How much of Taiwan can you see in 1 week in Taiwan? Quite a lot actually! With only 1 week in Taiwan, I managed to see the capital city of Taipei, go hiking in a National Park and visit Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan, a hugely underrated city in my opinion.
I was really happy with my Taiwan itinerary on my Taiwan Backpacking Trip and I fell in love with this country, if you have longer I do recommend spending 2 weeks in Taiwan, or even one month in Taiwan as there are just so many places to visit in Taiwan and on this small island, but if you have one week in Taiwan, that’s’ fine!
1 Week Taiwan Itinerary
Here is my Taiwan Travel Blog detailing my Taiwan one week itinerary with what to do in Taiwan, things to do in Taiwan and recommendations for you if you have just 1 week in Taiwan.
Day 1- Arrive in Taipei
From day one in Taipei, I recommend you get an Easy Card which is used on all transport in Taipei and in Taiwan which is so, well, easy! Be sure to get an Easy Card at the start of your trip in a metro station or pick an Easy Card up in the airport via this service.
Book a Private Pick Up from Taoyuan Airport to your Hotel in Taipei here.
Things to do in Taipei:
Night Markets are one of the most popular things to do in Taiwan so this is a great first introduction!
I went to Raohe Night Market because it was closest to my hostel, it’s a really famous Taipei Night Market so I recommend this for your first taste of Taiwan and Taipei!
Where to Stay in Taipei?
If you’re thinking about where to stay in Taiwan. Taiwan has so many hotels and hostels to choose from throughout the country.
In Taipei, I stayed at Star Hostel Taipei East for 3 nights. It’s in a really good location in the Eastern Side of City and a beautifully decorated hostel with dorm rooms and private rooms. Lovely staff and good Taiwanese Breakfast included.
Day 2- Explore Taipei’s Attractions
To see as much of Taipei as possible on this 1 Week Taiwan itinerary, the Taipei Fun Pass is a good product to purchase so you have unlimited access to 16 of Taipei’s top attractions!
Buy the Taipei Fun Pass here and pick it up at Taipei Main Station when you arrive!
Things to do in Taipei:
To help with your Taipei itinerary, I suggest using the MRT to get around Taipei and to go to the following Taipei attractions. These places to see in Taipei flow well in terms of how the City and Metro are laid out which is why I recommend this route to you too.
- Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Park
- Longshan Temple
- Knife Massage in Taipei City Mall
- Taipei Expo Park
- National Palace Museum
- Shilin Night Market
If you want to do a tour around Taipei, have a look at these options:
To help you plan your trip around Taiwan, have a look at all of my Taiwan Blog Posts here!
Day 3- Day Trip from Taipei
As well as having many City Attractions in Taipei, there are lots of Taipei day trips to be done and lots to see on the outskirts of the City along with a bit of nature so this is a great way to spend day 2 in Taipei and to make sure you see the best with 1 week in Taiwan.
Things to do in Taipei:
The best time to visit the Taipei 101 is first and early in the morning to avoid the queues. All of these attractions are in the same Eastern area of the City too so they are easy to visit in one day in Taipei:
- Taipei 101
- Elephant Mountain
- Cable Car to Maokong
- Maokong Walk
Another Night Market or Dinner in a Taipei Restaurant like Din Tai Fung which is a popular place to get Dumplings in Taipei!
Related Post: 3 Day Taipei Itinerary.
Day 4- Train from Taipei to Hualien & Explore Hualien
I caught the 10:00 am-12:30 train from Taipei to Hualien on my Taiwan itinerary.
I purchased my train ticket at Taipei Main Train Station during my first full day in Taipei to ensure I got a ticket, however, you can now book trains in Taiwan using 12GO Asia! I recommend you book a train ticket in advance too especially if travelling on a weekend around Taiwan.
Trains are the best way to get around Taiwan. You can’t book trains online via Taiwan’s train system but you can book them online using 12GO Asia, the top transport booking platform in Asia. Search for your trains here:
If you’d rather go down the East Coast to Taichung and Tainan, rather than the West Coast on your 1 Week Taiwan Itinerary, read my 2 Week Taiwan Itinerary here to find out how to do this!
Things to do in Hualien
I got Lunch in Hualien when I arrived, there are many cafes and restaurants in Hualien.
Hualien has a huge Coastline so later on, I had a walk down to the Coast, the weather wasn’t on my side so I didn’t see much but going to the beach is a popular thing to do in Hualien, so is hiring a bike to explore the Hualien Coastline.
Hualien Food Markets starts at abut 6:00 pm by the Coast and it’s a really good food Night Market, in fact I preferred it to the Taipei markets I went to as it’s so well set out with lots of food options!
Where to Stay in Hualien?
Hualien is set up for tourism with many hotels and hostels. The best location to stay in Hualien is by the train station as it’s much more convenient.
I stayed at World Inn Hostel for 2 nights and really liked it. The staff are so friendly and gave me tips for my Hualien itinerary and Taroko National Park. Their dorm rooms have been thoroughly thought about and the private rooms are really comfy, I really recommend it!
Day 5- Taroko National Park Day Trip from Hualien
Taroko National Park is the reason why I visited Hualien on my 1 Week Taiwan itinerary. It’s the most popular National Park in Taiwan and if you like nature and going on walks you’ll like this too.
