Whereas biking round Taipei, I couldn’t assist however marvel at how wonderful and secure the entire biking infrastructure was. Proper in the course of the busy metropolis, we may pedal for miles and miles alongside riversides flanked by lush greens and mangroves and scenic pure views.
The bike lanes weaved seamlessly by way of city parks and gardens shielded from the primary highways the place motorized automobiles cross and have been set aside from bike lanes with correct cement obstacles, timber, or are positioned on elevated cycle lanes and bridges over busy highways. Alongside the routes we took, there have been quite a few relaxation stops with water stations, public bike restore amenities, merchandising machines, clear restrooms, and bike parking areas.
Whereas I’ve been to Taiwan just a few occasions earlier than and loved the comfort of their extremely environment friendly practice community for sightseeing, going round by bicycles for 3 days put an energetic spin on our trip and allowed us to expertise the town in another way.
ICYMI, Taiwan has prolonged its visa-free entry for Filipino vacationers till July 2024, so it’s much less of a trouble to plan fast journeys right here in contrast another different bike-friendly nations. It felt very chill going round right here, and the final vibe didn’t really feel as hectic or quick paced as another cities.
In case you’re considering biking round Taipei for sightseeing on quick journeys, right here’s an in depth information of the place you possibly can hire bikes, doable biking routes, guided bike excursions, bike-friendly locations to remain and eat, and a few common journey ideas primarily based on our expertise biking there in August 2023.
The place to hire bikes in Taipei
You may hire bikes to get round from any of the quite a few YouBike stations docked throughout Taipei. This public bike share system offers locals and vacationers a straightforward technique to get round together with the higher public transport system.
Nevertheless, utilizing one requires an EasyCard, iPass Card or bank card and a few organising. You’ll get charged each minute you utilize the bikes and have to discover a correct dock to park to finish the journey, so that is higher for many who wish to do quick bike rides in between main hubs from point-to-point and never entire day bike journeys.
You can even discover conventional bikes for hire in lots of riverside stations alongside the biking routes together with Dadaocheng Pier Plaza close to the Yanping Riverside Park with different-sized bikes for the entire household that are good for informal biking by the riverside.
Since we wished to make use of bikes for a number of days and longer rides, we opted to hire bikes from Taipei Bike Works, a store within the Datong district which is a fast journey away from the riverside biking routes. The store affords bike excursions together with each day, 2-day, 3-day, and weekly bike leases beginning at NTD$400 a day. Their fleet of bikes are well-maintained, and so they supply every part from metropolis to highway bikes, together with helmets, instruments, spare tires, and a pump.
We opted for his or her Merida Explorers, enjoyable and comfy rides, which prices $600 a day or $1500 for 3 days. This touring bicycle has a cushty seat, hydraulic disc brakes, and 21 or 27 gears. The store workers and house owners are very pleasant and useful and may give you recommendation on totally different biking routes.
Prime sights round Taipei
- Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Corridor
- Longshan Temple
- Nationwide Palace Museum
- Yangmingshan Nationwide Park
- Taipei 101
- Taipei Zoo
- Daan Forest Park
- Huashan 1914 Inventive Park
- Ximending (the occasions Sq. of Taipei)
Apart from the same old spots round Taipei, fashionable day journeys embrace Yehliu Geopark and Jiufen. Listed here are different issues you are able to do
READ MORE: 10 issues to do in Taipei, Taiwan
Doable biking routes
One of the best factor about going round on bikes is you possibly can plan your personal itinerary or simply bike round with no actual route and nonetheless discover hidden gems. In truth, you possibly can bike across the total island of Taiwan by way of protected bike lanes.
Taiwan Cycle Route No.1 is a 968 km bicycle route across the total island of Taiwan clearly marked with highway indicators and highway markings. This usually takes 9-12 days to finish, with rides lasting roughly 70-100 kms on a regular basis.
One other urged full-day bike route across the metropolis is to comply with the “Taipei: Biking Circle Journey” which takes you to 12 places alongside the complete riverside bicycle path community, the place you possibly can check-in at key landmarks just like the Crusing boat at Dadaocheng Wharf, Dajia Amusement Park and LOVE Rainbow Bridge. This journey is about 66 kilometers.
Taipei Bike Works additionally affords 4-hour (15 km) and 8-hour (35 km) guided bike excursions to key landmarks across the metropolis in order for you the professional providers of a neighborhood information. Your rides actually rely on how a lot free time you’ve got and what locations you actually wish to go to alongside the way in which.
Our bike itinerary
I’ll write extra about our particular rides in additional detailed travelogue posts however right here’s a fast rundown of a number of the bike highlights from our current journey.
Day 1: Dihua space + Shilin Night time Market
It may be difficult to bike in Taiwan throughout summer time months as it could possibly get extremely popular through the day and there’s a excessive likelihood of heavy rains through the afternoons, which we skilled proper after securing our rental bikes.
Because it rained all afternoon, we simply chilled out across the Dihua Historic Avenue space. This Nineteenth-century riverside buying and selling hub for herbs, medicines, dried items, materials, teas, and different merchandise has plenty of attention-grabbing cafes and eating places.
