Private Tour: Beitou Hot Springs and National Palace Museum in Taipei

Start your full-day private tour with pickup at your Taipei hotel. Relax in the comfort of your private vehicle as you’re whisked away to Taipei’s most popular hot springs at Beitou.

Locals swear by the healing powers of the municipal public bath's sulfurous waters, where you can dip into scalding-hot pools, warm baths and cold plunges. Bonus: Soak up the lush, mountainous landscape of adjacent Yangmingshan National Park as you're relaxing in the water.

The outdoor baths, located at the outer edge of the city, were constructed in 1913 during the Japanese Colonial era, and you can learn all about the historical site inside the Beitou Hot Spring Museum. Accompanied by your guide, explore the elegant building that fuses Japanese and Victorian architectural styles to understand the cultural influences of Japanese onsen (hot spring baths) in Taiwan.

Choose from two options for lunch: eat a basic Taiwanese meal at a food court, or upgrade to dine in style at the National Palace Museum's Silk Palace restaurant. If you select the upgrade, revel in a feast of dishes inspired by the art on display in the museum (see the sample menu in Itinerary).

After lunch, your guide leads you back to Taipei to explore the National Palace Museum independently. If you like, a custom audio guide for adults and children (ages 10–14) is available to learn more about the impressive collection of paintings, rare books, ceramics, bronzes, jades and curios that spans some 8,000 years of Chinese history. See the museum’s own set of rock stars: the jadeite cabbage, the banded jasper (aka “meat-shaped stone”), and the Mao caldron. Take your time to peruse the exhibits, but keep in mind that with 650,000 items under one roof it could take a visitor years to discover the entire collection!

End your tour with return transport by private vehicle to your Taipei hotel.