Plan Your Trip

Taipei Itinerary: 3, 5 & 7 Days

Three sample plans depending on how much time you have — built around realistic travel times, not a checklist that looks good on paper but falls apart on the ground.

9 min read 3 sample plans

3-Day Itinerary

Covers the essential sights without feeling rushed.

  1. Day 1 — Old Taipei

    Longshan Temple in the morning, lunch and an afternoon wandering Ximending, dinner at a night market (Shilin or Ningxia).

  2. Day 2 — Modern Taipei

    Taipei 101 and the observatory late morning, lunch and shopping in Xinyi District, then hike Elephant Mountain for sunset over the skyline.

  3. Day 3 — Half day trip + easy afternoon

    A half-day at Beitou hot springs in the morning, back into the city for a relaxed afternoon at Da'an Forest Park or last-minute shopping before your flight or onward travel.

5-Day Itinerary

Everything in the 3-day plan, plus a full day trip and more breathing room.

  1. Days 1–3

    Follow the 3-day itinerary above.

  2. Day 4 — Day trip north

    A full day at Jiufen and Yehliu Geopark on the north coast, back to Taipei for the evening.

  3. Day 5 — Maokong & museum

    Morning or afternoon at the Maokong Gondola and tea houses, plus the National Palace Museum if you haven't already fit it in.

7-Day Itinerary

Everything above, plus room for a longer day trip and slower days in between.

  1. Days 1–5

    Follow the 5-day itinerary above.

  2. Day 6 — Taroko Gorge or Taichung

    A full (long) day trip to Taroko Gorge, or a more relaxed high-speed rail day trip to Taichung.

  3. Day 7 — Slow morning, Dihua Street & departure

    A relaxed morning wandering Dihua Street and Dadaocheng, picking up tea or dried goods to take home, before heading to the airport.

General pacing tips

  • Group sights by neighborhood, not by "importance" — it saves significant transit time.
  • Build in at least one unstructured half-day; Taipei rewards wandering more than most cities.
  • Check the weather a few days out and move outdoor-heavy days (Elephant Mountain, Maokong) to the clearest forecast day.
  • Night markets are an evening activity by design — don't schedule them for daytime, when most stalls aren't even open yet.