Taichung in 3 days

Taiwan's mildest big city: bubble tea's birthplace, night markets and Sun Moon Lake. Best time to visit: October-April. Average daily budget: $35 to $95 USD.

Day 1, Get oriented

Base: West District, Calligraphy Greenway, Shen Ji New Village, galleries and the best cafes.

Morning: Miyahara. A Japanese-era eye hospital turned Hogwarts-like ice-cream and pineapple-cake emporium.

Afternoon: Explore West District, Calligraphy Greenway, Shen Ji New Village, galleries and the best cafes.

Evening: Fengjia Night Market. Taiwan's biggest night market, a few hundred stalls of street food.

Eat: Bubble tea from Chun Shui Tang, where it was invented

Day 2, Go deeper

Base: Central District, The old town: Miyahara, Taichung Park and the historic railway station.

Morning: Sun Moon Lake day trip. Taiwan's largest lake, with a cycle path, ropeway and temples.

Afternoon: Explore Central District, The old town: Miyahara, Taichung Park and the historic railway station.

Evening: Gaomei Wetlands. A boardwalk over tidal flats with wind turbines and a famous sunset.

Eat: Sun cakes, Taichung's flaky maltose pastry

Day 3, Hidden side

Base: Fengjia, Student area around Taiwan's largest night market.

Morning: Shen Ji New Village, old civil-servant housing reborn as design studios.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Afternoon: Explore Fengjia, Student area around Taiwan's largest night market.

Evening: Rainbow Village, a veteran's painted settlement, small but startling.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Eat: Beef noodle soup and stinky tofu at Fengjia

Hidden gems

Shen Ji New Village, old civil-servant housing reborn as design studios.
Rainbow Village, a veteran's painted settlement, small but startling.
Zhongshe Flower Market for seasonal fields and photo sets.
Dakeng trail no. 4, a steep wooden-log hike on the city's edge.

Getting around

High-speed rail from Taipei takes about an hour to HSR Taichung station, then a free shuttle or the green-line metro into town. The single metro line plus frequent buses covers most of the city, and EasyCard taps work on everything with the first 10km of bus travel free. Scooter and bike rental are easy, and Sun Moon Lake is a two-hour bus from Gancheng station.

Safety

Taiwan is very safe and Taichung is no exception; the main hazards are traffic and scooters at junctions, so cross carefully. Typhoons can hit between July and October, closing mountain roads to Alishan and Sun Moon Lake. Summer heat and humidity are heavy, so plan outdoor time for morning or evening. Tap water is best boiled or filtered, which every hotel provides.

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