Is Elephant Mountain Worth It? My Honest Review & Tips (2026)

Disclosure: Some links below are affiliate links, meaning we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Learn more.

When I started researching the top things to do in Taipei, I kept wondering: is elephant mountain worth it? The trail kept popping up everywhere, with everyone speaking very positive about it. But when people go crazy for a tourist spot, it always makes me question how nice and authentic it truly is.

Known locally as Xiangshan (象山) and it translates to “Elephant Mountain” because the hill’s rolling ridges looks like an elephant’s head. This popular spot is actually part of the broader Four Beasts Mountain group alongside Tiger, Leopard, and Lion mountains.

I value genuine experiences, and I don’t do things just for the sake of checking boxes so in this guide, I’m answering whether the hike lives up to the hype, and sharing practical tips to help you prepare.

PS: If you are also a foodie like me, you can combine this hike with the Linjiang or Raohe night markets for dinner, because trust me, you’ll be starving on the way down.

Is Elephant Mountain Worth It?

Short answer – absolutely yes! Taipei is full of mountain ranges and accessible trails, and the east side is particularly popular for its unique, uninterrupted views of Taipei 101.

During golden hour, the view becomes even more beautiful and breathtaking as you get to see the whole city lit up from above in all vibrant sunset shades.

I am not a morning person, but I really wish I’d managed to drag myself out of bed to experience this hike at sunrise and skip the sunset crowds.

Elephant Mountain Trail: The Need-to-Know

Closest MRT: Xiangshan MRT station, walk through the beautiful Xiangshan Park, and in 10 minutes you will reach the trailhead. There are clear signs.
Trail start: Elephant Mountain trailhead
Distance: ~ 1.5km/0.9 miles round trip for the trail only
Duration: ~ 45 to 75 minutes round trip
Elevation gain: ~ 150 to 166m
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Terrain: Mostly stone stairs and paved paths.

How difficult is the Elephant mountain trail?

Honestly, in the world of hiking, this shouldn’t be called a proper trail because it’s comprised of only stairs that lead to a viewpoint, but for the sake of consistency on the Internet I will also call it a trail as it has a start, an end, and a beautiful path in greenery.

To answer the question, the elephant mountain trail is not that difficult to do unless you have mobility issues or problems with your knees like me. Some stairs are a little steep, so I struggled a bit with my knees – they tend to suffer when I need to go down stairs that are higher than normal.

However, let me not scare you! There were kids, families, and older people with hiking sticks (or not) bypassing me so it’s totally doable. My second struggle was the humidity and heat, but I think we were just unlucky the days we decided to do the hike and it was particularly hot. Normally in the middle of October (when we were there) the average temperature ranges from 22–28 °C (72–81°F).

What should I expect from the trail?

• There will be mostly stairs (500-600 approx).
• There are other longer trails around there so make sure you follow the signs if you want to stick to regulated paths.
• There are viewpoints designed for people to take pictures, and in some cases, there will be a queue waiting to take the popular shots.
• It gets quite busy after 4 PM as most people prefer to walk up to the viewpoint to watch the sunset and enjoy the beautiful sky colours.
• It will be slippery and a bit dangerous after rain so be cautious.
• Once you reach the top you’ll find an open space used as a communal gym or space for people to do their workouts.
• There is also a small custom space in the back (the opposite side from Taipei 101) where someone had old dumbbells and a bench for people to use for resistance training.

What should I bring to the hike?

• A bottle of water
• Supportive, steady shoes (no flip-flops)
• A small sweat towel. I saw many locals carry one and I wish I had taken one too.
• Mosquitto repellent (essential for after the sunset)

Alternative Hikes

If you only have a day or two in Taipei, Elephant Mountain trail is a must-do to grab that popular iconic skyline view. But if you have more time (for example, we spent 5 weeks exploring the city) it’s well worth venturing off the beaten path.

Case in point: we checked out the Old Place Airplane Observation Deck via Washuangxi (Google Maps location). It has another 500+ continuous stairs that somehow felt even more intense than Elephant Mountain.

The best part? We didn’t see a single tourist and Alessandro got to satisfy his aviation curiosity by watching places land at the Taipei Songshan Airport.

When you get off the typical tourist path is where travel magic happens. A local jogger taking a break noticed us and struck up a conversation in great English. He shared incredible insights into Taipei’s history and surrounding trail systems, and he was fascinated by our story of walking away from our corporate jobs to travel full-time until we get tired!

Is Elephant Mountain Worth It? Final Thoughts

Going up with Elephant mountain trail is a must-do, especially when you’re short in time and want to cover the basics in Taipei. It won’t be like a walk to the park but I promise you, it won’t be as bad as you might think. The view from the top is an amazing reward of your effort.

Plus, after you’re done with the trail you can head to Raohe or Linjiang night markets to refuel your body.