Best Things To Do In Taipei | Night Markets, Landmarks, & Day Trips

Nestled between the mountains and the sea, Taipei is a fusion of modernity and tradition, with a variety of fun and engaging things to see and do. You can enjoy the vibrant energy of its famous night markets and try its tantalizing street food, see its iconic landmarks, like the Taipei 101, explore ancient temples, learning about their deities, and discover its past at historical sites and museums. And if you want to escape the city, there are many picturesque day trips, like Jiufen Old Street, Shifen Old Street, serene waterfalls, rejuvenating hot springs, and more. This post highlights the best things to do in Taipei, and a glimpse into Taiwan’s rich culture.

Best Things To Do In Taipei

Top Landmarks

Taipei 101

Slick Taipei 101 is a city icon and a symbol of national pride. At 101 floors, this landmark can be seen from many locations around the city. Especially at night, when it’s lit up in a brilliant display of color, and on New Years Eve, when it’s lit with fireworks.

There’s an observation deck on the 89th floor with stunning panoramic views. There are also restaurants, including Din Tai Fung, which is famous for its xiaolongbao, or soup dumplings, bars, and shops, making a visit an event.

Its unique architectural design was inspired by Asian pagodas. It has 8 sections, which symbolize good luck and prosperity. A interesting fact is that it was the tallest building in the world when it was built in 2004 (until it was surpassed by Burj Khalifa).

To get to Taipei 101, take the Red Line to the Taipei 101/World Trade Center MRT Station. For tickets see Taipei101.com. It’s best to purchase tickets in advance.

Elephant Mountain Viewpoints

For one of the best views of Taipei 101, hike up nearby Elephant Mountain, or Xiangshan (“xiang” means elephant).

This mountain has a series of steps that head up to various viewpoints. The walk only takes about 15 to 20 minutes, but it is very steep, so it’s challenging. Make sure to wear good footwear and bring water for your hike. Especially if it’s hot out.

The first viewpoint is called Photographers Lookout. From here, you can walk over to a viewpoint called Fireworks Lookout, which is popular for photographers taking photos during fireworks, or head up to the summit, which is over 600’ (184 m).

In addition to Elephant Mountain, there is a network of other trails here including Leopard Mountain, Lion Mountain, and Tiger Mountain, which are known as the Four Beasts Trail.

To get to Elephant Mountain, take the Red Line to the Xiangshan MRT station. Follow exit 2 and walk through Xiangshan Park to the end of the road. From there, follow the signs.

Historic Dihua Street

Visiting Dihua Street is another one of the best things to do in Taipei. It’s one of the oldest streets in Taipei. It’s in Dadaocheng, which is the heart of old Taiwan. The well-preserved old mansions that line the street were once one of Taipei’s most prosperous areas.

This atmospheric street is full of shops selling ancient Chinese medicinal herbs, teas, souvenir shops, and lots of food stalls and tea shops, making it a popular place to spend an afternoon.

For an artisitc image of Dihua Street and its many shops, see the art print Festival on South Street, by artist Kuo Hsueh-hu (below). You will see it on souvenirs in many shops on Dihua Street as well as in the Taipei Fine Arts Museum.

To get to Dihua Street, take the Green Line to Beimen MRT Station. Dihua Street is about a 10-minute walk north. Shuanglian MRT Station on the Red Line and Daqiaotou MRT Station on the Orange Line are other options, depending on your starting point.

Longshan Temple

Longshan Temple is one of the oldest and most popular temples in Taiwan. It’s name, Longshan, means Dragon Mountain Temple, which is the same name of a temple in the Fujian Provence of China, where many Taiwanese moved to this area of Taiwan from.

The primary deity of the temple is Guanyin, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, although there is also Yue Lao, the Love Matchmaker, Mazu, the Sea Goddess, Wenchang Dijun, the God of Literature, Guan Yu, the God of War, and more.

The best time to visit is during chanting times, which are at 6 AM, 8 AM, and 3:45 PM daily. Guanyin’s birthday, which is celebrated February 12th to the 19th, and the Lunar New Year are also special times to visit.

To get to Longshan Temple, take the Blue Line to the Longshan MRT station and take exit 5. For more details on this charming temple, and how to visit the matchmaker, see my post Discover Dragons, Deities, & Love at Longshan Temple Taiwan.

