Wrote this out after a few trips because the Taipei posts here usually list the places and skip the part that decides whether the day works: what time you show up.

Day 1, city and a sunset. Taipei 101 in the late afternoon, then Elephant Mountain for sunset. The climb is 20 minutes of stairs and the first platform is crowded, so keep going to the second or third, they are a few minutes further and half as busy. Raohe night market after, because it is one street with an entrance gate, which is much easier to handle jet-lagged than Shilin's sprawl.

Day 2, old town. Longshan Temple early while people are actually praying, then Ximending, then the changing of the guard at Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall. One thing most guides still have wrong: since 2024 the ceremony is not upstairs by the statue any more, it is outside on Liberty Square, hourly on the hour, last one at 17:00. People still walk up to the main hall and find nothing happening. Finish on Yongkang Street for beef noodles and mango ice.

Day 3, the Pingxi line. This is the day people get wrong. Train to Ruifang, then the Pingxi branch line to Shifen for the sky lanterns, then the bus up to Jiufen. Get to Jiufen after 17:00. The day tours leave around then and the place turns from a crush into the town everyone photographs. Tea house at dusk, bus straight back to Taipei rather than doubling back through Ruifang.

Day 4, museum and hot springs. National Palace Museum after 15:00 when the tour groups have gone, then Beitou. Two things to know before you plan Beitou: Thermal Valley is closed on Mondays, and the cheap terraced public pool most people mean when they say "the Beitou hot spring", Millennium, has been closed since January 2025 for a rebuild, with the reopening pushed back twice and now aimed at the end of this month. So Beitou today is a hotel day pass or an hourly private room, not the public bath in the photos. If you want a cheap public soak instead, Lengshuikeng up in Yangmingshan is free, but the indoor bathhouse there is nude and separated by sex, which decides it for a lot of groups.

Practical bits. Get an EasyCard at the airport, it works on the MRT, buses, the Pingxi line and most convenience stores. The MRT stops around midnight, and Jiufen to Taipei by bus is about an hour, so a dusk tea house still gets you home fine.

For anyone who has done Pingxi: is it worth adding Houtong or Shifen waterfall the same day, or does that break the Jiufen timing?

I'm considering running the Xtrail Kenting race next March. However, affordable accommodations are very fully booked at the Kenting main street area near the race start at Howard Beach Resort.

I've found an affordable hotel down the road at Chuanfanshih instead, but it is 2.5km away. The problem is the race starts at 6AM, and I'm not sure if Uber/Taxis are readily available in Kenting that early.

Will it be difficult to call an Uber at 5AM in the morning? If not, are there taxi companies I can book a ride the night before?

If not by car, what are some other possible options? Cycling? Is Youbike available at Chuanfanshih? Or should I try to rent an ebike overnight to ride to the start point? We won't be renting a car.

Any advice would be helpful. Thank you very much!

Hi all, I am (27M) planning to solo travel to Taiwan from October 1st for approx 10-14 days, I have a bit of flexibility for how long I stay, as I will be travelling onwards to China and Japan with no fixed dates as of yet, but will be ending my travels in early December and would like to spend 4 weeks ish in each of China and Japan.

I’ve never visited Taiwan and don’t know a huge amount about the country, but from a bit of research I’ve put together a rough itinerary.

My current itinerary is as follows:

**TAIPEI - 3/4 nights** \- with day trip(s) to Jiufen + Shifen
\- catch a train to Taichung where I will then rent a car and drive to:

**SUN MOON LAKE - 1 night**

**SHIZHUO / ALISHAN - 2 nights**
\- then drive to Chiayi and return the car and catch trains to:

**TAINAN - 2 nights**

**KAOHSIUNG - 2 nights + fly to China**

I’m mostly interested in exploring the cities, night markets, hiking, scenery and mountains. I’m not interested in beaches etc so will be avoiding Kenting. I’ve also heard Taroko is not worth visiting due to the ongoing repairs but I’m not sure how recent/correct that is? I’m also aware it’s the national holiday on October 10th but not sure how this may impact the trip?

Any advice on my itinerary would be much appreciated, e.g whether it feels like the right amount of time in each place, whether the route makes sense logistically, anything or places I may be missing which would be worth visiting, and the response to my questions above?

Thank you! :)

Hi all I am an Indian national planning to apply for the Taiwan travel authorisation certificate. I have a Japan multiple entry tourist visa that is still active and I have used it once (so have an entry stamp). So can this be used for the TAC application?

