Nick’s 2-Week Travel Itinerary for Taiwan (printable option!)

Two weeks is a standard amount of time to visit Taiwan. It’s the bare minimum I recommend for doing a full circuit around the country.

You may still find it’s a little rushed, though. In order to hit most or all of the main destinations along the way, you’ll have to move every day or two. If it’s not too late, consider upgrading to three weeks and you’ll have a more relaxing trip.

But if 14 days is what you’ve got, I’ve mapped out the perfect itinerary which will help you make the best of your time in Taiwan – and this comes from helping hundreds of people plan their Taiwan itineraries in my Taiwan Travel Planning group.

My Printable Itinerary: Two Weeks in Taiwan

If you buy the paid version of my two-week itinerary for Taiwan, you will get over 15,000 words (40 pages) of content covering every move of your 14-day trip. I sell this as a printable pdf file because it is much too long (and valuable!) for a blog post.

The paid itinerary comes with substantially more information and details than I’ll cover in this article. Here, I will just do a general overview of the trip and which place you should visit on each day.

For example, the paid itinerary tells you exact how long you’ll need for every attraction, how to get between them (right down to which MRT exit numbers to take), which trains to take between cities (including the best times), a list of restaurant options for every meal of your trip, and many more insider tips.

The paid itinerary also comes with the outline of an alternative itinerary focused on kid-friendly attractions.

How to Plan Your Two-Week Itinerary

My proposed itinerary naturally begins in the Taiwanese capital, Taipei for Days 1 and 2. On Day 3, you’ll do a day trip to Jiufen and Shifen.

From there, you’ll do a counter-clockwise circuit around Taiwan, which seems to be the most popular route, plus is saves the wild and more relaxing east coast for the end.

For Days 4 and 5, you’ll move to Sun Moon Lake, with the option to stay in Taichung for the first night if you want.

Day 6 is Alishan National Forest Recreation Area and Day 7 involves visiting the bamboo forests of Fenqihu and sleeping on a tea plantation in Shizhuo.

On Day 8, you’ll move to the ancient capital, Tainan, and then proceed to Kaohsiung on Day 9.

For Day 10, I give you the option of a second night in Kaohsiung, a day trip (or overnight trip to Xiaoliuqiu to go snorkeling with giant sea turtles, or an overnight trip to the beaches of Kenting National Park.

On Day 11, you’ll take a train to the east coast and go cycling through the rice paddies in Chishang.

Day 12 brings you to Hualien, where you’ll choose from a list of outdoor activities (Taroko Gorge is unfortunately still mostly off limits). Day 13 in Yilan will also include a wide variety of attractions or activities to choose from.

On Day 14, you’ll travel from Yilan to Taipei to Taoyuan International Airport.

You may of course need to make some customizations to this itinerary based on your personal interests, travel speed, and exact arrival/departure time in Taiwan. If you find the itinerary too rushed, cut out 1 or 2 stops and add the days to others.

Itinerary Days 1-3: Taipei

First, read my guides to Taoyuan Airport, getting a SIM or eSIM, getting an EasyCard, and getting from the airport to Taipei.

Also see my Taipei city guide and my recommended places to stay.

On Day 1, start in the Old City of Taipei, visiting top attractions like Longshan Temple, Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, and Ximending. You can also visit these as part of a free walking tour.

If you have time after lunch in Ximending, choose between taking a stroll at Huashan 1914 Creative Park and Da’an Forest Park.

Then climb Elephant Mountain or go up Taipei 101 Observatory (Klook / Kkday). Ideally, which the top of either for sunset and watch the city lights come on at night. If you want to do both, then skip Huashan/Da’an Forest Park.

Another more thrilling option is the Skyline 460 Experience (Klook / KKday), which allows you to stand on the actual roof of Taipei 101. It has two daily starting times: 2 PM and 3 PM and includes access to the regular observatory.

For dinner, Tonghua Night Market is nearby, but you may want to travel further for the more famous Raohe Night Market.

