Panoramic Views of Taipei at Jiantan Mountain Trail

November 6, 2018 Taipei Expat

The most popular hikes in Taipei — such as Elephant Mountain and Tiger Mountain — are on the Four Beasts Mountain Trail Systems, and are well-known for their great views of Taipei. This trail, however, starts near the Grand Hotel and Shilin Night Market and offers a spectacular, sweeping view of Taipei that are seriously worth a visit.

Jiantan Mountain Trail is located almost directly across from exit 2 of Jiantan MRT Station — you know you’re on the right track when you see this big gate. The trail starts here: just follow the stairs up. Since the path branches off in a few places, we found it helpful to follow our progress with Google Maps, but there is also a map right at the beginning of the trail (next to the gate) that shows where the viewpoints are located. If you stick with the hike, you can actually make it all the way to Neihu.

Since you’re in Taiwan, prepare for a significant number of stairs. The trail is leafy and shaded, but this can get pretty hot during the warmer months. You’ve been warned.

You will reach the first scenic point pretty quickly, in around 15 minutes if you are relatively fit. In our opinion, this was the best lookout point, and there was no need to advance further in the hike unless you really wanted to. Still, the hike is nice enough, so it’s your call whether or not you choose to go further.

At some point, the hike will become a mixture of stairs and paths, which is a nice break from the relentless onslaught of stairs that is so frequent on Taiwanese hikes.

The second scenic point offers a view in the other direction, which is beautiful despite not having the landmarks of Taipei 101 and Songshan airport. This is a nice resting area, which locals make use of to hold KTV parties and picnics.

It’s nice to see little bits of the city peek out from behind the trees, and on a clear day, you can actually see quite a bit of Taipei. Word of warning, however: if it is not a clear day, don’t bother with this hike. You’ll barely see anything.

This hike isn’t the most beautiful we’ve been on in Taipei, but it’s a lovely gentle climb that is perfectly enjoyable. It wasn’t as crowded as Elephant Mountain, and even though there were plenty of people on the same hike as us, we never had to wait to take a photo. It’s nice to find a little piece of nature within the city limits, and it’s kind of cool to start off in Shilin and have the option to walk all the way to Neihu.

If you do choose to walk all the way, you’ll spend another 30 – 45 minutes along mostly flat paths shrouded in trees. There are a few decent views scattered along this stretch but none as good as the first, and no designated lookout points. Eventually, the trail starts to wind down the opposite side of the mountain and culminates at Jiannan Road MRT station. It’s easy enough to find your way — just follow the signs!

Overall, we think this is a great gentle hike with a very rewarding view as early as 15 minutes in. If it’s a nice, sunny day and you think you can muster a walk, then we strongly encourage you to check it out. And who knows — maybe you’ll like it more than Elephant Mountain. At least it’s not as crowded!