It’s time for some morning tea! We’re visiting Longjing Village, where an endless sea of green dragonwell—Longjing—tea bushes cover the hillsides. Declared by Emperor Qianlong to be the official tea of the imperial court, Longjing has retained its regal reputation, remaining one of the country’s most coveted—and expensive—green teas. We’ll meet for lunch at a tea master’s house and learn all about how Longjing tea is grown, cultivated, and produced. We’ll have dinner back in Hangzhou, where we’ll sample various local cuisines and learn about life in the city.

Tea and Buddhism are inextricably connected, and the ritual of brewing and serving tea has held particular importance for monks for hundreds of years. We’ll spend the morning learning about the history of this relationship with a visit to Lingyin Temple to participate in a Buddhist tea ceremony, where we’ll experience the traditional way of serving and drinking tea. We’ll then have a vegetarian lunch in the temple, an opportunity to learn about the traditions and symbolism of food in Buddhism. Later in the afternoon, we’ll explore Hangzhou’s iconic West Lake, one of the city’s most scenic and tranquil landmarks. Surrounded by mountains, outlined with lush gardens, and studded with picturesque pagodas, it’s been a longtime source of inspiration among botanists and landscapers. The rest of the evening is yours to relax at your leisure. Feel free to linger around the lake for dinner, and perhaps cap off the night with a tipple or two at one of the best whiskey bars in the city.

After breakfast, we’ll drive to Deqing for our first sip of yellow tea. We’ll visit a tea house where we can sample the beverage and chat with the owner, a young female entrepreneur and a third-generation tea master. Once we’ve filled up on tea and new knowledge, we’ll walk around the village and enjoy a delicious lunch of local cuisine. In the afternoon, we’ll take a short walk around the majestic Mogan Mountain during peak bamboo season and have the chance to harvest some bamboo ourselves, which will be used in the preparation of tonight’s dinner. For those who’d prefer to rest and take it easy, the village has more to offer for an afternoon of reading or wandering. After a long day of strolling and slurping, we’ll retire to our charming, homey hotel nestled in the mountainside.

Nearly as important as the tea itself is the cup into which it’s poured. Today we’ll drive about two hours to visit a porcelain manufacturer for a hands-on history lesson about the production process, learning about the famous Yue kilns from which the most exquisite celadon in ancient China was made. We’ll get the chance to see how porcelain is produced, and, if we’re lucky, even try our hands at crafting it. In the afternoon, we’ll stroll through an 800-year-old private garden in Shaoxing and take in the city views from a boat. Dinner and the rest of the evening are free, though we’ll gladly provide restaurant and activity recommendations. We encourage you to taste the widely renowned rice wine that originated in Shaoxing, and perhaps visit a local Yue Theater or a tea house on the river.

This morning, you’ll get the chance to slow down and thoroughly enjoy the tranquility of Shaoxing at your own pace. Take a stroll through the ancient part of the city: a water town where black eaves are reflected in glassy, emerald water. As you wander the narrow streets, you'll get a sense of traditional ways of living in the region. Be sure to stop to sample local snacks—and consider paying a visit to the former residential house of Lu Xun, one of the most widely renowned writers of Chinese modern literature. In the early afternoon, we’ll take a bullet train (about two hours) to Wuyi Mountain, where we’ll spend the next two days immersed in its rich tea culture. After a light dinner together, you'll have the rest of the evening to enjoy on your own. 

In 2002, just 20 grams of Da Hong Pao tea sold for roughly $28,000. One of the most expensive teas in the world, this dark oolong tea, also known as the “king of teas,” is purchased and sold exclusively through specialized brokers who expertly navigate the luxury tea market. Today, accompanied by a local tea merchant, we’ll be learning about the incredibly valuable Wuyi rock teas (and why they’re so expensive) from the heart of the breathtaking Wuyi Mountains. We’ll hike along the densely forested, misty mountain to pay a visit to the six remaining parent trees that still bear “original” Da Hong Pao leaves. To cap off the day, we’ll have dinner at a beautiful mountainside restaurant and spend the night nearby.

Not only is the Wuyi Mountain region famous for oolong tea, it’s also the progenitor of a dazzling array of black teas. In fact, it’s the birthplace of the oldest black tea in the world, Lapsang Souchong—which, by the 17th century, had been ferried across the world by Dutch merchants, who began selling the leaves to a thirsty Western market. Today we’ll learn all about Lapsang Souchong from a tea master before visiting the plantation, where we’ll learn how black tea is harvested, have lunch at the tea farm, and help out with the process. Later, we’ll relax with a traditional tea ceremony and enjoy an intimate chat with the tea master. This evening over dinner, we’ll raise a glass (of tea, perhaps?) to a wonderful trip together.

After a leisurely breakfast, we’ll board a bullet train to Shanghai. After eight days of learning, tasting, and sipping, we’ll bid farewell to our fellow tea buffs and head back home from Shanghai—hopefully with plenty of tea packed into our bags.