Taiwan in 3, 5 or 7 Days: Route Shapes
The length decides the shape
Taiwan is small, but its mountains and typhoons make days disappear. How long you have decides which route works, and these three lengths cover most trips.
Three days: stay north
With 3 days, stay in Taipei and its hills. Spend one day on the National Palace Museum (NT$350 adult), the observatory at Taipei 101 (standard NT$600, with higher tiers above) and night markets. Use the second day for Jiufen and Shifen, and the third for Beitou hot springs and the Maokong Gondola. The 3-day plan lays out the order.
Five days: add the rail corridor
Five days lets you ride Taiwan High Speed Rail south. The line runs only along the west coast, from Nangang to Zuoying, and a reserved standard Taipei to Zuoying ticket is NT$1,490. Stops at Taichung, with its night market and a bus to Sun Moon Lake, and Tainan, with Fort Zeelandia and its old temples, fit comfortably. Timetables are on the THSR site . The 5-day plan has a sample order.
Seven days: Alishan and the east
A week allows an Alishan overnight via Chiayi. The Alishan Forest Railway’s full line from Chiayi is NT$600, and you buy tickets on the railway’s booking site . Add Kaohsiung and the free Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum, which closes on Tuesdays. Or turn east: Taiwan Railways reaches Hualien and Taitung, with no high-speed line. Taroko National Park is partly open, with the visitor centre, Taroko Terrace, Tianxiang, Dacingshui, Chongde, Dali-Datong, Liwushan and Cianyanlishan accessible. Highway 8 has timed releases, so read the park’s site before you book Hualien nights. See the 7-day plan .
Rules for all three
The free Taiwan Arrival Card is filed online at the TWAC portal up to 7 days before arrival. Prices are in New Taiwan Dollars, about NT$32 to US$1. Eating or drinking inside MRT fare gates, water included, draws NT$1,500 to NT$7,500 fines.
Typhoon buffer
Typhoon season runs from July to October. East coast and mountain legs are the first to be disrupted, so leave a spare half-day when you travel in that window.
Where to sleep
Base yourself near a THSR station on rail days, so you spend less time in transit. You can check Taichung hotel rates on Booking.com for a base between Taipei and Alishan.
Costs at a glance
The big-ticket items are fixed: THSR from Taipei to Zuoying is NT$1,490, the Alishan railway NT$600 and a full lake circuit at Sun Moon Lake about NT$300. Daily food is cheaper than most visitors expect, with night market meals in the NT$35 to NT$140 range. A single EasyCard covers metros, buses and bike hire, and it also works in convenience stores.
Verdict: five days is the sweet spot, because it adds a second city without the east-coast gamble. Tip: reserve rail seats for Friday and Sunday travel a few days ahead.