Taiwan

Taiwan, in a few days

From Taipei and its 101 tower to the marble cliffs of Taroko and on to Sun Moon Lake, by train: the map, what is worth booking, everything that costs nothing, and where to sleep at three budgets.

Day by day

1

Taipei

Days 1-3

A capital of night markets and temples under the 508-metre Taipei 101. The hot springs of Beitou are on the metro, and the hill village of Jiufen is an hour away.

🎟️ Worth booking

• Taipei 101 observatory1h · from €18
  The lift to the 89th floor, in the tower that was the tallest in the world from 2004 to 2010.
• Night market and Beitou hot springsEvening · from €15
  A soak in the sulphur springs of Beitou, reached by metro, then dinner at a night market.

✦ Free to visit

• Longshan Temple
• Ximending
• Jiufen, the lantern-lit hill village
• Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall

📲 Book things to do in Taipei on GetYourGuide

2

Taroko Gorge

Days 4-5 · 🚆 Train 2h

A marble gorge cut by the Liwu River, the heart of Taroko National Park. The April 2024 earthquake closed much of it: some trails have reopened, others will stay shut until around 2031, so check the park's website before you go.

🎟️ Worth booking

• Guided hike in the marble gorgeFull day · from €25
  A day on the trails that have reopened since the earthquake, with a guide who knows which ones are open and safe.
• Eternal Spring Shrine and the cliff trailsHalf day · from €10
  The shrine's own trail stays closed until around 2029, so you see it from the highway. The rest of the half day goes to whichever cliffside paths are open.

✦ Free to visit

• The marble cliffs
• The turquoise river
• Shakadang Trail (closed until around 2031)
• The tunnels cut through the rock

📲 Book things to do in Taroko Gorge on GetYourGuide

3

Sun Moon Lake

Days 6-7 · 🚆 Train + bus 4h

The largest lake in Taiwan, in the mountains at the centre of the island and home to the Thao people. A cycle path, temples and boats link its shores.

🎟️ Worth booking

• Around the lake by bike and boatFull day · from €20
  Part of the shore on the cycle path, the rest by boat between the piers of Shuishe, Ita Thao and Xuanguang.
• Ropeway and the Aboriginal culture villageHalf day · from €18
  A cable car over the ridge to the Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village, part theme park, part museum of the island's indigenous peoples.

✦ Free to visit

• The emerald water of the lake
• Wenwu Temple
• Ci'en Pagoda
• The lakeside trails

📲 Book things to do in Sun Moon Lake on GetYourGuide

Worth sorting before you go

High-speed rail and local trains · The THSR runs down the west coast, Taipei to Taichung in under an hour, with a bus on to Sun Moon Lake. For Taroko, take a regular TRA train down the east coast to Hualien.

📶 eSIM data
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly

🛡️ Travel insurance
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta

🚗 Car hire
Compare the agencies before you land.
Compare · Booking

💳 Fee-free card
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut

🚐 Airport transfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer

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Flavours & local habits

🍽️ Worth tasting

• Beef noodle soup: braised beef in a dark, spiced broth, the dish Taipei argues about most.
• Xiaolongbao: steamed soup dumplings, bitten carefully because of the hot broth inside.
• Bubble tea: milk tea with tapioca pearls, invented in Taiwan in the 1980s.
• Gua bao: a folded steamed bun around braised pork belly, peanut powder and coriander.
• Night market food: sausages, oyster omelette and stinky tofu, which tastes far milder than it smells.

⚠️ Best avoided

• Get an EasyCard on arrival: it pays for the metro, buses, local trains and convenience stores.
• Typhoons can hit in summer and early autumn: keep a spare day and watch the forecast.
• Keep your voice down in temples, and queue in line for the metro, where people wait either side of the doors.
• Carry small notes and coins for the night markets, where cards are rarely taken.
• Check the Taroko trail status before you go: many paths are still closed after the 2024 earthquake.

Words that help

English ↔ Mandarin

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The practical page

Scan to open this guide online, always up to date.
https://offwegooo.com/en/guides/taiwan

Packing checklist

Have a good trip.
Guide made on offwegooo.com · Photos via Pexels · Details are indicative, check before you leave.