In this article, I’ve shortlisted my 20 favorite destinations in Taiwan. It wasn’t easy!
After living in Taiwan for over 10 years, writing a book about it, introducing Taiwan’s attractions to the likes of BBC Travel, CNN, and National Geographic, and running a Facebook group about Taiwan Travel Planning, I’d like to think that I know Taiwan fairly well.
In this article, I’m really sticking to the sights that I truly love. Some are super obvious and famous, while others are off-the-beaten-track. All of them are places that I’m legitimately obsessed with and will keep returning to again and again.
To visit many of these places by tour, see my most recommended Taiwan tour deals. For a family-focused list, see our favorite things to do in Taiwan with kids.
My Top-5 Places in Taiwan
Here I’ve hand-picked my personal top-five places to visit in Taiwan.
Taipei – The City with Everything
OK, so I’m biased (I lived in Taipei city, well technically New Taipei City, for a quarter of my life). But I freakin love Taipei.
Taiwan’s capital has it all: the best night markets in the country, the most famous attractions (Taipei 101, Longshan Temple, CKS Memorial Hall, Maokong Gondola, Elephant Mountain), and the coolest neighborhoods (Ximending, Dadaocheng, Tamsui, and more).
And there’s more – the biggest events, the best public transportation, the top restaurants, cherry blossom viewing, and hikes galore.
On its doorstep, it has active volcanoes in Yangmingshan National Park, hot springs at Beitou, beaches, aboriginal villages, tea plantations, and atmospheric old streets like this one.
You can never run out of things to do in this city, and that’s why I will never grow tired of exploring it. It’s no wonder it has chosen as the best city in the world for expats several times!
Most visitors start and/or end their Taiwan trip in Taipei. It’s even tempting to use the city as a base for your whole trip (see my recommended hotels), but I do urge you to get out at some point – we still have 19 more awesome places to cover!
Alishan Region – Tea Farms & Bamboo Forests
It’s no secret that I’m in love with Alishan region in Chiayi county. I have a personal connection to Chiayi – it’s my wife’s ancestral hometown and we usually go there to visit her family for Lunar New Year.
I’ve been raving Alishan for years and the articles I’ve written about the area have helped to popularize some of its small villages among foreign visitors – I know because people tell me all the time in my Facebook group that they went there because of me.
Most tourists gravitate to Alishan National Forest Recreation Area (even though getting there is a little complicated). It is known for its misty forests of ancient hinoki cypress trees, iconic Alishan Forest Railway Line, and stunning sunrises.
My personal favorite spot, however, is Shizhuo village, where I love staying in accommodations on tea plantations and hiking through tea farm. The tea produced there is Alishan High Mountain Oolong Tea, the most famous tea in a country that is especially known for its high quality teas.
I also love the cute Fenqihu Old Street, with its railway bento boxes, bamboo forests and fireflies at night. And we can’t forget about the epic sunrises and sunsets on Eryanping Trail.
I even have a plan to someday retire and open a killer guesthouse in Alishan region, so watch for that (in like 1 or 2 decades…). That’s how much I love this area!
Penghu Islands – Best Beaches
It’s super tough to choose only one of Taiwan’s offshore islands to put in my top-5. But that honor goes to the Penghu archipelago, which lies in the middle of the Taiwan Strait (the body of water between China and Taiwan).
Riding a scooter around the islands (rent on KKday or Klook) of Penghu – which include four main connected ones and many smaller ones – is one of my single favorite things to do in Taiwan. I also love island hopping to the smaller islands in the archipelago.
Penghu has a unique, windswept landscape, with edible purple cacti (they make sorbet out of them!), the best beaches I’ve seen in the country, traditional courtyard homes made of coral, ancient heart-shaped weirs for catching fish, and towering volcanic basalt columns.
On top of all that, Penghu has the country’s best fireworks festival, which goes for several months from spring to summer, and some excellent snorkelling and scuba diving.
Oh, and did I mention it’s super easy to get to? There are oven a dozen flights every day from Taipei’s city-center Songshan Airport!
I’ve been to Penghu three times and would happily return at the drop of a hat.
