Taipei and the Palace Museum
The loop's natural start: over 650,000 treasures (NT$160, closed Mondays), Taipei 101's observatory (NT$400), Beitou hot springs and a different night market every evening. Three days here is never wasted.
Taiwan · Taiwan, China
Taiwan, China Tours & Round-Island Packages 2026 | Taipei, Sun Moon Lake, Alishan, Kenting, Taroko | JoyoTour
A 12-day loop around Taiwan, China: Taipei's Palace Museum and night markets, Sun Moon Lake, Alishan's sunrise railway, Tainan's temples, Kaohsiung's harbour, Kenting's beaches and Taroko Gorge.
The short version
Taiwan, China rewards a full island loop, and 12 days is the classic length: Taipei, Taichung, Sun Moon Lake, Alishan, Tainan, Kaohsiung, Kenting and Hualien, back to Taipei — about CNY 6,000–8,000 per person excluding flights. The high-speed rail runs the 345 km west corridor from Taipei to Kaohsiung's Zuoying in about 2 hours, conventional trains circle the rest, and the famous costs stay small: the Palace Museum is NT$160, Sun Moon Lake NT$100, Alishan NT$200, and a night-market dinner NT$150–250. September to November is the sweet season — clear, cool and mostly past the typhoons.
- The classic loop is 12 days: Taipei — Taichung — Sun Moon Lake — Alishan — Tainan — Kaohsiung — Kenting — Hualien — Taipei, about CNY 6,000–8,000 per person.
- The HSR covers the west coast: Taipei to Zuoying (Kaohsiung) in about 2 hours, 345 km, 8 stations, 06:00–23:30.
- Key tickets stay gentle: Palace Museum NT$160, Sun Moon Lake NT$100, Alishan NT$200, Kenting forest recreation area NT$150, Tainan's historic forts NT$50 each.
- Student and youth cards unlock TR-PASS rail passes — 5 days NT$599, 7 days NT$799, 10 days NT$1,098 (not valid on the fastest expresses).
- September to November is the best window; May brings the plum rains, July to September is typhoon season, and winter rain lingers in the north.
The place itself
What Taiwan is actually like
The island is small enough to circle and large enough to fill two weeks. In one loop you move from Taipei's 24-hour bookshops and night markets down the high-speed spine to the old temple city of Tainan and Kaohsiung's harbour, around the southern cape into Kenting's beach weather, then up the east coast where the Central Range drops straight into the Pacific at the Qingshui Cliffs and Taroko Gorge cuts marble walls a kilometre high.
The middle of the island is mountain and lake. Sun Moon Lake sits still and green at 750 m, divided by a tiny island into a sun half and a moon half; Alishan is a forest of thousand-year cypresses with a narrow-gauge railway that climbs to a sunrise viewing platform above a sea of cloud. Both reward the traveller who sleeps over — dawn is when they perform.
What holds the loop together is how easy it all is. Eight HSR stations cover the west in two hours end to end; conventional trains reach everywhere else, with youth rail passes at NT$599 for five days; long-distance coaches fill the gaps around the clock. Costs stay kind — the great museums are NT$160, the great temples are free, and the best meal of the day is a NT$200 spread at a night market.
And underneath the scenery runs the thing every traveller mentions on the way home: the gentleness. Queueing comes naturally, strangers walk you to your destination, and the old line about the island — that the finest scenery is the people — survives every test you put it to.
Destination — click to open the guide
Province or autonomous region
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Pins are plotted from real latitude and longitude on a 5° graticule. This is a schematic orientation diagram, not a political map — no boundaries are drawn.
What not to miss — Taiwan
Sun Moon Lake
The still green lake at the island's heart, sun-shaped east of Lalu island and moon-shaped west. Boat the three piers (NT$300 for the full loop), cycle the shore path, and stay the night — morning is the best light. NT$100 entry.
Alishan
The mountain of five wonders: sunrise, sunset, cloud sea, forest and the little mountain railway. Climb from Chiayi on the narrow-gauge line, sleep over, and take the dawn train to the Zhushan sunrise platform. NT$200.
Tainan
The island's oldest city, 'a god every five steps, a temple every three': Chihkan Tower and Anping Fort (NT$50 each), the Confucius quarter, and food that is its own itinerary — danzai noodles at Du Xiao Yue, Anping tofu pudding, shrimp rolls.
Kenting
The tropical cape: white sand at Nanwan, the Eluanbi lighthouse at the island's southern tip, the coral cliffs of Maobitou, and the night strip of Kenting Street. The Kenting Express bus from Zuoying HSR runs every 30 minutes.
Taroko and the east coast
Marble gorge walls, the Eternal Spring Shrine, Swallow Grotto and the Tunnel of Nine Turns — hard hats are handed out at the gate for a reason. Pair it with Qixingtan's black-pebble beach and the 21 km Qingshui Cliffs on the Suhua road.
