After landing at Taoyuan International Airport, follow the signs to the Airport MRT and take the purple express train to Taipei Main Station. The ride takes about 35–40 minutes from Terminal 1 or 2, with trains roughly every 15 minutes; allow about an hour overall for finding the station and collecting luggage. A one-way ticket is around NT$150. Leave your bags at your hotel if early check-in is possible, or use the lockers around Taipei Main Station. Since you will have arrived very early, have a quick breakfast there or near Longshan Temple before starting the day.
Take the MRT Bannan Line from Taipei Main Station to Longshan Temple Station—only about 10 minutes. Spend roughly an hour at Lungshan Temple, one of Taipei’s most atmospheric places of worship, where incense, lanterns, and local devotees create a lively scene from early morning. Then walk five minutes to Bopiliao Historical Block, a compact preserved district of red-brick arcades and Qing- and Japanese-era architecture. It is generally open Tuesday–Sunday from around 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; admission is usually free, though individual exhibition spaces may differ. This is a gentle first stroll after your flight, with plenty of time to pause for photographs.
From Bopiliao Historical Block, walk or take the MRT one stop to Ximen Station. For lunch, join the short-moving queue at Ay-Chung Flour-Rice Noodle on Emei Street. Order the signature thick rice vermicelli with oysters and intestine—small portions are around NT$60–70, so NT$100–200 is enough even with a drink. It is standing-room street food rather than a leisurely restaurant, which suits the first day. Afterwards, visit Taipei Tianhou Temple, tucked among the busy shops near Ximending’s main pedestrian streets. Its richly decorated interior and compact layout make it an easy 20–30-minute stop; remember to keep voices low and avoid blocking worshippers.
Spend the rest of the afternoon and evening wandering the Ximending Walking District, especially Wuchang Street, Emei Street, and the lanes around The Red House. Browse independent boutiques, arcades, sneaker shops, and Taiwanese snack stalls, then continue to Taipei Cinema Park for murals, industrial-style buildings, and street-art photographs. Most shops become livelier from mid-afternoon and stay open until roughly 9–10 p.m., while the cinema park is best visited before it gets too dark. Keep dinner flexible here—this is a good evening for grazing on fried chicken, pepper buns, or shaved ice rather than committing to another heavy meal. After such an early start, return to your hotel whenever energy dips; the MRT usually runs until around midnight, but check the final train for your station.
Leave Taipei Main Station around 7:30–8:00 a.m. for Ruifang, then change to the Pingxi Line for Shifen. The combined journey usually takes about 1½ hours; use an EasyCard where accepted, but check the train board because Pingxi Line services are infrequent. Arriving early is worthwhile: the village is quieter before the tour groups, and you can walk along Shifen Old Street beside the railway, browse small snack stalls, and release a sky lantern if you wish. A lantern generally costs around NT$150–250; avoid standing on the tracks except when railway staff have clearly closed them for pedestrian crossing.
From Shifen Old Street, follow the signed riverside path toward Shifen Waterfall, allowing roughly 20–30 minutes each way and about 1½ hours overall. The walk crosses suspension bridges and forested paths, ending at viewpoints over Taiwan’s broadest waterfall. Admission is usually around NT$100, with the park generally open from about 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; wear shoes with good grip, especially after rain. Return toward the village for a simple lunch of grilled sausages, peanut ice cream rolls, or rice noodles before taking a taxi directly to Jiufen—the 30–45-minute ride is much more practical than trying to coordinate several buses.
Have a late lunch and mountain-view tea at A-Mei Tea House, one of Jiufen Old Street’s most atmospheric traditional teahouses; budget roughly NT$300–700 per person. Afterward, spend a relaxed two hours wandering the narrow lanes around Jishan Street and Shuqi Street, where red lanterns, stairways, old shopfronts, and misty coastal views provide the real charm. Try taro balls, peanut ice-cream rolls, and local herbal snacks, but leave time to browse rather than queue for every famous stall. Jiufen’s shops commonly close between 6:00 and 8:00 p.m., so do not postpone all shopping until the end.
Take a taxi or local bus down to Keelung, then spend about 1½ hours at Keelung Night Market—also called Miaokou Night Market—for seafood, pepper buns, fried snacks, and sweet soups. Most stalls are busiest from around 6:00 p.m.; allow approximately NT$200–500 per person. From Keelung Station, Taiwan Railways trains return to Taipei Main Station in roughly 45–60 minutes, with later services available but less frequent than during the day. Check the final train before settling in for dinner, and keep some cash and a light rain jacket handy: the northeast coast is notably cooler and wetter than central Taipei in December.
