Before Day 1. The main airport is out in Taoyuan, so the first ride is a train, a bus or a taxi into the city.Details
From the airport
An airport train line runs to the main station in the city, and buses and taxis go to most districts. Allow extra time after a late landing, and carry a little local cash for the first ride.
Getting around
The metro, buses and city bikes all take one rechargeable transit card, which also works in convenience stores. Get one at the airport or on your phone and tap in and out. Eating and drinking are not allowed on the metro, and signs are in English too.
Where to stay
Near Taipei Main Station or in Datong puts you close to the old streets and the day-trip trains. Daan and Xinyi are quieter and closer to Day 2. A hotel in Beitou has a hot spring close by but is a longer ride from the rest. Pick a spot near a metro station.
First evening
Walk the lanes near your room, eat something small from a night market stall and sleep early. Day 1 starts at Longshan Temple, which is calmest in the morning.
Day 1. Shifen and the Pingxi line and Jiufen and Jinguashi
4 stops · 38.6 km
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
1
MorningWorth the time
Shifen Old Street
A street where trains run through the middle of the shops on a small branch line. Visitors write wishes on large paper lanterns, and stalls sell snacks. Step well aside when a train comes, and check the local rules before you release a lantern.
Go whenMorning, before the street gets busy.
Local tip The tracks are a live railway, so step well aside when a train comes. Check the local rules before you release a lantern, and write your wish before you let go.
A broad, curtain-like waterfall in a wooded gorge, a walk from the old street along a path and across a suspension bridge. The flow depends on recent rain, and the stone is wet and slippery, so go carefully. Paths close in bad weather, so check ahead.
Go whenMidday, with the whole afternoon still ahead.
Local tip Go slowly on the wet path and the bridge. After heavy rain the paths can close, so check ahead.
The shops beside the tracks sell a quick lunch of grilled sausage, fried chicken, noodles or rice dishes, with a cold tea or a herbal drink. Eat them beside the line while you watch the lanterns go up.
Local tip Walk the street once before you buy. Peanuts, egg and soy turn up in many snacks, so ask first if you avoid them.
About 21 min by car or transit8.7 km
3
AfternoonWorth the time
Jiufen Old Street
A hill town that grew with a gold rush, now a tangle of narrow stair lanes, tea houses and lantern-lit shops above the sea. The lanes are packed at weekends and on holidays, and mist and rain are common, so the view down to the coast comes and goes. Wander the stairs and the side lanes.
Go whenLate afternoon, so you see the lanes by day and then as the lanterns come on, around sunset.
Local tip Mist and rain are common, so wear shoes with a grip and carry a light rain jacket. The lanes are crowded at weekends, so a weekday is calmer, and mind your footing on the steps.
A short, steep climb up stone steps and rocks above the Xinyi district to a ledge that looks across to the tower and the city. Popular near sunset. The view depends on cloud and haze, and the steps are slippery after rain, so wear shoes with a grip and carry water.
Go whenLate afternoon, so you are on the ledge before sunset.
Local tip Take water and shoes with a grip, since the steps and rocks are slippery after rain. The view depends on cloud and haze, so look at the sky before you start, and bring a torch if you will walk down after dark.
A big bowl of wheat noodles in a rich broth of slow-cooked beef, with tender chunks of meat and pickled greens on the side. A dish the city takes seriously, from red-braised and spicy to clear and mild.
Local tip Add the pickled greens a little at a time. Ask for a milder broth if you do not like heat, and tell the staff about any allergy, since soy and wheat are in the base.
If it rains. Everything today is outdoors, so swap this day with a drier one if you can.
Day 2. Yongkang Street and Daan and Maokong and the south hills
4 stops · 25.3 km
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
Travel from XiangshanAbout 11 min by car or transit3.4 km
Where Day 1 ended.
1
MorningWorth the time
Maokong Gondola
A cable car that climbs from the edge of the zoo over wooded hills to Maokong, a hill district known for tea plantations and tea houses with views of the city. A slow, tea-centred half day for a longer visit. The line stops in strong wind and for maintenance, so check ahead.
Go whenMorning or afternoon on a clear day, with a seat by a window.
Local tip Plan for tea at the top and a slow ride back. Cloud can hide the view, and the line closes in strong wind, so check ahead and know the bus route down as a backup.
A short, lively street in Daan of dumpling shops, tea houses, cafes and small craft stalls, with a leafy park close by. A place to linger over lunch and a pot of tea rather than to rush.
Go whenMidday, with nothing booked for the hour after lunch.
Local tip Walk the whole street first and choose the place with a short line of locals. A tea house is a good answer to the afternoon heat.
