Top 12 Places to Visit in Taipei, Taiwan (RANKED by a Foreigner)
Need inspiration for your future travels to Taipei, Taiwan? Deciding on what things to do and see in Taipei City and its surrounding areas?
Lucky for you, I have put together a list of the Top 12 Places to Visit in Taipei, Taiwan from my perspective as a foreigner from America.
I went to Taiwan in 2019 with my graduate school friends, one of whom has family in Taipei and invited us to stay at her family’s guest home. She had a family friend, who works as a professional tour guide, show us all the best attractions in Taipei.
While I am not a Taiwanese native, I felt I had a unique experience by staying with her family. I felt I got an immersive look into Taiwanese culture than the average tourist, all the while being shown the best places to visit in Taipei.
With that said, here’s my take on the Top 12 Places to Visit in Taipei, Taiwan!
The National Palace Museum is one of the largest collections of Chinese history in the world. It holds a collection of over 700,000 Chinese artifacts. Many of these pieces were originally from Beijing before they were transported to Taipei for preservation.
The museum showcases exhibitions through the changing dynasties. Even if you are not a history buff (like me), you will be amazed by the intricacies within each painting, sculpture, and relic.
#11: Beitou Hot Spring
The mountainous region of Beitou is full of hot springs and is only a 30 minute drive from the city center. The Beitou Thermal Valley (pictured above) was a highlight during our trip. The constant rising steam from the thermal waters makes it feel like you are standing next to the clouds.
The Thermal Valley is just one of many spots of geothermal activity in Beitou. At Thermal Valley, you cannot dip into the water unless you want to get burned and smell like eggs from the sulfur. There are, however, public spaces that you can relax in, but I hear they are highly trafficked.
#10: Maokong
The Maokong suburb of Taipei is known for its tea culture, dotted with numerous tea houses. The most common way to reach Maokong is via the Maokong Gondola. The gondola is also a great way to get unobstructed views of the city.
You can also hike up to Maokong, but it would be quite the trek. Your reward will be delicious traditional Taiwanese tea.
#9 Taipei 101
Taipei 101, also known as the Taipei World Financial Center, is the tallest building in Taipei and arguably the most iconic. It was the world’s tallest building from 2004 to 2009 until the Burj Khalifa was completed in Dubai. It is an imposing building recognizable from afar.
Inside Taipei 101 is a multilevel shopping mall featuring lots of high end stores. It was nice to window shop, but ultimately too expensive for my taste. You can also go to the observation deck if that catches your fancy — I am sure the views up there are the best in the city. All in all a great place to visit in Taipei.
We just tryna act cute.
#9 National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial
This is a national monument and landmark made in memory of one of the president’s of the Republic of China, Chiang Kai-shek. It has become a place for mass gatherings and a symbol for Taiwan’s transition to modern era democracy.
Above pictured, is the national theatre on the left, the national concert hall on the right, and liberty square sandwiched between the two.
We met up with another classmate who happened to be visiting her family in Taipei during winter break at the same time. So of course, we had to take a group pic. Standing behind us is the Chiang Kai-shek memorial. This is definitely one of the top places to visit in Taipei.
At the top of each hour, between 9am to 5pm from, the Changing of the Guards ceremony occurs. Basically, the guards rotate guarding the historic landmark throughout the day. The ceremony consists of some serious choreography — I was amazed at how in sync they were.
Also, one of the guards was really fine — I couldn’t stop looking at him LOL. Sorry, I just had to mention that because my group, well actually mostly me, couldn’t stop talking about him for the rest of the trip.
#7 Raohe Night Market
Raohe Night Market was my second favorite night market in Taipei. Night markets typically become alive at night (duh) with vendors selling all kinds of delicious street food. Going to a night market in Taipei is one of the must-do things in Taiwan.
What I like about night markets is that you can sample a lot of different food. Many stalls focus on a certain dish or style of dishes. For example some may only sell green onion pancakes, cubed beef skewers, steamed buns, or boba.
A little anecdote: at the market, I noticed this pair with backpacks on with a camera crew following them. Instantly, I thought that they were filming The Amazing Race — my favorite TV show of all time.
I actually helped one of these teams with their task, which was to earn a certain amount of money by selling a dessert, by buying it for way more than it was worth. I talked to production on the side and it turns out it was a show similar to The Amazing Race, a Romanian version of a show called The Peking Express (Season 3).
I found the episode online. It turns out it was the finale episode and only two teams were left. The team I helped ended up getting second unfortunately. And also unfortunate was that I didn’t see myself in the episode! A cool experience nonetheless.
