Smart Self-Managed Tours

Country guide

Taiwan

A photograph of Taiwan
Photograph · Man Ng · CC BY 2.0

Taiwan is 394 km long and 144 km wide, and mountains take the eastern two-thirds of it — more than two hundred peaks above 3,000 m, the highest of them Yushan at 3,952 m. The 23,299,132 people counted in December 2025 are pressed into the western third, which is where the railway runs and where every city a visitor is likely to open sits: Taipei with New Taipei and Keelung at the north end, then Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung down the plain. The east coast is the other trip entirely, reached by crossing the ranges rather than skirting them.

Cities

Every city catalogued in this country so far, ranked by how much there is to see.

Practical information

Language spoken
Mandarin Chinese; Taiwanese Hokkien and other languages are widely used
National practical orientation; regional and minority languages may also be used
Dialling code
+886
International calling code; local area and mobile prefixes still apply
Currency
New Taiwan dollar (TWD)
Use the official local currency; card acceptance varies by place
Emergency number
110 police · 119 fire and ambulance
Use only for an emergency; tourist assistance may use a separate number
Plug type
Type A and B · 110 V
Check that chargers support the recorded voltage before using an adapter
Tap water
Not recorded
No verified nationwide visitor drinking-water statement was recorded

Planning a visit

  1. January: no seasonality data recorded
  2. February: no seasonality data recorded
  3. March: no seasonality data recorded
  4. April: no seasonality data recorded
  5. May: no seasonality data recorded
  6. June: seasonal closure recorded
  7. July: no seasonality data recorded
  8. August: no seasonality data recorded
  9. September: no seasonality data recorded — this month
  10. October: no seasonality data recorded
  11. November: no seasonality data recorded
  12. December: no seasonality data recorded

Top things to see

Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.

  1. Thermal Valley Thermal Valley
    02 45 min

    Thermal Valley

    Thermal Valley, or 地熱谷, is a geothermal landscape in Taipei’s Beitou District. Its defining feature is a steaming, sulphurous pool heated by volcanic activity beneath the area.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Taipei
  2. Daan Forest Park Daan Forest Park
    03 1 hour

    Daan Forest Park

    大安森林公園

    Daan Forest Park is a large public green space in Taipei’s Daan District, known locally as 大安森林公園. The park gives the dense city a broad area for walking, resting, exercise, and everyday outdoor life.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Taipei
  3. 228 Peace Memorial Park 228 Peace Memorial Park
    04 1 hour

    228 Peace Memorial Park

    二二八和平公園

    228 Peace Memorial Park is a central Taipei park devoted to remembrance and reflection. The site commemorates the events of February 28, 1947, an important and painful period in Taiwan’s modern history.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Taipei
  4. Taipei Botanical Garden Taipei Botanical Garden
    05 1 hour

    Taipei Botanical Garden

    台北植物園

    Taipei Botanical Garden is an urban green space in Taipei, also known locally as 臺北植物園. It brings plant conservation, botanical research, education, and quiet outdoor recreation together within the city.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Taipei
  5. Guandu Nature Park Guandu Nature Park
    06 1 hour

    Guandu Nature Park

    關渡自然公園

    Guandu Nature Park is a protected wetland area in northern Taipei, known locally as 關渡自然公園. The park occupies a significant ecological zone where the Tamsui River meets the sea, creating a habitat of international importance for migratory birds.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Taipei
  6. 芝山文化生態綠園 芝山文化生態綠園
    07 1 hour

    芝山文化生態綠園

    Zhishan Cultural and Ecological Garden is a green Taipei attraction that brings cultural heritage and ecological observation together in the Zhishan area.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Taipei
  7. Xinzhongshan Linear Park Xinzhongshan Linear Park
    08 1 hour

    Xinzhongshan Linear Park

    心中山線形公園

    Zhongshan Linear Park, known locally as 心中山線形公園, is a long, narrow green corridor in Taipei’s Zhongshan district. Instead of gathering recreation around one square lawn, it threads landscaped space through a dense urban neighborhood.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
    • Taipei

Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata ·

Common questions

How long should a first trip to Taiwan be?

Seven to ten days can combine three or four days in Taipei with Tainan, Taichung or Kaohsiung on the western rail corridor. The east coast, central mountains and offshore islands require slower connections and should replace, rather than merely extend, that compact route.

What entry documents are needed for Taiwan?

Taiwan’s National Immigration Agency provides the current entry and online-arrival requirements. Check passport eligibility and permitted duration there, with consular guidance where relevant; do not assume a transit permission or previous visa exemption covers a different journey.

What is the best way to travel around Taiwan?

Taoyuan Airport connects to Taipei by airport metro, and high-speed rail makes western cities straightforward to combine. Conventional rail and buses reach the east and smaller places, but mountain roads take longer and are more vulnerable to weather disruption.

When is a practical time to visit Taiwan?

Spring and autumn often suit city and rail travel, while summer brings heat, heavy rain and typhoon risk. Mountain conditions can diverge sharply from Taipei or Kaohsiung, so check the Central Weather Administration outlook for the specific route.

What money and payment basics apply in Taiwan?

New Taiwan dollar is the recorded currency. Transit stations and urban shops increasingly support electronic payment, yet night markets and small regional businesses may prefer cash; withdraw TWD through recognised banking channels and verify any foreign-card fee.

What practical safety details should I save for Taiwan?

Use 110 for police and 119 for fire or ambulance; Taiwan uses Type A and B sockets at 110 V. Tap-water guidance is Not recorded here, and typhoon or earthquake instructions should be taken from official alerts rather than social-media summaries.