Taiwan Five days adds 2 days for the periphery. Day 4: Beitou hot springs (northernmost MRT) + Tamsui river sunset + Tamsui Old Street. Day 5: Yangmingshan National Park (hiking + flower season Feb-March, calla lily fields, sulfur springs) + Maokong cable car tea hike. The pace is far more humane — 3-day plan rushes through icons; 5-day version allows lazy afternoons + spa days.
Five days hits the sweet spot for Taipei — three days for the major districts, plus two days for nearby destinations that show a different side of the country. The pace stays relaxed, you get more variety in your photo album, and the day trips break up the urban intensity nicely.
5-Day Total Budget at a Glance
Budget
$285
Per person, flights excl.
Mid-Range
$600
Per person, flights excl.
Luxury
$1,380
Per person, flights excl.
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Day-by-Day Detailed Schedule
Modern Taipei + Xinyi
Taipei 101 · Xinyi · RaoheActivities
- 09:00 Fu Hang Soy Milk breakfast 1.5 hours
Iconic breakfast.
Cost: $3-8 / NT$95-250 - 13:00 Din Tai Fung lunch 1.5 hours
Xiaolongbao.
Cost: $10-25 / NT$320-800 - 17:00 Taipei 101 sunset 1.5 hours
Observatory.
Cost: $19 / NT$600 - 19:30 Raohe Night Market 2-3 hours
Pepper buns + variety.
Cost: $10-25 / NT$320-800
Meal Recommendations
Lunch
Din Tai Fung
Xinyi · $10-25 / NT$320-800
Xiaolongbao
Dinner
Raohe Night Market
Songshan · $10-25 / NT$320-800
Pepper buns + scallion pancake
MRT Zone 1.
DAY 1 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
Old Taipei + Ximending + Shilin
Longshan · Bopiliao · XimendingActivities
- 09:30 Longshan Temple 1.5 hours
1738 temple.
Cost: Free - 13:00 Lin Dong Fang lunch 1 hour
Beef noodles.
Cost: $8-15 / NT$250-470 - 17:00 Ximending shopping 2 hours
Youth district.
Cost: Variable - 19:30 Shilin Night Market 2-3 hours
Hot Star fried chicken.
Cost: $10-25 / NT$320-800
Meal Recommendations
Lunch
Lin Dong Fang
Zhongshan · $8-15 / NT$250-470
Beef noodles
Dinner
Shilin
Shilin · $10-25 / NT$320-800
Variety stalls
MRT.
DAY 2 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
Jiufen + Shifen Day Trip
Mountain tea · sky lanternsActivities
- 10:30 Jiufen Old Street 2-3 hours
Lantern teahouses.
Cost: $10-25 / NT$320-800 - 14:30 Shifen Sky Lanterns 1 hour
Release wish lanterns.
Cost: $6-10 / NT$200-300 - 16:00 Shifen Waterfall 1.5 hours
Taiwan's largest.
Cost: Free
Meal Recommendations
Lunch
Amei Tea House
Jiufen · $10-25 / NT$320-800
Tea + sweets
Dinner
Ningxia Night Market
Datong · $8-20 / NT$250-630
Local market
TRA + Pingxi Line.
DAY 3 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
Beitou Hot Springs + Tamsui
Hot springs · Tamsui sunset · old streetActivities
- 09:30 MRT to Beitou 30 min
Red Line, 30 min from Taipei Main.
Cost: $1 / NT$30 - 10:00 Beitou Hot Springs Museum 1 hour
Free entry. 1913 Japanese-era public bathhouse, restored. Historical photos + exhibits on Beitou's hot spring culture.
Cost: Free - 11:00 Hell Valley (Diregu/Thermal Valley) 30 min
Sulfuric green-water hot pool — too hot to bathe (90°C), but the steam + sulfur smell + greenery is the photo moment. Free entry.
Cost: Free - 12:00 Lunch in Beitou 1.5 hours
Tian Yi restaurant — traditional Japanese-Taiwanese fusion. Hot spring egg + sashimi + Hokkaido beef.
Cost: $15-35 / NT$470-1,100 - 14:00 Hot spring bath 1.5 hours
Public bathhouse (Beitou Public Bath NT$40 / $1.30) OR hotel day-use spa (Spring City Resort NT$1,800 / $57). Bring swimsuit for hotel; nude for public.
Cost: $1-60 / NT$40-1,800 - 16:00 MRT to Tamsui 45 min
Red Line continues to Tamsui (final stop, 40 min from Beitou).
