From Temples to Taipei 101: Top Sights In Taipei For First-Timers
A visit to Taiwan wasn’t really on my travel radar but when a good friend of mine invited me to visit her there over New Year’s, I took her up on her offer. And boy, am I glad I did.
I absolutely loved my time in Taiwan. I mostly explored Taipei, where I learned about the storied history and culture of this fascinating island, explored the city’s many diverse and vibrant neighborhoods, and had a marvelous time doing what quickly became my favorite activity in Taiwan: eating. One could say that I truly had the full Taipei experience.
Taiwan, and particularly Taipei, has a fabulous food scene with bustling night markets, a variety of delicious dishes from soup dumplings to pork buns to beef noodle soup, and, of course, shops selling bubble tea and milk tea everywhere.
Along with its culinary delights, Taipei has intricate temples and historic sites, lots of shopping ranging from small local shops to impressive luxury stores, and many cool neighborhoods to explore from the trendy urban center of Ximendeng to the old school streets of Dadaocheng.
In addition to exploring the city, I highly recommend venturing outside of central Taipei and experiencing some of Taiwan’s beautiful nature and culture – there’s hiking, teahouses, and hot springs. And the nature on this island is stunning with gorgeous lakes, beaches, and mountain forests.
First time in Taipei? I’ve got you covered with my list of top things to do, see, and (of course) eat.
Top Things To Do in Taipei, Taiwan
1. Chow down at Taipei’s famous night markets
There are many night markets in Taipei and they’re a must-do cultural experience. Vendors line up their food stalls and sell all kinds of culinary delights – I tried everything from Michelin-listed pork buns to soup dumplings to fried taro. The more adventurous can try dishes like squid or chicken feet.
I went to a few night markets and my favorite was Raohe Night Market – it was quite busy and a little touristy (I recommend getting there early), but I had an absolute blast making my way through the vendors, taking in the atmosphere, and eating to my heart’s content. Pro tip: Make sure to visit the Songshan Ciyou Temple located right outside Raohe Night Market’s entrance.
2. Get a lay of the (Is)land on a walking tour
Taiwan has been a colony of the Dutch, Spanish, Japanese, Manchus, and Chinese and has a unique and complex history. I highly recommend taking a free walking tour to learn more about Taiwanese history, culture, and customs.
I took a tour with Like It Formosa — their excellent and informative historic walking tour took me to popular city sights like Longshan Temple, Bopiliao Historical Block, Ximen Red House, 228 Peace Memorial Park, the Presidential Palace, and Chiang Kai-shek (CKS) Memorial Hall, all places I recommend visiting on your own even if you don’t do a tour.
Pro tip: After a long walking tour, I recommend getting a foot massage or a hair wash – they’re relatively inexpensive, salons are often open in the evening, and they’re a great way to finish off a long day of exploring.
3. Admire the Architecture and Rituals at Taiwanese Temples
There are more than 15,000 registered temples in Taiwan and you can visit some impressive ones in Taipei. Some of the most popular in the city include Longshan Temple, Dalongdong Bao’an Temple, Songshan Ciyou Temple (the one right by the Raohe Night Market), Xingtian Temple, and Guandu Temple, but there are many beautiful temples throughout Taipei.
I highly recommend stopping in to see the incredible architecture of these religious sites and respectfully observe the rituals of the Taiwanese, including providing offerings, lighting incense, and seeking divine answers to life’s questions using red moon blocks.
4. Explore the Diverse, vibrant neighborhoods Of Taipei
Taipei is a large urban city of nearly 2.5 million people and has all kinds of neighborhoods for you to explore. Here are some of the most popular (and fun) areas to visit:
- Dadaocheng: This historic district in Taipei was an important trading port back in the 19th century. It’s best known for Dihua Street, the city’s oldest street with historic buildings full of shops selling everything from tea to medicine to dried goods. There are also teahouses, cafes, restaurants, and plenty of souvenir shops. This area is a popular tourist destination and well worth a walk around – be sure to check out the small but mighty Xiahai City God Temple, one of the oldest temples in the city and a popular one to visit for those looking for luck in love.
- Ximending: This lively and trendy neighborhood is full of all kinds of shops and restaurants. It’s a popular place for young people, a center of LGBTQ+ culture, and a fabulous place to wander around and see what you might find from claw machine stores to street performers. It’s also near Ximen Red House, a famous historical building from the Japanese colonial area that is now full of boutique clothing and art shops.
- Yongkang (Da’an): Located in Da’an, this bustling neighborhood and foodie haven has cute cafes, restaurants, and shops. Grab a bubble tea, visit Din Tai Fung’s original branch, or simply walk around to see what calls to you (and your stomach). It’s near Rongjin Gorgeous Time, a shopping and eating district that was created from former Japanese colonial buildings that once housed a prison.
- Zhongzheng: This area has some of Taipei’s top tourist sites, including the CKS Memorial Hall, 228 Peace Memorial Park, Taipei Botanical Garden, and the Presidential Office building. It’s also near Huashan 1914 Creative Park, a former wine factory turned into a creative arts center and cultural hub that features shops, art galleries, exhibitions, performance venues, and restaurants.
- Songshan: This neighborhood is best known for the Raohe Street Night Market and the Songshan Ciyou Temple.
5. Take a hike (Or Gondola) to Panoramic City Views
Looking for nature and sweeping city views? Head to Elephant Mountain (Xiangshan), a popular hike near Taipei 101 with some of the best views of the city skyline. The hike is a (breathtaking) uphill climb of about 600 steps, but you can stop at platforms along the way to admire the views and catch your breath. It generally takes about 30 minutes to reach the top (depending on time spent enjoying the views and taking photos). The best-known viewpoint is about 100 steps from the top.
