Things To Do In Taitung Taiwan's Most Underrated City

The best way to explore is to rent a scooter and drive around. There are a lot of superb landscapes and scenery to see as well as good trekking and diving opportunities. If you don’t like touristy places, Green  Island will be a perfect fit. You also have the possibility to 台東伴手禮 visit some more remote villages, less touched by tourism but you’ll need to go through an agency and hire a local guide. Some tribes can have different social codes than what foreigners or even locals are used to, always exercise caution when visiting aboriginal villages.
Most of all exhibitions are also in English though unfortunately not all interactive tools worked in the English version. Still, this place is more than worth a visit even though it’s a bit remote . The area and the museum itself are quite small in number of visitors which might be different if school classes are around.

This is Taitung’s answer to Huashan Creative Park in Taipei, Cultural Heritage Park in Taichung, and Pier 2 Arts Center in Kaohsiung. In the city center near Railway Art Village, try The Gaya Hotel (see on Booking / Agoda / TripAdvisor), which has a rooftop pool, or budget-friendly Tiin Tin Inn (see on Booking / Agoda). If you want to drive from Hualien to Taitung, I recommend renting a car here. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.
Bracelets, necklaces, miniature sculptures, the lot of them. Good luck charms that double up as fashionable jewelry, embroidered clothing, hand-painted fans, personalized traditional Chinese name stamps , and carved inkstones. Most of the nougats come in nicely-packaged packs so they make for ideal gifts from Taiwan for your loved ones back home. Alternatively, you can also get peanut candy（花生糖), which is a traditional treat where different nuts are “glued” together using a sweet syrup.
Here are five of the best locally made souvenirs you can pick up next time you’re in this wonderful west coast city. Green Island - this island located off the east coast of Taitung offers coral beaches, tropical forests, and fresh saltwater hot springs. The night market is well connected to public transportation and it is 2 km apart from the Taitung rail station. The night market has several outlets for nonvegetarian foods and a little for vegetarian lovers.

East Taiwan Bus offers routes between major townships on the mountain line and Taitung City. The best way to get around Taitung is to rent a scooter or a car, even within the city, to get to the tourist spots, it will be easier if you have your own mean of transportation. The best way to get from Taichung to Taitung is by train, it takes less than 4 hours and cost between $21 to $35 USD. For a sweet treat, check out glutinous rice balls served with peanut, red bean, mung bean, and many other flavors. A market is held there every 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month.
It would be good for non Taiwanese to make their order if they put on English menu too. I actually want to try many different foods but no idea what and how to order. This place is super scenic and I highly recommend anyone visiting Taitung to stop here. There are no shops but there are toilets at this scenic view point.

For Kenting National Park or Xiaoliuqiu, take the train from anywhere to Taitung to Fangliao on the west coast. At Fangliao, you can hop on the bus to Kenting or take a taxi to the Xiaoliuqiu ferry harbor in Donggang. If you want to visit the coast of Taitung by public transportation, go to Taitung City first then hire a scooter or take buses up the coast. Travelers often just pass right Taitung city on the train, or stop there to change to a different train for getting to Kaohsiung or other places on the west coast. It has limited attractions but is a gateway to Green Island and Orchid Island off the coast. Because the round-Taiwan train line also runs down this valley, this is the way most travelers go.
For the rest of the coast, you’ll pass some simple local restaurants and convenience stores on the highway. There are very few restaurants or shops in Luye, but there’s at least a 7-Eleven. For aboriginal cuisine, Bunun Leisure Farm has activity packages that include an aboriginal set meal. With two nights, base yourself in one of the towns I recommend for two nights and explore the region by scooter or bicycle. Or choose a different town for each night – Yuli , Chishang, Guanshan, and Luye all have gorgeous rural scenery, but each has its own vibe.


The park protects the largest and best-preserved prehistoric settlement in Taiwan. The Beinan (卑南) culture inhabited the area from 2500 to 300 BC in and were known for their jade production. The site was discovered when the train station was being built in the early 1980s. You can also experience several sights on the Taitung coast on this half or full-day tour from Taitung city.
Considering the climatic parameters, the period from June to September is relatively challenging for tourism, mainly due to the substantial increase in rainfall. June sees rainfall escalating to 248mm, and it reaches a peak in August with a staggering 308mm. Along with high rainfall, relative humidity also pushes to its utmost, reaching 79.4% in June. These saturated conditions could dampen travel plans and make sightseeing less enjoyable.