Dalongdong Baoan Temple

Baoan Temple is another gem of a temple to visit in Taipei, inducted into UNESCO in 2003 for cultural heritage conservation. It is not as busy as Longshan, but the art here is truly fascinating and it’s less touristy, so I recommend a visit to the temple and the quiet garden across the street.

It was established in the late 18th century by Chinese immigrants to worship the Baosheng Emperor (Dadi). He was a Chinese God of medicine known to have cured diseases and performed miracles. Baosheng is guarded by the Thirty-Six Celestial Officials, which stand on the left and right sides of the Main Hall. Emperor Shengnong, who is the founder of agriculture and father of traditional Chinese medicine, is also here.

As with Longshan, the areas for the deities are beautiful, but I was most impressed by the many wall murals here, showing ancient Chinese tales, like the large one above and in the center of the gallery.

I would love to learn the stories behind them, but unfortunately, all I could find was that they were works by Master Pan Li-Shui, a legendary artist in Taiwan. Nothing more.

To get to Dalongdong Baoan Temple, take the Red Line to Yuanshan MRT Station. The temple is a short walk from the station.

National Revolutionary Martyrs’ Shrine

The National Revolutionary Martyrs’ Shrine is one of two places to watch the changing of the guard in Taipei, and I found it to be the best. It’s a little out of the way, but this actually makes it better as it’s generally not crowded (unless your visit coincides with a tour group).

This shrine, with its dramatic red columns, is dedicated to the soldiers that lost their lives in several wars in the 20th century. The changing of the guard ceremony occurs at the top of the hour, starting at the gates near the street and walking to the shrine and back. The ceremony takes about 20 minutes.

To get to the Martyrs’ Shrine, take the Red Line to the Yuanshan MRT station. Follow the signs for exit 1. The walk to the shrine is about 25 minutes from the station.

Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall

This popular landmark complex honors Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, the former President of the Republic of China. Highlights of this complex include Memorial Hall, Democracy Square, a popular gathering place for events, National Theater, National Concert Hall, lovely landscaped gardens, ponds, and exercise areas.

This is the second place where you can see a changing of the guard, but I did not find it as nice as the one at Martyrs’ Shrine. Possibly becuase it’s not as colorful.

An interesting fact on Memorial Hall is that there are 89 steps. They represent Chang Kai-Shek’s age when he died.

To get to the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall, take either the Red Line or the Green Line to the Chiang Kai-shel Memorial Hall MRT Station and follow the signs.

Lin An Tai Historical House And Museum

Want to know what life was like in Taiwan in the Qing Dynasty? Visit the Lin A Tai Historical House and Museum. It’s the best-preserved and maintained ancient house in Taipei City. It was founded by Lin Shauna-Cheng, once a prominent figure and wealthy businessman.

The architectural design is primarily Southern Fujian style, a region in China where many Taiwanese immigrated from, featuring a central courtyard, decorative roofs, and intricate carvings. It’s fascinting to walk the rooms, which contain some original artifacts and furniture, along with replicas.

This home was painstakingly moved here from its original location and turned into a museum, to help with preservation.

To get to the Lin A Tai Historical House, take the Red Line to the Yuanshan MRT Station. It’s about a 15 to 20-minute walk from either. The Lin An Tai House is closed on Mondays.

Note that it is close to the Taipei Fine Art Museum (below), so it makes sense to pair the two together if you want to see them both.

National Palace Museum

The National Palace Museum, or Taipei Palace Museum, is the biggest museum in Taipei with almost 700,000 Chinese arts, crafts, and artifacts. It’s unique as it contains many items relocated from the Beijing Palace Museum during the republic of China’s retreat to Taiwan.

To get to the National Palace Museum, take the Red Line to the Shilin MRT Station. From Shilin, take bus 304 to the National Palace Museum. The National Palace Museum is closed on Mondays.

Taipei Fine Arts Musuem

The Taipei Fine Arts Museum does not have the same popularity as the Palace Museum, but still attracts many visitors as a prominent contemporary art museum in Taipei. It features modern and contemporary art from both established and emerging artists.

To get to the Fine Arts Museum, take the Red Line to Yuanshan Station and take exit 1. From there, it’s about a 10-minute walk. The Taipei Fine Arts Museum is closed on Mondays.

