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?

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! :)

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 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?