Taipei, Taiwan: Bucket List & Day-Trip Travel Guide
Welcome to Taipei, the capital of Taiwan! I had the pleasure of visiting this cosmopolitan city in April of 2023. While we used the downtown city as our base camp, we visited lots of sights and villages around Taiwan, venturing as far as Taroko National Park, 3.5 hours away by train. This itinerary is for 5 full days around Taipei plus a day trip to Taroko. Hope you enjoy this Taipei, Taiwan bucket list!
We will be walking a lot in Taipei but for those who prefer a less-active pace, Taipei has a super-efficient bus and metro system. Even better, they have amazing non-commuter lines for venturing outside of city limits. The 7-11 stores in the city are not only the best place to buy metro cards with fun designs on them, but they also have amazing lunch options.
Day 1
We’re starting our tour of Taipei with a bang, exploring the highlight-packed eastern side of the city. I suggest that you stay near the Taipei Main Station as traveling everywhere will be a thousand times easier.
(1) Botanical Gardens
The Botanical Gardens in Taipei are a relaxing oasis right in the heart of the city. It spans over 15 hectares and hosts 1,500 plant species, making it the best destination to start your morning. With lily ponds, gazebos, gardens, and more, it’s possible to spend hours inside of the Botanical Gardens, but there’s a lot more to see in Taipei!
(2) Bopiliao Historical Block
Next, head to Bopiliao Historical Block, a well-preserved district that showcases heritage and historical architecture. Walk down the narrow streets and admire the buildings from the Qing Dynasty.
(3) Lungshan Temple
Luangshan Temple is one of the oldest temples in Taipei, dating back to 1738. It is dedicated to the Buddhist goddess of mercy as well as other deities. This was the first temple that I visited in an East Asian country, and needless to say, I was floored by its beauty and the countless gentle worshipers that it attracts.
(4) Rainbow Road and Ximending
Unlike the destination in Mario Kart, this Rainbow Road doesn’t have go-karts scooting around! Instead, this pedestrian crosswalk painted like a rainbow is the heart of Ximending, Taipei’s famous lively shopping neighborhood. You’ll feel like you’ve been transported right into the streets of Tokyo. Time to add Japan to your Taipei, Taiwan bucket list.
(5) Dihua Street
Now we’re heading to Dihua Street, a vibrant street from the 19th century. It’s known for its traditional shops and is a must-see for all your tea and incense shopping needs.
(6) Bao’an Temple
The Bao’an Temple is a Taiwanese folk religion temple that was founded in 1760 and hosts a yearly folk arts festival from April to June. Taiwanese temples are incredibly welcoming and allow everyone through their gates to explore.
(7) Taipei Confucius Temple
Before you rest for the day, finish up with one last stop at the Taipei Confucius Temple, located right across the street from Bao’an. Built during the Qing era, this temple was modeled after the Confucius Temple in East China. You won’t get sick of seeing temples, and feel free to add more to your Taipei, Taiwan bucket list!
Day 2
(8) Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
Today’s exploration starts in Liberty Square, a site for public gatherings and home to three landmarks. The National Theater is on the south side, the National Concert Hall on the north, and on the east end is the impressive Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in honor of this former president of the Republic of China.
(9) Da’an Forest Park
After marveling at impressive architecture, head to Da’an Forest Park, a beautiful retreat in the heart of Taipei City. Take some time to bird watch, people watch, and wish you were a retiree biking along its paths. Plus, if you’re coming from somewhere like the United States, you’ll be amazed by the plentiful public bathrooms and water fountains for your enjoyment.
(10) Da’an District
After emerging from Da’an Forest Park, you’ll notice that the Da’an District is a lot more upbeat than the relaxing urban forest. The district is known for being home to major educational institutions and night markets. The Da’an District has a younger crowd and you certainly won’t have a hard time finding a coffee shop to sit down at should you need to do some work.
(11) Taipei 101
You may have spotted this 508 meter tall skyscraper by now. Taipei 101 held the record as the world’s tallest building from 2004 until 2010, when the Burj Khalifa in Dubai took its place. The shopping center surrounding Taipei 101 is worth a visit as locals frequent the mall to get their unique clothing. While you may want to pay a hefty sum to visit Taipei 101’s observatory, activity #15 (on Day 4), will offer a great view of the skyscraper for free!
Day 3
Today, we’re taking a day trip to do some hiking! From the Taipei Main Station area, it takes about 2 buses to get to our first stop.
(12) Yangminshan National Park
Yangminshan National Park is a fantastic place to take a step away from the bustling crowd of downtown Taipei and relax in nature. Please note, however, that you definitely need to do trail research before you come. Don’t do as we did and take the bus to the visitor center expecting most main trails to stem out from there.
