Taipei, the capital of Taiwan, is a fun place to visit. During June, one of the hottest months in Taiwan, Ries visited the city for a few days. In this Taipei blog, he tells you all about the best highlights and hotspots of Taipei! So read on to find out more about the best sights of Taipei, fun day trips from Taipei to the rest of Taiwan, and nice places to stay.
Taipei in a nutshell: Skyline, street food, and temples
Taiwan is a beautiful green mountainous island south of China. The island consists of 50% tropical rainforest and is about the same size as the Netherlands. Almost everyone in Taiwan speaks English and the Taiwanese are super helpful and friendly. In the capital of Taiwan, Taipei, you can immediately taste the Chinese influence in the form of delicious food. The Buddhist roots of the city can be seen in the many temples. With 2.7 million inhabitants, Taipei is a busy Asian city, but in the area and on the rest of the Taiwanese island you will find beautiful nature with beautiful mountains. If you have the time, definitely consider not only visiting Taipei but also visiting the nature of Taiwan for a few days.
The most famous and iconic building in the city is Taipei 101, a 508m high tower in the shape of bamboo. This skyscraper, visible from all over the city, symbolizes modern Taipei. The famous skyline of Taipei can be admired beautifully from the Elephant Mountain viewpoint. I will tell you more about both locations later in this blog. Taipei is also known for its lively street food culture, in this blog I will tip you a few good food markets and restaurants.
Besides modern buildings and food, Taipei also has several beautiful temples such as the Mengjia Dragon Mountain Temple or Dalongdong Baoan Temple. Visiting a temple is a must when you are in Taipei. Fortunately, traveling around the capital of Taiwan is very easy. Taipei is a safe and clean city where public transport, taxis (Uber) but also bicycles are affordable and easily accessible. Tip: you rent a bike with the Easycard, the same card you also use for the metro!
Best time to travel to Taipei:
So I visited Taipei in June when it is very hot and the humidity was high. A better time to visit Taiwan is from March to May (spring) or from September to November (autumn). It rains less and the temperatures are more pleasant.
Highlights Taipei: What to do in two days in Taipei?
Do you only have two days to see Taipei? Don’t worry, even though it is a big city, with these 7 highlights you will have discovered most of Taipei. Are you traveling at a more leisurely pace? Then I recommend you take five days for Taipei and its surroundings.
1. Highlights Taipei: Visit the iconic building Taipei 101
This iconic building, called Taipei 101, was once the tallest building in the world. Its 508-meter-high tower proudly towers above the skyline of Taipei. The shape of Taipei 101 is inspired by bamboo. At the top of the tower, you will find a technical feat (literally and figuratively), namely a large, heavy iron ball that should keep the tower in place during heavy storms and earthquakes. Don’t forget to buy tickets online in advance to save waiting time (you can buy them here).
Tip: Want to have a cocktail with a view of Taipei Tower 101? Have a cocktail at the rooftop bar Ce la Vie.
2. Highlights Taipei: admire the skyline of Taipei from Elephant Mountain
The view of Taipei City from Elephant Mountain is phenomenal. Yes, it is a tourist spot but definitely worth it. From the starting point of Xianshang – Elephant Mountain, you can walk several hiking trails up the mountain. But the most famous route is the Elephant Mountain trail that takes you to this viewpoint in 45 sweaty minutes.
Tip: near the starting point of Elephant Mountain there is a very small coffee shop, Arabica Taipei Elephant Mountain, where you can buy very tasty Arabica coffee. They also have air conditioning!
3. Highlights Taipei: Visit one of the many beautiful temples in Taipei
Taipei also has a few beautiful temples among all the high-rise buildings. These temples still play a major role in the daily lives of the Taiwanese.
One of the largest temples in Taiwan is the Mengjia Drakenberg Tempel, also known as the Longshan Temple. This is a Buddhist temple and cultural heritage of Taipei. Another special temple to visit is the Dalongdong Baoan Temple. This Taoist temple is one of the oldest temples in Taiwan.
4. Highlight Taipei: Learn about Taiwan’s history in the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall was built in honor of Chiang Kai-shek, the former president of the Chinese Republic. You can climb the 89 steps of the hall and there you will see the enormous statue of Chiang Kai-shek. Below the statue you will find the museum where you can read everything about the political history of Taiwan. In addition to the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, the park also has the National Theater and the National Concert Hall.
Tip: A fun way to get to know Taipei is by bike with a guide. This 4-hour bike tour also takes you past the Chiang Kai-shek monument. You can book this bike tour here.
5. Highlights Taipei: Get inspired in one of the many creative parks
Visit one of the creative parks in Taipei. These are places where old department stores, factories, or abandoned houses have been converted into shops and coffee or tea houses. In many of the creative parks, you will be surprised with works of art and graffiti. For example, visit the Songshan Cultural & Creative Park in Taipei.
Enjoy a real park: Daan Park
Do you want to recover from all the hustle and bustle of Taipei in a real park? Then visit the beautiful Daan Park, perfect for a walk, a run or to relax. This is a beautiful park with a large playground and ponds where you can spot turtles and all kinds of birds.
6. Highlights Taipei: Experience the busy and vibrant districts of Taipei
Get to know the vibrant city life of Taipei in the Ximen district. Taipei, like Tokyo, has huge streets full of billboards with neon lights. You can shop here and enjoy all the trendy and special shops.
