Taiwan is a small East Asia country with an area of 35,808 square kilometers. Located in the South East of China, Taiwan is separate from Continental China by the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan is also surnamed “Ilha Formosa” which means “Beautiful Island.” This name was given by Portuguese sailors who, in 1542, sighted a beautiful island uncharted on their map. The History of Taiwan is long with man influences and colonial periods from various countries. But this complicated History made what Taiwan is today.
Still poorly known compared to neighborhood countries as China, Japan, or South Korea, Taiwan is a beautiful destination you must discover!
We will help you find the best things to do in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan!
To help you plan your ultimate trip to Taipei, get the Taipei Fun Pass. It is a card that will give you free access to many main attractions in the city. You can choose between 3 types of cards so, 3 types of registrations: Classic, Exploring, and Unlimited. The Classic card provides you access to 2 main attractions, the Exploring card gives you access to 23 main attractions, and you can visit 16 popular attractions with the Unlimited card. Prices depend on your card choice and how many days you want to use it. If you can, we recommend choosing the Unlimited card which also includes subway, buses, and shuttles transportation fees.
For more information, visit the official page of Taipei Fun Pass. You can pick up your card in visitor centers located in train stations or airports.
Best Attractions in Taipei
National Palace museum
The reputation of the National Palace Museum is to be undoubtedly the most beautiful museum of Chinese arts in the world. Built-in 1925, this museum has the largest and the most beautiful collections about Chinese history.
In 2019, all collections counted more than 697,490 pieces.
These artworks are about calligraphy, old publications, pottery, and more. But the most impressive part of these pieces concerns the forbidden city of Beijing.
The museum has precious items rich in history old from the stone age to the republic period. Most parts of the calligraphy artists are represented through their worldwide famous arts like :
- Early Spring, by Guo Xi.
- travelers by streams and mountains, by Fa Kuan.
These pieces came from the imperial collection.
The National Palace Museum and the Palace Museum are two distinct museums but share the same collection. If you have an interest in Chinese History and Culture, you must visit the National Palace Museum.
Before visiting the National Palace Museum in Taipei
Opening time
Open from Tuesday to Sunday between 09:00 am and 17:00 pm.
Closed on Mondays and on national celebration days.
The library, the garden, or the Chang Dai-Ch’ien memorial residence could have a different schedule. If you are interested in all of these visits, we recommend you to check the opening time here.
Prices
Adult (aged more than 17 years old) NTD $350
Student (with an international student identity card) NTD $150
Weekend ticket for senior (aged 65+) NTD $75
The entrance is free if you are:
- aged under 17 years old (all nationalities)
- People with disabilities (with one accompanying person)
- Volunteers (with the Honorary Volunteer Service Card)
- Member of the American Alliance of Museums or International Council of Museums, or member of the Chinese Association of Museums (with membership card).
Zhishan garden NTD $20 (but free if you already have the National Palace Museum ticket)
More information about combined tickets here.
You also have six free entrance days :
- New Year’s Day (January 1th)
- The Lantern Festival (February 26th)
- International Museum Day (May 18th)
- World Tourism Day (September 27th)
- National Day (October 10th)
- Taiwan Culture Day (October 17th)
Address: No. 221, Sec 2, Zhi Shan Rd, Shilin District, Taipei City, Taïwan 111
How to get there
You can go to the museum by bus or subway, available from 06:00 am to 24:00 am. The museum clearly explains all routes on the website from various departure points.
Taipei 101
This building construction started in 1999 and finished in 2004. Originally, Taipei 101 was the Taipei world financial center. Nowadays, Taipei 101 is the first international shopping destination where you can find a mall with a lot of fashion brand stores and luxury goods. That mall is now compared to the Paris street “Champs Élysées Avenue” or the “Fifth Avenue” located in New York. Taipei 101 also offers a 391.8 meters high observatory.
This 101 floors building was the highest tower in the world from 2004 to 2010. With 508 meters high to the tip, Taipei 101 is the tallest tower in Taiwan, the 7th tallest in Asia, and the 10th tallest in the world.
Address: No.7, Sec. 5, Xinyi Rd., Xinyi Dist., Taipei City 110, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
Opening Time
Open from Sunday to Thursday, from 11:00 am to 9:30 pm.
On Friday, Saturday, and during the National Holidays the mall is open from 11:00 am to 10:00 pm.
The Observatory is open every day.
From Monday to Friday from 11:00 am to 9:00 pm.
