What to do in Taipei
Welcome to one of Asia’s most dynamic and diverse capital cities. For many this is their point of entry into Taiwan, and it is certainly a fantastic place to start. The city centre itself is chock full of temples, historical buildings, museums and delicious food. However just an hour or so on the MTR or bus can have out in the middle of mountains feeling like you’re a million miles away from the 2.7 million people that call Taipei home. This wonderful mixture of city and nature is just one of the things that makes Taipei such an intoxicating place to visit.
Getting there and away
Most flights will land at Taipei’s Taoyuan airport which is about an hour or so from the city centre so plan accordingly. Do be aware that immigration can be a long wait if there are a lot of flights arriving at a similar time. When we arrived it was heaving but we were through within an hour. Also the airport is a great place to pick up cheap and affordable sim cards.
If coming by train, there are a variety of categories (not too dissimilar to Japan) however it’s easier to split them into high speed and non high speed trains. Some cities in Taiwan have separate stations for each, however Taipei main station handles both. Taipei is extremely well connected to the rest of country. Taiwan’s expansive and reliable rail network makes travelling to and from Taipei easy and convenient. For more information on other areas of Taiwan check out our article on Kenting.
Where to stay
The busiest districts in Taipei are Wanhua, Zhongzheng and Zhongshan. We stayed close to Ximen station in the heart of Wanhua district. Chock full of restaurants, bars and shops it has excellent transport links and makes it an excellent location to stay.
Getting around
Every travel guide and traveller alike raves about Taipei’s MRT with good reason; within 30 minutes you’re out of the city and into the mountains. There are a variety of options for travelling around Taipei. You can pay for each individual journey, buy as subway card or by a 1/2/3 day rail pass.
The advantage of a 1/2/3 day pass is that you can pay a little bit extra for it to be used on buses which is advantageous if you’re heading out to the palace museum or wulai. Subway cards are a good deal if you’re spending a bit longer in Taipei but you will need to pay extra for the deposit.
What to see and do in Taipei
Central Taipei
Taipei 101
At one time this was the tallest building in the world. The night views from the top are lovely however, the are plenty of great spots around 101 itself that offer shots of the building itself.
Nearest Subway: Taipei 101
Chiang Kai Shek’s mausoleum
This striking complex made up of Chiang’s mausoleum, the national concert hall and national theatre is located in the heart of Zhongzheng. The changing of the guard on the hour is certainly worth watching. A sobering reminder of how important Chiang Kai Shek still is to some in Taiwan (best of luck trying to avoid the people that film the event on their phones though). The park around the edge of the complex is a particularly nice place to stroll and escape the crowds.
The museum on Chiang’s life is certainly a sanitised version, but it is interesting and all of the exhibits are in English as well as Chinese.
Nearest subway: Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall.
Sun Yat Sen’s memorial hall
Located in the vicinity of Taipei 101 this complex holds a monument to Sun Yat Sen as well as detailed museum about his life. The surrounding park is a wonderful place to stroll and relax. On weekends there’s usually some kind of event happening.
Nearest Subway: Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall
The Palace Museum
For many this is a highlight of any visit to Taiwan, let alone Taipei. This museum has the largest collection of Chinese art anywhere in the world. Hundreds of thousands of pieces of art, calligraphy, porcelain and various other artefacts were removed from the palace museum in Beijing as Chiang sensed his impending defeat at the hands of Mao Zedong’s communist forces. Naturally there is a lot of artefacts from the Qing Dynasty (the final dynasty of imperial China) including poetry, scriptures and edicts from the great Qing emperors Kangxi and Qianlong. Prepare to be amazed.
Nearest subway: Shilin or Dazhai – From either you can take a bus direct to the museum.
Raohe night market
This rather bustling night market is filled with excellent street food. Smaller and less chaotic than it’s more famous cousin in Shilin.
Nearest subway: Songshan
Sung Shan Tzu-Yu (Song Shan Ci You) Temple
This gorgeous buddhist temple is right next to the raohe night market. When we were there it was empty and filled with candles.