How to see Taroko National Park?
I took the public bus from Hualien into Taroko National Park and jumped on and off it between walks around the park.
To see the full details of my day trip to Taroko National Park solo, have a read of this post.
If you are a confident moped driver, a moped is a great way to explore the Coastline and the National Park.
If you are a keen hiker there are some great hikes but some require permits so it’s best to look into this in advance.
If you would rather take an organised day trip around Taroko National Park which will enable you to see more and definitely see Taroko Gorge these are the tours I recommend which you can book online in advance:
Small Group Tour of Taroko Gorge, Quingshui Cliff and Qixingtan
- Here are More of My Must Read Taiwan Posts To Help Plan Your Trip in Taiwan:
- The BEST Places to Visit in Taiwan!
- A 2 Week Taiwan Itinerary!
- How to Travel Taiwan on a Budget!
- All my Taiwan City Guides including Taipei, Taichung, Kaohsiung, Taroko Gorge.
Day 6- Train from Hualien to Kaohsiung
I got the 8:23am-13:08 train from Hualien to Kaohsiung on my 1 Week Taiwan itinerary, and I had to change in Taitung.
The first train was a (Hello Kitty themed) high-speed train and the second a normal older train. I had 8 minutes to change trains but the trains were on the same platform so it was fine! I purchased this train ticket the day before at Hualien Train Station which I recommend doing, especially on a weekend in Taiwan.
Things to do in Kaohsiung:
I arrived and had a little walk around Kaohsiung to start my Kaohsiung itinerary, got some lunch and chilled in my hostel until later where I headed to a night market in Kaohsiung.
There are 2 famous and popular tourist night markets in Kaohsiung, I went to Liouhe Night Market which is the smaller one and it was a good introduction to the City.
- Related Kaohsiung Posts:
- Things To Do in Kaohsiung!
- 2-3 Day Kaohsiung Itinerary!
- Best Night Markets in Kaohsiung!
- How to See the Famous Lotus Pond & Temples in Kaohsiung!
Where to stay in Kaohsiung?
I stayed at FlyInn Hostel for 3 nights. It’s in a great location, has really friendly staff and is very clean. The private double room was perfect for me as a solo traveller, they have single private rooms too and good dorm rooms.
Trains are the best way to get around Taiwan. You can’t book trains online via Taiwan’s train system but you can book them online using 12GO Asia, the top transport booking platform in Asia. Search for your trains here!
Day 7- Full Day Exploring Kaohsiung
Although Kaohsiung is not one of the most popular cities to visit in Taiwan there’s actually a good amount of things to do in Kaohsiung and I really enjoyed the City. I read a blog post before going which said it’s an underrated Taiwan City and I agree! It was a great way to end my Taiwan itinerary.
Things to do in Kaohsiung:
For more information on the best Kaohsiung attractions, have a read of this Kaohsiung blog post but in short, here’s how I recommend you spend one day in Kaohsiung.
- Taiwanese Breakfast at Xing Long Ju
- Pier 2 Art Centre
- Ferry to Cijin Island and Explore island on foot or bike.
- Lotus Pond and Dragon Tiger Pagoda
- Kaohsiung Night Market
If you’d like a tour around Kaohsiung to see all the best local spots, have a look at this Kaohsiung Day Tour!
TAIWAN ITINERARY HELP
Here are my top Taiwan itinerary posts to help your plan your trip:
- 2 Week Taiwan Itinerary!
- 1 week Taiwan Itinerary!
- 18 Best Places to Visit in Taiwan!
- How to Plan a Trip to Taiwan!
TAIWAN ON A BUDGET
Taiwan isn’t the cheapest country but it’s not the most expensive either and can be travelled on a reasonable budget. Here’s my post on the cost of travel in Taiwan and how to travel Taiwan on a budget!
Leave Taiwan
I actually had a second full day in Kaohsiung and I flew from Kaohsiung Airport which is why I ended my Taiwan Backpacking Trip there but if you have a flight from Taipei you can get a fast train back to Taipei from Kaohsiung very easily. Book trains in Taiwan on 12GO Asia here!
If you do fly from Taipei and you have an extra day, you could visit the popular City of Taichung on your way back North.
I found it much cheaper and quicker to fly from Kaohsiung Airport to Japan, which is where I went next than Taipei Airport to Japan so I’d suggest searching some flight options on Skyscanner like I did to find to get the best and cheapest flight out of Taiwan as Taipei may not be the cheapest!
I hope this Taiwan Itinerary helps you plan your 1 week in Taiwan!
- For more of my Taiwan Blog Posts see:
- All OF MY TAIWAN BLOG POSTS.
- 16 Places to Visit in Taiwan | Tourist Spots!
- How Expensive is it to Visit Taiwan?
- A Vegetarian Guide to Taiwan’s Night Markets.
Taroko National Park looks beautiful! There’s so much great info in this post! I’d love to walk along the coast and hang at a little cafe!
Thank you. I really wanted to give the info I wanted to find and I’d love to head back to the coast and do the same 🙂
One of my favorite country to visit! I love Taiwan! It’s a beautiful country. The night markets, landscape, views and the people are all amazing! I can’t wait to go back in Taiwan.