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Taipei, Taiwan
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When to visit
Attractions in Taipei, Taiwan
1. Taipei 101
Quick facts: From the observation deck you can feel a subtle sway as a 660-ton tuned mass damper cushions wind and quake forces, the massive sphere visible through the glass adding a surprising industrial drama. Riding the elevators is a giddy thrill; they climb at about 60 km/h and reach the observation level in roughly 37 seconds, leaving the city rushing away beneath the windows.
Highlights: Behind a wall of glass on the 88th floor, a 660-ton tuned mass damper, a polished 5.5-meter steel sphere suspended by 41 cables, rocks like a slow metronome during typhoons and earthquakes, and you can hear the faint creak and see the room drift. Step into the glass elevator and you surge from the 5th to the 89th floor in about 37 seconds at 60.6 km/h, your ears pop and the skyline melts into a streak of lights.
2. National Palace Museum
Quick facts: Step into hushed galleries where over 600,000 jade, porcelain, and ink treasures shimmer under soft lights, their tiny brushstrokes and kiln marks rewarding close, patient viewing. A rotating exhibit schedule means you might stumble on imperial seals, miniature carvings, or scrolls that rarely travel, so every visit can feel like uncovering a secret.
Highlights: Walk up to the tiny, pale-green 'Jadeite Cabbage' and you'll spot a miniature locust and katydid tucked into the carved veins, the leaves standing about 18 centimeters tall yet carved with insect legs so fine they catch the light. Nearby the 'Meat-shaped Stone' shines like a lacquered slice of braised pork, its layered bands and glossy surface tricking your eyes and making many visitors laugh out loud.
3. Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
Quick facts: A thunderous hourly changing of the guard draws crowds, the precise choreography and imposing bronze statue create a surprisingly cinematic moment. Visitors remark on the vast marble plaza and striking white-and-blue color scheme, where the echoing vaulted hall and manicured gardens make the space feel both monumental and unexpectedly peaceful.
Highlights: Every hour on the hour a perfectly timed guard change plays out beneath the cobalt roof, boots snapping and drums punctuating the air so sharply that tourists fall into silence and children press their noses to the balustrade. At sunset the marble hall blazes a warm ochre while the reflecting pool flips the whole scene into mirror-image, the smell of frying scallion pancakes drifting across the plaza and making the place feel alive rather than solemn.
4. Longshan Temple
Quick facts: Incense smoke curls through ornately carved halls, while dragon pillars and painted beams reward close-up inspection. Crowds toss coins, light incense, and knot prayer ribbons, believing whispered wishes might usher in good fortune.
Highlights: Founded in 1738, the temple breathes with thick, honeyed incense and the sharp clack of two crescent-shaped jiaobei blocks as devotees toss them for yes-or-no answers, the wooden echoes ricocheting under lacquered beams and carved dragons. Press a coin into the warm bronze of a guardian and you'll feel a smooth, polished divot from centuries of palms, and local lore says a single fortuitous jiaobei toss once warned worshippers of a 1945 bombing.
5. Shilin Night Market
Quick facts: Neon signs and sizzling woks guide you through a maze of hundreds of stalls, where the smell of stinky tofu and the rattle of arcade games hit every sense at once. Vendors push giant fried chicken cutlets and scallion pancakes that sometimes draw lines over a hundred people, turning midnight snacking into a full-on local pastime.
Highlights: Follow the smell of five-spice and frying oil and you'll find a Hot-Star stall where the signature fried chicken is pounded paper-thin, fried until the crust crackles, and served on a paper bag roughly 15 centimeters across. After midnight veteran vendors still gather under red lanterns to trade NT$100 palm readings, a quirky ritual where readers scribble tiny characters on slips of paper and gossip about exam results like old friends.
6. Raohe Street Night Market
Quick facts: Steaming, peppery buns crackle with hot juices at the stalls, sending fragrant smoke into the night and tempting long, hungry queues. Lantern-lit alleys host well over a hundred vendors, turning late-night snacking into a lively, sensory marathon of scent, sound, and neon.
Highlights: Walk under strings of red lanterns and you'll be hit by the sweet char of caramelized sugar and five-spice as a vendor shoves pepper pork buns into a cylindrical clay oven, the crust popping and hissing while a line commonly snakes 30 people deep at peak hours. Locals have a quirky habit of tearing off a corner of a sesame mochi to share with a friend before eating, a tiny ritual that turns every purchase into an instant, noisy communion: you'll hear chopsticks clacking, laughter, and people swapping bites like trading cards under neon.
7. Elephant Mountain (Xiangshan)
Quick facts: Sweat and exhilaration meet on a narrow staircase of about 600 stone steps, where layered lookout platforms reward the breathless with sweeping, glittering city panoramas. Golden-hour crowds and eager photographers stake out the best ledges, chasing the electric glow as the skyline shifts from warm pinks to twinkling blues.
Highlights: Climb the steep stone staircase of roughly 600 steps to a ridgeline perch that frames a 101-story skyscraper like a tiny model among a sweep of orange city lights, and at golden hour the air fills with the click of camera shutters and the warm scent of roasted chestnuts from street vendors below. Local photographers often arrive up to 60 minutes early to stake out one of about five favorite platforms with tripods, a low-key ritual of taped footprints and friendly bargaining over perfect angles that turns sunset into a communal countdown.
