Best time to visit Taiwan
The best time to visit Taiwan is from March-May and Sept-Nov when it’s less humid and the weather is more mild. The summer months can be brutally hot and humid which could lead to an unpleasant trip. We went in May, and aside from one very hot hiking day, the weather was perfect.
- Visa Info: If you are a U.S citizen, Taiwan does not require a visa as long as your stay is less than 90 days. If you are not a U.S citizen, please check this website to see your country’s specific requirements.
How to travel around Taiwan
Taiwan has amazing public transportation (trains (MRT), buses and taxis) so you won’t need a car there. When you arrive at the airport, you can take the airport express train into Taipei. You can purchase a single way train ticket from an automated ticket machine at the airport before you enter the train station. You can also purchase a transit card (Easy Card) that you can load with cash at 7/11 or any convenience store.
- Currency: Taiwan’s currency is the New Taiwan Dollar (NTD).
4 Days in Taiwan
Here is our itinerary for a quick 4 day trip to Taiwan. This is the perfect amount of time to explore Taipei and the surrounding area. However, there’s so much more to Taiwan that we would have loved to see, especially if you’re interested in leaving the city to spend some time in nature. Taiwan has 9 unique national parks, and while we were only able to visit one of them, we had to save the rest for another time. If you do have plans to visit a national park, like the more popular Toroko National Park, make sure to check this website ahead of time to make sure the trails and roads are open to visitors. (When we were making plans to go there we learned that many of the trails were closed from an earthquake)
Day 1: Arrive in Taiwan; Explore Ximending
Where we stayed: Via Hotel Taipei Station
We arrived in Taipei around 9pm after taking the airport express train from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport. The train ride to the hotel took about 50 minutes. We chose to stay at the Via Hotel due to it’s excellent price, quiet surroundings and it was only about 0.5 miles from the train station. It was also within walking distance to the Ximending shopping district. The hotel also provides free snacks, coffee, and filtered water, which was a pleasant surprise.
Activity:
- While it was already getting late, we opted for a quick and easy dinner at McDonalds, which hit the spot after a busy day of traveling. One of the more popular items on the menu is their corn soup, which we regret not trying!
- We spent the rest of the night walking around the Ximending area and checking out our surroundings. The great thing about Taiwan (and most countries in Asia) is the ability to feel completely safe walking around at night.
Day 2: Jiufen Old Street; hike; Raohe Night Market
We woke up early and took an uber to the mountain village of Jiufen which is known for it’s small alleyways, famous teahouses, and traditional food. It also has a striking resemblance to the village in the Studio Ghibli movie, Spirited Away. (You’ll walk by many gift shops selling Spirited Away trinkets) You can also get to Jiufen just by using public transport, but it gets extremely crowded here during the afternoon with a lot of tour buses stopping here, so we wanted to beat the rush.
Things to note:
-You can take a taxi/Uber, a tourist bus, or a public bus and train to get to and from the town. Google maps is very helpful in determining how to get here.
-Since it gets so crowded here, we suggest trying to go on a weekday rather than the weekend. Another good idea is to come in the late afternoon after the buses clear out to enjoy the lanterns in the evening.
-Start with some traditional local tea at A-Mei Teahouse. The views are beautiful overlooking the ocean from the hillside and you can partake in a traditional tea ceremony. (There is a minimum charge of NTD 350 per person.)
-Spend some time walking around the alleyways and trying new food. We heard the village is beautiful at night with the red lanterns lit up, sadly we had to make it to our next activity.
Hike up Teapot Mountain
The area around Jiufen is mountainous and lush, and within these mountains are some great day hikes with picturesque views. It’s a great way to escape the hustle and bustle of the town and be alone for a few hours.
From Jiufen, we hopped on the bus and got off at the Quanji Temple. This is where you can find the start of Teapot Mountain trailhead. There’s a few different ways to do this hike, including walking up a service road.
Things to note:
-If you go during the warmer months make sure to bring plenty of water as there are parts of the hike without cover.
-The trail is well maintained and hiking equipment is not necessary.
Raohe Night Market
The Raohe Night Market is a huge outdoor market of street food stalls that you definitely don’t want to miss. Although it can get crowded (adding to the experience), there is a wide variety of delicious Taiwanese snacks to try. Not only that, but everything is extremely affordable. Some items we’d recommend: The black pepper buns located in the beginning of the market at Fuzhou Ancestor Pepper Pie, a ramen omelette (Anthony’s favorite), and a chocolate banana crepe.
Day 3: Yangmingshan National Park; Dinner at Lao Shandong; Ximending Walking District
If you’re short on time and want to experience some of the beautiful nature Taiwan has to offer, Yangmingshan National Park would be a great option as it’s the most accessible national park in Taiwan and it’s only about a 30 min drive outside of Taipei. It’s also the only park in Taiwan with volcanic activity and hot springs.
Things to note:
-You can take public transportation to the park- the 260 bus from Taipei Main Station or the Red 30 or 208 from Jiantan MRT Station. These buses will drop you off at Yangmingshan bus station and it will be a short walk to the visitor center.
-The park is free to enter, but if you’re driving you might have to pay a parking fee.
-It can get pretty busy on the weekends so it’s best to go during the weekday.
-Bring plenty of water especially if you plan to hike.
-If you’re looking for an easy walk-the Qingtiangang Loop Trail offers great views and pleasant scenery.
-If you are looking for something slightly longer, we suggest starting at the Lengshuikeng rest stop and taking the Lengshuikeng trail to Qingtiangang trail to end at the grasslands-along the way there is a suspension bridge. Doing it this way ensures you are able to catch a bus at the end because everyone boards at the Qingtiangang stop.
-If you want to combine Lengshuikeng with other popular places. like the Xiaoyouken Fumarole (volcanic area), make sure to check the bus routes. The road from Xiaoyouken to Lengshuikeng for example is one way, so it takes double the amount of time to go from Lengshuikeng to Xiaoyouken then it does to do the opposite.
Dinner at Lao Shandong Homemade Noodles
This 70 year old handmade noodle restaurant is on the Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand Restaurants list, which lists amazing restaurants that don’t cost more than NTD 1,000. After a long day of hiking, this place really hit the spot. There is usually a line to get in but the food was so flavorful and filling. We highly recommend the beef noodle soup and the sesame noodles.
Ximending Walking District
Head to Ximending Walking District after dinner-It is a lively pedestrian only zone where you’ll find cafes, arcades, tourist shops, food stalls, and department stores. Even if you don’t plan on doing any of that, it’s fun just to walk around and take in the sights.
Day 4: Explore Dihua Old Street; Ningxia Night Market
The last day we took some time wondering around central Taipei and exploring Dihua Old Street, the oldest street in Taipei with sections dating back to 1624. There are some interesting shops you can check out (lot’s of tea shops) and the historic architecture is unique as well. On the way there we stopped by Lin’s Wagashi Confectionary to try some delicious pineapple cake.
Ningxia Night Market
We then went to the Ningxia Night Market which was amazing but a little smaller than Raohe with less options. If you’re in the area it’s definitely worth checking out. While there we highly recommend a stop at Taiwanese Burrito. We tried the chicken burrito and it was one of the best things we had on our trip. It was so good that we went back to get another.
Conclusion
Our four days in Taiwan were an absolute whirlwind in the best way possible. From the sweeping, lush views along the Teapot Mountain trail to the bustling, lantern-lit alleys of Jiufen and the unforgettable street food at the night markets, Taipei and its surrounding areas completely won us over even though it feels like we only scratched the surface.
We can’t wait to come back to visit the remaining national parks and the vast stretches of nature outside of the city limits, not to mention eat more of the delicious food.