Best Photography Spots in Taipei, Taiwan
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- By: Peter Orsel
Taipei is a dream destination for travel photographers. I fell in love with it the moment I arrived, and it’s easy to see why. The kindness of the people, the food, the nature just outside the city, and how safe it feels at every hour, all of it makes Taiwan one of the more underrated places for photography in Asia. In this blog, I’ll take you with me to show you the best photography spots of Taipei, and a couple just outside it.
In This Post
The best time to visit Taiwan
Before you plan your trip to Taiwan, you probably want to know the best time of year to go. I personally love the climate of Taiwan. It’s never too cold, but it can get rainy at times. In terms of temperature, the best window is between October and April. Summer months can get hot, humid, and rainy, which makes it tougher for both comfort and photography (haze rolls in fast on humid days). I visited in February myself, and it’s a great option if you’re used to a European climate.
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Where to stay in Taipei?
There’s a good spread of options here for every budget. If you’re a solo traveler like me and all you need is some sleep, a hostel is a great shout. If you’re a couple, a private room makes sense. And if you’ve got something to celebrate or a bit more to spend, that’s possible too.
Here are some recommendations, all found on Booking.com:
– Star Hostel Taipei Main Station – Around $29 for a bunk bed, including breakfast.
– Chez Nous Taipei – Around $108 for a private room, including breakfast.
– Grand Mayfull Taipei – Around $200 for a private room in a fancy 5 star hotel.
Can I fly a drone in Taiwan?
As I’m very passionate about drone photography, I always check drone laws before entering a country. My drone got confiscated once in Morocco, and that’s a hassle you want to avoid. I brought my drone to Taiwan and flew it at a couple of the spots below without any issues. If you’re ever unsure about local drone laws, I use drone-laws.com to check before I travel.
How to travel around in Taiwan?
During my time in Taiwan, I mostly used public transportation. The trains are high standard and fast, exactly what you’d expect from a country like Taiwan.
Another option is renting a car, which gives you the flexibility to go wherever, whenever. For Taipei and its immediate surroundings, public transportation is honestly the easier choice. Once you head toward the national parks, a car makes more sense. Hualien especially is a region I’d love to explore by car next time.
Whenever I rent a car, I use Rentalcars, there’s always a wide range of cars and suppliers with flexible cancellation options.
Elephant Mountain
The first spot to highlight is the one most people are already looking for: Elephant Mountain. It takes about 20 minutes of climbing stairs, and rewards you with the best skyline and sunset view of Taipei, Taipei 101 included. Out of everywhere I shot in the city, this is where I’d suggest you to see the sunset at least once.
Gear Tip
A wide-angle lens (16-35mm range) works best if you want the full skyline in frame, with Taipei 101 as part of the whole scene.
If you have a 70-200mm with you, use it too: the compression stacks the tower right up against the buildings around it, which is exactly what shows how much taller Taipei 101 actually is compared to everything surrounding it. I shot both from up here, and they tell a different story.
Crowd Tip
If the main viewing rocks are packed, most of that crowd sticks to the first lookout point. Keep climbing a little further along the trail and you’ll find quieter spots with a nearly identical view.
How to get to Elephant Mountain?
To get to Elephant Mountain, public transportation is easiest. Take the MRT Red Line to Xiangshan Station, the last stop on the line, and take Exit 2. From there it’s about a 10-minute walk to the trailhead. Head to this spot and start climbing the stairs from there.
Taipei 101
Taipei 101 is a household name at this point, once the tallest building in the world from 2004 to 2010, still dominating the skyline at 508 meters (1,667 feet) tall across 101 floors. It made international headlines again in 2026, when Alex Honnold climbed the tower without any safety equipment, live on Netflix.
You can visit the tower yourself too, and there are two ways to do it. The Observatory Deck gets you the indoor viewing floors (88F and 89F) plus the outdoor deck on 91F, more than enough if you just want the view. If you want the closest thing to what Honnold did, minus the risk, the Skyline 460 Cloud Walk takes you further up, tethered and guided, onto the true roof of the building on the 101st floor itself.
You can’t miss the tower from Elephant Mountain, but it’s just as impressive shot from street level within the city. A famous spot to capture it is this little street. The best time to shoot it is right after sunset during blue hour, or in the early hours of the night. Bring a tripod, or use the available benches and low walls to get a sharp long exposure.
Gear Tip
A wide-angle lens (16-35mm range) is what you want from street level, the tower is tall enough that anything longer forces you to back up further than the little street actually allows. If you want to isolate just the top and the spire against the night sky instead, switch to something longer, in the 70-200mm range.
If you go up yourself, whether that’s the Observatory Deck or Skyline 460, bring that 70-200mm with you too. From the top, it’s the lens that lets you pick out details in the city below, streets, rooftops, other buildings, instead of just a wide, flat overview.
How to get to the Taipei 101
Take the MRT Red Line to Taipei 101 / World Trade Center Station and use Exit 4, which puts you right at the base of the tower. It’s also just one stop from Xiangshan Station, so it’s easy to combine with Elephant Mountain in the same evening, shoot the skyline from up top first, then come down for the street-level shot once it’s dark.
