r/taiwantravel

Hey everyone. I will be traveling to Taiwan this November but it won't be my first time. I'd like to experience a unique side of the country so I'd like to ask for suggestions. I tried researching but I wanted to hear from those who actually tried it na. I want to avoid the usual spots kasi same week ito ng BTS concert sa Taiwan haha

Hi everyone! Does anyone have tips for elderly people with limited mobility traveling in Taiwan?

Are there any great specific places to go to or things to do and any places to avoid? Are there certain cities that are more accessible than other cities?

How is accessibility for public transportation? Also, is the Maokong Gondola accessible for people with limited mobility?

Hi, I’m trying to figure out how to get from Taichung to sun moon lake. Does anyone have any reccs? Or should i just skip Taichung and go directly from taipei to sun moon lake? The problem is all the tours I’m looking at take me back to taipei and that’s not what i want because i want the full day at sun moon lake and then i have a departure from Taichung to kaoihsuing. So I’m wondering if you know any tour companies or if we should book a private car for this? Please let me know!

As mentioned in the title, I'm thinking of taking a to-and-fro ride from Taipei to maybe Hualien just to enjoy the scenery.

Has anyone done this ride before?

Hi, my spouse (40+ M) and I (40+ F) are visiting Taiwan for the first time in mid- to late-October. We're interested in culture and history, easy to moderate hiking in nature, and food. We like slower travel and trying to stay in places for at least three nights. We will not be renting a car.

I understand Taroko Gorge is not fully open after an earthquake so we're sticking to the western side of the country. Here's our itinerary. Please share if there's anything you think we're missing out on with our interests.

I'm not sure about the Sun Moon Lake / Qingjing Farm / Alishan portion. We will not be waking up to watch sunrises. My husband can't swim so we avoid water activities.

Thank you in advance!

Date	Base	Morning	Afternoon	Evening
10/14/26	Kaohsiung	Travel to Kaohsiung	National Museum of Marine Biology & Aquarium	Ruifeng Night Market
10/15/26	Kaohsiung	Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum	Cijin Old Street	British Consulate, Pier2 Art Center
10/16/26	Kaohsiung	Chihkan Tower	Anping Old Street, Tainan Grand Mazu Temple	Tainan Garden or Dadong Night Market
10/17/26	Kaohsiung	Kenting National Park		Liuhe Night Market
10/18/26	Sun Moon Lake	Travel to Sun Moon Lake (3:10 by train, bus)	Hike or bike
10/19/26	Sun Moon Lake	Qingjing Farm (1 hr by car, ? bus + transfer) vs FREE
10/20/26	Sun Moon Lake	Alishan National Forest vs rest
10/21/26	Taichung	Travel to Taichung (1.5 hrs by bus)	Gaomei Wetlands	Yizhong Street Night Market
10/22/26	Taichung	921 Earthquake Museum	Calligraphy Greenway, Rainbow Village	Feng Jia Night Market
10/23/26	Taipei	Travel to Taipei	Elephant Mountain	Raohe Night Market
10/24/26	Taipei	Dihua Old Street, Ximending Shopping District	National Palace Museum, Zhishan Garden	Shilin Night Market
10/25/26	Taipei	Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial, Daan Forest Park	Taipei 101
10/26/26	Taipei	Yangmingshan National Park	Thermal Valley, Beitou Hot Spring Museum, Beitou Park	Tamsui Old Street
10/27/26	Jiufen	Travel to Shifen, Shifen Old Street, Shifen Waterfall	Jiufen Old Street	Jiufen Old Street
10/28/26	Taipei	Return to Taipei	Rest
10/29/26		Fly home

Context: first time in Taiwan, first time in Asia even, but have visited 30ish countries, probably 25 solo. 27M, interests are history, food, culture, vibes/nightlife, wandering around. Not too obsessed with nature, and have even seen lots of people saying that places like Sun Moon Lake and Taroko Gorge are nothing really special. With that, please critique, because I have no idea if the following itinerary looks good regarding days spent in *x* city or whatnot.

