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 — this month
  9. September: no seasonality data recorded
  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.

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Category

Historic monuments 0 Museums 96 Places of worship 0 Nature sites 0 Viewpoints 0 Food and drink 0 Markets and shopping 0 Entertainment 0 Nightlife 0 Family attractions 0 Art and culture 331 Activities 0

Typical visit duration

Up to 1 hour 331 1 to 2 hours 96

Interests

History 2385 Art 1943 Museums 427 Nature 1876 Sea and beach 1352 Viewpoints 524
  1. National Palace Museum National Palace Museum
    01 1 hr 30 min

    National Palace Museum

    國立故宮博物院

    The National Palace Museum is the Taipei museum that presents the former imperial collection through Exhibition Hall I, its main public building in Shilin.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Taipei
  2. Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
    02 1 hr 30 min

    Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall

    中正紀念堂

    The National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall is a prominent monument and public gathering space in central Taipei.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Taipei
  9. Ama Museum
    09 1 hr 30 min

    Ama Museum

    阿嬤家 和平與女性人權館

    • High
    • Museum
    • Taipei
  21. Beitou Museum
    21 1 hr 30 min

    Beitou Museum

    北投文物館

    • High
    • Museum
    • Taipei
  22. Customs Museum
    22 1 hr 30 min

    Customs Museum

    海關博物館

    • High
    • Museum
    • Taipei
  30. Taiwan Highway Museum
    30 1 hr 30 min

    Taiwan Highway Museum

    幸福公路館-台灣公路博物館

    • High
    • Museum
    • Taipei
  59. Yasong Fang
    59 1 hour

    Yasong Fang

    雅頌坊

    • Notable
    • Art and culture venue
    • Taipei
  60. KT Space
    60 1 hour

    KT Space

    課廳演創空間

    • Notable
    • Art and culture venue
    • Taipei
  62. Rhythm Alley
    62 1 hour

    Rhythm Alley

    享巷

    • Notable
    • Art and culture venue
    • Taipei
  63. 名山藝術
    63 1 hour

    名山藝術

    • Notable
    • Art and culture venue
    • Taipei
  65. 烏梅劇院
    65 1 hour

    烏梅劇院

    • Notable
    • Art and culture venue
    • 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.