7 Days in Taiwan — Solo Backpacker

Arrive at Taoyuan International Airport (TPE)

Clear customs and grab your EasyCard at any airport MRT station — it works on every bus, metro, and many convenience stores. The Airport MRT to Taipei Main Station takes about 35 minutes and costs around $5 USD.

Check in to Hostel and Drop Bags

Ximending is Taipei's backpacker heartland — dense with hostels, cheap eats, and easy MRT access. Drop your 55L, grab a shower, and get your bearings.

Wander Ximending Pedestrian Zone

Taipei's answer to Harajuku — street fashion, tattoo parlors, bubble tea stalls, and a chaotic energy that's great for shaking off jet lag with a walk. Head to the Red House (Ximen Red House) for a quick look at the oldest Western-style public market in Taipei.

Longshan Temple at Dusk

A short walk from Ximending, this 1738 Taoist-Buddhist temple is genuinely stunning at golden hour. Watch locals pray, burn incense, and consult fortune sticks — it's a living religious site, not a tourist trap.

Huaxi Street Night Market

Just south of Longshan Temple, this old-school night market is less touristy than Shilin. Try the snake soup if you're adventurous, or just graze on oyster vermicelli and stinky tofu like everyone else.

Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall

Arrive early to watch the formal changing of the guard on the hour — the precision is genuinely impressive. The surrounding Liberty Square is beautiful in the morning before tour groups arrive.

Da'an Forest Park Stroll

Taipei's Central Park equivalent — locals do tai chi, students read, and it's a peaceful contrast to the city's usual buzz. A pleasant 20-minute walk or short MRT hop from the memorial.

Yongkang Street Browse

The most charming street in Taipei for independent coffee shops, Japanese-style bookstores, and artisan goods. Home to the original Din Tai Fung if you want to splurge on soup dumplings.

Elephant Mountain (Xiangshan) Hike

A 20-minute hike up steep stone stairs rewards you with the iconic Taipei 101 skyline view — this is THE backpacker photo spot in Taipei. Go in the afternoon for good light; it's about 40 minutes by MRT from Da'an.

Xinyi District and Taipei 101 Exterior

Skip the paid observatory (overpriced) and just soak in the scale of the building from street level. The surrounding plaza and Shin Kong Mitsukoshi complex are great for people-watching.

Raohe Street Night Market

One of Taipei's oldest and most beloved night markets — enter through the Songshan Temple gate and start with a black pepper bun (hujiao bing) from the famous stall just inside the entrance. It always has a line for a reason.

Bus to Jiufen from Taipei

Take Bus 1062 from Zhongxiao Fuxing MRT station directly to Jiufen Old Street — about 1.5 hours. This old gold-mining hillside village is what inspired the aesthetics of Spirited Away (sort of — Miyazaki denies it, but the vibe is undeniable).

Jiufen Old Street Morning Wander

Arrive before the tour bus crowds — the narrow red-lantern alleyways, tea houses built into the cliff, and ocean views are absolutely stunning in the morning. Head to the upper terraces for the best panoramic shots.

Jiufen Tea House Break

Grab a window seat at one of the cliff-hanging tea houses — Amei Tea House (阿妹茶樓) is the famous lantern one. Order a pot of tea and watch the fog roll in off the Pacific. Worth the splurge for the setting.

Local Bus to Shifen

Take a local bus or taxi share from Jiufen toward Ruifang, then the Pingxi Branch Line train to Shifen — about 45 minutes total. This area is famous for releasing sky lanterns over the river gorge.

Shifen Waterfall and Sky Lantern Launch

Taiwan's widest waterfall is a 20-minute walk from Shifen Old Street and genuinely impressive. Then buy a sky lantern from a local vendor, write your intentions on it, and launch it over the valley — it's touristy but legitimately magical.

Train Back to Taipei

Take the Pingxi Branch Line back to Ruifang, then a train back to Taipei Main Station — about 1 hour total. A long but rewarding day.

Puyuma or Taroko Express to Hualien

Board the fast train from Taipei Main Station to Hualien — about 2 hours. The train hugs the northeast coast with ocean views on one side and mountains on the other. Booking a seat on the Puyuma Express is strongly recommended (see beforeYouGo).

Check in to Hualien Hostel and Rent a Scooter

Drop bags at your hostel in central Hualien, then rent a scooter from one of the many rental shops near the train station — it's the single best way to explore the area. An international driving permit is technically required.

Hualien Martyr's Shrine and Surroundings

A quick stop at this hilltop Japanese-era shrine with Pacific ocean views — it's serene, nearly empty, and a great orientation point for the city. Walk around the base for coastal panorama.