* Sunday 11/8 - land in Taipei, take express to Taipei Main Station and just get to hotel
* Monday 11/9 - Taipei - zero plans besides relax, get some food, try to get over jetlag
* Tuesday 11/10 - slow morning, do free walking tour from 228 Peace Park, go up to Taipei 101 observation deck, Elephant Mountain Hike for sunset
* Wednesday 11/11 - go to Beitou, spend day at one of the hot spring resorts, come back and hit a night market (Raohe, Shilin, Linjiang, Shida)
* Thursday 11/12 - Jiufen day trip
* Friday 11/13 - take HSR to Taichung, stay in West District
* Saturday 11/14 - take HSR to Tainan, head right to Anping area, stay near Anping
* Sunday 11/15 - Tainan, explore other areas of Tainan
* Monday 11/16 - take train to Kaohsiung
* Tuesday 11/17 - slow morning in Kaohsiung, explore more, take HSR back to Taoyuan later in the day, check into hotel in Taoyuan and get dinner near hotel
* Wednesday 11/18 - morning flight home

So all in, basically 3 days in Taipei, day trip to Jiufen, 1.5 days in Taichung, 2 days in Tainan, 1.5 days in Kaohsiung

Planning on doing the HSR trips in the morning, but likely after breakfast in city I am leaving. On one hand, it seems like a lot of travel to me but it also looks like the distances between some of these places is like 20 minutes on the HSR so it won't actually be too bad.

I am also looking for recs in any of these places on hotels, hostels, restaurants, etc. I have a solid list of attractions but am always open to hear more.

I will be in Taipei over New Year's Eve 2027, and I'm wondering if there are any recommendations from the community for good places to watch the celebration fireworks? I'm not looking for anything fancy, but if there's a restaurant or bar that's known for having excellent views, or, alternatively, if there's a public park or street where people congregate to celebrate and watch the fireworks, I'd love to hear about it. Thank you so much!

It's my first time to Taipei, and I'm very, very excited. 😄

I already booked my stay there for my upcoming trip, but I’m considering canceling it and booking Star Ximen instead.

Has anyone here stayed at Star Ximen? How was your experience?

Also, if you have any recommendations for affordable hotels around Ximending with clean rooms and a good location, I’d really appreciate them. Thanks!

Hi everyone,
we are planning to visit taiwan for a summer vacation during November but i have no idea of the application process. I am holding a Nepali passport and living in Osaka japan.
if anyone is aware of this please pass on the idea!

thankyou so much!

Hey, me and my girlfriend we are going to spend a Semester abroad in Taipei (August-January). We are going to study in NTUST. We already have an Apartment in Shilin District. We are from Germany and we have have not been to Asia too much, only 2 weeks in Seoul so far. What do we have to know in terms of daily life, prices, transportation, climate, animals etc. Are there any specific hints? Thanks you in advance!

Hi friends!

I am planning a 10-day trip in late November for my family of 4 (kids age 11 and 15).
I have roughly planned the itinerary, notably skipping some of the big items to target our preferences. We're not super outdoorsy, and while I love a great vista, I know my kids don't enjoy hiking.

Does this pacing seem reasonable, especially with teens?

Is Jinguashi worth visiting before Jiufen, or would you spend the extra time in Jiufen?

Would you recommend a canal/harbor cruise in Anping?

Would you change the order of any Taipei days because of closures, crowds, or travel flow?

I'd love any other thoughts or feedback about the itinerary.

Sunday Arrival in Taipei

• Arrive in Taipei (best case: morning)
• Flexible afternoon depending on energy
  • Zhongshan
  • Huashan Creative Park
  • Easy dinner
• Early night

Monday, Dadaocheng

• Dadaocheng
• Dihua Street
• Yongle Market
• Xiahai City God Temple
• Tea tasting
• Seal carving (if practical)
• ArtYard

Tuesday, Maokong

• Maokong Gondola
• Tea house lunch
• Scenic walks
• Zhinan Temple
• Dinner at Ningxia Night Market

Wednesday, Wanhua & Ximending

• Longshan Temple
• Bopiliao Historical Block
• Lunch
• Taxi/MRT to Ximending
• Graffiti Lane
• Wan Nian Building
• Arcades

Thursday, Jiufen

• Train to Ruifang
• Jinguashi Gold Museum Jiufen
• Overnight in Jiufen

Friday, Houtong and Taipei

• Morning in Jiufen
• Houtong Cat Village
• Train back to Taipei
• Stay near Taipei Main Station

Saturday- Tainan

• HSR to Tainan
• Hayashi Department Store
• Wander historic center
• Historic streets
• Tainan Garden Night Market

Sunday, Anping

• Anping Old Street
• Anping Old Fort
• Anping Tree House
• Optional canal or harbor cruise
• Return to Taipei in the evening or Monday morning

Monday

• Fly home

Just a heads-up for anyone planning to travel to Taiwan and considering booking Tomorrow Hotel. I'd strongly suggest looking elsewhere.

I booked this hotel because it had so many positive reviews online, and my fiancée and I thought it would be a safe choice.

