Elephant Mountain – The Most Accessible Hike in Taipei City

Whenever I’m holidaying or on a work trip, I find it hard to squeeze time in to exercise at the gym, so what better way is there to work out than going for a hike or doing laps at the swimming pool? Well, at least for me, these two activities are enjoyable though torturing at times. I’ve gone on both easy and difficult hikes, but the incredible panoramic views made the hikes so worthwhile eventually. Located in Taipei city, the peak of the Xiangshan (象山) aka Elephant Mountain Hiking Trail is one of the best spots to admire the iconic Taipei 101 and catch the sunset.

It’s quite easy getting to the base of the hiking trail. You can either walk or cycle from Taipei 101 or take the MRT and alight at Xiangshan Station. Exit 2 will bring you to a park, and there are many signs pointing you to the hiking trail. Basically, just walk along the park and take a left turn at the end of the road. You will come across a temple before arriving at the start of the hiking trail. You can choose to take the Xiangshan Beixingbao Temple Trail or the Yishiantian Trail. The latter is an easy 822-metre halfway up Xiangshan Mountain.

The entire Xiangshan Hike takes at least an hour to make a round trip, with several different lookouts and pavilions along the way. However, if you’re not a fan of climbing stairs, this hike is going to take way longer. The best time to hike the mountain is during late afternoon so that you can catch the sunset and enjoy the daytime and nighttime view of Taipei’s cityscape. It is better to avoid hiking on weekends because it can get extremely crowded.

Can you imagine how cramped the mountain gets on New Year’s Eve when there already isn’t any space left for your camera tripod on a regular day?! The huge crowd flocks here every year end to catch Taipei 101’s impressive fireworks display.

Honestly, it was exhausting climbing up so many flights of stairs, but the view was very rewarding. If you haven’t paid the Elephant Mountain a visit, you certainly should pop by the next time you’re in Taipei.