15 Best Things to do in Taipei, Taiwan

Planning a trip to Taipei and wondering what to do? You’re in the right place!

We love Taipei because it’s got a bit of everything, and it’s so easy to explore! The public transport is fantastic, and there’s a great mix of modern city sights and traditional temples to discover.

But with everything from night markets to hot springs and mountains, how do you know where to start? Well, that’s where we come in. In this guide, we’re sharing 15 of the best things to do in Taipei to help you plan your perfect trip, plus all of our insider travel tips and tricks. Let’s get into it!

Taipei At A Glance

Before we get into the best things to do in Taipei, here are a few practical things that will make your trip much easier. Taipei is a fairly easy city to explore, but the following tips definitely made our trip run a lot smoother! 

Get an EasyCard: This is Taipei’s tap-and-go card for public transportation, and we definitely recommend picking one up when you arrive. You can buy one at MRT stations and convenience stores like 7-Eleven and FamilyMart for NT$100 (about $3 USD), then top it up as you go.

Language: Mandarin is the main language in Taipei, and you’ll mostly see traditional Chinese characters on signs around the city. That said, there’s a decent amount of English around, especially on public transport and in tourist areas, so we found Taipei pretty easy to navigate.

Getting to Taipei from the airport: Taoyuan International Airport is roughly 45 minutes from central Taipei. If you don’t have loads of luggage, the Airport MRT is one of the easiest and most affordable ways to get into the city.

How We’d Spend 3 Days in Taipei

🏯Day 1: Explore Taipei With A Guide & Enjoy Ximending
Discover Taipei’s historic highlights on a private city tour, visit Huashan 1914 Creative Park, and spend the evening shopping and eating around Ximending.

🥟Day 2: Food Tour, Taipei 101 & Xinyi District
Trade the concrete jungle for greenery and ride the Maokong Gondola, taste your way around Taipei on a food tour, watch the sunset from Taipei 101, and end the night in the upscale Xinyi District.

🏮Day 3: Discover Northern Taiwan
Escape the city on a full-day private tour of Northern Taiwan, visiting Yehliu, Jiufen, Shifen Waterfall, and Shifen Old Street before finishing your trip with one last night market.

Things to do in Taipei

1. See Taipei’s highlights in one day

If it’s your first time in Taipei, we think that spending a day getting to know the city properly is a great place to start. Taipei is packed with temples, historic landmarks, busy shopping streets, and incredible viewpoints, so there’s a lot to squeeze in!

That’s why we really like this private full-day Taipei tour. You’ll have your own driver-guide and air-conditioned vehicle for eight hours, which means you can cover far more ground than you would relying on public transportation.

The suggested itinerary includes Longshan Temple, Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall, Dihua Street, and the National Palace Museum. You can also head over to Taipei 101 or hike up Elephant Mountain for that classic view of the skyscraper rising above the city skyline.

But our favorite thing about this tour is that nothing is set in stone. Since it’s private, you can customize the day around what interests you most, whether that means spending longer at the historic sites or prioritizing food and shopping instead. You get to see Taipei your way, and really make the most of your time here. 

Hotel pickup and private transportation are included, along with bottled water and parking fees. Since the itinerary is so flexible, meals and optional attraction tickets do cost extra. But all in all, we think this is such a fun and easy way to get your bearings in Taipei, especially when you only have a few days to explore. And don’t just take our word for it – check the 1,000+ glowing reviews here!

2. Discover Northern Taiwan’s top sights: Jiufen, Yehliu, and Pingxi

One of our favorite things about Taipei is how quickly you can swap the city for mountains and Taiwan’s dramatic northern coastline. We took this private Northern Taiwan day tour, and it was such an easy way to see several of the region’s most famous sights in one day.

There are three routes to choose from, but we chose the option that visits Yehliu, Jiufen, and Pingxi – and we recommend that you do the same! It packed in all of the places that we most wanted to see, and having a private driver made the whole day feel so much easier than trying to piece everything together ourselves.

Yehliu Geopark is unlike anywhere else, with crazy rock formations carved out by years of wind and sea erosion. It’s bizarre, and absolutely beautiful! We also loved Jiufen, an old gold-mining town built into the mountainside, where we had the best time wandering the steep streets lined with teahouses and snack stalls.

The final stops of the day were in Pingxi. Shifen Waterfall is one of Taiwan’s most famous waterfalls, but Shifen Old Street was a real highlight for us! The railway runs straight through the middle of town, and watching trains pass right beside the market was such a fun experience.

