There is an endless amount of things to do in Taipei. You can eat your way through the many night markets, get a bird’s eye view of the city from the top of Taipei 101, see the exhibits in the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, visit the many temples.
Our favorite, though, has got to be hiking in Taiwan. (Actually, no. Our favorite is eating at night markets but hiking Taipei is a close second!)
Tim and I have compiled a list of the best hikes in Taipei that are not only super fun, but are also easily accessible with public transport. Taipei’s got a great public transit system, meaning you can step off the Metro and onto a trail in minutes.
Pro-Tip: Make sure to grab a Taiwan EasyCard ahead of time so you can seamlessly tap onto all of Taipei’s buses, metros, and trains right when you land!
At a Glance: Taipei Hiking & Transit Guide
| Hike | Trail Stats | Best For | MRT Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elephant Mountain | ~1.5 km (0.9 mi) ~45 mins | Sunset views, city skyline | Xiangshan Station (Red Line) |
| Qixing Mountain | ~5.0 km (3.1 mi) ~3 hours | Volcanic terrain, summit views | Bus from Shilin Station |
| Qingtiangang Grassland Loop | ~2.4 km (1.5 mi) ~1.5 hours | Meadow walks, wildlife | Bus from Jiantan Station |
| Battleship Rock | ~3.0 km (1.8 mi) ~1.5 hours | Quick workouts, city lookouts | Qiyan Station (Red Line) |
| Teapot Mountain | ~4.5 km (2.8 mi) ~3.5 hours | Ocean views, adventure | Bus from Zhongxiao Fuxing or Train to Ruifang + Bus |
Table of Contents
1. Elephant Mountain (Xiangshan)
If you only have time for one hike in Taipei, this is it. We literally had multiple people tell us the exact same thing while we were staying at a co-living space in Wenshan.
The Xiangshan trail is a steep, stair master workout where you’re basically climbing stairs the whole way up (and then back down again).
It’s right in the heart of the Xinyi District, so that when you get to the viewpoint, you’ll have an amazing view of Taipei 101 and the rest of the city skyline.
Go right before sunset so you can watch the city lights turn on. Everyone will have the same idea though, so be prepared to share the trail with plenty of other people.
If you want to avoid crowds, do the hike on a weekday morning.
How To Get There
Nearest Metro: Take the Red Line to Xiangshan Station and use Exit 2.
From the exit, walk alongside the edge of Xiangshan Park. It will take you about 10 minutes to reach the start of the trailhead.
Where To Eat After
The area around Taipei 101 is only a 15-minute walk from the trailhead, and it’s packed with great restaurants. We absolutely love Kaifun Breeze for its Sichuan food.
If you want to stick to the night market vibe, you can walk 25 to 30 minutes west on Xinyi Road to the Linjiang Night Market. It’s smaller than the other night markets around Taipei but it’s still a fantastic spot to eat your way through local street food.
2. Qixing Mountain (Seven Star Mountain)
Located in Yangmingshan National Park, Qixing is the highest peak in Taipei.
You’ll climb past steaming sulfur vents (fumaroles), up past fields of grass, until you hit the summit with its beautiful, sweeping views.
It’s a very sweaty, very beautiful hike that takes you up into the clouds.
How To Get There
It’s a bit of a trek to get to Yangmingshan National Park. There’s plenty of ways to get there, with different configurations of metro exits and buses you can catch. Here’s a few suggestions.
Metro → Bus: Take the Red Line to Shilin Station and use Exit 2. Walk a few minutes to the Shilin Official Residence where you can catch the 1717 bus, taking it to the Xiaoyoukeng Visitor Center.
Bus: Take the 1717 bus all the way from Taipei (we got on the stop near Taipei Main Station) to the Xiaoyoukeng Visitor Center.
Tour Bus: If you want to skip navigating the public transportation system, you can book a Yangmingshan shuttle bus through platforms like Klook.
These shuttles depart from Ximending and take you directly to the Xiaoyoukeng geological park. On the return trip to the city, you can choose to be dropped off right at the Shilin Night Market.
You can also join group tours that include a stop at the Beitou Thermal Valley along with Yangmingshan.
Where To Eat After
If you’re catching the bus (or shuttle) back to Shilin Station, take advantage of being in the area to go visit the Shilin Night Market. We absolutely loved all the food we ate there.
3. Qingtiangang Grassland Loop
The Qingtiangang Grassland Loop is also up in Yangmingshan but it’s a completely different world from Qixing Mountain.
Qingtiangang is rolling grassland, mostly flat, well-paved, and populated by water buffalo grazing right next to the trail. It’s not strenuous, more of a nature walk, but still very enjoyable.
Tim and I saw many friends and families having picnics in the grass, couples walking hand in hand along the path, and people stopping to take pictures of the water buffalos.
Pro-Tip: Make it a longer hike by adding Juansi Waterfall.
If you want to stretch your legs a bit more, you can combine the grassland loop with the Juansi Waterfall Trail. The waterfall trail connects to the grassland loop so you don’t have to worry about taking another bus to get there. It adds about an hour of walking, and the S15 bus makes a stop near the Juansi Waterfall trailhead, so you can catch your ride back to the city from there.
How To Get There
Although it’s also located in Yangmingshan National Park, getting to Qingtiangang Grassland is different from getting to Qixing.
