Okay, so here’s an unpopular opinion, Elephant Mountain, it gives you a good view of Taipei, is not the best hike around Taipei city.
The Jiantan hiking trail gives you some of the most amazing views of Taipei you’ll get, and at a fraction of the effort, in comparison to getting to the top of elephant mountain.
Since this trail is not as popular as its peer at the end of the red line on the Taipei metro, you won’t see that many tourists/foreigners, it’s mostly visited by local Taiwanese who enjoy hiking.
You will get a good view of one of the most iconic buildings in Taipei, I’m talking about the Grand hotel, that red Chinese looking building in the pic below.
You will also get a perfect view of Taipei city. You’ll be able to see what Taipei is really like, a concrete jungle surrounded by mountains that are green all year long.
But, can You see 101 from here? The answer is YES!!!!!
You’ll see 101 in all of its splendor and more. Right in front of it you’ll see Songshan airport.
If you’re a good photographer you can get a pic of an airplane landing or taking off with the 101 as the background.
I wasn’t able to get that shot, but it was still an amazing view.
How Do You Get to Jiantan Hiking Trail?
It’s actually very simple, just head over to Jiantan station on the red line, this is the same station people get off at when they’re going to visit Shilin Night Market.
Instead of taking the exit towards Shilin Night market, take the opposite one. Get to the corner on your left and cross towards the left, once on the other side of the road make a right and walk until you reach the trailhead.
There’s a big sign that marks the beginning of the Jiantan hiking trail, you won’t miss it.
As usual, the best thing to do is follow Google maps, that’s how I get anywhere.
If you’re looking for a more challenging climb then you might be interested in reading about the Highest mountain in Taipei, Qixing Mountain!!