Cherry blossoms in Qingjing Farm in Nantou
Taiwan,  Guides and Itineraries

5 Days Itinerary in Taiwan + Travel Tips

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Here’s a 5 days itinerary in Taiwan, including some personal tips!

I traveled to Taiwan for a few days. It’s actually an easy place for a solo traveler like me. First of all, it has good public transportation and there are signages everywhere so getting lost is not an issue. Taipei City can be explored by commuting and there are joiner tours for exploring areas outside the city.

Personally, I like how Taipei City feels so modern, but at the same time there are many nature parks and the roads are filled with trees. The night markets are alive and buzzing, food is delicious, and it’s a lively city in general. The day trips are also enjoyable, particularly the North Coast Tour and Shiding Tour. Overall, I enjoyed it better than I thought I would.

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P.S. Visiting Taiwan soon? Don’t forget to read about our First-Timers Guide to Taiwan.

How to get here

Taipei 101
Taipei 101.

Taiwan has 2 major international airports: Taoyuan and Songshan. Taoyuan International Airport is the main gateway to Taiwan.

Manila to Taoyuan Airport

From Manila, it takes 1 hour, 40 minutes to reach Taoyuan International Airport via Cebu Pacific and AirAsia.

Currently, there are midnight and morning flights from Manila to Taipei City. I suggest getting a morning flight so you can have proper rest before going on a tour.

Upon arrival

Here are the things you should do after arrival in the airport:

  • Exchange your USD to NTD (New Taiwan Dollars). You can also exchange it in money changers outside the airport if you’re particular about getting the best rates.
  • Buy a sim card or pocket wifi so you can stay connected online. If you have ordered either online, you can claim it at the airport.
  • Buy a Taipei Pass or Easy Card for use in trains & buses. More about this on How to Get Around section.

Other things to note:

  • If you arrive in the wee hours of the morning, you can sleep at the airport or book at the airport’s hotel.

Taoyuan Airport to Taipei City

Taoyuan International Airport is about 40 km away from Taipei City. Travel time is around 40-50 minutes.

Here are your options on how to get from Taoyuan Airport to Taipei Main Station in Taipei City:

  • Train. There are 2 types of train: Express (purple) and Regular (blue). The Express Line takes 35 minutes, and the Regular Line takes 50 minutes. One-way ticket costs 160 NTD. Schedule is 6AM to 11PM.
  • Bus. The 1819 bus line operates 24 hours. Fare is 130 NTD.
  • Taxi. Taxi is a bit expensive, but it’s a good option if you have heavy luggage or if you arrive late at night. Fare from the airport to Taipei Main Station is around 1200 NTD.
  • Others: You may also book private transfers. This is a good option if you are in a group or if you arrive late at night.

From Taipei Main Station, you can catch connecting trains or take a bus/taxi to your accommodation.

How to Get Around

Road in Taipei City

The public transportation in Taiwan is very good.

  • It has a train station called Metro Taipei that connects the major city areas and even the north and south areas in Taiwan. Fare is 20-25 NTD.
  • It also has numerous bus lines in the cities. Fare is 15-35 NTD.
  • For those who are in a hurry or traveling late at night, you can get a taxi or Uber.

To get around via public transport, I recommend buying a Taipei Pass or Easy Card. This way, you don’t have to worry about cash or get in line at the train station everytime.

  • A Taipei Pass offers unlimited train & bus rides within a specified period in Taipei City. This is useful especially if you plan on a jam-packed city tour itinerary. A 1-day card starts at 180 NTD.
  • An Easy Card is a reloadable card which can be used in buses and train stations anywhere in the country. You can buy an Easy Card at the airport, train stations, or 7-11. The card costs 100 NTD plus top-up amount in multiples of 100 NTD.

I bought an Easy Card since I find it more flexible. I even used it in places outside Taipei City such as Jiufen. I topped it with 500 NTD for a 6-day stay and I still had about 100 NTD remaining on my last day.

To know your way around public transportation, you can simply use Google Maps which lists the train and bus lines with their departure schedules.

5 Days Itinerary to Taiwan

Here’s a sample 5 days itinerary to Taiwan. Consider this a rough guide.

