Taiwan Express — Self-Launched
8 days · Taiwan
MW Tours charges £1,290
No-markup version: ~£760 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of MW Tours' 8-day "Taiwan Express" loop: Taipei's imperial treasures, Sun Moon Lake and its indigenous village, the old Dutch forts of Tainan, the giant Buddha of Fo Guang Shan, the tropical south coast at Kenting, the wild East Coast, and Kavalan whisky in Yilan — done with Taiwan's excellent (and cheap) HSR, TRA trains and local buses, staying in hostels and guesthouses and booking day trips yourself. Same island, same highlights, roughly a third of the tour price. Costs are approximate per-person estimates based on current budget-traveller rates and assume twin-share/solo-hostel pricing; food and local transport are budgeted at backpacker level (Taiwan street food is outstanding and cheap).
Day-by-day
Arrive Taipei — settle into Ximending
Taipei
Land at Taoyuan Airport and take the Airport MRT into the city (NT$160 / ~£4, 40 mins to Taipei Main Station). Check into a hostel in Ximending or around Taipei Main Station, pick up an EasyCard (悠遊卡) from any MRT station — load ~NT$500 (~£13) and you can tap on buses, MRT and even convenience stores. Spend the evening wander-eating: Ningxia Night Market for oyster omelettes, and a stroll to the Red House in Ximending.
🚌Airport MRT + walk (~£5)
🛏Hostel dorm or private room in Ximending / Taipei Main Station (£14-22)
- →EasyCard pickup
- →Self-guided evening walk: Ximending & Ningxia Night Market
Taipei highlights — Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial & National Palace Museum
Taipei
Do the city-tour day yourself. Start early at Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall (free) for the 06:30 or 08:00 flag-lowering-raising guard ceremony, then take MRT Tamsui–Xinyi Line to Shilin and bus R30/red 30 up to the National Palace Museum (NT$350 / ~£9; book the timed entry online). Allow 3 hours for the jade cabbage and bronzes. Afternoon: Longshan Temple, then Dihua Street for dried goods and tea, finishing the day at Elephant Mountain (Xiangshan) for sunset over Taipei 101 — free and a 20-minute climb.
🚌MRT + local bus, all on EasyCard (~£3)
🛏Hostel in Ximending / Taipei Main Station (£14-22)
- →Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall & honour guard
- →National Palace Museum (NT$350)
- →Longshan Temple & Dihua Street
- →Elephant Mountain sunset hike
Taipei → Sun Moon Lake
Sun Moon Lake
Take the HSR from Taipei to Taichung (~1 hr, NT$700 / ~£18) then the Nantou Bus 6670 through to Sun Moon Lake (~1.5 hrs, NT$190 / ~£5). Check into a lakeside guesthouse in Shuishe or Ita Thao. Spend the afternoon on the ferry loop (NT$300 unlimited hop-on) between Ita Thao Indigenous Village, Wenwu Temple and the Ci En Pagoda trail, with a stop at the Holy Monk Shrine on the lake edge. Finish with a soak — several lakeside hotels sell hot-spring day passes for ~NT$300-500 (~£8-13) if your guesthouse doesn't have a tub.
🚌HSR Taipei–Taichung (~£18) + Nantou Bus (~£5)
🛏Lakeside guesthouse, Shuishe or Ita Thao (£18-28)
- →Ita Thao Indigenous Village
- →Wenwu Temple
- →Holy Monk Shrine
- →Ci En Pagoda
- →Sun Moon Lake ferry loop (NT$300)
- →Hot-spring day pass
Sun Moon Lake → Tainan → Kaohsiung
Tainan / Kaohsiung
Bus back to Taichung HSR, ride to Tainan (~40 mins, NT$340 / ~£9) and store bags at the station. Take bus 2 or 88 to Anping for Fort Zeelandia (NT$50 / ~£1.30) and a walk down Anping Old Street for shrimp rolls and the old wharf. Then bus to Fo Guang Shan Monastery (~40 mins from central Tainan) — free entry, the giant Buddha and museum close at 17:00, so go there by early afternoon. Late afternoon take the TRA local train or HSR from Tainan to Kaohsiung (TRA ~40 mins, NT$106 / ~£2.60; HSR 15 mins, NT$140 / ~£3.60). Overnight near Kaohsiung Main Station or Liuhe Night Market.