Best of all, this is a private tour, so the day felt flexible and not at all rushed! We loved getting to see so many incredible places in just one day, so booking this tour really helped us to get the most out of our time in Taipei. We can’t recommend it enough!

3. Go to the top of Taipei 101 Observatory

No trip to Taipei would be complete without seeing the city from the top of Taipei 101! This 101-story skyscraper stands 508 meters (1,667 feet) tall and was actually the tallest building in the world when it opened back in 2004. It retained that title until 2009, and it’s now the 11th tallest worldwide – not bad! 

You can head up to the observatory on the upper floors, where indoor and outdoor viewing areas offer incredible panoramas across Taipei. We were fortunate enough to visit on a clear day, and we were able to see the city stretching out in every direction, with mountains rising up in the distance.

There are also cafes and restaurants up here, plus displays that explain some of the building’s history and engineering. One of the coolest things to look out for is the huge tuned mass damper inside the tower, which helps keep Taipei 101 stable during strong winds and earthquakes.

If you can, we definitely recommend timing your visit for sunset. You’ll get to see Taipei in daylight, watch the sky change color, and then see the city lights coming on below you. It’s easily one of the best views in Taipei!

Admission costs around NT$600 (about $19 USD), and the observatory is open daily from 10 am to 9 pm. It’s definitely an unmissable Taipei experience!

4. Taste your way around Taipei

Taipei is famous for its food, and we’re not kidding when we say that you could build an entire trip around eating here! From bustling markets to tiny local restaurants, there’s so much to try that it can be hard to know where to start. 

Fortunately, this private Taipei food tour makes it much easier to get to grips with the city’s food scene! Over three hours, you’ll work your way through 10 different food and drink tastings, with a local guide taking you to some of their favorite spots around the Zhongzheng District.

One of the main stops is Dongmen Market, where you’ll get to try classic Taiwanese dishes like scallion pancakes and braised pork. But this isn’t just a case of bouncing between food stalls! Your guide will also show you a few interesting city sights along the way, including the remains of Taipei’s old prison wall, so you’ll get a little history mixed in with all of the eating. 

Since it’s a private tour, you can ask tons of questions and get lots of local insights into this fascinating city. We always think it’s super helpful to have someone to explain what you’re eating and point you toward places (and dishes) you might never have thought to try on your own.

And if you fall in love with a particular dish, make sure you ask where else to find it! Having a local foodie guide means you’ll come away with plenty of recommendations for the rest of your trip.

5. Explore the city on two wheels

If you like to stay active while you travel, we think that this 4-hour bike tour of Taipei is such a fun way to see the city. You’ll cover way more ground than you would on foot, but you’ll still be exploring Taipei in the open air rather than seeing it all from inside a tour bus or van.

The morning starts with a traditional Taiwanese breakfast before you set off through the city with your guide. From there, you’ll pedal past local markets and historic streets, stopping at places like Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall and Longshan Temple. You’ll also ride through Dadaocheng and along Dihua Street, one of Taipei’s oldest commercial areas.

We especially like that this tour mixes major landmarks with places you might not think to seek out on your own. For example, you’ll visit Shuanglian Market, where locals shop for their everyday groceries, and Taipei Xia Hai City God Temple, which is especially popular with people hoping to improve their love lives!

The group is capped at just nine people, so it still feels pretty personal, and the pace is designed to be manageable rather than intense. Your bike and helmet are included, along with water and even a rain jacket if Taipei’s weather decides not to cooperate.

Overall, we think this would be an ideal activity for your first morning in the city. You’ll get your bearings, and the tour also includes a traditional Taiwanese breakfast and tea! 

6. Hit the night markets

Taipei’s night market scene is epic, and we definitely recommend setting aside at least one evening to experience it! These markets are a huge part of the city’s food culture, with rows of stalls serving Taiwanese snacks alongside shops and games. They’re an absolute dream for people-watching!

If you only have time for one, Shilin Night Market is the obvious place to start. It’s Taipei’s most famous night market, and it’s huge, so you could easily spend an entire evening eating your way around the stalls and browsing the shops.

Another favorite is Raohe Night Market, which feels a bit more compact and manageable, but still exciting! This one is especially well-known for its amazing food, and it’s the perfect place to try treats like fuzhou pepper buns, papaya milk, and crispy stinky tofu. Sure, its name isn’t the most appetizing, but don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it! And better still, you can also combine an evening at Raohe Night Market with a visit to the beautiful Ciyou Temple right by the entrance.