Start Day 2 with traditional breakfast at Fu Hang Soy Milk, the most famous in the city, which opens from 5:30 AM but tends to have a long line.

Then I’m giving you a choice of three morning activities: National Palace Museum (Klook / KKday), hiking in Yangmingshan National Park (go as early as possible), or exploring Dihua Street in Taipei.

After doing one of these, proceed to Xinbeitou MRT for enjoying Beitou Hot Springs. Explore the attractions there (closed Mondays) and take a hot spring bath.

After Beitou, take the MRT to Tamsui (the terminal end of the Red Line), stroll Tamsui Riverside Promenade, and take a ferry to Fisherman’s Wharf for the best sunset in Taipei.

On the way back to the city center, have dinner at Din Tai Fung (Klook / KKday) or Shilin Night Market.

On Day 3, do an organized day tour to Jiufen Old Street, Shifen Old Street, and a few other spots on the Pingxi Line.

Book this on Klook (here or here) or KKday (here or here). With a group, especially with kids or elderly, it will be easier (and possibly cheaper) to hire a driver for the day (Klook / KKday).

You can also DIY this day trip but the transportation details can get complicated and depend on many factors. You might include stops like Houtong Cat Village, Shifen Waterfall, and Shen’ao Rail Bike. For this, I highly recommend my paid itinerary, which covers how to do it in great detail.

If you take an organized day trip, you’ll be back in Taipei early enough to eat at Ningxia Night Market and take in a traditional Taiwanese opera performance at TaipeiEye (Klook / KKday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday only).

If you DIY your day trip, you could try to make it back for that or you could have dinner at Keelung Night Market instead.  

Tip: I cover days 1-3 in more detail in my Taipei 3-day itinerary. I also give some alternative options and different day trip ideas in my 5-day itinerary.

Itinerary Days 4-5: Taichung & Sun Moon Lake

For days 4 to 5, I propose three different options. One option is to go directly to Sun Moon Lake and spend two nights there. This will give you the best experience of the lake.

For this option, take the HSR to Taichung (see my HSR booking guide) and bus to the lake.

A second option is to make a brief stop in Taichung on the way to the lake.

For example, you could see Rainbow Village (near the HSR station) or Miyahara (ice cream) and Chun Shui Tang Original Store (where pearl milk tea was invented) near Taichung Station in the city center. Then spend two nights at Sun Moon lake.

The third option is to spend the first night in Taichung and second night at Sun Moon Lake. Only choose this if the sights in Taichung really interest you. This option will give you more limited time at the lake.

If you go with this option, you can get to Taichung by HSR early enough to join this tour, or you can read my guide to Taichung for how to DIY sights in the city center, or sights outside the city center like Zhongshe Flower Market and Gaomei Wetlands.

Have dinner at Feng Chia Night Market.

For Day 5 at Sun Moon Lake, if you spend the night there, climb Mount Maolan for sunrise then spend a couple hours in the morning cycling (Klook / KKday) along the lake shore east and west of Shuishe (the main village).

Then, take a boat or bus to Xuanguang Temple, visit it, then boat or bus to Ita Thao for a lunch of aboriginal foods (read about what to expect in my Taiwanese aboriginal culture guide).

From there, walk to Sun Moon Lake Ropeway (Klook / KKday), ride it up and back down, then bus to Wenwu Temple for sunset and finally return to your hotel in Shuishe.

Another option at Sun Moon Lake is Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village (Klook / KKday), which is accessed via Sun Moon Lake Ropeway, but will take up the better part of your day.

Learn more and see my hotel recommendations in my Sun Moon Lake guide.

If Sun Moon Lake doesn’t sound like your cup of tea (some travelers find it too touristy), consider a hiking trip to Hehuanshan, while familes may prefer to stay at Qingjing Farm.

Itinerary Day 6: Alishan

Take an early bus from Sun Moon Lake to Alishan. There’s only one per day (8:00 AM) on weekdays, with a second one (8:30) on weekends and holidays. Book it online to guarantee a spot.

