10 Day Taiwan Itinerary + Free Google Sheets Template
Matt - September 28, 2026
Taiwan lends itself to a trip that moves steadily south: spend three nights in Taipei, use Taichung for a Sun Moon Lake day trip, explore Tainan's older streets and food, then finish by Kaohsiung's harbor. This ten-day itinerary uses four overnight bases and public transport for the intercity legs. It works especially well for a first visit with an arrival in Taipei and a departure from Kaohsiung.
Copy the free 10-day Taiwan Google Sheets itinerary to adjust the dates, places, lodging, and optional stops for your trip. The itinerary is also available as a sheet you can keep using on its own.
Itinerary Outline
- Days 1-3: Taipei, including Ximending, the memorial plaza, Taipei 101, the National Palace Museum, Dihua Street, and night markets.
- Days 4-5: Taichung, with one city afternoon and a full Sun Moon Lake day trip.
- Days 6-7: Tainan's historic center, food streets, and Anping district.
- Days 8-10: Kaohsiung's harbor, Cijin Island, and departure.
For an autumn trip, Taiwan's tourism administration describes September through November as a generally comfortable season for sightseeing. Check the forecast for each region before packing: the lake, city streets, and coastal day may feel different. The sample Sheet uses November dates as an example, not a fixed tour schedule.
Days 1-3: Taipei
Day 1: Arrive and explore Ximending
After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport, travel into Taipei and settle into your hotel. Ximending is a convenient first-evening neighborhood: pedestrian streets, shops, casual restaurants, and plenty of energy without a timed attraction to manage. Choose dinner nearby and keep the first night open for the length of your arrival transfer.
Day 2: Memorial plaza, Yongkang Street, Taipei 101
Start at Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and its broad ceremonial square. The buildings and gardens give useful context for Taipei's civic landscape, and the open space makes the visit easy to pace. Walk or take the MRT toward Yongkang Street for lunch, small shops, and a more intimate street scene.
Move to Xinyi in the afternoon. Taipei 101 is the city's recognizable skyline landmark; the official observatory site has current ticket and visit information if you want the view from above. Raohe Street Night Market makes a lively dinner stop, with food stalls that suit an evening of grazing rather than a fixed reservation.
Day 3: Museum, old-town streets, and a night market
Give the National Palace Museum a substantial morning. Its collection is large, so choose the galleries that interest you most and check the current exhibitions and opening schedule. In the afternoon, Dihua Street offers tea shops, historic storefronts, and a different scale of Taipei from Xinyi. Finish at Ningxia Night Market, especially convenient if you are staying around Taipei Main Station or Datong.
For another Taipei day, choose one coherent outing: Jiufen's hillside old streets, Beitou's hot-spring district, or the Elephant Mountain skyline viewpoint. Each is already listed as an unscheduled option in the template.
Days 4-5: Taichung and Sun Moon Lake
Day 4: Train south and a Taichung afternoon
Take Taiwan High Speed Rail from Taipei to Taichung. THSR's official site is the place to confirm service and book a train. Taichung HSR Station is in Wuri, outside the central sightseeing area, so include the onward city transfer when choosing a hotel and an afternoon start time.
The National Taichung Theater is a worthwhile architectural stop even if you are not attending a performance. Then head to Fengjia Night Market for an easy food-focused evening. If you arrive earlier, Calligraphy Greenway and Miyahara are optional Taichung additions; the latter is a distinctive dessert stop in a restored building.
Day 5: Sun Moon Lake from Taichung
Make this a full day. The Sun Moon Lake scenic area's transport guide sets out the Taichung connection; check its current outbound and return timetable before fixing your day. Begin at Shuishe's waterfront, where the pier and visitor area make a natural starting point. A short stretch of the lakeside bikeway or a walk lets you enjoy the water and hills without committing to the full circuit, which includes roads and varied terrain.
After lunch in Shuishe, consider Xiangshan Visitor Center for its lakeside setting and views. Confirm the local transfer first. Ita Thao and Wenwu Temple are useful alternatives when your bus and boat connections suit them; they are separate options in the Sheet, not required stops for a single afternoon. The official route information is worth checking again the day before travel.
Days 6-7: Tainan
Day 6: Historic center and Guohua Street
Continue south by high-speed rail. THSR Tainan Station is outside the central historic core, so plan the final transfer into town before scheduling your first visit. Chihkan Tower is a practical starting point for understanding Tainan's layered history; the city's heritage office provides current context and visit details. Spend the evening around Guohua Street, where snack shops and small eateries reward a relaxed food walk.
Day 7: Temples and Anping
Begin in the old center at Tainan Confucius Temple, then look inside Hayashi Department Store for its period architecture and locally made goods. Use the afternoon for Anping, a distinct district across town. Anping Old Fort connects the visit to the city's early maritime history. Nearby, Anping Tree House is a former warehouse threaded with banyan roots. End with dinner or snacks around Anping Old Street.
