Taipei Guide and Itinerary

A breathtaking afternoon view of 台北市 (Taipei) as we rode a crystal gondola to Maokong. Notice how Taipei 101 disguises itself as an ancient pagoda on top of a hill from this vantage point.

Blue hour at the Lover’s Bridge of 淡水 (Danshui), a smaller city north of Taipei, was definitely worth the wait. A crowd of photographers and tourists, including me, set up their tripods and cameras to take pictures of the bridge as the sky changed color from Sunset Orange to Twilight Blue.

Here’s a no frills guide to Taipei that you can use for your trip:

Transportation

Take Bus 1819 (Kuokuang Line) from the airport to Taipei Main Station for NT$125 per person (5:30AM to 12:20AM). If you’re arriving outside the given bus schedule or you just want to save time and go straight to your hotel, you can take the taxi which would cost around NT$1200.

For ease and savings in transportation while you’re in the city, get an Easy Card and load it up with NT$500. This will be enough for around 3 days for your train and bus rides. You can spend the extra credit on purchases from convenience stores like 7-eleven or Family Mart.

If you want to bike around Taipei, try the U-bikes that can be found in bike kiosks all over the city. You will need an Easy Card and a Taiwanese mobile number to register at the kiosks. It would be a great help if you know someone who has a mobile number.

Accommodation

Since a Taipei trip is almost all about food, it would be a good idea to choose a hostel near one of the night market areas (Shilin or Ximending) so you won’t have trouble travelling back to you hotel after a night of pigging out on all the street food that you want to try.

Taipei Main Station is also a good area since it’s very accessible to and from the Airport.

Itinerary

Below is a sample itinerary for those who have limited time in Taipei but want to visit as many tourist spots as possible.

Day 1: Essential Taipei

Longshan Temple – Light some incense sticks and offer some prayers.

Chiang Kai Shek Memorial and National Theatre – Enjoy walking and taking pictures around the memorial grounds.

Lunch: Din Tai Fung Xiyan – the first branch of this world-acclaimed restaurant

Taipei 101 Mall and Observatory – best time to go up is right before twilight so you can see the view transition from day to night.

Dinner: Modern Toilet – your usual food served in toilet bowls and urinals.

Ximending Night Market – a very young and vibrant crowd awaits in here

Day 2: Northern Taipei

National Palace Museum – most popular exhibits: Meat-shaped Stone and Jadeit Cabbage

Yangmingshan National Park

Beitou Hot Springs – visit the Japanese Bath House Museum on the way to the Thermal Valley and dip your feet in one of the accessible streams.

Dansui – go around the old town to check out the old buildings then ride a bus to the Fisherman’s Wharf to enjoy the sunset from the Lover’s Bridge.

Shilin Night Market – this is arguably the best place to try all the Taiwanese street food.

Day 3: Sunset Views of Taipei from the Top

a) Taipei Zoo and Maokong – see the cute pandas and enjoy a laid-back gondola (cable-car) ride  to Maokong for tea. Make your way back to the city just in time for sunset for a breathtaking vista of Taipei.

or

b) Elephant Mountain – a physically demanding long hike within the city with a rewarding view of Taipei.

Day 4: Jiufen and Yehliu

If you still have some time to spare, do a day trip around Northeast Taiwan to see rock formations and traditional villages.

Other Places

Other places you might want to explore within Taipei are the Sun-Yat Sen Memorial Hall, Martyrs’ Shrine. You may want to include these in your itinerary if you have extra time.