Night Markets

Night markets are extremely popular here, packed with an amazing array of food stalls. And there are a lot of them. I’ve read that there are around 70 night markets in Taipei! One could argue which are its best and why, but I seen the following listed as the top six by The Michelin Guide, which rates restaurants and food. They are: the Raohe, Shilin, Yansan, Ningxia, Nanjichang, and Huaxi Night Markets. I chose to visit Raohe and Shilin Night Markets during my stay.

Both of these markets are so popular, you can barely move. To avoid this try to arrive when they open, around 5 PM. See the Michele Guide for the highest rated places, or just look for the long lines.

Raohe Night Market

The Raohe Night Market is near the Songshan MRT Station (Green Line). It starts at the Ciyou Temple. One of the most popular foods to try here are the Fuzhou Black Pepper Buns. They are generally the first food stall after the entrance by the temple. You can’t miss the line! They are filled with black pepper sauce pork filling and spring onions, cooked in charcoal brick ovens.

You will burn your mouth eating them, because you won’t be able to stop, but it’s worth it. This would be a staple food if I lived in Taiwan. You can see them con the orange oven in the photo below left.

Stinky Tofu is another poplar dish here. You can get this at either Shi Boss or Xiagang. Both will be easy to find by the lines in front of them. This is a fermented tofu in a broth. I admit I was afraid to try this because of its name, but I enjoyed it. I also burnt my mouth on this soup, so be careful!

Also look for A Kuo Lu Wei, which was listed in the Michelin Guide in 2024 for its range of items, including duck wings, pork, and baby corn, in a spiced marinade.

Shilin Night Market

The Shilin Night Market is interesting as right before the start of the market is a street of shopping for fashionable youth clothes and accessories. This can also make a nice escape from the crowds when they become too much.

The highlight of the Shilin Market for me was the Good Friend Cold Noodles spot. It’s cold peanut sauce (above right) was the perfect compliment to the noodles. This is another Michelin Guide recommendation and something not to miss.

There is usually a line here, but if you want your food to go, you can get it faster. There is a small narrow room to sit down and eat in. I found it worth the wait as the street is so crowded. It’s hard to find a place to stand and eat.

Another Michelin Guide recommendation at Shilin is the pan fried buns at Chung Chua Sheng Jian Bao. You can also find Black Peppper Buns here (like at Raohe). And there was a long line for the King Oyster Mushrooms, which I was not entirely impressed with, as well as to get into the Haiyou Spare Ribs restaurant, which I did not try.

If you want a quiet place away from the crowds, duck into Cixian Temple, which is where I took the photo above.

Other Top Food Experiences in Taipei

Din Tai Fung

Din Tai Fun is a must-do dining experience in Taipei. Especially the location on Xinyi road. It’s listed in the Michelin Guide.

They are famous for their Xialongbao, or soup dumplings, but have a full menu. These are dumplings are made with a stuffing (pork is a very popular option) and soup inside. You poke a hole in the dumpling when you place it in your Asian soup spoon to get a preliminary sip of the soup. Then you dip the dumpling in a mix of soy sauce, vinegar, and ginger before putting it in your mouth. You will be addicted immediately as the mix of flavors and textures is delightful.

One of the highlights at Din Tai Fung is the window to the kitchen where you can watch them making soup dumplings lightening fast.

There is a crowd waiting to get in at this location every night, but they are very efficient, so it moves pretty fast. This Din Tai Fung is on Xinyi Road in the Da’an District. It’s considered the original, although the real original is now a take-out-only spot down the street. To get here, take the Red Line to the Dongmen MRT Station.

Yongkang Beef Noodle

Yongkang Beef Noodle was in the Michelin Guide in the past, and although it was not listed in 2024, it’s still very popular as it’s considered one of the best places to try authentic Taiwanese beef noodle soup.

There was a line when I arrived, but they seated me immediately with others at a table since I was solo. Service is very quick and efficient. Yongkang Beef Noodle is also in the Da’an District, just a 5-minute walk from Din Tai Fung. It is cash only.

Taipei Michelin Guide

For other recommendations in Taipei, see the Michelin Guide for Taipei. There is a lot of good food here!!!

