In my decade+ of working in the Taiwan tourism industry, I have become acquainted with multiple tour providers here, either professionally or as friends.
In this article, I’ve handpicked a handful of companies which I feel truly provide the best tours in Taiwan. The one you choose is most likely going to depend on what kind of trip you’re hoping for. That’s why I’ve separated each one by category, as follows:
- For Adventure Tours: Taiwan Outdoors
- For Luxury Tours: Life of Taiwan
- For East Coast Tours: Island Life Taiwan
- For a Tour Bus Tour: Edisor Tours
- For Budget Day Tours: Klook & KKday
- For Tours in Taipei: TourMeAway (use code Nick15 for 15% off!)
I’ve also got this guide to the best free walking tours in Taipei. If you’re only a short a layover, also see these Taoyuan Airport free layover tours.
If you’re just looking for a driver or private guide, then see my list of recommended drivers and guides.
Now, let’s cover each tour company in detail to help you decide which is the right one for you!
For Adventure Tours: Taiwan Outdoors
According to Taiwan Outdoors founder Michael McCreesh, Taiwan is the “adventure capital of Asia”. As a fellow Canadian who has also chosen Taiwan as a second home, I wholeheartedly agree with Michael.
Take one look at the tours offered by Taiwan Outdoors to see what we are talking about. Hiking, adventure activities, and Taiwan’s unique aboriginal culture are under the spotlight here.
Whether you want to climb the tallest peak in East Asia, get way off the beaten track while staying in remote indigenous villages, go wildlife spotting at night, or find out why river tracing is my favorite summer activity in Taiwan, they’ve got you covered.
Taiwan Outdoors is not a typical big chain tour company where you will be treated like a number. This is a family-owned business run by an extremely passionate team, so you can expect nothing but the most dedicated service, thoughtful planning, and knowledgeable local tour guides.
The company is associated with Parkbus Taiwan, which offers hiking day trips to remote parks and forest recreation areas all over the country. Check them out, too!
Please tell them Nick sent you!
For Luxury Tours: Life of Taiwan
When it comes to high-end tours of Taiwan, Life of Taiwan stands out from the pack. This extremely professional operator will plan and customize your Taiwan experience down to every minute detail.
You can expect a fully tailored experience, staying in some of the country’s finest hotels, and days filled with one-on-one cultural experiences.
Choose from one of their themed offerings, such as tea tours, family tours, food tours, or natural wonders tours. But even these are not set itineraries – they will serve as a general theme for your trip, but Life of Taiwan will further customize any of them to your group or family’s precise needs.
If you want to be more involved in the planning, then tell them exactly what you want to do or experience in Taiwan, and they will execute it seamlessly for you.
The reviews speak for themselves – after many years of doing this, LOT maintains a 5-star rating on TripAdvisor.
When booking, please also let them know Nick sent you over!
For East Coast Tours: Island Life Taiwan
Sometimes one operator stands out for its dedication to a specific region, and that is the case with Island Life Taiwan in Eastern Taiwan.
To begin, IslandLife’s Better Taroko Tour is hands-down the best Taroko Gorge tour available. The tour stands out for having smaller groups, leaving earlier to beat the crowds, better communication, better food stops, and better guides.
Yes, we all know Taroko Gorge is closed for the time being due to the 2024 earthquake, but that doesn’t mean you should omit Hualien and the east coast!
To still experience the region and do something you could never do in Taroko (go swimming in its turquoise rivers!), I recommend their Hualien Rivers and Valleys tour or river tracing tour.
To explore the region even more thoroughly, hop on their East Coast tour. You can also contact them directly for a customized tour or to arrange a private driver for your East Coast road trip.
Just like I said for the above two, please do me a favor and let them know you were referred by Nick.
For a Tour Bus Tour: Edison Tours
If you are looking for a general package tour of Taiwan, where you will be driven around in a tour bus and visit several of the country’s top attractions in a relatively short period of time, then I recommend Edison Tours.
Edison’s signature listing is their Taiwan 5 Day tour. I’m not aware of any other tour provider that manages to fit this much of Taiwan into five days.
The tour does a full circle around Taiwan, covering Sun Moon Lake, historic Lukang and Tainan, Fo Guang Shan in Kaoshiung, the beaches of Kenting, and the remote east coast.
Notably, the tour does not include Taipei. Therefore, I suggest you add at least a day or two to explore Taipei on your own or with one of their other tours.
For Day Tours: Klook & KKday
Instead of booking a full Taiwan tour package, many travelers take a hybrid approach. Take advantage of the country’s amazing train and HSR system to travel between cities on your own, then book individual day tours as you go.
Klook and KKday offer literally hundreds of day tours across the country. These are usually budget friendly and efficient. While Klook is more popular, choose KKday to support a Taiwan-based company.
Below are just a few examples, but you can find so many more.
- Shifen and Jiufen day trip on Klook and KKday
- Taroko Gorge private driver on Klook or KKday
- Sun Moon Lake day trip on Klook of KKday
- Cingjing Farm day trip on Klook or KKday
- Taichung highlights on Klook of KKday
- Alishan day trip on Klook or KKday
- Kaohsiung day trip on Klook or KKday
- Kenting day trip on Klook or KKday
- Turtle Island whale watching tour on Klook or KKday
You can also use these sites to find things like discounted HSR tickets (Klook / KKday), Taoyuan airport transfer (Klook / KKday), Taipei Fun Pass (Klook / KKday), and EasyCard (Klook / KKday).
Also use them for discounted entry to attractions like Leofoo Village theme park (Klook / KKday), Spring City Hot Springs in Beitou (Klook / KKday), Taipei 101 (Klook / KKday), and more.
For Tours in Taipei: TourMeAway
Last but not least, if you’re looking for a tour in Taipei City, then I recommend TourMeAway. This company’s tours (both free and paid) are run by young, passionate individuals.
The company is best known for its free walking tours. They offer an Old Town tour and Longshan Temple tour (read all about Longshan Temple here).
However, you can also visit Taipei’s most famous attractions and create your own plan with their paid custom tours. Their Taipei Food Tour, Pub Crawl, and Shrimping Tour are also some of the best nighttime activities in Taipei.
Use my discount code Nick15 to get 15% off any of TourMeAway’s paid tours.
Before your trip, starting practicing some of these Mandarin phrases!