Why Taiwan Should Be on Your Travel Bucket List

You've probably considered visiting Japan, but have you ever thought about traveling to Taiwan? The island nation is perfectly positioned for an extended layover on your Japan trip, but it's also a fabulous destination on its own. Make Taipei your homebase, with its modern comforts, award-winning restaurants and multitude of things to do, or travel around the country, staying in a mix of urban and rural environments. No matter how you want to see the country, Taiwan's superb train system and public transportation make it easy to experience everything the island has to offer. You can spend the day hiking in forests that look like they were pulled out of a fantasy novel and be back in the city for a dinner reservation that evening.

From the soothing relaxation of the hot springs to the bustling night markets, Taiwan has tons to offer. Keep reading to learn more about why visiting Taiwan should be at the top of your bucket list.

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No matter where you are in Taiwan, you probably aren't far from a hot spring. There are a variety of options to partake in ranging from public springs, private springs and hot spring hotels. Some public hot springs are free while others cost.

Private hot springs always have a cost, but you are less likely to face a large crowd than at the public springs. Hot spring hotels often allow guests of the hotel and outside visitors to use the hot springs for a fee. Plus, if you stay in a hot spring hotel, you can book a room with hot spring baths.

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Near Taipei City, Beitou is famous for its hot springs. The area also has other attractions like the Beitou Hot Springs Museum, Beitou Thermal Valley and Beitou Market. Note: At the time of publication, Beitou's public hot springs are undergoing renovation but are expected to reopen before the end of 2026.

A popular alternative to the public hot springs are the private hot spring baths in nearby Spring City Resort.

When visiting Wulai, you'll have your pick of hot spring hotels. These hotels range in price and in amenities from simple baths to saunas, aromatic baths and more. You'll also find a variety of mixed gender pools as well as nude, gender segregated pools. You can often walk in without reservations, and some hotels do not accept reservations for their baths.

Unlike much of Taiwan the hot springs in Jiaoxi, in Yilan County, contain no sulfur, so they are colorless and odorless. Jiaoxi Hot Springs Park, popular among locals, has free foot baths, walking paths, a Japanese bathhouse and nearby restaurants. You can also book hot spring hotels with in-room baths.

Qingshui Geothermal Park has the more typical foot baths, soaking pools and a Japanese bathhouse, but it also has a cooking pool. A vendor in the park sells foodstuffs like corn, eggs, meat and potatoes, that visitors can cook in the geothermal pool, for a fee, and sit at the picnic area and dine on their freshly cooked hot-spring meal.

Courtesy of Taiwan Tourism Administration

The night markets are a must when visiting Taiwan. They are lively street markets where tourists and locals alike can eat street food, often for less than eating in a traditional restaurant. Many night markets also have vendors that sell clothing and souvenirs; live entertainment; and arcade-like game areas with claw machines, capsule toy machines commonly called gashapons and carnival games like balloon pop.

Night markets are often located near or around temples, run from 5 or 6 p.m. to midnight, and are bustling with locals and visitors alike. For the best chance at the smallest crowds, arrive early and visit during weekdays. That's not a guarantee though, some night markets are always busy; it's part of the experience. If you haven't scoped out the food stalls ahead of time, a good strategy is to eat at food stalls with long lines. Lines generally move quickly, and long lines often indicate that the food is good. Some of the best Taiwanese food to try at the markets include xiaolongbao (soup dumplings), oyster omelets, gua bao (pork belly bun) and Taiwanese popcorn chicken.

To have the best time at the food market, know some of the etiquette, so you are polite and follow the local norms and customs.

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It's no surprise that Taipei, Taiwan's most urban city, has several night markets strewn throughout its borders. At the Raohe Night Market, the pepper buns are a must, but you'll also find stinky tofu, taro balls, fried rice, pineapple buns and more. The main entrance is at Songshan Ciyou Temple.

The Linjiang Night Market has food stalls selling meat skewers, fried chicken, bao, shaved ice and fruit-flavored ice cream. The food at this market is considered more traditional.