Arriving at Alishan, check in to your hotel, have lunch, and then spend 3-4 hours exploring the park. Ride the train from Alishan Station to Chaoping Station, hike the Sister Pond trail to Shouzhen Temple, then Giant Tree trail, then take the train from Shenmu back to Alishan.

For the exact timings of these walks and all my recommended spots to find sunset vantage points (they aren’t easy to find!), see my paid itinerary.

Consider a stargazing tour offered by Alishan Visitor’s Center, otherwise, go to bed early because you’ll be waking up extremely early tomorrow!

See my Alishan guide for hotel recommendations, where to eat, hikes at Alishan, and more.

Itinerary Day 7: Fenqihu and Shizhuo

Wake up super early to catch the morning sunrise train to Chushan. The exact time of sunrise varies throughout the year – check the next day’s train times at Alishan Station from 1 to 4 PM or ask your hotel.

It’s also possible to avoid the crowded train and hike to the sunrise viewpoint – read my Alishan guide or my paid itinerary to find out how.

After sunrise, do some morning hiking or go back to your hotel for breakfast. Catch an early bus to Fenqihu and put your luggage in a locker on the train station while you do some hikes in the bamboo forest around town. Read my Fenqihu guide.

Have a famous Fenqihu bento box for lunch before getting your luggage and hopping on a short bus ride to Shizhuo.

You can book your bus from Alishan to Fenqihu, but not the one from Fenqihu to Shizhuo.

Buses from Fenqihu are limited, so choosing which bus time to book from Alishan to Fenqihu and Fenqihu to Shizhuo is quite complicated and depends on many factors (sunrise time at Alishan, how much time you want to spend in each place, sunset time at Shizhuo).

I go through all these factors in detail and give my time recommendations in my paid itinerary.

Arriving at Shizhio, walk to your guesthouse, which is most likely on one of the tea plantations around the village. The walk could take 15 to 45 minutes, depending on which one you chose, and it could be uphill. Some guesthouses offer pickup from Fenqihu or Shizhuo bus stop.

After you check in, do some of the tea plantation hikes and find a good position for watching the sunset. I cover it all in my Shizhuo guide.

A more off-the-beaten-track alternative to Shizhuo is Eryanping.

Itinerary Day 8: Tainan

There’s no sunrise viewpoint in Shizhuo but it’s often lovely in the early morning.

Wake early and do a little more hiking before you take any passing bus to Chiayi (here’s the timetable) and hop on a train to Tainan, the ancient capital of Taiwan.

Dump your luggage and your hotel and explore the city center on foot or by YouBike. Visit Wu Garden, Confucius Temple, Hayashi Department Store, Matsu Grand Temple, and Chikhan Tower.

For dinner, taxi to one of Tainan’s Night Markets, but read my guide to check which one will be open that night.

Also visit Shennong Street in the evening when the lanterns are lit. There are a few cute izakayas and cocktail bars in heritage buildings. Read my Tainan guide.

Itinerary Day 9: Kaohsiung

Rise early and make a morning visit to Anping District. Visit Anping Fort (Klook / KKday), Anping Treehouse (Klook / KKday), and have a snack on Anping Old Street before going back to check out from your hotel and take a train to Kaohsiung.

Check in to your guesthouse and don’t miss the Dome of Light art installation in Formosa Boulevard MRT station, which is one MRT stop south of Kaohsiung Station.

Ride the MRT to Zuoying and take a bus to Fo Guang Shan Monastery, the largest Buddhist monastery in Taiwan. It’s also possible to sleep in the monastery!

Return to Zuoying the same way you came and then ride a YouBike to Lotus Pond for visiting Dragon and Tiger Pagoda and several other temples and huge Taoist statues along the shore.

Proceed to nearby Ruifang Night Market for dinner and MRT back to the city center. Read my Kaohsiung city guide and where to stay in Kaohsiung.

Itinerary Day 10: Kaohsiung, Xiaoliuqiu or Kenting

On this day I am again giving you three different options. The first option is to stay put in Kaohsiung and get a better taste of this cool city.

