Elephant Mountain
Twenty minutes of steps, and all of Taipei 101 from a platform of boulders.
Duration
1 hr – 2 hrs
Difficulty
●●●○○
Best time
An hour before dark
Open
Every day
Entry price
Free
Xiangshan, Elephant Mountain, tops out at one hundred and eighty-three metres, right behind Taipei 101. It is an urban hill, not a hike: a concrete stairway climbs it in twenty minutes from the metro station.
Its value is the angle and the distance: the tower is close enough to fill the frame and far enough to fit in whole, with the city behind. The six big boulders on the platform are the most photographed spot — you often have to queue to climb onto them.
Getting there
Metro red line, Xiangshan terminus, exit 2, then ten minutes on foot to the foot of the stairway.
What to bring
- Walking shoes
- 1.5 L of water
- Cap
- Dry bag
Rules on site
The stairway is steep and unshaded, and Taipei is very humid: allow twenty sweaty minutes. The platform fills before sunset — go up an hour ahead.
