Taipei sits in a basin, and the hills around its edge are laced with trails that the city builds and looks after. Most are free and open around the clock, and with the MRT you can go from a downtown hotel to a forest ridge in well under an hour. Here are the hikes we would pick, from a one-hour stair climb with the Taipei 101 view to a full day on the volcanoes of Yangmingshan, plus two day hikes just outside the city.
- Cost Free. The city trails on this page are listed as open 24 hours
- Run by Taipei City's Geotechnical Engineering Office (大地工程處) for the trails inside the city
- Closures now Parts of the Elephant Mountain trail until April 13, 2027; the Qixingshan trail from Xiaoyoukeng until January 19, 2027
- Bring Water, shoes with grip, a rain layer and insect repellent
The hikes at a glance
| Trail | Start (MRT) | Time | Difficulty | Why go |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elephant Mountain | Xiangshan (R02) | About 1 hour 40 minutes for the full route; less to the Six Giant Rocks | Short but steep stairs | The classic Taipei 101 view |
| Four Beasts (Tiger Mountain) | Xiangshan (R02), Guangci/Fengtiangong (R01) or Houshanpi (BL20) | About 2.5 hours for the Tiger Mountain trail; a half day for all four hills | Easy to moderate | Quieter ridges and city views |
| Jiantanshan | Jiantan (R15) | About 1.5 hours | Easy | Planes landing at Songshan, sunsets, close to Shilin Night Market |
| Maokong tea trails | Taipei Zoo (BR01), then the gondola | 1 to 2 hours | Easy | Tea gardens and a pot of tea at the end |
| Qixingshan, Yangmingshan | Jiantan (R15), then bus Red 5 and 108 | About 2.5 hours over the top | Hard, steep | Taipei's highest peak, steam vents |
| Jinmianshan, Neihu | Xihu (BR16) | About 3 hours | Moderate, rocky | Scissors Rock and the view over Neihu |
| Guanyinshan (Yinghanling), New Taipei | MRT, then a bus | About 1 hour up | Steep stone steps | The Tamsui River mouth from 616 m |
| Teapot Mountain, New Taipei | Zhongxiao Fuxing (BL15, BR10), then bus 1062 | About 1 hour | Moderate | Sea views, paired with Jiufen |
The hikes
Elephant Mountain (Xiangshan)
Elephant Mountain (象山) is the short one everyone does: stone stairs from Xiangshan Station (Red Line, R02) up through the woods to the Six Giant Rocks and the postcard view of Taipei 101. Taipei Travel gives about 1 hour 40 minutes for the whole route; most people turn around at the rocks. Go at sunset and stay for the lights. One thing to know right now: the Geotechnical Engineering Office is renovating parts of the trail from July 20, 2026 to April 13, 2027, and closed sections are off limits while the work goes on, so follow the signs on the day. → Our Elephant Mountain guide
The Four Beasts and Tiger Mountain
Elephant Mountain is one of the Four Beasts Mountains (四獸山): Tiger (虎山), Leopard (豹山), Lion (獅山) and Elephant, four low sandstone hills behind Xinyi District. The city has laid out a loop trail on each, and they join up, so you can make the walk as long as you like, with Taipei 101 in view much of the way. It is the natural next step once you have done Elephant Mountain, and a lot quieter.
The Tiger Mountain Trail (虎山親山步道) is about 2.5 km of trail, about 3.9 km with the approach, and Taipei Travel allows about 2.5 hours. The summit is only 140 m, with a sundial on top, and the climb is gentler than its neighbors. One way in is from Houshanpi Station (Blue Line, BL20): Taipei Travel suggests Exit 2 and a walk of about 26 minutes toward Songshan Cihui Temple.
Since August 30, 2026, the Red Line has run one stop past Xiangshan to Guangci/Fengtiangong Station (R01), and the Geotechnical Engineering Office now suggests going up from Xiangshan Station and coming down to Guangci/Fengtiangong. Its easy route, the Four Beasts Linked Peaks (四獸連峰線), takes in Elephant, Lion and Leopard peaks, then the Tiger Mountain trails down to the new station. The harder Jiuwu Peak route (九五登峰線) climbs to Jiuwu Peak (九五峰), at 375 m the highest point of the Nangang hills, with a big view from the top. At the foot of the hills, the boardwalks of Yongchunpi Wetland Park (永春陂濕地公園), about 4 hectares, link into the trail network.
