Spring Tea Tour April 2026

Shanghai — Jiangsu — Zhejiang — Anhui — Jiangxi — Fujian

Spring Tea Tour · April 2026

Follow the first flush of spring. Harvest, craft, taste — from bud to cup.

On April 20th, 2026 — just after Qingming, when spring tea begins its most vibrant moment — we set off on a journey that grows alongside the season itself. The tea trees have awakened from winter dormancy; the air is cool and tender, carrying the scent of damp earth and new leaves. This is the precious window when fresh buds are hand-picked, when tea is alive with sweetness and vitality. We will walk into the tea gardens at dawn, learn to pluck one bud and one leaf, and work side by side with makers to wither, fire, roll and craft our own spring tea, watching fresh leaves transform into aroma through hands, heat, and time.

This journey is not simply travel — it is an encounter with land, craft, and people. Over fourteen days, we move from Shanghai to Yixing clay studios, to Hangzhou’s core Dragon Well tea fields, into Huangshan and Qimen for black tea, to Jingdezhen kilns, and finally deep into Fujian — Tongmu, Wuyishan, and Fuding. We trace tea from origins to teacups, explore kilns and mountain paths, listen to craftsmen, feel the rhythm of harvest, and let every cup carry story and season.

Study in Origin

Rooted in tea science and academic research, we approach tea beyond taste—through botany, processing chemistry, terroir, and market history. Each tour includes learning sessions, field notes, comparative cupping, and conversations with makers and scholars. Not just “where tea is made”, but why it tastes the way it does.

Slow Travel, Real Encounters

We keep groups small to stay present—walking tea mountains at dawn, sharing meals with local families, listening to stories by the fire. We favor time over speed, depth over checklists. No rushed schedules, no tourist staging—just space to learn, feel, ask, brew, and breathe.

Tea, Art & Aesthetics

Tea connects to objects, hands, and culture. Along the way we explore clay, porcelain, roasting rooms, bamboo baskets, kiln fire and the sound of rolling leaves. We collect not souvenirs, but understanding—how a cup, a teapot, or a simple firing choice shapes aroma, texture, and soul.

Journey Overview

DAY #1 — SHANGHAI ARRIVAL & ORIENTATION

Shanghai, April 20th

We welcome our guests in Shanghai, a vibrant gateway where the modern skyline meets the old rhythm of tea houses. After settling into the hotel, we gather for our first cup — a gentle introduction to spring teas of the season, easing the fatigue of your journey.

In the afternoon we take a light walk through the Bund area or visit a selected contemporary teahouse, observing how tea culture lives in today’s urban landscape. A casual welcome dinner closes our first evening, slow and warm — tomorrow, we go towards clay and mountains.

DAY #2 — INTO YIXING, LAND OF CLAY

Shanghai → Yixing, April 21th

We leave Shanghai in the morning for Yixing, known for its purple clay teapots and quiet craft tradition.

Our first stop is a small studio — shelves of clay, scent of kilns, tools worn smooth by hands.

We watch artisans shape teapots with slow precision, then try simple forming ourselves — just enough to feel weight, texture, moisture.

Dinner local. Evening tea or rest as you like.

DAY #3 — HANDS IN CLAY, HANDS IN TEA

Yixing, April 22th

A full craft day.

We learn trimming, polishing, shaping details — guided by makers who carry decades of touch-memory in their fingers.

Each guest creates a small teacup or beginner teapot to fire later.

Afternoon tea session comparing how clay changes taste — same leaves, new character in each vessel.

Slow evening in town.

DAY #4 — FROM CLAY TO TEA FIELDS

Yixing → Hangzhou, April 23th

A final hour in the studio — signing your piece, smoothing last lines before firing.

We share tea with the makers, clay warming the liquor, conversation easy.

Then travel to Hangzhou (approx. 2.5–3 hrs), the home of West Lake and Longjing tea.

Check-in by the lake, free evening for a quiet walk or early rest.

DAY #5 — WEST LAKE & FIRST LONGJING FIELDS

Hangzhou, April 24th

Morning by West Lake — willow reflections, slow water, a quiet soft entry into tea country.

We head into Longjing Village, where spring fields rise in terraces of pale green.

A farmer shares the first flash of the season — light, sweet, chestnut-fragrant.

Fresh tea tasting outdoors if weather allows.

Evening free: wander old streets, tea house, or early sleep.

DAY #6 — TEA MUSEUM & HISTORY UNDERSTOOD

Hangzhou, April 25th

A day to learn before we make.

We visit the China National Tea Museum — water, soil, mountains, dynasties, all linked by leaf.

Stories of cultivation, trade, and how brewing changed over centuries.

After lunch, an optional stop at Lingyin Temple or a calm tea house session in the city.

Unhurried, reflective, giving space for knowledge to settle.

DAY #7 — CRAFT, FIRE & SPRING TEA MAKING

Hangzhou, April 26th

Morning in the tea gardens — picking one bud and one leaf, breath mixing with mountain air.

Back in the workshop, we wither, pan-fire, roll — slowly, by hand.

Heat on palms, steam rising, grassy scent turning sweet — craft felt, not just seen.

We taste the tea we made. Imperfect, honest, ours.

A memorable day.

DAY #8 — TASTING LAB & SEASON COMPARISONS

Hangzhou, April 26th

Today we deepen perception.

Side-by-side cupping — early vs late harvest, light vs deeper fire.

Notes of bean, chestnut, orchid, fresh sugarcane.

We practice naming flavor, texture, finish — building memory of taste.

Late afternoon free for markets, tea shops, bookstores or lake.

