Taiwan · GUIDED
The 15 best guided tours you can book today, with what each costs, how long it runs and who it suits. Number one is top for a reason; start there.
Spend nine hours with a Chinese, English, or Japanese-speaking guide visiting Shifen Waterfall, releasing a wish lantern, walking Jiufen Old Street, and seeing Yehliu’s Queen’s Head. Shared tours meet at Taipei Main Station, while private tours include hotel pickup and drop-off.
“i enjoyed the waterfall and Jiufen old town. maybe a bit more history on each of the towns.”
![[Private Tour] Shilin Night Market Walking Tour With a Private Tour Guide (2-hr) - Two hours among Shilin’s food stalls](https://c.thetaiwanexplorer.com/wp-content/uploads/private-tour-shilin-night-market-walking-tour-with-a-private-tour-guide-2-hr.jpg)
Meet your private guide at Jiantan and spend two hours exploring Shilin Night Market. Guides such as May, Joseph, Alex, and Evelyn tailor the route to your tastes, explain Taiwanese foods, visit a temple, and help you choose what to eat. Snacks and transport cost extra.
“This is a good size area where you walk around and try different foods from a lot of street vendors. There are also some nice clothing stores mixed in and even some carnival games. So it’s a really mixed batch of interesting things to check oRead more”
Spend about eight hours touring Jiufen and Pingxi in a private, air-conditioned vehicle with a Chinese and English-speaking driver-guide. You’ll see the Yin Yang Sea, Golden Waterfall, Shifen Waterfall, Jiufen Old Street, and Shifen Old Street, with a sky lantern included for each group of four.
“Our tour guide Barry was excellent. Had a relaxing day touring Northern Taiwan. Barry was very knowledgeable and interesting. Safe driver. Would highly recommend this tour”
Spend nine hours exploring Taipei’s tea country by gondola, air-conditioned vehicle, and short walks. Visit Maokong, Thousand Island Lake, and Pinglin Tea Museum, then learn Taiwanese tea brewing from a local sommelier. Guides such as Tony, Kevin, Chiara, and Jimmy are praised for warm, engaging explanations.
“We did the “Pinglin Tea Culture and Maokong Guided Day Tour” and had a wonderful experience! Our guide Jimmy was incredibly kind, friendly, and attentive throughout the day. The tour itself was very relaxing — we learned a lot about Taiwan’s tea culture and enjoyed stunning views along the way. Everything felt unhurried and peaceful, which made it perfect for a calm day out. We booked a private tour since no group option was available on our preferred date. While the private version is a bit pricey, I would say it’s worth it for a special occasion — but if you can, joining a group would also be a great…”
Meet your licensed English-speaking guide at Songshan MRT station for a two-hour private walk through Raohe Night Market. Guides such as Ivy, Vivian, May, Ruby, Joseph, and Vicky help you order Taiwanese specialties, explain food and culture, and adjust suggestions to your appetite, diet, and curiosity. Food and transport cost extra.
“Best tour with Vicky Chiu. She was polite, humble and knowledgeable. She explained me about the history of Taiwan and introduced me to local cuisines. Don’t miss this tour in Taipei. Highly recommended.”
You get an eight-hour private car and guide for up to four people, with pickup in the Taipei area. Charlie, Danny, George, James, Mark, Martin, or another assigned guide can shape the day around Jiufen, Shifen, Yehliu, Taipei 101, the National Palace Museum, or your own wish list. Water, umbrellas, phone charging, and one child seat are provided.
“Charlie was an excellent tour guide - he planned a great itinerary to include everything we wanted to see, was flexible with timing, and was prepared with water and umbrellas. He was also happy to pick us up at one hotel and drop off at another, which saved a lot of time for us. I would definitely recommend Charlie to anyone visiting the Taipei area on need of a tour guide.”
Set your own Taipei agenda on a private 2 to 8 hour walking tour with a local guide. Guides such as Tommy Ko, Melody Chin, Barbie, and Chin have helped guests explore less familiar districts, arrange museum visits, and learn how to use the metro.
