Taiwan Seven days unlocks south Taiwan. Days 1-5 cover Taipei + day trips (3-day essentials + Beitou + Yangmingshan). Day 6: HSR to Tainan (1.5 hours from Taipei) — Taiwan's oldest city, the food capital, 17th-century forts + temples + danzai noodles. Day 7: Continue HSR to Kaohsiung (2 hours from Taipei) — Taiwan's southern port city, the Pier-2 art district, Lotus Pond, Cijin Island sunset. Or return Tainan → Taipei same day.
A full week is enough to actually understand Taipei. Three days for the major districts, three days for nearby regions, and one day for the offbeat neighborhoods most tourists miss. The back half of the trip is more about texture than checking landmarks — your photos get more diverse and you walk away with a three-dimensional sense of the city.
7-Day Total Budget at a Glance
Budget
$535
Per person, flights excl.
Mid-Range
$1,070
Per person, flights excl.
Luxury
$2,410
Per person, flights excl.
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Day-by-Day Detailed Schedule
Modern Taipei
Taipei 101 · RaoheActivities
- 13:00 Din Tai Fung lunch 1.5 hours
Xiaolongbao.
Cost: $10-25 / NT$320-800 - 17:00 Taipei 101 1.5 hours
Observatory.
Cost: $19 / NT$600
Meal Recommendations
Dinner
Raohe
Songshan · $10-25 / NT$320-800
Pepper buns
MRT.
DAY 1 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
Old Taipei + Shilin
Longshan · XimendingActivities
- 09:30 Longshan Temple 1.5 hours
1738 temple.
Cost: Free - 13:00 Beef noodles lunch 1 hour
Lin Dong Fang.
Cost: $8-15 / NT$250-470
Meal Recommendations
Dinner
Shilin
Shilin · $10-25 / NT$320-800
Hot Star chicken
MRT.
DAY 2 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
Jiufen + Shifen
Mountain + lanternsActivities
- 10:30 Jiufen Old Street 2-3 hours
Lanterns + tea.
Cost: $10-25 / NT$320-800 - 14:30 Shifen Sky Lanterns 1 hour
Release wishes.
Cost: $6-10 / NT$200-300
Meal Recommendations
Lunch
Amei Tea House
Jiufen · $10-25 / NT$320-800
Tea + sweets
TRA + Pingxi Line.
DAY 3 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
Beitou + Tamsui
Hot springs + riverActivities
- 11:00 Hell Valley + Beitou bath 3 hours
Hot springs.
Cost: $1-60 / NT$40-1,800 - 16:45 Tamsui sunset 3 hours
River walk.
Cost: $10-25 / NT$320-800
Meal Recommendations
Dinner
Tamsui or back
Tamsui / Central · $10-50 / NT$320-1,580
Fish dishes
MRT Red Line.
DAY 4 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
Yangmingshan + Maokong
National park + cable carActivities
- 10:00 Yangmingshan sulfur springs 3 hours
Volcanic park.
Cost: Free - 16:30 Maokong cable car 2 hours
Tea mountain.
Cost: $8 / NT$240
Meal Recommendations
Dinner
Mala Hot Pot or RAW
Xinyi · $30-220 / NT$950-7,000
Hot pot or Michelin
Bus + MRT + cable car.
DAY 5 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
Tainan HSR Day Trip
Taiwan's oldest city · food capital · 17th-century fortsActivities
- 08:00 HSR Taipei → Tainan 1.5 hours
90 min by High Speed Rail, NT$1,490 / $47 each way. Book online via Klook or HSR app for 10% discount.
Cost: $94 / NT$2,980 round-trip - 10:00 Anping Old Fort (Fort Zeelandia) 1.5 hours
1624 Dutch fort, restored. Free entry. Taiwan's oldest European structure — Tainan was Taiwan's capital under Dutch rule 1624-1662.