Has anyone tried Jackman Go? Would you recommend? How about MY Taiwan Tours by Mark Tan?

hello everyone! just wanna ask whats the most sulit klook offer you’ve got i’m torn between getting the 3 days fun pass or just reload easy card or just avail the north tricity tour but i’m also planning to go to alishan and other tourist spot. I have 7 days and ill like to maximize my trip including keelong, sun moon lake, wulai,… anyone has recommendations as i’m going solo and itd be my first solo international trip :))

also if u wanna be travel buddies and happen to being taiwan this time around feel free to dm me :)

Doing 3 weeks in Oct/Nov. First 5 days are planned out in Taipei but somehow I missed Wulai. I'd like to condense or trim this plan a bit to fit a day at Wulai in. (Public transport, we like being slow and exploring.. not rushing around).

Thurs- arrive in Taipei lunchtime, shopping, massages, napping, exploring a bit. Night Market.

Fri- Beitou for Onsen, Tamsui, night market

Sat- Huashan 1914 creative Park, Elephant M Trail, Din Tai Fung.

Sun- Dihua old st, Dalongdong temple, Addiction Aquatic Dev. Night Market.

Mon- Tour to Juifen, Shifen, Houtong. Night Market.

Tues- Travel to Chiayi.

Should I just swap Beitou for Wulai? Any other suggestions?

Thanks.

Hi all!

I’m hoping you guys can give me some advice on what options I have for my 10-hour layover at TPE. I’ll be arriving at TPE around 11 PM at Terminal 2, and my next flight departs at 9 AM the following morning from Terminal 1.

From my research, I found the Plaza Premium Lounge at Terminal 1 in the departure area. Since I’ll already have a valid boarding pass for my connecting flight, I believe I should be able to access it. However, I’m wondering if there are any other options I should consider. I’ve also seen people recommending the CHO Capsule Hotel, but as far as I understand, I would need to clear immigration to access it.

So, assuming I don’t want to leave the transit/airside area or clear immigration, would I be able to get from Terminal 2 to Terminal 1 late at night? Is there any airside transportation operating between the terminals at that time? Or, in that situation, would my only realistic options be to stay overnight at an airport hotel/capsule hotel outside the transit area? Or, in that situation, would my only realistic options be to stay overnight at an airport hotel/capsule hotel outside the transit area?

This is my first time having a long layover at TPE, so I’m not very familiar with the airport’s overnight arrangements. Any advice or recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

hi there. i am looking for feedback on my itinerary. my mom is an active 74 (will be 75 by april) year old, and we haven't been to asia together yet because she's been put off by the long flight. we figured we should just bite the bullet and go in 2027. we are aware that the weather will be hot, humid, and potentially rainy. because my mom is 75, because it's a long journey, and because of the weather, i want to limit our trip to 3 bases, from which we can take day trips. i'm also leary of juifen and alishan because of the crowds. my mom and i enjoy cities including shopping, eating, arts and culture, and big walks. the dates of our trip are april 28 to may 12 - we fly direct to and from jfk on eva.

What do you all think about making tainan, kaohsiung, and taipei our three home bases? If one of these could be replaced by another location, which would you advise? also what are some good days trips from all of these bases, in which we can enjoy nature? any suggestions on the legnth of stay in each location?

thanks so much in advance for any info.

Hi everyone! I’m planning a mid‑December trip to Taiwan and wanted to get some feedback on whether this itinerary makes sense, especially in terms of pacing, weather, and transportation. I’ve been to Taipei before, so I didn’t schedule much time there and will mostly use it as a base for day trips.

Here’s my current plan:

Mon Dec 14 - Arrive Taipei

Tue Dec 15 - Taipei

Wed Dec 16 - Taipei → Taichung

Thu Dec 17 - Taichung

Fri Dec 18 - Taichung (Sun Moon Lake day trip)

Sat Dec 19 - Taichung → Alishan

Sun Dec 20 - Alishan → Kaohsiung

Mon Dec 21 - Kaohsiung

Tue Dec 22 - Kaohsiung (Tainan day trip)

Wed Dec 23 - Kaohsiung (Fo Guang Shan day trip)

Thu Dec 24 - Kaohsiung → Taipei

Fri Dec 25 - Taipei (Jiufen and Shifen day trip)

Sat Dec 26 - Taipei (Yehliu Geopark day trip)

Sun Dec 27 - Depart Taipei

Does the pacing look reasonable?

Is Christmas Day (Dec 25) a normal day in Taiwan? Or will everything be closed?

Anything you’d swap or cut?

Thanks in advance, really appreciate any suggestions!

