What Kind of City Is Taipei? Essential Things to Know
Still wondering if Taipei should be on your bucket list? Let me hit you with some quick facts! Taipei is in northern Taiwan and is also the island’s liveliest city, yet its climate stays cooler and more comfortable than the tropical south. Love shopping? Ximending and Xinyi will captivate you with their gorgeous malls and trend-setting fashion. Foodie? You’ve definitely heard about Taiwan’s delicious, affordable street snacks found all over Taipei. Hiking fan? Gorgeous hills circle Taipei, and most trailheads are less than an hour’s drive away. Love the sea? Taiwan is an island surrounded by ocean, so you should definitely give it a shot. In short, whether you’re traveling with family or backpacking solo, Taipei has something for everyone.How to Travel in Taipei? Itinerary Duration & Planning Tips at a Glance
5-Day Taipei Itinerary
- Day1: Land at Taoyuan, ride the MRT into Taipei for Din Tai Fung dumplings on Yongkang. Hit Daan Park, Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, and wrap up the night with cheap eats and craft beer in Ximending.
- Day2: Take the MRT to Taipei 101, shoot up to the 89th-floor deck, and linger for a sky-high lunch plus Simple Kaffa coffee and dessert. Hike Elephant Mountain for epic skyline shots in the afternoon, then enjoy Xinyi’s neon malls, rooftop bars, and street performers.
- Day3: Explore Dihua Street’s old-town charm in Dadaocheng, then head to Wanhua’s Longshan Temple. End the day feasting at Nanji Chang Night Market.
- Day4: Kick off Day 4 at Taipei Zoo to see pandas, koalas, and Formosan animals, then ride the Maokong Gondola up to the tea-covered hills. Sip fresh oolong with sweeping city views and watch the sunset before gliding back down.
- Day5: Explore the National Palace Museum in the morning, grab lunch nearby, and spend the afternoon enjoying Yangmingshan’s gardens, hot springs, and sunset views.
10-Day Taipei Itinerary
- Day6: Walk Jiufen Old Street, visit the 1934 Shengping Theater, try Grandma Lai’s taro balls, have tea at A-Mei Teahouse at sunset, and stay overnight in a hilltop guesthouse with a sea view.
- Day7: Start Day 7 with cliff jumping and snorkeling at Longdong, then enjoy a fresh seafood lunch at a nearby seaside restaurant. Spend the afternoon exploring Yehliu Geopark’s rock formations and end the day with dinner at Keelung Miaokou Night Market.
- Day8: Relax in the hot springs, visit the Hot Spring Museum and Thermal Valley, then enjoy a bowl at Manlai Hot-Spring Ramen. Rent a YouBike and follow the flat riverside trail for about an hour to Tamsui, snack on fish-ball soup and iron eggs along Old Street, watch the sunset from Lover’s Bridge, and return to the city for the night.
- Day9: Visit Shifen Waterfall, explore Jingtong Old Street after lunch, and spend the evening in Pingxi writing wishes on a sky lantern and releasing it into the night sky.
- Day10: Start the day in Wulai, walking the riverside old street, tasting wild-boar sausage, and taking the tiny train and cable car to the waterfall. Have a quick dip in a riverside hot spring or try the free foot bath, then grab a noodle lunch and head back to Taipei to browse the design shops at Songshan Cultural and Creative Park. Finish your trip at Raohe Night Market.
14-Day Taipei Itinerary
- Day11: Let’s kick off a three-day trip to Yilan. First, hit the waves at Wushi Harbor for a surf session, then relax in Jiaoxi’s hot springs afterward.
- Day12: Join a scallion-pancake DIY class at a Sanxing farm, where you pick onions and fry your own snack. Cycle the flat Dongshan River bike path in the afternoon and enjoy the riverside views. Spend the evening tasting famous dishes like mutton soup and scallion pancakes at Luodong Night Market.
- Day13: Drive up to Taipingshan National Forest. At Jioujhihze or Qingshui Geothermal Park, boil eggs in the hot-spring trough and walk an easy trail in the cedar forest.
