Guide to Taipei, Taiwan

Note: I’m currently working on a full Guide to Taiwan, but until then, I thought I’d release just this Guide to Taipei I’ve finished so far!

Why I loved Taiwan

I’m Taiwanese-American. My parents are Taiwanese, but I was born and raised in the States. I had only been to Taiwan once as a child, and this was my first time visiting my own roots again since I was 13. I had honestly never been that interested in visiting before, because there exist many parts of Taiwanese (and Asian culture in general) that I’m not a huge fan of. But I had been traveling southeast Asia for a while, and figured there was no excuse anymore for me to dodge a visit there. And so I went.

And I’m so, so glad I did, because Taiwan ended up blowing me away and surprising me in all the best possible ways. It ended up being what I’d call one of my favorite countries that I’ve visited.

There were a lot of things that I loved. There’s both city life, small town life, and stunning nature, offering something for everyone to enjoy. There exists a nice blend of modern conveniences and traditional culture, where things have order and make sense, yet tradition and culture is maintained. But perhaps what I loved most, was the culture of the people there. Nowhere have I met such a genuinely kind, friendly, and giving culture of people who are so willing to help with anything. And just out of the generosity in their heart, without expecting a single thing back. It felt truly community oriented, like you could ask anybody, anywhere, for anything, and they were always happy to help.

In very few other places, can I say that I really loved everywhere I went. But between Taiwan’s diverse range of places to experience, from the mountains, to the coast, to the cities, to the countryside, I truly enjoyed everywhere that I went.

Taiwan is also relatively undiscovered by tourists, so if you’re looking for somewhere with few other tourists where you can immerse in local life, that’s insanely safe, has super friendly people, an amazing food culture, and diverse landscapes and cities, Taiwan is a perfect pick for you. It’s a small country, but packed with so many hidden gems to offer. Especially with much of Asia becoming overcrowded with tourism, Taiwan is a true escape from the crowds and an opportunity to immerse amongst locals.

Contents

Getting to and around Taipei

Where to stay in Taipei

How long to stay in Taipei

What to do in Taipei

Getting to and around Taipei

Getting from the airport to the city center

TPE airport is about 1 hour from Taipei’s city center. You can take an Uber, taxi, or MRT (subway system) to reach the city center. To reach by MRT, take the Purple Line (Airport Express). This will take you from the airport to Taipei Main Station. Taipei Main Station is centrally located within the city center, and from there, you can walk, take a bus, or transfer to another MRT line to reach your destination.

Getting around Taipei

Getting around Taipei is very easy through public transit. The MRT runs through the major neighborhoods of Taipei, and you can easily transfer between different MRT lines to reach different parts of the city. From the MRT station, you can then take a bus or walk to your destination. The MRT runs every few minutes, so you don’t need to worry about timing with the schedule. However, buses are less frequent, so do pay attention to the bus schedule.

The best way to figure out how to get from Point A to Point B, is simply to plug it in on Google Maps and follow the public transit directions. It will give you options for both MRT and bus. Do note that Google Maps bus times can be inaccurate, and I’d recommend downloading the Bus+ App in Taiwan.

Uber and taxis are also both available in Taipei, and are a similar price.

How to take and pay for public transit

The easiest way to pay for public transit is to get an EasyCard (or YoYo Card). It’s a plastic card, like a credit card, and you can load money onto it to pay for all MRT and bus rides. When you enter and exit the MRT stations or the bus, you’ll simply just tap your card on and off. You can get a new card at the machines at any MRT station, and you can reload money onto your card at any MRT station or 7-11. If you’re coming from the airport, you can get a card at the airport and use it for your ride into the city.

Where to stay in Taipei

When I went to Taipei, my friend told me that I could basically choose anywhere to stay, and that it would all be fine. That everywhere has places to eat and drink nearby, and anywhere you’d want to go is accessible by MRT. It turns out that he was right! You could virtually pick any neighborhood, and there wouldn’t be too many differences between them. As someone who cares about the vibe of places a lot, I felt like most neighborhoods in Taipei, all shared a similar vibe: local, but also with modern conveniences. These are the places I’ve personally stayed and visited in Taipei, and my recommendations.

