Things to do in Taipei
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Taipei
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Winter: cool and often grey, the connoisseur's season for hot springs, hiking and the clearest Yangmingshan air.
Spring: March and April are a sweet spot, then plum rain arrives around May with weeks of frontal rain.
Summer: hot, humid and typhoon prone, best lived early, late and in night markets; build in a buffer day.
Autumn: the best all round season, warm with falling rain and humidity and every pick near its best.
What's on
- Taipei 101 New Year's Eve Fireworks 31 December
The city's signature night, watched from Xiangshan, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall or a booked Xinyi rooftop.
- Lunar New Year 6 February in 2027
Taipei quiets as shops close and families leave, while temples such as Longshan glow with lanterns.
- Dihua Street New Year Market 2-3 weeks before Lunar New Year
Peak Dadaocheng, when Dihua Street fills with New Year goods stalls.
- Taipei Lantern Festival Feb-Mar
Recent editions centred on Ximen and Wanhua; confirm the year's dates.
- Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival around Lunar New Year
Mass lantern releases on set evenings only in Shifen and Pingxi; go early or expect long return queues.
- Yangmingshan Flower Festival Feb-Mar
Cherry blossom in the national park, mobbed on weekends.
- Zhuzihu Calla Lily Season Mar-May
Calla lily fields in Yangmingshan through spring.
- Dragon Boat Festival late May/June
Dragon boat races on the Keelung River at Dajia Riverside and zongzi everywhere.
- Mid-Autumn Festival Sep/Oct
Mooncakes, pomelos and Taipei's street barbecue tradition close the summer season.
- Double Ten / National Day 10 October
National Day. The main fireworks show moves between cities each year, so check where it is.
Worth the trip for
Best things to do in Taipei
National Palace Museum
Imperial Chinese art on a scale no rival matches: pick two or three galleries and check which signature pieces are on show.
Raohe Street Night Market
One straight temple to arch street with the strongest first timer food hit rate of any Taipei night market.
Longshan Temple
Taipei's most atmospheric temple, a living congregation with chanting, incense and ornate carving since 1738.
Bopiliao Historic Block
Restored Qing era shophouse block next to Longshan Temple that completes an old Taipei morning walk.
Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
Monumental memorial and plaza shared with the national theatre and concert hall, timed for the hourly guard change.
Dihua Street
Old trading port street of shophouses selling tea and dried goods, now mixed with cafes and indie shops.
Taipei 101 Observatory
The 89th floor observatory and visible mass damper pay off on a clear day, best late afternoon into night.
Xiangshan
Twenty steep minutes of stairs to the classic free view of Taipei 101 over the basin at sunset.
Where to stay in Taipei
Da'an
best all round base for most trips
Leafy food first centre around Yongkang Street and Da'an Forest Park, with several MRT lines crossing.
Zhongshan
boutique stays, cafes and a calmer first trip
Tree lined Japanese era district with indie Chifeng Street lanes and direct MRT to Beitou and Tamsui.
Xinyi
luxury hotels, nightlife and a first 48 hours
Modern skyline district of flagship malls and big hotels, with the Xiangshan trailhead at its edge.
Ximending
under 30s, nightlife and budget
Pedestrian, loud, cheap and fun on the blue and green lines, though rooms can be small and noisy.
Taipei Main Station / Zhongzheng
transit and day trip heavy trips
Airport MRT, high speed rail and TRA trains in one hub, functional rather than charming.
Beitou
a one night hot spring add on
Hot spring resort town at the end of the red line branch, too far out to work as a sightseeing base.
Think twice about
- Wanhua around Longshan Temple, Bangka Park and Huaxi-Xichang streets
Rough sleeping, street drinking and a long established solicitation presence shape every walk home at night. Visit in the day instead.
- Blocks immediately north and west of Taipei Main Station
The station fringe concentrates visible homelessness and by the hour hotels. Safe to transit, unpleasant as a doorstep.
- Taoyuan and the airport area
A different city 45 to 60 minutes away by Airport MRT, only sensible for a late arrival or dawn flight.
- Shilin
Pleasant and residential but a long daily ride from Da'an and Xinyi eating and nightlife.
Best restaurants in Taipei
Din Tai Fung
The xiaolongbao benchmark: 18 fold soup dumplings and chilli oil wontons served with unmatched precision.
Fuhang Soy Milk
Taipei's defining breakfast of thick clay oven bread, egg, youtiao and salty soy milk above Shandao Temple MRT.
Le Palais
Three star Cantonese fine dining famed for crispy roast duck and lunch dim sum on the 17th floor.
Taïrroir
Three star tasting menu applying French technique to Taiwanese ingredients and memory.
Lao Shandong Beef Noodles
Hand cut ribbon noodles in deep beef broth in a basement shop serving Ximending for decades.
Wang's Broth
Great-value stall for dark braised pork rice and steamed minced pork broth in Taipei's oldest night market.
