WELCOME TO TAIWAN!
Taipei and Taiwan often fly under the radar of tourists headed to East Asia. However, this island state (formerly Formosa) is a fascinating place to visit, offering a unique combination of modern infrastructure and ancient Chinese culture. As an added bonus, 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.
NOTE #1: Due to factors beyond our control, we had to change hotels. In an effort to control costs and remain close to the Taipei Dome, we will be staying at a locally owned property, the Pacific Business Hotel, rather than an international chain. Barry stayed at this hotel in 2023 and was very satisfied with it. The hotel is a little hard to find, but offers comfortable accommodation in a great location for exploring the city. As a silver lining, this change allowed us to lower our Land Package prices. Please note, all prices are based on double occupancy. Please ask if you are interested in a single room and we will do our best to accommodate you.
NOTE #2: Taipei 2026 will be the fourth Rotary Convention for Haliburton Rotary Tours. Over the years, we've learned that many Convention-related activities are not finalized until the last few months. Given that our itinerary is supplemental to the main program, we wait until we see the official calendar before making our plans specific. Having said that, previous participants will know 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 #3: Please note that few meals (other than our Welcome and Farewell Dinners and breakfast daily) are included in this Land Package. That's because there are many Rotary events for delegates to attend. For example, there will be a Beyond Borders dinner, probably a Home Hosting night, and a District 7010 gathering. As always, Barry will be happy to make suggestions for meals and activities. There is no shortage of places to eat!
NOTE #4: There is a daily direct EVA flight from Toronto to Taipei which arrives at 05:15. If guests arrive on Saturday morning, their room will be waiting for them. If guests choose to arrive on Friday morning (before Barry & Ursula arrive that afternoon), we would suggest booking a pre-night so their room is available upon arrival in the early morning. Ask Ursula for details.
TOUR DETAILS
LAND PACKAGE Prices:
Small Queen Room: $1,980 (2 available)
Medium King Room : $2,280 (2 available)
Medium Twin Room: $2,280 (5 available)
Executive King Room: $2,480 (1 available)
DEPARTS TORONTO: Thu Jun 11, 2026
BEGINS IN TAIPEI: Fri Jun 12, 2026
ENDS IN TAIPEI: Thu Jun 18, 2026
HOTEL: 3.5 star
GROUP: Max 24 guests (20 remaining)
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; Welcome Dinner (D)
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.) Barry and Ursula will host a group dinner and lead a walk through a nearby nightmarket.
Taipei Night Market
DAY 2 (Sat Jun 13) Walking tour; Huashan 1914 Creative Park
We'll begin the day with a short meeting to discuss the coming week. Afterwards, we'll take an orientation walk around the neighbourhood. After a visit to the House of Friendship and a break for lunch, Later in the ay, Barry will take those interested 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
The 2026 Rotary International Convention will officially begin with the Grand Opening (times and location to be provided). There is also likely to be a major evening event for delegates. Once again, details regarding Barry's plans for the day 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 close to our hotel.
Huashan 1914 Creative Park
DAY 4 (Mon Jun 15) Rotary Convention
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 will take a group to the museum if there's interest.
DAY 5 (Tue Jun 16) Rotary Convention
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 (D)
Given that the Closing Ceremony isn't until 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
Our tour will end at check out. 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