2022 Denver Language School Taiwan Immersion Program
| Travel Dates: |
March 24, 2022 -
April 2, 2022
Dates are tentative until flights are secured
|
| Group Organizer(s): |
|
| WTT Contact: |
|
| Program Tuition: |
$2,790 USD
Airfare not included in program tuition
|
| Estimated Airfare: | $1,200 |
Tuition Calculator
There are two options for payment, including an interest-free installment plan. Follow whichever works best for your family. If we are within 90 days of travel, only the pay in full option is possible.
Program Tuition: $2,790
Pay in Full
$2,790.00
due today
Payment Plan
Pay a $500 deposit at the time of enrollment and establish an interest-free monthly payment plan. If you enroll today, your estimated* monthly payments would be:
$127.23
per month
All prices in United States Dollars.
Taiwan
Often forgotten in the looming shadow of its massive neighbor, Taiwan is a magnificent travel destination in its’ own right. The island nation of 23 million boasts a vibrant culture, fantastic food and warm and generous people. It also offers a tremendous opportunity to improve your Mandarin language skills and contrast a big and cosmopolitan city like Taipei with the more rural and remote parts of the country. Join us!
Cultural Journeys
Cultural Journeys allow travelers to gain insights into the heritage, history and modern realities of their destination by offering a broad diversity of experience. We rely on the expertise of our local staff to plan itineraries which not only explore the prominent sites but also make time for the lesser-known local gems and are intentional about regular interaction with local people.
Program Highlights
Check out some of the featured experiences of your program!
Hike through Chiayi's famous forests
Try your hand at Chinese calligraphy
Visit Tainan, City of Fortresses!
Ride a bullet train!
Explore the Jianguo Flower and Jade market
Cook traditional Taiwanese food!
The Itinerary
We do everything possible to run safe, engaging, and immersive programs for our travelers, but given the unpredictable nature of international travel we must remain flexible in our planning. Changes to a schedule are uncommon but if inclement weather pushes us off course or an unexpected opportunity arises which travelers are excited about, we reserve the right to adjust programming in the best interest of the group.
| Day | Location | Description | Lodging |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | USA - Taiwan | Today the group will depart the USA for Taiwan and arrive tomorrow. | Airplane |
| 2 | Taipei | We will arrive in Taipei and check into our accomodation in the heart of Taipei's Da'an district. After we rest and freshen up, we will take a stroll over to Da'an forest park to see the sunset by the egret pond. Then we will get our first group dinner. If time permits, we could also take a quick metro ride to the freedom plaza and grab dinner there. Feeling satiated, we will head back to the hotel for a good night's sleep. | Hotel in Taipei |
| 3 | Taipei | We will wake up bright and early for our first full day in Taipei. We'll either grab breakfast at the hotel or hit up a nearby breakfast joint for soy milk and fried donuts before traveling to the National Palace Museum for a tour of their collection. We will follow this up with lunch in nearby Tianmu, then hop back on the MRT to Maokong, where we will enjoy a gondola ride, visit the Tea Research and Promotion Centre and sample some tea and snacks. Time permitting, we will hike over to see the Silver Stream Cave Waterfall and take a peek at the Zhinan temple, famous for its mysterious ability to split people up--dating couples beware! In the evening we will take the MRT back into Taipei city for a group dinner and a little night market browsing. | Hotel in Taipei |
| 4 | Taipei | After breakfast we will meet with our cooking instructors for a farmers' market tour, then put on our aprons for a traditional Taiwanese cooking class. After devouring the fruits of our labor, we will stop by the Jianguo Flower and Jade market in the afternoon and embark on a scavenger hunt. Afterwards, if the group is up for it, we can head over to the 228 memorial peace park for a tour of the peace museum. In the evening we will meet with a guide for a tour of old Taipei's dihua street district, learn about the city's history and sample some delicious Taiwanese snacks. | Hotel in Taipei |
| 5 | Tainan | The adventures continue as we depart Taipei for Tainan by high speed train. After checking into our accomodations in central Tainan, we will hop on a bus or ride bikes over to the An Ping Old Street the former center of Dutch colonial trade. In An Ping we will feast on more Tainanese street snacks (seafood-lovers might sample some of the famous fried shrimp wontons) before a quick tour of the An Ping Fort to learn about the history of Taiwan's tea and sugar trade (there's a reason why bubble tea is made in Taiwan!). Then we will meander over to the 安平樹屋 to see one of the most epic "treehouses" in the world. After snapping some great pictures at the treehouse, we will head back into the city center and meet with a local guide for a walking tour. If time allows, we will check out the famous Hayashi department, Koxinga Shrine and Confucious Temple. Of course our day wouldn't be complete without another delicious array of Tainanese dishes- mushroom/pork rice, shrimp fried rice, braised eel noodles, light spring rolls and green mango shaved ice, to name a few. After our meal we will take a stroll through some of Tainan's quaint alleyways, then head over to the Chihkan tower to admire the nighttime scenery. | Hotel in Tainan |