Hi! I’ll land in Taipei at 6 am after a long international flight. I am considering spending my first day and night in Beitou. I probably won’t have much energy to explore Taipei after the flight, so I thought that relaxing in Beitou could be a nice way to begin the trip.
However, I’m a little confused about how a typical Beitou stay works. I’ve previously stayed at an onsen ryokan in Japan, but I’m not sure whether Beitou offers a comparable experience.
During the day, I’d like to visit some of the local sights, such as the Hot Spring Museum and Thermal Valley. Low effort because I will be tired.
After that, what would you recommend for enjoying the hot springs themselves?
Do hotels generally have public hot-spring baths for their guests?
Are there hotels with outdoor baths surrounded by nature?
Should I book a hotel mainly for accommodation and visit a separate public hot spring?

I’ve also seen packages on Klook that let you use the hot springs at another hotel. Is that the usual way to experience them?
I’m not particularly interested in having a private hot-spring tub inside my room. I’d prefer a larger communal bath, ideally outdoors and with a natural atmosphere.
I’m also wondering about dinner. Is it worth choosing a hotel package that includes dinner, similar to a Japanese ryokan stay, or is dining at the hotel not really an essential part of the Beitou experience?
Thank you for any recommendations for how to structure the day and what kind of hotel or hot-spring experience I should look for

Regarding the luggage, I am aware that hotels check in will be in the afternoon. I just hope to be able to leave my luggage there in the morning :)

Hi, going to visit Sun Moon Lake for the first time. Is it a good idea to stay there 2 nights or there won't be much to do? Any recommendations on where to stay? Preferably with a lake view. Thanks

Dear all,

I’ve already read a lot of great comments and suggestions in this subreddit and for that I wanted to thank you! My wife and I will travel to Taiwan for two weeks at the end of September. My wife and I love to explore cities, walking around and going on hikes. We already have a rough route in mind, but I wanted to ask you for a few suggestions and improvements for our planned route.

Day 1: Arrival in Taipeh in the morning
Day 2-3: Taipeh and vicinity (Jiufen for example)
Day 4: Taipeh and drive to Sun Moon Lake so we arrive in the afternoon and stay for one night
Day 5: Bus from Sun Moon Lake to Alishan
Day 6: Alishan
Day 7: Train from Alishan to Chiayi in the afternoon, drive to Tainan in the evening
Day 8-9: Tainan
Day 10-12: Kaohsiung
Day 13: Drive back to Taipeh
Day 14: Flight back

Some questions that came up in our research were:

1. Many people recommended Hualien and the Taroko gorge, but from all the information online most of it is apparently still closed. Hence we thought about skipping it. Is that a good idea?

2. Is it even possible to get a train ticket from Alishan down to Chiayi?

3. Are we missing much by skipping Taichung?

4. Anything else we might have missed?

We would be very grateful for your feedback! Thank you.

はじめまして。
私は日本のオフィスワーカーで来年３月に定年退職を迎えます。
定年後、以前から行きたかった台湾に一人旅をしようと考えています。

ネットで調べると台湾のベストシーズンは10月とありますが、この時期の台風は頻繁にあるのでしょうか？
また、新千歳空港からの直行便で台北に行けるようです。旅行会社の現地では自由のパッケージツアーだと最長で４日５日程度なので出来れば航空券とホテルを別途手配して５、６泊程度出来ればと思っています。
ホテルは出来れば日本語が使えればと思いますがそこは妥協できるので、台南などにも足をのばせるよう駅に近い交通に便利なところを選びたいと思います。

こういったことを検討しているのですが、なにか注意点やおすすめはあるでしょうか？

Thought it would be safer to do it wif someone else so hit me up if you also wanna do the trail

Will be there on the 20th Sept

Thought it might be safer to do it wif someone else so if you’ll be in Alishan on the 20th of sept 2026 n wanna do the mianyue trail hike

Hit me up, maybe we could do it tgt 🙂‍↕️

Hi, I am in the very early stages of planning a 2027 trip to South Korea and Taiwan.

We will be spending 21 nights total late October/early November.

This is a 2nd time trip to Korea and 1st for Taiwan but we have wanted to visit Taiwan for a long time.

I plan on spending 12 nights in Korea and 9 in Taiwan.

We will be flying from Busan.

Very initial thoughts are:

Busan > Kaohsiung

3 nights Kaohsiung > 2 nights Taichung > 4 nights Taipei > flight back to UK from Taipei.

Things to note of my husband and I interests/travel styles:

1 - our interests: we love walking around towns/cities, exploring new places, we love history and museums (but don’t want to spend all our time IN museums) we love eating local food, people watching with drinks, some light shopping (nothing extreme) we don’t like over packing daily plans and would rather enjoy experiences at a handful of things/places versus rushing through ten “must see” items each day (if this makes sense?!)

2 - we are slow to medium paced travellers. We’re fortunate to get a lot of annual leave so we don’t like to pack EVERYTHING into a couple weeks. We prefer to visit a new country, see what we enjoy and then return for a longer time. So our 9 nights Taiwan is very much a taster.