Lunch
Soup dumplings
Small steamed dumplings with a thin skin and hot broth inside, eaten with black vinegar and ginger. Yongkang Street is known for them, and a shared basket is a fine lunch.
Local tip Lift one with your spoon, bite a small hole to let the steam out and drink the broth. It is very hot. Wheat and pork are the base, and some fillings use shrimp, so ask first if you avoid them.
A large museum of Chinese art and imperial objects from many periods, set on a hillside in Shilin. The building is big and the pieces are many, so pick two or three galleries. Displays rotate, so check ahead for what is out.
Go whenAfternoon, when you want a cool, calm room.
Local tip Choose two or three galleries instead of trying to see everything. Pieces rotate, so check ahead for what is out.
The tall tower with stacked, bamboo-like sections that has stood over the Xinyi district since the early 2000s. Walk around the base and the shopping hall, or go up to the observation floors, which need a ticket. Cloud often hides the view from the top, so look at the sky first and be ready to skip it.
Go whenAfternoon, if the sky is clear, with the evening still ahead of you.
Local tip Cloud and haze can hide the view completely, so look up at the tower first. If the top is in cloud, spend the time at the base and keep the observation floor for a clearer day.
If it rains. National Palace Museum and Taipei 101 are covered, so keep them. Move Maokong Gondola and Yongkang Street to a dry day if you can.
Day 3. The old city and Zhongzheng and Dadaocheng and Datong
4 stops · 16.9 km
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
Travel from Taipei 101About 13 min by car or transit4.3 km
Where Day 2 ended.
1
MorningWorth the time
Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
A white hall with a blue octagonal roof at the end of a wide square, with gardens and a national theater and concert hall on either side. The grounds are large and calm early in the day. Ceremonies and exhibitions change, so check ahead.
Go whenMorning, when the square is quiet and the air is cool.
Local tip Walk the full length of the square, then the steps to the hall. Ceremonies change, so check ahead for what is on.
A quiet temple in Datong built in a plain, spare southern Chinese style, with a wide courtyard and tiled roofs. A calm contrast to the busy folk temples nearby.
Go whenMorning, when the courtyard is empty.
Local tip Walk through at an easy pace and enjoy the quiet. It is a place of learning, so keep your voice low. Check ahead before you go.
A former wine factory with brick sheds and chimneys, now a cluster of galleries, shops, cafes and event halls around lawns. A good place to sit with a coffee between stops, or to look in on an exhibition.
Go whenAfternoon, as a calm pause.
Local tip Walk the brick sheds and the lawns, and look at what is showing in the halls. Check ahead for exhibitions and events.
One of the biggest night markets in the city, with a food hall below ground, crowded lanes of food stalls above and clothes and game stalls between. Loud, bright and a fitting last evening.
Go whenEvening, once the stalls are lit and the lanes are full.
Local tip Start in the food hall below ground and then wander the lanes above. Share plates, keep a hand on your bag in the crowd and tell the cook about any allergy before you order.
A crisp fried chicken cutlet as big as your face, then grilled skewers of meat, squid and mushrooms, shared in the lanes. Finish with a cup of sweet tea over ice.
Local tip Eat the cutlet hot, with the spice on the side if you like it mild. Wheat, soy and shellfish are common in the sauces and coatings, so tell the cook about any allergy before you order.
If it rains. Everything today is outdoors, so swap this day with a drier one if you can.
Day 4. Dadaocheng and Datong and Beitou
4 stops · 22.0 km
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
Travel from Shilin Night MarketAbout 16 min by car or transit5.7 km
Where Day 3 ended.
1
MorningWorth a short visit
Thermal Valley
A steaming green-blue pool of hot spring water at the head of the Beitou valley, with a smell of sulphur and a path along its edge. Look from the path, since the water is very hot. Check ahead, because the path closes at times.
Go whenMorning, before the day warms up.
Local tip Stay on the path, because the water is very hot. Check ahead, since the valley closes at times, and keep a few minutes in hand to wander the stream below it.
A red brick government building from the Japanese era with a tall central tower, in the old city. Look at it from the street and the square, and check ahead for any open day or tour.
Go whenMorning, with the square still quiet.
Local tip It is a working building and is mostly seen from outside. Check ahead for any tour or open day.
A finely carved temple in Dalongdong with painted ceilings, stone dragons and tiled roofs, one of the most admired temples in the city. The detail rewards a slow look.
Go whenLate morning, when the light falls on the roof.
Local tip Look up at the ceilings and the roof ridge. Keep to the sides while people pray, and ask before you photograph a person.