And if you have a few nights in Taipei, we’d definitely mix things up! Ningxia Night Market is another great option if you’re hungry, while Shida Night Market has a more youthful feel, as it’s super popular with students and known for its independent fashion boutiques. 

7. Visit the Beitou hot springs and Yangmingshan National Park

Taipei is such an exciting city, but one of our favorite things is how quickly you can escape into nature. This full-day tour of Yangmingshan National Park and Beitou takes you out of the city for a day of volcanic landscapes and hot springs!

You’ll spend the first part of the day exploring Yangmingshan National Park, starting at Qingtiangang, a huge grassy lava terrace where you might even spot water buffalo grazing. From there, you’ll visit Lengshuikeng and Xiaoyoukeng, where steaming fumaroles and sulfur vents are a reminder that this entire area was shaped by volcanic activity.

The scenery changes again at Zhuzihu, a peaceful farming area tucked into the mountains. Depending on when you visit, you might catch the famous calla lilies or hydrangeas in bloom!

Then it’s on to Beitou, Taipei’s best-known hot spring district. You’ll see the steaming waters of Thermal Valley and visit the Beitou Hot Spring Museum to learn how the area became such a popular wellness retreat. A hot spring foot bath is included too, which feels very well deserved after all that walking!

We love that this tour lets you experience a completely different side of Taipei without having to organize transportation yourself. And if you’re hungry afterward, you can even choose to hop off near Shilin Night Market on the way back. This tour tends to sell out, so we recommend using the free cancellation policy and booking in advance! 

8. Hike up Elephant Mountain

If you want one of the best views in Taipei without having to leave the city, Elephant Mountain is hard to beat! This short hiking trail climbs into the hills on the eastern side of Taipei and rewards you with an incredible view of the skyline, with Taipei 101 towering right in the middle of it.

The trail is only about 1 kilometer (0.6 miles), so it doesn’t take long to complete. However, don’t let the distance fool you! There are a lot of stairs and the climb is pretty steep, so you’ll definitely get your heart rate up on the way.

Fortunately, you don’t need to be an experienced hiker to tackle Elephant Mountain. We think that anyone with a moderate level of fitness should be fine, and you can always take your time and stop for a breather along the way.

There are several viewpoints as you climb, so you don’t necessarily need to make it all the way to the top to get that classic Taipei 101 photo either. And be sure to allow yourself plenty of time to enjoy the views instead of trying to race up and down! 

9. Escape the city and explore Taroko Gorge National Park

Now, most people stay in Hualien to visit Taroko Gorge, but if you haven’t got time for that in your Taiwan itinerary, no worries. You can always visit on this private Taroko Gorge tour instead! Taroko is famous for its towering marble cliffs and deep river gorge with bright blue water, so you absolutely cannot miss out on seeing it for yourself while you’re in the country.

We won’t lie, this is a long day at around 12 hours, but having a private driver-guide makes it much easier than driving yourself! You’ll be picked up from your hotel in Taipei and driven out toward Hualien, with the itinerary taking in the Taroko area as well as stops around Xincheng and the beautiful Qixingtan pebble beach.

One important thing to know is that Taroko is still recovering from the 2024 earthquake. Provincial Highway 8 has reopened, but traffic controls are still in place, and many trails and scenic spots remain closed while repairs continue. This means the exact itinerary may need to change depending on road conditions and what is officially open on the day.

That’s actually one reason we think a private tour makes so much sense right now. Your driver-guide can work around the current access restrictions, while you can focus on enjoying the scenery rather than trying to navigate changing road controls yourself. 

Basically, we definitely think that this tour is the smartest way to see Taroko Gorge if you haven’t got time to stay overnight in Hualien. But don’t just take our word for it, because you can read hundreds of 5-star reviews here!

10. Ride the Maokong Gondola

You don’t have to travel far from central Taipei to find some peace and quiet! The Maokong Gondola carries you up into the green hills south of the city, where tea plantations and traditional teahouses replace busy streets and skyscrapers.

The gondola itself is all part of the fun! The route stretches about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles), and the journey to Maokong Station takes roughly 30 minutes, with gorgeous views of the surrounding mountains and Taipei along the way.

