This is one for the picky completists out there. Back when the Taipei Grand Hike was first announced, I was excited by the idea of a Taiwanese long distance trail, but it always rankled that the trail didn’t encircle the city entirely. Well now it does. (Almost.)
cycling
TAMSUI RIVER CYCLE PATH
The west bank of the Tamsui River makes an excellent short excursion. To get the most out of your adventure make sure you leave time to enjoy some of Tamsui's street food and savour the sunset.
XIMEN TO XINDIAN RIVER CYCLE PATH (新店溪自行車道)
As with almost all of Taipei’s large rivers, the Xindian River has well-maintained cycle paths stretching for many kilometres along its banks. This gentle ride upriver towards Bitan is a great way to stretch your legs and enjoy scenery that becomes more and more dramatic the further south you go.
JINGMEI RIVER CYCLE PATH (景美溪自行車道)
A short and simple river bikeway which can be combined with a trip up to Maokong. For the more adventurous, you can turn this into an all day, three-modes of transportation trip by then walking down from Maokong via Yinhe Cave.
SANCHONG AND LUZHOU CYCLE LOOP
If you look at Sanchong and Luzhou on a map, they seem to form an island, cut off from the rest of Taipei by rivers and parks. Luckily for the residents of this area, these unbuilt-up spaces house a great network of cycle paths where you can enjoy either a good bit of exercise or a laid back bike ride depending on your mood and energy levels.
SHEZI ISLAND CYCLE PATH (社子島自行車道)
This easy cycle route will show you around a less often visited nook of Taipei City. Jutting out between the Keelung and Danshui rivers, Shezi island has lots to offer avian aficionados. Those less interested in the birds can still enjoy the scenes of a quieter way of life.
BALI LEFT BANK CYCLE PATH
A comfortable and straightforward ride along the banks of the Tamsui river all the way up to Bali. Join the casual strollers and serious cyclists as you ride through parks, past boats yards to Bali old street.
SUN MOON LAKE FULL CYCLE LOOP
For those wishing to experience all of Taiwan in a short time, you could do a lot worse than trying out this loop. As a microcosm of Taiwan it covers almost all the bases: grand temples, spectacular mountain scenery, aboriginal culture, bustling old streets and well crafted tourist experiences, (and of course sharing the road with motorists who view traffic rules as optional).
KEELUNG RIVER CYCLE PATH
Hop on a bike to explore the parks along the banks of Taipei's Keelung river. Cycling is a great way to get around Taipei and the network of cycle paths through riverside parks offer plenty of interesting sights.
taiwan trails and tales 