Day Trips From Taipei

Jiufen Old Street

Jiufen Old Street is a maze of old streets in the northwestern part of Taiwan that feature ancient traditional architecture on a steep slope, enhanced with many red lanterns, food stalls, traditional tea shops (like the famous A-Mei Teahouse), souvenir shops, and a stunning view of the coastline of Taiwan.

This is a very popular day trip from Taipei, but also makes a great getaway for a day or two to experience its beauty when it’s not crammed with tourists.

For more details and how to visit, see my post Gems of Juifen | Day Trip to Charming Old Street.

Shifen Old Street & Waterfall

Shifen Old Street and its waterfall is another very popular day trip from Taipei. This town was built around the rail line which once ran through its narrow center delivering coal. There isn’t even a street there, the rail line runs in the narrow space between two shop-lined sidewalks.

Making a wish with a sky lantern is a very popular thing to do here, releasing them on the railroad tracks between trains. It seems crazy, but an usher clears people off the tracks before the train rolls through.

The color of the lantern symbolizes a wish for a certain aspect of your life, like health, wealth, happiness, or love. You can buy a single-colored or multicolored lantern (of course the latter costs more). Once purchased, you write or draw your wishes on it. Then, a guide helps you light and release it as a wish to the sky while taking photos of you or your group with your phone.

There are also many food stalls and souvenir shops to explore in Shifen, as well as stunning Shifen waterfall, which is one of the most impressive waterfalls in Taiwan. It’s like a mini Niagara Falls.

For more details and how to visit, see my post on Magical Shifen Old Street, Its Sky Lanterns, & Its Waterfall.

Jiaoxi Hot Springs

Jiaoxi has carbonate hot springs (rather than sulfur), so the water is clear and does not have a sulfuric smell. It’s located about an hour northeast of Taipei. The park here, Jiaoxi Hot Springs Park, may not be in the most beautiful part of town as it’s right beside the bus stop, but it has both a free footbath by the entrance and onsen-style bathing deeper in the woods, which provides a very relaxing atmosphere to soak.

For more details and how to visit, see my post on Experiencing the Healing Waters of Jiaoxi Hot Springs

Beitou Hot Springs

Beitou Hot Springs, which are sulfur based, are in northern Taipei, so this is the easiest hot springs to get to from Taipei.

There are a variety of bathing options here including a public hot spring and a several private hot springs at hotels and spas. The latter are best enjoyed as part of an overnight stay, but some can also be experienced on a day trip.

Visiting the Public Hot Springs is very popular as a day trip. It’s located next to the Beitou Hot Spring Museum. The public hot spring closes for 30 minutes about every 2 to 2.5 hours throughout the day. I’m not sure if this is for cleaning purposes or what, but if it is closed when you arrive, it’s not too long of a wait for it to open again. Use this time to visit the Beitou Hot Spring Museum to learn the history of Beitou. It’s housed in a former historic Japanese hot spring.

Note that to swim in the Public Hot Springs (and many places here), a conservative bathing suit is required. This is unlike the onsen-style bathing in Jiaoxi which is done nude.

To get to Beitou, take the Red Line to the MRT Station then transfer to the Pink Line to Xinbeitou. From the Xinbeitou MRT Station exit, most of the attractions are about a 5-minute walk.

Where To Stay In Taipei

• I stayed in the Songshan area, near the Raohe Night Market in a private room on the 15th floor at NK Hostel. I had a beautiful view of the skyline, the room was very plush, it was close to the metro, and the staff was amazing. I even had a fancy bidet toilet in my room. If you want a more budget option, they also offer dorm rooms. A buffet breakfast is included with all rooms, making a great place to meet other travelers.

• MGH Mitsui Garden Hotel Taipei Zhongxiao is a plush hotel in the Da’an District that gets very good reviews. Most rooms feature city views and some offer a free breakfast. There is also a pool.
• If you want to be closer to the Taipei Main Station, I recommend K Hotel Tianjin in the Zhongshan District. Most rooms feature city views, some also have a balcony. Breakfast is free with many rooms.
• If you want a room with a view of nature, rather than the city, stay at Renaissance Taipei Shihlin, in the Shilin District. This plush hotel offers beautiful views, with an option of either mountain or city views. There is a fitness center and an outdoor pool. Breakfast is included with some room. It’s a 10 to 15 minute walk to the Shilin Night Market.

Safe Travels!

Julie