When the climate cleared up, we took the riverside route to go to Shilin Night time Market, the most important and most well-known night time market in Taipei, the place you possibly can get pleasure from well-known avenue meals.
Day 2: Tamsui Fisherman’s Wharf
The principle spotlight of our journey was our 50+ km journey from our lodge to Tamsui Fisherman’s Wharf and again.
The scenic riverside routes passes by way of some little cafes, bridges over the Keelung River and different iconic spots for bikers. Simply biking there’s already a deal with and you’ll get pleasure from eating by the seaside in lots of areas. There’s a Starbucks by the Riverside that’s fashionable with bikers.
We discovered a seafood restaurant out there space, that served nice oysters, scallops, shirmp, grilled salmon and mackerel rice meals and chilly drinks at inexpensive costs.
On the way in which again, we crossed the Guandu Bridge to take a look at the opposite aspect of the riverside, and handed an extended elevated bike bridge proper over the expressway. We crossed again through the Taipei Bridge to get to Yanping Riverside Park. We took a break again on the lodge earlier than returning to the bike-friendly space for dinner and drinks later that night time.
Day 3: Treasure Hill Artist Village + metropolis landmarks
On our third day of biking round Taipei, we headed South from the riverside to take a look at Treasure Hill Artist Village, an artists enclave with an historical temple and a few mountainside cafes and ateliers.
We discovered this cozy cafe referred to as 3 Cats Membership that served scrumptious Beef Shank Noodle Soup and Taiwanese Egg Rolls.
We additionally stopped by the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Corridor for the requisite picture ops with some stops on the Guting Bike Observatory and Hakka Cultural Park alongside the way in which.
On the way in which to Longshan Temple, we additionally noticed the Bopiliao Historic District, a row of outdated retailers and galleries. Then it was again to the riverside and sundown drinks once more at Dadaocheng Pier earlier than returning the bikes to the store earlier than they closed.
The place to remain
Whereas in Taipei, we stayed in Queen Lodge II, a brand new lodge on the 4th flooring of an outdated constructing within the Datong district. We picked this lodge primarily as a result of it’s only a 5-minute stroll from the bike rental store and about an 8-minute stroll from the Taipei Important station which fits on to the airport.
From the skin, you wouldn’t suppose the constructing would have a lodge as a result of the bottom flooring is filled with outdated shophouse stalls for antiques and toys (paying homage to Greenhills retailers), however the rooms are very fashionable and clear and AC was nice. Bikes can match within the elevator. The lodge workers have been all very pleasant and useful. Since we borrowed bikes for just a few days, they allow us to park bikes within the hallway the place they stored laundry and cleansing provides at night time. We simply locked up bikes within the floor flooring through the day.
The lodge additionally affords free water, espresso, milk tea, an out of doors solar terrace, has good WiFi, affords baggage storage and has a clear restroom the place you possibly can clean up earlier than or after try. Rooms don’t include breakfast, however you possibly can simply purchase meals from Household Mart or 7-11 throughout the road. There’s additionally a grocery proper beside the lodge.
Charges fluctuate relying the dates of your keep and once you e-book, however rooms begin about P2,500 an evening.
E-book rooms through Agoda right here.
Listed here are another lodges round Taiwan identified for being bike-friendly as really useful by TravelinTaiwan.web :
What to deliver
It may get extremely popular and humid and wet biking throughout summer time months. Deliver breathable biking put on and arm sleeves for biking in addition to ponchos or windbreakers in case it rains. Water tumblers are a should. You may refill water in lots of free ingesting stations.
Helmets are offered (however more often than not not required for the safe riverside areas). Deliver bike lights and blinkers for biking at night time. Most locations are well-lit although so it’s probably not wanted. Deliver a powerbank since taking pictures/movies and navigation can drain telephones shortly.
Journey ideas and helpful data
- We realized that the night time markets should not as bike-friendly as another areas as a result of they get crowded and it’s onerous to search out parking close by if you wish to eat. Apparently, new guidelines set in place in 2017 prohibit bicycles from being parked in scooter areas as we came upon once we have been turned away from the Shilin night time market.
- Should you plan to go to Ximending or Shilin at night time, I like to recommend you are taking the practice as a substitute and stroll.
- Should you’re renting bikes from Taipei Bike Works, get the bikes the day earlier than you intend to bike. Their store opens at 1:00 pm, so you will get bikes the night time earlier than round 7:00 -8:00 pm to maximise biking within the mornings when it’s not too scorching.
- One of the best time to bike in Taipei is early morning to round 10 am and afternoons from 3:00 pm onwards to nighttime.
- Remember to examine the climate forecast earlier than your journey and put together accordingly.
- Be ready to bike within the rain with ponchos and waterproof luggage on your devices and passport.
- Most retailers settle for credit score and debit playing cards extensively and it’s very simple to withdraw cash from ATMs from comfort shops in case you run out of money. But it surely’s good to have small payments and cash for the road meals and merchandising machines.
- Bicycle theft shouldn’t be widespread in Taiwan. Most cyclists don’t even trouble locking up their bikes throughout quick breaks.
I’ll be sharing extra articles about our Taiwan journey quickly. Try my different social media accounts for updates.
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