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Taipei, Taiwan
Start in the capital but skip the tourist traps — explore Dadaocheng's historic trading quarter along the Tamsui River, full of Baroque facades and indie tea houses. Don't miss Bopiliao Historic Block in Wanhua for well-preserved Qing dynasty streetscapes. Grab a bowl of beef noodle soup at a local neighbourhood spot away from Shilin Night Market crowds.
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Jiufen, Taiwan
This atmospheric hillside village of red lanterns and narrow stone staircases was a gold-mining town during Japanese colonial rule. Wander beyond the main Old Street into quieter alleyways for stunning Pacific Ocean views. Pair a visit with nearby Jinguashi Gold Ecological Park to explore the abandoned imperial Japanese gold refinery.
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Yilan, Taiwan
Tucked behind the Central Mountain Range, Yilan is a deeply local county rarely visited by international travellers. Explore the charming Luodong Cultural Working House, a repurposed Japanese-era timber facility turned arts space. The region is famous for three-cup chicken, scallion pancakes, and the surreal Lanyang Museum shaped like a disappearing rock stratum.
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Taroko, Taiwan
Taroko Gorge is one of Asia's most dramatic landscapes — marble canyon walls carved by the Liwu River over millennia. Go beyond the main Swallow Grotto trail and hike the quieter Shakadang Trail through turquoise river waters. Nearby Tianxiang village sits deep in the gorge and is home to an atmospheric Buddhist pagoda and indigenous Truku communities.
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Chishang, Taiwan
This small East Rift Valley farming town is beloved by Taiwanese for its iconic patchwork rice fields and ultra-fresh lunchboxes sold at the train station. Rent a bicycle and pedal through golden paddies framed by the Central and Coastal Mountain Ranges. The town feels frozen in slow, rural Taiwan — deeply restorative and photogenic at every turn.
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Tainan, Taiwan
Taiwan's oldest city is its most culturally rich — over 400 temples dot the city, including the stunning Confucius Temple and the eerily beautiful Anping Tree House swallowed by banyan roots. Wander the narrow lanes of Shennong Street for heritage pharmacies, indie coffee shops, and colonial-era architecture. Tainan is considered Taiwan's food capital — don't leave without trying coffin bread, milkfish congee, and shrimp rolls.