Day 1. National Palace Museum and Shung Ye Museum of Formosan Aborigines and night visit to 101 Taipei. Note: there is a combined museum admission for 320 TWD (10$) for this and Fromosan Aborigines. The National Palace Museum Opens at 8:30. Because of crowds be there then. Take the MRT Wenhu Line to the Dazhi Station and take bus B13 (Brown 13) or another bus to the National Palace Museum. Note: The Dazhi Station is also the stop for the Shilin Night Market. Between the Shung Ye Museum and National Palace is a restaurant called The Imperial Palace Sanxi Hall which is well rated. To get to the Shung Ye Museum of Formosan Aborigines just walk up the street about a block in the same direction as the bus was travelling. It is small but good. To get to Taipei 101 take the metro to Jieyuntaibei101/Shimao station and walk one block east. Admission is 500 NT. I suggest you get there early, just before dark, as there is a long line.
A view from the top of Taipei 101
Day 2. Day trip to Taroko Gorge.
Taroko National Park
Try to book your train ticket 14 days in advance. I recommend you don’t go on a weekend. Go early! The train from Taipei takes two and a half hours to reach Hua Lien train station. At Hua Lien station, there is a 7-11, where you can buy some drinks or snacks for the tour. You can take a hop-on hop-off bus. When you leave the train station, look to your left side, there is orange building- located bus station to Taroko. The cost for one day is 250 NT and 2 days will cost 400 NT. If you can understand Mandarin, another more comfortable is taking bus tour to Taroko with guide and cost is 650 BT with insurance. The bus terminal is on the right hand - yellow building. you should get a map after buying tickets, showing each stop . If this is your first trip to Taroko Gorge, I would recommend you visit the Tunnel of Nine Turns and then the Eternal Spring on the way back. My pictures are from Dayuling.
Day 3 Chiang Kia-Shek Memorial for the changing of the guard, Eco Park, Fine Arts Museum and Confucius Temple. Note: There are no good restaurants near any of these four places, nor the MRT stations, so go to a 7-11. To get to the Chiang Kia-Shek Memorial Hall take the red line Metro to the Chiang Kia-Shek Memorial Hall Station. Walk north one block to the park. Go to the fourth floor to watch the changing of the guards. It happens every hour on the hour and lasts about fifteen minutes. To get to the Fine Arts Museum take the red line Metro to Yuanshan station and cross Eco park you see when you exit.
A seasonal exhibit at Eco Park
To get to the Confucius Temple. Walk back to the Yuanshan station. Walk about half a block north and turn left onto Kulun Street, walk two blocks.
The Confucian Temple
Day 4. Guandu Temple and Longshan Temple and Snake Alley To get to the Guandu Temple, take the metro to the Guandu station. You can get a bus to the temple, Number 35 Red or Small 23. If you’re okay with walking, walk south (should be same direction as the metro) and cross Dadu Road. When you cross, walk to your left until you get to Guan du Old Street and follow it to the temple. It’s supposed to be a fifteen minute walk, but it might take you longer.
Gandu Temple
To get to the Lungshan Temple, take the metro to Lungshan Temple station. Lots of places to eat on Guangzhou Street. Go north and get on Xiyuan Road or Xichang Street for one block to Guangzhou Street. To get to snake alley walk east on Guangzhou street (facing the temple, this would be to your right) for about 4 blocks. It’s known as Huahsi Night Market.
Lungshan Temple
Consider walking a few more steps in the same direction to get to Bopilial Ancient Street.
Day 5. Museum of Contemporary Arts.
You almost have to get a cab to this place; it’s about ten blocks from Zhongshan and Taipei Main stations, but rated well enough to visit. Then relax, you earned it.