After returning from Jiufen, take the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle 965 toward Taipei Main Station; on a Saturday, allow up to two hours for traffic. From central Taipei, take the MRT to Shilin Station, then bus R30, 255, or a short taxi ride to the National Palace Museum. Arrive around 9:00 a.m.; it is generally open 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. and closed on Mondays. Give yourself about three hours for the jade, ceramics, paintings, and rotating special exhibitions—start with the most important galleries before the museum gets busy. Admission is usually around NT$350, with discounts or combined tickets sometimes available.
Walk or take a brief taxi ride to Silks Palace for lunch, a convenient museum-area restaurant serving Taiwanese and Chinese dishes in a polished setting. Budget roughly NT$500–1,000 per person, and expect a busier dining room around noon. After lunch, spend an hour in Zhishan Garden, directly beside the museum; its ponds, pavilions, stone paths, and seasonal planting make it a welcome quiet break after the indoor galleries. Check the garden’s access hours at the museum entrance, as they can differ from the main building.
Continue by taxi or bus to Shilin Official Residence, allowing about 15–20 minutes depending on traffic. Tour the former residence and grounds associated with Chiang Kai-shek and Soong Mei-ling; the landscaped gardens are the main pleasure, especially if the weather is cool. Plan roughly 90 minutes, and check the interior building’s opening schedule separately because access may be limited on certain days.
From Shilin Official Residence, take the MRT from Shilin Station toward Yuanshan Station—about 15 minutes on the Red Line—then walk into Taipei Expo Park for an easy late-afternoon stroll. The broad grounds, gardens, and seasonal displays are free and relaxed, with occasional markets or small events taking place. For dinner, walk or take a short taxi to Addiction Aquatic Development near Dajia Riverside Park. This lively seafood complex is best approached as a casual market stop: choose sushi, sashimi, grilled seafood, or cooked dishes, budgeting about NT$500–1,500 per person. Go before 6:00 p.m. or be prepared for a queue; seating is informal, and some counters operate on different schedules.
Start around 9:00 a.m. in Dadaocheng, when the old shopfronts along Dihua Street are opening but the area is still pleasantly quiet. Allow about two hours to browse tea merchants, dried-fruit and spice shops, fabric stores, and traditional medicine counters. The most atmospheric stretch is around Yongle Market and the historic north–south shophouses; many stores offer tastings, but check prices before buying premium tea or gift boxes. From Taipei Main Station, take the MRT to Beimen Station and walk about 15 minutes, or use a short taxi ride. Continue on foot to Xiahai City God Temple, a compact, incense-filled neighborhood temple famous for prayers for love and marriage. Keep your voice low and observe the worshippers; a small donation is appropriate, and 30–45 minutes is enough.
Walk or take a quick taxi—roughly 10 minutes—to Dadaocheng Wharf for an easy riverside break. The promenade is best enjoyed slowly, with views across the Tamsui River and Taipei’s western skyline; allow about an hour, and bring water because shade is limited. For lunch, eat back in Dadaocheng rather than filling up too heavily before the evening market—Daqiaotou Rice Cake is a good local-style option, while the food court at Yongle Market has several inexpensive choices. Afterward, take a taxi to the Taipei Fine Arts Museum in Zhongshan—about 15–20 minutes depending on traffic—or take the MRT via Yuanshan Station. The museum is generally open Tuesday–Sunday from about 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and usually charges around NT$30–50, though special exhibitions cost more; check the current exhibition schedule because Monday is normally its closing day.
From the museum, take a short taxi ride or walk about 15 minutes to Lin An Tai Historical House and Museum, ideally arriving by 4:00 p.m. Its elegant Fujian-style residence, moon gate, ponds, and landscaped garden are a calm contrast to the city’s busy streets. Admission is generally free, and about an hour is sufficient; winter daylight fades early, so visit the garden before lingering indoors. Since Dihua Street, Xiahai City God Temple, and Dadaocheng Wharf are all close together, this is a relaxed day with natural pauses rather than a series of long cross-city transfers.
Head by taxi or MRT toward Ningxia Night Market for dinner, allowing roughly 15–20 minutes from Lin An Tai. Arrive around 6:00 p.m., before the busiest period, and walk the market from end to end before choosing what to eat. Try an oyster omelet, fried taro balls, grilled meats, and one or two smaller snacks; budget about NT$300–600 per person for a generous tasting meal. Stalls are mostly cash-only, seating is limited, and queues move quickly, so share dishes and keep your wallet accessible in the crowd. After dinner, you can walk south toward Daqiaotou Station or take the MRT from Shuanglian Station, both practical connections back to central Taipei.
