A day in Taipei introduces you to this cosmopolitan city, infused with ancient culture and tradition.

Following a scenic drive from Keelung to Taipei, you’ll tour the city and visit some of its most iconic sights.

Visit the renowned National Palace Museum, housing an astounding selection of Chinese Imperial Art. This extraordinary collection began during the 10th century, when Chinese Emperors seized art treasures for their own pleasure. Moved in crates from city to city to escape invading armies in the 20th century, the collection finally ended its journey in Taiwan. Today, the museum holds over 650,000 items, including jade, bronze, porcelain and lacquer pieces, as well as tapestry and embroidery, many dating back over 4,000 years.

Dedicated to the people who sacrificed their lives fighting for the Republic of China, the National Revolutionary Martyr’s Shrine is an excellent example of classical Ming Dynasty architecture. You’ll be able to admire this majestic complex during your visit.

Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant, before proceeding with your sightseeing and visits.

You’ll also visit the Sun Yet-Sun Memorial Hall completed in 1972. It’s dedicated to the Republic of China's National Father, Dr. Sun Yat-sen. The grand and beautiful building’s architecture is inspired by that of Chinese palaces and it is surrounded by a large garden park area where the locals enjoy daily activities.

Before departing Taipei, drive to the spectacular Taipei 101 skyscraper for a photo stop. Once the tallest building in the world with 101 floors and topped by a 197-foot spire, is still an impressive landmark. Constructed of steel, concrete and glass, the building houses a shopping mall, offices for 12,000 people, and the Taiwan stock exchange.

Spend the day much like a Taipei local by biking along the Keelung River, shopping at a market and visiting a temple. As you pedal along the river, you will surely be among other bikers, as bicycling is a popular and convenient way to get around town. Once you reach the Dongmen Market, you will mingle shoppers as they select ingredients for the day’s meals and engage in friendly haggling for the best prices and highest-quality items. The market will present an enlightening cross-section of residents, as will your lunch venue. After dining at a cook shop on local favorites that may include a beef-noodle dish or pork fried rice, you will drop by the 18th-century Longshan Temple, one of the oldest temples in Taiwan. Chances are, locals will playing board games and conversing on the exterior benches and tables. While inside, you will see others praying to Buddhist and Taoist deities for good health and good fortune.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Get a great feel of life in Taipei by spending the day much like locals do.
• Bicycle along the river, dine in a lively cook shop and browse the market for fresh produce.
• Spend time in Longshan Temple among locals who come to worship and meet friends.

Surrounded by mountains and crisscrossed by rivers, Taipei is the center of Taiwan's (Republic of China) government, economy and culture. On this half-day tour, discover Taipei, a modern and cosmopolitan city infused with ancient culture and traditions. You will begin with a one-hour drive from the busy port of Keelung to dynamic Taipei.

Visit the prestigious National Palace Museum, boasting one of the world's most important art collections, originally housed in Beijing's Forbidden City. This extraordinary collection began during the 10th century, when Chinese Emperors seized art treasures for their own pleasure. Moved in crates from city to city to escape invading armies in the 20th century, the collection finally ended its journey in Taiwan. Today, the museum holds over 650,000 items, including jade, bronze, porcelain and lacquer pieces, as well as tapestry and embroidery, many dating back over 4,000 years.

Your scenic city drive takes you on to the heart of Taiwan with a visit to the remarkable National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall. A Taiwanese national monument, landmark and tourist attraction erected in memory of Chiang Kai-shek, former President of the Republic of China. The roofs are decorated with deep-blue glass as part of the reflection of blue sky and bright sun and the garden is planted with red flowers. As a whole, the colors of blue, white and red express the National Flag and the spirit of freedom, equality and brotherhood.