“Barbie was wonderful tour guide and explains a lot to us. We like her and Taipei!”
Spend about eight hours touring Kaohsiung by private car from the cruise terminal. A driver-guide such as Andy, Samuel, or Liu Zhaogu takes you to the Buddha Museum, Lotus Pond, Pier-2 Art Centre, Formosa Boulevard, Sizihwan, and the British Consulate. Admission and lunch cost extra.
“Andy was one of the best tour guides! We recommend him to other tourists! His knowledge in the area was excellent.”
Ride in a private air-conditioned car with an English or Chinese guide to Baoan Temple, Dihua Street, the National Palace Museum, Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, Martyrs’ Shrine, and Taipei 101. Guides named Steven, Hicks Wong, Junior Wu, and James Feng have led this tour, which may include Elephant Mountain.
“Steven, our guide, was wonderful! We were almost 3 hours delayed from embankment of our cruise, due to immigration lines in Taiwan. Steven waited for us at our hotel and then took us on an interesting tour of Taipei City. Don’t miss this tour and ask for Steven!”
Explore the National Palace Museum with an English, Chinese, or Japanese guide from Lion Travel. The 2.5 to 3-hour tour focuses on Chinese ceramics, jade, bronzes, pottery, and porcelain. Meet at the B1 gift shop, with tours at 10:00 AM and 1:30 PM.
“The guide Vicki was knowledgeable but needed to provide a brief summary before we started. Perhaps a break halfway through would be good.”
Spend three hours walking Keelung with a bilingual local guide such as Mila, visiting temples, markets, herb shops, and quiet alleys. The small group includes snacks, a drink, headset, and map, then finishes at Miaokou Night Market with food tips matched to your tastes.
“The tour we had yesterday in Keelung with Mila was absolutely excellent! Extremely informative and gave us a good insight into Taiwanese culture, which we never would have known had we not done the tour. We have to say that Mila could not have done more, she went above and beyond to make our experience unforgettable.”
Join a local guide such as Shine, Hans, Ewa, or Christine for a three-hour tour through Taichung’s Central District. Visit the 1917 railway station, Miyahara, ASEAN Square, Qingcao Street, and a sun cake museum, where you make and pack your own pastry.
“We covered many of the highlights in Taichung, with a very knowledgeable guide. There were very interesting bits of trivia along the way, which were enjoyable. You learn about the history behind the city and some of the buildings in it, and also got to know some nice pastry shops in town. It's worth your while.”
Spend three private hours seeing Taichung with a local guide such as Yu ru Tony Lee, Jefferson, or Chin. Visit Rainbow Village, Miyahara Ice Cream, Fengjia Night Market, Taichung Park, and the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, with time to adjust the route to your interests.
“Chin was a wonderful guide, and a good sport about continuing the tour despite the pouring rain. Very knowledgeable and informative, lovely to see places I likely would not have stumbled across on my own! My travel companion also speaks French and was delighted to find that our guide does as well. Just a wonderful experience!”
Travel from Taichung to Sun Moon Lake and Qingjing Farm in one long day. You’ll cruise the lake, see shore temples and mountain views, then visit the cool highlands, sheep meadows, and photo spots near Old England Hotel. Named guides have included Sammy, Xiao Gui, and Kazi, though English guiding is not guaranteed.
“My husband and I had such a great experience on this tour. Our guide, Sammy, was very accommodating and was able to pick us up from our hotel instead of one of the set pick up spots. From there the rest of the day was very relaxing with Read more”
Use the Explorial app and an access code to explore Taipei in English at your own pace. Solve clues, answer questions from signs and images, and complete photo challenges while visiting Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, Presidential Hall Plaza, The Red House, and other city sights. Plan on 1 to 2 hours.
“A scavenger hunt was a different way to see a section of Taipei. We enjoyed the game for a more laid-back morning rather than joining a group running all around the city. It took us about 2 hours to complete. We learned some interesting facts about the different sites and even came across a bakery for a mid-game treat.”
Pick a coastline, a kitchen or a mountain.