8. Yangmingshan National Park
Quick facts: Misty trails release a mineral tang as steaming fumaroles and bubbling hot springs punctuate fields of bright cherry and azalea blooms. Hikers can loop short crater trails to find panoramic ridgelines and rare volcanic landscapes, where cool forests sit alongside warm geothermal vents.
Highlights: Steam hisses from fumaroles at Xiaoyoukeng, where mineral-streaked rocks and a sulfur tang make the air taste metallic, a raw reminder that you're standing on one of the seven volcanoes of the Datun range. On sunny weekends families spread checkered blankets on Qingtiangang's windswept grassland, nibbling warm 'hot-spring eggs' bought from vendors near Lengshuikeng while chrysanthemums and azaleas paint the slopes in pinks and whites.
9. Beitou Hot Springs (Beitou Thermal Valley & Beitou Hot Springs Museum)
Quick facts: Steam curls from a milky turquoise pool that smells faintly of sulfur, and temperatures often hover close to boiling as minerals streak the water vivid green. Exploring a restored public bathhouse reveals vintage wooden tubs, interactive exhibits on bathing rituals, and a surprising glimpse into how hot-spring culture shaped everyday life.
Highlights: Stand close to the steaming pool and you'll smell sharp sulfur, see milky turquoise water hovering around 80°C, and watch thin steam curl up while the ground quietly hisses like a hidden kettle. Inside the century-old public bathhouse built in 1913, original wooden tubs and Japanese-era tiles are on display, and a local habit lives on where people crack eggs cooked in the hot spring vents and eat them warm as they stroll the gardens.
10. Tamsui Old Street & Fort San Domingo
Quick facts: Sea breezes and the smell of grilled snacks lure visitors through a lively waterfront market where narrow alleys brim with teahouses, street-food stalls, and nostalgic souvenir shops. Perched above the estuary, a weathered red-brick fort reveals layered colonial-era stories through exposed stonework, preserved rooms, and a surprisingly photogenic sunset viewpoint.
Highlights: On the waterfront market you can snag A-gei for about NT$40, bite into iron eggs stewed until deep mahogany that squeak against your teeth, and follow the tang of five-spice and soy as vendors fry fishballs in bubbling vats. A short climb up to the red-brick fort built in the 17th century rewards you with uneven stone steps, shuttered windows and a windswept rampart where colonial-era plaques tell stories of Spanish and British hands while the sunset paints the river copper.
Traditional Sweet Dishes
Pineapple cake
Pineapple cake is often given as a good-luck gift because the Taiwanese Hokkien word for pineapple sounds like 'prosperity arrives', so the buttery pastries symbolize fortune and new beginnings.
Sun cake
Sun cake gets its sunny name from a glossy, sweet malt filling that used to look like a shining sun, and travelers commonly buy them as a popular souvenir.
Douhua
Douhua, or tofu pudding, can be served sweet with ginger syrup or savory with soy and pickles, making it a versatile street-food comfort that appears at breakfast and night markets alike.
Traditional Savory Dishes
Beef noodle soup
Beef noodle soup is so beloved in Taiwan that shops hold annual competitions, and some cooks simmer the broth for up to 12 hours to build its deep, savory richness.
Oyster omelette
Oyster omelette pairs briny fresh oysters with a chewy sweet-potato-starch batter, and night markets finish it with a tangy, sweet sauce that people line up for.
Stinky tofu
Stinky tofu smells famously pungent from fermentation, but deep-frying crisps the outside and the contrast with pickled cabbage turns it into a cult favorite among adventurous eaters.
Traditional Beverages
Bubble tea
Bubble tea was created in Taiwan in the 1980s when tapioca pearls were dropped into milk tea, and its playful textures and endless customizations helped it spread around the world.
Oolong tea
Taiwanese oolong, especially high-mountain varieties, is prized for its floral aroma and layered flavors, and it is often brewed in a traditional gongfu style to reveal changing notes across multiple infusions.
Taiwan Beer
Taiwan Beer often incorporates locally grown rice in its lager recipe, giving it a lighter body, and its green-bottled pilsners have become an iconic taste of Taiwan.
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Find experiences - Taipei, Taiwan
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Google MapsComments (8)
At night markets, pick stalls with lines of locals. Skip the first souvenir stalls, prices drop a block or two in.
Most museums post free or discounted days, check online before you go and avoid planning a museum day on a holiday.
Weather was muggy in July with sporadic rain, but the temples and tea shops made rainy afternoons cozy.
A bit overhyped for me, tourist stalls push prices and peak nights are packed. Food still mostly worth it.
Loved Taipei's night markets, everything tastes amazing and cheap. Plan 4 days to eat your way through the city.
Getting there
Train stations
TRA (regional), Taipei MRT; HSR connection via station
TRA, Taiwan High Speed Rail (Nangang HSR), Taipei MRT
From Taoyuan use the MRT (A line) or airport buses to downtown.
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