Travel guides

2 weeks in Taiwan - my travel itinerary and tips

Adriana D

13 May 2026 — 9 min read

Taiwan is, without a doubt, one of my top destinations in recent years. It has everything you could hope for, and so much more. From energizing cities like Taipei to the stunning scenery of the East Coast and the artsy scene in Kaohsiung, plus well-maintained and efficient public transport, tasty cuisine, and hospitable, friendly people. If you’re wondering whether you should visit Taiwan, consider this post a sign to add it to your bucket list!

Taiwan - a brief introduction

Taiwan is located in East Asia. The main island is also historically known as Formosa, a name given by Portuguese sailors who called it “formosa”, meaning “beautiful”. It is near China, Japan, and the Philippines, separated by sea. Because of its complex history and geopolitical position, Taiwan reflects a mix of cultural influences, mainly Chinese, as well as Japanese and indigenous. Taiwan uses traditional Chinese in writing and Mandarin in speech. As a tourist, you can get by with English, since many people speak it fluently, but do not expect it everywhere. Internationally, Taiwan is known as one of the four “Asian Tigers” because of its strong economic growth, driven largely by semiconductor production and exports. It is also widely regarded as one of the most progressive places in Asia. For example, it became the first in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage in 2019. And, of course, it is the birthplace of bubble tea!

Taiwan, officially the Republic of China, has a complex political situation and is not widely recognized as an independent country internationally. I am by no means an expert and I do not want to spread misinformation, so instead I will recommend a great book that helped me understand it a little better:

https://www.cappelendammagency.no/_stormens-oy-kristoffer-ronneberg-9788202799977

It is currently available only in Norwegian and Polish, but keep an eye on it. Maybe it will be translated into English at some point!

How I spend 2 weeks in Taiwan

I spent a little over two weeks there in March 2026, and I think it’s the sweet spot. You can see a lot while still enjoying yourself, instead of feeling overwhelmed. It’s also enough to satisfy your curiosity and leave you wanting more, which is exactly how you want to feel at the end of your holiday.

Depending on your priorities and travel style, there are several ways to craft your ideal Taiwan trip. Personally, I wanted to experience a variety of regions and get a little taste of it all. I wanted to spend a few days in bustling Taipei, relax on the serene East Coast, soak up some sun while visiting temples and historic areas in the south, and experience one of the world’s most beautiful bike routes, according to CNN, at Sun Moon Lake. So I put together an itinerary that I think is well-balanced and complete for a first-timer like me.First, I’ll show you how I planned it and what I would change if I could do it again. Then I’ll share a few other itineraries you might want to try!

Here you’ll find an overview of my itinerary to help you get a general idea of what to see and how to plan your trip. I’ve also shared my experiences and recommendations for each leg of the trip in separate posts, which you can check out here:

Taipei & Jiufen: coming soon!
East Coast: coming soon!
Kaohsiung & Tainan: coming soon!
Sun Moon Lake: coming soon!

My ideal 2-week itinerary of Taiwan

My trip kicked off in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan. I spent three full days there, and honestly, I wish I could have stayed much longer. Taipei is the kind of city where you could spend a month and still be amazed, always finding new places to explore. However, if you’re short on time and want to see as much of Taiwan as possible while still giving yourself time to properly experience each place, I think 3–4 days is ideal. In that time, you can explore the city, visit a few night markets, enjoy the coffee scene, venture a bit farther from the center to places like the Palace Museum, and fit in a hike. With an extra day, you can even take a day trip.

After spending three nights in Taipei, I decided to visit Jiufen, a small, picturesque town in New Taipei City. It’s really close to Taipei, and you can get there in just under an hour by bus from Taipei Main Station. It’s also one of the most popular day trips from Taipei, so you’ll definitely feel the influx of tourists during the day, while early mornings are fairly chill. If you can spare the time, I recommend staying overnight, especially if you love hiking and want to catch a hard-earned sunrise over the coast from one of the nearby mountaintops. Mornings here are laid-back, so after your sunrise hike, you can enjoy strolling around town without the crowds. That said, if you’d rather spend more time elsewhere, Jiufen is easy to explore as a day trip.

Next on my list was a road trip on Taiwan’s East Coast. Many guidebooks recommend this only if you have extra time, but for me it ended up being one of my favorite parts of the whole trip. Driving here feels calm and unhurried. There is very little traffic, the coastal highway views are jaw-dropping, and the option to stop at a hot spring is reason enough to love this region.