DAY #9 — PORCELAIN & FIRE HERITAGE

Hangzhou → Jingdezhen, April 28th

We travel west to Jingdezhen — city of kilns, ash, glaze, and 1,000 years of ceramic memory.

After arrival and hotel check-in, we walk Taoxichuan Art District — studios, clay dust, shelves of work both rough and luminous.

Tea in a small gallery, held in handmade cups — each one slightly imperfect, exactly alive.

Evening relaxed. The kiln fires wait for tomorrow.

DAY #10 — SHAPE, GLAZE & HOLD A CUP

Jingdezhen, April 29th

Morning workshop — spinning clay, trimming foot, smoothing lip.

You shape your own small tea cup or bowl, glaze with chosen tones — celadon pale, qingbai cool, tenmoku deep.

After lunch we visit an old kiln or ceramic museum — fire marks, ash trails, centuries of hands in clay.

Optional browsing of teaware market for pieces that speak to you.

Evening light and simple.

DAY #11 — INTO THE ROCK MOUNTAINS

Jingdezhen → Wuyishan, April 30th

We leave Jingdezhen after breakfast and drive toward Wuyishan — cliffs rising, river bending, air turning cool and mineral.

Check into mountain lodge, tea waiting quietly.

In the afternoon we take a slow walk near the reserve, learning the first notes of yancha: rock, roast, rhythm.

Dinner simple, local, comforting. Night deep and still.

DAY #12 — NINE-BEND BAMBOO RIVER

Wuyishan, May 1st

Morning raft along the Nine-Bend River — bamboo boat sliding through mist, red walls reflecting in water.

We visit Da Hong Pao heritage area, see origin cliffs and mother trees from a respectful distance.

Tasting session introduces classic rock teas — slender, mineral, long on the tongue.

Evening tea at the lodge or quiet rest.

DAY #13 — ROOTS OF LAPSANG · TONGMU VILLAGE

Wuyishan → Tongmu, May 2ed

We drive deeper into Tongmu — birthplace of Lapsang Souchong.

Workshop inside a traditional smoke house: withering racks, pine logs stacked, heat rising slow and amber.

We try leaf-rolling by hand, then taste unsmoked vs smoked Lapsang, learning how smoke is not domination but layering — resin, honey, red fruit, wood.

Dinner in the village, fire crackling, stories passed like cups.

DAY #14 — RETURN TO SHANGHAI

Tongmu → Shanghai, May 3rd

A final morning cup in the mountains — reflective, unhurried.

We gather for a closing tea table, brewing leaves we met along the road: Longjing vivid green, rock tea deep and mineral, Lapsang red-gold and soft with pine.

Stories, laughter, photos exchanged — journeys end, but taste stays.

After lunch, transfer back to Shanghai for departure or onward travel.

Farewell feels gentle — like a last warm sip.

Our journeys include comfortable accommodations, in-region transportation and most meals

International flights, visas and personal insurance are not included, but we are happy to assist with guidance and arrangements.

Once you decide to join us, we stand beside you — planning details, answering questions, and preparing you for travel with care.

MEALS · Learning through Taste

Beyond tea and culture, we care deeply about food.

We choose local, seasonal dishes — simple, honest, cooked with patience — allowing you to feel each region’s character through its cuisine.

Meals are never rushed; lunch may be shared in tea villages, dinner in a small kitchen filled with steam and conversation.

Vegetarian options are always available, including tofu dishes, greens, grains, and traditional slow-cooked recipes.

ACCOMMODATION · Rest with Comfort

Most nights we stay in small, carefully selected hotels or guesthouses close to tea gardens and studios — so mornings begin gently, without long transfers.

In cities, we choose trusted boutique hotels for comfort and quiet.

Some stays are simple and close to the mountains; others feel like home, with warm service and an afternoon tea corner waiting when you return.

TRANSPORT · Smooth & Considered

We move by high-speed rail or private cars between regions — efficient, quiet, ideal for watching landscape shift slowly.

Mountain transfers use comfortable private vehicles driven by our trusted partners to ensure safety and flexibility.

Luggage is assisted at each transition so you travel light and relaxed, with more space for tea and experience rather than logistics.

Tea tour FAQ

We select accommodations carefully for comfort and rest.

In tea regions, we usually stay close to the gardens and workshops — quiet, simple, and convenient for early starts.

In cities, we use boutique hotels we know well and trust for good service and reliability.

Not at all. This trip welcomes complete beginners and passionate tea lovers alike.

We learn by doing — picking, firing, tasting side-by-side, asking questions as curiosity arises.

If you already have tea experience, you’ll enjoy deeper technical discussions and cupping comparisons; if you are new, you’ll grow naturally with each cup.

Most travelers require a tourist visa. Some nationalities may qualify for simplified entry or visa-on-arrival; if not, a standard 30-day visa is straightforward to obtain.

We will provide guidance and assist as much as possible with documents if you need help.

Yes. We can accommodate vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, lactose-free and religious dietary requests.

Chinese cuisine offers a wide range of plant-based dishes including tofu, seasonal greens, herbs and traditional recipes.

Just let us know in advance so we can prepare accordingly.

We visit origin regularly, taste extensively, and maintain close communication with producers throughout the year. By sourcing directly and in small quantities, we are able to understand how each tea is grown, harvested, and processed. Quality at Leafori is not defined only by flavor, but also by how responsibly a tea is produced and whether it reflects its place of origin honestly.

Possibly, depending on availability and timing.

For meaningful immersion, we recommend joining at least 7–10 days.

If you wish to join partially, contact us directly so we can discuss options.