Scooter Waterfall
Many photographers line up during the early morning hours to capture what’s known as the Scooter Waterfall: during rush hour, hundreds of scooters stream down from Taipei Bridge into the city below. I haven’t shot this one myself, but it’s one of Taipei’s most recognizable photography spots, so it deserves a place in this guide.
Gear Tip
The shot is taken from a pedestrian crossover, camera pointed at the bridge. A 70-200mm or similar telephoto lens gives that compressed look you’ll see in most photos of this spot. Keep your own safety in mind while shooting from the crossover, it gets busy fast during rush hour. And that’s why we’re here after all.
How to get there
Take the MRT Orange Line (Zhonghe-Xinlu Line) to Daqiaotou Station and take Exit D3. Cross Yanping North Road and you’re right at the intersection where the scooters come down off the bridge, navigate here for the exact spot. Rush hour peaks between 7 and 9am, so get there before that window starts if you want the busiest possible shot.
Everything above is within Taipei itself. The next few spots are just outside the city, all doable as day trips.
Zhengbin Port Color Houses, Keelung
Keelung is a city just an hour by train from Taipei. I visited this coastal town to capture the colourful houses and its famous night market. To shoot the houses, take the bus, it’s about 20 minutes from the city center of Keelung. There are a few restaurants and cafes nearby for a relaxed afternoon, and you can walk along the water, though there isn’t much else to do beyond that.
This is one of my favourite photos I’ve ever taken. I went here purely because the houses themselves inspired me, it wasn’t the well-known spot it seems to have become since. It’s currently one of only four prints I have hanging in my own home.
Gear tip
Shoot from across the water in the late afternoon so the houses catch direct light while you avoid your own shadow falling into frame. A mid-range zoom (24-70mm) gives you the flexibility to go from a wide shot of the whole row of houses to tighter crops on individual facades.
How to get to this Keelung Spot?
To get to the exact spot where I took my photo, navigate here. Right after shooting the colourful houses, I’d recommend heading back into Keelung to catch the night market, heading back to Taipei, or continuing on to Jiufen.
Jiufen
Jiufen is one of those little towns you can’t miss, and yet I nearly did. It has exactly the atmosphere you’re chasing when visiting a country like Taiwan. The highlights to capture here are Jiufen Old Street, the Golden Waterfall, and Yinyang Sea. To shoot Old Street without a wall of people in every frame, you need to be there right at opening, before 9am. It fills up fast with tourists after that.
Gear tip
A 35mm or 50mm prime works well in the narrow alleys, wide enough to capture the lanterns and signage, tight enough to isolate details without a cluttered background.
How to get to Jiufen?
The easiest way is the direct bus: take the MRT to Zhongxiao Fuxing Station, Exit 2, and catch bus 1062 (it stops right in front of the SOGO department store). It drops you at Jiufen Old Street, no transfers needed.
If you’d rather take the train, ride it from Taipei Main Station to Ruifang Station (30-50 minutes depending on the train), then walk about 200 meters to the bus stop next to the police station and hop on bus 788 or 827 for the last 15-20 minutes to Jiufen.
No car and don’t want to figure out buses and transfers? Book this tour instead, it covers Yehliu, Jiufen, and Shifen all in a single day.
FAQ about the best Photo Spots of Taipei
These are the best photography spots of Taipei! If you’ve got more time, head to Hualien or Taichung. Especially Taroko National Park and Sun Moon Lake are beautiful destinations for photography. Any spots missing? Let me know below!
Is Taipei good for photography?
Yes, and it’s more varied than most people expect. Within an hour of the city you’ve got skyline views, colourful port towns, mountain villages, and coastline, all without needing to change your base.
Do I need a permit to shoot at Taipei 101?
No permit is needed to photograph the tower from public streets or viewpoints like Elephant Mountain. If you want to shoot from inside the observation deck, that’s covered by your regular admission ticket.
What's the best time of day for Elephant Mountain?
Sunset, without question. Arrive at least 45 minutes before to claim a good spot on the rocks, especially on weekends.
Where's the best spot to see sunset in Taipei?
Elephant Mountain, hands down. It gives you the full skyline with Taipei 101 in frame, and it’s the spot most photographers and locals head to when the sky starts turning.
Where can I get good pictures of Taipei 101?
The street mentioned above under “Taipei 101” is the classic ground-level shot, but Elephant Mountain gives you the tower as part of the full skyline. For something different, the observation deck itself lets you shoot the city from the top down.
Can I fly a drone in Taipei?
I wouldn’t recommend it within the city itself, though it is accepted around Elephant Mountain. Always check local regulations and laws before you go.
About Me
Peter Orsel is a Dutch travel photographer based in Bali, specialized in drone and landscape photography. He has visited over 40 countries and writes detailed, no-nonsense guides based on firsthand experience.
2 Responses
I’m going to Taipei on Monday. I will check out the Elephant Mountain for sure. Thanks.
Hope you had a great trip, thanks for the reply!