Asia
Taiwan
Taiwan's temples, mountain scenery, night markets, and food culture make it one of Asia's most rewarding first-time trips — especially if you want depth without Japan-level crowds.
Before you start
Most Taiwan planning starts with Taipei, adds Jiufen, maybe night markets, and ends there. The problem isn't the places — it's the assumption that Taiwan fits in three days. It doesn't. The east coast is separated from the west by a mountain range that changes the climate, the culture, and what's worth doing. Tainan has three centuries of food culture that Taipei doesn't have. Lukang stopped modernising in 1895.
Sidetrack asks one question for every place: is it worth your actual time? Not worth visiting in theory — worth the specific cost of getting there, the half-day, the overnight if that's what it needs. That question filters out a lot, including a few places that show up on every Taiwan list.
The places in this guide are the ones we'd send someone to without hesitation. Some are well-known. A few are easier to miss than they should be. All of them answered the question.
Honest warnings
- Typhoon season runs June to September. A direct hit can shut Taroko Gorge for weeks and close mountain roads without notice. Check Central Weather Bureau updates before committing to eastern or mountain Taiwan in summer.
- Taiwan's mountain roads close after heavy rain without much warning. If you're renting a scooter for Alishan or the northeast coast, check conditions the morning you travel.
- August and September temperatures in Taipei regularly hit 35°C with 90% humidity. Outdoor sightseeing in the afternoon is genuinely unpleasant — plan indoor blocks for 12-4pm during summer visits.
- Mandarin is essential in Tainan, Lukang, and older neighbourhoods. English signage drops substantially outside Taipei. Google Translate with a camera works reliably — have it ready.
- The EasyCard (IC card) works on Taipei MRT and YouBike but not on TRA intercity trains or HSR. You need separate train tickets for anything outside the Taipei MRT zone.
Common mistakes
- Spending everything in Taipei. Tainan is more interesting for food, Hualien for the east coast, and Kaohsiung for the south. A Taipei-only trip misses roughly half of what Taiwan offers.
- Booking Taroko Gorge without checking trail status. Closures are common after rain, typhoons, or scheduled maintenance. The Zhuilu Old Trail requires a permit booked weeks ahead.
- Treating Jiufen and Jinguashi as the same stop. They're 4km apart and completely different — Jiufen is photogenic and crowded, Jinguashi is quieter and historically more substantial.
- Eating at tourist-facing stalls near major sites. Night market prices near Shilin and Jiufen are 2-3x what locals pay. A short walk off the main drag cuts the bill and improves the food.
- Flying in and out of Taipei Taoyuan for the whole trip. If you're spending significant time in the south, Kaohsiung International saves a full day of ground transit each way.
Skip this
- Taipei 101 — the mall. The observatory is worth one visit. The luxury retail floors below are identical to every high-end mall in Asia.
- The main Shilin Night Market drag. The tourist-facing entrance section is overpriced and average. Raohe or Ningxia Night Market serve better food at lower prices.
- Wulai in summer. The waterfall is impressive but the point of Wulai is hot springs and mountain air — both of which lose their appeal in 35°C heat. It's a cold-weather destination.
- Sun Moon Lake by tour bus. The boat terminal and selfie spots at the main pier are the least interesting part. The 37km cycling path is why to go.
- Any Taipei restaurant with a laminated photo menu and a ticket queue outside. The queue is marketing. Real Taiwanese restaurants don't queue before they've proved themselves.
Editor's collections
Five ways into the Taiwan guide — pick the one that matches your trip.
First Trip to Taiwan
The places most first-time visitors should plan around.
Taiwan For Food
The places worth going to specifically for what you'll eat.
Old Taiwan
The places that survived modernisation and are more interesting for it.
Mountain Taiwan
The elevated country — gorges, sacred trees, hot springs, and the railway that reaches all of it.
Beyond Taipei
Worth leaving Taipei for — places that justify the travel time.
Places worth your time
24 considered places — not every place, the ones that earn it
How we choose places →
About this guide
Taiwan packs more into a small island than most countries manage across a continent — marble gorges, world-class street food, and a city of 7 million.
Local tips
- 1Buy an EasyCard at the airport the moment you land — it covers the MRT, YouBike rentals, and convenience store purchases. Taiwan's 7-Elevens are genuine infrastructure: they take packages, pay bills, sell train tickets, and have reliable ATMs.
- 2For eastern Taiwan (Hualien, Taroko), book trains 2-3 weeks in advance. The Taroko and Puyuma Express trains have limited seats and sell out fast on weekends.
- 3Taiwan's best food is rarely in restaurants. Breakfast stalls, night market carts, and hole-in-the-wall lunch counters beat sit-down restaurants at most price points. Order what the people next to you are having.
- 4If you're renting a scooter outside Taipei, check Taiwan's current rules on international licences before arriving. Requirements change, enforcement varies by area, and the fine for riding without the right documentation is steep.
Start your shortlist
Save places as you browse
Trip Pass turns your shortlist into a day-by-day plan.
When to go
Best months
October to May
What this guide covers
More destinations are on the way — sign up below to hear when they're ready.
Field notes
Planning a Taiwan trip?
Get updates when we add new places, refine existing entries, or publish notes on what's worth your time.