Taiwan Walks: Flat Strolls to Stair Climbs
Walking in Taiwan ranges from a flat stroll past tea merchants to a few hundred stone steps in the heat. Sorting routes by effort tells you quickly which ones suit your legs, your shoes and the day.
Easy: flat streets and riverside
Dadaocheng and Dihua Street in Taipei is the gentlest. This old river-port district has 19th-century red-brick tea merchants, herbal medicine shops, fabric markets and independent coffee roasters. Allow two hours and it is flat all the way. Wanhua, also called Bangkha, is nearby. The preserved Bopiliao Historic Block shows Qing-era and Japanese-era shophouses, and Herb Lane sells herbal teas to taste.
For a water view, follow the riverside bike paths from Dadaocheng Wharf towards Tamsui, or take the ferry between Tamsui Old Street and Fisherman’s Wharf for NT$34 to NT$40. You can walk the paths or rent a YouBike, which costs about NT$5 to NT$10 per 30 minutes with an EasyCard. In Tainan, Anping has flat lanes between Fort Zeelandia, dating from 1624, and a former warehouse swallowed by banyan roots.
Moderate: stairs and slopes
Jiufen is the classic stair walk. Shuqi Road climbs through lantern-lit lanes to the wooden Amei Tea House, and the stone steps are slick after rain. Wear shoes with real grip. Wulai is a gentler option, where a narrow-gauge log cart can carry you 1.5 km towards an 80 m waterfall. It runs daily from 08:00 to 17:00, except for maintenance on the first Tuesday of the month.
If you want help with route-finding, you can browse Taipei walking tours on GetYourGuide and choose a small-group format.
Hard: hills and gorges
Elephant Mountain is about 600 stone steps up from the city and costs nothing. It is steep, so go early or near sunset, and bring water to drink at the top rather than on the way through the MRT. The trail links to the Four Beasts mountain paths for longer ridge walks.
Taroko National Park is only partly open. The visitor centre, Taroko Terrace, Tianxiang, Dacingshui, Chongde, Dali-Datong, Liwushan and Cianyanlishan are among the areas you can use. Trail status changes, and Highway 8 runs on timed windows, so read the live notices at taroko.gov.tw before you set out. Hualien is reached from Taipei by Taiwan Railways, not high-speed rail.
What to carry
Sun cream, a hat and light layers cover most days. Typhoon months run from July to October, and you can read warnings at cwa.gov.tw . A refillable bottle is useful on the trail, but on the MRT it must stay sealed in your bag, because eating or drinking there, including water, is fined NT$1,500 to NT$7,500. An EasyCard covers metro, buses and YouBikes.
Before you land
Every visitor completes the free online arrival card at twac.immigration.gov.tw , up to 7 days before arrival. All costs here are in New Taiwan Dollars.
Verdict: for a first walk, Dihua Street is the best value, and Elephant Mountain is the best effort-to-reward climb. More ideas are in the 4-day itinerary and the day trips .