Small-group: Beitou And Yangmingshan Day Tour From Taipei

Our tour with Christina was definitely not our favourite. Tour destinations were as described - but maybe not as expected. Yangmingshan National Park was pretty, nice to see the countryside. Beitou town cute, however the hot spring foot soak experience was a small 'pool' hot spring with about 40 other tourists literally shoulder to shoulder, Thigh to Thigh in a small pool of hot spring water. Perhaps different expectations vs. reality - but ultimately a bit of an icky experience. Beitou hot spring museum wasn't very interesting, then 40minutes at the public library felt like a waste of time. Stopped at a roadside garden with a flower clock for an ice cream - not really sure why that stop was included at all. We actually finished the day an hour early as none of our group of 6 needed as long at most of the destinations as was given. Christina gave some information about the sites, but mainly reading from signs - no extra Taiwan knowledge. She clearly has an interest in botany, as she constantly stopped at plants and wanted to give us info on them..... we would have preferred more about Taiwan culture. I wish we had used the metro and just travelled to Beitou ourself for a look around.

I was particularly lucky and got a guide and a driver all to myself, which also meant bonus stops along the way. In my opinion, the light drizzle only emphasized the magic of Yangmingshan national park, and all the hot springs we visited around Beitou. A very dreamy day to soak in some of all the incredible landscapes and natural wonders relatively close to Taipei, not too much time spent in the car. My guide James was super knowledgeable and enthusiastic, keen to share tons of historical and natural history tidbits that I much appreciated. Great lunch spot visited as well; highly enjoyed by this vegetarian. A special treat all in all! Would love to do again and recommend highly. I prefer nature outings on the more active side, and I imagine this could be adapted/adjusted depending on the group's preference.

We had a wonderful day with Tony. He was a wonderful tour guide and was very knowledgeable, patient, humorous and kind. He took care of our small group really well and took us to all the places mentioned in the itinerary and gave us the history behind each place, provided us the opportunity to soak our feet in a hot spring, booked tables for us at a restaurant in a greenhouse and helped us order our food. We started with a scenic drive to a national park and saw beautiful grasslands and water buffalo. We also saw volcanic landscape and fumaroles. We visited a hot spring and were able to soak our feet. We didn't bring towels and Tony provided us with drive paper towels to dry out feet with. We visited Beitou Thermal Valley as well as the museum. We took pictures of the Beitou library from the outside but didn't go inside. Our driver was also nice and did a great job driving up the mountain and back down into town. The meeting and drop-off place was also easy and convenient to find, with staff from the company waiting there early. Overall, this was a wonderful and well-organized tour. Highly recommend! Thank you to Tony for a wonderful day exploring and learning about Taiwan.

The wet up was fine however all the instructions had to say was MRT exit 2 for a lot easier finding than ‘the guide will be waiting at the exit”. The trip was a nice small group and the guide was very nice however he insisted we “go together” on multiple occasions which eveyone did not appreciate. Telling us what the next stop was as we got in the bus and set out rather than when we stopped would have allowed people to prepare. The botanic garden was fairly much a waste of time as nothing much to see and we had to walk around as a group. Nobody in the group was interested and the plants etc were nothing much to see. Please change this part of the itinerary. I liked how when the group returned to the bus we left - flexible plan.

A tour I liked everything on it - Small friendly group, awesome landscapes, informative guide who told us about Taiwanese history in addition to the info about the place.

The trip was good. Lots of walking and the park was excellent. We soaked our feet in a public bath and even saw a Japanese museum.

The misty Yang Ming mountain is the best! Don’t get intimidated and it is totally worth hiking. The tour guide has been amazing as well

Had a great tour with Reina and Ethan our driver. Got to see Yangmingshan National Park. Was very foggy but was still enjoyable. The van they took us in was very comfortable. The hot springs were great as well. Would recommend.

Great host. We really enjoyed the experience even despite the weather. We would highly recommend to anyone interested.

This tour provided a great overview of both the national park and the hot springs in Beitou. The weather cooperated with sunny breezes atop the mountain. The views were extraordinary. Our guide Tony was a wonderful resource providing history and cultural information throughout the tour. Highly recommend this tour especially for those new to Taipei.

Got to see quite a few places, while also minimizing travel time, and really loved how much whimsy our guide had!

Kevin was a fantastic guide and made the day go so smoothly. He had lots of interesting stories and information. Thanks so much!

A great trip. Very friendly and knowledgeable guide and beautiful scenery

Wear good walking shoes and bring raincoat and umbrella. 70% chance of rain. In the mountains but does not diminish the experience. Our guide Kevin was great

Wonderful time. The tour guide was very friendly and engaging. Easy to converse with and good sense of humor. The locations and lunch spot were really unique and comprehensive.

Great guide! Great locations!