Nearest subway: Songshan
Long Shan Temple
This rather sprawling temple complex has it’s own station. I visited in the early evening and it was full of people praying, cleaning and just hanging out. A wonderful space to people watch and take in the surroundings of where you are. There is also a decent night market nearby.
Nearest subway: Longshan Temple
Shilin Night Market
Possibly Taipei’s most famous night market. This sprawling mass of stalls and alleys which wind around a number of gorgeous temples is very popular. Whilst the food is pretty good, it’s similar to what’s served at other night markets in the city. However the alleys and temples certainly make this an interesting place to wander for an evening.
Further Afield
One of the best things about Taipei is it’s close proximity to nature. You can be hiking in the mountains and tea plantations within one hour, something very few capital cities can boast.
Elephant Hill
Situated a short walk from the end of the red line this hike into the hills surrounding Taipei offers amazing views of Taipei 101 and the surrounding area. As you might expect sunset offers some of the best views, however expect to share it with a number of people. However the views certainly make it worthwhile.
How to get there: Subway to Xiangshan
Tanshui
Situated right at the end of the red line, this historic port area is short on natural scenery but high on historical landmarks relating to both the Qing dynasty and the conquests of imperial Japan. A 30 minute or so walk from the subway station will bring you to Hobe Fort which was originally built during the Qing dynasty and then modernised and updated by Imperial Japan. A short walk down the hill from the fort there is a gorgeous park with a wonderful restored Japanese house. The main road is littered with market stalls that wind their way around numerous gorgeous buddhist temples. Amongst these the Tanshui Lon Shan temple is particularly nice.
How to get here: Subway to Tanshui
Wulai
Only an hour or so from central Taipei this area is most famous for its lush green forests, waterfalls and hot springs. As a warning this is a very popular weekend destination as Taipei-ites seeking a more sedate pace. From the bus stop it’s a short stroll until you reach the hot spring area. As hot springs and restaurants vie for your attention stunning scenery roles out in front of you.
If you make the trip on a misty day then you will be rewarded with the clouds a certain mystical element. There are a fair few hiking trails but the most popular and most accessible is the trail that runs from the towns entrance along the river to the stunning Wulai waterfall. The hike up will take between 30 minutes on an hour depending on how fast your legs can carry you. Close to the waterfall there a number of small restaurants serving some excellent Taiwanese dishes. The town itself has two particularly interesting temples; the Miao Xin temple a short walk from the bus stop and the Fu De Zheng Shen which is perched on a rocky outcrop on the other side of the river.
After all of this hiking and exploring a visit to a hot spring is most definitely on the cards. Wulai is full of guesthouses and hotels that rent out rooms by the hour or night with varying rates of luxury. From our research it seems that the price per hour goes down the further you get from the bus stop and if you use them between 2 and 5 the prices are cheaper because it’s much quieter.
How to get there: Take the subway to Xindian then take the bus to Wulai (烏來). Do note that bus is likely to be busy on weekends and that there is likely to be a queue for the bus heading back into town.
Maokong
This rather stunning expanse of land is not a far south as Wulai however it is an excellent demonstration of Taipei’s unique relationship with the surrounding countryside. After taking the subway to Taipei Zoo head out and follow the signs to the Maokong gondola. From here take the Maokong gondola to your desired stop with the vast majority (us included) heading to Maokong itself. The gondola ride offers stunning views of Taipei’s central districts and cities surround mountains. With the nighttime view of Taipei being particularly beautiful.
Once in Maokong there are numerous walks available, some short, others less so. We headed for the silver stream cave and waterfall which is between 40 minutes to an hour from the gondola station itself. The views around sunset from the waterfall are incredible.
How to get there: Subway to Taipei Zoo and then take the gondola. You can purchase pre-paid tickets for all day subway use and a return gondola trip, it’s much cheaper than buying them separately.