Saturday, Sunday from 10:00 am to 9:00 pm.
Last admission at 8:30 pm.
Prices
The Taipei 101 entrance is free.
Observatory prices
General Ticket NTD $600
Special Ticket (Student) NTD$540
Senior Ticket (for Taiwan residence over 65 years old) NTD $300
Child under the height of 115 cm FREE
How to get there
By Train MRT, take the Xinyi Line (red line) and get off at Taipei 101 Station / World Trade Station. Exit n°4
You can also take the train MRT, Bannan Line and get off at City Hall, exit n°2. Walk 10 minutes.
Shilin Night Market
The Shilin Market is the most popular night market in Taipei. You can find two types of products in this market: general merchandise and local cuisine. Exploring the Shilin Market is a good way to understand Taiwanese life.
Shilin Market is one of the largest markets in Taipei and many students like spending time there, especially for the price of the food. In fact, the price of food is really cheap and the food quality is good. A good spot to go if you want to experience a lot of traditional food with a low budget. Shilin Market could also be a good place for buying souvenirs for a cheap price.
Address: Taïwan, Taipei City, 111, No. 65, Section 5, Zhongshan North Road
How to get there
Take train MRT and get off at Jiantan Station. The market is just 70 meters from the station.
Longshan Temple
Longshan Temple is one of the oldest temples in Taipei and built more than 250 years ago. It is also the most visited temple in Taipei so, every day, hundreds of visitors come to visit the temple. But despite that, this temple still has a lot of believers from the neighborhood.
The Longshan temple was originally built for the misericord goddess but neighborhood believers also pray for many other divinities. Because of that, this temple is a good place for learning more about Chinese gods. If you are interested in Chinese mythology, you must go to visit it.
This temple is frequently used by the neighborhoods as a religious place but also as a meeting point.
Address: No. 211, Guangzhou Street, Wanhua District, Taipei City, Taiwan 10853
How to get there
By MRT train, lake the line 5 (Blue Line), get off at Longshan Temple, Exit n° 1.
Opening time
The temple is open every day from 6:00 am to 10:00 pm.
Taipei Confucius Temple
Taipei Confucius temple was built to honor one of the greatest philosophy masters in the world. Here you can also find the name of other philosophers.
The particularity of this temple is the sober decoration. In effect, in the Antiquity period, you could see various paintings of Confucius, especially Confucius’ portraits. But each painter painted the philosopher with their own vision, and the result was not harmonious because of the huge difference between them. Tai Tsu, emperor of the Ming dynasty between 1368 and 1398 disagreed with the decoration of the temple and proclaimed a new rule that prohibits all portrait painting in Confucius temples. Between 1522 and 1586, Emperor Shih Tsung asked to remove all Confucius’ portraits in the temple and allow memorial plaques only. That rule is still respected nowadays. That is why you can not find any painting of Confucius in the Taipei Confucius temple.
Additionally, in this sober style temple, no writings are founded on columns or windows. In traditional temples, you could find writings on these places. So why can’t we find any writings in the Taipei Confucius Temple? First reason, we say Confucius likes the sober style. The second reason, to pay respect to Confucius. In fact, we say we shouldn’t write anything in the temple to show off our knowledge in front of the master.
Address: No. 275, Dalong Street, Datong District, Taipei City, Taïwan 103
How to get there
By MRT train, take line 2 (Red Line), and get off at Yuanshan Station, Exit n°2.
Opening time
From Tuesday to Saturday: 8:30 am to 9:00 pm.
On Sunday from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm.
Closed on Monday.
Dihua Street
Located in the north of the Yongchang street, the part of the Dihua Steet is an old and traditional court. Compare to others, Dihua street was well conserved.
There you can find the most important food market in the city. Neighborhoods come here especially for wholesales about food, medicine ingredients, and textile. In this unique atmosphere, take the opportunity to try Chinese food specialties and buy some food or goodies as souvenirs for a really interesting price. This road is particularly frequent during the Chinese New Year’s period.
In this old street, you can easily find some Chinese traditional shops that sell rice accessories, incense sticks, lanterns, and more. Throughout it all, you will find a lot of new houses built in a European style.
Address: Section 1, Dihua St, Datong District, Taipei City, Taïwan 103
How to get there
By MRT Train, Take the Green Line and get off at Beimen Station, exit 3.
You can also take the Orange Line and get off at Daqiaotou Station, exit 1. For this second option, you have to walk a little more far away from the first itinerary.
