The journey at a glance
8 days
Immersive tea learning
~ 10 people
A small group
English
Throughout the journey
Field to cup
Farms, craft and culture
Follow the leaf. Meet the people.
Tea takes on a different meaning when you meet the people who grow and make it. Our study trip brought tea lovers and professionals together across various tea farms (organic, regenerative), workshops, research stations and teahouses.
From Pinglin’s Pouchong and Nantou’s Dong Ding to Alishan’s high-mountain oolong and Hsinchu’s Oriental Beauty, we traced the journey from fresh leaf to green tea, oolongs and black teas.
Understand the tea
Our first few days were spent at Taiwan’s Tea and Beverage Research Stations. Learning alongside tea professionals gave us a foundation for the farms and workshops that followed.
We explored how cultivation and processing shape a tea’s character, connecting what we tasted in the cup with the decisions made in the field.
The next part of the journey took us into the tea fields, where learning became something we could feel, smell and taste.
Make your own Taiwanese oolong
We worked through picking and oxidation to handcraft our own oolong tea on Alishan above 1000m altitude. Skilled producers guided us through the process, showing how each step changes the finished cup.
Making tea together turned technical knowledge into a shared, sensory experience.
A glimpse of the journey
Step into an earlier tea study trip through this film, from time in the fields to the conversations around the tasting table.
Video credits: Thomas Shu and Josephine Pan.
Learn to taste with the competition judges
Our 2025 group witnessed an official tea competition and learned cupping and grading with competition officers. Comparing teas side by side brought a new perspective to quality, character and the language of tasting.
Tea houses, living traditions
Tea houses connect Taiwan's tea history with how it is shared today. Our visits created space to slow down, taste and discover the people, places and rituals that keep tea culture evolving.
Photo: YUMM CHA.
Mountains, forests and a sense of place
The journey continued beyond the tasting table, into Taiwan’s mountain landscapes and forests. Time among the tea fields offered a closer connection to the places behind the teas, with fresh leaves, mountain air and views that stayed with us.
A taste of everyday Taiwan
Local meals were part of the learning, too. Sharing Taiwanese dishes and discovering food and souvenirs brought us closer to everyday culture, adding another layer to the places and people we met.
A tea community beyond the trip
The programme connects tea enthusiasts and professionals through shared learning and a worldwide network. The original study programme includes certification from the Taiwan Tea Institute.
Photo: Josephine Pan
Learn to taste with the competition judges
Our 2025 group witnessed an official tea competition and learned cupping and grading with competition officers. Comparing teas side by side brought a new perspective to quality, character and the language of tasting.
Tea houses, living traditions
Tea houses connect Taiwan's tea history with how it is shared today. Our visits created space to slow down, taste and discover the people, places and rituals that keep tea culture evolving.
Photo: YUMM CHA.
Mountains, forests and a sense of place
The journey continued beyond the tasting table, into Taiwan’s mountain landscapes and forests. Time among the tea fields offered a closer connection to the places behind the teas, with fresh leaves, mountain air and views that stayed with us.
A taste of everyday Taiwan
Local meals were part of the learning, too. Sharing Taiwanese dishes and discovering food and souvenirs brought us closer to everyday culture, adding another layer to the places and people we met.
A tea community beyond the trip
The programme connects tea enthusiasts and professionals through shared learning and a worldwide network. The original study programme includes certification from the Taiwan Tea Institute.
Photo: Josephine Pan
Meet Thomas Shu
Our 2025 instructor, Thomas Shu, is a third-generation Taiwanese tea specialist and co-founder of a US tea brand focused on speciality oolong.
In 2007, the Taiwan Tea Manufacturers’ Association awarded him the honorary title “Ambassador of Taiwan Tea” in recognition of his contribution to the industry. His teaching connects technical understanding with the people and traditions behind the tea.
Who it is for
Tea lovers and tea professionals, including tea businesses, teahouses, tea bars and producers. The original programme is an eight-day journey in English with approximately 10 participants.
What the programme covers
The original programme includes meals, transport within Taiwan, activity entrance fees, local insurance, tea tastings and tea-making materials. Flights and accommodation are arranged individually, with practical information provided after registration.
The next edition 2027
Tell us about your interest in tea and what you would like to learn. We can share the next programme details when they are available.
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