Take the Taiwan High Speed Rail from Taipei around 8:30–9:00 a.m. and allow another 20–30 minutes after arriving at Taichung HSR Station to reach the West District by taxi or shuttle. Leave your luggage at your hotel if possible, then go straight to the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, which usually opens at 9:00 a.m. and is closed on Mondays. Give it about two hours for the rotating exhibitions, Taiwanese modern art, and the spacious sculpture areas; admission to the main galleries is generally free, though special exhibitions may charge around NT$100–300.
A short taxi ride or roughly 15-minute walk brings you to Chun Shui Tang Original Store, the Taichung institution often credited with popularizing pearl milk tea. Order the classic bubble tea alongside noodles, tea-based dishes, or Taiwanese snacks; expect about NT$300–700 per person. After lunch, stroll north along the Calligraphy Greenway, a pleasant landscaped corridor lined with independent galleries, design shops, cafés, and public art. It is an easy, unhurried way to see the West District without adding another formal attraction.
Continue to Audit Village, a former government dormitory compound now filled with colorful studios, small exhibitions, craft shops, and occasional pop-up stalls. Plan roughly an hour here, but check opening days because individual shops keep irregular schedules. The village is compact, and the surrounding lanes are good for a coffee break before heading onward.
Around 5:30–6:00 p.m., take a taxi or use a combination of the Taichung MRT Green Line and a short taxi ride to Fengjia Night Market; from the West District, a direct taxi is usually simplest and takes about 20–30 minutes depending on traffic. Arrive hungry and browse rather than committing to one meal: try grilled skewers, pepper buns, fried chicken, scallion pancakes, and the market’s many sweet drinks. Budget NT$300–600 per person, and allow about two hours for eating and casual shopping. Wear comfortable shoes—the market spreads through several busy lanes—and keep small notes or a mobile payment option ready for faster purchases.
Take the early Nantou Bus from Taichung around 6:30–7:00 a.m.; the ride to Shuishe Visitor Center generally takes 2–2½ hours. Before leaving, confirm the return departures—services can thin out later in the day—and keep only what you need for the excursion. At Shuishe Visitor Center, collect maps and check the lake and ropeway operating conditions, then spend about an hour walking the nearby Sun Moon Lake waterfront toward Shuishe Pier. The morning is usually the clearest and coolest time for views, so bring a light jacket and comfortable shoes.
From Shuishe, take a lake shuttle or taxi to the Sun Moon Lake Ropeway at Ita Thao; allow roughly 20–30 minutes, depending on traffic. The gondola ride takes about 10 minutes each way, but allow 1½ hours overall for queues and the forest-and-lake panoramas. It typically operates from around 10:30 a.m. to late afternoon, though weather can cause closures; check the official notice before committing. Afterward, walk into Ita Thao Old Street for lunch. Look for indigenous-inspired dishes such as millet-based snacks, grilled mountain boar, mushroom specialties, and locally grown tea; budget about NT$250–600 per person. Many stalls close earlier than city restaurants, so aim to eat by 1:00 p.m.
After lunch, take a boat from Ita Thao Pier to Xuanguang Pier—boats usually run frequently during the main daytime period, and a same-day lake transport ticket is often more convenient than buying each ride separately. Climb the short stairway to Xuanguang Temple, a compact lakeside temple with a beautiful open view across the water; allow about an hour, including time for the famous tea eggs sold near the pier. Return by boat to Shuishe, then catch the preselected Sun Moon Lake–Taichung bus around 4:00–4:30 p.m. The journey back takes about 2–2½ hours, so you should reach Taichung in the early evening. Keep your luggage and airport-transfer arrangements ready tonight, since tomorrow’s 11:00 a.m. flight requires an early start.
Keep breakfast deliberately simple today: eat at your Taichung hotel, or use a nearby traditional breakfast shop for a quick danbing (egg pancake), fan tuan (rice roll), soy milk, and you tiao (fried dough stick). Allow about 45 minutes and roughly NT$80–200 per person. Pack the night before, keep passports and boarding documents accessible, and confirm the earliest Nantou Bus connection from Shuishe if you are still staying at Sun Moon Lake; the long return to Taichung makes this a morning for efficiency rather than sightseeing.
For an 11:00 a.m. flight, aim to leave your Taichung accommodation around 7:30–8:00 a.m. with all luggage. A taxi or pre-booked car is the most practical option, taking approximately 40–60 minutes depending on traffic; ask the driver for Taichung International Airport (RMQ), not Taichung HSR Station. If you are arriving by the early Nantou Bus at Taichung HSR Station, arrange a taxi from there immediately rather than relying on a local bus. Try to reach the airport by about 9:00 a.m. so you have time for check-in, baggage drop, security, and any last-minute Taiwanese snacks or tea purchases.