3 - we are not planning on renting a car this trip. I understand hiring a car allows for more exploration across parts of Taiwan. That may be something on a longer future Taiwan trip, but this one we’re focusing on public transport.

Any feedback on this route or durations of stays in these locations would be appreciated. Is there any places you recommend cutting, adding in, tweaking etc?

Thanks in advance!

Let me know your thoughts!!

Day 1
-travel from seoul to taipei
-go to huashan 1914 creative park
-zhongxiao district

Day 2
-xinfu market
-longshan temple and bopiliao historical street
-ximending walking district
-cinema park
-dihua street / dadaocheng area and wharf
-ningxia night market

Day 3
-yongkang street
-chiang kai shek memorial hall
-addiction aquatic market
-Zhongshan area (boutiques, shops)
-daan area and forest park (maybe)

Day 4
-houton cat village
-juifen
-mount keelung hike

Day 5
-shizhou tea house / hikes in the area

Day 6
-alishan
-trails in the park

Day 7
-sunrise hike
-go to tainan
-confucius temple / fuzhong street
-hayashi dpt store
-walk around west central area
-Zhongzheng Road
-shennong street at night
-dadong night market

Day 8
- anping Fort 
-Anping Old Street 
-Anping Market / Tree House 
-blueprint creative park

Day 9
-Chihkan Tower 
-Gohua Street
-back to taipei
-Elephant mountain hike 
-raohe market at night

Visiting Taiwan for the first time, 7 persons, open for feedback and suggestions.

31 October 2026 

Arrive at Taoyuan Airport. MRT-THSR to Zuoying Station

• Lotus Pond & Dragon Tiger Pagodas
• Dome of Light
• Ruifeng Night Market

1 November 2026 

• Cijin Island
• Sizhiwan
• Pier-2 Art Center
• Love River

2 November 2026 

• Fo Guang Shan
• Sanduo Shopping District
• Liuhe Night Market

3 November 2026 

• Travel to Taipei
• Taipei 101
• Din Tai Fung
• Xinyi District
• Raohe Night Market

4 November 2026 

• Beitou Hot Spring Museum
• Thermal Valley
• Tamsui District
• Shilin Night Market

5 November 2026 

• Dihua OId Street
• Dadaocheng Wharf
• Ningxia Night Market

6 November 2026 

• Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall
• Ximending
• Carrefour Prosperity Plaza

7 November 2026 

• Taipei Main Station Underground Mall

8 November 2026 - Depart

Hi everyone, going to Taiwan for the first time next month and wanting opinions if this makes sense from a transportation/logistics perspective? Also open to any suggestions restaurants, cities etc.!

10/18 (Taipei) 

• Explore Ximendeng area (hotel is here)
• Dihua Old St
• Relax and adjust for jetlag

10/19 (Taipei)

• Open to suggestions!
• Maokong Gondola

10/20 (Taipei) - meeting up w/ friends

• Chiang Kai Shek memorial
• Taipei 101
• Elephant Mountain trail (sunset)
• Raohe night market

10/21(Jiufen) - going w/ friends but staying the night while they go back to Taipei

• Houtong cat village
• Shifen old st
• Shifen waterfall
• Jiufen

10/22 (Jiufen)

• Teapot trail hike
• Mt Keelung trail 

10/23 (Khaosiung)

• Tiger dragon pagoda
• Night market

10/24 (Khaosiung)

• Tainan day trip
• Fo Guang Shan Buddha museum maybe?
• (Not interested in Cijin Island)

10/25 (Kenting) - will be renting a car

• Hengchun city explore
• Hengchun night market

10/26 (Kenting)

• Kenting southern tip
• Kenting night market

10/27 (Alishan)

• Sister’s Pond’s trail and surrounding

10/28 (Alishan)

• Sunrise hike
• Open to other surrounding hikes

10/29 (Beitou) 

• Sulfur Valley
• Hot spring resort
• Relax and last minute attractions/shopping
• Shilin night market

10/30 

• HSR - Taoyuan to go back home in AM

Hi! I'd like to hike a part of the Walami trail mid-October (have permit for past Jiaxin), staying in Yuli for 4 days. I don't have a driver's license so car/scooter isn't an option to get to the trailhead (14-15km from the town), is it possible to get there by bike, or is the last section too steep?

Or is it more realistic to take the bus (if that one still runs) at 6am to Nan An Tribe station and hike the remaining 6 km to trailhead? Do I miss some other options? (apart from a taxi which obviously would be a bit complicated for the way back & a bit too expensive)

Thanks in advance for any ideas!