10 Day Taiwan Travel Itinerary You Must Try

In this 10 day Taiwan travel itinerary you’ll experience some of the best this east Asian island nation has to offer.

Taiwan is super accessible and very easy to travel around. It is home to some of the friendliest people you’ll meet, stunning landscapes, loads of ancient history, and one of the world’s best street food scenes.

Yet, somehow, it still remains hugely underrated.

Over these 10 days in Taiwan, you’ll explore the busy streets of Taipei, hike the mountains of Taroko National Park, surf waves down south in Kenting, and explore the ancient Anping Fortress of Tainan.

If you don’t know what to do in Taiwan, then you have to read on. This small island nation offers a huge list of attractions.

Day One: Arrival in Taipei

🛏️ Stay in Taipei: Hotels in Taipei under $50

Taiwan’s capital city of Taipei is located on the northern end of the county. This sprawling city is home to over 8 million people making it one of the largest cities in Asia.

Having spent most of my time in Southeast Asia, I’ll note that Taipei has a relatively cool climate in winter. It’s definitely worth packing some warm clothing.

One of the best ways to absorb Taipei’s big city atmosphere is to just wander the streets for a few hours. Forget about your maps and guidebooks. Just get your shoes on and pull out a camera. Taipei is a photogenic city.

During the day it is worth visiting Taipei 101 (the tallest building in the world until 2010) for great views of the sprawling city. In the late afternoon explore one of the Shilin Night Market or Raohe Night Market for a huge range of street food and other local goods.

Day Two: Treasure Hill Artist Village and Keelung Port

Start your second morning with a dim-sum brekkie at Din Tai Fung. This now international superstar started with humble beginnings right here in Taipei (original branch shop is Xinyi Road). Feast on their tasty range of dumplings including their signature Xiao Long Bao.

After a feed, head to the Treasure Hill Artist Village. Located near central Taipei, this unique spot is home to around 50 locals along with 20 international artists taking up residence here each year.

From a distance, small buildings seem to stack above one another quite chaotically. Up close, it’s a well-organized artist community where houses and art galleries intertwine via a network of small pathways.

In the later afternoon, venture northeast of the city for a walk along Keelung’s harbor promenade. On a map, Keelung appears separate from Taipei but is really part of the same sprawling city.

I found the best time to visit Keelung was in the late afternoon as the sun sets over the mountain with city lights switching on. By nightfall, make sure you visit the nearby Keelung Night Market (Miaokou Market) to binge on loads of tasty street food.

Prefer to spend the entire day around Keelung? Also explore nearby Bali district and Heping Island with info in my detailed guide to Taipei.

Days Three to Five: Taroko National Park

Note: Taroko National Park is mostly closed following the huge 2024 earthquake which caused lots of damage. An alternate destination in the meantime is Sun Moon Lake in Nantou County.

🛏️ Stay in Taroko National Park: Yu’s Homestay B&B

Hiking enthusiasts get ready. One of the must-visit destinations in Taiwan is the Taroko National Park. The best way to explore the national park is to spend at least two days and one night there.

Before you go out hiking, drop your bags off at your accommodation. You’ll be thankful not to carry them around all day.

On your first day, check out some of the key attractions like the Eternal Spring Shrine, Cimu Bridge, Tunnel of Nine Turns, and Tianfeng Pagoda. Using the hop-on hop-off bus service, this will use up most of your day.

One your second day, get deeper into nature park by hiking some of the parks trails such as the Jhuilu Old Trail, Lushui-Wenshan Trail, Shakadan Trail, Meiyuan Zhucun Trail, or Baiyang Trail.

In the late afternoon, visit the secret Wenshan Hot Spring. This entirely natural hot spring is the perfect spot to soak away and relax those worn out hiking legs.

Getting from Taipei to Taroko National Park is easy by taking an express train (book here). Trains depart as early as 6am and take 2-3 hours to reach Hualien. Tickets cost about 450 NTD (15 USD). From there you can hop on the Taroko National Park tourist bus.

More Details: everything you need for Taroko National Park

Days 6 to 8: Head South to the Beaches in Kenting

🛏️ Stay in Kenting: Hotels Near the Beach

The next leg in this 10 day Taiwan travel itinerary is to shoot down to Kenting on the southern tip of the island.

After a week in Taipei and Taroko National Park, it’s nice to enjoy a warm coastal climate. Kenting feels like an endless summer with bright sunny days. The weather here is a good 10 degrees warmer than Taipei, an impressive difference for such a small country.

Put your jackets and hiking boots aside and pull on a wetsuit. While the ocean is cold, Kenting is Taiwan’s most popular spot destination.

One of the best ways to see Kenting and surrounds is by renting a motorbike for a few days. Ride the winding roads to discover beautiful beaches, coral coastlines, secluded surf spots, and panoramic coastal views.

Motorbikes can be rented along Kenting’s main strip by showing a driver’s license from your home country and providing a passport as a deposit.

Days 9 and 10: Tainan the Ancient Capital

🛏️ Stay in Tainan: Budget Hotels in Tainan

Tainan, located halfway up the west coast of Taiwan, is the last stop in this quick 10 day travel itinerary.

Considered the birthplace of Taiwan, Tainan is the country’s oldest city. It was formed in 1661 when the Taiwanese drove the Dutch out, then continued as the capital city until the late 19^th century.

Located in Tainan’s west is one of the city’s main hitorical attractions, the ancient Anping Fort and Eternal Fortress. This fort was built by the Dutch in 1624 when it was called Fort Zeelandia. The best way to get here is by public bus number 2 from Tainan train station which takes about an hour.

Nearby you can also cruise on a bamboo raft through the scenic Sihcao Green Tunnel. This tunnel is a set of densely grown mangroves which have been cultivated in a way to give the appearance of a natural tunnel. Book tickets online here.

On your final day in Tainan, head out to the Qigu Salt fields which was once the largest salt field in Taiwan. While the salt industry is a thing of the past, the remaining salt mountain stands at the height of a 6-story building. This visit provides good insight into Taiwan’s history.

Alternate Routes Around Taiwan

It is impossible to see all of Taiwan ins just 10 days, and so I have not tried to cram more than is practically possible.

This 10 day itinerary is missing the north-west and central highland regions of Taiwan, where you will find impressive places like Taichung, Alishan, and Sun Moon Lake.

For an alternate route around Taiwan, check out Treksplorer’s post on What to Do in Taiwan in 10 Days or Less.

What do you love about Taiwan? Drop me a comment below!