Participate in a beach clean-up on Heping Island and browse a museum whose goal is to promote respect for the seas and improve their sustainability. On the way to the island, you will learn about the wind and ocean currents that continually deposit debris along the coast. Paper goods and plastic bottles are just a few of the items that can affect the quality of the water, endanger wildlife and negatively impact the natural beauty. Some of the items wash up on the shore; beach-goers thoughtlessly leave other debris behind. Over the course of an hour or so, you will collect non-biodegradable items with a special trash-picker tool. You will discover more about the ocean’s environmental challenges at the National Museum of Marine Science and Technology, which occupies a former thermal power station. The enlightening exhibits cover topics as wide-ranging as conservation, marine ecosystems and ship construction.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Help clean up the beach on Heping Island, which lies just off Keelung.
• Feel a sense of satisfaction and achievement for participating in the clean-up.
• Delve into different aspects of the sea by browsing a marine science museum.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

台湾の北端に近い基隆は、16世紀の日本の海賊の拠点であり、後にスペイン、オランダ、フランス、日本の侵略を受けました。この半日ツアーで、この島の最も活気のある国際港の1つであり、交通のハブである基隆を観光します。

車で中正公園に訪れます。ここは折衷式アミューズメント・パークであり、仏教の聖地です。市と港を一望にできる中正公園には、74フィート（22.5メートル）の仏教の観音像があります。

驚くべき野柳公園を探検します。海に1マイル（1.6km）にわたって突き出た岬には、様々な奇岩が姿を見せています。波による浸食、風、雨、地殻変動が重なって、幻想的な自然の砂岩と岩の彫刻ができあがりました。溶解流域、キノコ岩、豆腐岩、蜂の巣岩、壺岩として知られています。野柳で最も目を引く有名な奇岩には「女王の頭」岩、「妖精の靴」岩、ろうそく岩があります。

有名な仏教寺院の道場で座禅を行い、スピリチュアルな台湾を体感した後、人気の朱銘美術館で台湾の芸術をご堪能ください。

台湾北東部までのドライブをお楽しみください。北東部には多くの僧院、教育施設を備えた有名な「法鼓山」があります。法鼓山は人の品質を高め、この世の浄土を建設することを目的として、1978年に釈聖厳によって設立されました。この複合寺院は荘厳な雰囲気に包まれています。ここでは、悟りを開けるよう約1時間の座禅を行います。また、今は亡き釈聖厳の教えについても学びます。彼は100冊以上の本を書き、世界中を巡り、仏教の教えを非常に適切な方法で普及させました。

昼食は地元のレストランで、伝統的な台湾料理をお楽しみください。

著名な台湾の彫刻家、朱銘にちなんで名付けられた「朱銘美術館」にご案内します。台湾で唯一の屋外彫刻美術館には、山裾のすばらしい自然の中に芸術家の現代的な作品が展示されています。また、屋内の展示場には朱銘の作品や、彼の師や他の芸術家たち(ピカソやウォーホルなど)の作品も展示されています。朱銘はもともと木彫師でしたが、のちにその技能をさらに磨き、他の素材にも応用しました。彼は自分でこの美術館のための資金を集め、その建築や造園の設計にも深く関わりました。

神聖な陽明山国家公園を散策して台湾の自然の美しさを堪能した後は、海岸沿いのリゾート地にある温泉でおくつろぎください。

「陽明山国家公園」までドライブした後、深い森、火山活動でできた山、天然温泉が織り成す見事なエメラルドグリーンの景色をお楽しみください。手つかずの自然が残る景色に癒されることでしょう。陽明山は、かつて「草山」と呼ばれ、古くから自然愛好家たちを魅了してきましたが、1985年に国立公園に指定されました。ここでは約1時間半のフリータイムがありますので、散策をお楽しみください。まっすぐ伸びた竹や、花が咲きほこる果樹、穏やかな池、多くの火山性温泉から立ち上る蒸気などの景色をご覧いただけます。また、台湾にしか生息していない「ヤマムスメ（別名：タイワンアオカササギ）」の姿を見かけたり、その大きな鳴き声が聞こえるかもしれません。

昼食は地元のレストランで、伝統的な台湾料理をお楽しみください。お食事の後は、金山区の「陽明山水温泉会館」に参ります。ここには、他の沿岸部よりも多くの温泉があります。ここで約2時間、ミネラルに富み効能豊かな温泉をお楽しみください。昔から台湾の人たちが楽しんできた温泉でゆっくりおくつろぎください。温泉の後は、アフタヌーンティーをお楽しみください。

Behold the natural beauty of Shifen Waterfall on the upper reaches of the Keelung River and then write a personal wish on a paper lantern and watch it rise into the sky to be answered.