Yuan Fang Guabao
Great-value gua bao of braised pork belly, pickled mustard greens, coriander and peanut powder.
Fuzhou Pepper Bun
Great-value black pepper buns baked in clay ovens at the Raohe entrance arch, queue and all.
Best bars in Taipei
Bar Mood
Botanical cocktails built on Taiwanese ingredients, ranked among Asia's best bars.
Indulge Experimental Bistro
Aki Wang's tea terroir pioneer, a top high end mixology pick in local bar guides.
The Public House
Xinyi Anhe cocktail bar famous for serving a midnight chicken soup to drinkers.
Ounce Taipei
Speakeasy style cocktail bar, one of Taipei's best places to drink right now.
Draft Land
Cocktails on tap, the casual group start to a Taipei bar night.
Outdoor things to do in Taipei
Yangmingshan National Park
Volcanic park on the city edge: Mt Qixing, fumaroles and the Qingtiangang grassland in one through hike.
Millennium Hot Spring
The authentic crowded local outdoor soak in Beitou, the budget version of a hot spring day.
Wulai
Atayal mountain village with a gorge, an 80m waterfall, a scenic mini train and riverside springs.
Yehliu Geopark
Wind carved rock formations on the north coast, including the famous and slowly eroding Queen's Head.
Jiufen
Lantern lit hillside old town of teahouses over the sea, best early or after sunset when crowds thin.
Shifen
Rail line village known for sky lanterns and a short walk to Shifen Waterfall on the Pingxi line.
Tamsui River Riverside Bike Path
Flat 15km riverside ride from Guandu past mangroves and temple to Tamsui Old Street and sunset.
Four Beasts Hiking Trail
Tiger, Leopard and Lion peak stair trails behind Xiangshan, the local extension of the classic climb.
Best hotels in Taipei
Kimpton Da An Taipei
Boutique luxury on a quiet lane off Ren'ai Road: tranquil, design led and pet friendly.
Hotel Proverbs Taipei
Moody design boutique by Zhongxiao Fuxing with a small rooftop pool and the East End bar.
Dandy Hotel - Da'an Park Branch
Mid range rooms overlooking Da'an Forest Park by the MRT, praised for value and service.
Dongmen 3 Hostel
Private feeling capsules steps from Dongmen MRT and Yongkang Street, with a lobby cafe.
Regent Taipei
Grand reliable five star with big rooms and a serious shopping arcade on Zhongshan North Road.
The Okura Prestige Taipei
Japanese service five star by Nanjing East Road, calm and precise with a strong bakery.
Dandy Hotel Tianjin Branch
Zhongshan branch of the Da'an Park favourite, with the same service and some rare balcony rooms.
Just Sleep Taipei Zhongshan
Popular Taiwan chain hotel in the shopping district with a 24 hour desk and buffet breakfast.
Is Taipei expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | NT$2,500 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | NT$5,000 a person |
| Splurge | NT$12,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Raohe Street Night Market: a few days ahead
- Taipei 101 Observatory: a few days ahead
- Yehliu Geopark: a few days ahead
- Jiufen: a few days ahead
- Shifen: a few days ahead
- Miramar Golf & Country Club: weeks ahead
- Taiwan Golf & Country Club: weeks ahead
- Le Palais: weeks ahead
- Starred restaurants such as Le Palais, Tairrroir, logy and Mume need two to six weeks.
- Taipei 101 sunset slots need timed tickets days ahead in peak season; New Year hotel rooms go months ahead.
- Villa 32 and top Beitou private soaks on winter weekends should be booked when flights are booked.
- Golf has no walk ons: arrange through a concierge or operator at least a week out, on a weekday.
Is Taipei safe?
- Taipei is very safe by big city standards, with uncommon violent crime and pickpocketing.
- Look both ways twice for scooters, even on a green pedestrian light.
- Typhoons and earthquakes are the real risks: treat a typhoon warning as a hard stop for coast and mountain plans.
- Emergency numbers are 110 for police and 119 for fire and ambulance; the tourism hotline is 0800-011765.
- Check your government's current travel advice before you go.
Taipei travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Shilin Night Market as your only market: for food, Raohe and Ningxia beat it clearly.
- Jiufen at 2pm on a weekend is one narrow lane at tour group density; go at 9am or after 6pm.
- Unpriced fruit stalls in night markets sell cut fruit by weight at prices learned afterwards; walk away.
- Taipei 101 on a white out day means paying observatory prices to stand inside a cloud; Xiangshan is free.
Getting around Taipei: public transport and more
- MRT plus EasyCard is the whole system: cheap, bilingual and covering every pick, with last trains around midnight.
- Taoyuan Airport MRT express takes about 35 minutes to Taipei Main Station; in city Songshan Airport saves an hour each way.
- Taxis and Uber are honest and cheap, meters run and tipping is not expected.
- YouBike needs the app and a payment card as a visitor; riverside paths are separate from traffic.
Who Taipei suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Great |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Great |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Great |
Make Taipei your trip
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