Sightseeing in Taiwan: North, Centre and South
A country in three bands
Sightseeing in Taiwan is easiest to plan from north to south. The north has museums and temples, the centre has lake and mountain scenery, and the south has the oldest history.
The north: Taipei and its edges
Start with the National Palace Museum, which holds nearly 700,000 imperial artefacts including the Jadeite Cabbage. Admission is NT$350 for adults and about NT$150 for concessions. Hours are 09:00 to 17:00, and the weekly closing day is on the museum site . Taipei 101’s observatory starts at a standard NT$600 and rises with tier, and the entrance is in the office tower. Longshan Temple, from 1738, is free and full of incense and carved dragons. Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall is also free, with an hourly guard change. Out of town, Jiufen’s lantern-lit stairs and Yehliu’s rock formations are a short ride away. For a guide, you can browse Taipei sightseeing tours on GetYourGuide .
The centre: lake and mountain
Sun Moon Lake is reached by a bus of about 1.5 hours from Taichung. Boats call at three piers, costing about NT$100 per hop. Wenwu Temple sits on the shore. Further south, the Alishan Forest Railway climbs from Chiayi to cedar forest at NT$600 for the full line, booked at the railway’s official site . Taiwan High Speed Rail serves Taichung and the whole west coast, and its fare from Taipei to Zuoying is NT$1,490; see the THSR site .
The south: Tainan and Kaohsiung
Tainan is the old capital. Chihkan Tower stands on the site of the 1653 Dutch Fort Provintia, the Confucius Temple dates to 1665 and Fort Zeelandia in Anping dates to 1624. In Kaohsiung, the Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum is free, with a 108 m bronze Buddha. It is open 09:00 to 18:00 on weekdays and until 19:00 at weekends, and closes on Tuesdays. Kenting’s aquarium offers an 81 m glass tunnel.
The east: partial access
Taroko National Park is partly open. You can visit the visitor centre, Taroko Terrace, Tianxiang, Dacingshui, Chongde, Dali-Datong, Liwushan and Cianyanlishan, while Highway 8 runs on timed releases. Plan around the current notices on the Taroko National Park site . The east is reached on Taiwan Railways, since high-speed rail does not run there.
Before you go
File the free arrival card at the TWAC site up to 7 days before landing. Prices are in New Taiwan Dollars. The MRT fines eating or drinking, water included, at NT$1,500 to NT$7,500. Typhoon season runs July to October.
Night views
Two free viewpoints reward an evening. The stone steps up Elephant Mountain give a skyline panorama of Taipei 101 at sunset, and Tamsui’s river mouth faces the Taiwan Strait, where a ferry from Old Street to Fisherman’s Wharf costs NT$34 to NT$40. Both suit a quiet end to a day of museums.
For a route through the best of these, see the 5-day plan . Tip: visit Taipei 101 and the Palace Museum on separate days, because each is a half-day on its own.