Choose from 57 Fun Things to Do in Taiwan
Yongkang Street
- Yongkang Street is a must for food lovers and first-time visitors.
- If you want to avoid the crowds, visit Yongkang Street during the day when it’s far less busy.
- If there’s a long line for a food stall, join it.
- Wander to the end of the street for great views of Taipei 101.
Zhuilu Old Trail
Practical Info
Yehliu Coast
Since the Yehliu Coast is less than an hour drive from Taipei, it makes a convenient day trip, especially when combined with a visit to the seaport of Keelung and Yehliu’s Baoan Temple. It’s also an extremely popular option on Taiwan tours, so if you want to escape the crowds after you’ve snapped your pictures, take a stroll down to the end of the rocky peninsula to enjoy the views in relative isolation.
Yingge
Practical Info
Tucheng Tung Blossom Trail
Near the trail’s halfway point, you’ll find Tung Blossom Park, an open performance space and recreational where you can stop to admire the blossoms. At night, the space lights up as hundreds of fireflies take to the air.
Each year at the end of April through early May, the Tucheng Tung Blossom Trail and Tung Blossom Park serve as sites for the Hakka Tung Blossom Festival. With a full lineup of music, dance performances and cultural exhibitions, the festival is a great time to visit and learn about the culture of the Hakka people when the Tung trees are at their best.
Zhongshan Hall
Practical Info
Keelung Harbor
Practical Info
Hell Valley (Geothermal Valley)
Upon entering the valley, you'll understand how it gets its name. An ever-present sulfurous mist permeates the air with billowing clouds of hot steam rising up from hidden cracks in the ground. The hot springs pools here reach up to 100 degrees Celsius (212 degrees Fahrenheit), rendering it too hot to swim. Locals used to come here to boil eggs in the highly acidic waters.
To experience the supposedly healing waters that generate in Hell Valley, visit the Beitou Hot Springs, a public hot springs that maintains pools at a much more comfortable temperature.
Yangmingshan National Park
Yangmingshan National Park is busy Taipei’s safety valve. When stressed city dwellers feel like they’re going to erupt they come to this protected volcanic landscape for an instant fix of relaxation. It is particularly popular in spring when its gentle green hillsides are garlanded with azaleas, rhododendrons and (briefly) cherry blossoms.
All year round you can enjoy bird-watching or hiking numerous trails through the area’s famous grasslands. Like Wulai, this area is known for its hot springs, with the added twist of sulfur which turns the lake of Lengshuikeng an eerie milky pale blue.
Practical Info
Yangmingshan National Park is in the far north of Taiwan within easy reach of Taipei. Take the bus from Taipei Main Railway Station or from Jiantan MRT Station. Accommodation options within the park are relatively limited, and camping is only allowed at the Jingshan camping area.
Beitou Hot Spring Museum
- Admission to the museum is free.
- Visitors must remove their shoes at the entrance and change into provided indoor slippers or purchase cloth slippers.
- Photos for personal use only are allowed, but tripods are not permitted.
- The corridors are very narrow and not recommended for wheelchairs or strollers.
Yehliu Geopark
- Wear sturdy walking shoes—some of the park’s terrain is uneven.
- This is a must-see for lovers of nature and outdoors enthusiasts.
- Head to the Queen’s Head formation, located at the far end of the park, first; that way, you’ll avoid the crowds at the most touristy area.
Danshui (Tamsui)
The Danshui area was settled by the Spanish in 1629 and the Dutch in 1641, and one of the most impressive remnants of Danshui's colonial days is the Hongmao Castle, also called Fort San Domingo. The structure briefly served as the British Consulate before being returned to Taiwan in 1980.
After you've visited the castle, spend the rest of your time in Danshui wandering through the waterfront area and Old Street. It is here you'll find a majority of the city's famous seafood restaurants and traditional handicraft shops. Try the fish ball soup, it's a specialty of the town. As the sun sets, head down to Fisherman's Wharf to watch with views of Lover's Bridge, the large pedestrian bridge that spans the harbor.
Treasure Hill
The settlement dates back to the 1940s when its illegally built structures served as an antiaircraft base for the military. The entire neighborhood was closed off in 2007 to allow for its restoration and preservation, and when the government reopened Treasure Hill in 2010, 22 of the original families moved back in to participate in the Treasure Hill Artists Village Program.
Practical Info
Transit: MRT Gongguan Station (Green line) to Gongguan Station Exit 1. Turn left to Dingzhou Rd. Sec. 3. Walk to Dingzhou Rd. Sec. 3 Ln. 230 for 5-7 minutes. Treasure Hill, Treasure Hill Artist Village.