You can also discover the coffee and tea culture here. On every street, you will find a unique and trendy shop. For the Taiwanese, both coffee and tea are very important. To be honest, we are not a fan of bubble tea, but if it is your thing, you will be in luck because the drink is very popular among the young Taiwanese.
Less modern and more historical is Dihua Old Street. Here you will find old renovated buildings from the 19th century, and countless herbal shops, eateries, and small temples.
7. Highlights Taipei: Enjoy the delicious food of Taipei
Taipei is a perfect destination for food lovers. Eating out, in restaurants or on the street (street food) is part of Taiwanese culture. Many apartments are small and often do not have a kitchen, which means people have to eat out. Hence the abundance of street food stalls and restaurants. Every walk through Taipei is a culinary discovery and everywhere you will find places where tasty dishes are freshly prepared.
Be sure to visit one of the street food markets or night markets. Below I describe the most famous ones:
- Dadaocheng Wharf Container Market, this night market is located on the Tamsui River. While eating here, you have a beautiful view of the illuminated skyline on the other side of the river.
- The largest food market is the Shilin night market, this market is partly covered.
- Huaxi Street Night Market, this food market is less known among tourists. Here you will find many locals and the prices are generally lower. Tip: This food market is located near the Dragon Mountain Temple.
- Two other well-known night markets that I, unfortunately, did not get to visit are the Ningxia night market and the Raohe night market.
Tip: A food tour is a great way to get to know Taiwanese cuisine and see more of the city at the same time. Click here for some options via Get Your Guide.
Go out for dinner at Din Tai Fung in Taipei 101
In addition to the food markets, there is another place I love to go to eat in Taipei: the restaurant Din Tai Fung. Here you can eat delicious dumplings. We have eaten at Din Tai Fung restaurants in different places in the world, but the origin of this chain is in Taiwan. And so of course I HAD to visit one of their restaurants here too.
There are several Din Tai Fung branches in Taipei and the most famous one is in the shopping center under Taipei 101. The chain is extremely popular so it is normal to have to wait a while (reservations in advance are not possible). Luckily I have a tip for you to reduce the waiting time!
Register at the reception of Din Tai Fung and then go to the observation deck in Taipei 101 Tower. The waiting time is easily 1.5 hours around dinner time. Enough time to admire the skyline of Taipei! With the Din Tai Fung app, you can keep track of how long it will take before your table is available.
Fun day trips from Taipei: discover the surroundings of Taipei
Taipei is located in the north of Taiwan, surrounded by mountains and tropical rainforest. If you want to leave the busy city for a while, consider the day trips below.
Tip: You can easily visit all these sights by taxi, by bus or you can rent a car yourself. We have chosen a day trip via Get Your Guide. Then you visit Old Street Jiufen, Sniffen Old Street, and Yehliu Geopark in one day. Book your tickets here in time.
1. Day trip from Taipei: Visit the village of Jiufen
Jiffun is a picturesque mountain village full of Taiwanese shops. One of the nicest and most touristy streets is Old Street Jiufen. A visit to the A-mei Teahouse is also a must. The building is beautiful and characterizes the town of Jiufen.
2. Day trip from Taipei: Visit Sifen Old Street
Shifen Old Street is an abandoned railway in an old mining village. It is special to see this place so you can learn more about the old industrial culture of Taiwan. And besides, this is the only place in Taiwan where you can release lucky balloons all year round. Taiwanese culture is all about luck and making wishes.
3. Day trip from Taiwan: Yehliu Geopark
Yehliu Geopark is a small park on the coast where you can admire all kinds of rock formations. With a healthy imagination, you can recognize all kinds of things in the stones. For example, you could see the head of Queen Elizabeth in the rock in the picture below.
4. Day trip from Taipei: hiking and tea tasting in the Maokong Mountains
Taipei is surrounded by mountains. You can easily visit the Maokong Mountains by cable car. From here you also have a beautiful view of the Taipei skyline. There is a special skywalk (Maokong Skywalk) to enjoy this view even more. Various short and longer hiking trails show you more of the Maokong Mountains.
A lot of tea is grown deeper in the mountains, but there are also several tea plantations in the Maokong Mountains to introduce people to tea. Need a break? Then go for a tea tasting at the Jingle Teahouse.
Other day trips from Taipei that I unfortunately could not do:
The following locations I have not been able to visit yet but are on my list for next time:
- Taroke Gorge in Taroko National Park
- Sun Moon Lake
The best accommodations & hotels in Taipei
Are you looking for nice places to stay in the Taiwanese capital Taipei? Below I describe three nice hotels in different budget classes. Click here for an overview of all hotels in Taipei!
Star Hostel Taipei East €
This cozy hostel is located in the center of Taipei near Songshan Cultural Creative Park and Taipei 101. You can stay in a dormitory or there are private rooms. From 60 euros per night including breakfast.
Chill Roof Hotel €€
This trendy boutique hotel has unique rooms with a different theme each time. The hotel is centrally located. The rooms have air conditioning and there is also an apartment for rent if you are traveling with a family. You can sleep here for 100 euros.
Taipei Regent Hotel €€€
This five-star hotel is centrally located in Taipei. It has a rooftop pool, an extensive fitness room, and a Japanese sauna. The breakfast is grand, really fantastic. You can sleep here for €180 including breakfast.
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