WALKING TOUR!
NOTE #1: Taipei 2026 will be the fourth Rotary Convention for Haliburton Rotary Tours. Over the years, we've learned that many convention activities are not finalized until the last few months. Given that ours is supplemental to the main program, we wait until we see the official calendar before making our plans specific. Having said that, we believe previous participants will agree that we work hard to create the best experience possible for our guests, even if they don't know all the details when they make their booking!
NOTE #2: Previous clients will also note that few meals are included in this package. Breakfast is included each day, but the only other meal is our Farewell Dinner. This is because we've learned in previous years it's difficult to predict other options. For example, there will be a Beyond Borders dinner, probably a Home Hosting night, and maybe a District 7010 gathering. As such, once we know what we need to work around, we will offer dinner options each evening so nobody is stuck on their own. As you can imagine, it isn't possible to predict the number or cost of these meals, so we will make the plans, but each attendee will pay for their own meals.
Taipei and Taiwan often fly under the radar of tourists headed to East Asia. However, this island state (formerly Formosa) is an interesting place to visit, offering a unique combination of modern infrastructure and ancient Chinese culture. For example, the National Palace Museum houses the largest collection of Chinese art in the world.
As always, the primary agenda for our guests will be the Rotary International Convention and its associated activities. In many ways, the Convention begins on Saturday with the opening of the House of Friendship. Ancillary events, like the Beyond Borders dinner, are offered on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, so delegates have many options to stay busy.
As the supplemental part of our guests' agendas, our Haliburton Rotary tour will fill in some of the gaps, such as a visit to a night market on Friday and an orientation tour on Saturday morning. Ursula will also keep track of convention-related events and share a summary of them with guests. Throughout the week, Barry will offer morning walks and evening outings for those wanting to accompany him. Details will be circulated once final schedules are available.
After the end of the Convention on Wednesday afternoon, those in our group will gather for a Farewell Dinner. The tour ends officially at breakfast on Thursday, but many will continue with Barry and Ursula to explore the jungles and treasures of Borneo.
TOUR DETAILS
LAND PACKAGE: C$2,480
SINGLE SUPPLEMENT: C$1,360
DEPARTS TORONTO: Thu Jun 11, 2026
BEGINS IN TAIPEI: Fri Jun 12, 2026
ENDS IN TAIPEI: Thu Jun 18, 2026
HOTEL: 4 star
GROUP: Max 30 guests
DURATION: 7 days (6 hotel nights)
Rotary Tour Team
Rotary Tours are a fundraiser for the Rotary Club of Haliburton. Ursula Devolin (President 2021/22) chairs the club's Rotary Tours Committee, while her husband Barry (TravelMaven Tours) designs and operates them.
DAILY AGENDA
DAY 0 (Thu Jun 11) Depart Toronto
On this day, those on the Rotary JAPAN tour will still be in Hiroshima, while those not in Japan will depart Toronto. Trans-pacific flight schedules for June 2026 should be available in July 2025.
DAY 1 (Fri Jun 12) Arrive in Taipei
Barry and Ursula will be coming from Japan, so they may not be available to meet incoming flights from Canada. However, guests will be provided with detailed instructions on how to get to our hotel by taxi. (It's also likely the Organizing Committee will have Rotary volunteers at the airport helping delegates find their way to their accommodation, or even providing shuttle services.) While there isn't a group dinner planned (due to uncertainty regarding arrival times), Barry will lead an informal dinner outing to a night market and/or offer restaurant suggestions near the hotel.
Taipei Night Market
DAY 2 (Sat Jun 13) Walking tour; Huashan 1914 Creative Park (B)
We'll begin the day with breakfast and a short meeting to discuss the coming week. Afterwards, we'll take a Orientation Walk around the neighbourhood. This will include showing guests how to get to the convention venues and back to our hotel. After a visit to the House of Friendship and a break for lunch, Barry will take the group on the subway to the Huashan 1914 Creative Park to see what local designers and creators are dreaming up.
DAY 3 (Sun Jun 14) Grand Opening of Convention (B)
On this day, the 2026 Rotary International Convention will officially begin with the Grand Opening in the morning (times and location to be provided). There is also likely to be a major evening event for delegates. Once again, details will become available in the months preceding the convention.
BARRY'S SUGGESTION: Everyone should ride the elevator to the top of Taipei 101 during our visit. This was the tallest building in the world until 2007, and is attached to the Convention Centre for easy access.
Huashan 1914 Creative Park
DAY 4 (Mon Jun 15) Rotary Convention (B)
Most delegates will be busy with Convention related activities. Barry and Ursula will also be around and available to suggest other activities.
BARRY'S SUGGESTION: Anyone interested in art should visit the National Palace Museum. This is the single largest collection of Chinese art in the world (moved here from Beijing in the 1940's during the Chinese Civil War.) Barry and/or Ursula will take a group to the museum if there's interest.
DAY 5 (Tue Jun 16) Rotary Convention (B)
Most delegates will be busy with Convention related activities or special Rotary events. For those from District 7010, this may be the evening when an informal gathering is hosted by our incoming District Governor.
BARRY'S SUGGESTION: There are a dozen significant cultural and historic sights within walking distance of our hotel. Depending on interest, Barry will organize informal outings to these, or to climb up nearby Elephant Mountain to look out over the city.
National Palace Museum
DAY 6 (Wed Jun 17) Taipei Botanical Garden; Closing Ceremony; Farewell Dinner (B,D)
Given that the Closing Ceremony isn't until the afternoon, Barry will take those interested to the Taipei Botanical Garden for an early morning visit (to beat the heat). This place is an island of quiet and natural beauty in the middle of urban activity. After returning to the hotel mid morning, guests will get ready for the Closing Ceremony in the afternoon. In the evening, we will gather for our Farewell Dinner.
DAY 7 (Thu Jun 18) End of tour (B)
Our tour will end after breakfast. Some in our group will head home, while others will continue with Barry and Ursula to Borneo to explore the rainforest jungle and meet local Rotarians.
Taipei Botanical Garden