Northern Taiwan
Skyscrapers, temples and the best late-night food in Asia.
Photo: Heeheemalu · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Why go
Taipei is the easiest place in Taiwan to fall for. In a single afternoon you can climb a forested ridge above the city, drink tea in a century-old merchant street, eat your way through a night market and end the evening in a rooftop bar with Taipei 101 glowing above you.
The city rewards slow travel. Its neighbourhoods have distinct personalities — historic Dadaocheng, student-filled Da’an, glossy Xinyi — and the MRT makes hopping between them effortless. Give yourself at least two full days, then use Taipei as a base for day trips to Jiufen, Shifen and the north coast.
Taipei is the kind of city that works equally well for a 24-hour layover and a week-long stay. The metro is clean and cheap, English signage is everywhere, and the food is outstanding at every price point.
Use the city as your northern base: Jiufen and Shifen are an easy day trip, and the high-speed rail puts Taichung within an hour.
Before you go
Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) is 40 minutes from Taipei Main Station on the Airport MRT. High-speed rail links the city with the west coast in under two hours.
Taoyuan (TPE) is the main international gateway; the Airport MRT reaches Taipei Main Station in about 40 minutes. Songshan (TSA), in the city, mostly handles domestic flights.
HSR leaves from Taipei Main Station and puts Kaohsiung 1.5 hours away. TRA trains connect the east coast and smaller towns from the same station.
Intercity buses arrive at Taipei Bus Station, next to the main rail station. They are cheap but slower than HSR over long distances.
The essentials
The essentials, in roughly the order you might see them. Every pin appears on the map.
Select a pin for a short description, or open the place directly in Google Maps.
The island's most recognisable tower, designed to resemble a bamboo stalk. The 89th-floor observatory opens onto the whole Taipei basin, and the 101st-floor outdoor deck is worth the extra ticket on a clear day.
Arrive 45 minutes before sunset to watch the city switch on its lights. The mall below is a good place to wait out rain.
A short but steep stair climb through jungle that ends at the classic postcard view of Taipei 101. The trail is busy at sunset, and for good reason.
Bring water and a small towel. The last stretch is exposed and hot in summer; start no later than 5pm.
One of the world's great collections of Chinese art, with roughly 700,000 objects spanning imperial bronzes, calligraphy, jade and ceramics. Only a fraction is on display at any time.
Focus on two or three galleries rather than trying to see everything. The jadeite cabbage and meat-shaped stone are in the permanent collection.
The old trading heart of Taipei, where baroque shophouses sell dried mushrooms, medicinal herbs, tea and fabric. Renovated courtyards hide excellent coffee, design shops and intimate bars.
Come on a weekday morning for the street life without the crowds, then loop down to the riverside park for sunset.
A 1738 temple that is still very much alive: worshippers chant, offer fruit and throw moon blocks while the air fills with incense. The carved roof and stone dragons are extraordinary.
Visit early in the morning when the chanting halls are busiest, and keep your voice low.
Taipei's biggest and most famous night market, a maze of stalls selling giant fried chicken, oyster omelettes, stinky tofu and shaved ice. Come hungry and graze.
The basement food court is the best starting point. Bring cash; many stalls do not take cards.
A geothermal valley 30 minutes north of the centre, with steam rising from the river, historic bathhouses and affordable public pools. It is the perfect rainy-day escape.
The public Millennium Hot Spring is cheap and local; private rooms at the historic bathhouses are better for couples.
Taipei's youthful shopping and street-performance district, all neon, sneaker stores, cinemas and snack stalls. It is loud, commercial and genuinely fun after dark.
Combine it with a walk north to the Red House, a restored market with small design shops and bars.
Taste
The city's unofficial dish: braised beef, chewy noodles and a deep, spice-laced broth. Every local has a favourite shop.
Thin-skinned soup dumplings, best eaten with black vinegar and ginger. Din Tai Fung is famous, but neighbourhood shops are just as good.
A summer institution piled with fresh mango, condensed milk and sometimes a scoop of ice cream.
Neighbourhoods
Glass towers, department stores and the best skyline views. Stay here if you want polished hotels and easy access to Taipei 101.
Museums, memorials and the handsome old streets around Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall. Excellent transport links.
The atmospheric old town: Dihua Street, Ningxia Night Market and a growing cluster of cafés and design studios.
Before you go
On the road
Ready-made routes that pass through this part of the island.
1 day
Classic
Taipei
Temples, dumplings, a skyline hike and the city after dark.
2 days
Classic
Taipei
A city day, then lanterns in the mountains.
3 days
Classic
Taipei & Taichung
From the capital to the lake, by high-speed rail.
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