🚌HSR Taichung–Tainan (~£9) + local buses (~£3) + Tainan–Kaohsiung train (~£3)
🛏Hostel or budget hotel near Kaohsiung Station (£14-22)
- →Fort Zeelandia
- →Anping Old Street
- →Fo Guang Shan Monastery & Great Buddha
- →Liuhe Night Market
Kaohsiung → Kenting National Park → Taitung
Kenting / Taitung
Early Kenting Express bus 9117 or 9189 from Kaohsiung Zuoying HSR (~2 hrs, NT$360 / ~£9) to the Kenting strip. Rent a scooter (if licensed, ~NT$500/day / ~£13) or use the Kenting Shuttle bus (NT$100-ish) to hit Eluanbi Lighthouse (NT$60, Taiwan's southern tip), Maobitou Scenic Area and Longpan Park's grassland and sea views. In the late afternoon, take the TRA train from Fangliao back up to Taitung (~1.5 hrs, NT$180 / ~£4.70) — bus to Fangliao station first. Overnight in Taitung city near the night market.
🚌Kenting Express bus (~£9) + local shuttles (~£2) + TRA Fangliao–Taitung (~£5)
🛏Guesthouse or hostel in Taitung (£15-24)
- →Kenting National Park
- →Eluanbi Lighthouse
- →Maobitou Scenic Area
- →Longpan Park
- →Taitung night market
East Coast National Scenic Area → Yilan
East Coast / Yilan
Join a small-group or shared East Coast day tour from Taitung (GetYourGuide/Klook, ~£35-45) covering Xiaoyeliu, Sanxiantai's eight-arch bridge, the terraced rock formations at Shitiping, and Jialulan — this is far cheaper and easier than attempting it on the sparse local buses. Tours end at Hualien or Taitung; from Hualien take the TRA Taroko/express train north to Yilan (Luodong or Yilan station, ~1.5-2 hrs, NT$350 / ~£9). Evening soak: Jiaoxi hot-spring area is a 25-minute bus from Yilan — public baths from NT$150.
🚌Shared East Coast day tour transport (~£40 incl. tour) + TRA Hualien–Yilan (~£9)
🛏Guesthouse in Yilan or Jiaoxi (£16-25)
- →Sanxiantai Bridge
- →Shitiping terraced rocks
- →Xiaoyeliu
- →Jiaoxi hot springs
Yilan — Kavalan Distillery & National Centre for Traditional Arts
Yilan
Bus 131 or a local taxi to the King Car Kavalan Whisky Distillery (~NT$150-350 tour/depending on tasting, ~£4-9; call ahead or check the tour times online). Sample the world-beating Kavalan single malts and pick up a bottle — often cheaper than airport duty-free. Afternoon: National Centre for Traditional Arts in Wujie (NT$150 / ~£4) for the folk performances, craft workshops and old street. In the evening take the TRA back to Taipei (~1 hr 20 mins, NT$240 / ~£6) and stay near Taipei Main Station.
🚌Local buses (~£3) + TRA Yilan–Taipei (~£6)
🛏Hostel or budget hotel near Taipei Main Station (£15-24)
- →Kavalan Whisky Distillery tour & tasting
- →National Centre for Traditional Arts (exhibitions, performances, workshops)
Taipei — last morning and depart
Taipei
Squeeze in anything you missed: Songshan Cultural Park, the 44 South Village or a last bao at Fu Hang Soy Milk (arrive by 07:00 to avoid the queue). Take the Airport MRT back to Taoyuan from Taipei Main Station (~£4) for your flight. If you have a late flight, station luggage lockers are NT$50-100 per bag.
🚌Airport MRT (~£4)
🛏—
- →Free morning wandering / Fu Hang Soy Milk
- →Departure
Self-launched vs. MW Tours
| This itinerary (self-launched) | MW Tours | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£760 | £1,290 |
| Duration | 8 days | 8 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £530 per person (41%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more MW Tours-style trips? Check them out here.~£760
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Taiwan Express — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £760 per person for 8 days in Taiwan. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with MW Tours?+
Yes — MW Tours charges around £1,290 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £760 — a saving of roughly £530 (41%) per person.
How long is the Taiwan trip?+
This itinerary runs 8 days, covering 8 day-by-day stops through Taiwan.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, foodie, budget trip through Taiwan, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
Drop your comment below — if you've done a similar route, tell us what worked, what you'd add, or what you'd skip.
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