Sample the Best Tea in the World With Culture Trip

While black tea is often associated with China and India, it’s actually the East Asian island of Taiwan that arguably produces the finest dark varieties on the planet. You’ll get to decide that for yourself on our nine-day Rail Trip, which goes to Sun Moon Lake on day three. You’ll cycle around and boat on the lake, but if you’re reading this we suspect the highlight of your day will be our visit to Ho Ho Cha Tea Factory, where you’ll get to try your hand at tea rolling and learn about the region’s rich tea plantations before sitting down for a soul-soothing tasting session.

Sipping on a refreshing mint tea has been a classic part of Moroccan culture for centuries, so any trip to this North African nation is sure to include a fair few cups of the green stuff. Our Epic Morocco trip takes in Casablanca, Fes, the Atlas Mountains, Sahara desert and Marrakech and, chances are, you’ll be drinking tea all over. Your highlight might involve staring into the fresh mint leaves in your cup while sitting around a campfire in the Sahara, or perhaps it’ll be our stop-off in a traditional tea house en route to Marrakech. Either way, expect your thirst to remain thoroughly quenched in Morocco.

Many people associate Turkey with coffee first and foremost, but spend some time in Istanbul and you’ll quickly realise that tea, or çay, is the most commonly sipped beverage in town. Most establishments offer a variety of flavours but classic çay is a smooth black tea grown on the eastern Black Sea coast. Tea here is brewed in a dual teapot, creating a stronger flavour, which is why it’s always served in aesthetically pleasing ‘thin-waist’ glasses. Our 12-day Turkish odyssey starts in Istanbul and, on the very first day, we’ll stop for a glass of çay in the Grand Bazaar itself during an extensive tour of the city. From there, you’ll no doubt be ordering tea with breakfast, lunch and even dinner for the remainder of your time in Turkey.

Like many Asian countries, the whole ritual of making, pouring and drinking tea is a rather sacred experience in Vietnam. A tea ceremony is even a crucial part of a wedding here, with tradition declaring that the groom uses the occasion to ask the bride’s family for her hand in marriage. The Nguyễn dynasty placed great importance on tea ceremonies, and our 12-day Vietnam trip includes a visit to the city of Hue, the capital throughout the Nguyễn reign. Where better to experience an authentic royal tea ceremony? Drink in the pomp of it all as you sip on a delicious cup of locally grown green tea.

Tea, or shai, is the national drink of Egypt despite the fact that the country doesn’t actually produce any leaves itself. This is because its geographic position, on the cusp of Africa and Asia, does place it perfectly to import countless varieties from a wide range of producers, including Kenya and Sri Lanka. Drinking tea is inseparable from Egyptian culture, as locals drink it morning, noon and night, with every meal and in every social situation. Whether it’s how to start the day or how to wind down while smoking hookah, shai is ever-present here. Sugar and fresh mint is often added to elevate the flavour, but generally the import culture here means a wide variety of options on most menus. You’ll no doubt sink many a glass of shai throughout our nine-day trip from Cairo to Aswan, but we’ll be surprised if your enduring memory of tea in Egypt isn’t the glass you’ll enjoy at the famous Feshawi cafe in the heart of Cairo.