Yangmingshan National Park
Yangmingshan National Park is about an hour away north of Taipei City. As you wind your way up the roads, you will have options to explore numerous hiking trails, hot springs, and sulfur deposits. It is one of 9 national parks in Taiwan.
Xiaoyoukeng is an area in the national park where you can see some of its hot springs and sulfur deposits. You will get the opportunity to see this grayish water bubbling up from the surface at the price of it smelling like rotten eggs.
From this area, you can also take a hike up to Seven Star Mountain, which is the highest peak in Taipei at 1120 meters above sea level.
I definitely recommend checking out the Arrow Bamboo Trail. It can be accessed from the same parking lot for Xiaoyoukeng. The short trail is marked by bamboo growing on both sides and my friend and I were skipping and frolicking since we were the only ones there. We also had a photoshoot here, but I will spare you those pictures.
#5 Ximending
Ximending is a buzzing hub and shopping district in the city center. There is no shortage of arcades, boba spots, restaurants, souvenir shops, and clothing stores. Ximending is regarded as the epicenter of Taiwanese fashion and modern culture.
My friends and I spent way too much money on those crane arcade games. I did win a stuffed Pokémon after twenty or so tries though! Ximending is a great place to immerse yourself in Taiwanese culture and feel the heart of the city. I’d recommend spending a few hours here just roaming around.
#4 Tamsui District
The Tamsui District is located north of Taipei City along the sea. I recommend checking out Lovers Bridge. The bridge crosses over a wharf and leads to a picturesque pier.
You can find great views of Guanyin Mountain in the distance. The entire time I felt like I was in a setting of a typical Asian drama.
A short drive down south, you will find Tamsui Old Street. Parallel to the ocean park, are shops lined along the road. I found the best boba in all of Taiwan called Xing Fu Tang. The franchise has reached America, but it was nonetheless divine.
There are plenty of places to go souvenir shopping and I found more unique types of stores here than I did at the night markets in the city center.
Across from Old Street, is a beautiful ocean front park. I saw a crazy sunset that will be ingrained in my head for many years, rivaling the sunset I saw at Cape Flattery in Washington. It gave me Asian drama vibes again.
#3 Shilin Night Market
The Shilin Night Market is THE night market in Taipei City. It is the most trafficked, largest, and iconic night market in the capital.
I recommend getting there a bit early so the lines are shorter and you aren’t shoulder to shoulder as you zig zag your way through the narrow streets and alleys.
I tried stinky tofu for the first time and honestly…it was absolutely horrid LOL. The stench, the taste, the texture…I couldn’t do it. Am I glad I tried it? Maybe. Joking aside, you got to try some of the Taiwanese delicacies while you are here. The Taiwanese food is so much better than what I am accustomed to in Irvine, California.
Shilin Market was a great place for me to go Christmas shopping as everything is relatively cheap. I bought magnets, chopsticks, Pokémon stuffed animals, an air pod case, and socks. It is definitely one of the top places to visit in Taipei.
#2 Jiufen
Jiufen is an area tucked away in the seaside mountains on the west side of Taiwan, just an hour west of Taipei. Jiufen is known to resemble the town in the Japanese animated movie, Spirited Away. With its many alleyways, stairs, and iconic tea house, I could see how that resemblance is made.
One of the top attractions to see in Jiufen is Jiufen Old Street. Jiufen Old Street is a great place to eat, buy souvenirs, and simply roam around. While night markets in Taipei offer the same types of goods, Jiufen feels more nostalgic and makes you feel like you have traveled back in time.
#1 Shifen
The number one thing to do in Taipei is a visit to Shifen. You can visit Shifen as a day trip from Taipei, just 45 minutes away from the city. I recommend combining seeing Shifen and Jiufen together in the same day trip as they are both on the west side of Taipei.
Shifen at its Old Street is known for decorating, lighting, and releasing Taiwanese sky lanterns into the sky. The action takes place on an active railroad track that divides the town.
While touristy, it was a very special experience as you get to personally decorate your lantern and choose its colors, which have different meanings like love, peace, friendship, and good fortune. In my opinion, it is the top place to visit in Taipei.
At the edge of town, I recommend walking the length of the Jingan Suspension bridge. It spans across the Keelung River and it has a rural, nostalgic feeling that you can’t find in the city. We lucked out and saw an incredible sunset that reflected across the river.
Final Thoughts on Places to Visit in Taiwan
Taipei and its surrounding areas are full of things to do that can keep you busy for weeks. While I was in Taipei for a week, I do believe you can condense most of these places into a 3 day trip if you have less time.
Aside from my list of places, I recommend trying all the street food, boba spots, the night scene, and experience a traditional food markets during the day.
Please comment if you have any specific questions about these top places in Taipei!
Til the next adventure
— Keanu @9to5TravelGuy