The East Coast – The Ultimate Road Trip
The entire East Coast of Taiwan is more than just one place, but I’m lumping it together here because you’ll likely tackle it in one go – here’s how to rent a car and drive in Taiwan.
For all the details, see my part 1 and part 2 guides to road tripping the east coast. But of course you can do it by train or day tour, too!
Taiwan’s east coast is wild, sparsely populated, and breathtakingly gorgeous. The continental shelf is just off the coast, so within a surprisingly short distance, towering mountains drop off to coastal buffs and continue descending rapid off the coast.
Currents are strong and that’s why you can’t swim on most east coast beaches – but you can spot whales there (see on KKday or Klook)!
Starting from one of Taiwan’s best seafood harbors, Nanfangao, the highway passes the dramatic Qingshui Cliffs and the entrance to Taroko Gorge (Taroko is currently closed for an estimated one year due to the April 3, 2024 earthquake, but here are things you can still do in Hualien).
South of Hualien city, the main base for visiting the region, Highway 9 follows the train line through the East Rift Valley. My favorite stops are Chishang for cycling among the rice paddies and Luye for tea farms and the incredible International Taitung Hot Air Balloon Festival.
Meanwhile, Highway 11 runs down the practically uninhabited coast, with Sanxiantai (Dragon’s Backbone Bridge) and Dulan surf town being the major highlights.
Southern Hualien and Taitung county are Taiwan’s most laid-back region and home to the highest concentration of Taiwanese aborigines. While it may lack the big-name attractions of other parts of Taiwan, I suggest you slow down here and really take it all in.
Tainan – Temple Hopping in the Old Capital
Taiwan’s original capital, Tainan, remains the country’s heart and soul and arguably the most authentically Taiwanese city. The history nerd and temple junkie in me will always keep me coming back to Tainan.
It will come as no surprise that Tainan has the country’s best collection of ancient temples and historic attractions. The Confucius Temple stands out as the most popular, but there are dozens of others, dedicate to concubines, the sea goddess, gods of water, wind, and medicine, and many more.
Over in Anping district, Anping Fort and Anping Tree House are also musts, while Anping Old Street is one of the country’s oldest and most traditional.
Not far out of the city, Sicao Green Tunnel is a good introduction to the marshlands and rare migratory birds of Taijiang National Park, Luermen Tianhou Temple is enormous, Cigu Salt Mountain is bizarre, Jingzijiao Wapan Salt Fields are stunning, and Guanziling Mud Hot Springs are one-of-a-kind.
Locals will also tell you that Tainan is the culinary capital of Taiwan. I love stepping into Tainan’s hole-in-the-wall shops and night markets to sample unique dishes like eel noodles, oyster rolls, Spanish mackerel stew, and traditional ice cream with fruit.
Heading to Taiwan? Make sure to learn these Chinese phrases for travelers!
Other Destinations I Love to Visit
Here’s are 15 more Taiwanese attractions that I’ll never grow tired of visiting.
The Pingxi Line – Best Taipei Day Trips
The Pingxi Line is one of several old railway lines in Taiwan which have been converted from transporting timber and coal to transporting tourists.
The Pingxi Line is the closest one to Taipei and provides access to several extremely popular tourist attractions but also some great off-the-beaten-track ones.
On the touristy side, Jiufen Old Street (access from Ruifang Station, with train connections to Taipei) and Shifen Old Street (famous for its sky lanterns and Shifen Waterfall) are two of the most popular tourist attractions in Taiwan – expect serious crowds.
However, my personal favorites include Badouzi (for Shen’ao Rail Bike), Houtong Cat Village (I’ve been there a ridiculous number of times), Sandiaoling (my favorite waterfall hike in Taiwan), Pingxi (for the thrilling Pingxi Crags hike and known for Pingxi Lantern Festival), and Jingtong (an off-the-beaten-track old street).
There are many high value day trips to these attractions such as this one on KKday or this one on Klook.
Yilan – Hot Springs & Kid-Friendly Activities
Yilan is a county on the northeast coast of Taiwan which is fully loaded with fun activities and attractions, especially for kids. This is why it is a favorite weekend getaway for Taipei families, mine included.