The Ningxia Night Market is smaller than others in terms of the number of vendors and size. The narrow roads at this market make it feel exceptionally crowded, so if you are trying to avoid crowds, skip this one. But the market is conveniently located near Taipei Main Station, great for tourists who enjoy being in the middle of the hustle and bustle of it all.

Centered around the Yangming Theater and Cixian Temple, the Shilin Night Market has a sizable games section and an underground food court in addition to the food stalls.

Less than hour by bus from Taipei City, the Keelung Night Market is an often-photographed spot with its iconic yellow lanterns. Visit on the weekends if you want to see the lanterns lit up. Another notable feature of Keelung is its ease of navigation. Every stall is numbered and its specialty is displayed in English, Japanese and Mandarin.

Courtesy of Taiwan Tourism Administration

Many of Taiwan’s festivals are colorful and boisterous. Taking part in the jubilant celebrations offers visitors a chance to experience Taiwanese culture in a special way. There are many celebrations rooted in folk traditions with smaller festivals held in town or at temples, but there are also larger festivals that have versions held throughout the nation like the lantern festivals and dragon boat races.

In Taiwan, a main lantern festival is held in a different city each year where there is a stage with performances in addition to the large, colorful lanterns in the shape of animals, objects and cultural (including pop culture) figures. In 2027, the festival will take place from February 20 to March 7 in Miaoli, near the west coast of Taiwan between Taichung City and Hsinchu. The event occurs on the 15^th day of the first month of the lunar year (typically February or March), but the lanterns will typically be on display for a few weeks before and after the event. Lantern festivals are also held in major cities throughout Taiwan including Taipei City, New Taipei City and Hualien.

On the fifth day of fifth month of the lunar year (in May or June) people gather to participate in or watch and cheer for boat races across Taiwan for the Dragon Boat Festival. Dragon boats in Taiwan have flat bottoms and are brightly painted with scales painted down the sides. During the race, the pace of rowing is kept in time with the beating of a drum onboard. Zongzi, dumplings made of glutinous rice and filled with pork, mushrooms and egg, is a food traditionally eaten during the festival. Dragon boat festivals are held throughout Taiwan including in Taipei, New Taipei City and Keelung.

Courtesy of Taiwan Tourism Administration

Taiwan's museums offer a glimpse into arts, history and the sciences leaving visitors more knowledgeable and immersed in Taiwan and other Asian cultures through art created by Taiwanese artists, historical exhibits about the region and a look into the local ecology.

While in Taipei City, don't miss the National Palace Museum. The impressive collection of imperial Chinese art and artifacts date back 5,000 years and was once held in Beijing's Forbidden City. Audio guides are available in English, and you should budget three to four hours to tour the museum.

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In Taichung, dive into the world of dinosaurs and more at Taiwan's National Museum of Natural Science. In addition to the dinosaur fossils and an animated Tyrannosaurus rex model, there are exhibits about the sounds and colors of nature, minerals and the microcosm, and a botanical garden housed within a large greenhouse with hundreds of plants native to Taiwan.

Tour multiple floors of thought provoking and beautiful art in the form of installations, sculptures and paintings. The Taipei Fine Arts Museum displays work by Taiwanese and international artists.

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Temples in Taiwan, a mix of Buddhist, Confucius and Tao beliefs, are active religious centers where people pray and participate in religious ceremony. Visiting some temples while traveling though Taiwan is a must. The ornate architecture and the breathtaking details not only showcase the talents of the craftspeople who built them but also a reverence for the beliefs. There are many temples throughout Taiwan, but here are just three notable temples in Taipei.

A pair of stone lions greet visitors at the entrance to the Bao'an Temple where stone columns feature carved dragons. The sloping roofs are decorated with fantastic ornamentation and throughout the temple's structures are murals, wood and stone carvings, detailed inlay work, all representing meaning and purpose. The highly decorated temple will have your eyes darting from one beautiful feature to the next.

Though less ornate than other temples in Taiwan, the Taipei Confucius Temple is no less worth a visit. Throughout the temple are tables with teachings of Confucius and others as well as instruments, a stage for performances and exhibits that detail the life of Confucius and his teachings. Exhibits have an English translation and some interactive elements.