Ximending: Very lively area with plenty of shopping and restaurants around, the most popular tourist neighborhood

Ximending is home to a huge shopping district with tons of restaurants and shops, and is easily the largest tourist hub of Taipei. If you only have a few days and want to be somewhere convenient with plenty of things to do around, Ximending would be a good option. However, it’s a very busy and bustling area, so if you don’t like touristy and crowded places, a quieter, more local neighborhood would be better. If you’re staying longer in Taipei (1+ week), it could be nice to do a few days in Ximending, and then move to a different neighborhood.

Taipei Main Station: Convenient, well connected area with the largest MRT hub

Taipei Main Station is the best connected MRT hub, so it’s convenient to stay nearby. There’s plenty of places to eat all around, and many different neighborhoods are easily accessible. The lively Ximending area is a 15 minute walk south, the traditional Dihua Street is a 15 minute walk north, and you’ll be within quick access via MRT to any other neighborhood in Taipei. My friend stayed at Star Hostel Taipei Main Station and highly recommends it.

Xinyi & Songshan: Local neighborhoods with plenty to eat, drink, and shop around

Xinyi and Songshan are areas with tons of places to eat, shop, and drink all around, and are much more local (in contrast to Ximending). They are nice neighborhoods with a modern, yet traditional feel. This would be a good option to stay to get a more local feel for Taiwan, while still being easily connected to the rest of the city. It gets a little fancier and more expensive in the area towards this cafe, and more lowkey in the area towards this bakery.

Da’an: My favorite local, calm neighborhood with a nice park and plenty to eat and drink around

Da’an is a nice neighborhood that feels more calm and local, while still having plenty of cute shops, restaurants, and things to do around. It’s a nice walkable neighborhood, and you also have the big Da’an Park nearby. It’s one of my favorite neighborhoods and I would definitely recommend staying here for a more local but still lively feel. The Taipei 101 and Ximending areas are also easily accessible from the Red line.

Neihu: A very local neighborhood close to the mountains in the north of the city

This is a very local neighborhood (and where my grandparents live!). I like this area quite a bit because it feels most local and non-bougie. As usual, there’s places to eat and drink everywhere, along with many parks and nature trails accessible from this neighborhood. It’s a bit out of the way though and not that well connected in Taipei, so I wouldn’t necessarily staying here unless you want to experience a very locals only neighborhood.

How long to stay in Taipei

It’s possible to do Taipei in just a few days, but to see the sights and really get to explore and inhale the city, you should spend at least 5 days in Taipei. In 5 days, you can see the main sights, go for some short hikes, eat and drink your way through the city, visit the night markets, and begin to really inhale the city.

If you have more time, even 1+ week would be good. This would allow you to make a couple day trips and explore the surrounding nature and sights that are a bit further away. Taipei is a pretty big city, so the longer you’re able to spend, the more you’ll be able to just walk around the various neighborhoods and really get a feel for life there beyond just seeing the main sights.

What to do in Taipei

• Go to the top of Taipei 101

  Taipei 101 is a truly spectacular skyscraper located Taipei. It was designed to resemble an enormous bamboo stalk, and has a height of 508m, comprising 101 stories above ground and 5 below ground. There are 8 “nodes” to the building, to represent the lucky number 8 in Taiwanese culture. At the time it was built in 2004, it was the world’s tallest building.

  You can either buy tickets to go to the top, or a local secret is to make a reservation at Simple Kaffa, a coffee shop on the 88th floor, which is cheaper than going all the way up, but has similar great views. For the coffee shop, you can make a reservation online, and there will be a minimum spend. The cheapest is 300nt ($10) minimum spend per person, with seats away from the window. It’s still a nice experience. Paying for regular tickets all the way up is nice because you have 360 degree views, versus the cafe only has views from 2 sides, but it’s more expensive and it doesn’t include a nice coffee!

  After going up to the top, you can also enjoy lunch at Taipei 101’s big food court, which includes a Din Tai Fung, a famous Taiwanese dumpling restaurant!

• Eat delicious street food at the night markets

  One of the biggest things Taiwan is known for, are its night markets! Night time is when the city comes to life. Taiwanese night markets are essentially tons and tons of stalls selling delicious and cheap street food and drinks. There are night markets throughout Taipei. Some favorites include:

  • Ningxia Night Market – a good local night market

  • Raohe Street Night Market – a good but touristy night market. Here, I love the scallion pancake with egg, this tang yuan shop (my favorite dessert), and the fresh bolo (pineapple) bread with a slice of butter inside

  • Shilin Night Market – the largest night market of Taipei

• Visit Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall

  Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall is a stunning monument built and dedicated to the former president of Taiwan. It’s an impressive sight to see, and definitely recommended to visit.