You can choose between a regular cabin or one of the Crystal Cabins, which have glass floors so you can look straight down beneath your feet. A one-way ticket costs NT$180 (about $6 USD), and upgrading to a Crystal Cabin costs an extra NT$50.

Once you reach Maokong, it’s time to slow things right down! The area is famous for tea production, and there are tons of teahouses dotted around the hillside where you can sit down for a tasting and take in the views. We gave ourselves plenty of time up here rather than just riding the gondola straight back down.

Just keep in mind that the gondola is generally closed on Mondays for maintenance, with a few exceptions. Service can also stop during bad weather, so it’s always worth double-checking the status of the gondola before you go! 

11. Learn how to cook Taiwanese specialty foods 

If you love Taiwanese food as much as we do, then this 3-hour cooking class is such a fun way to take a little piece of Taipei home with you!

The star of the show is Xiao Long Bao, Taiwan’s famous soup dumplings. You’ll learn how to make the dough from scratch and get those neat little pleats around the top. And thankfully, you don’t need to be a kitchen pro to join in because the class is suitable for all experience levels.

But it doesn’t stop there. You’ll also make braised beef noodle soup, a refreshing cucumber salad, and your own bubble milk tea. So by the end of the class, you’ll have basically cooked an entire Taiwanese feast!

We especially like that the group is capped at just 10 people, which means you can ask lots of questions and get help with the trickier parts. You’ll also hear the stories behind some of Taiwan’s best-known dishes, so this class is definitely about more than just following a recipe.

Recipes and photos from the class are included too, which means you can attempt to recreate everything once you get home. Whether your Xiao Long Bao look quite as pretty the second time around is another question!

We definitely recommend booking this class in advance. It’s one of the most popular cooking experiences in Taipei and dates regularly sell out, especially during busy travel periods.

12. Wander through the Creative Parks

Taipei has a handful of Creative Parks, and we absolutely loved exploring them while we were here! These spaces take old industrial buildings, like warehouses and factories, and turn them into places for art exhibitions, performances, design shops, and cafes. It’s such a cool concept!

If you only visit one, make it Huashan 1914 Creative Park. It started life as a winery in 1914 and has since been transformed into one of Taipei’s best-known cultural spaces, with rotating exhibitions and events taking place throughout the old industrial buildings.

We also really liked Songshan Cultural and Creative Park, which occupies a former tobacco factory built in 1937. The old warehouses now host exhibitions and creative businesses, while the surrounding grounds include a pond and landscaped gardens, and we loved exploring this spot at a leisurely pace.

Both parks have plenty going on throughout the year, so it’s worth checking what exhibitions or events are running while you’re in Taipei. Even if nothing specific catches your eye, we still think they’re worth visiting for the architecture and atmosphere alone. Plus, these parks are just another part of what makes Taipei such a cool and unique city! 

13. See the Thousand Island Lake and Pinglin Tea Plantation 

Taipei is surrounded by some very beautiful countryside, and this half-day tour to Thousand Island Lake and Pinglin is an easy way to experience it without needing a car. In just five hours, you’ll swap skyscrapers for rolling tea fields and some gorgeous lake views!

The first stop is Thousand Island Lake, where the Feitsui Reservoir winds between lush green hills to create dozens of little islands. You’ll admire it from viewpoints above rather than heading down to the water itself, but that’s where you get the best perspective of the landscape anyway!

From there, you’ll visit Bagua Tea Garden, where the surrounding hills are covered in tea plantations. This region is especially known for varieties like Wenshan Baozhong tea, so we think it’s a great introduction to Taiwan’s long tea-growing tradition.

You’ll also visit the Pinglin Tea Museum to learn more about how tea is grown and produced before heading to Pinglin Old Street for a tasting at a local tea shop. One useful thing to know is that the museum closes on the first Monday of each month, and the itinerary spends more time exploring Pinglin Old Street instead on those days.

We think this is a lovely afternoon trip if you want to see more of Taiwan beyond Taipei without committing to a huge day out. Plus, what better place for a tea tasting than right in the middle of tea country?

14. Visit the National Palace, Longshan Temple, and Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall with a guide 

If you want to dig a little deeper into Taipei’s history without giving up an entire day, we think this half-day city tour is a great option. It focuses on a handful of important historic and cultural sights, so it feels quite different from the customizable full-day tour we mentioned earlier.

The most significant stop is the National Palace Museum, where you’ll have around 80 minutes to explore with your guide! The museum houses an enormous collection of Chinese art and artifacts, and admission is already included in the tour price, which makes everything nice and straightforward.

