In Taipei, tradition meets innovation seamlessly. Explore the bustling night markets for a taste of the city’s raw energy, while emerging tea labs redefine age-old practices with modern twists.
A land of night markets and bubble milk tea. It’s super tourist friendly which makes it easy for foreigners to step off the plane and just go. Their main language is Mandarin, which we don’t speak, but we were easily able to navigate with the help of some translation apps and a friendly smile.
Taipei is the capital city of Taiwan. While we only had a chance to explore the city, we’ve heard fabulous things about the rest of the island from friends who’ve visited or lived there. If you’ve got the time, I’d recommend checking out the rest of the island. Trains are easy and quick to take from the capital to other cities.
When to go
The best times to go are April through June. With an average high temperature ranging from 22.1°C (71.8°F) to 32°C (89.6°F) and less of a chance for rain, this time makes for a lovely experience. However, the worst time to visit is from June to September. The temperature can get to around 34.3°C (93.7°F) and between 12 and 15 rainy days per month making it a humid and uncomfortable trip.
Sim Cards
Once you get off the plane, you’ll see lots of stores with options for SIM cards. They are decently priced but you must show a passport to register one. We were able to register three SIM cards on one passport. Grab some cash at the airport so you can pay for the SIM card and buy your train ticket into the city.
Airports and public transportation
There are two airports: Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) which happens to be farther from the city but services most international flights and Taipei Songshan Airport (TSA) which is in the city proper and services mostly domestic flights. From Taoyuan International Airport, the metro is honestly the best way to get into the city. Others we know have used taxis but the trip was longer with traffic and way more expensive so save yourself some cash. Grab a window seat and have a great view. Get the lay of the land as you ride into the city, there are even plugins where you can charge your cellphone on this train on the way into town. Their public transportation is well marked, easy to use, and really helped get us around. We were able to get off at Taipei Main, which was walking distance to our hotel.
It’s a very walkable city. The city hosts great sidewalks, well marked crossing, and it’s easily accessible. We did most of the trip walking or using public transportation which makes this an easy city to get around!
Food
Taiwan has its own food culture with things like beef noodle soup, braised pork over rice, Taiwanese burger, and pineapple cake. Unfortunately for me, because I have to eat a gluten free diet, many of the local foods were off limits to me as they are battered and fried or use wheat noodles and steamed buns. Luckily for me, Taipei’s global appeal shines through its diverse culinary scene. From delectable Thai and Indian cuisines to sushi and gourmet burgers, the city offers a feast for every palate. All were delicious and so well done!
We read that bubble tea was invented in Taiwan. You can get it practically anywhere in the city and it’s such a fun treat to cool off when it’s hot. It’s black tea with milk and tapioca balls. Most places use powdered milk but if you have the options for fresh milk, it’s a much more luxurious treat, and you can definitely taste the difference.
If you are a fan of sushi, Addiction Aquatic Development is a must try. It’s near the Taipei Songshan Airport, in the city but walking around the area was mostly industrial so not much in the area but the food was outstanding. Most fish markets elicit a gag response due to the overwhelming smell and carnage but Taipei has modernized this old fish market into a Whole Foods style wine bar that’s adorable. You can browse the different counters picking up sushi from one counter, oysters from another, cheese, wine and drinks to compliment your meal. With limited indoor seating, the standing picnic tables outside under the awning are a perfect way to enjoy the delicious delectables you just bought inside.
Taipei Neighborhoods
Wanhau District – located in the southwest side east of the river, the Wanhau district is a commercial hub of local stores and markets. The alleyways were full of super cool graffiti and the main drag has lots of retail locations. Stop by The Red House for cute local markets in a historic old building. You can find night markets like Taipei Huaxi St Night Market. These night markets are row after row of food stalls selling Taiwanese street food. There are tiny stools to sit at if you’re lucky but walking around with food in hand is totally acceptable.
The best milk tea we had was at Xing Fu Tang in northern Wanhau District. You can watch them making the fresh tapioca balls. They boast that they don’t use any fillers, chemicals or fake ingredients. Order the brown sugar milk tea! Honestly delicious!
For some amazing history and architecture, visit the Lungshan Temple in the district. It’s free to enter and it’s spectacular at night because it’s all lit up. The breathtaking carvings and paintings surrounding you. Once you step inside, you no longer feel the hustle and bustle of the city. It’s just beautiful. Make sure to walk to the back left corner to see the room of a thousand gold Buddhas.
Datong District
Datong has a super cute old street called Dihua Old Street. It’s filled with adorable shops and cafes, lined with old red brick buildings. It feels like an old port and trade area. Although it has one main road, feel free to wander around and get lost in the side street where cute stores and cafes await you. Taiwan is doing a lot to boost tourism and the Dadaocheng Visitors Center is on this street. They were so helpful, gave us maps of the city and provided lots of suggestions!