Cost: $2 / NT$70 - 12:00 Anping Old Street + lunch 2 hours
Tainan's signature: danzai noodles (担仔麵, invented 1895), oyster vermicelli (蚵仔麵線), coffin bread. Eat at Du Hsiao Yueh (the original danzai noodle).
Cost: $15-30 / NT$470-950 - 14:30 Chihkan Tower (Provincial City God Temple) 1 hour
1653 Dutch-built Fort Provintia, repurposed as Confucian temple. Free entry to gardens; NT$50 / $1.60 for interior.
Cost: $2 / NT$50 - 16:00 Tainan Confucius Temple 1 hour
Taiwan's oldest Confucian temple (1666). Free entry. Cooler atmosphere than the tourist-stuffed Anping.
Cost: Free - 17:30 Hayashi Department Store + dinner area 1.5 hours
1932 art deco department store, restored. Western-style café on roof; pair with Hayashi Lin (next door).
Cost: Variable - 19:30 HSR back to Taipei 1.5 hours
90 min HSR. Last trains 22:00.
Cost: Already on round-trip
Meal Recommendations
Breakfast
HSR station café
Taipei Main · $5-10 / NT$160-320
Quick coffee + sandwich
Lunch
Du Hsiao Yueh (Tainan)
Tainan · $15-30 / NT$470-950
Danzai noodle origin + oyster vermicelli
Dinner
HSR station bento or Taipei dinner
HSR / Taipei · $8-50 / NT$250-1,580
Quick bento on train or full dinner in Taipei
HSR (High Speed Rail) Taipei → Tainan 90 min. NT$2,980 / $94 round-trip. Discount tickets via Klook.
DAY 6 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
Kaohsiung HSR Day Trip OR Slow Taipei Final Day
Southern port city · art district · Cijin Island OR slow goodbyeActivities
- 08:00 HSR Taipei → Kaohsiung 2 hours
2 hours by HSR, NT$1,630 / $52 each way.
Cost: $103 / NT$3,260 round-trip - 10:30 Pier-2 Art Center 2 hours
Former warehouse district turned street-art + design hub. Free entry to outdoor zones; galleries variable. The most photogenic + young Kaohsiung experience.
Cost: Free - 12:30 Lunch in Pier-2 area 1 hour
Kaohsiung-style danzai noodles or Taiwan-style burgers at design-conscious cafés.
Cost: $10-25 / NT$320-800 - 14:00 Ferry to Cijin Island 2 hours
5 min ferry, NT$30 / $1 each way. Cijin Old Street has Taiwan's largest seafood marketplace + Cihou Lighthouse (free, panoramic view).
Cost: $2 / NT$60 round-trip - 16:30 Lotus Pond + Dragon-Tiger Pagodas 1.5 hours
MRT Zuoying — 2 ornate pagodas (entering dragon mouth, exiting tiger mouth brings luck). 1976 build, free entry, photogenic Buddhist site.
Cost: Free - 18:30 Kaohsiung HSR back to Taipei 2 hours
2 hours back. Last train 22:30.
Cost: Already on round-trip - 21:00 Farewell dinner — RAW (if booked) or favorite night market 2.5 hours
Final feast.
Cost: $15-220 / NT$470-7,000
Meal Recommendations
Breakfast
Pier-2 café
Kaohsiung · $5-12 / NT$160-380
Design-conscious café
Lunch
Pier-2 lunch
Kaohsiung · $10-25 / NT$320-800
Kaohsiung-style dishes
Dinner
RAW or final night market
Taipei · $15-220 / NT$470-7,000
Last-night feast
HSR Taipei → Kaohsiung 2 hours. NT$3,260 / $103 round-trip. **Alternative**: slow final day in Taipei — repeat favorites, last shopping, no commute.
DAY 7 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
Book Taipei Tours & Tickets
Packing Checklist
- ✓ Same 5-day list + lightweight day-trip backpack
- ✓ Camera with extra battery (lots of photo days)
- ✓ Bottled water — south Taiwan hotter than Taipei
Taipei 7-Day Itinerary FAQ
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Why you can trust 7-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.