Jiaoxi village is home to some of the kid-friendliest hot spring spas in Taiwan – think hot spring slides, bright pink bubble gum or oolong tea scented thermal pools, and foot-skin-nibbling fish ponds. Jiaoxi also has waterfall hikes and hot springs ramen, where you can soak your feet while you eat.
Then there’s Luodong, which has some of the best minsus (local guesthouses) in Taiwan, like this one, and an excellent night market. We choose here as a base for taking our kids to leisure farms like Zhang Mei Ama’s Farm, eating green onion cakes at Sanxing, and trips to Taipingshan (see below).
On top of all that, Yilan has Northern Taiwan’s best surf beach at Wai’ao, award winning whiskey at Kavalan Distillery, a great brewery at Jim & Dad’s, and several excellent museums.
Kaohsiung – Arts & Temples
Kaohsiung people hate me for not raving about their city as much as I do about Taipei. But they have a point – Kaohsiung is undeniably a cooler, more laid-back, and less pretentious city than Taipei, and I do love it, too.
Taiwan’s largest port city is also without a doubt the country’s street art capital. My favorite place is Pier 2 Art Center, where creative art installations line the docks, especially when they are lit up at night.
Everywhere I go in the city, I’m always stumbling upon amazing new murals covering entire sides of buildings – the city activity encourages graffiti. Weiwuying has a whole neighborhood covered in it. Dome of Art in Formosa Boulevard is also mesmerizing, while Cijin Island’s coast is lined with art installations.
Kaohsiung is also about the grandiose – from the kitschy temples and god statues on Lotus Pond to Fo Guang Shan, the country’s largest monastery and Buddha statue, where I enjoyed an eye-opening temple stay many years ago.
One of my favorite souvenirs from Taiwan is the Hakka paper umbrella that I bought from Meinong Folk Village in Kaohsiung.
I admit that I don’t know Kaohsiung as well as many other parts of Taiwan – I have yet to visit the hot springs of Guguan, the huge seafood harbors on the coast, or see the swarms of purple butterflies at Maolin – many reasons for me to keep coming back.
Hehuanshan – Hiking & Sunrises
Hehuanshan in Nantou is Taiwan’s most accessible high mountain area. There’s nowhere else in Taiwan, or in all of East Asia for that matter, where you can literally drive a car or take a public bus to 3275 meters above sea level (Wuling Pass).
Hehuanshan consists of five high mountain peaks, all of which are much easier to climb than almost all the other 100 Peaks of Taiwan.
I recently had an incredible stay at historic Songsyue Lodge, built for former president Chiang Kai-Shek at the base of the only ski resort Taiwan has ever had. That’s right – it even snows at Hehuanshan, at least once every year. When it happens, tourists and locals alike flock to see it.
Staying at the lodge, I witnessed one of the most beautiful sunrises I’ve ever seen, from right in front of the accommodation. It’s not easy to get a room there (click my link above to find out how), so many will stay at Cingjing Farm nearby and do a morning sunrise tour (see on KKday / Klook) or stargazing tour.
Lukang – Traditional Taiwanese Culture
Like a smaller and more off-the-beaten-track version of Tainan, Lukang in Changhua is a small town with loads of history.
Because a train line was never built to it (they didn’t want it), Lukang remains decidedly traditional to this day. It has some of the country’s best preserved ancient temples, a new temple made of glass, and a quirky temple with odd decorations and tunnels below it.
Lukang Old Street is also one of the country’s most traditional, with food specialties like miancha (flour tea), phoenix eye cakes, ox tongue cookies, and shrimp monkeys.
There are often traditional temple parades and festivals going on in Lukang, while the town’s Dragon Boat Festival celebrations are better than anywhere else in the country.
Yushan – Taiwan’s Tallest Peak
In my first year of living in Taiwan (2008), I joined a guided hike to the peak of Jade Mountain (Yu Shan), the tallest mountain in Northeast Asia. It beats out Mt. Fuji by 176 meters!
Yushan National Park is Taiwan’s largest non-marine national park. Most of it is remote and inaccessible. Biologists have even called it “The Ark” as it is a repository for rare species, including Formosan black bears and flying squirrels.