| 6 | Tainan | We will start our day with a scrumpious Tainanese breakfast at some of the shops along Kuohua street (think piping hot beef soup, millet donuts, or steamed rice/starch cakes). Next we will head over to the Taijiang national park for an ecological tour of the salt farms and a boat ride through the mangrove tunnel. In the evening we will enjoy another great Tainanese meal, and hold a group reflection where we will discuss our journey thus far. | Hotel in Tainan |
| 7 | Foguang shan/kaohsiung | After a final breakfast in Tainan, we will travel by train to Kaohsiung, drop our bags off at our accomodations, then hop on the bus to the Foguangshan temple complex. Our first stop will be the visitor center where we will dine on a delicious vegetarian lunch, before spending the afternoon exploring the temple grounds and practicing meditative calligraphy through an interactive sutra tracing activity. Feeling refreshed and perhaps one step closer to enlightenment, we will take a bus back to Kaohsiung, swing by the hotel for a quick rest if necessary, then head out on foot or by metro to the Ruifong night market. We will wrap a fulfilling day with a jaunt around the lotus pond and take a few group pictures at the dragon/tiger towers. | Hotel in Kaosiung |
| 8 | Alishan | We will depart Kaosiung early in the morning on either the 6:00am or 8:00am train and head north to Chiayi. We will then catch a bus to the Alishan forest recretion area to get a glimpse of the scenery at the peak of cherry blossom season. We will spend the day exploring the mountain's forest park and ancient trees before heading back to town. For dinner we will sample Chiayi's most famous dish: turkey rice, then return to the hotel for an early night. | Hotel in Chiayi |
| 9 | Taipei | We will take the HSR back to Taipei, drop off our bags and get lunch, then head out to do some remaining sightseeing and souvenir shopping. The avid readers in the group might want to visit a branch of the eslite bookstore to pick up some great Chinese language reading material, while the others might want to check out some of the Taiwanese hipster DIY designer gifts on sale at the Song Shan Cultural and Creative Park. If time permits, we could also visit the nearby Puppetry Art Center of Taipei. In the evening we will head over to the Taipei 101 area for a final dinner to celebrate our time in country together as well as hike up elephant mountain for a panoramic view of the city. After one last nightmarket run for bubble tea and shaved ice, we will head back to our hotel to prepare for tomorrow's flight home. | Hotel in Taipei |
| 10 | Taipei - USA | Depart Taipei for the USA. | Your own bed, eventually! |
Accommodations
In order to provide a safe and memorable experience, we follow strict guidelines when choosing program accommodations. Walking Tree partners with locally-operated, three-star equivalent hotels and guest houses which are centrally located, clean and safe.
Sleepy Inn
The cosmopolitan and vibrant atmosphere make this hotel a wonderful experience for our student groups. Selected for the great service, clean rooms and advantageous location, Sleepy Inn is an excellent place to relax between adventures around Beijing. Rooms and bathrooms will be exclusive to our travelers.
Drum Tower Hostel
The convenient location of Drum Tower Hostel reduces commute times and eases busy travel days. However, we have chosen to partner with this particular accommodation for its safety standards, comfortable and cheerful atmosphere, and commitment to good service. Free Wi-Fi access throughout the building keeps everyone feeling connected. Students will be grouped in their rooms according to gender and availability.
Safety and Support
EASY FUNDRAISING & PAYMENT
24/7 GLOBAL EMERGENCY LINE
HIGHLY VETTED PARTNERS
EXPERT LEADERSHIP
PRIVATE GROUP GUARANTEE
COMPREHENSIVE CURRICULUM SUPPORT
DEDICATION TO CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT
ALL-INCLUSIVE PRICING
During our trip in Costa Rica I loved that our trip leader took the students’ ideas and incorporated side adventures just for them. This small piece made the trip more than we could have ever asked for.
Carri
Alumni Group Organizer to Belize and Costa Rica
Your Adventure Includes
Estimated Airfare
In order to give our travelers the best possible price, we break out airfare from the Program Tuition. We will still handle all booking and ticketing via our flight partner who has access to special fares not available to the general public. Once confirmed, you will be invoiced for the flight roughly 75 days prior to travel.
Program Tuition Excludes: Travel insurance, baggage fees, passport/visa fees, laundry, souvenirs, and activities not listed on itinerary.
Need to Raise Money? We Have You Covered.
Walking Tree Travel is proud to team up with Equal Exchange, a worker-owned cooperative that distributes organic coffee, tea, sugar, bananas, avocados, cocoa, chocolate bars, and more. There is no limit to the amount you can earn, so the sooner you can start, the better!
Learn more here.
Resource Center
Why should high school students travel abroad? What happens if a participant gets sick? How quickly do we need to enroll? We’re sure you have plenty of questions and we’ve got you covered! Visit our Resource Center to discover the answers to your most pressing questions and contact us anytime with additional questions.