So you’ve been to Taipei before. Yes, everyone and their grandma have heard of or have been to Taipei 101, Shilin Night Market, Ximending, and the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial. But if you think you’ve seen it all, Taipei’s here to say, “Wait, hold my bubble tea.”
Taipei is one city we love to keep visiting again and again because every time we do, we discover something we haven’t seen before. On our most recent trip, we went off the beaten path and dove into Taipei’s quirky underbelly, where graffiti art meets peaceful temples, heart-shaped ponds pop up next to wobbly bridges, and hidden markets are filled with Michelin-worthy bites.
So if you’re ready to unlock a new level of Taipei that’ll make your Instagram followers go, “Wait, where is that?” — buckle up. Here are some of the most underrated attractions in the Taiwanese capital where you won’t be dodging selfie sticks and massive tour groups.
1. Jian Tan Shan Hiking Trail & North Eye Platform
When it comes to hiking for an awesome Taipei view, the go-to destination has always been Elephant Mountain. But this is not the only one!
Taipei is surrounded by mountains, and when you have mountains you have hiking trails and lookouts. The Jian Tan Shan Trail in Shilin, while frequented mostly by locals, is also worthy of a trek. It offers panoramic views of Taipei’s skyline that are breathtaking —- figuratively and sometimes literally.
Tucked in the forested slope just behind the Grand Hotel, the start of the trail is not that easy to find. It is not as crowded, but much of the pathway is paved and staired, so it’s beginner-friendly and you won’t worry about getting lost. OK, scratch that, spoiler alert: We got lost. But only because it’s punctuated with multiple viewpoints, we didn’t know which was which!
You see, our end goal was to reach the so-called North Eye Platform, an observation deck where we could catch peeks of iconic buildings on the other side of the city. But there were a lot of lookouts, we didn’t know if we were following the correct sign. We even stumbled upon a quiet shrine that also allows incredible vistas, so all’s good!
But just before sundown, we were able to find the white railings of the North Eye Platform, and it was worth all the effort and confusion. They say it’s even more…
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