Needless to say, Yushan was one of the most incredible places I’ve visited in Taiwan. Sunrise from the peak was an experience I’ll never forget.
We were surrounded by seas of clouds in all directions, as the sun rose majestically above the horizon. On clear days, you can see as far as the sea.
I recommend using Taiwan Outdoors to arrange your Yushan visit.
The North Coast – Beaches & Harbors
Since this is supposed a list of places in Taiwan that I love to repeatedly visit, I can’t leave out the beaches on the North coast of Taiwan.
Because most of these can be reached in only one or two hours from Taipei, I return to them again and again every year. They may not be as picture-perfect as the beaches in the far south or on the offshore islands, but they are super convenient for a capital city dweller like me.
Qianshuiwan is my go-to place for easy access and restaurant-bars by the sea. Baishawan is a little further but a little better, while Fulong Beach stands out as the prettiest, not to mention its awesome sandcastle festival.
Besides beaches, I love cliff diving at Longdong (one of the capitals of adventure sports in Taiwan, with snorkeling, scuba, rock climbing, and paddle boarding).
Nearby, I love feasting on seafood at Guihou Harbor (near the super popular Yehliu Geopark), photographing Laomei Green Reef, swimming at the seawater pool on Heping Island in Keelung, and finishing off at Keelung Night Market, my favorite night market in Taiwan.
Sun Moon Lake – Aboriginal Culture & Tea Farms
Sun Moon Lake is probably the most divisive major tourist attraction in Taiwan – visitors either love it or hate it.
If you only do the tourist things at Sun Moon Lake – like riding a boat across the lake and taking the Sun Moon Lake Ropeway, then you might hate find it too touristy.
However, there are many gems around the lake, too. The tea plantations north of the lake make insanely good black tea (a rarity in a country that produces mostly oolong). The lake views from the top of Wenwu Temple or Ci’En Pagoda are unbeatable.
For aboriginal culture, Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village has song and dance performances (plus rides, plus cherry blossoms).
The food street in nearby Ita Thao is one of the easiest places in Taiwan to try Taiwanese aboriginal foods and millet wine (see more of them in my aboriginal experiences guide).
I love hopping on a bike at Sun Moon Lake. CNN has even called the paths around the lake one of the best cycling trips in the world (though I sort of feel that’s an exaggeration).
Last but not least, Shuiyuan Suspension Bridge south of the lake is quite possible the country’s most beautiful one, but it’s not super easy to get to.
There are multiple day tours to Sun Moon Lake from Taichung, such as this one which also includes Cingjing Farm or this one which focuses on the lake only.
Green Island – Scuba & Salty Hot Springs
Green Island off the coast of Taitung is another of my favorite offshore islands in Taiwan. This former penal colony stands out for me in two big ways today.
First, Green Island has some excellent snorkelling and scuba diving – the best I’ve done in Taiwan, but I haven’t tried it everywhere.
Secondly, Zhaori Hot Spring on Green Island is one of my favorite hot springs in the whole country. This is one of only three saltwater hot springs in the world. The hot spring pools are right on the coast, with some of the lowest pools right next to the sea.
Lying in one of those pools at night, gazing at stars to the sound of waves splashing into the hot pool, was one of my most sublime experiences in all my years of living in Taiwan.
Taipingshan – Hiking on Old Logging Railways
As the fourth mountain on my list, you may be starting to gather that I really love the mountains in Taiwan.
Taipingshan is like Alishan’s lesser known cousin, among foreign tourists at least. It too is a former logging region-turned-tourist attraction.
The must-do tourist attraction at Taipingshan is taking a ride on the cutely named (and cute looking) Bong Bong Train. My personal favorite hike there is Jianqing Haigu Trail, which follows an old mining railway line that is now twisted and overgrown with vegetation.
Another highlight of visiting Taipingshan is hitting Jiuzhize Hot Spring on the down the mountain back to central Yilan. For a few bucks, you can cook your own hot spring eggs in the boiling thermal waters.
The public springs at Jiuzhize there are awesome,, too, with multiple private elevated tubs in the main pool. There’s an open air nude bath, too, if that’s your jam.
For the best experience, you’ll need to drive, hire a private driver, or take a tour like this one or this one to Taipingshan. There’s only one bus per day and it limits how much you can see.
