Cooking class and mountain walk

Enjoy a cooking class with delicious Taiwanese food, followed by a meal and an invigorating walk with spectacular views of Taipei city, mountain temples and forests.

The walk

Elephant Mountain is in the heart of Taipei, just a few hundred meters from Taipei 101, but is rarely visited by tourists. Paved paths and steps provide easy access from the city.

The 183m (600 ft) mountain is part of a range that stretches about 10km (6 miles) and reaches heights of 375m (1200 ft). The mountains are thickly forested, providing protection from sun and rain. Numerous small temples and shelters provide frequent opportunities to rest, enjoy a drink and snack, and learn more about local culture.

Every walk is unique, as we will alter the route to meet guests' requirements. This can even include providing vehicular access to avoid most of the uphill walking, if necessary - but please let us know your special requirements well in advance.
 

What you can see

The forest, the mountains, rocky cliffs and outcrops, Buddhist temples and Daoist shrines, banana, olive and fig trees pink cherry and plum blossom in spring, butterflies in summer, mountain streams, abandoned coal mines, mountain squirrels, geckos and other small animals, hunting eagles, bamboo forests, local people (few during weekdays, more at weekends), and a birds-eye view of Taipei 101 and the city center.

Taiwan is the world's most densely biodiverse country, with more than 50,000 native species of animals and plants - all in an area smaller than most US states. We can't guarantee you'll see all of them, but even on a short walk, you can see a lot. Please let us know in advance if there's anything you're especially interested in seeing, so we can try to arrange that for you.

Click here to see more photos of the mountain sights.
 

The class

Students arrive at 10:00am, tea is served.

Making dumpling dough
Chives and waterchest nuts dumplings
Green Onion Pancake ( thick style)
 

Class finishes at around 12:30pm, when we eat. This is followed by the walking tour, which includes drinks and fruit or other snacks.

Practical details

Language: English (Chinese or Taiwanese if required)
Cost: Our price for this one day (about 6-7 hours) activity is NT$5,000 for one student (about US$160 or 120 Euros), NT$8,000 for two students, NT$10,000 for three students, NT$12,000 for four students. Sorry, but we do not offer discounts for these events.
Class size: 1 - 4 students (larger classes may be possible). Always let us know exactly how many people will be coming with you. Private classes may be available on request, for an additional charge.
Children: Before you book, please let us know if you are bringing children and their approximate ages. Usually we will require you to book a private class if you bring young children, as they may affect other guests' enjoyment of the cooking class.
Time: The activities start at 10am and everything lasts about six to seven hours. Please always contact us well in advance to make a reservation. Earlier starting times are possible on request, but not earlier than 9am.
Note: These details apply only to the event which you can see on this page. Custom designed events may cost more or have a different duration.
Elephants: There are none on Elephant Mountain
Credit Cards: We can only accept Credit Card payments online, not on the day of the class. Please contact us for details. Payment processing companies will impose additional fees on transactions.
Booking Deposit: For some classes and certain busier periods, we require an advance booking deposit of NT$1,500 per person for each class booked, paid by Credit Card or Paypal. In some cases we can accept your booking without an advance deposit.
Other Payment Methods: Please contact us for details.
Cancellation/changes/refunds: If you need to cancel your class more than 7 days before the date you have booked, we will refund your deposit minus a 10% charge to cover our handling costs and charges imposed by Credit Card/Paypal. For late cancellation and changes (less than 7 days before start of class), we charge NT$1,500 per person for each class booked, and refund the remainder of your advance payment or deposit. This is to cover the cost of lost business, ingredients, and preparation. This charge applies for class cancellation, time or date changes, and reductions in the number of guests. Aside from this, we humbly implore you not to book a class unless you are certain you can attend on time, because late cancellations, no shows and very late arrivals are costly for us, and they inconvenience other guests or deny them their only chance to attend a class.
The Weather: Taiwan's weather is highly variable. Maximum daytime temperature during summer (May to September) is about 35°C (95°F), and minimum in Winter (November to February) is about 10°C (50°F). It's usually extremely humid in Summer - read more about Summer weather in Taiwan. We may adjust the route of the walk depending on the weather on the day and guests' capabilities and requirements. During rare periods of severe weather, such as typhoons, we may be forced to shorten or even cancel the walk, after consultation with our guests, and offer other activities in its place. You can see local weather forecasts here.

Telephone: (02) 2720-0053
Address: 2F, 29-1 Zi Yun St, Taipei, Taiwan 台北市信義區110紫雲街29-1號2樓
Website: kitchen.j321.com
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