This was an excellent and also vigorous day. The meeting point instructions were very clear. Our guide, Sharon, was extremely efficient at keeping our group going while also accommodating the needs of a couple of people with some mobility concerns. She explained each stop and offered vigorous and less vigorous options for all. We had a great time,

Professional and knowledgeable. Able to brief us on the history and stuffs. Both James and Vincent are very accommodating.

Edison tours is an excellent tour company. Teresa greeted me at the meet point when she saw me walk up, I did not have to ask her. Teresa is great. Jenny, my tour guide was very knowledgeable. She is from Taipei and knew the history of the places we visited from personal experience. Jenny pointed out sites in the Yangmingshan National Park that I would never have seen on my own, or with any other tour group. I recommend Viator and Edison tours to everyone!

Even though we spent much of the day in cold rain and mountain mist, this turned out to be one of the most atmospheric experiences of our Taiwan trip. Rather than detracting from the tour, the weather transformed Yangmingshan into something ethereal and dream-like. We saw rolling fog through volcanic landscapes, felt soft rain over fields of flowers and marveled at the steam rising mysteriously from thermal vents. Our trip was really enhanced and made memorable by our guide Molly whose energy and positivity never wavered for a second. At one point she said to one of us, “Hear the birds singing? That means the rain is not too bad and will stay manageable.” Her warmth and enthusiasm kept everyone’s spirits high and as a group, we bonded wonderfully during the day. Here are the top 5 things that we loved: 1. Molly’s wonderful guiding and storytelling. Molly was indefatigable and full of pep and humor as she gave thoughtful historical insights throughout the day. She skillfully shared fascinating tidbits about Taiwan’s history, geology, agriculture and culture in a bite-sized and accessible way. 2. The moody, misty beauty of Yangmingshan. The rain and pervasive fog created a magical and cinematic atmosphere across the mountains. Even the thermal vents became immersive. The combination of steam and light rain created fascinating soundscapes that we are still thinking about. 3. The water buffaloes. Seeing the water buffaloes grazing peacefully at Qingtiangang was serene and seemed timeless, especially when combined with the rolling hills enveloped in mist. 4. The delicious farm-fresh lunch and seasonal fields of flowers. Lunch in Zhuzihu was absolutely delicious, especially the chicken soup and incredibly fresh local mountain vegetables. We also loved wandering through the beautiful fields of calla lilies with some early hydrangeas. 5. Relaxing in warmer Beitou after the mountain chill. As we descended into Beitou, the weather gradually warmed. This made the hot spring experience especially rewarding after a cold mountain day. We also loved visiting the eco-friendly and lauded Beitou library. This was as every bit as beautiful as people say. Overall, this tour beautifully combined nature, geology, food, culture and relaxation into a single day. Rain or shine, it was absolutely worth it.

Our tour guide David made sure we have a nice time. We had history and personal stories during the bus ride, visited all the locations, and while we had enough time to explore each site, we were also constantly on the move efficiently to finish the course. Everything went smoothly, hope to meet David again on a different tour.

Guide tour GARY was very kind and caring t all of our needs .the tour shall expand the time at the hot spring foot message . I did not take the tour going to the fern pond. The path was extremely unsafe to walk on due to slippery rocky terrain

The guide and the driver were super responsible and friendly. If you are first time Taiwan traveler, it is a great way to have a taste of Taiwan. If you are looking for in-depth traveling, this might not be what you are looking for.

The first half of the tour was great, the mountains, the hot springs etc. Very scenic and lots of time to walk the paths. The second half with the flower clock and hot springs museum dragged. Tour Guide Vicky was very good.

Excellent tour guide!! Great tour, the guide spoke fluent English and gave a lot of information. Would highly recommend this tour.

Great tour. I loved Yangmingshan National Park and could have spent a whole day there. One of the most beautiful places in Taiwan.

Edgar, our guide, and James, our driver, were great! Edgar was patient with the slower pace my family needed to take and knowledgeable about each stop on the tour itinerary. Both of them were professional and courteous. It was a great day!

This tour met all my expectations and covered parts of Yangmingshan I would have trouble getting to on my own.

This could be a good tour if the weather would cooperate, the tour guide was fantastic and brought is to a extra location to make up for the weather. Very knowledgeable

Our guide, Kevin, was amazing! I would highly recommend this to anyone who is visiting Taipei. It was nice to get out of the main city and explore the amazing nature of Taiwan. It’s crazy how diverse and flourishing it is in the mountains. Highly recommend!

Cho, our guide was incredibly nice and positive! Even though we had some bad weather in the start of the day, we had a lot of fun!