Shennong Street or Tainan Art Museum Building 2 can fill an open evening or replace a stop according to your interests. The Sheet keeps them unscheduled so the day stays flexible.
Days 8-10: Kaohsiung
Day 8: Rail to the harbor
The conventional railway links central Tainan and central Kaohsiung; check a current service on Taiwan Railways. After dropping your bag, explore the Pier-2 Art Center, where former harbor warehouses now host exhibitions, shops, and public art. Continue along the waterfront by Great Harbor Bridge. Liuhe Night Market is an easy evening food option near the central rail and MRT area.
Day 9: Ferry to Cijin
Take the ferry from Gushan to Cijin after checking the local transport information and weather. Cijin Old Street gives you food stalls and a neighborhood walk; the lighthouse offers a higher harbor viewpoint if its current hours fit. Lunch can be a seafood restaurant on the island. Return to the mainland in the late afternoon.
For another Kaohsiung half-day, Lotus Pond is a good inland change of scene; the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas are its best-known landmarks. Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum is a longer, separate excursion that deserves advance transport and opening-hour checks.
Day 10: Depart
This sample route ends at Kaohsiung International Airport. If your flight leaves from Taipei instead, leave time for the northbound train and airport connection, or swap the order of your trip so your final night matches your departure city. Change the sample Sheet dates and times to your actual flight and train reservations.
Where to Stay
In Taipei, a base near Taipei Main Station helps with arrival, museums, and the onward high-speed train; Ximending adds a lively evening setting. In Taichung, choose between the city center and an area that works for your Sun Moon Lake bus departure. The lake day is easiest when the morning transfer is planned before you book lodging.
In Tainan, stay around the West Central District or near Tainan Railway Station for access to the historic core and the next rail leg. In Kaohsiung, Yancheng puts Pier-2 and the ferry side of the city close at hand; central MRT neighborhoods offer easy movement across town. Compare the exact hotel location against your chosen station and day plans rather than the city name alone.
Transport, Tickets, and Pacing
The high-speed rail handles the longer north-to-south legs, while city MRT, local rail, bus, and ferry cover the daily movements. Taichung and Tainan high-speed rail stations need onward transfers. For the Sun Moon Lake day, confirm the bus timetable and your preferred lake-side activity together. For Cijin, confirm the ferry and weather. Timed observatory visits, museums, and performances are best checked on their official sites shortly before booking.
You can make this a nine-day trip by removing the Taichung city afternoon or a Taipei day. With eleven or twelve days, add another Taipei neighborhood, spend a night near Sun Moon Lake, or give Tainan and Kaohsiung more time. Alishan is better treated as an extension with its own transport plan.
What the Free Taiwan Google Sheets Itinerary Includes
- A scheduled ten-day route from Taipei through Taichung, Tainan, and Kaohsiung.
- Unscheduled choices for neighborhoods, food, viewpoints, lakeside stops, and separate excursions on the same Itinerary tab.
- Place-specific map locations, official links, booking reminders, and transport notes.
- A Taiwan-focused packing and pre-trip checklist plus editable shared-cost examples.
For a planner you can adapt to any destination, see the free Google Sheets travel planner and itinerary template.
How Travel Mapper Helps With This Trip
The free Sheet gives you the itinerary to customize and keep. For a map view of your stops while planning in Google Sheets, install Travel Mapper from the Google Workspace Marketplace. Its colored pins help you compare the four bases, the Sun Moon Lake detour, and optional places before choosing your final day order. The add-on has a seven-day full-feature trial; the spreadsheet remains usable afterward without a subscription.
The Travel Mapper Chrome extension can help add a place from a page you are researching. For reviewing or editing the trip on your phone while traveling, the Travel Mapper web app works in a mobile browser. If you are planning more than one country or a different city sequence, the multi-city vacation planning guide explains the same route-order approach.
Copy the free Taiwan itinerary, then try the map view with Travel Mapper when you are ready to compare your stops visually.
Taiwan Itinerary FAQ
Is ten days enough for Taipei and southern Taiwan?
Yes for this west-side route. Three Taipei nights, two Taichung nights, two Tainan nights, and two Kaohsiung nights leave one departure day. Extra nights are most useful when you want longer lake time or a separate mountain extension.
Can I visit Sun Moon Lake without renting a car?
Yes. The scenic area's official transport guide lists bus connections from Taichung. Choose your activities around the current return service, and use local transport details to decide whether to stay around Shuishe or visit another lakeside area.
Should I book high-speed rail in advance?
Check the THSR site for the trains and ticket terms that fit your dates. Fixed travel days are easier to coordinate once the major train legs and hotels are selected.
Is the Google Sheets template free to keep?
Yes. You can copy and use the spreadsheet for free. Travel Mapper's map view and other add-on features are available during its seven-day full-feature trial and require a subscription afterward; the copied spreadsheet remains usable without them.