A compact night market on one narrow street, known more for its food than for trinkets, with stalls that each cook a few small local plates. Easy to cover on foot, which makes it a good first night market.
Go whenEvening, once the stalls are lit and the street fills up.
Local tip Walk the street once before you eat and then go back to the stalls you liked. Eat standing at the stall, and tell the cook about any allergy before you order.
Small oysters cooked into a gooey, starchy egg pancake with a sweet red sauce, then a few more plates to share: fried chicken bites, meatballs in a clear sauce, a bowl of pork-blood cake or a stick of grilled sausage.
Local tip Share a few plates and keep moving. Shellfish, egg, soy and peanuts are all common here, so tell the cook about any allergy before you order and ask again if the answer is unclear.
If it rains. Everything today is outdoors, so swap this day with a drier one if you can.
Day 5. Wanhua and Ximending and Beitou
4 stops · 24.5 km
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
1
MorningWorth the time
Longshan Temple
A busy temple in Wanhua, the oldest part of the city, where Buddhist and Taoist gods share one set of halls. Families bring fruit and incense, and carved dragons crowd the roofs. Go early, keep your voice low and step around people who are praying.
Go whenEarly morning, before the tour groups arrive.
Local tip Walk in through the side door and keep to the edge of the courtyard, since worshippers use the middle. Look up at the carved roof, and ask before you photograph a person who is praying.
A brick bathhouse in the Japanese style from the early 1900s, now a museum of the district's bathing past, with tatami rooms and a stone bath. Beitou is where the city soaks: public baths and hotel baths are close by. Rules differ on swimwear, tattoos and showering first, so check ahead.
Go whenMidday, before a soak or a lunch in Beitou.
Local tip Take your shoes off where the signs ask. If you want to soak, check ahead for the house rules on swimwear, tattoos and showering first, and rest in the shade afterwards.
A tray with rice, soup and three or four small dishes of vegetables, tofu, egg and a little meat, the kind of set meal that small restaurants in Beitou serve to bathers. Warm, simple and enough.
Local tip Ask what the set includes and say if you avoid any dish. After a soak, drink plenty of water and sit a while before you move on.
About 26 min by car or transit11.1 km
3
MiddayWorth a short visit
Bopiliao Historic Block
A restored lane of old brick shophouses with covered walkways, a reminder of how Wanhua looked long ago. Small exhibits tell the story of the neighborhood. Check ahead for what is open.
Go whenMidday, as a cool pause between the temple and lunch.
Local tip Walk the covered lane and read the small panels. Check ahead for any exhibition, which comes and goes.
A long old street in Dadaocheng lined with narrow shophouses that have sold tea, herbs, dried goods and fabric for generations. Browse the doorways, taste before you buy, and look for tea to carry home.
Go whenAfternoon, when the shops are open and the street is lively.
Local tip Step into a tea shop and ask to taste before you buy. Carry a little extra room in your bag, since dried goods and tea are easy to take home.
If it rains. Beitou Hot Spring Museum and Bopiliao Historic Block are covered, so keep them. Move Longshan Temple and Dihua Street to a dry day if you can.
Departure day
After the last day. The airport is a train ride out of the city, so leave a calm margin.Details
Check-out
Many hotels will keep your bags if you ask, so the last morning can be free of luggage. Keep it free of anything that needs a trip out of town.
To the airport
The airport train is the easiest way out, and buses and taxis also go. Allow extra time on a weekday evening. When a typhoon warning is up, check ahead because trains, buses and flights can stop.
If you have a few hours
Spend the last hours close to where you leave from: a final pot of tea, a bakery or shop for pineapple cakes to carry home, and one more bowl of noodles. Check your airline for what food and drink you can take on board.
Questions people ask
How many days does this plan cover?
It covers 5 days in Taipei, planned for mid October. Each day is built around a small number of stops, with room to rest.
Who is this plan for?
It was planned for most travelers. The pace and the places reflect that, so check it fits how you travel.
Is anything on this plan booked?
No. Places marked "book ahead" need a reservation. Hours, prices and availability change, so confirm before you go.
Can I plan my own days like this?
Yes. Archie drafts a day by day plan for your dates and takes your pace, the weather and who is travelling into account. You can start one from the Archie app.
Can I change this plan?
Yes. It is a starting point you can change to fit your own trip: swap a place, add a day or move the pace.
How much walking is there?
Each day has about 12.6 to 38.6 kilometers between its stops, and 113.8 kilometers in all across 5 days. A short hop is a walk and a longer one a ride. Distances are straight-line estimates, so allow extra for the streets.
6 days in OkinawaAbout 630 km away
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