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Voykit pocket guide · Taiwan
Taitung
臺東
Give Taitung 2–3 nights: one day for the city and its coast parks, one for the East Rift Valley or Green Island. Skip it on a 5-night Taiwan trip.
Taitung sits on a small plain between mountains and sea at the south end of the East Rift Valley, 3–4 hours by train from Taipei and about 2 hours from Kaohsiung. The city itself is compact and walkable, but the reasons to come — rice valleys, hot springs, Indigenous culture, Green Island — are spread across the county, so a car, scooter or tour is the practical way to see them. It is one of Taiwan's safest and most relaxed cities, and one of the least English-speaking.
- Country
- Taiwan
- Local name
- 臺東
- Best months
- Oct–May
- Avoid
- Jul–Sep (typhoon season), Chinese New Year (prices double)
- Stay
- 2–3 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- TWD
- Money
- Night markets, breakfast shops and many small restaurants take cash only; carry NT$1,000–2,000 in small notes.
- Daily spend
- Budget NT$1,200–2,000 excl. bed · Mid NT$2,000–3,500 excl. bed · High NT$3,500+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Mobile and FarEasTone sell tourist SIMs and eSIMs at TPE and KHH arrivals; a passport plus a second photo ID is required (check).
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Fire and ambulance 119
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 110 V · 60 Hz · US and Japanese plugs fit; European, UK and Australian plugs need an adapter, and 220 V-only appliances need a converter.
- Tipping
- Restaurants: No tip; a 10% service charge appears in many sit-down places and hotels.; Taxis: No tip; round up if you like.; Hotel porter: Not expected; NT$100 in luxury hotels if you want.; Private guide or driver: Not required; NT$200–500 a day or a meal is a thank-you.
- Water
- Treated at source, but locals boil or filter it. Filtered hot-and-cold dispensers are in stations, hotels and many public buildings; bottles cost NT$20–30.
- Toilets
- Free, clean toilets in every MRT station, convenience stores and department stores; paper goes in the toilet in most new buildings — follow the sign.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee at a local café | NT$80–150 |
| Noodle soup or dumplings | NT$70–180 |
| Aboriginal set meal (per person, group table) | NT$400–700 |
| Beer: draught in a bar / can at a convenience store | NT$120–200 / NT$40–60 |
| Taxi, downtown to Taitung station | NT$250–350 |
| National Museum of Prehistory entry | NT$100 |
| Seashore and Forest Park entry | NT$30 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- TTT · Taitung Airport
- Flights to Taipei, Lanyu and Lyudao; a short walk from Kangle station. Check current schedules.
Typical fares
- Taxi, Taitung station → downtown
- NT$250–350, about 15 min
- Train, Taitung → Chishang
- about NT$100–150, 30–40 min
- Ferry, Fugang → Green Island
- about NT$560 one way, 50 min
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Downtown is small enough to walk. Buses exist but timetables are mostly in Chinese, so for the county you want a rental car or scooter (IDP needed), a taxi, or a day tour. Bicycles rent near the beach and the Forest Park entrance; the city bikeway is a 32-km loop. Taitung station is a bus or taxi ride from the centre.
See and do
Known for
- East Rift Valley rice fields
- Green Island and Orchid Island ferries
- Indigenous (Amis, Puyuma) culture and food
- Zhiben hot springs
- Cycling the coast and rift valley
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Green Island | Ferry from Fugang Fishery Harbor, about 50 min; or a short flight from Taitung Airport | About 1.5–2 h from downtown |
| Chishang | Train north up the East Rift Valley, about 30–40 min | About 1 h |
| Donghe | Train north along the coast, about 40 min | About 1 h |
| Chenggong | Train or coastal Highway 11 north, about 1 h | About 1–1.5 h |
| Dawu | Train south along the coast, about 1 h | About 1–1.5 h |
| Changbin | Coastal Highway 11 north, about 1.5 h by car | About 1.5–2 h |
Sleep
- Downtown / Old Railway Station (Tiehua Rd)
- Walkable core: Railway Art Village, night market, cafés, bus terminal. Best for a first visit without a car.
- Near Taitung Station (Yanwan Rd)
- New station area, 10–15 min by bus or taxi from downtown; car and scooter rentals cluster here.
- Zhiben
- Hot-spring resort area about 20 min south of the city; quieter, better with a car.
- Seashore and Forest Park edge
- Bike-rental spots and the 32-km city bikeway; good for cyclists, thin on restaurants.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | 不好意思bù hǎo yì si |
| Thank you | 謝謝xiè xiè |
| How much is it? | 多少錢？duō shǎo qián |
| Can I pay by card? | 可以刷卡嗎？kě yǐ shuā kǎ ma |
| Where is the toilet? | 廁所在哪裡？cè suǒ zài nǎ lǐ |
| Please take me to this address | 請載我到這個地址qǐng zài wǒ dào zhè ge dì zhǐ |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: A nod or light handshake; 'nǐ hǎo'; avoid: Hugs with new acquaintances
- Handing things: Two hands for cards, gifts and money; avoid: Tossing money on the counter
- Gifts: Fruit or a boxed sweet for hosts; refuse once before accepting; avoid: Clocks, umbrellas, pears and anything in fours — they sound like death or parting
- MRT: Queue at the markings, give up priority seats; avoid: Eating, drinking or chewing gum past the gates
- Temples: Enter right, exit left; one or three sticks of incense; avoid: Stepping on thresholds; pointing at deities
- Home visit: Shoes off; slippers provided; avoid: Writing names in red ink
- Sensitive topics: Follow your host's lead; many people hold a range of views on identity and cross-strait ties; avoid: Assuming everyone thinks the same about China or the ROC's status
Scams and watch-outs
- Taitung station is well outside the centre — budget a bus or taxi on arrival.
- Few people speak English; have addresses written in Chinese.
- Weekend (Fri–Sat) and holiday room rates run 10–30% higher; Chinese New Year can double.
- Typhoons can cancel ferries and flights in Jul–Sep: keep a buffer day.
- Rentals require an international driving permit — check yours before flying.
One of the safest cities in Taiwan. The real risks are traffic, typhoons in Jul–Sep, and the language gap — few people speak English, so carry addresses in Chinese.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Taitung yet. Suggested stay: 2–3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- East Rift Valley rice fields
- Green Island and Orchid Island ferries
- Indigenous (Amis, Puyuma) culture and food
- Zhiben hot springs
- Cycling the coast and rift valley
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Taitung Airport: www.tta.gov.tw/English
- Taiwan Tourism Administration: eng.taiwan.net.tw/
- Wikivoyage: Taitung, revision 5238479 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5238479
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Taitung臺東
請到這個地址
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Taitung; most are in Taipei. The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) in Taipei handles US citizen services.
Few people speak English outside hotels; show Chinese addresses to drivers.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/taitung). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.