Taiwan · 23 October 2025

Days 20 & 21: Final Explorations in Taipei

A rainy hike up Elephant Mountain for misty views of Taipei 101, the Jadeite Cabbage at the National Palace Museum and the Songshan Cultural Park.

We gave our last two days to more of Taipei’s sights. A wet climb up Elephant Mountain rewarded us with a moody, misty view of Taipei 101. The trail starts near Xiangshan MRT station, at the end of the red line, and it’s steep and almost all steps up to 183 metres.

The National Palace Museum was a quieter visit among the old imperial collections, including the famous Jadeite Cabbage. We also fitted in the Songshan Cultural Park, which was a good way to finish. It was built in 1937 as a tobacco factory, and its grounds are now home to shops and galleries.

Good to know

  • Elephant Mountain: the trail starts near Xiangshan MRT station, at the end of the red line. It’s steep and almost all steps, up to 183 metres. Taipei Travel
  • National Palace Museum: open Tuesday to Sunday, 9am to 5pm, and closed on Mondays. Adult tickets are NT$350. The Jadeite Cabbage goes to the museum’s southern branch in Chiayi from 8 December 2026 to 7 March 2027, so check where it is if you want to see it. National Palace Museum
  • Songshan Cultural and Creative Park: it was built in 1937 as a tobacco factory. The grounds are free to wander, and each shop and gallery keeps its own hours. Songshan Cultural Park

We checked these times and prices in October 2026. They do change, so it's worth a quick look at the official sites before you go.

See it on film

Most of our trips have a film on YouTube, from puffins on Skomer to the Drake Passage.

Watch our films on YouTube