- Day14: Spend the morning in Yingge, touring the Ceramics Museum, painting your own mug, and tasting tofu pudding on Old Street. After lunch, go to Taoyuan HSR Station for an afternoon at Xpark to see jellyfish and penguins, then browse Gloria Outlets for last-minute shopping. Enjoy an early dinner there and hop on the Airport MRT straight to Taoyuan International Airport for your flight.
Best Times to Visit & Taipei Weather Tips
Aim for late October to November, Taipei’s driest and clearest period, or choose March to early April before the early summer rainy season begins. The city stays cooler than Taiwan’s tropical south, but brief showers are common, so keep a small umbrella handy.
Getting Around Taipei: Simple Transportation Guide
Taipei is wired for movement. If your goal is to tick off the city-center hits, such as Taipei 101, Ximending, Dihua Street, and a night-market or two, public transit alone will get you there fast and cheap. Go beyond the core, though, and sticking strictly to buses and trains can stretch travel time and steal hours you’d rather spend exploring hot-spring valleys or seaside restaurants. Here are the main ways to get around, from quickest and easiest to most flexible.MRT (Metro)
Fast, bilingual, and clean; tap an EasyCard and trains come every 2–4 minutes. Perfect for all downtown must-sees and most day-trip jump-offs.City Buses
Huge network reaching every alley and mountain temple. Google Maps shows live arrivals, but routes can feel maze-like to first-timers.YouBike 2.0
Docked bikes you unlock with EasyCard or credit card. Great for riverside paths (Tamsui, Keelung River) or short hops between MRT gaps.Taxis & Uber
Metered, 24/7, and good value for short city hops, but long rides get expensive and a few tourist-area drivers may quote inflated flat fares—always ask them to run the meter or book through an app to avoid surprises. Consider the SUPER SMOOTH BUS rental service—it provides a car and driver, so you can relax and skip the parking hassles.Rental car with driver (private charter)
Door-to-door service lets you dive into hillside hot springs, tea farms, or coastal spots without juggling bus transfers. A chauffeur keeps you cool and dry when Taipei turns steamy or rainy, and the direct routes shave hours off your travel time so you can explore more and sweat less.Must-Visit Attractions in Taipei
Now the best part begins. I have lived in Taipei for more than twenty five years, so I know the city inside out. I will guide you to famous spots like Taipei 101 and tell you which night markets might be overrated.Taipei 101 & Elephant Mountain
Taipei 101 sits close to Elephant Mountain, so my favorite plan is this: first have afternoon tea at Simple Kaffa on the 88th floor of Taipei 101 and take in the city view. As the sun starts to set, head over to the Elephant Mountain trail. The air is cooler then, and you will enjoy both the sunset and Taipei’s night skyline from the top.Yangmingshan
Start early in Zhuzihu. From March to late April white calla lilies cover the valley, and in May and June blue hydrangeas take their place. Put on the farmer’s boots, pick a few flowers, then a short walk away enjoy roast mountain chicken at a small restaurant. After lunch, wander the open grass at Qingtiangang and dip your feet in the warm water at Lengshuikeng. When evening falls, stay on the mountain and have dinner at a hillside restaurant where you can eat while the city lights sparkle below.Yuanshan
Yuanshan has turned into one of Taipei’s fresh hang-out zones. In the morning you can walk through Taipei Expo Park, browse pop-up farmers markets, and grab coffee under the big shade trees. After dark the same area flips into party mode: bistros pour craft drinks, DJs spin upbeat music, and weekend crowds fill the open plazas. If you enjoy flowers by day and a lively bar scene by night, Yuanshan is your new go-to spot.Ximending
