Itineraries · 5 days
Taiwan for photographers: five days of light and texture
Chase the light from city to coast.
Classic
5 days · Taipei to Kenting
Numbers follow the order of the trip. Open a destination for the full guide.
Day by day
The plan
A five-day route for early starts and late light: Taipei’s skyline, the northeast coast, Taroko and the beaches of Kenting.
Chase the light from city to coast. This route is designed as a flexible sketch: keep the fixed transport, move the rest around the weather and your energy.
Day 1
Taipei blue hour
Start with the classic skyline and a slow morning in the old town.
Xiangshan sunrise
A short climb before dawn for the Taipei 101 skyline.
Xiangshan
Dihua Street
Old shopfronts and market textures in soft morning light.
Dadaocheng
Longshan Temple
Incense, columns and low light in the temple courtyard.
Wanhua
Xinyi blue hour
The towers and pedestrian bridges after sunset.
Xinyi
Day 2
Northeast coast
A day of sea cliffs, fishing harbours and lantern-lit streets.
Bitou Cape
Early light on the cliffs and lighthouse.
Bitou
Houtong
The old mining village and its cats.
Houtong
Shifen Waterfall
A short walk to the waterfall.
Shifen
Jiufen
Lanterns, teahouses and the blue hour over the sea.
Jiufen
Day 3
Hualien and Taroko
Train south for the gorge and the coast.
Train to Hualien
Sit on the left for the coast.
Taipei
Shakadang Trail
Clear water and marble walls.
Taroko
Qixingtan Beach
Long exposures over the Pacific at sunset.
Qixingtan
Day 4
South to Kenting
A travel day, with the camera ready for the coast at the end.
Train to Kaohsiung
A long scenic ride down the east coast.
Hualien
Bus to Kenting
Transfer to the southern tip.
Kenting
Longpan sunset
Grassland and cliffs above the sea.
Longpan
Day 5
Southern light and home
One last sunrise before the journey back north.
Eluanbi sunrise
The lighthouse and the southern cape in early light.
Eluanbi
Nanwan Beach
Swim and dry the camera gear.
Nanwan
Bus to Kaohsiung
Allow time for the transfer.
Kenting
HSR to Taipei
Back in the capital by evening.
Kaohsiung
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