We ended up doing the Shamaoshan Hiking Trail which was about a 2 mile stair-heavy hike up a viewpoint and back down on the other side. It was fun but certainly wouldn’t have been our first choice if we had researched ahead of time and knew the right bus stop! If you’re lucky like we were, you might even spot a monkey. Check out this other fantastic blog on trail ideas here.
(13) Beitou Public Hot Spring
There’s nothing better than sitting in a spa after a long hike. Beitou Public Hot Spring is on the way back to Taipei City from Yangminshan. While there are private and exclusive options in the area, we had a great time visiting the public hot spring, and it only cost us around 5 USD. The facilities include showers, a cold pool, and multiple hot pools. Women should note that bikinis and revealing swimsuits are not allowed. I hadn’t packed a one-piece on vacation so I purchased a swim dress with a matching cap for 5 USD as well!
(14) Shilin Night Market
The final stop of the day to unwind is a night market. We hit Shilin because of its proximity to the Beitou Hot Spring and had a blast trying all of the local foods. While Shilin is a great night market option, other great stops include Linjiang Night Market and Raohe Night Market, but both are located a bit far from Beitou and are best for another evening.
Day 4
(15) Elephant Mountain
What’s a better way to start the day than climbing up hundreds of stairs? Despite what the name suggests, Elephant Mountain is more of a hill and has a hiking distance of about 1.5 km to the top viewpoint. Once up, the views of Taipei 101 and the wider city are unbeatable.
(16) Yehliu Geopark
Yehliu Geopark is a unique half-day trip, located about 1.5 hours away by bus. This destination is riddled with rock formations, and even if you aren’t a big geology fan, walking around the seafront of this cape is a beautiful experience. Don’t forget to check out the famous “Queen’s Head”, and she sure does live up to her name!
Day 5
On Day 5, we are visiting 3 villages outside of Taipei City, starting with Jiufen – which is the furthest away – and working our way back from there.
(17) Jiufen
I’d like to immediately start with a caveat about Jiufen. Although it is an incredibly famous village known for its narrow alleyways, teahouses, and great views of the mountainside, I found Jiufen to be very overwhelming with all the masses of people. We didn’t stop in any shops or restaurants due to the staggering crowds and spent far less time than we expected to. While we did walk along a cute and quieter street, we found the experience to be overall very stressful.
(18) Houtong Cat Village
Next, head to the wonderful Houtong Cat Village. Due to the odd public transit placement, we actually took an Uber to this village, and it ended up being around 10 USD for 20 minutes. Very worth it. As can be gathered, the Houtong Cat Village is known for its astounding cat population in this old mining town where cats far outnumber humans. It’ll be hard to count how many cats you run into.
(19) Shifen
In a very honest opinion, I would suggest skipping the crowds of Jiufen and visiting Shifen instead. There are tons of attractions in this village, and I wish we had spent more time there. The train passes right through the center street, and it’s exciting to feel like you can almost touch it. Large groups can enjoy decorating and sending off their own lanterns, and about a 40 minute walk from the center is what makes Shifen even more well-known: the waterfalls. These impressive waterfalls are well-worth an addition to your Taipei, Taiwan bucket list.
(20) Addiction Aquatic Development
The name of this restaurant certainly is unique, and it’s one of the most quintessential meals you can have in Taipei. Addiction Aquatic Development is a seafood market and restaurant complex. You can purchase live crabs from water tanks or sit down for an elegant hot pot meal. I personally suggest grabbing fresh sushi from the market and sitting outside on their patio.
Day 6
(21) Taroko National Park
This is a big last day! This day trip to Taroko National Park of course is optional as it technically isn’t a bucket list item for Taipei City. However, if you have an extra day in the region, consider doing a hike in this national park! You won’t regret the sights of the valley. From Taipei City, it takes about 3.5 hours via a direct train, and a bus from the train station will take you straight to the park.
Taroko National Park is organized (naturally) very well! There is one central road that the bus drives down, and all along the side of the road are the trailheads. Make sure to pick your desired trail before boarding the bus.
We did the Shakadang Trail because we wanted a long but not treacherous journey. It’s about 5 miles round trip and if you walk back to the Visitor’s Center, you’ll get a total mileage of 7 miles! Don’t forget to get that 7-11 meal before your hike.
And that’s all for this Taipei, Taiwan bucket list and travel guide! Interested in adding more to your Asia itinerary? Check out my Asia Travel Guides.
Happy sampling!