Settle in for a one hour drive inland to Shifen Waterfall, the broadest waterfall in Taiwan. Known as Little Niagara because of its horseshoe shape, the waterfall cascades into a wide pool at the bottom. Although not the highest of waterfalls, Shifen is certainly one of the most majestic.

A different sort of phenomenon awaits you near the train depot at Shifen Station. You will notice that many of the surrounding shops sell colorful sky lanterns, which are biodegradable rice paper lanterns illuminated by a candle in the bottom. Each year Shifen Station hosts a large festival where literally thousands of these lanterns are lighted and released into the air, where they rise like hot-air balloons. People write personal wishes, messages or prayers on the lanterns and according to tradition, as the lanterns ascend heavenward their requests will be fulfilled. You’ll have the opportunity to write your own thoughts on a sky lantern and release it. Powered by the candle, it should continue to rise for nearly 10 minutes, time enough for the lantern to disappear from sight and your wish hopefully to be answered. Enjoy a bit of free time at the station to get that last minute souvenir or browse the many shops.

現代的な「中正紀念堂」と神聖な寺院を観光した後は、足つぼマッサージをたっぷりお楽しみください。きっと心身ともにリラックスして、元気になるはずです。

台湾の首都であるエネルギッシュな台北市まで、1時間のドライブをお楽しみください。この現代的な大都市に足を踏み入れると、そのエネルギーを肌で感じることができるでしょう。摩天楼の中にそびえ立つ「台北101」は、かつて世界一の高層ビルでした。台北市は急速に発展しているにも関わらず、市民は過去の偉業や蒋介石のような元指導者たちに敬意の念を抱いています。

「中正紀念堂」にご案内します。この建物は八角形であり、中国で「8」という数字が幸運と富の象徴と考えられていることを表しています。紀念堂へと続く88段の階段は、蒋介石が亡くなった年齢（88歳）を表しています。蒋介石の肖像、個人的な記念品、公用車として使っていた防弾のキャデラックなどが展示されています。

"また、1738年に建てられ、観音菩薩を本尊とするパワースポットとして人気の龍山寺にもご案内します。 この寺は自然災害のため何度も再建されていますが、現在でも貴重な建築物です。反り返った屋根を飾る伝説上の生物は必見です。

ツアーの締めくくりとして、足つぼマッサージに勝るものはありません。熟練のマッサージ師の手で約 45分間揉みほぐしてもらうと、足の疲れが取れて、夜の散策にすぐに出かけられるでしょう。

Snap selfies at the most photogenic spots in and around Taipei, many of them iconic attractions that define the city. To ensure the best possible results, a selfie tutor will offer tips so you can capture just the right angle, lighting and composition for every shot. Selfie sticks and photo frames are also available. Your pictures will be ideal for posting on social media and sharing in other ways.

As you travel through Taipei, you will pause at designated selfie stops that include:

• The Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
• Taipei 101, once the world’s tallest building
• The Buddhist temple Longshan

HIGHLIGHTS

• Take inspiring selfies during free time at the most photogenic attractions in Taipei.
• Follow tips from your selfie tutor to ensure the very best pictures.
• Learn the historical significance of the locales while enjoying their dramatic settings.
• Enjoy free time in the trendy Ximending district.
• Dine at the celebrated restaurant Din Tai Fung.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Wear casual, weather-appropriate clothing and comfortable walking shoes.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen.
• Be sure your phone or camera is fully charged.