Ximending is more than shopping streets. You can watch new movies in the big cinemas that first made this area famous, and you can visit the old Red House where local plays and a weekend craft market take place. Colorful street art fills the small lanes, and singers or guitar players perform in the evenings. Food stalls sell big fried chicken, strong-smelling tofu, and bubble tea on almost every corner. When night comes, the bars near the Red House welcome all kinds of people and play lively music. If you need a quiet break, walk five minutes to Xibenyuan Temple Square. There you can see the stone gate and wooden bell tower from a Japanese temple built in the nineteen twenties and rest for a moment in the small garden away from the bright lights.Dihua Street & Dadaocheng Wharf
Begin at the north end of Dihua Street, a quick walk from Taipei Bridge MRT. Stroll past old herb and fabric shops mixed with modern design stores, all set inside red-brick buildings from the 1800s. Stop for afternoon tea in one of the restored cafés before you continue south. Keep walking until you reach the famous “Moon-Old Man” Temple, called Xia-Hai City God Temple. Locals come here to pray to Yuelao, the god of love and marriage, who is said to tie red strings between future couples. If you visit around Lunar New Year, Dihua Street turns into a huge outdoor market that sells sweets, dried fruit, and decorations for the holiday. Even at other times of year, the area stays busy and full of street snacks. End your walk at Dadaocheng Wharf. Sit by the river, watch the sky turn orange, and see boats glide past as the sun sets.About Night Market
I live in Taipei and my top pick is Nanjichang Night Market in Wanhua. Tour buses skip it, but locals love it because many stalls have no branches anywhere else. It even won first place on the TV show “Night-Market King”. I also enjoy the Raohe Night Market. Buy a few snacks, walk to the riverside just beyond the gate, and eat while you feel the evening breeze. For a classic tourist scene, try Shilin Night Market. Besides food, you will find rows of clothing stalls and old-school games like ring toss, gold-fish scooping, and balloon shooting.Taipei Food Map: From Night Market Snacks to Michelin Restaurants
Next, let me show you my favorite snacks and foods in Taipei and point out the must-visit stalls at the night markets I just mentioned.Nanjichang Night Market
In Nanjichang Night Market, there are a few stalls you really should try. First, A-Nan Sesame-Oil Chicken gives you a small bowl of chicken in hot sesame-oil soup, warm and tasty. Next, Shan Nay Chicken sells fresh chicken slices on rice with a little soy sauce—simple and good. Last, if you enjoy stinky tofu, stop at Stinky Boss Steamed Tofu for soft tofu steamed on the spot and topped with garlic and chili.- Adress: Lane 307, Section 2, Zhonghua Rd, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City
Sung Chu Yuan
Sung Chu Yuan is a chicken restaurant on Yangmingshan. The owners raise their own free-range birds, and the cold poached chicken is the star dish. Hot chicken soup, braised pork, and plates of wild mountain greens are also favorites, all at friendly prices. Michelin gave the place a Bib Gourmand for tasty food that will not break the wallet. Go early on weekends because the chickens often sell out.- Phone: 02-2861-6261
- Adress: No. 546, Yonggong Rd, Shilin District, Taipei City 11192
Fuhang Soy Milk
Fuhang Soy Milk is a famous breakfast spot on the second floor of Huashan Market near Shandao Temple MRT Station. Lines start before six in the morning, so arrive early or expect to wait about half an hour. The most popular order is the thick clay oven bread with egg, still warm from the charcoal oven, served with a cup of hot soy milk that is either sweet or salty. Many people also add a crispy youtiao and dip it in the soy milk. Prices are friendly, and one set will keep you full until lunch.- Phone: 02-2392-2175
- Adress: 2F, No. 108, Sec. 1, Zhongxiao E Rd, Zhongzheng Dist., Taipei City 100
How Much Does a Taipei Trip Cost? Budget Tips & Money Savers
Taipei is one of Asia’s most affordable big cities. A basket of soup dumplings at Din Tai Fung, a Michelin-listed restaurant, costs less than a single cocktail in many first-tier capitals. You can live on night-market snacks, hostel beds, and ten-dollar bus rides, or you can book a boutique hotel, hail taxis, and enjoy fine dining for a fraction of New York. How much you spend is up to you, Taipei lets every budget feel welcome. So how do you plan a budget for a city that can fit almost any wallet? Let me break it down.