• Hike Elephant Mountain

  Elephant Mountain is a popular hike known for its great views of Taipei 101. It’s located in the Xinyi District in the center of town, near Taipei 101. From Taipei 101, it’s only about a 15 minute walk to the trailhead. The trail is about 1-1.5 hours roundtrip and will take you through many beautiful viewpoints of Taipei 101. There is quite a bit of incline in the trail, so take water and try to avoid the hottest parts of the day. While Elephant Mountain is a touristy hike in Taipei, it’s still worth it. If you want a longer hike, you can also add the neighboring Tiger Mountain trail which is less trafficked, more natural, and also boasts great views of Taipei 101.

• Hike some more!

  For being a city, Taipei is a nature lover’s paradise. There are many hikes on the outskirts of the city, such as north of Neihu in the Jinmianshan Trail area, south of Xinyi District in the Hushan Trail area, and if you have time to venture further, there are plenty of beautiful trails in Yamingshan National Park north of Taipei. Yamingshan has stunning mountains and can either be daytripped from Taipei, or you can stay there a few nights to really enjoy the peace of the mountains.

• Take a day trip

  • There are so many places within 1-2 hours of Taipei that make great day trips. You can visit the cute coastal town of Tamsui, which lies on the Tamsui River. There you can visit the traditional old town and walk along the wharf.

  • You can go for a soak in the hot springs of Beitou District, about 1 hour north of Taipei. These are hot spring bath houses (not hot springs in nature), and are great for a relaxing soak! We went to the springs at Spring City Resort, which offers mixed gender, outdoor hot springs where you’re allowed to wear a regular swimsuit. They also have private indoor baths available. Pro-tip: It’s cheaper to buy the tickets online here, compared to directly with the resort.

  • Visit Jiufen, an old, traditional town an hour from Taipei that’s nice to walk around and visit. There’s the old street there that’s lined with many traditional shops, and surrounding mountains that make for great day hikes. While most people only visit Jiufen for the day, spending the night can let you really enjoy the charm and peace of the town after all the day tourists have left for the day. It does get very busy on weekends, so I would recommend avoiding visiting then if you can!

• Visit the traditional neighborhood on Dihua Street

  Dihua Street is a very nice and charming old street selling traditional goods and snacks. Here, you can stroll around and get a sense for traditional life in Taiwan while also sampling your way through many traditional snacks!

• Soak in the bustling neighborhood of Ximending

  Ximending is the shopping district and by far the most touristy neighborhood of Taiwan. It’s bustling with shops, restaurants, and people lining the streets. If you’re not already staying in Ximen, it’s nice to walk around a few times just to soak it in and experience that bustling life in Taiwan.

• Go for Afternoon Tea at The Grand Hotel

  The Grand Hotel is… grand! It’s a beautiful, old, huge hotel that has wonderful afternoon tea. Afternoon tea in Taiwan is actually mostly about food, and less about tea. Here, it’s a huge and delicious buffet that will cost you around $30. You have many different food stations, a huge dessert station, even free beer on tap, and an ice cream cart! Highly recommend to try it with a big appetite. It’s also recommended to make a reservation online first.

• Visit Da’an neighborhood and Da’an Park

  One of my favorite parts of Taipei is the Da’an neighborhood. It’s calm and cute, lined lots of little shops and restaurants while not feeling overwhelmingly touristy. It’s nice to pick a cafe, stroll down YongKang Street, get a bite to eat, and then walk it off at the nearby Da’an Park. If you want to visit a Din Tai Fung, it could also be a good option to go to Din Tai Fung Xinsheng, take a number, walk around the park and neighborhood, and then come back when it’s time (there can oftentimes be a wait of 1-2 hours).

• Walk through and absorb Songshan, Xinyi, and Neihu neighborhoods to experience daily local life

  If you’re staying in a more touristy area such as Ximen or near the Main Station, I would recommend walking through some of these local neighborhoods to get a sense for what daily life is really like in Taiwan! These neighborhoods are all nicely walkable, with plenty of cafes, boba shops, Taiwanese bakeries, and restaurants lining the streets so you can stop for a snack whenever you feel like.