Day 1Arrival in Taoyuan International Airport
Early check in at hotel in Taipei

Taipei City Tour
– Walking tour
– Lungshan Temple
– Taipei 101
– Elephant Mountain
– Night market
Day 2North Coast
– Yehliu Geopark
– Shifen Old Street
– Shifen Waterfall
– Jiufen Old Street
Day 3Shiding
– Thousand Island Lake
– Ba Gua Tea Plantation
– Shiding Old Street
Day 4Check out of hotel in Taipei

Taichung
– Green Fantasy Forest
– Houli Flower Farm (Zong She Flower Market)
– Rainbow Village

Check in at hotel in Taichung
Day 5Taichung
– Sun Moon Lake

OR

Nantou
– Qingjing Farm
– Snow Mountain (Xueshan)

Head back to Taipei City / Flight home

If you have a limited schedule for the trip, get a late-night flight on your last day.

Here are some things to note when planning your own itinerary:

  • Taipei city tour can be done in 1-3 days. For the rest of your stay, you can go on one- or multi-day trips outside the city. The most popular ones include the North Coast and Taichung.
  • Taiwan has great public transport, but when exploring outside Taipei it’s best to book joiner tours or rent a private car (if you’re in a group).
  • I’m solo so I opted for the most convenient choice: I booked a joiner tour each for the North Coast, Shiding, Taichung, and Nantour. I only spent a day in Taipei since I’m not really a city person and would like to see more of the countryside.

Day 1 – Taipei City Tour

You can do the Taipei city tour DIY. Here’s a suggested one day itinerary.

Start at around 9AM with a walking tour to some of the main city attractions. Go to Ximen Station in Ximending Area to Rainbow Pedestrian and Red House Theather. Then walk towards the Presidential Office and Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall.

From there, ride the train to Lungshan Temple.

In the afternoon, head to Taipei 101. Have lunch at Din Tai Fung, which is famous for their pork xiaolongbao (steamed buns). Afterwards, buy a ticket to the Taipei 101 Observatory located at the 89th floor where you can enjoy a view of the city below. Afterwards, visit the Starbucks in the 35th floor, which is considered the highest Starbucks in the world, or explore the high-end shopping mall in the building or surrounding areas.

From Taipei 101, walk to the jump-off point to the Elephant Mountain. Trek for 20-30 minutes to reach the viewdeck, where you can enjoy a view of the cityscape including the Taipei 101 Building. Watch the sunset above.

End your day with a visit to a night market.

Read more about this One Day Itinerary in Taipei City.

  • Rate: None (DIY)
  • Other fees: Taipei 101 Observatory entrance fee – 600 NTD
Rainbow Walk in Ximen
Rainbow walk.

Day 2 – North Coast

This is one of the must-book day trips from Taipei City. The North Coast area is about 45 minutes away from the city.

The highlight of this trip is Jiufen Old Street. Some people go here DIY, but joiner tours are cheap and will allow you to see other nearby locations. I booked mine via KKDay. The tour was a bit compressed but overall enjoyable.

The tour starts in Yehliu Geopark, where you will see interesting landscapes. Then to Shifen Old Street, which is famous for the sky lantern activity. You can buy a Chinese sky lantern, write your wish on it, and let it fly. This is actually really fun and the good thing is the lantern scraps are collected by the locals afterwards. Next is Shifen Waterfalls.

The last stop is Jiufen Old Street, the place that’s said to inspire Miyazaki’s Spirited Away. This is a good place to eat, shop, and just stroll around.

Read more about the North Coast Day Tour.

Sky lantern in Shifen Old Street
Sky lantern in Shifen Old Street
Kat in Jiufen Old Street
Jiufen Old Street.
Amei Teahouse in Jiufen
In front of Amei Teahouse.

Day 3 – Shiding

Shiding is an underrated destination an hour away from Taipei City.

Public transport here is limited, so the best way to explore it is via joiner tours. As above, I booked mine via KKDay. This is actually my favorite day tour during my stay in Taiwan. It’s laid-back and there are so much amazing sights.

The Thousand Island Lake is a water reservoir surrounded by islets, which is where it gets its name from. You can stop at a handful of viewpoints to take pictures of the lake. One of the stopovers here is the Ba Gua Tea Plantation, where you can tour the nearby tea farms and then have a snack at a cafeteria which offers coffee or local desserts such as soya ice cream. Finally, the Shiding Old Street is a small area where you can buy various tofu delicacies, including tofu stew, tofu ice cream, tofu cakes, and more.

The tour ended early, so my KKDay guide also let me see Shenken Old Street, the tofu capital in Taiwan. This is a more crowded but bigger street compared to Shiding Old Street and a truly enjoyable place for eating.

