Taiwan packs a great deal into an island the size of Tasmania. This page groups it by region so you can see what a week or ten days actually covers, then points you to the tours page when you are ready to book.
Taipei and the north
Taipei is where every trip starts and the city most people under-allow for. Three days is the sensible minimum: one for the National Palace Museum and the Taipei 101 district, one for the old town around Dihua Street and Longshan Temple with a night market to finish, and one for the day trips — Jiufen’s tea houses on the hillside, the Yehliu geological park, or Beitou’s hot springs on the MRT line. The city’s night markets (Shilin, Raohe, Ningxia) are the country’s food culture in one place and are the single thing visitors remember.
Taroko Gorge and the east coast
Taroko is the reason many people book Taiwan: a marble canyon carved by the Liwu River, with walking trails cut into the cliff and tunnels blasted through it. Hualien, the gateway town, is two hours from Taipei by train. Note that the April 2024 Hualien earthquake closed a number of Taroko trails and some remain restricted — we check the current park notice for every itinerary rather than assuming. South of Hualien the Highway 11 coast road runs between the mountains and the Pacific to Taitung, and is the best cycling and driving country on the island.
Sun Moon Lake and Alishan
Sun Moon Lake, in the centre of the island, is Taiwan’s largest lake and the country’s honeymoon and cycling destination — a 30 km lakeside loop, temples on the shore, boat crossings and the Thao indigenous village at Ita Thao. Alishan, further south and higher, is the mountain forest reserve reached by a narrow-gauge railway, with sunrise viewpoints above a sea of cloud and tea plantations on the road up. The two combine well: Taichung by HSR, a day and a night at the lake, then the bus or a private car to Alishan.
Tainan and Kaohsiung
Tainan was the capital for two centuries and is the island’s food and temple city — Anping Fort and the Dutch-era tree house, Chihkan Tower, and a street-food culture (danzai noodles, coffin bread, milkfish) that Taiwanese people travel specifically for. Kaohsiung, 40 minutes further south, is the harbour city: the Pier-2 art district, Lotus Pond’s dragon-and-tiger pagodas, and the ferry to Cijin island for seafood. Both are on the HSR, so a day in each from Taichung or as the end of a north-to-south loop.
By interest
Food and night markets
Beef noodle soup, xiaolongbao at the original Din Tai Fung, oyster omelettes, bubble tea in the city that invented it. Night markets in every town.
- Shilin and Raohe, Taipei
- Fengjia, Taichung
- Tainan street food
- Mild by Asian standards
Hot springs
Beitou on the Taipei MRT, Wulai in the hills, Jiaoxi on the north-east coast and Guanziling’s mud springs in the south.
- Public and private baths
- Year-round
- Best in the cool months
- Ryokan-style stays
Cycling
Taiwan builds bikes for the world and rides them at home. The Sun Moon Lake loop, the east coast and the full round-island route.
- Giant rental network
- Sun Moon Lake 30 km loop
- Highway 11 east coast
- Round-island in 9 days
Tea country
High-mountain oolong from Alishan and Lishan, tea houses in Jiufen and Maokong, and plantations you can walk through.
- Maokong gondola, Taipei
- Alishan tea road
- Pinglin tea museum
- Buy from the grower
Questions we get asked
How many days do you need in Taiwan?
Seven days covers Taipei, Taroko Gorge and Sun Moon Lake at a comfortable pace. Ten to twelve adds Alishan, Tainan and Kaohsiung and lets you do the east coast properly. The high-speed rail makes the west coast fast; the east is slower and better for it.
Is Taiwan good for older travellers?
Very. It is safe, clean, orderly, has excellent public transport, step-free MRT stations, English signage in Taipei and the HSR, and a food culture that is mild by Asian standards. The gorge and mountain walks have flat options.
When is the best time to visit Taiwan?
October to December and March to April. Summer is hot, humid and typhoon season (July–September); winter is mild in Taipei but grey and damp. Cherry blossom is late February to March in the mountains, and Alishan’s sea of clouds is best in the cool months.
Do Australians need a visa for Taiwan?
No — Australians enter visa-free for up to 90 days on a passport valid for six months. Check Smartraveller before travel for any change.
Where this leads
Blog attracts, things to do informs, tours convert — in that order.