You’ll also visit Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall, one of Taipei’s most recognizable landmarks. The huge white memorial sits at the end of an equally impressive plaza, and the tour is timed so that you can see the changing of the guard ceremony while you’re here.

Then it’s on to Longshan Temple, where you’ll get a glimpse into Taiwan’s religious traditions and see how this historic temple is still very much part of everyday life in Taipei.

We really like that this tour only takes around four hours. It gives you the context of having a knowledgeable guide without taking over your whole day, so you’ll still have plenty of time afterward to explore on your own. You can even choose to hop off around Ximending on the way back – more on that coming up! 

15. Wander through the Ximending pedestrian district 

If you fancy some shopping, street food, and people-watching, make sure you spend some time wandering around Ximending. This was Taipei’s first pedestrian zone, and today it’s one of the liveliest parts of the city.

And when we say shopping, we definitely don’t just mean clothes! In Ximending, you can stumble across almost anything, from quirky souvenirs to retro arcades and beauty stores. If you want to grab some Taiwanese goodies to take home, this is one of the best places to find them! 

There are also plenty of restaurants and food stalls dotted around the neighborhood, so it’s a great place to grab a snack as you explore. We’d especially recommend coming in the evening, when the streets really start to fill up, and the whole area feels much more energetic.

We had so much fun exploring this area. We didn’t plan it out, we just wandered down whichever street took our fancy and stopped whenever we spotted something good to eat, drink, or buy! It’s so much fun, and the perfect place to wrap up a busy day of sightseeing in Taipei. 

Related Read: Need help organizing your trip? See our ideal 3-day Taipei itinerary for many of these top activities, and more, all planned out for you!

Where to Stay in Taipei

If you only have a few days in Taipei, we highly recommend staying near Taipei Main Station. You’ll have easy access to the MRT for sightseeing, plus Taiwan Railways and high-speed trains if you’re heading elsewhere in the country. The Airport MRT also connects this area directly with Taoyuan International Airport, so arriving and leaving is nice and straightforward.

You’ll also be within walking distance of plenty of restaurants and shops, with Ximending around 10-15 minutes away from the hotels below. Here are our top picks for every budget!

Luxury – $$$

Hotel Relax III is our favorite luxury hotel in Taipei, and it’s just a 5-minute walk from Taipei Main Station. The location is absolutely fantastic, and you can even walk to Ximending from here, too! 

The hotel is modern and classy, with big beds and a chic, black-and-gold lobby. But one thing that makes this hotel a little different is its focus on technology. It was Taiwan’s first intelligent voice IoT boutique hotel, and there’s even a Google speaker with translation capabilities at reception to make communicating with international guests easier during check-in and check-out – how cool is that?

Rooms start around $240 USD per night. Check prices and availability for Hotel Relax III here!

Mid-range – $$

Via Hotel Taipei Station strikes a great balance between comfort and affordability, and it’s just a 10-minute walk from Taipei Main Station. You can also walk to Ximending in roughly the same amount of time, so we think this is an unbeatable location for the price.

Rooms here are fairly simple, but they’re modern and well-maintained, with homely pops of color and comfy beds. One of our favorite perks is the 24-hour Via Cafe, where guests can grab complimentary drinks and light snacks. There’s also free self-service laundry, which is always a win in our books!

Prices average around $120 USD per night. Read the great reviews and book your stay at Via Hotel Taipei Station here!

Budget – $

If you’d rather keep accommodation costs down, T.O. Hotel – Taipei Station is a great budget option. The location is excellent, with Taipei Main Station just a few minutes away on foot and tons of places to eat right on your doorstep.

The rooms are fairly compact, and some don’t have windows, so this isn’t somewhere we’d book for a luxurious hotel experience. But if you mainly want a clean, comfortable base for sleeping between busy days of exploring Taipei, it does the job nicely. 

Rooms start as low as $100 USD per night. Check prices and availability for T.O. Hotel – Taipei Station here!

Thanks for reading!

Taipei is a vibrant city, full of unique history, culture, and amazing food! This list of top things to do is a great launch point for exploring, but there’s even more for you to discover for yourself.

Before you head out, see the rest of our Asia blogs! We love helping fellow travelers plan a memorable trip, from top things to do to choosing a hotel and planning your itinerary. Here are a few related blogs you might find helpful. Happy planning!

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