Time and Itinerary
Exploring the Origins and Secrets of Chinese Tea returns in 2026 with a newly optimized journey.
Compared with the 2025 tea tour, the 2026 program features a shorter itinerary, lower overall cost, and greater flexibility, while offering an even deeper and more immersive experience.
This year, the program will be offered in two sessions: April and May, which coincide with the peak tea production season in China. Participants will have the rare opportunity not only to visit major tea regions, but also to work directly with Intangible Cultural Heritage tea masters and participate hands-on in the tea-making process.
This direct, from-origin experience is essential for anyone seeking a truly profound understanding of Chinese tea culture.
April Session｜Green Tea · Yixing Zisha · Minnan Oolong
Dates: May 10 – May 16, 2026
April 20–21
Hangzhou· Zhejiang
- China National Tea Museum
- The Eighteen Imperial Tea Trees & National Gift Tea Processing Center
- Hands-on Longjing tea pan-firing experience
- Incense culture experience
- Tasting of famous Chinese green teas
April 22
Yixing · Jiangsu
- China Yixing Ceramics Museum
- Visits to Shugu Zisha and Tao Er Factory
- Zisha pottery-making experience
- Visit to Master Lv Junjie’s studio
April 23–27
Anxi · Fujian
- Visit to Yuezhai Ancient Village
- Anxi Tea Trading Market (China Tea Capital)
- Full processing experience of Tieguanyin and Minnan oolong teas
May Session｜Spring Tea · Zisha · Ancient Pu’er
Dates: May 10 – May 16, 2026
May 10–11
Hangzhou · Zhejiang
- China National Tea Museum
- The Eighteen Imperial Tea Trees & National Gift Tea Processing Center
- Hands-on Longjing tea pan-firing experience
- Incense culture experience
- Tasting of famous Chinese green teas
May 12
Yixing · Jiangsu
- China Yixing Ceramics Museum
- Visits to Shugu Zisha and Tao Er Factory
- Zisha pottery-making experience
- Visit to Master Lv Junjie’s studio
May 12–16
Pu’er Tea Regions · Yunnan
- Visit renowned Pu’er tea factories and learn the full production process, including fixing, rolling, sun-drying, and pile fermentation
- Hands-on participation in tea-making and learning modern Pu’er processing and storage methods
- Walk through Nannuo Mountain Ancient Tea Gardens, home to thousand-year-old tea trees
- Pick fresh leaves
- Experience traditional tea-picking methods of the Dai and Hani ethnic groups
- Learn sun-dried green tea production
- Explore He Kai Ancient Tea Garden and its well-preserved tea forests
- Understand eco-friendly tea cultivation
- Compare flavor profiles from Yiwu, Bulang, and Nannuo mountains
- Visit Bulang Mountain tea region and Old Ban Zhang Village
- Experience the legendary “Tea King” Old Ban Zhang Pu’er
- Immerse in Bulang ethnic tea culture
- Experience local ethnic minority culture and natural landscapes
The fee covers:
（The tour fee: $1,000 USD）
Included: Transportation, accommodation in single-room, meals, scenic spot entrance fees, instructor fees, tea tasting fees, and materials for purple clay teapot and tea.
Excluded: The costs of traveling to Hangzhou and departing from Anxi or Yunnan, personal expenses, and personal short-term travel insurance.
The Chinese Tea Alliance is responsible only for organizing, providing services, and guiding, and does not assume any liability for accidents during the tour. Participants are responsible for their own safety and are advised to purchase personal travel accident insurance.
Beyond tea and tea culture, we also place great emphasis on the culinary experience. We carefully select the most distinctive local dishes and strive to immerse you in the authentic local lifestyle.
For accommodations, we select hotels or homestays with which we have long-term partnerships, ensuring a comfortable stay and, whenever possible, providing you with beautiful surroundings for tea tasting and convenient access to tea factories for tea making.
The Tea Journey is open to minors (accompanied by parents or guardians).
Participants in this tea journey will also receive a tea gift set. Additionally, a professional photography team will accompany the journey, and at the end of the trip, you will receive a unique collection of photos & videos capturing your experience.
All participants of this tea journey will automatically become members of the Chinese Tea Alliance, gaining not only an immersive experience in tea culture but also exclusive discounts on future products and services, including premium teas, teaware, tea courses and related events.
Based on experience and safety considerations, the above itinerary may be subject to appropriate adjustments due to weather conditions or other force majeure circumstances.
Tea Journey Instructors
Li Wei
Senior Tea Sensory Taster
Senior Tea Art Specialist
Ph.D. in Tea Science, Zhejiang University
Author of "Chinese Tea: Science Behind the Leaf”
Co-founder of Chinese Tea Alliance
Xiao Shi Jie
Master degree in Tea Science, Zhejiang University
Founder of ‘Xiao Shi Jie Tea Evaluation 小师姐评茶’
Co-founder of Chinese Tea Alliance
Wang Shunming
National Intangible Cultural Heritage
Inheritor of Wuyi Rock Tea (Da Hong Pao)
Making Techniques, Principal Drafter of the Wuyi Rock Tea National Standard
Lv Junjie
Chinese Ceramic Arts Master
Son of national master Lv Yaochen
Leading figure of the new generation in Chinese purple clay
Ji Yishun
Chinese Arts and Crafts Master
Chinese Ceramic Arts Master
Senior Craft Arts Researcher
Contact us
Chinese Tea Alliance Journeys
Click on an image below to explore the photos of our previous tea tours.