A few years ago, an earthquake damaged some of the area’s best-known sights, including Taroko Gorge. At the time of my trip, the area was available to visit in a restricted way and I decided against it, however even without it, the journey still felt complete and beautiful. But it is worth keeping an eye on updates because the gorge is a beautiful place and might be fully available in the coming months or years.

For this road trip, I rented a car in Taitung. After leaving Jiufen, I took a train from Taipei to Taitung. It took around four hours and was very comfortable. I stayed one night in Taitun. On the first day, I drove a little farther south to the stunning Daitung Railway Station, then headed back north via highway no 9. It is a lovely mountain road, with rice terraces and peaks in the background. I spent the night in Ruisui, a small town where I could relax in a private hot spring at The Silence Manor Hotel. The next day, I drove from Ruisui to Dashibishan Trail. For the rest of the day, I followed highway no 11 along the coast and stopped whenever something caught my eye, which was every 20–30 minutes, to be honest. An alternative worth considering is a bikepacking tour instead of a road trip. In that case, you would want three days for this part.

The next morning, I took the train farther south to Kaohsiung, where I spent two days. It was the perfect place to relax in the sun, enjoy the art scene, and visit some of the most postcard-worthy spots in Taiwan. Exploring the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas, along with the entire Lotus Pond area, was a blast and, in my view, one of the highlights of the trip. If you stay for two days, you can get a feel for the city’s love of art and still make time for Cijin Island, just a five-minute ferry ride from Kaohsiung Harbor. The lighthouse there is a great sunset spot.

If I could rebuild my itinerary, I would also spend a full day in Tainan. I only allotted a half day because I was short on time, but it really stayed with me, and I plan to return to explore more. In just a few hours, I managed to see Fort Zeelandia and the Anping District, which were my main reasons for visiting. Still, the city has so much more to offer, so keep that in mind!

The last part of the trip was the Sun Moon Lake area. The easiest way to get there was to take a train from Kaohsiung to Taichung, then a bus from Taichung directly to Sun Moon Lake. I stayed in Taichung overnight because it was the simplest option, but in my opinion one night was enough. If I had had more time in Taiwan, I would have liked to explore Taichung and appreciate it more, but with limited days, I think that time is better spent elsewhere. Sun Moon Lake was beautiful, and I recommend staying for at least one night so you can have one full day there. The most popular way to spend time at Sun Moon Lake is to rent a bike and ride around the lake. According to CNN, it’s one of the most picturesque bike paths in the world, and it truly is an astonishingly beautiful route!

What I would change in my itinerary

In my experience, this two-week itinerary is well-balanced and lets you appreciate different sides of Taiwan. You will experience big cities, quiet roads with jaw-dropping views, and picturesque towns. You will also see different styles of temples and pagodas, visit historical sites, and enjoy modern art. This itinerary also lets you travel by local and high-speed trains, tourist buses, car, and even bike. It is Taiwan in a nutshell. If you want something more niche or different, or if you have only one week to explore, here are a few things I would suggest:

If you only have one week to spare, I would focus heavily on Taipei for the majority of that time and maybe squeeze a day trip to Jiufen and a one or two-night stay in Sun Moon Lake
If you’re fit and enjoy spending your holiday in an active way, you could opt for a bike tour on the East Coast. In that case, you would want to start either from Hualien to Taitung, or the either way around. This option offers you a little less flexibility as to the route, however I spotted many cyclists on the way and they looked like they were having a great time! You can find more information on how to arrange it in my East Coast guide. And if you’re looking for a real athletic challenge, you could even complete the bike tour around the entire island. The most popular option is around 1000 km long, so you can spread it out for 10-14 days and explore the country on two wheels.
If you have more time for your trip, I would recommend looking into exploring Alishan region with beautiful forests and a traditional wooden railway. It’s especially popular in March, during the season of sakura. Some other suggestions would be staying a day longer in Kaohsiung and staying for at least one or two days in Tainan.

And that's a wrap on my 2-week itinerary of Taiwan! In the upcoming posts I'll dive into the practical information you might need for your trip and go into details of the places I visited in Taiwan.

Taiwan was one of those places that inspired me so much and gave me such good energy, that I immediately started searching for plane tickets back there. Hopefully, I'll go back soon and maybe we'll meet there!