Longshan Temple is probably the most popular temple in Taipei; upon passing through the entry gate, you are greeted in the courtyard by a waterfall and koi pond. Move towards the right to follow a loop around the temple to see shrines to gods and places for people to pray and offer donations. This temple is ornate with carved dragons decorating the roof and columns as well as other intricate carvings, paintings and décor. Longshan Temple welcomes visitors, but be mindful not to disturb those who are praying. Visitors are also welcome during the chanting ceremony that typically takes place three times a day.

Suggested Activity: Private Longshan Temple and Dadaocheng Walking Tour

Getty Images / Photo by Vincent Ting

With nearly 1,000 miles of coastline, Taiwan's beaches offer a variety of experiences from quietly secluded to adrenaline inducing activities. You can relax, rent a canopy, pack a lunch, go snorkeling, head out surfing and speed through the waves on a personal watercraft.

Some of the best spots to snorkel in Taiwan are in the south of the country in Kenting National Park, where the coves and bays offer ideal spots for sea life viewing. Head to Secret Beach in the Penghu Archipelago where a couple hundred sea turtles reside. Just remember to look but don't touch when snorkeling so as not to disturb animals or reefs.

Kenting also has spots great for surfers and paddlers as well as spots to rent and ride personal watercraft.

Try your hand at windsurfing — or just watch — in the Penghu Islands as well as Fulong Beach in New Taipei City. Plus, Fulong Beach is the site of the International Sand Sculpture Art Festival that takes place in May. The impressive sand sculptures stay up for a few months for visitors to enjoy.

That's only scratching the surface of the beaches Taiwan has to offer. There are volcanic black sand beaches to the east and south, pebble beaches to the east and southeast, and more.

Courtesy of Taiwan Tourism Administration

Whether you stay in Taipei for the entirety of your trip to Taiwan, travel around the island or choose another city for your home base, you'll find verdant forests with hiking trails, gorgeous mountains and waterfalls. Taiwan's national forests offer recreation from easy family-friendly hikes to longer trails better suited for experienced hikers.

In central Taiwan, the Alishan National Forest offers visitors the chance to hike down boardwalk and hardpack trails under a canopy of towering trees that are hundreds of years old. A must when visiting is taking the Alishan Forest Railway. The narrow-gauge rail originally was used by loggers during the period of Japanese Colonialism. Today the trains, pulled by red locomotives, take visitors up into the mountains and deeper into the forest where they can depart and walk the trails through a forest that looks like it was plucked out of a fantasy novel or take a round-trip ride viewing the Alishan from the train.

Alishan National Forest is busiest when the cherry blossoms bloom in March in April. Purchase your train tickets in advance if traveling during these months or any other busy period including weekends.

About 2 hours south on public transportation, Manyueyuan National Forest is accessible for day trips from Taipei City. It is the chance to enjoy the amenities and modern comforts of Taipei while also experiencing hikes through lush forest with tall, mossy trees and ferns. The hikes are on well-marked paths that interconnect, so you can walk to multiple waterfalls in a single trip. Inside the park are facilities and, near the entrance, a spot to purchase some prepackaged and freshly made snacks as well as produce.

Connected to Manyueyuan by trail for hikers wanting to make the trek, Dongyanshan National Forest is also an easy day trip from Taipei City. This forest is mostly Japanese and Chinese cedar trees as well as large-leafed elephant ears. This recreation area is great for wildlife viewing. If lucky, you might spot a rare pangolin, an adorable creature that looks like a mix between an armadillo and anteater that's adorned in brown scale armor.

The most popular hike in Dongyanshan is up to Dongyan Peak, where on clear days, hikers are rewarded with gorgeous vistas of Taiwan's natural beauty and of the more urban Taipei area.

From the vibrant culture and bustling night markets to the stunning scenery of beaches, mountains and forests, and the quiet indulgence of soaking in a hot spring, Taiwan features a seemingly endless variety of things to do. Start planning your trip today with the handy tools on AAA Travel, and if you want help planning, reach out to a AAA Travel Agent, a free service for AAA members.