An Ultimate Guide For Visiting Taipei (2026)

Dadaocheng 大稻埕 Dàdàochéng & Dihua Street 迪化街 Díhuà Jiē

Old Taipei. Traditional shops, dried goods, Chinese medicine, beautiful old buildings. Best "old town" area in the city.

Walk west to Dadaocheng Wharf 大稻埕碼頭 Dàdàochéng Mǎtóu — a waterfront pier area with cafes, food vendors, and great sunset views. Nice spot to end the day.

Mingsheng 民生社區 Mínshēng Shèqū

Quieter, more residential. Good coffee shops. Buddha Tea House is an artist-owned spot with tea and set meals. There's also a place selling 包子 bāozi for 12 NT (about 40 cents) — pork 豬肉 zhūròu or veggie, both good.

NTU Area / Gongguan 公館 Gōngguǎn

University district around National Taiwan University. Cheap food, younger crowd, bookstores. Highly recommend biking through campus — ride down Royal Palm Boulevard 椰林大道 Yēlín Dàdào, the main tree-lined street. Lots of cool stuff to explore around here.

Angie spent a lot of time here as a student and knows the hidden spots.

Xinyi 信義區 Xìnyì Qū

Modern Taipei. Taipei 101, malls, department stores. Feels like any big city. Good for shopping, but not my favorite for atmosphere.

Zhongshan 中山 Zhōngshān

Mix of old and new. Good cafes, small galleries, boutique shops. The streets around Zhongshan MRT have a nice walkable vibe.

Yongkang Street 永康街 Yǒngkāng Jiē

Famous for Din Tai Fung (soup dumplings), but also lots of other good food, tea shops, and cafes. Can be crowded but worth a visit.

Shilin 士林 Shìlín

Home to the famous Shilin Night Market. Also near the National Palace Museum if you're into that.

Songshan Cultural Park 松山文創園區 Sōngshān Wénchuàng Yuánqū

Old tobacco factory turned into a creative space. Nice to walk around, occasional exhibitions and markets.

Sunny Hills 微熱山丘 Wēirè Shānqiū

A bakery that gives you free pineapple cake 鳳梨酥 fènglí sū and tea when you walk in. No sales pitch, you just sit down and they bring it out. The pineapple cake is actually good.

Xiangshan / Elephant Mountain 象山 Xiàngshān

Short hike (20-30 min up) with the best view of Taipei 101 and the city. Go for sunset. Take the red line to Xiangshan Station, exit 2, follow the signs. Steep stairs but worth it.

Longshan Temple 龍山寺 Lóngshān Sì

Taipei's most famous temple, in the old Wanhua district. Beautiful and active — people praying, incense burning. Free to enter. The area around it is interesting too, old Taipei vibe.

Ximending 西門町 Xīméndīng

Pedestrian shopping area. Young, loud, lots of street food and bubble tea. Japanese influence. Good for people watching and snacking.

CKS Memorial Hall 中正紀念堂 Zhōngzhèng Jìniàntáng

Big white monument, changing of the guard ceremony on the hour. The plaza is huge. Nice to walk through, especially at night when it's lit up.

National Palace Museum 國立故宮博物院 Guólì Gùgōng Bówùyuàn

World-class collection of Chinese art and artifacts — emperors' stuff from thousands of years. The Jadeite Cabbage and Meat-Shaped Stone are the famous pieces. Take the red line to Shilin, then bus or taxi. Allow 2-3 hours.

Huashan 1914 Creative Park 華山1914文化創意產業園區 Huáshān Wénchuàng Yuánqū

Old winery turned into galleries, shops, cafes. Similar to Songshan but different vibe. There's a nice big lawn out front — good spot for kids to run around.

Raohe 饒河夜市 Ráohé Yèshì

Biggest and most crowded. Get the pepper buns 胡椒餅 hújiāo bǐng at the entrance — there's always a line but it moves fast.

Fun fact: this is where Paul and Angie lived together for a year. Paul ate here most nights. Angie started eating healthier.

Ningxia 寧夏夜市 Níngxià Yèshì

Good one. Known for traditional Taiwanese food — oyster omelettes, taro balls, braised pork rice. More food-focused than souvenir shops.

Shilin 士林夜市 Shìlín Yèshì

The famous one — worth visiting. More touristy and gets very busy on weekends, but it's big with good variety of food and games.

Shida 師大夜市 Shīdà Yèshì

Near National Taiwan Normal University. Younger crowd, good cheap eats, clothing shops. More chill than the big tourist markets.

Gongguan 公館夜市 Gōngguǎn Yèshì

Near NTU. Student-oriented, cheap food, local vibe. Good if you're already in the area.

Tonghua 通化夜市 Tōnghuà Yèshì

Smaller, more local. Less overwhelming if Raohe feels like too much.

