Taipei: A Complete Guide to the Capital

Taipei is the starting point of almost every trip to Taiwan, and the reason many people stay longer than they planned. It’s a dense, efficient capital where a two-hundred-year-old temple stands two streets from a skyscraper, and a quiet metro carries you from one to the other in ten minutes.

Most travellers give it two or three days at the start of the trip, but it’s also an excellent base: from here you can easily reach Jiufen, the Beitou hot springs, and the north coast, then come back to sleep in the same room.

How long in Taipei

Three full days is the balanced dose. Day one for the city centre and temples, day two for the night markets and Beitou, day three for a trip nearby. Anyone short on time can squeeze it into two and drop the day trip, but our advice is not to rush. Taipei reveals itself slowly.

Getting around

The MRT (the metro) is all you need. The network is clean, punctual, and signed in English, and a single ride costs 20–65 NT$ (about ₪2.5–7.5) by distance. Almost every site in the city is a short walk from a station.

From the main airport, Taoyuan (TPE), the Airport MRT reaches the centre in 35–50 minutes for about 160 NT$ (roughly ₪18). If you land in the small hours, a taxi or shuttle is the alternative.

What to see

Taipei 101 — the city’s symbol, and despite the touristy image, the 89th-floor observatory is worth the 600 NT$ (roughly ₪70). Plan to arrive near sunset to catch both daylight and the city switching on. Hours are usually 11:00–21:00. You can book ahead and skip the queue: tickets for Taipei 101.

Longshan Temple — the city’s most active and beautiful temple, from 1738, with carved roofs and clouds of incense. Entry is free, and it sits minutes from Ximending, the youth and shopping district that comes alive in the evening.

Chiang Kai-shek Memorial — a vast square with a guard change on every hour, a good morning stop. The National Palace Museum holds one of the world’s important collections of Chinese art; entry is about 350 NT$ (roughly ₪40), and it sits away from the centre, so build it into a half-day.

Beitou — the hot-springs neighbourhood, one MRT ride from the centre (red line, change at Xinbeitou). You can soak in public baths for a few dozen shekels, or in a private bathhouse.

Maokong — a cable car that climbs to the tea plantations above the city, with tea houses and a view. Best in the late afternoon toward sunset.

Night markets

This is when Taipei is most itself. Shilin is the biggest and most famous, but also the most crowded; Raohe, next to Ciyou Temple, is compact and easier to walk end to end in one loop, with a pepper-bun stall that always has a line. Ningxia is small and loved by locals.

What to eat: pepper buns, beef noodles, fried oysters, and bubble tea. More in the food and night-markets guide.

Day trips from the city

Taipei’s big card is what surrounds it. Jiufen, a tea town up the hillside, fills with red lanterns at dusk; arrive late, once the groups leave. Pingxi is an old rail line where people send paper lanterns into the air. Yehliu, on the north coast, shows wind-sculpted rocks in strange shapes. You can combine a few of them on a guided day trip to Jiufen and the north coast, or do it yourself by train and bus.

Where to stay

Base yourself near an MRT station and everything else sorts itself out. Ximending is popular with younger travellers for its nightlife and location; you can compare hotels in Ximending. The area around Taipei Main Station suits anyone moving around a lot by train and heading out on day trips, so see hotels near Taipei Main Station. Da’an is quiet, green, and a little pricier, good for couples.

From here you can carry on: check the itineraries to see how Taipei fits into a full trip, or go back to the main guide.