Jiantanshan
Jiantanshan (劍潭山), the ridge behind the Grand Hotel, is the easiest real hike in the city and the closest to downtown. The trailhead is on Section 4 of Zhongshan North Road, near Jiantan Station (Red Line, R15). Taipei Travel lists about 2.74 km of trail (about 3.3 km in all) and about 1 hour 24 minutes of walking. The high point is the Old Place (老地方) viewing platform, with a wide view over the city and of the planes coming in and out of Songshan Airport; it is a favorite for sunsets and the night view. Come down and walk to Shilin Night Market for dinner. → Night markets
Maokong tea trails
Ride the gondola from Taipei Zoo Station (Brown Line, BR01) up to Maokong and walk among the tea farms. The Zhanghu Trail (樟湖步道) starts at Maokong Station and runs about 3.2 km through the hills, with musical stops along the way and a high viewpoint at Lingfeng Pavilion. The flat Zhangshu (Camphor) Trail is about 1.5 km and good for all ages. Zhinan Temple, one gondola stop down, has its own old Thousand-Step Trail (千階步道), a pilgrims' path lined with podocarpus trees and restored stone lanterns. Finish with tea and the view. → Maokong: the gondola and tea
Qixingshan and the Yangmingshan trails
For a proper mountain, go up to Yangmingshan National Park. Qixingshan (七星山), Seven Star Mountain, is Taipei's highest peak at 1,120 m, and the popular route runs about 4.8 km from Xiaoyoukeng over the top and down to Lengshuikeng, with bus stops at both ends. It is steep and exposed, and the weather changes fast. Take the MRT to Jiantan (R15), bus Red 5 up the mountain, then the 108 park loop. For something gentle, the wide, paved Erziping Trail is the park's easiest walk.
Good to know: the trail from the Xiaoyoukeng trailhead to the main peak of Qixingshan is closed at about the 0.6 km mark for construction from October 27, 2026 to January 19, 2027. Check the national park's trail notices for other ways up before you go.
→ Yangmingshan: buses, hikes and flower seasons
Neihu: Jinmianshan, Dalunwei and Bishan Temple
The hills north of Neihu are the locals' weekend favorite. Jinmianshan (金面山) is a short, rocky climb to a 252 m summit, with the angled slabs of Scissors Rock (剪刀石) near the top and a wide view over Neihu and the city. Taipei Quarterly suggests starting about 10 minutes' walk from Exit 1 of Xihu Station (Brown Line, BR16), up Lane 285 of Neihu Road Section 1; the Geotechnical Engineering Office puts the trail at about 2.3 km and about three hours. It is steeper and rockier than the other city trails, so wear proper shoes.
From the same Xihu side, a trail climbs to Dalunwei Mountain (大崙尾山) and down the far side to Section 2 of Zhongshe Road, where buses run down to Shilin. Further along the ridge is Bishan Temple (碧山巖), which Taipei Travel calls the biggest temple in Taiwan to Kaizhang Shengwang; its terrace looks over the whole Taipei Basin and, at night, Taipei 101. The temple is open 06:00 to 21:30. These hills are also the line of the Taipei Grand Trail's fifth section (below).
Day hikes in New Taipei: Guanyinshan and Teapot Mountain
Across the Tamsui River from Tamsui, Guanyinshan (觀音山) rises over the river mouth. Its first peak is Yinghanling (硬漢嶺), 616 m, and New Taipei City's tourism site describes the trail as about 1,563 m of mostly stone steps one way, steep enough to count as a training hike: allow about an hour up at a slow pace. It is open around the clock. Getting there means the MRT and then a bus; plan the connection in a map app on the day.