Tamsui 淡水 Dànshuǐ

At the end of the red MRT line. Nice to combine with sunset at the waterfront.

Dadaocheng Riverside 大稻埕河濱 Dàdàochéng Hébīn

Start from Dadaocheng and go either direction. This is my favorite — you can ride for hours and there are YouBike stations all along the way. Good cafes and spots to stop.

Rainbow Bridge Loop 彩虹橋 Cǎihóng Qiáo

Near Raohe Night Market. Nice loop along the river, then hit the night market after for dinner.

Bitan 碧潭 Bìtán

Take the MRT to Xindian 新店 Xīndiàn, rent a YouBike, and ride along the river. Nice scenery, suspension bridge, paddle boats if you want.

Tamsui Riverside 淡水河濱 Dànshuǐ Hébīn

Ride along the river from Guandu 關渡 Guāndù to Tamsui. Flat, easy, ends at the waterfront for sunset and food.

Beitou Hot Springs 北投溫泉 Běitóu Wēnquán

45 min by MRT. Japanese colonial-era area with public baths. On the way to Tamsui, so you can do both.

Tamsui 淡水 Dànshuǐ

End of the red line. Waterfront, sunset views, night market.

Taipei Zoo 台北市立動物園 Táiběi Shìlì Dòngwùyuán

Take the brown line (Wenhu) to Taipei Zoo Station 動物園站. One of Asia's largest zoos — pandas, koalas, penguins, and a big outdoor section. Good for kids.

Tickets: Adults 60 NT (~$2), kids 6-12 years 30 NT. Under 6 free.

Maokong 貓空 Māokōng

Tea mountain above the zoo. Take the Maokong Gondola 貓空纜車 Māokōng Lǎnchē from the zoo station — 25 min ride with mountain views. Tea houses at the top, some with city views. Nice at sunset.

Gondola: 120 NT one-way, 50 NT for kids. You can tap your EasyCard. Try to get the crystal floor cabin (same price, just wait for it).

Jiufen 九份 Jiǔfèn

Hillside village, Spirited Away vibes. Cheap bus from Taipei. It's packed 10am-7pm. If you stay overnight you'll see it empty in the morning and at night, which is a different experience.

Fulong 福隆 Fúlóng

1 hour train from Songshan Station 松山車站 Sōngshān Chēzhàn. Rent a bike right outside the station and do the Old Caoling Tunnel loop — about 20km round trip, mostly flat with one long tunnel. Beach too. One of my favorite day trips. Go on a sunny day.

Bike rental: Regular bikes ~100 NT/day, e-bikes ~300-400 NT/day. E-bikes worth it if you want to go further or it's hot. Rentals right at the station, no reservation needed.

Yangmingshan 陽明山 Yángmíng Shān

Mountains north of Taipei. Mt. Qixing 七星山 Qīxīng Shān hike has good views of the city.

Getting there by bus: Take the red line to Jiantan Station 劍潭站, then catch bus R5 (紅5) to Yangmingshan. Runs every 10-15 min.

Uber: About 300-400 NT from central Taipei. Worth it to skip the crowded buses, especially on weekends.

Teapot Mountain 茶壺山 Cháhú Shān

A hike with great coastal and mountain views. It's near Jiufen so you can combine both in one day trip — do the hike first, then head to Jiufen for food after.

Hualien 花蓮 Huālián & Taroko Gorge 太魯閣 Tàilǔgé

2.5 hour train. This is the one you should do if you have time. Hire a driver for 4-5 hours (~$40) to see Taroko properly. Baiyang Trail 白楊步道 Báiyáng Bùdào is a short hike to a waterfall area. Pine Garden 松園別館 Sōngyuán Biéguǎn is a former Japanese military base with some dark history. Good night market in Hualien city.

Taichung 台中 Táizhōng

1 hour by high-speed rail 高鐵 Gāotiě. Angie is from here.

Kenting 墾丁 Kěndīng

Southern tip of Taiwan. Beach town. 2.5 hours by HSR + bus. Rent a scooter (400-500 NT/day) to get around. Southernmost point has a park and windmill. Night market is decent.

Jiaoxi 礁溪 Jiāoxī / Yilan 宜蘭 Yílán

Hot spring town about 1 hour from Taipei by train or bus. Jiaoxi has public hot spring pools, foot baths, and hot spring hotels. Yilan county has nice countryside, farms, and the coast. Good weekend trip — less crowded than Beitou.

Chishang 池上 Chíshàng

Famous for its rice fields — some of the best rice in Taiwan comes from here. Rent a bike and ride through the Brown Boulevard 伯朗大道, a scenic road through the paddies with no power lines. Get a Chishang bento 池上便當 at the station. Located on the east coast, combine with Hualien/Taitung trip.