Metro → Bus: Take the Red Line to Jiantan Station, use Exit 3, and catch the S15 bus to the Qingtiangang stop.
Where To Eat After
The Shilin Night Market (that we just talked about previously) is actually between the Shilin and Jiantan stations. You can take the bus back to Jiantan Station and enjoy the local night market eats.
4. Battleship Rock (Junjianyan)
Located in the Beitou District of Taipei is Battleship Rock, where the trail leads up to a massive sandstone outcrop that juts out over the trees. On top of the smooth, exposed rock shaped like a ship, you get a 360-degree view of the city below.
We started our hike late in the afternoon to avoid being out in the hotter parts of the day (it was July, so super hot) and were able to watch the sun set.
Stay a little longer and you’ll start to see the city lights turn on as it gets darker.
How To Get There
Nearest Metro: Take the Red Line to Qilian Station. The easiest way to access the trail is to walk right across the street from the station toward Donghua Park, where the stairs for the trailhead begin.
Where To Eat After
Instead of hiking back down the exact same way you came, you can follow the trail down the other side of the mountain towards the Taipei Veterans General Hospital.
This will drop you right into the neighborhood around Shipai Station (the metro stop next to Qilian Station). It’s a convenient spot to grab dinner because there are plenty of small shops and restaurants around the hospital, or you can walk over to the Shipai Night Market for some street food before taking the train back to town.
5. Teapot Mountain
Technically Teapot Mountain is outside Taipei. It’s located in New Taipei City and is very heavily recommended as one of the best day-trip hikes from the city.
Throughout the hike, you get sweeping views of the Yinyang Sea (where normal blue seawater mixes with golden runoff caused by iron and copper minerals from the nearby mountains) and green coastal mountains. Once you get towards the end, you’ll see that the top portion of the mountain looks like a teapot.
How To Get There
Here’s some ways to get to Teapot Mountain from Taipei.
Bus: Catch Bus 1062 right outside the Zhongxiao Fuxing Station in Taipei for a direct bus to the Quanjitang stop.
Train → Bus: Take the local train from Taipei Main Station to Ruifang Station. From there, you need to transfer to a bus heading to Jinguashi, such as Bus 788, 1062, or 965.
A quick warning from our own experience: the bus took forever to get to our stop. We honestly thought the route had been decommissioned! Just be patient, and it will eventually show up.
Where To Eat After
Instead of taking the bus back to Ruifang, we actually took a bus to Jiufen, the famous mountain town that looks like it’s from Spirited Away!
You can walk around Jiufen’s iconic red lantern lit alleys and grab treats like ice cold milk teas, sweet taro balls, meat skewers, and maybe some peanut and cilantro ice cream rolls (we love the one from this shop!).
After you explore, take a bus back to Ruifang Station, where you can hop on the train home.
6. Scenic City Strolls
If you want a peaceful break from the hustle and bustle of the city (or just want to stretch your legs for a bit) but don’t want to commit to a whole hike, Taipei actually has some incredible urban trails. Here are three of our favorite strolls for when we want to reconnect with nature while in the city.
Daan Forest Park
Right smack dab in the heart of Taipei and super accessible to get to, Daan Forest Park is an amazing choice if you want to take a leisurely morning stroll with a coffee in hand, or if you want to walk around the pond and bird watch, or if you want to see fireflies at night (thanks to a successful ecological restoration project).
We absolutely loved walking around this park, especially after eating at one of the many, many restaurants in the area. Take the Red Line straight to the Daan Park stop if you want to stop by for a visit.
Shuiyuanting Park to Treasure Hill
We met an Italian man who’s been living in Taipei for quite some time, and he enthusiastically suggested that we visit the Treasure Hill Artist Village. His Taiwanese friend wholeheartedly agreed with his recommendation and added that we should walk to Treasure Hill from Shuiyuanting Park through the Xiao Guanyin Mountain Boardwalk.
It’s a short stroll on a boardwalk through the trees that makes you forget that you’re in the middle of the city. And once you get to Treasure Hill, you can take your time wandering the old settlement that’s been transformed into a labyrinth of art studios, cafes, and historic stone houses.
To get there, take the Green Line to Gongguan Station. From there, it is about a 10 to 15-minute walk through the bustling Gongguan shopping area (where you can find plenty of restaurants with very good food) to the start of the trail at Shuiyuanting Park.
Wenshan Forest Park
So Wenshan District is a little bit removed from the more popular tourist areas of Taipei, more quiet and residential. We stayed in this area for a month and it was such an amazing time. Even better was that we lived right across from Wenshan Forest Park and its trails going up into the hills. There’s an elevated wooden boardwalk that weaves you right through the tree canopy, and at one end of the park is one of the longest slides in Taipei (nearly 50 meters long!). It’s a perfect place to get immersed in nature for the afternoon.
To visit the park, just take the Green Line to Wanlong Station. It’s only about a 5 to 10-minute walk from the exit to the park entrance!
Conclusion
Whether you’re looking to climb up to a volcanic peak or just want to enjoy a quiet afternoon stroll through the trees, we hope this guide helps you explore the best hikes in Taipei at your own pace. The city is incredible, but taking the time to step off the busy streets and into nature is what really made us fall in love with it.
Have you done any of these hikes, or do you have a favorite Taipei trail that we missed? Let us know in the comments below!
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