Elephant Mountain (also known as “Xiangshan” in Mandarin) is one of the best free things to do in Taipei, with several incredible viewpoints within walking distance of a metro station.
Although steep, these several short Elephant Mountain viewpoints all offer stunning views of Taipei and its cityscape, including Taipei 101 and the Xinyi District.
If you can, try to do these Xiangshan lookouts at sunset and watch dusk descend over Taipei city.
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Featuring directions from Xiangshan MRT Metro station to some useful trail tips, here is our guide to exploring the easier trails of Taipei’s Elephant Mountain / Xiangshan.
P.S. This is intended as a guide to the easier Xiangshan hiking viewpoints like Fireworks Lookout and the Photographers Platform that can be achieved in about 1 to 2 hours return from the nearest Metro station – it isn’t an extensive hiking guide.
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How to get to Elephant Mountain / Xiangshan in Taipei
The nearest MRT Metro station to the start of the easiest Elephant Mountain trail is Xiangshan Station at the end of the red Tamsui / Xinyi line.
Take exit 2 and head up the big escalator (or take the stairs but you might want to save your steps for later)!
The signs in the station refer to ‘Xiangshan Hiking Trail’ not Elephant Mountain – so just follow the Xiangshan Hiking Trail directions.
As you exit the station, you’ll see the green lawns and trees of Xiangshan Park, a popular spot for local families which also has several shrines and kiosks.
Follow the perimeter of this park on the right-hand side or just take the pavement / sidewalk immediately in front of you, alongside ‘Xinyi Road, Sec 5 Lane 150′.
Keep on this path for about 10 minutes until there is a road turning left – if you see Nola Kitchen bar and restaurant, this is the correct route. Follow the bend on your left hand side that gradually starts to go up-hill.
Turn around as you ascend the road to see your first glimpse of Taipei 101 – the views keep getting better and better from here on in.
Go past Daitiandian Lingyun Temple and the start of Xiangshan Trail / Elephant Mountain trail is on your left (a set of concrete steps with metal rails).
The Google Maps location of the start of the Elephant Mountain can be found here >
Also check Google Maps or the official Go! Taipei Metro app to see which is the quickest and best route for you.
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How easy is Elephant Mountain to visit? / fitness levels
So whilst the hike to the first proper viewpoint (Photographer’s Platform Lookout on the map) is about 15 minutes from the start of the trail, it is quite steep, comprising several hundred steps.
We saw people of all ages and abilities doing the initial Elephant Mountain trail and most seemed to be OK with it but it will possibly leave you a bit out of breath and sweaty (especially on hot days) – so dress appropriately.
We’d class ourselves as average fitness and it took us exactly 15 minutes from the start of the Xiangshan Hiking Trail to the first proper viewpoint without any stops.
However, if you need a rest on the way, there are several seating areas with elephant shaped seats and benches – you’ll also notice elephants on the rails too!
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Before you start the Elephant Mountain Trail
As the Elephant Mountain hike is quite steep, you might want to take some soft drinks / water (or even a beer – or three!) with you.
If so, there is a FamilyMart convenience store about 2 minutes walk from Nola’s Kitchen. Bag up any rubbish and take it back with you as there aren’t any bins on the trail.
There are no shops / kiosks along the Elephant Mountain trails as well – although we did see some enterprising locals selling cold drinks (including beers) from a garage next to the start of the trailhead and by Daitiandian Lingyuan Temple.
There is also a coffee shop (% Arabica Taipei Elephant Mountain) and an ice-cream kiosk at the start of the trail, if you want a ‘reward’ afterwards (or even before you ascend the stairs)!
Remember to take insect repellent, especially at night as it can be quite ‘bitey’ up there – we forgot and paid the price for a few days afterwards.
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Check out our Taipei neighbourhoods guides:
Beitou >
Dihua Street and Dadaocheng >
Tamsui >
Xinyi >
Zhongshan >
Also check out our guide to the best neighbourhoods in Taipei >
Elephant Mountain Trail map / Xiangshan hiking trail map
Here are some photographs of the maps along the way, should they be of use for your pre-planning.