Start the day by visiting Sanfong Temple, which has a picturesque canopy of red lanterns, then Sanfong Central Street (a traditional dry goods market) behind it. Then visit Weiwuying Art Village or go hiking with wild macaques on Monkey Mountain (Shoushan).

Next, take the MRT to Sizihwan and ride a ferry to Cijin Island. Explore the island by bicycle and chill on Cijin Beach.

Ferry back to the mainland and a few hours exploring the many warehouses, museums, cafés, bars, and public artworks at Pier 2 Art Center. Stick around till dark, when many of the artworks are lit up.

Finally, finish your day at Liuhe Night Market.

Option 2 is to do a day trip or overnight trip to Xiaoliuqiu island for snorkeling with sea turtles.

Choose a day trip if you prefer not to change hotels and lug your luggage to the island. Read my Xiaoliuqiu guide for everything you need to know.

Option 3 is Kenting National Park. Choose this for beaches, water activities, and Kenting Night Market. However, since it takes three hours to reach from Kaohsiung city center, it’s better to spend the night there.

Also, consider that one night is quite short for this national park – it’s better is you can spend 2-3 nights there, but to do that, you’d have to cut somewhere else out of your itinerary. Read my Kenting guide.

Itinerary Day 11: Chishang

Whether you spent the night in Kaohsiung, Xiaoliuqiu, or Kenting, you’ll make your way to Chishang on the east coast on Day 11.

From Kaohsiung, that’s an easy, direct train ride. From Xiaoliuqiu, you’ll need to ferry back to the mainland, taxi to Fangliao, and train to Chishang. From Kenting, it’s a bus to Fangliao and train to Chishang.

In my paid itinerary, I give the exact times for the different buses and trains you should catch to make it Chishang in time.

At Chishang, check in to your hotel and rent a bike to go cycling in the rice paddies for a few hours before sunset. Read my Chishang guide.

Itinerary Day 12: Hualien

Normally, this would be the day you’d take an early train to Hualien and visit Taroko Gorge, except that it’s still mostly closed. There are still many other possible activities in Hualien, like:

• Dolphin/whale watching (Klook / KKday)
• Aboriginal cooking class (Klook / KKday)
• Aboriginal hunting class (Klook / KKday)
• Paddle boarding below the Qingshui Cliffs (Klook / KKday)
• Riding ATvs on the beach (Klook / KKday)
• River tracing (Klook / KKday)

Here I’ve given even more ideas for things to do in Hualien besides Taroko Gorge and here’s my Hualien guide. For dinner, don’t miss Dongdamen Night Market!

Itinerary Day 13: Yilan

Again take an early train from Hualien to Yilan. Stay in Luodong if you care more about access to Luodong Night Market or Jiaoxi if you’d like to stay in a hot spring hotel.

Choose from an even wider array of places to visit or activities, such as:

• Zhang Mei Ama’s Farm (Klook / KKday)
• Scallion picking and scallion cake making (Klook / KKday)
• National Center of Traditional Arts (Klook / KKday)
• Kavalan Distillery
• Dolphin/whale watching tour to Turtle Island (Klook / KKday)
• Surfing at Wai’ao Beach (Klook / KKday)

Consider hiring a driver for the day (Klook / KKday) to take you your choice of spots. I introduce many more in my Yilan guide.

With a driver, you could even make a full day trip to Taipingshan National Forest Recreation Area, but get to Luodong as early as possible for this.

Itinerary Day 14: To the Airport

From Luodong or Jiaoxi, take a train to Taipei Main Station and ride the Airport MRT to the airport.

If you don’t leave until very late, you could take an HSR from Taipei Main Station to Taoyuan, put your luggage in lockers, and visit Xpark Aquarium and/or shopping at Gloria Outlets before riding the Airport MRT to the airport.

Thanks for reading! If you really plan to follow my itinerary, then I highly recommend getting my paid version, which has far more details (five times more words!) covering so much more detail about every part of the trip, like which trains to book, where to eat every meal, alternative options, and so on.