Another place in the city to get excellent views and immerse yourself in nature is in Maokong, located in southeastern Taipei. You can take the Maokong Gondola, a cable car with stunning views, from Taipei Zoo to the Maokong Station, where there are tea houses and plantations, hiking (popular hikes include Yinhe Cave & Waterfall and Camphor Trail), and restaurants. There’s also a gondola stop along the way if you want to see Zhinan Temple, a religious complex with multiple temples. Pro tip: When taking the cable car up to Maokong, try to get a crystal cabin with a glass bottom – about 20% of the cable cars have this feature.
6. Take a soak in The hot springs
You don’t have to venture out of Taipei to experience the island’s relaxing hot springs. Head to Beitou Hot Springs, which is about 30-40 minutes from Taipei Main Station by metro (at the Xinbeitou MRT Station). You can soak in the hot springs and footbaths, hike at Yangmingshan National Park, and check out the otherworldly geothermal nature at Beitou Thermal Valley.
One of the most popular hot springs at a great price point is Longnice Hot Spring. Higher end options include Radium Kagaya, Spring City Resort, The Gaia Hotel, and SweetMe. For a footbath, Fuxing Hot Foot Spa is a well-known spot. If you’re looking to do more than just soak, hike, or admire the thermal nature, you can check out other tourist sites in the area like Beitou Hot Spring Museum, Beitou Library, and nearby Guandu Temple.
A few quick tips: Don’t visit on Mondays as many of the sights in the area are closed, bring a conservative swimsuit, towel, and water (and some places require a swim or shower cap), and always take a shower before going into the springs.
7. Delve into Chinese art and culture at the National Palace Museum
In full transparency, I didn’t make it to the National Palace Museum, but I heard good things. This museum is built in the likeness of a Chinese palace and has an impressive collection of over 700,000 Chinese artefacts that spans thousands of years of history. The museum’s collection was originally housed in Beijing but was moved to Taipei in the mid-20th century.
8. Take in The 360° city views and luxury shopping at Taipei 101
Perhaps Taiwan’s most famous (and tallest) building, Taipei 101 is towering 101-story building that serves as a massive luxury shopping mall with observation decks on its 88th, 89th, 91st and 101st floors. The observatory lines can be long and a visit isn’t cheap, but it offers some unmatched views of Taipei on clear days.
As for the luxury mall below, although malls aren’t really my thing, this one was fun to take a quick walk through to admire the architecture and design of the building and high end stores. I’d also recommend paying a visit to Taipei 101’s extensive food court.
9. Take A Day Trip To Places Like Jiufen, Shifen and Yehliu Geopark
Although there’s plenty to do in the city (including Beitou and Maokong), some popular day trips from Taipei include Jiufen, Shifen, and Yehliu Geopark. I recommend taking a tour if you’re flying solo or getting a driver for the day if you’re with a group to more easily and quickly visit these places.
- Jiufen: Jiufen is a small mountain village and popular tourist destination that resembles the town in the iconic Hayao Miyazaki movie, Spirited Away. It’s a 45-60 minute drive from Taipei and gets quite crowded in peak season. Make sure to walk through Jiufen’s Old Street, which is full of food vendors and shops, stop by a teahouse, and admire the views of the mountain slopes and coastline.
- Shifen: This former mining town along the Pingxi rail line is known for its sky lanterns (and it hosts the famous Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival around the Lunar New Year). Head to Shifen Old Street to purchase a lantern, paint your wishes on it, and send it into the sky. We didn’t stay here long, but it was a fun and unique experience. Still-active train tracks run through the center of Shifen’s street and the lantern activities briefly go on pause when the train goes through the town. The sight of a parade of colorful lanterns drifting into the sky is magical. There’s also a beautiful waterfall, Shifen Waterfall, that you can stop at nearby.
- Yehliu Geopark: Yehliu is a cape known for its landscape of funky rock formations and is a ~45 minute drive from Taipei. The geological formations are fun and the surrounding landscape is beautiful, but it can get pretty crowded. If you’re short on time, you might consider skipping Yehliu and spending more time at Jiufen and Shifen.
10. Eat, eat, eat (and enjoy!)
Along with the city’s night markets, there’s plenty of culinary deliciousness to be found all over Taipei. Try a traditional Taiwanese breakfast at a place like Fuhang Soy Milk and order items like salted soy milk (a very traditional dish), egg crepes, fried dough sticks, clay oven bread, dumplings, and steamed buns. Get soup dumplings at one of the locations of the world-famous Din Tai Fung (DTF) restaurants (you will likely have to wait a couple hours for a table, but you can get a number and come back). There’s excellent bubble tea and milk tea around the city, but you can go to the cafe where this popular drink originated, Chun Shui Tang (also with multiple locations and fairly long wait times). Immerse yourself in the food here for the full Taiwan experience.
Get ready to chow down, shop, and explore on your visit to Taiwan. This guide is really just a starting point focused on making the most of your time in Taipei – there’s so much more to see outside of the city from Sun Moon Lake to Taroko Gorge.
If you happen to be in Taiwan during New Year’s (January 1st), be sure to find a good place to view the amazing fireworks show at Taipei 101. And if you’re there over Lunar New Year, be aware that many places will be closed and tourist attractions will be packed.
I hope you enjoy your visit to this incredible island and leave as enamored (and full of delicious food) as I did.
Planning a visit to Asia? Check out my blog posts on how (not) to plan a day trip to Hakone, Japan and my ultimate guide to surfing in Bali.
