128 sunset spots across Taiwan · photos and ratings from someone who went · how to get there and back
I have been to all 58 sunset spots on this site around Taipei. This list ranks them on the view score I gave each one standing there (10 is the top); where two tie, fewer crowds and an easier trip home win. The scales: crowds 1 is emptiest, hike 0 is no hike, back 1 is the easiest trip home.
Best view: Mt. Shiti · Quietest: Bali Fishing Pier Beach · Easiest trip home: Rainbow Bridge
石梯嶺 · Taipei · Sunset hike
This is one that I don’t see on Top 10 lists, but one of the best sunsets I’ve ever seen in the Taipei area was from here.
Getting there: Qingtiangang: last bus S15 (小15) at 16:20 weekdays
八里漁船碼頭沙灘 · New Taipei · No hike
A secret spot in Bali across from Tamsui Fisherman’s Wharf, this little beach, only accessible by bike/scooter or walking, offers secluded views of gorgeous sunsets.
Getting there: Shihsanhang Cultural Park: last R13 bus at 21:00 weekdays, 21:10 weekends
貓空 · Taipei · No hike
Southeast of downtown Taipei, Maokong is an area up in the mountains famous for its tea, gondola, and panoramic views of Taipei in the distance. From atop Maokong, you can go to a few different places to get a good sunset.
Getting there: Maokong Station (Gondola): last gondola at 21:00 weekdays/22:00 weekends to Taipei Zoo
大稻埕碼頭廣場 · Taipei · No hike
One of the best places to go for riverside sunset photography in Taipei is Dadaocheng. This place has it all – traditional shops on Dihua Street, boats, lights, and everything a pier has to offer.
Getting there: Beimen Station: last Green Line train at 00:41 towards Songshan
沙崙海水浴場 · New Taipei · No hike
Located up in Tamsui within walking distance of Fisherman’s Wharf, Shalun Beach provides a wonderful angle of the sunset over the ocean.
Getting there: LRT Shalun Station: last light rail train at 00:06
淡水漁人碼頭 · New Taipei · No hike
I have fond memories of this place because I lived near Beitou when I first moved to Taipei, and it wasn’t too hard to get to Tamsui.
Getting there: LRT Fisherman’s Wharf Station: last light rail train at 00:03
彩虹橋 · Taipei · No hike
One of the great things about living in Taipei is its hundreds of kilometers of riverside parks, which offer something for people of all ages. In addition, from select spots, they provide fantastic viewing for riverside sunsets.
Getting there: MRT Songshan Station: last Green Line train at 00:00
觀山河濱公園 · Taipei · No hike
Guanshan is a huge riverside park area in between Meiti and Rainbow Bridge. It certainly has no shortage of vistas and angles to view the sun.
Getting there: Tayou Exit: last 262 bus at 21:30
美堤河濱公園 · Taipei · No hike
I’m a big fan of Taipei’s riverside parks. One of the best of these in which to see a sunset is Meiti. Situated at the crossroads of Zhongshan, Neihu, and Songshan, Meiti is a huge park offering plenty of space for many activities.
Getting there: Dazhi Meiti Garden 3: last bus R3 at 23:00
金面山/剪刀石山 · Taipei · Sunset hike
With its stony peaks that you can traverse with ropes, Jinmianshan is a popular trail for people wanting to experience a rugged hiking trail that’s less dangerous and easier to climb up than many other roped rocky trails on the island.
Getting there: Takming University of Science and Technology (Huanshan): last bus BL20 at 22:00
基隆山 · New Taipei · Sunset hike
In Ruifang you’ll find one of the most popular tourist spots in all of Taiwan, Jiufen. But just a few minutes’ walk from the historical Jiufen Old Street is the entrance to the Keelung Mountain Trail.
Getting there: Geding: last 965 bus at 21:00
石碇千島湖/鱷魚島 · New Taipei · Easy walk
Located in Shiding, Thousand Island Lake (no, there are not a thousand islands) offers absolutely stunning scenery at any time. Crocodile Island is connected – it’s a formation in the water that resembles a crocodile (maybe two?).
Getting there: Xiaogetou: last bus G12 (綠12) at 19:15
外木山風景區 · Keelung · No hike
A favorite among Keelung locals because of its swimming area, wide vista of the ocean, and nearby food choices, Waimushan is a great spot to check out for a northern Taiwan sunset.
Getting there: Zhongshan Senior High School: last 302 bus at 23:20
大屯山觀景台 · Taipei · Sunset hike
From Datunshan (Datun Mountain), you can see one of the most beautiful sunsets near the Taipei area, with both mountain and ocean panoramas in view.
Getting there: Saddle Station: last bus 108 at 17:30
福州山公園 · Taipei · Sunset hike
This is like the sister of Elephant Mountain in that it requires a short simple hike and gives an excellent view of Xinyi and Taipei 101, except it’s from the opposite angle and is usually much less crowded than the former.
Getting there: MRT Linguang Station: last Brown Line train at 00:10 towards Nangang Exhibition Center
Elephant Mountain is the Taipei classic, and worth doing if you have not been. But I rate the view 5 and the crowds 9 out of 10, which puts it at number 25 around Taipei. The full Elephant Mountain guide →
The list says where the view is best. The app says whether tonight’s sky is worth the trip, scoring every spot from the forecast at its own sunset hour.
All 58 Taipei spots, sortable by view, crowds, hike and trip home → · Sunset time in Taipei today →
Sunset Chasing Taiwan