East of Jiufen, above the old mining village of Jinguashi, Teapot Mountain (茶壺山) is named for the shape of its summit rock, and it is also called Earless Teapot Mountain (無耳茶壺山). New Taipei City's tourism site describes a short loop of about an hour, with views over the Yinyang Sea and across to Keelung Mountain. Bus 1062 from Zhongxiao Fuxing Station (BL15, BR10) runs to Jinguashi, so it pairs well with the Gold Museum and an evening in Jiufen. → Jiufen and Jinguashi
The Taipei Grand Trail
If the hikes above leave you wanting more, the Taipei Grand Trail (臺北大縱走) strings the city's mountain trails together. Set up in 2018 by the Geotechnical Engineering Office, it runs about 92 km on foot in seven sections, from Guandu Station in the north, over Yangmingshan, across to Neihu and Nangang, to the hills behind National Chengchi University at Maokong. An eighth section, about 38 km on the riverside bike paths from Taipei Zoo Station back to Guandu, closes the loop at about 130 km. Each section is a day's walk of 4 to 8 hours.
| Section | Route | Distance | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guandu Station (R25) to Erziping | About 13 km | 7 to 8 hours |
| 2 | Miantianping Pavilion to Xiaoyoukeng | About 12 km | 6 to 7 hours |
| 3 | Xiaoyoukeng to Fengguikou | About 13 km | 7 to 8 hours |
| 4 | Fengguikou to China University of Science and Technology | About 18 km | 7 to 8 hours |
| 5 | Jiantan Station (R15) to Bishan Temple | About 12 km | 6 to 7 hours |
| 6 | China University of Science and Technology to Linguang Station (BR06) | About 11 km | 5 to 6 hours |
| 7 | Shijie Shanzhuang to the Feilong Trail behind National Chengchi University | About 13 km | 5 to 6 hours |
| 8 (bike) | Taipei Zoo Station (BR01) to Guandu Station (R25) | About 38 km | 4 to 5 hours |
Section 5 is rated easy and passes the Old Place lookout on Jiantanshan; Section 6, rated moderate, crosses the Nangang hills past Jiuwu Peak. The official Taipei Grand Trail site has maps, GPX files to load into your phone, hiking notes and the rules of its certification program. Section 3 currently includes the Qixingshan closure above.
Heat, typhoons and bugs
- Heat: Taipei summers are hot and very humid, and even short stair climbs are hard work. Start early or go near sunset, carry more water than you think, and turn back if you feel dizzy. → Taipei weather by month
- Typhoons and heavy rain: don't hike when a typhoon warning is up, and give the trails a day or two afterward. Storms bring down trees and loosen slopes, and the city closes trails for repairs; the Geotechnical Engineering Office posts closures on its website.
- Insects and snakes: mosquitoes are common in the woods, so use repellent. The city's hiking notes say to wear plain clothes and skip perfume around bees, back away slowly from a hive, stay on the path, and not reach under rocks or into hollow wood because of snakes.
- Water and food: city trails have no shops on the way up. Bring water and a snack; a convenience store near the station is the last stop.
- Safety: the city has put AEDs at popular trailheads. Keep your phone charged, and tell someone where you are going on the longer routes.
Good to know: download the Grand Trail GPX files or an offline map before you set off, especially for the longer Yangmingshan routes.
Want something flatter? Taipei's parks and riverside paths are just as easy to reach by MRT. → Parks and riverside paths · All things to do
Sources
Trail lengths, times, heights, hours and administrators from Taipei Travel: Xiangshan (Mt. Elephant) Hiking Trail, Hushan (Mt. Tiger) Hiking Trail, Jiantanshan Hiking Trail, Jinmianshan Hiking Trail and Bishan Temple; the Houshanpi approach and the Four Beasts from Taipei Travel's Four Beasts Mountain trail tour; the Maokong trails from Taipei Travel's Maokong nature walks and Maokong day tour; Jinmianshan and Dalunwei access from TAIPEI Quarterly: Mt. Jinmian and Beyond. Trail closures from the Geotechnical Engineering Office notices for Xiangshan and Qixingshan. The Guangci/Fengtiangong routes from TVBS, and the station's opening from CNA. The Grand Trail sections, Jiuwu Peak, Yongchunpi Wetland Park and the hiking notes from the Taipei Grand Trail site (hiking notes). Yinghanling and Teapot Mountain from New Taipei City's tourism site (Yinghanling, Teapot Mountain). Qixingshan and the Yangmingshan buses from our Yangmingshan guide. Checked October 2026.