Read more about the Shiding Day Tour.

Tea plantation in Thousand Island Lake
Tea plantations around Thousand Island Lake.
Viewpoint in Thousand Island Lake
Viewpoint in Thousand Island Lake.
Shiding Old Street
Shiding Old Street.

Day 4 – Taichung

Taichung is a great place for art and culture. It’s about 2-2.5 hours away from Taipei City.

Here is a day tour itinerary in Taichung. After this, you can spend another day in the area to see the Sun Moon Lake or head elsewhere.

I went here on a day trip because as a I mentioned above it’s the most convenient option for me as a solo tourist. There are many tour agencies offering tours in Taichung, but I suggest checking their itinerary because some are too short, which is a bit wasteful considering the distance you will have to travel from Taipei City.

The attractions here are mainstream ones, so during weekdays expect a lot of people.

Start the morning at Green Fantasy Forest, a park filled with fantasy-inspired installations, such as a giant clock in a forest and Disney-like castles. Then head to Houli Flower Farm, where you can take gorgeous photographs in fields of flowers. Finally, explore the Rainbow Village, a small residential village painted in whimsical designs by Huang Yong-fu, who is also known as the Rainbow Grandpa.

Read more about the Taichung Day Tour.

Green Fantasy Forest in Taichung
Green Fantasy Forest in Taichung.
Flower fields in Houli Flower Farm in Taichung
Flower fields in Houli Flower Farm.
Rainbow Village in Taichung
Rainbow Village.

Day 5 – Taichung or Nantou

If you want to stay in Taichung, you can use this day to explore Sun Moon Lake.

There are many things you can do here. You can go on a cable car ride which offers a nice view of the lake and then proceed to Ita Thao and Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village. Hop on a ferry to explore the lake including the islets. You can also visit the surrounding tea farms or flower farms.

Sun Moon Lake in Taichung

On the other hand you can also proceed to Nantou, which is about 2 hours away from Taichung.

I took this as a day trip from Taipei City because I didn’t know that it’s already close to Taichung. It’s more sensible to stay overnight in Taichung and then head to Nantou.

One of the best places to see here is the Qingjing Farm, a big farm filled with cherry blossoms during spring. You can stroll around the farm, feed leaves to sheeps, and breathe in the refreshing mountain air. Next, head to the Snow Mountain, which is the second-highest peak in Taiwan. As its name implies, it’s famous for snow fall when the temperature dips below zero.

Cherry blossoms in Qingjing Farm in Nantou
Cherry blossoms in Qingjing Farm.
Kat in Qingjing Farm
Sheeps in Qingjing Farm
Sheeps in Qingjing Farm.

Where to Book Tours

The city tour can be done DIY since the city attractions are either walking distance or accessible via the public transport system. You can also join free walking tours with a local guide.

For day trips from Taipei City, it’s best to book a joiner tour or rent a private car (if you’re in a group). I don’t recommend commuting since it can be tiring.

Tours via KKDay

For joiner tours, I recommend KKDay. What I like about KKDay is that their tours include the best sights & activities and their tour guides are highly familiar about their assigned locations. Our tour guide for the North Coast Tour, Karen, gave us personal recommendations on where to go in the city and what to do/where to eat during our tour.

Here are some day trips you can book via KKDay:

Here are some things you have to note:

  • Entrance fees and meals are not included.
  • Arrive 10-15 minutes before departure time. Listen to your tour guide so you’ll know what time to get back on the bus after each stop.

Tours via private car

If you’re in a group, you can charter a private car. You need to plan your own itinerary, but the good thing about this is you have control over what time to start and what places to include in your itinerary. Places like Taichung are a bit far (2 hours away) so you can arrange to leave early at 7AM in contrast to joiner tours which normally leave the city around 9AM.

Private car rental costs 4000 NTD or more per day depending on your destination.

Where to Stay in Taiwan

There are a lot of accommodations in Taipei City, ranging from budget hostels to luxury hotels.

There are also Airbnbs available. Bed & breakfasts are technically not legal in Taipei City but you can find listings online and you won’t encounter any problem when booking one. Once in immigration, just give them the address of your Airbnb. Your host may also ask you not to mention that you are renting a room for only a short stay.

It’s best to stay around Taipei Main Station since it’s the most accessible area in Taiwan. Other places you may consider include Ximen (station in Ximending Area), Taipei 101, or Dingxi station.

