TaipeiPlay Recommendations

Beitou Hot Spring Museum is at No. 2, Zhongshan Road in Taipei's Beitou District. Originally the Beitou Public Bathhouse from the Japanese colonial era, it has been preserved as a century-old historic site. Inside, the original underground bathhouse, stained glass and wooden architecture are preserved, alongside exhibits on Beitou's hot-spring history and geology. Admission is free, open Tuesday to Sunday 09:00-17:00 (closed Mondays); some special exhibitions may require an additional fee. Step inside and it feels like traveling back to the hot-spring culture of the Japanese era, with the chance to view the treasured Beitou stone up close and soak in the atmosphere of a Japanese-style bathhouse.

Indigenous Peoples Cultural Park sits in Taipei's Shilin District, adjacent to the National Palace Museum and Yangmingshan, and is Taiwan's first park themed around indigenous culture. The grounds are defined by wide grassy expanses, a lake and rows of bald cypresses that turn golden and orange-red in autumn and winter, with the trees mirrored on the lake surface to create picture-perfect scenes that make it a popular photo spot. The park is free and open 24 hours year-round, ideal for strolling, hiking, picnicking and appreciating indigenous art sculptures, and it can be paired with a visit to the National Palace Museum and nearby attractions.

Sulfur Valley (Diregu) is in Taipei's Beitou District and is one of the sources of Beitou's hot springs, covering about 3,500 square meters. It is famous as one of only two qinghuang springs in the world, with weakly acidic water that takes on a dreamy blue hue and is wrapped in white mist year-round, almost like a fairyland. A lakeside loop trail runs through the grounds and takes about 10-15 minutes to complete, with steaming views, plus hand-soaking pools and love-seat benches for visitors to enjoy. Admission is free and transport is convenient, suited for half-day or full-day nature and cultural experiences.

Beitou Sulfur Valley Park is in Taipei's Beitou District, a natural landscape park famous for sulfur steam and a blue-hued lake. After reopening in July 2022, the park added a full loop trail around the lake that can be completed in about half an hour, with stops including a hand-soaking experience, love seats, the Witch Stone waterfall and other check-in points, plus the comfort of natural steam SPA. The site is ticket-free and open year-round, ideal for travelers who love outdoor walking, natural landscapes and hot-spring culture.

Da'an Forest Park is in Taipei's Da'an District, covering about 26 hectares and serving as the city's green lung. The grounds offer forest trails, lakeside paths, a children's play area, an open-air music stage and an ecological pond, with cherry, azalea and hydrangea blooms unfolding across the seasons. It is reachable via MRT Da'an Forest Park Station, with an underground paid parking lot, suited for family outings, walks, picnics and leisure sports, and the entire park is open free of charge.

Xiaoyintan Waterfall is inside Yangmingshan Park, beside the famous Yangmingshan Floral Clock fountain, a natural landscape known for its milky-white water. The trail is gentle, with a round trip from the entrance of about 15 minutes, suited for relaxed family hikes. The water is rich in sulfur, taking on a milky or Tiffany-blue dreamy hue, surrounded by dense green trees for a cool retreat in summer. A paid parking lot sits near the entrance and the site is also reachable by bus. Admission is completely free, making it a hidden gem of the Yangmingshan area not to be missed.