Lion’s Head Mountain – Sleeping in a Temple
Shitoushan or “Lion’s Head Mountain” is an off-the-beaten-track destination on the border between Hsinchu and Miaoli in Central Taiwan.
This small mountain is dotted with Buddhist and Taoist temples, some of which are built into caves. The coolest thing about hiking this mountain is that you can sleep in one of the temples, Quanhua Temple on the Miaoli side.
I’ve slept in this temple a couple times, including once with my kids. Both times, I/we were the only ones there, making it a truly serene experience.
Nearby, Nanzhuang Old Street is one of the coolest old streets in Taiwan. It’s famous for its sweet osmanthus shaved ice and Hakka-style dried tofu.
This part of Miaoli is known for slow travel and for its many traditional minsus (guesthouses). We loved staying at this one and this one.
Orchid Island – Unique Aboriginal Culture
Lanyu (Orchid Island) is another remarkable offshore island in Taiwan. This one is best known as the home of the Tao people, Taiwan’s most isolated and traditional aboriginal tribe.
Tao culture is the main draw here – including the chance to see traditional hand-carved canoes, Tao underground houses, and activities related to the Flying Fish Festival, which takes place throughout spring.
Two of my best friends and I had a blast scootering around Lanyu and spotting the countless roaming goats on the island.
Orchid Island also has some great swimming holes, rock formations, and scuba diving. It’s best to fly here from Taitung, as the ferry ride is extra bumpy. Also, avoid winter, when almost everything shuts down.
Neiwan Old Street – Hakka Culture & Hot Springs
Neiwan Old Street is probably my favorite of Taiwan’s many old streets. Neiwan is the terminal stop on the Neiwan Line, another cute small train lines – this one sets out from Hsinchu.
Neiwan is an old Hakka village and former mining/logging town. Today, the old street is one of the best places in Taiwan to sample leicha or “pounded tea”. It is made by pounding tealeaves with various seeds, nuts, and spices, adding hot water, topped with puffed rice, and usually served with mochi.
The old street also has extremely delicious Hakka dried tofu and a famous old theater.
Nearby, my family and I loved spending a weekend camping or visiting hot springs in Jianshi district. This is a remote, aboriginal district with gorgeous scenery and some excellent hot spring spas like this one.
Kenting National Park – Beachy Getaway
In my early years in Taiwan, we used to make the annual journey down to Kenting National Park for Spring Scream Music Festival on the April long weekend.
Kenting occupies the southern tip of the country and has the best beaches and beach resorts on all of mainland Taiwan.
While Spring Scream has long ended and is now replaced with a free music festival put on by the local government on the main beach, it is still the unofficial place to party and laze on the beach for spring break.
Kenting’s beaches can feel a little crowded, but for me, it has always been a part of the package. I love Kenting Night Market, the only place in Taiwan you’ll see cocktail vendors wearing beach attire and blasting electronic music.
I also love cycling or scootering along the Kenting coast, finding new spots to try seafood, and hiking to natural infinity pools in the jungle. Thrill seekers can also try surfing, scuba diving, jet skiing, and more.
Xiaoliuqiu – Snorkeling with Sea Turtles
I’m finishing off this list with yet another offshore island. It’s one of the smallest but also best, and it goes by many names – Little Okinawa, Lambai Island, or as the locals say, Xiaoliuqiu.
Xiaoliuqiu’s biggest draw is its resident population of nearly a thousand giant sea turtles. You’re pretty much guaranteed to see them if you try – my kids and I even saw them swimming in the harbor from our hotel room balcony.
Even better, we had an intimate encounter snorkeling with the turtles in water (try on KKday or Klook) – my kids’ first time ever snorkeling. Freediving is also very popular on Xiaoliuqiu.
The island is so small that you can scooter or cycling around it without difficulty, yet there are many little secret beaches and coves to explore.
Another excellent article! As someone who is also Taiwan obsessed, I appreciate you sharing your experiences. I will return to Taipei this May and your blog is giving me so much hype!
Thank you!
Thank you so much!
