Try to Spot the Monkeys at Tianmu Historic Trail

It’s crazy to imagine that there are actual monkeys living in a city like Taipei, but that’s precisely what makes Tianmu Historic Trail so popular with hikers. Located near the foothills of Yangminshan in the expat hub of Tianmu, the Tianmu Historic Trail is home to a modest population of monkeys that are, in theory, possible to spot while hiking. We say in theory because — full disclaimer — we did not see monkeys on our hike. We did, however, come across a number of signs warning us about the monkeys, and have spoken to multiple people who have seen them in the past. From this, and a good amount of research, we think we were both unlucky and went at the wrong time: we’ll try to guide you better than we did ourselves, but be warned — there’s no guarantee you’ll see them either.

The first part of the hike is rather boring and almost guaranteed to be uneventful. It’s good exercise due to — you guessed it — stairs, stairs, and more stairs, but there are no monkeys to be found here, just the back of a few houses and a climb through the forest. We have since read a few blogs that recommend skipping this part and starting from the back of the trail to save time. It’s up to you — if you want to get some exercise, it’s a decent walk.

Follow the stairs up until you see an area with a small pond. Then, continue up the next set of stairs.

Keep climbing until you come to a rest area at the top. There is a shaded area to sit down in, as well as drinking water. This is also the start of the monkey-inhabited area.

Before you go any further, pay close attention to the signs warning you about the monkeys. Under no circumstances should you feed, disturb, or contact the monkeys in any way. There are a great number of signs reminding you of this through the hike, which suggests that the Taipei government takes this matter very seriously. Also, if you have ever interacted with monkeys in any way, you should know that this is basic common sense and you really don’t want to engage with them anyway.

At this stage, the path evens out to be flat and pleasantly shaded, with a nice breeze to cool you down after the Armageddon of stairs that you just endured. It is very well maintained, and popular with older hikers.

The path leads through the forest where the monkeys live, but there is absolutely no guarantee that you will encounter them in any way. These monkeys — Formosan rock macaques — are the only native species of monkey in Taiwan and usually measure around 50-60cm. They are pretty rare in Northen Taiwan, so Tianmu Old Trail is probably the easiest way for you to see them in the wild.

That being said, you still have to be pretty lucky to encounter them. We learned too late that the monkeys are active on this path only at dusk, as the sun has begun to set. Many people report seeing them around 4-6PM, depending on the time of year, so if you plan on hiking this trail to see them, you have to go at that time.

Stay on the path and follow the signs for Chinese Cultural University, where the hike ends. The university is on Yangminshan, and buses can be notoriously packed on the way back into Taipei. Many other blogs would recommend, therefore, that you tackle the trail from the opposite way: first, make your way to the Chinese Cultural University, and then follow the path back down into Tianmu. You won’t get as much exercise, but you also won’t have to deal with the never-ending stairs and the chaos of Yangminshan buses.

This final section of Tianmu Old Trail is pretty nice, with its shady, flat path through the forest and occasional scenic parts, but we don’t particularly recommend that you come all of this way if you aren’t there for the monkeys. There are plenty of nicer hikes in the Taipei area, and in our opinion, this one is too much effort for too little return. Still, the idea of monkeys is an enticing one, and we can’t blame you making the trek with high hopes. Let us know if you’re successful!

What’s the vibe?

The first part of the hike is pretty dull, but the section that is home to monkeys is quite nice. There are lots of older people strolling on weekdays.

Worth it?

Hmm. We didn’t love the hike itself, but the fact that you can see monkeys there makes it pretty special.

Would you go again?

We actually did this hike a while ago and have refrained from posting about it in case we did go back and see the monkeys after all. We didn’t.

Tianmu Historic Trail

Chinese Name: 天母古道親山步道

Hours: Open 24/7

English Address: No. 225-1, Section 7, Zhongshan North Road, Shilin District, Taipei City

Chinese Address: 台北市士林區中山北路七段225-1號