Yangmingshan is a substantial volcanic national park covering the mountains immediately north of Taipei — close enough to reach by city bus, yet a wholly different world of craters, steaming vents, and high meadows. The landscape is dominated by Mt. Cising (1,120 m), a dormant volcano whose summit and crater are reachable by a popular two-hour hike. Lower down are fumaroles, sulphur vents, and steaming hot-spring streams, and the whole park is criss-crossed by good walking trails that range from easy boardwalks to all-day ridge walks.
The park is at its busiest from late February into March, when the cherry blossom comes out and, a little later, the white calla lilies of Zhuzihu turn the upland meadows pink and white for a fortnight. Even outside the blossom season it rewards a visit: the volcanic terrain around Xiaoyoukeng, where sulphur hisses out of the bare yellow rock, is dramatic in any weather, and the cooler air is a relief in the city's humid summer.
Bus 260 from Taipei Main Station climbs into the park; for the higher trails, take a connecting minibus from the visitor centre. Bring a layer — the temperature at the summit can be 10°C below central Taipei — and check the forecast, as cloud and rain roll in fast off the coast. The park is free to enter and open year-round.