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Itineraries/Asia/Taiwan

10 Days in Taiwan

Taipei's night markets and the observation deck of Taipei 101, Taroko Gorge's marble cliffs, the cable car and boat rides at Sun Moon Lake, and Kaohsiung's Dragon-Tiger Pagodas and Formosa Boulevard metro. Ten nights across Taiwan's must-see regions — world-class food, ancient temples, subtropical gorges, and high-speed trains — at 40% less than the equivalent Japan trip.

10 nights
Family of 4
~A$9,310
4 stops
Taipei4n
Hualien2n
Sun Moon Lake2n
Kaohsiung2n
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Your stop-by-stop itinerary

4 stops across 10 nights. Each one chosen so you experience a different side of Taiwan.

1

Taipei

4 nights
Fly direct to Taipei (TPE, Taoyuan International) from Sydney or Melbourne on China Airlines, Starlux Airlines, or Qantas (9h direct). Airport MRT to central Taipei is TWD 160 pp, 35 min — much cheaper than a taxi.

Highlights

  • Taipei 101 Observatory + Skywalk — 101 floors up, ear-popping elevator, sunset the best time
  • National Palace Museum — the world's best Chinese art collection (the treasures that didn't go to Beijing)
  • Shilin Night Market — the canonical Taipei night market, Taipei eats oyster omelettes and stinky tofu here
  • Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall + changing of the guard ceremony (hourly)
  • Maokong Gondola + tea-plantation tasting — 40-min cable car ride, tea house dinner at the top
  • Elephant Mountain (Xiangshan) hike — 20 min up, iconic sunset photo of Taipei 101
  • Jiufen old street day trip — 1 hr by bus, the 'Spirited Away' inspiration town, tea houses on the hillside

Local tips

  • 💡Buy an EasyCard from any MRT station (TWD 100 deposit + credit you load) — works on MRT, buses, HSR, convenience stores. Kids need their own.
  • 💡National Palace Museum is overwhelming — pick a 2-hour family highlights tour rather than self-guided. Closed Mondays.
  • 💡Shilin Night Market after 7pm is the real Taipei — small eats, not dinner. Eat small portions at many stalls. Bring cash; some stalls don't do card.
Suggested stay: Family hotel in Zhongshan or Songshan district
2

Hualien

2 nights
TRA regular train Taipei → Hualien along the scenic east coast (2h 15m, TWD 440 pp). Puyuma Express is the fastest service — book 14 days ahead on the TRA website.

Highlights

  • Taroko Gorge National Park — the full-day tour (Swallow Grotto, Eternal Spring Shrine, Shakadang Trail, Tianxiang)
  • Qingshui Cliffs — 1,000 m marble cliffs plunging into the Pacific, 20 min north of Hualien
  • Hualien Night Market — smaller than Taipei but better for local Hakka and Amis indigenous food
  • Dongdamen Night Market seafront — one of Taiwan's biggest night markets
  • Aboriginal cultural show at Taroko Visitor Center (free)
  • Qixingtan Beach — pebble beach with dramatic mountain backdrop

Local tips

  • 💡Book the Taroko Gorge shuttle bus (TWD 250 pp, hop-on-hop-off) — you can't drive through the gorge in a hire car without tight scheduling and tour-bus-friendly lay-bys.
  • 💡The shuttle runs 8am–5pm loop — start at Taroko entrance, skip to Tianxiang for lunch, work back down to Swallow Grotto and Eternal Spring Shrine on the way out.
  • 💡Pack a raincoat — Taroko catches afternoon mountain rain even on sunny days. Waterfall-sound parts of the gorge are LOUD with spray.
Suggested stay: Family hotel in Hualien city near Taroko Gorge entrance
3

Sun Moon Lake

2 nights
Travel day: TRA Hualien → Taipei (2h 15m), then HSR Taipei → Taichung (1 hr), then shuttle bus Taichung HSR station → Sun Moon Lake (1h 10m). Full travel day — pack lunch.

Highlights

  • Sun Moon Lake boat hop-on-hop-off — Shueishe → Xuanguang → Ita Thao, 1-day ticket TWD 300 pp
  • Sun Moon Lake Ropeway (cable car) — connects to Formosan Aboriginal Cultural Village theme park
  • Wenwu Temple — 3-tier red temple overlooking the lake, sunset perfect
  • Ita Thao village — indigenous Thao tribe, aboriginal food at the lakeside stalls
  • Cycle the 30-km lake loop or the shorter 5-km Shuishe Pier path (bike rental TWD 300 family)
  • Sunrise kayaking on the lake (4-6 am before motorboat traffic starts)

Local tips

  • 💡The Sun Moon Lake Pass (TWD 800 family) bundles the boat, cable car, and bus shuttle — worth it if you do all three.
  • 💡Stay in Ita Thao (quieter, indigenous cultural village vibe) rather than Shueishe (main tourist strip) — 10 min boat ride away with a very different feel.
  • 💡The Formosan Aboriginal Cultural Village is kid-oriented theme park with Polynesian-style shows + small rides. Half-day visit is enough; the cable car connecting lake to park is the real highlight.
Suggested stay: Lakeside family resort in Shueishe or Ita Thao village
4

Kaohsiung

2 nights
Travel day: Sun Moon Lake shuttle bus → Taichung HSR (1h 10m), then HSR Taichung → Kaohsiung Zuoying (50 min, TWD 790 pp). Kaohsiung MRT from Zuoying to the city centre is 20 min.

Highlights

  • Lotus Pond + Dragon and Tiger Pagodas — enter through the dragon's mouth, exit the tiger (for luck)
  • Formosa Boulevard MRT station — the 'Dome of Light' stained-glass ceiling, voted world's most beautiful metro station
  • Liuhe Night Market — less touristy than Taipei's, better seafood
  • Pier-2 Art Center — a warehouse district turned hipster art precinct, waterfront bike rental
  • Cijin Island — ferry across the harbour, seafood restaurants, scooter rental, fort + lighthouse
  • Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum — the 108m Great Buddha, 30 min by bus north
  • Kenting National Park day trip (optional) — south coast beaches, 2 hrs by train + bus

Local tips

  • 💡Kaohsiung MRT + light rail is simple and cheap (TWD 20-50 per trip). Airport is 30 min from the CBD by MRT.
  • 💡Fly home from Kaohsiung (KHH) if your airline allows — saves the HSR back to TPE. If not, Kaohsiung → TPE HSR is 1h 45m, TWD 1,490 pp.
  • 💡The Dragon Tiger Pagodas are best at sunset — the water reflection makes the photo. Go 1 hour before dusk.
Suggested stay: Family hotel near the Love River or Formosa Boulevard metro

Good to know

Estimated cost

The ~A$9,310 estimate covers accommodation across all 4 stops. Flights, daily spending, activities, and transport are additional — use SaveToRoam’s savings planner to track it all.

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