Night markets in every district, incense-filled temples, hot springs and mountains one metro stop away. Taipei is gentle, safe and delicious, from xiaolongbao to bubble tea.
trading village on the Tamsui River, Taipei became a walled city in 1884. Under Japanese rule from 1895 to 1945 it gained grand public buildings, and in 1949 it became the seat of the government of the Republic of China.
Today the city mixes Taoist temples, teahouses, design shops and glass towers, crowned by Taipei 101. People eat at all hours in the night markets, bathe in Beitou’s hot springs or hike Yangmingshan, at the end of the metro line.
Find your bearings
For a first stay near Main Station, the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial and the pedestrian streets of Ximending. Very well connected and lively.
For cafés, Yongkang Street, Da’an Forest Park and restaurants. Residential, leafy and great for food.
For Taipei 101, the malls and the Elephant Mountain climb for the view. Modern and upmarket.
For old shopping streets, teahouses and the riverside wharf at sunset. Taipei of yesteryear.
A first visit
A starting point to adapt to the weather, your energy and opening hours.
Morning at Longshan Temple, then Ximending. Afternoon at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial and on Yongkang Street. In the evening, Raohe or Shilin night market.
Morning at the National Palace Museum. Afternoon at the Beitou hot springs. Late in the day, climb Elephant Mountain to watch Taipei 101 light up.