Cost: $1 / NT$30 - 16:45 Tamsui Old Street + sunset on the river 3 hours
Walk Tamsui Old Street (1.2km of food stalls + souvenir shops). Iron egg, fish ball soup, A-Gei (stuffed tofu). Watch sunset over Tamsui River from Fisherman's Wharf.
Cost: $10-25 / NT$320-800 - 20:30 Dinner — Light fish dishes or back to Taipei 1.5 hours
Fisherman's Wharf seafood OR return to Taipei for late-night soy milk at Yong He.
Cost: $15-50 / NT$470-1,580
Meal Recommendations
Breakfast
Hotel or local
Central · $5-15 / NT$160-470
Light start
Lunch
Tian Yi (Beitou)
Beitou · $15-35 / NT$470-1,100
Hot spring egg + sashimi
Dinner
Tamsui Fisherman's Wharf OR Yong He Soy Milk
Tamsui / Central · $10-50 / NT$320-1,580
Fish dishes by the river OR late soy milk + dan bing
MRT Red Line: Taipei Main → Beitou → Tamsui. Total ~75 min one-way. EasyCard.
DAY 4 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
Yangmingshan + Maokong
National park · sulfur springs · cable car · tea hikeActivities
- 09:00 Bus to Yangmingshan National Park 1 hour
Bus 260 from Taipei Main, 1 hour. NT$15 / $0.50 each way.
Cost: $1 / NT$30 round-trip - 10:00 Xiaoyoukeng (Small Oil Pit) Sulfur Springs 1 hour
Volcanic sulfur fumaroles, walking boardwalks through steam vents. Free entry; smell strong.
Cost: Free - 11:30 Qixingshan (Seven Star Mountain) viewpoint 2 hours
Main peak hike (2 hours round-trip) or short viewpoint walk. Taipei panorama on clear days.
Cost: Free - 13:30 Lunch in Yangmingshan park 1 hour
Casual park restaurants — Taiwanese country food, sweet potato dishes, mountain vegetables.
Cost: $10-25 / NT$320-800 - 15:00 Bus back to Taipei + MRT to Maokong 1.5 hours
Bus back to Taipei Main, then MRT Brown Line to Taipei Zoo, transfer to Maokong Gondola.
Cost: $2 / NT$60 - 16:30 Maokong Cable Car ride 1 hour
5.4km gondola over the mountains, 25 min to Maokong summit. Crystal Cabin (glass-bottom) is the photographer's choice. NT$120 / $3.80 each way.
Cost: $8 / NT$240 round-trip TIP: Buy Crystal Cabin ticket (separate queue) for glass floor — worth the wait. - 17:30 Tea + sunset at Maokong teahouse 1.5 hours
Maokong is Taiwan's tea-mountain area — TGTea House or other traditional teahouse. Tieguanyin tea + Taiwanese sweets + sunset view of Taipei 101.
Cost: $15-30 / NT$470-950 - 20:00 Late dinner — final favorite 2-3 hours
Mala Yuan Yang Hot Pot or RAW (if booked) or your favorite night market.
Cost: $15-220 / NT$470-7,000
Meal Recommendations
Breakfast
Hotel + Yong He Soy Milk
Central · $5-10 / NT$160-320
Quick before mountain day
Lunch
Yangmingshan park restaurant
Yangmingshan · $10-25 / NT$320-800
Mountain vegetable + sweet potato Taiwanese cuisine
Dinner
Mala Hot Pot OR RAW
Xinyi / Zhongshan · $30-220 / NT$950-7,000
Splurge night — hot pot or 2-Michelin RAW
Bus + MRT + cable car combo. Total commute ~3 hours; rest is walking/sitting.
DAY 5 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
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Packing Checklist
- ✓ Same as 3-day + extra socks (sulfur/hot springs)
- ✓ Swimsuit if doing hotel hot spring at Beitou
- ✓ Hiking shoes for Yangmingshan + Maokong walks
- ✓ Compact daypack for layering
Taipei 5-Day Itinerary FAQ
Beitou public bath or hotel spa? ▼
Yangmingshan with rental car or bus? ▼
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Why you can trust 5-day itinerary
Based in Chiang Mai for 8+ years, with 30+ countries visited across Southeast Asia, Japan, and Europe. Every detail in this guide is primary-source verified as of April 2026, with prices auto-refreshed via live exchange rate APIs. This isn't AI-generated boilerplate — it's written from the perspective of someone who has actually been there.