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Elephant Mountain / Xingshian Lookout No 1 – Photographer’s Platform
Perhaps the most famous lookout on Elephant Mountain, it is certainly the busiest as it is the one closest to the start of the trail / shortest distance.
To get here, follow the steps from the main road up – about a third of the way up, you’ll see a split in the path which goes left and right – follow the right hand trail for Photographer’s Platform.
Photographer’s Platform is a raised wooden gantry and has incredible views of Taipei 101 – it can get very busy so you might possibly need to jostle your way into position, especially if you have some ‘posers’ at the front doing countless selfies (we witnessed this so much – jeezzzz!).
We also spotted the cutest cat ever here – locals like to bring their pets here and we saw a few dogs too!
The platform accommodates around 20 people and it offers panoramic views – however, for our money, the best sunset spot on Elephant Mountain is a little further on, about 5 minutes walk away and usually quieter than Photographer’s Platform.
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Fireworks Lookout Elephant Mountain – Lookout 2
Another best lookout and viewpoint on Elephant Mountain in Taipei is Fireworks Lookout.
Yes, it is a great place to see the Taipei 101 fireworks but the platform is quite small. We’ve also heard people have camped out here to secure the best spots on New Year’s Eve!
We think this is a little better than Photographer’s Platform as it is usually less busy plus you get a better sunset view as the sun is less obscured – so you get incredible pictures with orange hues.
This is our recommended spot for sunset photography on Elephant Mountain – that said, you may have to contend with lots of tripods and camera equipment so may want to get here a little earlier.
To get to Fireworks Lookout from the Photographers Platform, it is about a 5 minute walk – as you are facing Photographers Platform, follow the path right until you see a small pavilion – Yongchun Pavilion.
Go around the back of the Yongchun Pavilion on the left-hand side and follow the trail for about 4 minutes – this brings you to the Fireworks Lookout Xingshian.
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Elephant Mountain Lookout 3 – Six Giant Boulders & observation deck
If you still have energy left from the Photographer’s Platform and / or Fireworks Lookout, take the uphill trail immediately behind Photographer’s Platform to one of the most iconic Elephant Mountain photo spots – the Six Giant Rocks.
You will likely have seen these Elephant Mountain boulders on social media or websites as you can climb on the rocks and get incredible views of Taipei 101 and Xinyi.
If one of you sits or stands on the front rock and another takes a photo from the back rocks, it is an amazing vantage point!
Just be advised the rocks can be a little slippery in wet weather plus they are very popular so you might have to wait to scramble up them.
Once you go past the six giant boulders / rocks, you’ll find the eponymous Six Giant Rocks observation deck – this offers prime panoramic views and some benches to sit down on (plus a small roof for cover from the sun).
It is also a bit safer than scrambling up onto the rocks but gets very busy at sunset.
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Chaoran Pavillon – Xiangshan Lookout No 4
Our final ‘easy’ to reach Elephant Mountain lookout is Chaoran Pavillon – take the steps back up the mountain from Six Giant Rocks observation deck for about 5 minutes.
At the ‘Thumb Mountain’ arrowhead signpost, take a left and the Chaoran Pavillon is a short walk away.
This lookout has a small roof too so is great for escaping the rain or hot sun – again, lots of photographers take long exposure shots here at sunset so you may need to assert yourself to get a good spot.
To note there are more / longer Elephant Mountain hiking trails but these four lookouts we’ve highlighted are one that are achievable in a short amount of time with an average level of fitness.
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Other things to know
- There are some lights on the trail so this is possible to do at night but not all trails are lit – for instance, Fireworks Lookout has very few lights so take a torch or use your phone light.
- No toilets are available on these trails – so make sure to use the toilets at Xiangshan Metro before you leave.
- Possibly take a towel for all your sweat, if hiking on a hot day.
- Check out these other things to do in the Xinyi District, Taipei >
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