Getting there and away
Almost everyone lands at Taoyuan International (TPE), 40 km from Taipei: airport coaches to the city run NT$110–140 and take about an hour, a taxi about NT$1,300. Songshan Airport sits inside Taipei with the MRT at the door, and Kaohsiung's Xiaogang airport takes the southern arrivals. There are also 'mini three links' sailings from Fujian to Kinmen and Matsu with onward flights, and a direct Fuzhou–Kaohsiung ferry.
Moving around is the easy part. The HSR runs the west corridor Taipei–Banciao–Taoyuan–Hsinchu–Taichung–Chiayi–Tainan–Zuoying in about 2 hours end to end, 06:00–23:30. TRA trains circle the island in five speed classes — student and youth cards buy TR-PASS passes at NT$599/5 days, NT$799/7 days, NT$1,098/10 days. Long-distance coaches are cheaper and some run 24 hours; the 'Taiwan Tourist Shuttle' buses link stations to scenic areas, and taxis flag at NT$70–85 per 1.5 km depending on the city.
Best time to visit — Taiwan
| Month | Weather | Crowds | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 12°C / 4°C · cool, damp | Quiet | Good |
| February | 14°C / 6°C · cool, damp | Very busy | Good |
| March | 18°C / 10°C · clear and mild | Moderate | Best |
| April | 24°C / 16°C · clear and mild | Moderate | Best |
| May | 28°C / 21°C · cool, damp | Busy | OK |
| June | 32°C / 25°C · very hot, humid | Moderate | OK |
| July | 35°C / 28°C · cool, damp | Busy | Avoid |
| August | 34°C / 27°C · cool, damp | Busy | Avoid |
| September | 29°C / 23°C · very hot, humid | Moderate | OK |
| October | 24°C / 17°C · clear and mild | Very busy | Best |
| November | 18°C / 11°C · clear and mild | Quiet | Best |
| December | 13°C / 6°C · cool, damp | Quiet | Good |
How many days do you need?
Twelve days is the classic answer and the source guide's own route: three in Taipei, one each in Taichung, at Sun Moon Lake and on Alishan, two between Tainan and Kaohsiung, two in Kenting, one crossing to Hualien, and a final day for Qixingtan and Taroko before flying home. With a week, do the west only — Taipei, Sun Moon Lake, Tainan, Kaohsiung, Kenting — and save the east coast for the return trip the island will talk you into.
Plan these days properlyCombine it with
Taipei
Taiwan, China · 4 tours
Taipei is the natural first stop on any trip to Taiwan, China, and 4 to 5 days covers it well: the National Palace Museum's 650,000-piece collection,
Kaohsiung
Taiwan, China · 4 tours
Kaohsiung is the laid-back harbour metropolis of Taiwan, China, and 2 to 3 days covers it well: the Formosa Boulevard MRT station with its 4,500-piece
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to visit Taiwan?
September to November — clear, cool and past the typhoons. The island works year-round, but May brings the plum rains, July to September is typhoon season (watch the Suhua highway and Taroko for closures), and the north gets soft winter rain that is actually the hot-spring season.
How many days do I need to circle Taiwan?
Twelve days for the full loop at a humane pace — Taipei, Taichung, Sun Moon Lake, Alishan, Tainan, Kaohsiung, Kenting and Hualien. A week covers the west coast well; under five days, base in Taipei and take day trips instead of circling.
How much does a Taiwan trip cost?
About CNY 6,000–8,000 per person for 12 days excluding flights. Meals run NT$50–200, guesthouse doubles around NT$1,500, hostel beds NT$350–550, and headline tickets are gentle — Palace Museum NT$160, Alishan NT$200, most temples free. Convenience stores cover everything cheaply, around the clock.
How do I travel between cities in Taiwan?
High-speed rail for the west: Taipei to Kaohsiung's Zuoying in about 2 hours, 06:00–23:30. TRA trains circle the island and reach the east; youth cards buy 5/7/10-day TR-PASS rail passes. Long-distance coaches are the budget option, some running 24 hours, and tourist shuttle buses link stations to the scenic areas.
Is it safe to travel around Taiwan?
Very — the island is famously gentle and honest, and the people are the attraction travellers write home about. The real cautions are natural: typhoons in summer and autumn, falling-rock zones in Taroko (wear the free hard hat), the winding Alishan road, and the Suhua highway after heavy rain — check forecasts before driving it.
Does UnionPay work in Taiwan, and should I carry cash?
Carry cash for night markets and small eateries — they are cash-only. UnionPay works at about 80% of ATMs (look inside 7-Eleven, FamilyMart and post offices) and at over 6,000 merchants, mainly the bigger malls. Change money on arrival in Taiwan, not in Hong Kong, where the rate is poor.
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