Yangmingshan National Park
There are nine national parks in Taiwan, YangmingShan is one of them. Located in the north of the Capital, Yangmingshan Park is the only park that has a volcanic zone and hot springs. This impressive volcanic zone is the biggest in Taiwan.
Called “Caoshan,” meaning the grass mountain, during the Japanese occupation, the Taiwanese government renamed the park with its actual name after World War II.
The total area of the Yongmingshan park is 125 hectares. This park designed in traditional Chinese style is reputed for the hot springs, cherry blossoms, fumaroles, and hiking paths. One of these hiking paths is going to the Qixing Mountain, an old volcano 1,120 meters high.
The beauty of this natural space is really popular with Taiwanese citizens who consider the forest as the Taipei Garden.
Yangmingshan park is also characterized by a huge clock of 22 feet in diameter. This clock made of flowers had entertainments every hour as waters show runs with music.
Address: No. 1-20, Zhuzihu Road, Beitou District, Yangmingshan, Taipei City 11292, Taiwan （R.O.C.）
Opening time
Office Service Hours: AM8:30~PM5:00 from Monday to Friday
How to get there
Take the THSR (Taiwan High Speed Rail) to Taipei Station. After that, you can choose one of these transportations plans:
- Take the transfer <Royal Bus 1717> (voyage to Jinshan) and get off at the Yangmingshan National Park Administration stop.
- Take the <Taipei City Bus n°260> or the <Taipei city Bus Red 5> to Yangmingshan stop. Get off at Yangmingshan Stop and then, take the <Taipei City Bus n°108> to the Yangmingshan National Park Administration stop.
Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial
Chiang Kai- Shek Memorial is a National monument dedicated to the first President of the Taiwan Republic, Chiang Kai-Shek.
The building is easily recognizable with natural white marble walls and the octagonal roof was inspired by the Temple of Heaven, located in Beijing. The Memorial is 70 meters high and has big stairs located just in front of it. These stairs have 89 steps, representing the age of the former President before his death. Inside, you can visit a lot of art and cultural exhibitions.
Opening time
The Memorial Hall is open every day from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm except during the 228 Peace Memorial Day (February 28th), Chinese New Year’s Eve, and the first day of the Chinese New Year.
The Memorial park is open every day from 5:00 am to Midnight.
Prices
Free admission
Address: No.21, Zhongshan S.Rd., Zhongzheng Dist.,Taipei City 100011, Taiwan (R.O.C)
How to get there:
Take the MRT Train, Songshan-Xindian Line, or Tamsui-Xinyi Line. Get off at Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall Station. Exit n° 3, 5, or 6.
Local Food in Taiwan
Taiwan is a small country but with a lot of various food that must be discovered.
Beef Noodle Soup
As the name means, it is a simple meal with noodles and beef immersed in the soup. Each restaurant has its own secret recipe and for the most famous of them, you could wait 30 min to 1 hour before having a seat in the restaurant.
Sticky Rice Dumpling (Zong Zi)
Chinese glutinous rice accompanied by various tastes as meats, nuts, vegetables, etc. Depends on the taste, Zong Zi can be eaten as a snack or as a dessert for its sweet taste. Zong Zi is traditionally packaged in bamboo or lotus leaves but these days, banana leaves are more reputed.
This rice dumpling is a snack that is traditionally eaten during the Duanwu Festival which is on the 5th of May according to the Chinese lunar calendar.
Hot Pot
You can eat Hot Pot during any season in Taiwan. Hot Pot is the same concept as Shabu-Shabu which consists to cook your food in boiling water. Depends on your choice, there are different Hot Pots with various dumplings: Tofu, mushrooms, salads, meats, seafood and other vegetables.
Gua Bao
Also called “The Taiwanese Humberger,” Gua Bao is one of the most popular street food meals. This snack is made with stewed bread, pork belly, peanuts, and vegetables.
Xiao Long Bao
One of the most famous Taiwanese meals! Xiao Long Bao is a dumpling made with meat, vegetables, and broth, packaged in the wheat dough. There is a famous restaurant in Taipei Station, located near the subway exits, where you could wait around 2 hours to have a seat.
Bubble Tea / Milk Tea
This delicious beverage is famous in the World. But did you know the Bubble tea (also called “Boba”) came from Taiwan? If you go to Taipei, you will find a lot of coffee shops or little shops where you can buy Bubble tea. And for the curious people, do not hesitate to try all the various tastes!
We hope this article will help you prepare your trip in Taipei!