While each place in the tour was beautiful, make sure you're there in the right season. When we went, there was no visibility due to fog and rain. Even the gardens they included in the tour were barren due to the winter season (such places should replaced with season appropriate places). It was hard to understand what the guide was saying, since he wouldn't directly talk to all the group members(remember, this is a small group tour, so it should have been easy to address 4-5 people)

Wonderful and relaxing day touring Yangmingshan National Park. Our delightful guide from Edison Tours was terrific. He had excellent English and knew a great deal about the park. He follows the itinerary perfectly, kept us all on track, and knew when to talk and guide then give us free time. He provided excellent, clear directions and descriptions for all out stops and even helped take some great photos for us. I probably would not have had a chance to visit the park on my own during my stay in Yaiwan, so taking this trip proved to be a pleasure and long, busy, but highly enjoyable day. We even made a stop at the "greenhouse" at the park for a very traditional Chinese lunch and it was not only a wonderful cultural experience, but the garlic and chicken soup I ordered was delicious and perfect for the day. Edison Tours, incidentally, was extremely efficient and clear with their communications and meeting directions. Super cheerful, friendly, helpful.

The Beitou Hot Springs and Yangmingshan tour was a perfect blend of relaxation and nature. Soaking in the hot springs was incredibly soothing, and the views at Yangmingshan were breathtaking. A great way to unwind while enjoying Taiwan’s beautiful landscapes. Highly recommend for a peaceful day out! The tour guide was very knowledgable and fun. She took lots of pictures for everyone on the tour. Edison tours is very punctual and organised.

Great tour last week with Walter. Enjoyed the national park and the foot bath at Beitou. Nice to see the surrounding areas of Taipei.

The tour gives you an opportunity to see many places in the area in one day; any alternative would require more than that. Our tour guide Paul was helpful and covered all the most famous sites. You would probably like walking all the beautiful trails, but it was obviously not possible. Also, the maximum exposure to the hot water you get is soaking your feet. After the tour, you get a good idea of the area and may decide if you want, for example, to go to Beitou for a day.

Tour was excellent. Jenny was great tour guide - Taiwan native, knowledgeable about the country's history and culture, fluent in English, personable, funny, and approachable. Beautiful day too! Surprised about how extensive the underground volcanic activity was and the pervasiveness of the hot springs in Beitou.

We saw so much and learned a lot about history of Taiwan. Reena our tour guide was excellent. Really enjoyed

Excellent tour, thoroughly enjoyed our the day. Our guide Jenny was knowledgeable, informative and a lot of fun. It was good to see the see the countryside.

The best part of this tour was our guide, David — incredibly knowledgeable and engaging! He shared fascinating details about Taiwan’s history throughout the trip (even beyond the day’s itinerary) and kindly volunteered to take photos for us. Unfortunately, the weather didn’t cooperate — it rained all day. While we managed to visit the Beitou destinations, most Yangmingshan spots were either closed or hidden by heavy rain, and we couldn’t reach Zhuzihu due to a landslide just minutes before we got there. Still, David went above and beyond to find great alternate locations, and we ended up having a wonderful day despite the weather!

Was excellent trip. Guide Peter is very kind and is very professional. He recommended one of best hot springs place in town and we really enjoyed. Thank you.

This tour is best suited for people wanting to fill an entire day with slow activities and not much substance the way it's currently designed. The first stop to Yangmingshan National Park was really awesome with an easy hike and great views, but that was the only highlight of the tour. The hot springs was really underwhelming and was a tiny crowded pond where everyone was trying to put their feet in a yellow sulfuric water. The museum and library felt like a pointless stop, just to extend the tour times. They weren't interesting to look at and we wanted to get off the tour by that point. Other negatives included our tour guide who talked the entire time nonstop with pointless narration like, "Here is where locals make a u-turn on the road" and "Here's an elementary school." Lastly, they really should separate out families with children into a different group. We had one family with a baby who screamed the entire time and all of us on the bus were very annoyed.

The views were absolutely amazing! The tour took us to some truly mesmerizing spots, and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment. Our guide, Grace, was very kind and caring, and the lunch stop offered delicious food. A friendly note: improving English communication would help make the experience even better for tourists who don’t speak Chinese. Overall, it was a wonderful tour with breathtaking scenery.

Our guide is great. Shared a lot of history and cultural knowledge. Lovely venues to explore for day trip.

Our guide Jenny did a wonderful job of showing us the sights and telling us more about Taiwan. It was a convenient day tour of Yanmingshan and Beitou Hot Springs.

I thoroughly enjoyed this tour, I think it was well organised, and included a great range of locations. Highly recommend!

Very informative and friendly tour guide (Paul) and many places to see both full of beautiful sights and historical significance. There is also plenty of washroom breaks and a lunch stop so no need to worry about that. Glad to have been able to attend and will be back in the future!

Overall, exactly as described. I recommend bringing several bottles of water; although there are plenty of places to get some if needed along the way.

we enjoyed this tour very much. will recommend others to join the tour. We will continue to book and join the tours by the Viator.