Taipei in 5 Days
2 Day Trips & Every Highlight

Land at Taoyuan Airport and hop on the Taoyuan Airport MRT (purple line) Express train — about 35–40 minutes to Taipei Main Station. Drop your bags at the hotel or a station locker and start your trip. Five days ahead: no need to rush today.

Start your first meal in Taiwan in the old quarter. Try braised pork rice (lu rou fan) or a bowl of beef noodle soup at a long-running shop near Longshan Temple. Planning your whole food trail? See our 25 must-eat Taipei dishes.

Taipei's oldest and most revered temple, founded in 1738, blending Buddhist, Taoist and Confucian worship under one roof. Watch locals at prayer beneath dragon-topped roofs beside a small courtyard waterfall. Learn the etiquette and best photo spots in our full Longshan Temple guide.

A few MRT stops brings you to one of Asia's grandest civic spaces — the white-and-blue classical complex surrounding the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial. Watch the precision Changing of the Guard ceremony (every hour on the hour) and explore the historical exhibition halls below. Read the full story in our CKS Memorial guide.

One MRT stop away is Ximending, the city's liveliest pedestrian zone — packed with shops, street art, cinemas and the historic Red House. Take it slowly and soak up the early-evening energy.

Go early to beat the group tours — this museum holds over 690,000 pieces of imperial Chinese art. The unmissable highlights are the Jadeite Cabbage and the Meat-Shaped Stone. Allow about 2 hours if you walk with purpose. See the most efficient route in our National Palace Museum guide.

The area around the museum has a good range of Taiwanese and Chinese restaurants. Try braised pork rice or a Taiwanese-style ramen before moving on to Taipei 101.

From Shilin, ride the red MRT line and change to the green line at Zhongxiao Fuxing for Taipei 101. A high-speed elevator whisks you to the 89th floor in 37 seconds for a 360° panorama and the giant gold tuned-mass damper. See how to save on tickets in our Taipei 101 guide.

The key tip for this day trip: go to Shifen first in the morning when crowds are thin, then continue to Jiufen in the afternoon to catch the lantern-lit lanes at their best. Take the train from Ruifang station to Shifen on the Pingxi Line (about 20 minutes), or book a day tour that covers both stops with transport included. Full route in our Jiufen-Shifen day trip guide.

Write your wishes on a colourful paper lantern and release it from the old railway track that runs through the middle of the village — one of the most iconic images in all of Taiwan. A single lantern serves the whole group. Morning means fewer people and more smiles.

A 15–20 minute walk from Shifen village along a riverside trail leads to Taiwan's widest waterfall — nicknamed the "Niagara of Taiwan". The broad curtain of water often throws a rainbow on a sunny afternoon.

Continue from Shifen to Jiufen — a former gold-mining village with narrow stone lanes straight out of a Studio Ghibli film, lined with snack stalls and teahouses. With 5 days you have no clock to watch: linger over oolong tea in a hillside teahouse with a view of the Pacific.

Start early to beat the queues — take Bus 1815 from MRT Zhongxiao Fuxing (about 1.5 hours), or book a day tour covering both Yehliu and Pingxi with transport included. Detailed transport options in our Yehliu guide.

Strange, wind-and-wave-sculpted rock formations that took millions of years to create. The highlight is the Queen's Head — Taiwan's most-photographed rock, with the longest photo queue in the country. Go early or avoid 10:00–13:00 to dodge the tour-bus rush. Allow about 1.5 hours to walk the whole park.

Eat lunch near Yehliu or at Pingxi market, then travel to Ruifang station and board the Pingxi Branch Line into the valley — about 45 minutes total. Read about the line and its villages in our Pingxi sky lantern guide.

Pingxi feels different from Shifen — here you release lanterns in a lush mountain valley, watching them drift silently over the ridgeline. Stroll the old Pingxi street and try local snacks between launches. A quieter, more contemplative lantern experience.

Start the last day by restoring your legs — take the red MRT line to Beitou, then the one-stop branch line to Xinbeitou. Taipei's historic hot-spring district offers a budget public pool (NT$60) or a private tub at a resort. Visit the steaming Thermal Valley and the Hot Spring Museum housed in a beautiful historic timber building. Full guide at Beitou hot spring guide.

Eat lunch near Beitou, then ride the red MRT line straight to the end of the line at Tamsui — about 30 minutes. This laid-back riverside town is famous for its street food and colonial-era fortresses.

Stroll Tamsui Old Street and try the local snacks — fish balls (a-gei), iron eggs and shrimp rolls. Stop by Fort San Domingo, the striking red Dutch-era fortress that records Taiwan's colonial history. Full highlights in our Tamsui guide.