenic cable car journey known for its long route and sweeping aerial views over southern Taipei. From high above, you’ll enjoy beautiful mountain landscapes—one of the most popular experiences for visitors exploring Taipei.

Once in Maokong, take an easy walk along the area’s signature trails, including the Maokong Tea Fragrance Loop Trail (a set of short paved paths) and the Maokong Zhangshu Trail. Along the way, you’ll pass forest scenery, small waterfalls, tea gardens, terraced fields, ponds, and other photogenic views that make the walk feel like stepping into a postcard.

Continue to the Taipei Tea Promotion Center for Tieguanyin and Baozhong, a relaxed park-style venue showcasing the quality and heritage of Taiwan tea. Explore exhibits and displays (including tea-related machinery) to learn about Taiwanese tea development, production, and ecological knowledge in an easy, engaging way.

After the walk, enjoy free time for tea tasting and lunch at your own expense at one of Maokong’s many teahouses. Many spots serve freshly brewed tea alongside local dishes, letting you dine while surrounded by the fragrant atmosphere that makes Maokong famous.

In the afternoon, head to Shiding’s Thousand Island Lake near the Feitsui Reservoir for a unique island-dotted landscape, then visit the Bagua Tea Plantation, named for its Eight Trigrams-like pattern when viewed from above. Finish in Pinglin with the Pinglin Tea Museum (traditional Hokkien-style courtyard architecture) to discover Taiwan’s tea history and tools, plus a local tea shop experience with a tea sommelier’s brewing demonstration. End the tour with drop-off at Xinyi Shopping District (Taipei 101) or MRT Zhongxiao Xinsheng Station.