As many of you know, I lived in Taipei for more than a year. It was one of the best times of my life—well, at least until the pandemic hit. That’s a topic for another post, of course.
One thing I didn’t like about living in Taiwan’s capital? Frankly, life was just too good. Had I been an ordinary person—in other words, one who doesn’t make his living by going places and writing about them—I might’ve spent the rest of my days within the Taipei city limits.
Even if you’re just visiting the city, you might find it difficult to pry yourself away from its ever-so-comfortable center. But I promise you: Every single one of these day trips from Taipei is worth the trouble.
Why Taipei Tends to “Trap” Travelers
I had to push myself to take Taipei day trips once I started living in the capital. Taipei is like a warm blanket, particularly given where I used to live. I had a beautiful apartment with a huge, private back garden, located in a quiet street 15 minutes by foot from CKS Hall, but seemingly in the middle of nowhere. I could easily walk to both Yongkang Street and Da’an Forest Park, and rarely felt the need to explore beyond those places.
While this feeling is not as acute if you’re in Taipei for only a few days (and especially not if you’re staying in a busy place like Ximen or near Taipei 101), it’s still there. If not because of the comfort you feel in Taipei, then because of all the things to do there. Frankly, there are so many night markets in the city limits alone that you could visit each of those for a week and not eat your way through all of them!
The Best Day Trips from Taipei
Jiufen Old Street
The bad news? Contrary to popular rumor, Jiufen Old Street did not inspire the Studio Ghibli classic “Spirited Away.” The good news? In addition to being directly accessible from central Taipei by bus, you can easily pair a cultural adventure along the lao jie with a hike up Teapot Mountain—which, on a clear day, offers fabulous views of the sea in the distance.
Wulai Hot Spring
A less popular day trip from Taipei is to Wulai, which sits just to the south of the city. Wulai has two main claims to fame. First, it’s a hot springs town, making it a less crowded alternative to Beitou, whether you come for the afternoon and book a day spa, or stay overnight in a hot springs hotel. Secondly, it’s a center of aboriginal culture, and allows you to eat aboriginal Taiwanese cuisine as well.
Yangmingshan National Park
Although there’s plenty of hiking within Taipei’s city limits (I’m thinking, in particular, of trails like Jiantanshan and, of course, Xiangshan), more strenuous and difficult hikes are not too far away, either. My favorite of these is probably Yangminshan National Park, which sits atop a volcano of the same name just north of Taipei’s city center. The Seven Stars Trail will not only exhilarate you, but offers fabulous views of Taipei City.
Keelung City
For a Taipei day trip that blends culture and nature, choose the port city of Keelung. On the culture side, you can eat your way through Miaokou Night Market, or take selfies in front of the colorful facades of Zhengbin Fishing Harbor. On the nature side, you can make a side trip to the so-called Queens Head (at Yehliu Geopark), to say nothing of all the hiking trails around Keelung Harbor.
Quanhua Temple
In some sense, it isn’t accurate to called Quanhua Temple at Shitoushan Mountain a day trip from Taipei. It’s in super-rural Miaoli County, after all; without your own set of wheels, it’s very difficult to reach in a day from the capital. Still, if you do end up renting a car in Taiwan for any reason, both the architecture of this temple and its surrounding nature make the journey more than worth it.
Weekend Trips from Taipei
Whether you’re living in Taipei and need a night (or two) away from home, or are staying in the capital for a week or longer and crave an excursion, here are some options:
- Yilan: I like to base myself in Jiaoxi, and explore destinations from Wai’ao Beach in the north down to Nanfang’ao in the south.
- Hualien: The bad news? The hiking trails of Taroko Gorge are closed indefinitely. The good news? There’s still plenty to love about Hualien City; you can drive through Taroko National Park.
- Sun Moon Lake: Although this Nantou County idyll is one of Taiwan’s most iconic destinations, you really only need a day or two to see what it’s about.
- Kaohsiung: While cities further north like Taichung and even Tainan could theoretically be day trips from Taipei, a weekend is a perfect amount of time for discovering the country’s southern metropolis.
Other FAQ About Taipei Day Trips
What are the best day trips from Taipei?
Popular day trip options from Taipei include cultural ones like Jiufen Old Street, natural ones like Yangmingshan mountain and ones like Keelung, which are sort of the best of both worlds. You can also head south from Taipei to the aboriginal town of Wulai, or rent a car and drive to gorgeous Wanhua Temple.
Where to go in Taiwan outside Taipei?
Taipei is a magnificent city with an endless amount of things to do, but Taiwan doesn’t end there. Some travelers will prefer built-up west coast cities like Tainan and Kaohsiung, while others will rent a car and drive down the east coast scenic route from Yilan to Taitung. Still others will stick to inland destinations like Alishan and Sun Moon Lake, while Taiwan is further home to many interesting outlying islands.
Is Jiufen a day trip from Taipei?
Jiufen is easy as a day trip from Taipei, particularly if you stick only to Jiufen Old Street. However, if you plan to hike Teapot Mountain, or simply want to see the street’s iconic lanterns lit up at night, there’s an argument to be made for staying in Jiufen overnight.
The Bottom Line
Most travelers won’t have time for all these day trips from Taipei, at least not if they’re visiting the city for the first time. But that’s OK—having to pick and choose is not necessarily a bad thing. Some will find the adrenaline and views from Yangmingshan the most worth the effort, while others will happily sit on a train for an hour to savor the tastes, smells and yellow lanterns of Miaokou Night Market in Keelung. Still others will feel inspired to stay overnight somewhere, be that at a hot springs hotel in Wulai, or along Jiufen Old Street. Need personalized help putting your Taiwan adventure together? Consider hiring me to plan your trip!