What awesome information, Nick! Thanks for all your research, experience and insights. I am using your website to help plan our trip to Taiwan in the first half of January 2025. Do you have suggestions for great things to do at that time of year, particularly outdoors? Thanks
Make sure to visit my “January in Taiwan” article with lots of ideas. It can be a little chilly in the north of Taiwan at that time, but any hikes are still fine (see my “best hikes in Taipei” article on my nickkembel site). In January there’s a chance of seeing snow if you head to Hehuanshan or hike Snow Mountain (permit needed). In the far south, which is more tropical, Kenting and Xiaoliqiu are lovely in January, with low crowds and it’s still warm enough to swim in the sea.
Hi Nick! I’ve been studying your website intently as I am planning a trip to Taiwan this Dec with my family. We are thinking of visiting Yilan for 5 days to visit Taipingshan and the Cilan Divine Trees. However, our local driver advised us against doing outdoor activities in Yilan in Dec, due to the northeast monsoon. But I am so reluctant to miss out on the hiking! How bad is the monsoon in Dec?
There is no monsoon in Taiwan in December. December is one of the driest months of the year in Taiwan. Please see the precipitation chart I made here: https://www.taiwanobsessed.com/best-time-to-visit-taiwan/#The_Best_Months_to_Visit_Taiwan (December has the lowest rainfall on average).
Although rain is still possible in any month of the year in Taiwan, if it rains in December, it is light rain, not heavy rain like in summer. Taiwan has a mini monsoon in May-June (Plum Monsoon) and typhoon + heavy rain season is July to September.
December is the start of winter in Taiwan. By late December, it’s rare but possible to have some light snow or ice on the roads in the high mountains, including Taipingshan and Qilan area. I feel this would be a bigger concern for driving there. The roads going up to those places are very steep. If there’s snow or ice on the road, it could be dangerous to drive. This is what the driver should be concerned about, not rain.
This is rare though. It usually only snows at Taipingshan maybe once per year, and it’s usually in January or February, the coldest months (but December happened last year I believe). When it happens, many locals want to drive up there to see the snow and it becomes very crowded for a few days. If the conditions are dangerous for driving, the park could close the road or they could require vehicles to have special chains on their wheels to prevent slipping.
Great information, thank you Nick! My wife and I will be in Taiwan from Nov 22 to Dec 8. We like to cover your top five places at least, and a few others. Do you have any suggestions for how should we go about it – sequence, time of stay and transportation in particular?
thanks so much for this! I was looking for a small traditional town to visit and explore and thanks to you I learned about Lukang!
It would take me a long time to answer this question. I offer paid consultation service for itineraries – please contact me if you are interested. Otherwise, I suggest you do a little more research, create a rough itinerary, and share it in my Taiwan Travel Planning group of Facebook for feedback.
hi Nick. is sept 27 though Oct 3 2024 dry and cool for touring Taiwan? we hope no rain or monsoon. We hope to stay at tea planrations.
thank you.
Typhoon season is from July to October. So it is possible that a typhoon could happen during this time, but only depends on luck. There are usually only 2-6 typhoons per year (and some years even had zero). If there is no typhoon, the weather is usually clear and dry at this time, but a little rain is still possible in every month of the year in Taiwan, no month is without rain. Don’t worry too much about it and just go.
Thanks Nick for the great article 👍. I am visiting Taiwan next week for the first time and this was very useful.
Hi Nick, thanks for this very interesting information regarding top spots in Taiwan. i missed seeing a map with these spots marked out. Do you have a handy one which you could share. We are planning to visit in mid-November. Many thanks.
Beautiful fun tips. Thanks for sharing such useful relevant information! Looking forward to visiting a few of the spots you highlighted in Nov!
I spent a day and a half in Taipei about 10 years ago, (a work trip from HK) loved it and knew I had to return with my husband. Some friends and family think it’s risky, “China might attack during your stay”.
I’ve heard that for so long – we’re going.
Your article will help us enormously working through our itinerary. Our trip is planned for early Dec
Thank you!
Your website is awesome! I am here in Taiwan for two months and have found your website to be the most informative, honest, and helpful. Thank you, very impressed and will share this resource!
People have been expected this attack for the last 75 years. Definitely just go!