We arrived at around 9 PM after a long day of traveling. At reception, the staff told us that the room we had booked was their smallest room. They took us upstairs, and it was incredibly small. There was barely enough room for the bed, with almost no space for our luggage.

I checked my booking and the room photos again because it didn't look like the room I had reserved. After I questioned it, the staff showed us a larger room that actually had enough space for luggage.

Back at the reception, they told us we could upgrade to that room for an additional 5,000 NTD.

I declined.

A few moments later, the price became 3,000 NTD.

I declined again.

Then it became 1,500 NTD.

Finally, they offered it for 1,000 NTD.

By that point, it was already late, we were exhausted, and neither of us wanted to deal with finding another hotel while carrying our luggage. I reluctantly paid the extra 1,000 NTD. What I couldn't understand was how the upgrade price could drop from 5,000 to 1,000 NTD within just a few minutes. The whole situation felt very misleading and, honestly, it felt like a scam.

Another thing worth mentioning is the reviews. They have a Google review QR code right at the reception desk, and they actively ask guests to leave a review in exchange for vouchers for free coffee, drinks, or snacks. They even take a photo after you've submitted your review. That made me question how many of the positive reviews were written because of the incentive rather than the actual experience.

The room itself was also disappointing. The bed was extremely hard, and you could actually feel the springs through the mattress. It honestly felt like sleeping on the floor with a thin layer of padding.

The walls are also very thin. You can clearly hear conversations in the hallway as well as noise from neighboring rooms, so don't expect a quiet night's sleep.

Overall, this was a very disappointing stay.

TL;DR: I regret booking Tomorrow Hotel in Taiwan. I would never stay there again, and I can't recommend it to anyone.

Hi everyone!

I’m a 33-year-old Filipino guy currently visiting Taipei, and I’d love to experience Taiwan’s nightlife while I’m here.
I’m looking for recommendations for bars, clubs, or nightlife spots that are LGBTQ+ friendly, welcoming to foreigners, and have a relaxed vibe where people are open to meeting new friends. I’m not really looking for anything superficial—just hoping to enjoy a few drinks, soak in the atmosphere, and maybe have some genuine conversations with people.

I’m a bit shy at first, but once I warm up, I enjoy chatting and getting to know people. I also don’t mind going solo if that’s the norm, though it’d be great to know which places are easy to mingle in.

Any recommendations? Bonus points if the crowd is diverse and welcoming regardless of race or looks. I’d really love to experience Taiwan’s nightlife in an authentic way.

Thanks in advance! 🍻🏳️‍🌈

Hello, I’m super excited about my fall trip!

I arrive so, so early in the morning, after a suuuuuuuoer long travel day and I had planned to spend the day in Taipei, but I realized I have plenty of time there at the end of my trip.

I could easily just head straight to Tainan that day, or spend one day in Taichung (but that just seems like one more city).

Does anyone know an off the beaten track fishing town or chill spa village or where I should spend a laid back day? I won’t be climbing mountains, but I’ll knock back some caffeine and have whatever adrenaline I get from arriving. Looking for any recommendations, really!

The rest of my trip is Tainan, Kaohsiung (day trip to Alishan), Taipei.

Thanks very much!

Anyone visiting the National Taiwan Museum tomorrow and looking for a museum buddy?

Hi everyone! I’m a 33-year-old Filipino visiting Taiwan. I’ll be going solo, so I thought I’d see if anyone else is visiting and would like some company.

I’m a bit shy at first, but I usually loosen up after a while. I enjoy chatting, exploring the exhibits, and learning new things. Any nationality is welcome—whether you’re a local, an expat, or another traveler.

If you’re interested, feel free to send me a message. Hope to meet a new friend today!

Hi all, I'm looking to ship around 10kg (probably more) from Taipei to New York. What are my options for shipping?

It's a mix of really special souvenirs and generic stuff so if it's more cost-efficient, I can split it into 2 packages: 1 with a more expensive reliable service, 1 with a budget (but still reliable) service.

Note: Ideally would like to avoid USPS for last-mile delivery as I've had multiple issues with them losing stuff over the years.

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I just had a pretty unpleasant experience when leaving Taiwan. The border officer was really harsh — talking in a really impatient, almost shouting tone. I was polite and just answering the questions, but the whole thing felt like being scolded for no reason. Is this just bad luck, or do people often encounter rude officers at the border

hello! may i ask about the public transport system in taipei and outside of taipei like chiayi there?

and what’s the weather like for mid january for upper and middle parts of taiwan?

and are there vegetarian food available there?

and are there any english speaking tour from chiayi up to alishan that allows me to stay up in alishan for one night?

thank you!!