You’ll start to notice that Taipei has more night markets than anywhere we’ve ever been. There are huge similarities to them but also each has it’s own unique feel. Ningxia Night Market is a super narrow night market. We found out from locals that they purposely keep it narrow and crowded to keep the old charm. At points, it was too overwhelming with a sea of people pushing you but it’s worth a visit. Pro tip – if you want to avoid the traffic jam of people, walk on the outside of the food stalls instead of through the middle. When you find something you want to eat, just get in line. They usually wrap around the back of the stall anyways so you are in the right spot! We recommend trying the peanut ice cream roll. They’ll ask if you want cilantro on it. Even though it sounds weird, try it. For some reason it works!
If you are looking for modern take on traditional tea, Wang Tea Lab is an adorable tea shop serving nitro tea and tea flights. It’s a great place for a relaxing stop on your walking adventure of this district. It’s also so cute and honestly we were impressed with the quality of tea and service.
If you are still out at night, venture over to the river and walk through Yanping Riverside Park There is a nicely paved bike and walking path along the river, scattered with old ladies singing off tune karaoke, cute outdoor food courts built from shipping containers, and twinkly lights where both young and old are enjoying some time away from the hustle and bustle of the night markets. It’s not a must see but if you’re looking for a night walk, it’s pleasant.
Neihu District
This district north of the river has many cute coffee shops and bubble tea shops. Jiangnan Street has too many adorable places to try. We recommend John Tea Company for an elevated bubble milk tea experience. We also recommend P.Ming Thai restaurant for delicious Thai meal. Again, the foreign food in Taipei is amazing. A little north of this street, you’ll find The Antipodean Neihu which is some of the best brunch and coffee you’ll find in Taipei. It gets crazy crowded and wait times can be long, so come at off peak times if possible.
Taiwan is an island of mountains. The cool thing about Taipei is that within walking distance from many districts, you can find yourself on the side of a mountain. We enjoyed some lovely day hikes on this side of the river. We took the train to Xihu stop and walked up through a neighborhood following signs for Jinmianshan Trail. This trail isn’t for beginners as it gets pretty steep but there are ropes to help climb in parts. We were wearing regular tennis shoes but if I did it again, I’d wear hiking boots because it was a legit hike. You can summit in about an hour and get amazing views of the city.
If you’re looking for a more adventurous way to get to another district, we recommend this hike. Start at Jinanshan Nature Area and hike over the mountain towards Old Place Airplane Observation Deck and finally descend to Shilin Night Market. This hike took a little more than an hour but it was amazing how you don’t feel like you are in a city at all. The trail is all tree covered until you come out to a viewing platform. Most people come from the Shilin side to the viewing platform so you have the first ⅔ of the hike all to yourself.
Shilin District
After all that hiking, a Taiwanese foot massage is just the thing you need. We recommend Chun Qiu Massage – Shilin Branch. It was clean, decently priced, and the foot massage was terrific. They serve you tea and it’s just adorable.
The Shilin Night market boasts the largest and most famous night market in Taipei for good reason. Here you can get lost in the sprawling stalls and alleyways for sure. There are indoor covered alleys, outdoor streets, and many winding walkways all selling goods. Its history dates back to 1899. If you only get a chance to go to one night market, this one is it!
Walking back we passed the Taipei Performing Arts Center which stands out as an architectural gem.
Daan District
If you like wandering local neighborhoods, this district had streets of local homes that felt straight out of movie. Tree lined with bikes, people running their daily errands, and parks with children and families running around, enjoying the fresh air. Daan Park is well maintained and worth a stroll through if you’re in the area.
There are coffee shops, tea houses and restaurants that get crowded at lunch with the lunchtime rush of workers. We recommend Mama Inca if you’re craving some delicious Peruvian food.
Downtown- Xinyi District
Taipei 101 stands as a beacon in this downtown area. It’s a gorgeous skyscraper. You can go to the top to see views of the city, but we didn’t pay to do it as we had already seen breathtaking views on the hikes the day before. The entrance to the top is an upscale mall. Nearby is the National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall. It’s free to enter and gives an excellent overview of Taiwan’s history and the people who founded it. Definitely recommend a stop here if you are interested in history.
Raohe Night Market is another one that shows up on lists of must sees. Maybe it was because we went too early or maybe because we were hot and had been to so many night markets already but this one felt more carnivalesque with flashing lights, lots of fried foods, and nothing different than the others. If you’re in the area, give it a go but I wouldn’t go out of my way for this one.
Overall, we highly recommend you take a trip to Taiwan. I only wish we would have had more time to explore the rest of the island. We spent 5 days in Taipei and walked over 30,000 steps a day just wandering neighborhoods, hiking in such close proximity to the city but still felt like we were on the mountain side, and we ate our way through the delicious cuisines.