Qingshui Cliff Coastal Ride

Scooter north on Provincial Highway 9 toward Taroko — the Qingshui Cliffs rise 2,000 meters straight from the Pacific in one of the most dramatic coastlines in Asia. Pull over at every lookout. This stretch is jaw-dropping.

Return to Hualien City and Explore Night Market

Head back to town as the sun drops. Hualien's night market is smaller and more local than Taipei's — better for it. This is genuine small-city Taiwan.

Scooter or Bus into Taroko National Park

Head out early — the gorge gets tour bus traffic by 10 AM and the narrow road can back up. Scooter is ideal for flexibility. The park entrance is about 15 km from Hualien city center.

Shakadang Trail (Mysterious Valley Trail)

A mostly flat, 4.4 km one-way trail following a turquoise river between marble canyon walls. Perfect to do early before heat sets in. The water color is a supernatural blue-green — it doesn't look real.

Swallow Grotto (Yanzikou Trail)

A short but stunning 1.4 km walk through carved marble tunnels with swallows nesting in the cliff face above you. Wear your hard hat (provided at the trailhead — seriously, rockfalls happen). The gorge here is at its narrowest and most dramatic.

Tianxiang Area Lunch Break

Ride deeper into the gorge to Tianxiang, the main service area inside the park. There's a small shop, a temple, and a gorgeous suspension bridge over the gorge. Eat lunch and take a breath.

Baiyang Waterfall Trail

A 2.1 km trail to a waterfall that sprays you from above as you walk under a natural overhang — wear clothes you don't mind getting drenched. Bring a headlamp for the dark tunnels. One of the most unique hikes in the park.

Eternal Spring Shrine at Dusk

On your way back out of the park, stop at Changchun Shrine — a memorial pagoda built into the cliff face with a waterfall cascading beside it. At dusk with the gorge shadows, it's an incredible sight.

Morning Train Back to Taipei

Return train from Hualien to Taipei Main Station — same scenic route in reverse. Grab a window seat on the ocean side (left side heading north). About 2 hours.

Drop Bags at Taipei Hostel

Either return to your original Ximending hostel or grab a dorm bed somewhere in Zhongshan — MRT Line 2 (Red Line) will be your friend today.

MRT to Tamsui (End of Red Line)

The Red Line MRT runs all the way to Tamsui, a charming old port town at the mouth of the Tamsui River — about 45 minutes from central Taipei. Completely worth the trip for the old fort, riverside walk, and sunset views.

Fort San Domingo (Red Castle)

A 17th-century Dutch fort later occupied by the Spanish, then the British — layers of colonial history in a beautifully maintained hilltop complex. The views over the river mouth are excellent.

Tamsui Old Street Wander and River Walk

Stroll the old street for fish ball skewers, iron eggs (a Tamsui specialty), and agei (tofu stuffed with noodles). Watch the small fishing boats on the river and grab a mango smoothie from one of the many stalls.

Sunset at Fisherman's Wharf

Take a short bus or taxi from Old Street to Fisherman's Wharf for one of the most celebrated sunsets in northern Taiwan — the sky turns pink and orange over the Taiwan Strait. The Lover's Bridge is here too.

Shilin Night Market — Final Night Feast

The largest night market in Taipei — overwhelming at first, then incredible. MRT Jiantan Station drops you at the entrance. Oyster omelets, XXL fried chicken, bubble tea, and stinky tofu. Give yourself a solid 2 hours.

Morning Coffee at a Taiwanese Cafe

Taiwan has an obsessive, serious third-wave coffee culture — find a small indie cafe in Zhongshan or Da'an and have a proper pour-over. After 6 days of 7-Eleven coffee, this is earned. Budget around $4 USD.

Zhongshan Underground Bookstore and Art District

The stretch of Zhongshan North Road between MRT Zhongshan and Shuanglian stations has independent bookshops, ceramic studios, and design stores — ideal for a slow final morning. The underground MRT walkway here has rotating art installations.

Final Souvenir Sweep — Dihua Street

A 15-minute walk from Zhongshan, Dihua Street is Taipei's best traditional market street for last-minute gifts — dried goods, local teas, pineapple cakes (鳳梨酥, the definitive Taiwan souvenir), and traditional medicine shops in beautifully preserved Baroque shophouses.

Airport MRT from Taipei Main Station to TPE

Head to Taipei Main Station and take the Airport MRT — express or commuter, both work. Express is faster (35 min). You can check your bag at the city check-in counter at Taipei Main Station if your airline supports it, which saves time at the airport.