Sunny Hostel in Taipei City

Here are some recommended stays:

Taipei Main Station:

Ximending:

I booked a room via Airbnb in Ximending, about 3 minutes walk to Ximending Night Market and Ximen Station.

Where to Eat

Taipei City is a foodie haven!

Make sure to try out the offerings in local night markets. The most famous ones include include Ximending Night Market, Raohe Night Market, and Shilin Night Market. Shilin Night Market is one of the biggest residence night markets and it has the lowest prices, so if you want to go on a food trip or buy pasalubong, this is your best option.

You can also use your Google Maps and check for hole-in-the-wall eats. A lot of local eats don’t have English menus, so you might want to research about it beforehand.

Some of the food you should try include xiaolongbao (steamed buns), stinky tofu (most popular streetfood), and pineapple cake (most popular dessert). Of course, you should also try the boba milk tea in the city. Boba is big in Taiwan, so you can also see boba chocolate, nougat, and more.

Here’s a separate guide on What to Eat in Taipei City.

Pork xiaolongbao
Pork xiaolongbao (steamed buns).

I spent most dinners in Ximending Night Market. I recommend getting a pork rice dumpling, mashed potato with cheese, and candied strawberry for dessert.

If you’re not adventurous when it comes to food, you can buy meals in 7-11. They have rice meals, pasta, sandwiches, and more. The food here is actually good and they are open 24 hours. This is where I would go for breakfast, since most local eateries open a bit late at 9AM onwards. There are also fastfood restaurants like McDo or KFC.

Reminders and Tips!

  • Buy your travel essentials (sim card or pocket wifi, Easy Card or Taipei Pass) and entrance tickets (Taipei 101 Observatory) online to get them slightly cheaper.
  • Read up on the weather so you can plan your outfit accordingly. Take note that regular beachwear and slippers isn’t normal in Taipei City and a guarantee that you will stand out as a tourist. I suggest wearing something casual chic or smart casual with proper sandals or shoes.
  • Taipei City is pretty laid-back, but it’s best to still read up on local rules & regulations. One of the things you should know is that, in the MRT, it’s not allowed to drink, eat, or even chew gum.
  • Bring a reusable travel bottle and refill your water in train stations or in your accommodation. Drinking tap water is not advisable.

Budget and Expenses

Taiwan is more affordable compared to other countries in Southeast Asia such as South Korea and Japan. It’s reasonable even for solo travelers like me, but as with everywhere else it’s easier and cheaper to explore it in a group.

Here’s a basic estimate of expenses in Taiwan:

AccommodationStarts at 355 NTD (dorms / hostels) or 600 NTD (standard room)
Food65-85 NTD per meal
TransportationTrain – 20-25 NTD per ride / Bus – 15-35 NTD per ride
ToursJoiner tours are around 1000-1200 NTD per person. Private car rental is around 4000 NTD per day (good up to 4 people).
OthersSim card with 5 days internet: 290 NTD
Easy Card: 100 card fee + top-up amount (400-500 NTD is good for 5-6 days)

Here are the rates for day trips from Taipei City:

North Coast TourRates:
445 NTD | Book here via KKDay

Other fees:
– Yehliu Geopark entrance fee – 80 NTD per person
– Sky lantern starts at 150 NTD for one-color lantern
Shiding TourRates:
988 NTD | Book here via KKDay

Other fees:
None
Taichung TourRates:
1200 NTD (via joiner tour)

Other fees:
– Green Fantasy Forest entrance fee – 300 NTD per person
– Houli Flower Farm entrance fee – 150 NTD per person
Nantou TourRates:
1500 NTD via joiner tour

Other fees:
Qingjing Farm entrance fee – 180 NTD (weekday) / 220 NTD per person (weekend)

Your budget will depend on how many you are in a group, what you plan to do, etc. If you plan on doing a city tour for most of your trip, you don’t need much pocket money except for entrance & activity fees. It’s more expensive if you plan on doing a lot of joiner tours, as I did.

I’m solo and I spent 6 days in Taiwan, with the last day as my flight back home. My budget was about 12,500 NTD (P21,300) excluding flights.

Has this 5 Days Itinerary in Taiwan been helpful to you? If you have questions or suggestions, let me know in the comment section below!

What to read next:

Planning a trip to Taiwan? Here are important guides:

Day tours from Taipei City:

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One Comment

  • Emma

    Taiwan looks so beautiful, I can’t wait to visit one day! Your photos are great, and capture it perfectly!

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